The PGA Championship, the year’s final golfing major, kicked off on Thursday at Valhalla Golf Club with an ailing Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and the recently anointed U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy. Sales of golf clubs, balls and clothing have been suffering recently, however.

Statistics from the National Golf Foundation, as cited by Bloomberg, don’t paint an optimistic picture. About 200,000 players younger than 35 years-old left the game last year. While 14 new courses opened in the U.S. last year, a whopping 160 were reportedly shuttered.

Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing expert at San Francisco’s Baker Street Advertising, said the sport’s slump is a result of its elite image and less interest from today’s youth. “Compared to just about every other recreational sport, golf is more expensive, more time-consuming and more difficult to learn,” he said. “With cheaper, hipper, more convenient and accessible alternatives like running, biking, hoops and board sports, golf simply can’t compete.”

But all may not be lost. The PGA Junior League Golf has ramped up its efforts by growing to 4,900 participants in 2013, up from just 1,500 in 2012. There also a number ideas to make the game more enjoyable that are gaining converts including a push for 12-hole courses, larger holes that measure up to 15 inches (from their current four-and-a-quarter inch width) and smart clubs that can track shots and give players instant information every time they take a swing or attempt a putt.

But for now, here’s a round-up of some of the biggest businesses struggling with their golf divisions recently.

When the German sporting goods company reported its earnings recently, golf was stuck in the rough. CEO Herbet Hainer was forced to admit that his company failed to execute “to our high standards.” Golf specifically featured prominently in the blame game. Sales in its golf division, TaylorMade-Adidas Golf, dipped 18%. Adidas plans to restructure the division as a result of “lower expectations for the golf industry’s development.” That’s a scathing call for the sport, which was once flying high with Tiger Woods as its poster boy. Now, of course, his image is tarnished after a sex scandal and his game and health is struggling.

For Nike, golf sales haven’t dipped quite as much as with rival Adidas. But they’re certainly not sailing through the fairway. Nike, which sells clubs and clothing, said golf was the only division in which sales declined during its most recent quarter – from $792 million a year ago to $789 million. To put those figures in perspective, basketball revenue soared 19% year over year to $3.1 billion.Overall revenue at the company grew 9%.

The golf store, which is owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods, isn’t exactly hitting birdies. While sales increased 2.3% at Dick’s, they slumped 10.4% at Golf Galaxy. In July, The Wall Street Journal reported that the retailer laid off 400 employees employed as golf instructors, a tell-tale sign that the sport is struggling and unlikely to ramp up interest any time soon.

Summary: As the PGA Championship kicks off, a look at some of the key players in the golf retail space are showing signs of struggles.


FORTUNE — Four years ago, Riverstone Holdings was messier than an oil slick.

The energy-focused private equity firm’s longtime partner, The Carlyle Group CG , was pulling away in order to form its own energy investing platform. Firm co-founder David Leuschen had admitted to bankrolling a low-budget film produced by the brother of an influential public pension fund manager in New York. And there were additional pay-to-play allegations, due to Riverstone’s use of a corrupt “placement agent” who would eventually find himself in state prison.

Riverstone and Leuschen ultimately paid out a combined $50 million in restitution to New York, without admitting guilt.

Yesterday, however, the firm announced that it had raised a whopping $7.7 billion for its fifth fund. That’s larger than any prior Riverstone fund, and the first to not be co-branded with Carlyle. New York Common Retirement Fund didn’t re-up, but Riverstone did manage to secure commitments from public pensions in states like California, Delaware, Illinois, New Mexico and Texas.

The reversal of fortune is pretty easy to explain: Riverstone has generated a ton of money for its investors.

Take a look at its general fund returns through the end of 2012, according to documents published by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (which is investing in the new fund):

For an investor like CalPERS, all of that comes out to more than $1.2 billion in value (realized and unrealized) on $738 million invested (inclusive of fees).

Now compare this to returns from rival First Reserve Corp., which raised $9 billion for its last fund but recently had to cut its new target from $6 billion to $5 billion:

For sure, there are plenty of other, large energy-focused private equity platforms within generalist private equity firms (including Carlyle). But for now Riverstone is tops. Couldn’t have imagined it a few years back.

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Summary: Riverstone Holdings emerges from scandal with a huge new fund.


The fireworks that launched during the All Blacks' haka injured three people. (Getty)

New Zealand Rugby has apologised after a fireworks display at the Bledisloe Cup match at Eden Park in Auckland malfunctioned, injuring fans.

Three people in the 48,000 strong crowd on Saturday were injured after being struck by a stray firework. The display was activated at the end of the All Blacks haka.

Two people were treated at the scene and a woman was taken to Auckland City Hospital.

She was treated and discharged on Saturday night, a hospital spokeswoman told NZ Newswire.

The incident was "very upsetting" for everyone concerned, New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew says.

"Something has clearly gone wrong and we are urgently conducting a review of what happened. I can only apologise profusely to those who were injured."

New Zealand Rugby would work with Eden Park and the authorities to investigate what happened, Tew said.

"I have been in contact with two of the people treated and I am hoping to contact the third today, to personally offer an apology."

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said players did not know fans had been injured by the fireworks but certainly noticed when they went off.

"All the computers in our room jumped off the thing and I thought, ooh that was a bit loud."

Mr Hansen had also met with one of the injured.

"We offer our sympathies to those people who did get hurt."

A spectator told The New Zealand Herald the blast from the device felt like shotgun pellets with a man and woman passing her with blood pouring from their heads.

"There was blood splattered everywhere down the steps and chairs," she said. "I don't think people realised what had happened until the people got up with blood streaming down their faces."

The contractor, Van Tiel Pyrotechnics, was deeply sorry people were hurt, Dr Martin Van Tiel said.

It was working with WorkSafe New Zealand and New Zealand Rugby to investigate, he told media.

The Waikato-based firm has been running pyrotechnics for more than 10 years at Eden Park with no problems, Dr Van Tiel said.

The equipment used in the display has been impounded for investigation by experts.

WorkSafe New Zealand has not yet made a formal decision on whether or not to investigate, a spokesman said.

The All Blacks won the match against the Wallabies 51-20, retaining the Cup.

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Summary: New Zealand Rugby has apologised after three people were injured by fireworks at the All Blacks vs Australia Bledisloe Cup Test at Eden Park.


One of the only surviving cartoonists of the satirical magazine targeted in France's deadliest terror attack has spoken of his guilt at having drawn the cover he says was responsible for the bloodshed.

Speaking exclusively to VICE News in his sniper-proof Paris apartment, cartoonist Renald "Luz" Luzier explained that the latest front page of Charlie Hebdo showing the Prophet Muhammed shedding a tear and holding a Je Suis Charlie sign, was the same character featured on the 2011 cover, dubbed "Charia Hebdo".

Luz said he turned to the drawing after the massacre for inspiration but more importantly for forgiveness.

"'Charia Hebdo', the drawing that led to our office being burnt, and to a lot of polemics, and it's the reason 17 people, including some of Charlie's staff, were killed," he said.

"I spoke to him, 'Poor old chap, I first drew you 2011, we had a lot of troubles because of you.'

"In some way it was a mutual forgiveness. Me, as your creator, I'm sorry for having put you through all this. And him as a character was forgiving me."

Luz went on to explain that it was his birthday on the day of the attack and he had stayed in bed with his wife longer than usual that morning.

She had baked him a cake with candles and coffee, and he was late to the magazine's ill-fated January 7 meeting.

"When I arrived at the office, people told me not to enter because two armed guys had just gone in … then we heard the first gunshot," he said, adding that he returned soon afterwards.

"I swiped in, the door opened.

"I started to see bloody footprints. I realised later that it was my friends' blood."

Growing visibly distressed, he said in the immediate aftermath medics needed belts to make tourniquets, but he was not wearing one that day.

Luz, who is living under heightened police protection since drawing the latest cover, also reflected on the magazine's journey from agitator to unwitting icon of free expression.

He criticised the hypocrisy of world leaders, many of whom Charlie Hebdo criticised, marching in the name of free speech while suppressing press freedom in their own countries.

"All of a sudden, Saudi Arabia says 'I am Charlie' but it is not," he said, highlighting the plight of jailed Saudi blogger Badawi who is currently receiving weekly lashings as part of his 10-year sentence for speaking out against the state.

When asked if he feared offending Muslim communities, he replied "I think that most Muslims don't care about Charlie Hebdo."

"Those who claim all Muslims are offended take Muslims for imbeciles, I think.

"We don't take Muslims for imbeciles," he added while taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I'm not against faith, however, I'm willing to criticise rabbis, vicars, mullahs. People interrupting others' faith to serve political issues, not always peaceful ones. And I'll keep doing that."

The next edition of Charlie Hebdo will appear on February 25.

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Summary: One of the only surviving cartoonists of the satirical magazine targeted in France's deadliest terror attack has spoken of his guilt at having drawn the cover he says was responsible for the attack on his office.


Business is running hot and cold at Keurig Green Mountain, the Vermont company behind the K-Cup single-serve brewing revolution.

Keurig’s hot coffee system helped propel its shares more than 600 percent higher from the lows of 2012 to a peak last fall. But Keurig’s newest coffee machine turned out to be a disappointment that angered customers and sent sales of brewers sharply lower. Keurig’s stock tumbled by more than a third from its highs of late last year.

Last week, the company blamed its disappointing quarterly results on the new Keurig 2.0 brewer, which works only with its relatively expensive licensed coffee supplies and doesn’t accept reusable cups that customers often fill with their own grounds. Coffee drinkers rebelled, and Keurig 2.0 sat on store shelves.

“We underestimated the passion that consumers had for this,” chief executive Brian Kelley said in a call with analysts. “We shouldn’t have taken it away.”

Keurig’s overall quarterly profits slipped 4 percent to about $156 million, and the company lowered its business expectations for the rest of the year.

The inside story of Keurig’s rise -- at once unlikely, ultracaffeinated, and occasionally jittery -- to a billion-dollar coffee empire.

Now, Keurig's prospects as a high-growth business might rest on Keurig Kold, its first cold beverage system. On Thursday, the company intends to release details about the brewer, which is scheduled to hit the market this fall.

“If cold works, Keurig is much more than a coffee company,” said Brian Holland, an analyst who follows the business for Consumer Edge Research in Stamford, Conn. “If cold doesn’t work, Keurig is just a coffee company that is reaching a more mature stage in its life cycle.”

Similar to the hot beverage system, Keurig Kold will use pods with preset recipes to produce the same universal taste of well-known brands. Keurig has not released the price of its cold brewing system, but Holland expects the brewers to cost about $200 and the pods to range from 50 cents to 75 cents each.

“Cold will be the biggest test yet for their ability to exist in the consumer’s mind as more than just a coffee company,” he said. “They have a lot riding on this cold product.”

So far, Keurig has signed deals with Coca-Cola Co. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group to integrate the companies’ popular soda brands into the new cold brewing system.

Holland said the deals suggest Keurig has built a high-quality brewing system because the partners would not sign on unless it produced a taste that matched their brands.

“They are bringing Coca-Cola in on day one,” Holland said. “There’s a credibility with it. It’s a meaningful brand for a US audience, and on a global basis, Coca-Cola has won the world over.”

But Coca-Cola is more than just a licensing partner. It became Keurig’s largest shareholder after the companies signed a 10-year pact last year to collaborate on the cold-drink system.

Coca-Cola bought 10 percent of Keurig early in 2014 and later increased its stake to 16 percent. Some investors even speculated that Coca-Cola would eventually acquire Keurig.

Holland said critics have questioned whether it’s wise for Keurig to move into the soda industry as health-conscious consumers reduce their consumption of sugary drinks. Soda sales have declined for 10 straight years — putting pressure on Coca-Cola to find alternative distribution methods such as Keurig Kold.

But Holland said Keurig would need to capture only a small percentage of soda drinkers to successfully introduce Keurig Kold, which will also make still and sparkling drinks, juices, sports drinks, teas, and other beverages.

Until now, the at-home cold-brewing market has been dominated by the Israeli company SodaStream. Its carbonated beverage machines are widely available and offer brands like Ocean Spray, Crystal Light, and Kool-Aid.

But Holland said the Keurig brewer will be far different. SodaStream, he said, made the mistake of allowing customers to select their own carbonation levels.

“The problem is the consumer doesn’t know how to control the carbonation levels,” Holland said. “Consumers only care that it tastes good.”

Summary: Keurig Green Mountain, the Vermont company behind the K-Cup single-serve coffee revolution, will introduce new details this week about a cold beverage system to make drinks with ingredients from Coca-Cola Co. and other vendors. The new system will hit the market later this year.


MONEY market funds confuse many investors who find it difficult to choose among them. The selection process is usually a question of picking a fund for the highest yield. But at a time when the funds are growing almost too fast to keep up with new business, many investors simply settle for one with an open telephone line.

Denis Jamison, a vice president of the $700 million Lexington Management Corporation and the Englewood, N.J., management company's money fund specialist, believes it essential that the investor look beyond high yields and ready accessibility in picking a fund.

Before he went to Lexington, he managed the Value Line Cash Fund and produced the highest yield for a money fund in 1980.

In selecting a fund, Mr. Jamison said, the investor should examine the fund's holdings and should be comfortable with its portfolio. He added, as an example, that some timid investors were more comfortable with money funds that invest in United States Government securities only. But the investor should realize that this timidity would cost a substantial yield, he stressed.

''A number of money funds investing in commercial paper and Eurodollar deposits currently offer 17 1/2 percent to 18 percent yields compared with 16 percent to 16 1/2 percent for funds buying only U.S. Governments,'' he added. ''In my opinion, the difference in risk is minimal.'' He argued that most fund managers were highly professional - fully capable of evaluating the creditworthiness of the securities they buy.

In Mr. Jamison's view, the key risk is in illiquid money funds - those with unusually long average maturities. On one or two occasions, when interest rates have spurted, funds holding securities with maturities in excess of 60 days have suffered. Under those circumstances, he said, the dollar value of the money fund can be jeopardized. That is, prices of securities outstanding drop until their yields equal those offered by new securities of similar quality.

Investors have not lost money even so. Mr. Jamison noted that when a Chicago-based fund called Institutional Liquid Assets was caught in such a bind some time ago investors began withdrawing funds heavily, but its managers shored it up with their own capital. The result was that those redeeming shares were paid at face amounts.

Mr. Jamison believes that money fund managers have learned an important lesson from that near disaster and that the risk of similar episodes has been minimized. He said that the maturity of money funds generally now averaged less than 30 days and this suggested to him that the money funds were liquid enough to meet any and all redemptions - even if interest rates rose suddenly.

On the other hand, when interest rates plunge, those money funds with relatively long maturities can, for a time, provide higher yields than short-maturity money funds - until existing holdings become due. But, Mr. Jamison said, a sudden drop in interest rates ''creates no risk'' to funds with short maturities even though their yields drop faster. This is because wholesale redemptions, should they develop, can be met with funds produced as the short-term securities mature, he added.

Mr. Jamison spoke of another jarring event -fluctuating yields. These result from an accounting practice called ''marking to market,'' he said. That is, each day the fund's manager prices certain securities - those in the portfolio maturing in 60 days or more - at current market values. In a period of fluctuating interest rates, the holder of shares in such money funds finds that yields fluctuate, too, and widely.

On the other hand, some sophisticated purchasers of money fund shares are now switching into funds that mark to market during periods of falling interest rates. In such periods, the prices of the securities in the mark-to-market funds will rise and produce capital gains. While these gains are unrealized, the mark-to-market funds credit them immediately to shareholder accounts and this adds to yields. By contrast, funds carrying their portfolios at cost do not write up the value of holdings in such periods and therefore have no extras to credit.

Anyone who is distressed by the fluctuations in yields in such money funds may prefer money funds that carry all securities at cost less amortization, Mr. Jamison said.

Mr. Jamison offered some general words of advice. ''First,'' he said, ''examine the money fund's yield over an extended period of time - preferably for a year or more. How consistent has it been in comparison with other funds?'' Short-term and long-term performances of most money market funds are listed in ''William E. Donoghue's Complete Money Market Guide,'' published by Harper & Row.

''Second,'' Mr. Jamison added, ''note the fees the manager charges; the range is 30 to 50 basis points.'' (A basis point is one onehundredth of a percentage point.) ''If the manager charges a high fee and gives extra services, well and good; but make sure the high-fee manager doesn't buy speculative securities to keep up with the other money funds.''

''Third,'' he concluded, ''examine the services the fund offers. Can the investor move to another fund quickly when the investment climate dictates a move? Most important, can you get someone in authority on the telephone and get sound advice when you need guidance?''


THE first American Writers Congress convenes this afternoon at the Roosevelt Hotel with keynote addresses this evening by the authors Meridel LeSueur and Toni Morrison, followed by what is being billed as New York's largest literary cocktail party. Tomorrow and Sunday many of the more than 2,500 registrants for the congress, which is now completely sold out, will participate in some 50 panels, workshops, causes, plenary sessions and roundtables, debating and discussing the impact of economic, cultural and political trends on publishing.

The congress is sponsored by the Nation Institute, a nonprofit organization associated with The Nation magazine, whose editor, Victor Navasky, originated the idea. But it struck such a spark that dozens of writers promptly joined the Inviting Committee, an informal list of sponsors. Among them are Norman Mailer, Joyce Carol Oates, William Styron, Miss Morrison, Jerzy Kosinski, John Kenneth Galbraith, Gay Talese, N. Scott Momaday, Frances FitzGerald, Studs Terkel and Kurt Vonnegut.

''We pressed the button and back came this outpouring of concern, compassion and outrage, way out of proportion to what we expected,'' Mr. Navasky said. Of particular concern, he said, is the growing trend toward centralization of ownership within the communications industry, as well as ''a whole series of actions that the new political climate seems to have legitimized.'' Among the latter, Mr. Navasky cited censorship of books in libraries, challenges to reading lists in elementary schools, attempts to roll back the Freedom of Information Act and the increasing use of libel suits for political purposes.

''We want to find out how these things affect individual writers, if at all,'' he said. ''There is a whole set of bread-and-butter issues we wanted to figure out ways to address - from health insurance for freelancers and libel insurance for authors to how to improve the ability of writers to create and write freely. And such political and esthetic questions as how does poetry get published and how does the culture industry affect what gets written and read.?''

Seed money for the congress was provided by the Guinzburg Fund, established in memory of Harold Guinzburg, the late president of Viking Press. More than 20 donors have contributed since, including $10,000 each from the Playboy Foundation and the New York-based J.M. Kaplan Fund, which has funded many civic, artistic and social events. Mr. Navasky said the congress will attempt to combine the best features of the conferences sponsored by journalism reviews in the 1970's, exemplified by the annual MORE conference in New York, and the writers' congresses of the 1930's and 1940's. ''The congresses in the 30's and 40's were Communist Party operations run by front organizations,'' he said. ''They ultimately had secret agendas, and for that reason they were of limited cultural importance. But their subjects and concerns were real.''

For 15 years Yoshio Kishi, a New York film maker, has scoured second-hand bookstores, auctions, flea markets and thrift shops collecting books and materials about Americans of Asian descent. When he finally ran out of space in his apartment, he sol d the collection to the Nation al Diet Library of Japan, which promised to keep it intact and to make it available to the public. Shortly after the salewas concluded several months ago, more than 40 large cartons of material bega n making their way to Japan. ''As far as I know, it was the largest priv ate collection of material on Asians in the United States,'' sa id Mr. Kishi, who workedas a film editor on such films as ''Raging Bu ll,'' the movie about Jake La Motta, and ''Fame,'' about students f rom New York's School ofPerforming Arts.

Most of the collection is in English, and about about one-third of it deals with the experience of Japanese and those of Japanese descent. (Mr. Kishi is a Nisei, a second generation Japanese.) The collection ranges from the earliest waves of Asian migration, in the 19th century, to reproductions of photographs taken in 1968 of 13 descendants who migrated to Hawaii in 1868.

''I would have preferred selling the collection in the United States,'' Mr. Kishi said, ''but not many organizations or institutions were interested, and those that were had the same problems with financing that everybody seems to have these days. I could have sold the items separately, but I wanted to be sure it wouldn't be broken up.''

Delilah Communications began life six and a half years ago packaging books about the entertainment world for other publishers. Now it is a publisher in its own right. It published six books in 1980, it has 12 books on the current list and it plans to do about 25 books a year. Its major opus, co-produced with ATV Music, is ''The Compleat Beatles,'' a 1,024-page two-volume set priced at $39.95. Some 50,000 copies are being distributed to bookstores by Bantam Books and 25,000 more are being distributed to music and record stores by Cherry Lane Music. But other Delilah books will be distributed by the Putnam Publishing Group.

''We wanted to find a permanent home,'' said Stephanie Bennett, president of Delilah. ''This arrangement is ideal for several reasons. We help take up some of the slack left when the Richard Marek imprint went from Putnam's to St. Martin's Press. And Putnam's is a natural for us because it's owned by MCA, which has a sales force for its own records and which can distribute our books directly into record stores.'' Delilah specializes in books on rock music, personalities and self-help.

Books of small publishers are often distributed by larger publishers and are listed in their catalogues, for which they usually pay 26 to 28 percent of the net sale price. Miss Bennett thinks there are other advantages as well. ''Now we're able to communicate directly with the sales force rather than go through a third party,'' she said. ''We also get to present our books at the two Putnam sales conferences each year and we attend their marketing meetings every two weeks. This way we feel we're part of their operation.''

Illustrations: photo of Toni Morrison


B EING dismissed from a job, it has often been said, is one of the most painful experiences a person can endure. Only death of a loved one or divorce are believed to induce more stress.

And nowhere do the shock waves from being ''terminated'' - the euphemism employment specialists use for the experience of being dismissed - reverberate more profoundly than at home. Listen to the view of an engineering manager who lost his job last year at a time when he was putting two children through college and helping support his mother and mother-in-law:

''You can't do something like this to the man of the family without firing the entire family. It changes every single relationship.'' In particular, it affects the marital relationship - for better or worse. Some spouses keep their mates on an even emotional keel and help them with the practical details of the job search; others blame and denigrate their partners.

''If there's a crack in a marriage, termination can be the wedge that will drive it apart altogether,'' said Joie Smith, a vice president of Drake Beam Morin Inc., a concern specializing in a field known as ''outplacement counseling.'' Those in the field counsel dismissed people on how to deal with job loss and help them map job-hunting strategies. The concerns, which do not act as employment agencies, are generally retained by the companies that have dismissed the individuals and most, though not all, of the people they aid are executives or professionals, usually men. Most women who are clients, according to the agencies, are unmarried.

Wives who do not work outside the home tend to feel the strain more and to react in a more negative way than do those with their own careers, according to Miss Smith and other counselors. ''If the husband was vice president for marketing, then the wife was Mrs. Vice President, so in her own mind, she loses her stature and her identification,'' she said.

And when the marriage is foundering, ''all the anger that the wife has pent up focuses on the termination,'' Miss Smith continued. ''She may say, 'I've been telling you all along that you are weak, and now your company knows it, too,' '' she said. ''Or she may say, 'I stayed home, took care of the house, the laundry, cooking and children. Since you're not working, I think you ought to take on part of my job.' ''

With working wives, the situation is usually different, most experts agreed. ''There is more confidence on the part of both spouses in that situation, said Bob Swain, president of Eaton-Swain Associates, another outplacement concern. ''The wife knows what is involved in getting a job, she understands office politics and how this could have happened.''

Like his colleagues, however, Dr. James Gallagher, chairman of Career Management Associates, said that the bitter wife lashing out at her husband was in the minority. ''The characteristic spouse is bolstering, supportive, cheerful,'' he said.

Indeed, two metropolitan-area couples who discussed their situations anonymously - people who have been dismissed often keep it a secret -found their bonds strengthened by the experience.

One man who was asked to resign from the insurance company where he had worked for 22 years did not even wait to reach home to tell his wife. ''I felt betrayed,'' he said. ''I questioned my own ability and initially felt it had to be my fault. So I phoned her and said, 'I'm sorry but I must share the burden of this with you immediately.' ''

The wife, who is employed herself, recalled that phone conversation: ''I was more upset for him than for the situation. I didn't stop to think that his pay would be cut off, my first thought was to give him moral support.''

And that she did for the nine months it took him to find a position in publishing. ''She helped me by giving me her opinions freely, by rehearsing interviews with me, by acting as a sounding board,'' the husband said. ''If she was depressed, she never showed it. And if she saw me moping around she would ask, 'What have you got to be sorry about?' ''

A banking executive, who had moved with his wife and two young children to a Southern city for his new job, lost it in a power squeeze, and did not tell his wife for a week because he did not want to spoil their vacation. But after he did, they became a team in his seven-month search for a new position that culminated in a more challenging job back in the North.

''Without her I would never have done so well,'' the man said. ''She always expressed confidence in my ability, and she got involved in the search to whatever extent I asked: typing and filing for me, making sure I had enough envelopes and stamps. She never gave me the feeling that she was nervous. When a rejection came, she would say, 'Who would want to work for that company anyway?' ''

His wife, who does not work outside the home, said, ''It brought us closer. We worked hard, we worked together, we were determined to better our situation and we did.'' Nadine Brozan


CALGARY, Alberta (UPI) - Pierre Mondou scored twice in the first period and added an assist to lift Montreal to its sixth straight triumph. Mondou scooped the rebound of a Mario Tremblay shot and lifted a 15-foot backhander over the shoulders of Rejean Lemelin at 2:40 of the opening period.

He scored again less than four minutes later, sending a 15-foot wrist shot past Lemelin. Then he set up a power-play goal by Tremblay, who converted a backhand shot, midway through the first period for a 3-0 lead. Blues 10, Jets 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Blake Dunlop and Perry Turnbull combined for five goals and two assists as St. Louis set a club record for goals scored in a game.

St. Louis strengthened its grip on second place in the Norris Division.

Summary: Canadiens 5, Flames 3   CALGARY, Alberta (UPI) - Pierre Mondou scored twice in the first period and added an assist to lift Montreal to its sixth straight triumph. Mondou scooped the rebound of a Mario Tremblay shot and lifted a 15-foot backhander over the shoulders of Rejean Lemelin at 2:40 of the opening period.


No. 21, Eric Wright, rcb, 6 foot 1 inch, 180 pounds; Missouri; rookie; One of three rookies in secondary. No. 22, Dwight Hicks, fs, 6-1, 189; Michigan; 3d year; Pro Bowl selection, who has nine interceptions. No. 27, Carlton Williamson, ss, 6-0, 204; Pittsburgh; rookie; Fierce tackler and intense player with speed to spare. No. 42, Ronnie Lott, lcb, 6-0, 199; Southern California; rookie; Instinctive hitter who makes big plays. Pro Bowl choice. No. 58, Keena Turner, rolb, 6-2, 219; Purdue; 2d year; Quick and getting smarter all the time. Good at turnovers. No. 54, Craig Puki, rilb, 6-1, 231; Tennessee; 2d year; Superior athlete in his first year as a starter. No. 64, Jack Reynolds, lilb, 6-1, 232; Tennessee; 12th year; Hard work and thorough preparation set an example for the youngsters surrounding him.

No. 59, Willie Harper, lolb, 6-2, 215; Nebraska; 8th year; He played on so many losing 49er teams but never lost his infectious enthusiasm.

No. 76, Dwaine Board, re, 6-5, 250; North Carolina A. & T.; 3d year; Top young lineman; moves to tackle on passing downs, when Fred Dean plays end to pass rush.

No. 78, Archie Reese, nt, 6-3, 262; Clemson; 4th year; Reliable player who has never missed a game. No. 79, Jim Stuckey, le, 6-4, 251; Clemson; 2d year; First-round draft choice who established himself this season in starter's role. No. 3, Jim Miller, p, 5-11, 183; Mississippi; 2d year; Above average. Supposedly vulnerable to blocked punts - but had none. Giants on Offense

No. 83, Earnest Gray, wr, 6-3, 195; Memphis State; 3d year; Makes the hard catch look easy, the easy one hard. No. 73, Jeff Weston, lt, 6-5, 275; Notre Dame; 3d year; Did good job against Fred Dean, crack pass rusher, in November game. No. 67, Billy Ard, lg, 6-3 250; Wake Forest; rookie; Enthusiasm is one of many strong qualities. No. 58, Jim Clack, c, 6-3, 250; Wake Forest; 11th year; Has been keystone to newly constructed offensive line. No. 68, J.T. Turner, rg, 6-3, 250; Duke; 5th year; Steady performer who gets his job done. No. 72, Gordon King, rt, 6-6, 275; Stanford; 4th year; Like most offensive linemen, he needed time to learn his trade. No. 87, Gary Shirk, te, 6-1, 220; Morehead State; 6th year; Smart, consistent performer who has held the job against many challengers. No. 86, Johnny Perkins, wr, 6-2, 205; Abilene Christian; 4th year; Has had an injury-free season at last and it has been his best. No. 12, Scott Brunner, qb, 6-5. 200; Delaware; 2d year; Will make his 11th start in two seasons but performs like 10-year veteran. No. 26, Rob Carpenter, hb, 6-1, 230; Miami, Ohio; 5th year; Most effective from I-formation breaking off straight-ahead blocking. No. 30, Leon Perry, fb, 5-11, 234; Mississippi; 2d year; Does little but block, and he does that very well. No. 18, Joe Danelo, k, 5-9, 166; Washington State; 7th year; Kicked 52-yard field goal in only attempt at Candlestick Park in earlier 49er game. Giants on Defense

No. 24, Terry Jackson, rcb, 5 foot 11 inches, 197 pounds; San Diego State; 4th year; Brash player who will have his hands full. No. 37, Larry Flowers, fs, 6-1, 190; Texas A. & I.; first year; If Beasley Reece cannot play, Flowers will make his first start and the Giants will worry abou t him.

No. 29, Bill Currier, ss, 6-0 195; South Carolina; 5th year; Hits hard and that is his best asset. No. 36, Mark Haynes, lcb, 5-11, 185; Colorado; 2d year; Receivers have had little success against this flawless back. No. 56, Lawrence Taylor, rolb, 6-3, 238; North Carolina; rookie; Man who can disrupt and intimidate an offense. No. 55, Brian Kelley, rilb, 6-3, 222; California Lutheran; 9th year; Cerebral man who directs defense. No. 53 , Har ry Carson, lilb, 6-2, 235; South Carolina State; 6th year; The def ense is designed to have Carson make most of the tacklesand for good reason.

No. 57, Byron Hunt, lolb, 6-4, 230; Southern Methodist; rookie; As Van Pelt's replacement, he has done more than was expected. No. 70, Gary Jeter, re, 6-4, 260; Southern California; 5th year; With Jeter and Taylor behind him, he is tremendous threat from the offense's weak side.

No. 77, Bill Neill, nt, 6-4, 255; Pittsburgh; rookie; Has been a revelation. Occupies two blockers. No. 75, George Martin, le, 6-4, 245, Oregon; 7th year; Best pass rusher and makes big plays. No. 13, Dave Jennings, p, 6-4, 205; St. Lawrence; 8th year; One of the few punters who can make a defensive task an offensive weapon. 49ers on Offense

No. 87, Dwight Clark, wr, 6-4, 210; Clemson; 3d year; Caught 85 passes, best in N.F.C., because he gets open about 16 yards deep. No. 61, Dan Audick, lt, 6-3, 253; Hawaii; 4th year; Acquired from the Chargers last summer to fill a gap, he has done the job. No. 68, John Ayers, lg, 6-5, 260; West Texas State; 5th year; Effective pass blocker; an adequate seasoned pro. No. 56, Fred Quillan, c, 6-5, 260; Oregon; 4th year; Big, smart, determined center, something playoff teams need. No. 51, Randy Cross, rg, 6-3, 250; U.C.L.A.; 6th year; One of league's best linemen; Pro Bowl starter. No. 71, Keith Fahnhorst, rt, 6-6, 263; Minnesota; 8th year; Offensive captain, tenacious a catalyst. No. 86, Charle Young, te, 6-4, 234; Southern California; 9th year; Has always had superb athletic skills but not great at contact. No. 88, Freddie Solomon, wr, 5-11, 185; Tampa; 7th year; Deep pass threat, punt returner, runner on reverses, passer on occasion. No. 16, Joe Montana, qb, 6-2, 200; Notre Dame; 3d year; Young ''old'' quarterback without greed; mastered the short passing game. No. 32, Ricky Patton, hb, 5-11, 192; Jackson State; 4th year; Plucky inside runner enhanced by offensive line. No game-breaker. No. 49, Earl Cooper, fb, 6-2, 227; Rice; 2d year; Good receiver but plodding runner on slippery Candlestick turf. No. 14, Ray Wersching, k, 5-11, 210; California; 9th year; Among the best. Missed on 6 of 23 attempts, of which 3 were blocked.

Illustrations: chart of depth of 49ers'defense and Giants' offense chart of depth of Giants' defense and 49ers' offense


Stuart N. Brotman, in discussing the Postal Service's involvement in electronic mail services (''Reagan Should Curb Big Mail, Too,'' Jan. 10) called on the Reagan Administration to impose certain restrictions that would sharply limit this agency's role in electronic activities.

For the record, I have long endorsed and urged the need for definitive legislation that would clearly spell out the Postal Service's role in electronics. I have repeatedly attempted to assure members of Congress, the Administration and certainly the telecommunications industry that the Postal Service has no designs on or intentions of participation in the business of electronic transmissions.

Specifically, I have urged that the Postal Service be prohibited by law from entering the ''Generation III'' (terminal-to-terminal) business. That aspect, I have steadily mainta ined, is the proper domain of the private sector, the telecommunications industry. Our business, ind eed our mandate for the past 2 06 years, has b een the delivery of hard-copy messages. That will remain our funct ion.

That is not to say, however, that the two modes of message systems cannot or should not work in tandem. The Postal Service's recently inaugurated Electronic Computer-Originated Mail service does just that: It is a marriage of our universal delivery system with the electronic technology developed and operated by the private sector. This service is for volume mailers who have computer capability. It employs private telecommunications services to transport mail electronically just as the Postal Service currently uses planes, trains and other means to move it physically.

But we do not propose to own or operate those transmission services any more than we own or operate the airlines and trains also used to transport mail.

Finally, in addressing the question Mr. Brotman poses concerning the survivability of the Postal Service ''if it does not provide electronic mail services,'' I think it is important to recognize that despite dire predictions to the contrary, mail volume in this country continues to increase each year even in the face of the swelling tidal wave of electronic communications. WILLIAM F. BOLGER, Postmaster General of the United States, Washington, Jan. 22, 1982

Summary: To the Business Editor:   Stuart N. Brotman, in discussing the Postal Service's involvement in electronic mail services (''Reagan Should Curb Big Mail, Too,'' Jan. 10) called on the Reagan Administration to impose certain restrictions that would sharply limit this agency's role in electronic activities.   For the record, I have long endorsed and urged the need for definitive legislation that would clearly spell out the Postal Service's role in electronics. I have repeatedly attempted to assure members of Congress, the Administration and certainly the telecommunications industry that the Postal Service has no designs on or intentions of participation in the business of electronic transmissions.


A group of 25 banks have failed European health checks, while up to 10 of those continue to have a capital shortfall, two people familiar with the matter said on Friday, providing a snapshot of the health of the region's lenders.

The health checks, led by the European Central Bank, found that banks in countries including Greece, Cyprus, Slovenia and Portugal had fallen short of a minimum capital benchmark at the end of last year and that up to 10 remained in difficulty now, the sources said.

Read More What's missing from the EU bank stress tests

Banks in Spain and France had fared, by and large, better than expected.

The result, which has yet to be finalised by the ECB's governing council on Sunday, provides the most complete picture yet of the robustness of the euro zone's top 130 lenders.

Those banks with shortfalls will now have two weeks to submit a plan to bolster their capital to the European Central Bank (ECB), which will decide whether or not it gets the green light.

A spokesman for the ECB said the test results had not yet been finalised, describing reports in the meantime as speculative.

"The results will not be final until they are considered by the Governing Council of the European Central Bank on Sunday 26 October, after which they will be published," he said.

European banking shares dipped briefly on Friday after Bloomberg News reported that 25 banks within the euro zone would fail the ECB "stress test".

Portugal's finance minister Maria Luis Albuquerque said on Friday that the Lisbon government was confident that the country's three largest banks had fared well in the stress tests.

Read MoreEuropean bank stress tests: Your guide

Summary: A group of 25 banks have failed European health checks, while up to 10 of those continue to have a capital shortfall.


But the rate hovering around the Fed's previous 6.5 percent benchmark has raised the prospect of the central bank moving to push up rates more quickly than some in the market previously expected.

Fed officials appear increasingly worried that keeping policy so easy for so long could encourage investors to take too many risks, building bubbles that may eventually pop and roil financial markets.

The U.S. economy is "set for a pretty good year," Bullard said on Wednesday. "Despite the spate of weaker data in the January, February time frame."

(Read more: Krueger: The 'most serious problem' we face now)

The Fed has held rates near zero since late 2008 to help the economy recover from the 2007-2009 recession.

Bullard was asked about where he saw interest rates in 2016, at which point he referred to his "dot."

The Fed introduced a "dot chart" in its January 2012 economic projections. Each dot represents the view of an individual policymaker on how they see the appropriate level of interest rates for the coming few years.

"I'm here to tell you that my dot has not changed," Bullard said.

Data on Tuesday showed U.S. consumer confidence surged to a six-year high in March and house prices increased solidly in January, positioning the economy for stronger growth after a weather-induced soft spot.

Summary: The U.S. unemployment rate will fall below 6 percent by the end of this year, a Federal Reserve official said on Wednesday.


U.S. single-family home price appreciation slowed further in November as lean inventories and tight lending standards have limited housing activities, according to a closely watched survey released on Tuesday.

The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 4.3 percent in November from the prior year, the slowest since October 2007 although it matched analyst expectations. This compared with a 4.5 percent annual increase in October.

"With the spring home buying season, and spring training, still a month or two away, the housing recovery is barely on first base,'' said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P Dow Jones Indices, said in a statement.

"Prospects for a home run in 2015 aren't good,'' he added.

A broader measure of national housing market activity rose at a 4.7 percent clip on a year-over-year basis, compared with a 4.6 percent rate in October.

The seasonally adjusted 10-city gauge rose 0.7 percent in November following a revised 0.6 percent gain in October, while the non-adjusted 10-city index fell 0.3 percent after 0.2 percent drop in October.

Summary: Home prices rose at a slower rate yet again in November, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller National Home Price Index.


The flyby took place at 7:49 a.m. ET Tuesday, with New Horizons coming within 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) of the dwarf planet's mottled surface. To mark that event, science team members and VIPs gathered here at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where the mission has its operation center.

When the appointed time came, well-wishers applauded, waved American flags and chanted "USA! USA!" To mark the milestone, NASA released a colorized view of the dwarf planet that was sent back to Earth before New Horizons went out of contact on Monday night.

More from NBC News:Why NASA's New Horizons mission to Pluto is such a big deal New Horizons probe finds out Pluto's bigger (and icier) than we thoughtPrime time for Pluto: New Horizons probe closes in for historic flyby

The picture, which features the dwarf planet's bright heart-shaped region as well as the head of a dark "whale" feature, is part of a "fail-safe" series of observations that were made just in case the spacecraft suffered a catastrophic failure during the flyby.

The mission's principal investigator, Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute, said "it feels good" to get through the flyby.

"It's a moment of celebration, because we've just done the 'anchor leg,'" Stern said on NASA TV, using a track-and-field metaphor. "We have completed the initial reconnaissance of the solar system."

Ground controllers can't yet completely confirm that the flyby was fully successful, however. For that, they'll have to hear the all-clear from the spacecraft on Tuesday night. Even though there's only a 1-in-10,000 chance that New Horizons will run into a stray piece of debris while passing through the Pluto system, mission operations manager Alice Bowman said the pressure during the wait "will be intense."

"We're out there on the frontier," Bowman told reporters during a preview of the flyby. "Things can happen. Things do happen, and we have to be prepared for that."

To ease the stress, Bowman and her team can rap on miniature cutting boards festooned with New Horizons logos. She said Stern gave them the good-luck charms so they could "knock on wood" whenever they talk about what may or may not happen.

Read MoreInside NASA's space program

"We try never to talk about the things we fear the most. ... So yes, it is science, but we are superstitious," Bowman said.

Summary: NASA's New Horizons probe, after travelling for 9 years, was scheduled to reach Pluto this morning to take pictures, NBC News reports.


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Friday that the Pentagon is funding a new venture to develop cutting-edge electronics and sensors that can flex and stretch and could be built into clothing or the skins of ships and aircraft.

The high-tech investment could lead to wearable health monitors that could be built into military uniforms or used to assist the elderly. Or it could foster thin, bendable sensors that could be tucked into cracks or crevices on weapons, ships or bridges where bulky wiring could never fit. The sensors could telegraph structural problems or trigger repair alerts.

Speaking to business leaders and others at NASA's Ames Research Center, Carter acknowledged the challenges of improving ties with a tech industry that is often wary, distrustful and frustrated with the government.

Because the two sides have different missions and different perspectives, "sometimes we disagree. And I think that's okay," he said. "Addressing disagreements through partnership is better than not speaking at all."

He told the Silicon Valley leaders that he is "here to engage."

Under the new plan, the Pentagon will provide $75 million and the industry, academia and local government will contribute $96 million over five years to a newly created high-tech innovation institute.

The consortium, called the Flexible Hybrid Electronic Institute, will be led by California-based FlexTech Alliance and be made up of 162 companies, universities and other groups.

Carter laid out the details in his speech Friday in California's Silicon Valley. This is Carter's second trip to the technology hub in four months, as he works to get the Defense Department to increasingly tap into the region's high-tech expertise and workforce.

"Given what we've already done, there's truly no limit to what we can achieve together," said Carter. "That's why I've been pushing the Pentagon to think outside our five-sided box, and invest in innovation here in Silicon Valley and in tech communities across the country."

He said the flexible electronics have enormous potential for the military, even though "we don't know all the applications this new technology will make possible — that's the remarkable thing about innovation."

But he pointed to the potential to give wounded warriors smart prosthetics that could have the full flexibility of human skin or commercial applications that could improve diagnostic X-rays to make breast cancer tests more accurate and less painful.

During his first trip to Silicon Valley in April, Carter launched a new program called Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental aimed at scouting out promising emerging technologies and beefing up the Pentagon's ability to work with high-tech firms. Later on Friday he will visit the unit's new office.

One of Carter's much-repeated goals is to build better relations with high-tech industry in order to better equip the military force of the future.

According to a senior defense official, using such partnerships allows the department to pursue technologies it might not otherwise be able to invest in. And officials are making a strategic bet that the innovations that spring from the projects would also have commercial uses. The official was not authorized to discuss the issue prior to public release so spoke on condition of anonymity.

"For those interested in foreign policy and national security, there are lots of interesting challenges and problems to work on," said Carter in another speech excerpt. "And that's also true for those interested in technology. But the intersection of the two is an opportunity-rich environment."

According to the Pentagon, flexible hybrid electronics manufacturing is an innovative process at the intersection of the electronics industry and the high-precision printing industry. It can create light-weight sensors that can conform to the curves of the human body or stretch across the structure of an object.

The winning consortium includes major companies like Apple, United Technologies and Hewlett Packard with others that can embed these flexible, bendable electronics into everything from medical devices to supersonic jets.

This project is the seventh such private-public partnership to be announced by the Obama administration. Six are led by the Defense Department and this one will be managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Earlier this month Vice President Joe Biden unveiled one focused on photonics research in Rochester, N.Y., while others included a 3D printing technology hub in Youngstown, Ohio and an advanced materials center in Knoxville, Tennessee, Biden's office said.

Summary: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.— Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Friday that the Pentagon is funding a new venture to develop cutting-edge electronics and sensors that can flex and stretch and could be built into clothing or the skins of ships and aircraft. He told the Silicon Valley leaders that he is "here to engage. Under the new plan, the Pentagon will provide $75...


Starting with McDonald's, ever since Steve Easterbrook took over from Don Thompson as CEO in January, investors have been filled with hope that this hamburger chain could light a fire again to bring out more value. Easterbrook not only delivered numbers that equaled what analysts were look for in sales, but he also admitted that something will be revealed May 4, giving even more hope to investors.

The growth engine was revved up for Yum Brands, too, thanks to KFC. Yum rallied on a nice surprise earnings from KFC of 80 cents per share, versus the 72 cents expected. Additionally, the company announced that it expects the second half of the year to gain strength, which had Cramer drooling with thoughts of a comeback.

Coca-Cola didn't report stellar unit growth numbers, either. However, Cramer is betting that its stake in the growth of both Monster Beverage and Keurig will boost the bottom line.

"I think we have to look at Coca-Cola as a company that is turning around a battleship, focusing on profitability, cash flow, cost cutting and better advertising, including a ton of it on the Web. It's got some time to go, but it's succeeding so far on the journey," Cramer said.

Then there are the two problem children, Yahoo and IBM. Yahoo did report a big miss, along with some horrible advertising numbers, and the stock was crushed in after-hours trading. But then CEO Marissa Mayer said she was going to find a way to monetize Yahoo Japan to return money into shareholders' pockets.

In Cramer's perspective, when he considers how much money could come from Yahoo's huge stake in Alibaba and when he adds in Yahoo Japan, this company is still cheap. So, you might not like Yahoo's progress, but it does have a great balance sheet and can make money from Alibaba and Yahoo Japan.

---------------------------------------------------------- Read more from Mad Money with Jim Cramer Cramer Remix: The secret's out Cramer basics: How to start investing Cramer: The tax man—maximizing profits ----------------------------------------------------------

The toughest of them all is IBM, which is has been racing to compete in the cloud, social, mobile, and connectivity areas. Cramer saw some light of hope with this company, as it has been making progress while buying back stock and could increase its dividend.

"All of these companies have one thing in common: They are hard to kill…I think these can succeed, some more than others, but they all make sense to speculate on, even after they've made pretty big moves," Cramer added.

Ultimately, these five stocks have proven that they are fighting their way back into glory. Cramer encourages investors to keep an open mind and let the past be the past, so that the fairy tales can come true.

Summary: Jim Cramer's five stocks that are hard to kill and ready for a big turnaround. Could they be good spec plays for your portfolio?


Latin America's GDP will reach an estimated $15.14 trillion by 2025, rendering it one of the most important global markets in the world. Not only is it on track to become a leading destination for investments, but it is also likely to be an essential source of capital for global corporations.

Frost & Sullivan indicates a number of tendencies and developments. Latin America's middle class is growing, and urbanization is up. More and more Latin Americans are getting connected, and infrastructure spending is on the rise.

Latin America will have 1.3 billion connections by 2016, including mobile phones, tablets and other M2M (machine-to-machine) devices, with increased broadband penetration and 4G as major factors in the region's connectivity growth.

It's precisely in emerging markets with lower legacy barriers where disruption and more rapid adoption of new technologies happen. We have seen this move before, for well over a decade, where mobile technologies, wireless and smartphones were spreading faster than in mature countries as other access mechanisms were less of a barrier.

Start-ups are surging in South America, aiming at its 200-million-plus population. Start Up Peru, Start Up Chile, Incubar in Argentina, iNNpulsa in Colombia and Telefonica's cross-Atlantic Wayra accelerator are thriving.

Seeding investments in the region have multiplied from 2010 to 2014.

Telefonica's Wayra initiative alone has screened nearly 27,000 projects in less than 30 months of operation, with 438 start-ups receiving seeding investments from the Telco giant. Of those invested, another $74 million came additionally from third parties in average rounds exceeding half a million dollars per project.

Read MoreMiami's booming tech scene

Intel Capital, Axon Partners, Kaszek Ventures or Accel Partners are among the most active investors in the new promised land of unicorns, with investments gravitating to Brazil in a major part.

Summary: Unicorns, start-ups valued at $1 billion or more, are Silicon Valley's sexiest bets, and it's a trend about to become increasingly global.


09/11/2015 AT 12:00 PM EDT

"I'll be there for you â¦"

Turns out the iconic words of

prove true when it comes to real-life pals

It's been more than 20 years since the

launched their careers, but now, with their own hit shows – on which they play somewhat similar characters – the former costars are cheering each other on as nominees for

, the two chatted with PEOPLE about fame, friendship,

and that on-screen hookup that just never happened.

I found out that morning when Matty texted me, "Yay!" I texted back, "Are we going to the Emmys? â¦ Oh my God!" But at first I just thought he was nominated. I

I thought you knew I meant you and I. How did you know I was?

You're nominated almost every year!

They're both making a comeback. My character Matt is like therapy. What not to do in life. Don't behave like that guy.

But you're a good guy, that's why it's funny. I love playing Valerie so much because I love her state of denial. I find it really comforting. Nothing really hurts her.

It feels like so long ago. But what sticks out in my mind was sometimes we couldn't get though a scene without laughing. It's

. Remember that time you had to say â¦

"At Monica's you can eat cookies over the sink!" Yes, I couldn't say it! I thought I was getting annoying.

It was so funny. That uncontrollable laugh you have kills me. Lisa's very ticklish.

Why does anyone need to know that! Do you know how many times I told Matt, 'I am going to hurt you,' and he would just laugh and keep doing it.

Towards the end we actually pitched the idea that Joey and Phoebe had been having casual sex the entire time. We'd go back and shoot all the historical scenes and just before a moment that everyone recognizes, there's Joey and Phoebe coming out of a broom closet together. But they were like, 'Nah.'

They warmed it up. I had a good time in that fountain, I gotta be honest.

I remember it being cold, and we had to do it way too many times. I don't think we were in the mood or could even look like were having fun anymore, but then

said, "I don't remember a time when I wasn't in the fountain," and we all laughed so hard. I think that's what's on TV.

He was always the one in the 1,000th hour of something that everyone was dreading to crack a joke and make us all laugh. He's the class clown for sure.

Joey wouldn't have been able to figure it out, and Phoebe would have thought it was stealing her soul.

] would have wondered why he didn't have many favorites for his dinosaur tweets.

All six of us had dinner recently for

's birthday. We had so much fun. It felt like no time had passed, but it'd been almost 12 years.

Like Matt says, if you're trapped in a building with five other people for 10 years, when they finally let you out, you scatter!"

Summary: From costars to fellow nominees, the real-life friends open up to PEOPLE about their past and present fame


"Businesses that fail to address these concerns may find they will lose skilled professionals in the years ahead, as many of the most talented members of the millennial generation decide to leave large organizations and instead work for themselves," Deloitte said in a report.

(Read more: Money worries keep Gen Y from buying, leasing cars)

Around 70 percent of those interviewed see themselves working independently at some point, rather than being employed within a traditional organizational structure.

While 52 percent of millennials in developed markets expect to eventually work independently, the danger of losing talent is even greater in emerging markets, where the figure rises to 82 percent.

"Although millennials value its role in creating jobs and expanding prosperity, they have larger ambitions for business. [They] see a large gap between the potential of business to address the challenges facing society and the actual impact it is having," Deloitte said.

(Read more: Gen Y managers perceived as entitled, need polish)

"Fulfilling this potential will require businesses to do a better job of encouraging new thinking within their own organizations to develop innovative products and services, while also working collaboratively with government, with nonprofit organizations, and with other companies to develop creative solutions. The stakes are high," the company added.

—By CNBC's Ansuya Harjani. Follow her on Twitter:@Ansuya_H

Summary: With millennials set to comprise 75 percent of the workforce by 2025, there could be challenging times ahead for business leaders, a new study showed.


According to Renaissance Capital, there will be no shortage of IPOs for the remainder of the year. Despite recent gyrations in the stock market—including last Thursday's 264-point drop of 19 percent to 16,945.80—the firm predicts that 286 companies will raise $80 billion through IPOs in 2014, up 46 percent over last year and the most proceeds since 2000. More than half the deals in the pipeline are coming from biotech and health-care companies, although there are a few consumer-related offerings, including home furnishings e-tailer Wayfair, and hamburger chain Shake Shack (see chart).

"Only a prolonged stock sell off would derail IPO activity at it's current pace," Ritter said.

While comparisons between today's strong IPO market and the one that existed prior to the dotcom bust are inevitable, Ritter says there are major differences that make today's climate less risky. "In the late 1990s, the majority of the companies going public were young, unproven, and priced at stratospheric valuations," he says. These days, the majority of the companies going public have proven business models and the deals are getting done at more reasonable prices.

Read MoreInitial Public Offering: CNBC Explains

"Alibaba is a prime example," Ritter says. "It has $8 billion in sales and has been around for 15 years. No one is wondering if this company is going to be in business in a few years."

Smith says a shift in investor sentiment also distinguishes today's IPO environment from the frothy climate of 1999 and 2000. "Back then, investors were much more interested in buying individual equities and that extended to IPOs," she says. Today's retail investors are much more likely to be doing their equity buying through funds and indexes. "Given what happened in the dotcom era and in 2008, financial advisors are afraid to be stock pickers," she says. "There's a different mentality out there when it comes to risk."

That doesn't mean that any of the ETF funds out there should command an overwhelming percentage of an investor's equity allocation. Smith recommends that an IPO ETF as a sleeve in an equity portfolio, comprising anywhere from 5 percent to 10 percent. For individuals who want exposure to the newest of the new, investing in IPO ETFs is a less risky way to get in on the ground floor.

—By Susan Caminiti, special to CNBC.com

Summary: Looking to get in on the IPO boom? Now retail investors can get in on the action through ETF funds that offer a diversified IPO portfolio.


RBC Capital Markets on Monday identified four businesses in which Halliburton is most likely to divest some of its interest: well cementing, drill bits, drilling fluids, and a data-collection technique called "logging while drilling."

There are few companies with enough cash on hand to buy a significant chunk of the divestments without diluting their stock or damaging their credit rating, said Kurt Hallead, an equity researcher at RBC Capital Markets.

Read MorePrivate equity bets on energy 'revolution' — in oil and gas

Dublin, Ireland-based international services firm Weatherford, for example, would be a logical buyer of the assets and could make it happen with a mix of cash and stock, Hallead said. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.8 billion and focuses on evaluating formations, constructing wells, and well completion and production.

But under that scenario, Weatherford would essentially become what Baker Hughes was, an outcome that might be unattractive to Halliburton.

"Does Halliburton really want to package that and recreate the competitor they just bought? Probably not," Hallead said.

Summary: A sale of parts of Halliburton's business to appease regulators could be a game-changer for smaller oilfield services companies, analysts say.


For example, a New York resident who purchases California municipal debt will most likely have to pay New York state taxes on that bond.

Read More Puerto Rico default Q&A: 'Sell right now'

"Puerto Rico is more widely held because of its tax status," added Thompson, who oversees over $7 billion in tax-free debt for Sampson Capital, a boutique investment advisory firm. "Most muni bonds are held by people who live in the local area, but if there is a lack of supply, you might look to areas that offer tax-free debt," added Thompson.

Puerto Rico's generous tax treatment, combined with its higher coupons, have made Puerto Rico's debt popular among yield-hungry investors.

The most liquid Puerto Rico bonds yield close to 12 percent. By contrast, a AAA-rated New York State Muni bond with similar maturity yields yield about 3.5 percent, according to Municipal Market Data.

Read MorePuerto Rico without enough cash for Aug 1 payment: Government

What Puerto Rico's debt crisis does illustrate is the dangers of excessive borrowing, say some market participants.

"Governments are borrowing too much," said Larry McDonald, head of U.S. Macro Strategies at Societe Generale.

According to McDonald, the real threat behind Puerto Rico is that it could lead to skittishness in the tax-free debt market, which could cause higher borrowing costs among issuers.

Still, at $78 billion, Puerto Rico's outstanding debt represents a tiny slice of the overall $4 trillion municipal bond market.

Summary: Puerto Rico's growing debt crisis has raised fears about the safety of the municipal bond market, but those fears may be overblown.


It's been 10 years since Airbus' A380 super jumbo first took to the skies, but despite winning rave reviews among passengers, airlines have not been quick to buy.

There hasn't been a new order for the plane, which can seat up to 853 passengers, for months and the company's largest customer, Emirates, has said they won't order any more unless modifications are made.

The Gulf carrier is the largest operator of the A380, with 60 currently in use and another 80 on the way. The airline has been asking Airbus to offer a revamped A380 Neo version with new Rolls Royce engines in addition to adding sharklets to its wingtips. The carrier claims these changes could equal a 10 percent greater efficiency for the aircraft.

Qatar Airways which currently operates five A380s also said they couldn't commit to any more orders.

Read More To infinity and beyond! Has the jetpack's time come?

Airbus has said it wouldn't commit to any future redevelopment of the plane at the moment, but the company's head of sales, John Leahy told reporters at the Paris Air Show that they are currently discussing future versions of the super-jumbo with a number of airlines.

"As far as I'm concerned, I don't have many A380s, I have five and I will receive another five and then maybe in the future we will firm up our options," Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways told CNBC.

Aviation analysts see Airbus as in a relatively difficult situation: If they decide to make modifications for future versions of the A380, it would be doing it at not only a huge cost, but a high degree of risk too.

Emirates is the only airline that has said it would order a new version – generally aircraft manufacturers won't invest millions on changes.

Read MoreRare look inside test plane

"The problem the airlines have is filling it (the A380) and if they can't do that, then it's just simply not economic," Dominic Perry from Flight Global said.

"So Airbus has to convince them that it doesn't need 600 or 800 people or whatever, it is more about offering something that no other plane can."

Etihad Airways is one airline that is focusing on offering premium amenities on board. This year it launched their first class "residence" which includes a separate sitting area, a private bedroom and shower.

Summary: It's been 10 years since the super jumbo took to the skies, but despite the praise from passengers, airlines have not been quick to buy.


"This food with integrity is clearly working," he said. "Take a look at the chop house—lines around the block from where they have them. [But they're] not going to rush international."

In building its domestic base, Chipotle is tapping into food trends among young people, including the braised tofu-chili sofrita burrito for vegetarian customers.

"Once again you're reminded this company has fabulous management even at the store level," Cramer said. "This company should go to Congress and say here's how it's done."

(Read more: 2 stocks the Street doesn't get)

From a Chipotle conference call transcript, Cramer noted the company CEOs work hard to satisfy consumer-level concerns, including long lines and produce that is free of genetically modified organisms. Chipotle founder Steve Ells emphasized brand image in videos, while co-CEO Monty Moran reminded the company of its four pillars. As outlined in Chipotle's online company profile, these goals are providing quality food, rapid service, a new fast food experience, and a capable team.

"They are forward looking, and that's the secret to them," Cramer said.

—By Evelyn Cheng, special to CNBC

Summary: CNBC's Jim Cramer said Chipotle's unexpectedly high 3Q earnings reflects its strengths in company management and sensitivity to customer needs.


Harvard, Princeton and Cornell University pennants line the school's entryway, teachers lecturing in college-style classrooms can be seen from doorway windows and photos of smiling graduates proudly displaying diplomas hang on the walls.

For students at Camden, New Jersey's

(Leadership, Education, And Partnership) Academy, it's not a question of

you will attend college, but

", Camden has long been known for its high violence and poverty rates, so LEAP, a charter high school boasting a

for 11 years in a row, is a rarity in the area.

And this stigma is exactly what drove LEAP founder Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago to open the kindergarten through 12th grade college prep academy 18 years ago.

"The saying in Camden used to be 'from cradle to prison,' " Dr. Bonilla-Santiago, 61, tells PEOPLE. "But we're changing that mentality. We're changing it to 'from cradle to college.' "

Since its inception in 1997, LEAP Academy, which accepts students based on a lottery system and waiting list, has helped nearly 750 minority students pursue higher education – 95 percent of those were first-generation college attendees.

The school works hard to instill what they call a "college bound mentality" in students starting as early as elementary school. Bonilla-Santiago finds that surrounding LEAP kids with positive reinforcements, like the photos of college graduates on walls of the hallway or the Ivy League school pennants, acts as a constant reminder to students of the possibilities open to them.

LEAP students in an engineering class

Rob Ransom, a first-generation college student, didnât think he could ever afford college, let alone law school, but the

law student received full rides to both institutions after graduating from LEAP in 2009.

"Access to college wasn't exposed to me growing up. My dad worked two, three, four jobs at a time just to make ends meet," Ransom, who now sits on the school's board of trustees, tells PEOPLE. "This school gave me the ability to have a dream and then hope to make it happen. So many times people tell you 'no' growing up, college isn't possible. But nobody graduates from here thinking they can't do something. You graduate knowing whatever college you go to, you can go on to do anything."

The 23-year-old adds, "College is cool now, and that wasn't a mentality you saw in Camden before LEAP."

Rob Ransom and Omar Samaniego, members of LEAP's board of trustees

The students at LEAP are primarily African American or Latino, and most lack the financial support to afford higher education, but the school works to ensure that every student receives some type of scholarship or financial aid package so they can attend college.

"College begins at birth here," Khary Golden, director of college access, tells PEOPLE. "LEAP erases boundaries for students, they donât have to think about affording college or whether they'll be able to keep up once they're there. Every student deserves a chance to attend college and we provide them with the knowledge and resources to get there."

Seventeen-year-old Zachiely Cruz, a LEAP senior and a Camden resident for 12 years, tells PEOPLE her city is changing for the better, and kids have "begun to see potential in themselves and recognize they are special, that they matter."

"I have friends that are teenage moms who don't think they can go to college, and I tell them, 'Don't let your baby be the reason why you donât go to college, you can still make it even if you have a child!'" she says. "At LEAP they don't talk about dreams, they talk about the future – about college. Because it's not a dream if you know it is going to happen, and I think that idea is catching on in Camden."

Cruz just submitted her first of many college applications and would like to pursue a degree in child psychology, after losing several close friends to gun violence in 2011.

"I didnât have anyone to talk to at the time and I really needed that," she says. "I want to get my degree and move back to Camden to help people who may struggle with those feelings I experienced. Coming to LEAP, I now know that's possible.

She adds, "I can do anything I want and I can make an impact. It sounds cheesy, but anything is possible."

Summary: At LEAP, it's not a question of if you will attend college, but where you will go


New government regulations make loads of extra cash a burden for banks, which have privately urged major clients to take their deposits elsewhere or face fees, The Wall Street Journal reported late on Sunday.

The banks include JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America, sources familiar with the situation told the Journal.

Deposits have been a key part of banking, and have traditionally been free for large clients, the paper said.

New U.S. banking rules that take effect on Jan. 1 require higher minimum reserves to protect banks from sudden outflows during a situation like the 2008 financial crisis, the paper said. Those requirements make holding large, uninsured deposits more expensive for banks, which pass on those costs as client fees of possibly several thousand a year.

Summary: New government rules make extra cash a burden for banks, which have urged major clients to take their deposits elsewhere or face fees, the WSJ said.


"If you reg take the #373 bus b/w Coogee/MartinPl, wear religious attire, & don't feel safe alone: I'll ride with you. @ me for schedule," one Twitter user posted.

Australian Muslim leaders released a statement condemning the event, calling it a "despicable act."

Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank, has been warned of increased jihadist attacks for for the past few years.

"[I]t's just the beginning for Australia in what could well be a number of attacks in the region," said Hara Rafiq, head of outreach at Quilliam Foundation. "This is something indicative to what we have coming."

The siege should serve as a warning to to the rest of the world," Rafiq told CNBC in a phone interview Monday. "Australia, in particular, has the worst problem of Jihadi foreign fighters in the U.K., per capita."

Read MoreSydney hostage crisis in pictures

The alleged gunman, Shiekh Haron, had not been linked have any direct links to ISIL, but he's linked to "their ideology that allows him to kill other people, be their Muslims or non-Muslims, to affect political change," Rafiq noted.

Summary: Australians offered to travel with Muslim Australians who feared they might be targeted because of their religious affiliations.


Read MoreRegis Philbin shares his top stock picks

Most attractive in tech were the Nasdaq 100 and the PowerShares QQQ Trust, Kudla said, adding that growth was the focus.

"When we look at relative P/E ratios over a 15-year average, value is actually overvalued now," he said. "Growth is undervalued compared to 15-year averages. So, the value is in growth right now."

Kudla was also positive on small-cap stocks.

"We had a six-month period where small-cap stocks did get their 10 percent correction—and more. And coming off this Oct. 15 low, we've seen the Russell 2000 rally more than 10 percent through yesterday," he said. "And we just think that there's an opportunity here with the strong dollar that small companies that drive more of their revenue here domestically an opportunity for small caps to outperform."

Biotech plays, Biogen Idec and the iShares NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, were also among his top picks.

"We've had what's typically, traditionally been a defensive industry just become more of a growth industry, because of what's happening—pharma, medical devices, those areas," Kudla added.

Read MorePeter Thiel sees no bubble in tech stocks

The energy sector, which has experience a drop in crude oil prices to four-year lows, wasn't in play for Kudla.

"It's not that I don't like energy," he said. "It's that I don't know where the floor is in the price of oil."

When energy stocks disconnect from the price of oil, Kudla added, that's "where the buying opportunity is."

"There will be a time when it will be a screaming buy," he said.

Summary: Stocks are set to roar higher through the end of the year."The value is in growth right now," says David Kudla of Mainstay Capital Management says.


Horst Faas, the German combat photographer for Associated Press, in Vietnam during the war.

Maybe there’s hope for journalism yet. Two recent features celebrate the profession, both when it triumphs, as with “Spotlight,” and when it fails, as with “Truth.”

Thomas Herman’s new documentary, “Dateline – Saigon” (release is expected early next year), takes a look at controversial, groundbreaking coverage of the first phase of the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1964.

He focuses on five young journalists, all of whom would win Pulitzer Prizes: The New York Times’s David Halberstam, UPI’s Neil Sheehan, and the Associated Press’s Malcolm Browne, Peter Arnett, and Horst Faas, all of whom defied the official story and sought the truth. Through clips, recordings, photos, and interviews, Herman uncovers a period in history not many know about and celebrates a breed of newsman that we hope will never go out of style.

He discussed the film over the phone from his home in Boston.

Q. This film took over 12 years to make. That’s almost as long as the Vietnam War. Why so long?

A. With independent filmmaking, part of the challenge is raising money. And of course I had a day job as well.

A. I am. It finances my bad habits, like making movies. But money and day job aside, I spent a lot of time gaining the trust of the protagonists. David Halberstam especially was a tough nut to crack; he wanted to make sure that I wasn’t doing something silly or superficial. But, frustrating as it was taking so long, in some ways it was to my benefit. Like those White House recordings — they weren’t declassified until recently. Had the film been finished five years ago, those tapes of John Kennedy and his Cabinet trying to put together their cover stories would not have been available.

Q. It’s a different Vietnam than we’re familiar with, more like the era of “The Quiet American.”

A. It is a Graham Greene-like emotional environment. Most people think about Vietnam as death, despair, and pain, with Saigon a dirty place overflowing with refugees. When these guys landed it was still the Paris of the east. It was a beautiful place, quiet except for the occasional gunfire. I wanted to tell people what it was like then.

Q. How do you think audiences today will respond to this story?

A. This is a case history of something that happened 50-plus years ago and it is totally relevant to what is happening today. It’s like what Mark Mazzetti of The New York Times is writing about, exposing the inaccurate reports from the Pentagon about fighting ISIS. If these guys weren’t reporting we’d never know. As David Halberstam says at the end of the film, when governments tell the truth, journalists aren’t that important; but when governments lie, they’re essential.

Summary: Thomas Herman’s new documentary, “Dateline — Saigon,” takes a look at press coverage of the first phase of the Vietnam War, from 1961 to 1964.


FORTUNE — Credit is the fuel of private equity, often allowing buyout firms to contribute just 30% or 40% of acquisition prices. And the better the credit terms, the more private equity firms stand to gain.

So one would think today’s near-zero interest rates are a boon for the industry, but The Blackstone Group’s BX Tony James thinks the pendulum may have swung too far.

Speaking this morning on a media call to discuss the firm’s Q4 earnings, James said that “the hot credit markets are more of a negative” for the firm’s investing business.

First, easy credit makes it more likely that troubled companies will refinance, rather than sell. That lowers the overall deal supply, which can (at least theoretically) drive up prices of what remains.

More importantly, the low credit environment has been driving up prices. And James fears the trend will continue, as more money comes off the sidelines and moves into equities (since there isn’t enough yield in debt).

All of this could be “cured” by higher rates but James doesn’t see that coming anytime soon.

James also said that the rumored Dell DELL buyout is not having much impact on current deal-flow, in terms of bringing larger targets to the fore. Nobody was doubting the credit availability for large deals, he argued, and the deal’s equity requirements are unusual in that so much of it is held by founder Michael Dell. The only possible consequence, James says, is that it could cause private equity firms to look harder at mature technology companies.

Sign up for Dan’s daily email newsletter on deals and deal-makers: GetTermSheet.com

Summary: Cheap debt is bad for buyouts?


In the compendium of complaints about air travel, we have not yet encountered “I do not have an unencumbered, horizon-to-horizon view of the entire planet.” At some point, we surmise, someone must have shared that frustration, because Windspeed Technologies has come up with a solution.

Windspeed identifies business and VIP aircraft as their primary market, where amenities like the SkyDeck make sense because airplanes made of solid gold are too heavy to fly.

The company’s SkyDeck is a clear bubble that pokes up out of the top of an airplane. One or two passengers access this viewing dome via a staircase, or (rather showily) in an elevator. Once they are head and shoulders above the fuselage, they may rotate their seats to view some particular object — the sunset, or a constellation, or a cloud that looks a lot like a bunny. The bubble is made of the same material as the canopies of a supersonic fighter jet, and it’s a teardrop shape mounted just before the tail to have the smallest possible effect on aerodynamics. Its feasibility has been studied a thousand different ways, patents and trademarks have been applied for, and an aircraft manufacturer has begun offering it as an option on its custom builds — though there are not yet reports of orders taken.

Does the SkyDeck seem a bit… erm… over the top? Yes, but certainly that is the point. Windspeed identifies business and VIP aircraft as their primary market, where amenities like the SkyDeck make sense because airplanes made of solid gold are too heavy to fly. But the company also sees a commercial application, where, they say, “Current in-flight entertainment offerings have not changed much over the decades” (as if SkyDeck were the logical successor to seatback entertainment systems). In this bright future, airlines would charge passengers for a trip up to the SkyDeck, providing an additional revenue stream for beleaguered airlines that have not yet found enough things to charge for.

Still, it’s awesome. To merely propose cutting a hole in the top of a jet — and then actually figuring out how to make it happen — is an admirable engineering feat. And who hasn’t imagined what the view might be like the outside of a plane, rather than through the tiny windows we’re now supposed to keep shuttered so as not to interfere with the seatback entertainment systems? Given the chance, we’d certainly spend a few minutes enjoying a 360° at 36,000 feet — though we admit to having some concerns about the availability of beverage service up there.

If you would like to comment on this or anything else you have seen on BBC Autos, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.

Summary: This amazing polycarbonate dome offers a pair of well-heeled fliers a horizon-to-horizon view of the world.


Alex Paen showed up at the U.S. Embassy gates in Tehran on the morning of Jan. 21, 1980. The Iranian guards, who called him, "Radio California," had been expecting him after arrangements were made several days earlier.

Paen put the tapes in his main contact's hand, but he didn't let go.

"Are you going to play this for the hostages?" he asked.

"Of course," the guard answered. "Did the announcers say this game was being taped and going to be played for the hostages?"

"It better be, because if they don't, we won't play it for the hostages."

"Yes, but are you going to play it for the hostages?"

Paen chuckles about it now, thinking about the actions of his 26-year-old self on that day. He was an ambitious reporter for KMPC Radio in Los Angeles. After convincing his employer to send him to Tehran during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Paen developed a rapport with the young guards, bonding over age and sporting interest.

When Iran notified American journalists they would be expelled in January 1980, Paen developed a plan to delay his departure from the country. His cunning is documented in the upcoming film, America's Game and the Iran Hostage Crisis, airing Saturday on NFL Network after the Redskins-Eagles game. Part of NFL Network's The Timeline series, the documentary is narrated by George Clooney and directed by Tate Donovan.

"I knew the Super Bowl was coming up," Paen remembers. "I knew in my conversations with the militants, we had talked about football a lot from their American days. They talked about the NFL. I knew the Americans inside talked about missing football because during Christmas time. Clergymen went in and said they talked about sports."

Hanging around the gates, Paen learned many of the Iranian guards went to school in the United States and developed an affinity for the NFL. His connections popularized his name in the United States, as he interviewed militants in the compound while blind-folded, communicated with a hostage, Jerry Plotkin, via phone and delivered roughly 4 million Christmas cards and letters to the hostages.

Paen's Super Bowl endeavors represent one of the most pragmatic tales of the Iran Hostage Crisis. In exchange for tapes of Super Bowl XIV -- featuring the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers on KMPC -- Paen could report the crisis back to America through game day. However, the Iranians required KMPC to make news of the deal public during the broadcast.

"They wanted the PR value out of it to show the world they were humane and generous," Paen says.

Paen handed off the tapes. A few days later he traveled back to the United States. He returned to Tehran for a stint in April and May and made at third trip a year after the crisis ended. Although Paen has covered such events as the Gulf War, the Pope John Paul II shooting and the civil war in El Salvador, he has not returned to Iran in over three decades.

America's Game and the Iran Hostage Crisis visits Paen's Super Bowl deal from inside the U.S. Embassy. Although Paen did not meet the hostages face to face until the crisis ended, they knew of him and his efforts. The tape made its way to a room occupied by two civilians and two marines.

Rocky Sickmann was one of those Marines. He wrote in his diary about hearing the announcers mention the hostages. "It's really a great feeling knowing we're not forgotten over here," he wrote.

Hostages flooded the cramped room to hear Terry Bradshaw's Steelers win, 31-19.

"It wasn't about me delivering the Super Bowl," Paen says. "It was about the Super Bowl being heard by the captive Americans. I don't know if all of them listened to it, but I know several hostages listened to it. It gave them hope that Americans didn't forget them. It gave them a moment of joy that they could reconnect with their memories of watching the Super Bowl with family over the years."

The documentary's interview cast features a wide array of hostages (marines and civilians), family members of hostages, journalists, an Iranian student, politicians (including Walter Mondale), NFL players (including John Stallworth, Herman Edwards, Jim Plunkett) and coaches (including Dick Vermeil).

"In a time America seemed to be divided between left and right, it's a story where the whole nation came together," Donovan, who played U.S. consular agent Bob Anders in Argo, says. "It didn't matter your politics. Both President Carter and incoming President Reagan got together and worked it out."

While Paen's Super Bowl exchange is at the forefront of the film, other football angles are included. Ross Perot, Tom Landry and the Dallas Cowboys considered an Argo-like tape message. The only newspaper hostages had access to was The Sporting News, which updated them on their NFL teams and actually revealed the death of the Shah.

The NFL angle comes full circle when the hostages were released on Jan. 20, 1981, the day of Reagan's inauguration. After a stop at Rhein-Main Air Base in West Germany, where Paen met the hostages, the group settled in the U.S. at the Thayer Hotel at West Point. It was there that many of the hostages reintegrated into American society by watching Super Bowl XV on Jan. 25.

"It's kind of like the great American campfire," Donovan says of the Super Bowl.

Plunkett led the Raiders to a 27-10 win in the Louisiana Superdome, which was decked out in a giant yellow ribbon. One of the hostages, Don Holman, proceeded to dial the operator and get connected with Plunkett, the Super Bowl MVP, in the Raiders' locker room.

Although not part of the original intention, Saturday's film will be unveiled in the midst of one of the more fear-mongering periods in the last decade of American politics. ISIS is a constant fear of Westerners, and terrorism is a main topic of the 2016 presidential election cycle.

"I was in a cab ride home with the producer, and the cab driver asked, 'What are you doing at the NFL?'" Donovan says. "I said, 'We're going to make this movie about the Iran Hostage Crisis and the Super Bowl, its link.' He remembered the Super Bowl–he was a Philly fan and the Eagles lost. He was frustrated about that and then he was like, 'We should have bombed them. We should have just carpet-bombed Iran.' I was like, 'How do you think those 52 hostages and their families would have felt? They would have passed away too.' It's sort of this knee-jerk reaction."

Paen and Donovan both say they hope Americans note the diplomacy from both sides of the Iran Hostage Crisis, that eventually led to all 52 hostages making it home in one piece.

Even on the Iranian end, the film is unlikely to draw animosity.

"I think the story is about human beings sharing a moment about a sporting event," Paen, now president of Telco Productions, Inc., says. "It's a sort of positive. I don't think there's going to be any bad reaction because even though they held Americans captive, it was about listening to a major sporting event, the Super Bowl. Now, that it's the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, it's an international event. I think they'll look back and interpret it as they were nice enough to let Americans listen to it."

The film is produced by Smoke House Pictures, Clooney's production company. After airing on Saturday, the film will re-air on NFL Network in January.

Smoke House Pictures also produced Argo, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture of 2012.

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.

Alex Paen, Argo, Football, George Clooney, Iran, Iran Hostage Crisis, Jim Plunkett, Jimmy Carter, NFL, NFL Network, Rocky Sickmann, Ronald Reagan, Tate Donovan, US Marines, Walter Mondale

Summary: Alex Paen showed up at the U.S. Embassy gates in Tehran on the morning of Jan. 21, 1980. The Iranian guards, who called him, "Radio Californi...


Until now, the Wahlberg brothers have grown their burger shop chain at a relatively slow pace. But Wahlburgers chief executive Rick Vanzura is prepared to kick this expansion into a much higher gear.

The company on Thursday plans to announce franchise deals that will lead to nearly 40 new stores in places such as California, the Carolinas, Georgia, Michigan, and Ohio — as well as its home state, Massachusetts. Most of these agreements were signed within the past month.

When added to previously unveiled franchise deals, more than 110 stores could be on their way over the next seven years. Vanzura hopes to open 10 this year, and then five to seven per quarter starting in 2017.

“There’s no question it’s an aggressive growth rate,” Vanzura says. “Having said that, we spent a lot of time to get ourselves in the position where we can handle this growth.”

Actors Donnie and Mark Wahlberg and chef Paul Wahlberg opened their flagship Hingham shop back in 2011. But only six others have opened since that time.

Meanwhile, the brothers’ banter provided fodder for the ongoing A&E reality show, also called “Wahlburgers.” The fifth season starts March 9.

Vanzura says he’s been preparing for the expansion by building a support team, checking on proposed sites, and vetting potential franchisees.

In Massachusetts, the three Wahlberg brothers will continue to invest in and develop their own Wahlburgers shops together with other investors, as they did for their Fenway and Lynnfield locations. They plan to open five to 10 more in the state over time, including one in Dorchester, the brothers’ hometown neighborhood.

Vanzura says he’s been trying to find a Dorchester spot pretty much since he was hired in 2012. That’s finally going to happen now, as part of an expansion of the South Bay Center. But the shop might not open until early 2018, depending on the pace of permitting.

“The whole family will have an opportunity to go back into Dorchester in a big way,” Vanzura says.

Summary: The company plans to announce franchise deals that will lead to nearly 40 new stores in places such as California, Georgia, and Michigan.


It's no secret that that the super rich live very different lives than the rest of us. They own bigger homes. They drive better cars. They have the best of everything. But, did you know the super rich even speak their own language?

While shooting "Secret Lives of the Super Rich," CNBC encountered a few words and phrases that mean one thing to us and something totally different to the super rich.

—By CNBC's Jessi JosephPosted 24 Sept. 2013

CNBC scores the ultimate VIP access to a world inhabited by only the wealthiest people. "Secret Lives of the Super Rich," premieres Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Summary: These six words mean one thing to most people and something totally different to the super rich. Life has complications.