Super Bowl ads: Betty White, Bud Light, big laughs

NEW YORK – Betty White plays football, babies talk about “milkaholics” and a house made of Bud Light cans falls slowly apart. It must be the Super Bowl — or at least the advertising showcase that entertains amid the gridiron action. The commercials from such advertisers as Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola got off to a funny start Sunday night on CBS. Villanova marketing Professor Charles R. Taylor said the light-hearted tone is working this year because the ads still manage to tell people what the brands stand for. That marks a turn from last year, when some ads took a more somber tone amid the still-deepening recession. Not every commercial was strictly humorous. Automaker Toyota aired…

Firm to pay $200K after importing lead-laden toys

WASHINGTON – A Massachusetts company has agreed to pay a $200,000 penalty to settle allegations it violated U.S. law when it imported Thomas and Friends, Curious George and Winnie the Pooh toys with high levels of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission alleged that Schylling Associates Inc. of Rowley, Mass., imported tens of thousands of toys that violated the federal lead paint ban and then distributed them to retail stores. These items included spinning top toys and tin pail toys with Thomas and Friends and Curious George graphics. The noncompliant toys also included spinning top toys with circus scenes and Winnie the Pooh graphics. The consumer safety agency said Thursday that Schylling knew or should…

Saints win Super Bowl, 31-17 over Colts

MIAMI, Fla. – Who Dat won the Super Bowl? The New Orleans Saints, that’s who. Ain’t kidding. Put away those paper bags forever: Drew Brees and the Saints are NFL champions, rallying to beat Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football’s most thrilling title games. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. The Pro Bowl quarterback was chosen Super Bowl MVP. New Orleans‘ lowly ranked defense made several key stops, an onside kick sparked their second-half comeback, and Tracy Porter’s 74-yard interception return on a pass from Manning, of all people,…

Sarah Palin Speaks on Obama

WASHINGTON — Sarah Palin says that if President Barack Obama “played the war card,” he could improve his chances of being re-elected. Palin says that declaring war on Iran or showing stronger support for Israel might convince voters that Obama is tougher than they think on national security and doing all he can to protect the U.S. Otherwise, according to Palin, Obama won’t be re-elected if he continues on his current path. Palin was interviewed on “Fox News Sunday” — the network where the former GOP vice presidential nominee is a paid commentator. ___ February 07, 2010 10:00 AM EST Copyright 2010, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,…

Prius problems put spotlight on car electronics

NEW YORK – Your most expensive piece of electronics probably is not your flat panel TV or your computer. More likely, it’s your car, which can pack 50 microprocessors to control everything from the fuel mix to the rearview mirrors. The recalls and other technical problems besetting Toyota in the last few weeks highlight the risks of relying on electronics instead of the mechanical rods and cables that controlled vehicles for most of the 20th century. Such advancements bring many benefits, but the worry is that the car is a computer on wheels that could freeze up and potentially crash. No less a computer celebrity than Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak has said his Toyota…

Joseph Lowery remains in Hospital

Posted Courtesy of AJC.com It’s been a week since friends of the Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery said they expected him to be released from the hospital in a day, but the civil rights icon remained in the care of Emory University Hospital Midtown on Sunday. Lowery, whom the hospital said last week had suffered a pulmonary embolism, or blood clot in the lung, was still in stable condition Sunday evening, hospital spokesman Lance Skelly told the AJC. Skelly said previously that there was no “timetable” for the historic figure’s discharge from care but that he was “getting stronger every day.” Lowery, who stood with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement,…

Costa Rica May Elect First Woman President

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – Costa Ricans appeared likely to elect their first woman president Sunday as Central America’s most politically and economically stable country chose between a career politician from the ruling party and an anti-taxation Libertarian. Polls closed Sunday evening after a peaceful election and some people still lined up to cast their vote were turned away. Electoral Tribunal President Luis Sobrado said partial results would come in several hours. Pre-election polls gave a nearly 20-point lead to Laura Chinchilla, who served as vice president under current President Oscar Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and free-market enthusiast. “All of this has been worth it. We are going to win, and in the…

Obama invites GOP leaders to health care talk

WASHINGTON – In the first major step to revive his health care agenda after his party’s loss of a filibuster-proof Senate majority, President Barack Obama on Sunday invited Republican and Democratic leaders to discuss possible compromises in a televised gathering later this month. Obama’s move came amid widespread complaints that efforts so far by him and his Democratic allies in Congress have been too partisan and secretive. The Feb. 25 meeting’s prospects for success are far from clear. GOP leaders demanded Sunday that Democrats start from scratch, and White House aides said Obama had no plans to do so. “If we are to reach a bipartisan consensus, the White House can start by shelving the…

Queen Latifah Producing Movie for VH1

This report from From AllHipHop.com: Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit has inked a deal with VH1 to produce a made for TV comedic drama about two best friends and their views on relationships. The untitled flick is set in Atlanta and revolves around two African-American women, Keisha, a former video dancer and Val, an aspiring fashion mogul. The movie was written by Stacy Littlejohn, who will also serve as executive producer, along with Queen Latifah and Flavor Unit’s Shakim Compere.  Flavor Unit has produced a number of movies, including The Cookout, Beauty Shop, The Perfect Holiday and Just Wright.

Super Bowl TV spot brings Leno, Letterman together

By FRAZIER MOORE, AP Television Writer Frazier Moore, Ap Television Writer NEW YORK – Super Bowl viewers were rubbing their eyes over a TV spot pairing CBS late-night host David Letterman with longtime NBC rival Jay Leno, plus Oprah Winfrey. Aired early Sunday in the CBS-aired game, the ad depicted Letterman and Leno glumly sharing a couch watching the Super Bowl, with Winfrey between them trying to make peace. The spot revisits a promo from the 2007 Super Bowl with Letterman and Winfrey watching the big game. In the new spot, Letterman grumbles, “This is the worst Super Bowl party ever.” Leno replies that Dave’s “just saying that because I’m here.” The spot was secretly…