Why I dread Chinese New Year

Kids see Chinese New Year through rose-tinted glasses.STORY HIGHLIGHTSZoe Li: As an adult, Chinese New Year is an annual nightmareIt's a time when relatives have the right to be judgmentalSuperstitious Chinese New Year foods often aren't that tasty(CNN) -- For me, Chinese New Year used to be fun.When I was a kid, I was excited during Chinese New Year when I got lai see and I could stay up late. I...

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NBC’s ‘The Office’ to get send-off on May 16

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Emmy-winning comedy “The Office” will pack up its pencils and staplers after eight years with a one-hour finale on May 16, U.S. broadcaster NBC said on Thursday.Producers have promised that the episode will tie up several loose storylines on the workplace mockumentary, which debuted on U.S. television in 2005 as an adaptation of the British series of the same name created by...

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Wall Street opens modestly higher after data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks opened slightly higher on Friday after a trio of positive economic data points, and further gains were expected to be modest with the benchmark S&P index near five-year highs. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 18.97 points, or 0.14 percent, at 13,963.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 3.05 points, or 0.20 percent,...

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Utility: Bad device caused Super Bowl blackout

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A power company says the cause of the Super Bowl blackout was a faulty device that had been installed to prevent a failure of electric cables leading to the Superdome.Officials of Entergy New Orleans say the device, called a relay, had been installed to protect the stadium from a cable failure between the company's incoming power line and lines that run into the stadium.Company...

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Bring drones out of the shadows?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSJohn Brennan's confirmation hearing is a chance to ask about drone program, author saysSarah Holewinski: Brennan is one of a few officials who knows full story on dronesShe says senators need to ask about damage drone program does to civilians, U.S. reputationHolewinski: CIA should hand over drone program to Defense DepartmentEditor's note: Sarah Holewinski is executive director of...

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The Wanted take music to television with E! reality show

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – After storming the U.S. pop charts with their infectious dance songs last year, British-Irish boy band The Wanted are set to invade television screens with a new reality show on the E! channel this summer, the network announced on Wednesday.“The Wanted Life,” co-produced by Ryan Seacrest Productions, will follow the band members as they move into a house in the Hollywood Hills...

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Wall Street opens flat after claims, sales data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks opened flat on Thursday after a trend gauge in weekly jobless claims signaled modest economic improvement and retailers posted mixed monthly sales. The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 11.06 points, or 0.08 percent, at 13,975.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 0.67 point, or 0.04 percent, at 1,511.45. The Nasdaq...

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Signing Day: Ole Miss muscles in on power programs

Alabama. Ohio State. Michigan. Florida. Notre Dame. Mississippi?Ole Miss muscled in on the powerhouses that usually dominate national signing day, landing some of the most sought-after prospects in the country on college football's annual first-Wednesday-in-February frenzy.The Rebels, coming off a promising 7-6 season in their first season under coach Hugh Freeze, had the experts swooning by signing...

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What follows N. Korea's nuclear test?

STORY HIGHLIGHTSLopez: Uranium-based blast would pose new challenge to U.N. Security CouncilIndicates Pyongyang has advanced centrifuge technologies and related systemsNorth Korea's young leader appears to care little about what U.N. or China thinkProduct-based sanctions may stifle the North's ability to continue nuclear programEditor's note: George A. Lopez holds the Hesburgh Chair in Peace Studies...

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“Game of Thrones” writer George R.R. Martin lands overall deal with HBO

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) – There just might be a lot more dragons and swords in HBO‘s future.George R.R. Martin, whose “A Song of Fire and Ice” fantasy novel series served as the basis for HBO’s hit drama “Game of Thrones,” has entered an overall deal with the network.The two-year agreement will retain Martin as a co-executive producer of the series, which begins its third season March 31, but will...

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