Judge: Tully's Coffee to go to Dempsey's group

SEATTLE (AP) ? The auction for the beleaguered Tully's Coffee chain concluded Friday in federal bankruptcy court, with a judge approving the sale to an ownership group led by actor Patrick Dempsey.

Dempsey ? dubbed "McDreamy" in the hospital drama "Grey's Anatomy" ? had claimed victory last week after bidding concluded, but a company that teamed up with Starbucks to make an offer for Tully's filed an objection.

AgriNurture Inc. had said it was still willing to proceed with its combined bid with Starbucks Corp. of about $10.6 million. The bid from Dempsey's company, Global Baristas LLC, was for $9.2 million.

At a hearing Friday afternoon, Judge Karen Overstreet said the Jan. 4 auction was fair and no mistakes had been made.

Dempsey said he was "thrilled that we prevailed."

"I've been deeply humbled by the outpouring of support from the city of Seattle and am very proud to be a new business owner in this amazing city," he said in a statement. "We have a lot to accomplish over the next few months and years, and I am excited to now call Seattle my second home."

Starbucks spokesman Zack Hutson said the company respected the judge's decision.

Starbucks had wanted to buy about half of Tully's 47 shops in Washington and California and turn them into Starbucks stores, while the rest of the company would keep the Tully's name under the ownership of AgriNurture, which is based in the Philippines.

One reason Tully's owner TC Global Inc. didn't pick the Starbucks-AgriNurture deal was the complicated relationship Tully's has with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. Green Mountain owns the wholesale side of Tully's brand, which includes coffee in bags and single-serve packs that are sold in supermarkets and other stores.

Green Mountain preferred to keep the chain of coffee shops intact and operating under the Tully's name.

Lawyers for Tully's and its creditors also expressed concern about what would happen to some company contracts, including a multi-million dollar commitment to people who bought prepaid coffee cards.

At the conclusion of Friday's hearing that lasted several hours, Overstreet said the auction and the arguments presented by all sides were intricate, but it was not her job to second-guess the decision made by Tully's executives to accept Dempsey's bid.

"Was it complicated? Yes. Did it produce a fantastic result for this case? Yes it did," Overstreet said.

TC Global filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October, citing lease obligations and underperforming stores. It has more than 500 employees.

CEO Scott Pearson said the sale, which is expected to close by the end of January, was a "step forward" for the company.

"I think the best part of it is we're taking care of our creditors and our employees and actually giving something back to our shareholders," Pearson said.

Dempsey has said he believes there is room in Seattle for Tully's and the much larger Starbucks, which is also based there.

After winning the auction last week, Dempsey made an appearance at a Tully's near Pike Place Market, shaking hands with workers and greeting customers before visiting other stores.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-tullys-coffee-dempseys-group-012556241--finance.html

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North Livingston Church hit by twister

Accounts from Livingston County are that North Livingston Baptist Church has been hit by a tornado and leveled. Danny Starrick of Crittenden County is the pastor there.

Initial reports indicate there were no injuries from the damage in Livingston County.

Source: http://crittendenpress.blogspot.com/2013/01/north-livingston-church-hit-by-twister.html

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Toya Wright, Lil Wayne Baby Mama, Scores Reality Show With Memphitz!

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Browns hire coach: Madness has to stop with Chud

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Video: Academy Awards Get Political?

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Inside the underweb: Home to pedophiles, hitmen, drug dealers ? and free speech

4 hrs.

Neal Ungerleider , Fast Company

When the German Foreign Office hosted a human rights conference several months ago, one of the invited guest organizations was the Tor Project. The Tor Project runs a secure, anonymous network and distributes free software used by dissidents and free speech activists worldwide. Activists in countries like Syria and Ethiopia use Tor regularly. The Tor Project, in fact, receives funding from the United States State Department for that very purpose.

There's a catch, however. The same secure communications Tor offers have attracted spies, criminals, and pedophiles alongside political dissidents.

Tor's network, referred to as the "underweb" in popular discussion, is a strange entity. It exists beneath the sanitized experiences of Facebook, Google, and Amazon. It exists way down deep, in a walled-off Web threaded with secure communication routes and populated with political dissidents, spies, and ne'er-do-wells.

The underweb has its own dark version of Wikipedia, too, called the Hidden Wiki, which looks a lot like the Wikipedia you know, except that it's full of links to pedophile torrent directories, self-professed ?hitmen,? endless stolen credit card numbers, archives of bestiality pictures, and drug delivery services. The South Africa Mail & Guardian's Niren Tolsi called it a place where ?you can apparently find everything you would need to take over a country or break away from an existing one to form your own.? Mostly, the Hidden Wiki is a detailed-enough guide to what's known as the underweb ??one of the fastest growing segments of the Internet.

Tor is an anonymous network that is accompanied by free software; the name Tor stands for "The Onion Router." Onion routers like Tor's layer encryption on top of encryption???communications are encrypted and reencrypted multiple times as they make their way from a user's computer to their final destination. To access the underweb, users must install Tor's software (see "How?to?access?the?underweb"?below).

Tor's backers

Communications for free speech and democracy activists are responsible for a huge chunk of underweb traffic. The Tor Project receives substantial financial contributions from the State Department, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and the National Science Foundation; the Swedish government also helps fund Tor. Although it has only been reported anecdotally, intelligence services and law enforcement worldwide are said to rely on Tor for secure, untraceable communications.

Tor communications can be disrupted and some limited footprints of Tor activity can be traced, but both activities are a significant drain in terms of resources and finances. ?Many of the traditional cybercrime forums have moved from the normal web to the deep Web. The reasons are clear: It's harder to find who hosts these sites, who visits them and to take them down,? says Mikko Hyponen of security firm F-Secure.

Pedophiles have flocked to the underweb to trade photos and videos. Anonymous mined the underweb to launch of its most notable guerrilla projects in 2010, Operation Darknet, which involved dumping the names of more than 1,500 users of Tor-accessible child pornography site Lolita City on the more publicly accessible Pastebin, including information about how long the users' accounts were active and how many pictures they uploaded. One of the #OpDarknet attacks was codenamed ?Chris Hansen? after the former "To Catch A Predator"?host.

The Silk Road's path

Law enforcement and security representatives from financial firms, private industry, and computer security firms also regularly monitor the underweb to varying extents. When a reporter for The Verge, Adrianne Jeffries, asked a DEA spokesperson about The Silk Road, a popular illegal drug purchase-and-delivery service on the underweb, the spokesperson recognized the name immediately. The DEA allegedly monitors The Silk Road and other underweb drug-purchasing sites in conjunction with ongoing investigations. Rather than following an Amazon e-tailer model, The Silk Road is more eBay inspired and uses Bitcoin escrow transactions to connect independent sellers with buyers.

Users of The Silk Road often pay higher-than-street-value rates for illicit substances. The site has inspired a folk panic of sort, with nervous articles in many publications promoting the site's streamlined process for purchasing marijuana and LSD. In April, a similar site called The Farmer's Market was busted. Nicholas Cristin, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, found that Silk Road vendors made approximately $1.9 million monthly (PDF) in sales of illicit substances.

Closed peer-to-peer networks

The underweb isn't the only dark corner of the Internet specializing in hosting uncomfortable content. Darknets are closed peer-to-peer networks which, although (usually) accessed by IP address, are invisible to outsiders. Users need to be aware of a darknet's existence in order to log in to them. There's also the deep web, or invisible web: publicly accessible content that isn't indexed by Google or any other major search engines. While the deep web does not contain the pirated movies, mail-order weapon depots, or other discoveries of the underweb or darknets, it does frequently contain personal information (including credit card and social security numbers) that are of interest to bad guys.

Darknets also have big ramifications for digital rights management, piracy, and other things that keep the entertainment and software industries awake at night. In November, Microsoft researchers published a paper arguing that the secure worldwide communications that darknets provide would soon make the DRM scheme used by their employer obsolete. Cyberpunks collaborating via GitHub are working on a project called Cryptosphere, which, though not running through Tor and using a differing operating philosophy, would offer similarly secure sharing of files.

Beyond credit card numbers, underweb users can also purchase stolen logins to e-commerce sites such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart with links to active credit cards. According to security researcher Brian Krebs, credentials without credit cards start at $12 while with-credit card accounts cost much more.

However, Tor has downsides for users: Besides being anonymous, the service is so slow that it can be frustrating to use. Darknets suffer from that problem much less, which makes them more appealing for content pirates. The vexing problem for law enforcement--and anyone uncomfortable with an open communications pipeline for pedophiles and credit card thieves--is that the underweb's positive aspects walk hand in hand with its negative aspects. Anonymity and secure encryption can be used by the bad guys just as easily as by free speech activists.

How to access the underweb:

Note: Tor is a legitimate service used by individuals living under repressive governments worldwide to communicate outside the reach of intelligence services. Much of the content on Tor, however, is illegal under U.S. law. These instructions are taken from Tor's documentation.

1. Download and install the Tor browser. The Tor Project's standard Windows bundle includes Tor, a GUI for Tor, and a Firefox plug-in.

2. Configure applications such as your Web browser to work with Tor in conjunction with the Tor project's security advisories.

3. Confirm that both Vidalia (Tor's GUI) and the anonymizer are working.

4. The Tor Project also requests individual users set up their software as relays, which increases bandwidth and speed for all users of the service.

More from Fast?Company:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/inside-underweb-home-pedophiles-hitmen-drug-dealers-free-speech-1B7938756

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Wisconsin lawmakers to avoid late-night debates

MADISON, Wis. (AP) ? Wisconsin lawmakers have a bipartisan deal to avoid all-night debates in the state Assembly.

Party leaders announced the agreement Thursday. The deal hinges on Republican and Democratic leaders agreeing each day on how much time they will spend on each measure.

As a test of the new procedure, both sides have agreed to limit the day's debate to no more than five hours.

Going past midnight happens elsewhere, especially at the end of sessions or as other deadlines loom. But the Wisconsin Assembly in recent years has routinely pushed debates and votes on contentious bills into the wee hours, when only lobbyists and the cleaning crew are left in the building.

Republican Speaker Robin Vos says both sides want to eliminate all-night sessions, saying they're not in the public interest.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wisconsin-lawmakers-avoid-night-debates-173858054.html

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The Very Best Nutrients And Health ... - Critical Care 2011 ...

January 7th 2013 Posted at Diet, Fitness, General
0 Comments

A vital component for all around health will be your nutrients. Nutrition?s main essential is a healthy diet, but this could appear to be challenging. It?s easy to reside healthily, so long as you?re capable to stick to your daily diet. This post can assist you come to be more healthy. Pick a diet plan that is certainly abundant in wholesome whole grain products. People who ingest much more whole grain products in their diet plan are generally healthier than those individuals who ingest much more carbohydrates. Transition to whole wheat grains pastas, brown rice and whole wheat grains or 7-grain forms of sandwich a loaf of bread. This will likely provide your body the right amount of dietary fiber that it would want, plus the nutrients and vitamins that carbs absence. Don?t incentive your kids with foods. Reward your kids with enthusiastic affection and compliments rather. Making use of wealthy, sugary meals to incentive very good habits establishes an unsafe link with your children?s thoughts and qualified prospects them to feel that this sort of pleasures can be better than they are. Corn syrup is really a condensed method of sugar accustomed to sweeten several products and you ought to stay away from these items when trying to lose weight. There are many foods and condiments which include corn syrup so be sure you spend some time to look at the component listings on meals labeling. Corn, beans and chicken breast might be a easy, wholesome dinner. The mixture of starches and amino acids make for a whole dinner. This straightforward dinner can support you, even though it is lacking in other vitamins that does not fully important. The famous food items pyramids are typically correct, but they are outdated, and don?t consider what dietary experts recently uncovered about our body. Really helpful page: http://fatbellyfat.com/bellyfatdiet/what-are-the-fat-belly-burning-foods-and-how-to-use-them. There are several goods out there which will help you get in shape without seeing a health club. You will find economical goods to ensure results in your try to increase your health and fitness. Eat a day-to-day multivitamin pill to dietary supplement your diet. It will help you obtain minerals and vitamins that you could not get an adequate amount of in your meals. Should you be dealing with diabetic issues, check with your personal doctor to determine which meals and refreshments are not recommended. Most doctors suggest against drinking alcohol, by way of example. Diabetics must be careful when eating liquor, because you can get blood sugar levels to decrease. Supplying your body key nutrients is vital for preserving a healthy body. The information here will help you grow to be more healthy. This is usually a great deal of time and energy, or minimal, depending on how you at present eat. Everyone can far better their diet to improve stamina and overall health.

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Video: Virginia to Drop Gas Tax?

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Demand for BlackBerry 10 strong... in Canada

1. Ninetysix posted on 2 hours ago 7 1

A little too late there RIM.

2. ckoch125 posted on 2 hours ago 4 1

I think RIM is going to surprise a lot of people and I know that even though they have been losing subscribers, most would be willing to come back for bb10. I think RIM will become a solid #3 OS, maybe not as strong as they were before android and IOS passed them but strong enough for what they want.

3. cornerofthemoon posted on 2 hours ago 1 1

I would have given BB10 a chance but I couldn't wait any longer and went with Windows Phone. I wish them well though.

4. IamTheGodfatherofCell posted on 2 hours ago 2 1

I agree with Ninetysix...too little too late

5. naptown2 posted on 2 hours ago 0 0

rim wont make a dent in the market

6. gwuhua1984 posted on 2 hours ago 1 0

My lil sis is probably one of those on the reservation list.

Demand for BlackBerry 10 strong... in Canada

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PhoneArena-LatestNews/~3/pzNuldj9ubk/Demand-for-BlackBerry-10-strong...-in-Canada_id38580

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Listing Fail: Buy This 'Terrifying' Yet 'Relaxing' Home | AOL Real Estate

There are hilariously weird listings. There are overtly deceptive listings. Then there are just plain confusing listings.

Take this recent Craigslist ad for a three-bedroom apartment in the hip Williamsburg neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Its title reads, in bold: "TERRIFYING PLACE SO RELAXING." We're not entirely sure what the owner was trying to convey with that description. Clearly, there's an enormous difference between "terrifying" and "relaxing." (We'd say it's an either/or situation.) We'll leave you to draw your own conclusion.

Thanks to our pals at Curbed for tipping us to this very odd listing fail. (And make sure to check out even more listing fails.)

More on AOL Real Estate:
Find homes for rent in your area.
Find out how to calculate mortgage payments.
Find homes for sale in your area.
Find foreclosures in your area.

Follow us on Twitter at @AOLRealEstate or connect with AOL Real Estate on Facebook.

Source: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2013/01/09/listing-fail-craigslist-ad-home-sale/

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Google to help set up free WiFi blanket in NYC's Southwest Chelsea neighborhood

While Google's offered free WiFi access in NYC subways from time to time, it's apparently now set to help get a permanent solution live in a Manhattan neighborhood. There are no details regarding a time-frame, but the company's linked up with the Chelsea Improvement Company to provide the access in Southwest Chelsea. Aside from the perks of pro bono interwebs for all, the initiative will serve to provide internet to likes of low-income and student housing in the locale -- though, it seems a natural undertaking given Google's office in the area. At the very least, it's another nice chip toward municipal WiFi in the Big Apple. Full presser after the break.

Continue reading Google to help set up free WiFi blanket in NYC's Southwest Chelsea neighborhood

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City lights create sexual early birds

Male blackbirds exposed to nocturnal illumination ready to mate sooner in spring

By Susan Milius

Web edition: January 8, 2013

Enlarge

EARLY BIRD

Male European blackbirds exposed to urban night light levels molted sooner and their sexual development advanced up to a month faster than birds living with dark nights.

Credit: Malene Thyssen/Wikimedia

SAN FRANCISCO ? City lights can deliver male birds into reproductive readiness weeks ahead of schedule.

Male European blackbirds monitored in a lab under simulated city lighting started secreting increased levels of testosterone and growing their sexual organs up to a month earlier in the spring than birds kept in country-style darkness, Davide Dominoni of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell, Germany, reported January 6 at the annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.

Dominoni?s colleagues have found that, outside the lab, male blackbirds flying around Munich undergo this growth surge about three weeks earlier than counterparts in a forest just 40 kilometers out of town.

Beginning in December 2010, the researchers exposed captive blackbirds to night light levels typical of urban settings. They estimated those levels by outfitting free-flying blackbirds with light-sensitive devices and averaging the urban light exposure. A winter of lab night light sped up the males? molting and boosted testosterone levels as well as organ development in spring. Continuing the night light treatment through the next winter left the males reproductively shut down in the spring of 2012.

The lab night lights probably kept the birds? seasonal reproductive clocks from resetting at the end of the first breeding season, Dominoni says. That second-year suppression may not be common in the real world, where birds fly around and experience more variety in night lighting, he says. But he sees the lab breeding shutdown as a sign of how big of an impact artificial light might have.

?There?s no shortage of starlings and other birds in cities,? said Jamie Cornelius of the University of California, Davis: Urban birds can reproduce despite artificial lights, and Cornelius says she?d love to know what lets them manage when the lab birds couldn?t.

Maybe the results hold a nugget of inspiration for some kind of light-driven control for nuisance birds, mused Ned Place of Cornell University. Perhaps blasts of illumination in certain urban places on a certain series of nights could discourage overpopulation by less-beloved avian residents.

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347417/title/City_lights_create_sexual_early_birds

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Eat Dinner Out Only Once a Month Reader Resolutions 2013 | The ...

Name: Margi H.
City: Olympia, WA
Resolution: Eat Dinner Out Only Once a Month!

Here's what Margi says about her goal...

My resolution: For some reason I had an epiphany about how expensive it is for a family of 3 to eat out. So this year I am resolving to only eat out once a month as a family. We pack lunches already, so that's not a problem.

Thanks, Margi! Readers, do you have any advice or suggestions for her?

(Image: Margi H via The Kitchn's submission form)

Source: http://www.thekitchn.com/eat-dinner-out-only-once-a-month-reader-resolutions-2013-182360

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Riverside Marches To Another Deal

Latest Acquisition Provides Military Simulation and Virtual Training Product

(PRWEB) January 07, 2013

The Riverside Company has invested in Bohemia Interactive Simulations s.r.o. (Bohemia), the market leading innovator, developer and provider of games for training technology and interactive simulation systems sold to defense, emergency and mission-critical customers. Bohemia supplies the U.S. Department of Defense, UK Ministry of Defense, Australian Defense Force and a range of other international clients. Bohemia?s flagship product, Virtual Battle space 2 (VBS2) is the de-facto industry standard within its segment.

VBS2 is a fully interactive, three-dimensional training and simulation system suitable for a wide range of military or commercial training and experimentation purposes, particularly for tactical training and mission rehearsal scenarios.

Bohemia was founded in 2001 in Australia, and has since 2007 been led by CEO Pete Morrison, who was previously a Captain in the Australian Army. In the army, Mr. Morrison was involved with delivering game-based training to soldiers as a part of mission rehearsal exercises for deployments to Iraq. Once retired from the armed forces, Mr. Morrison and Bohemia CTO, Dr. Mark Dzulko, saw tremendous growth opportunity in the simulation field, as the provision of high-quality training across a wide range of skills and scenarios was critical to the effectiveness of modern militaries. Together, they fostered an alliance with Bohemia Interactive Studio, the producer of the popular Arma series of entertainment games based on simulating military combat, and grew Bohemia as a joint venture.

Bohemia?s central sales offices are in the U.S., part of the Team Orlando area of excellence for military simulation technology. In addition, Bohemia has major sales and operations offices in the UK, Australia, Czech Republic, and, most recently, Poland, with plans for further international expansion.

?Riverside?s experience in the technology space, and our international structure and reach make us an ideal partner for Bohemia,? said Riverside Partner Dr. Martin Scott, who leads Riverside?s Software and IT specialization in Europe.

Riverside has completed more than 20 software investments, and has a dedicated team of experts in the technology field.

Sarah Flaherty
The Riverside Company
+44 203 077 1922
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riverside-marches-another-deal-162620922.html

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Mundane Monday

Mundane Monday

Jennifer Lopez Dresses Herself [The Frisky] Anna Faris Lands a New TV Gig [HollyWire] All My Children Returning to TV? [Right Celebrity] Courteney Cox Best Friends with David Arquette [The Celebrity Cafe] Hugh Hefner Ready for Kids [The Blemish] Jay Leno Staying at NBC [The Huffington Post] Chelsea Clinton to Pop Out Twins? [Celeb Dirty ...

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/01/mundane-monday-2/

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Messi, world's best,?makes history

Leo Messi is now peerless in the modern game in terms of individual, global achievement. The fabulous little Barcelona and Argentina national team magician has claimed his fourth FIFA player of the year honor, handed the Ballon d?Or by world soccer?s governing body today in Swizterland.

France?s Zinedine Zidane and Brazil?s Ronaldo were both three-time winners, but Messi is now alone with four. (The award has been around since 1991, so Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and other giants of a previous day never had the same chance at world soccer?s ultimate individual decoration.)

As for the 2012 honor, Messi was one of three finalists, along with Barca teammate Andres Iniesta and Cristiano Ronaldo, a rival goal-scorer for Spanish rival Real Madrid.

But finding anyone who thought Messi had real competition for this honor was tough, and for good reason. The highly versatile 25-year-old attacker struck for an astonishing 91 goals in all competitions (for Spanish giants Barcelona and internationally for powerful Argentina), eclipsing Gerd Muller?s 40-year record for the most goals in a calendar year.

If scoring 91 goals to set a new world standard doesn?t get you the game?s highest award, what will?

According to FIFA, Messi claimed 41.60 percent of the voting. Ronaldo was next with 23.68 percent, followed by Iniesta with 10.91 percent.

(MORE: Notes on Monday?s ceremony)

The one glitch in the Messi matrix has always been his far more modest success while guiding Argentina internationally (although the train wreck of Maradona as manager of the Albiceleste at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was surely a mitigating factor in the Argentine flop.)

That argument against Messi went out the world soccer window in 2012 when he hit five times in five World Cup qualifiers, building on that with hat-tricks in friendlies against Brazil and Switzerland.

Even Ronaldo had seemed resigned to runner-up status, at best, before Monday?s announcement: ?If I win, perfect. If I don?t, never mind, life goes on.?

(MORE: U.S. striker Abby Wambach wins Women?s Player of the Year)

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/07/now-peerless-leo-messi-claims-fourth-fifa-ballon-dor/related/

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'McDreamy' says he beat Starbucks for coffee chain

FILE - In this June 28, 2011 file photo, actor Patrick Dempsey attends the "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'" premiere in Times Square in New York. Late Thursday night Jan. 3, 2013, Dempsey announced that his company, Global Baristas LLC, made the winning bid for Tully's Coffee. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

FILE - In this June 28, 2011 file photo, actor Patrick Dempsey attends the "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon'" premiere in Times Square in New York. Late Thursday night Jan. 3, 2013, Dempsey announced that his company, Global Baristas LLC, made the winning bid for Tully's Coffee. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)

Patrick Dempsey's investment group has won the bid to purchase Tully's Coffee. Dempsey meets the staff at the Tully's Coffee on Western Avenue near the Pike Place Market on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Mike Siegel) OUTS: SEATTLE OUT, USA TODAY OUT, MAGAZINES OUT, TELEVISION OUT, SALES OUT. MANDATORY CREDIT TO: MIKE SIEGEL/THE SEATTLE TIMES.

Patrick Dempsey's investment group has won the bid to purchase Tully's Coffee. Dempsey meets the staff at the Tully's Coffee on Western Avenue near the Pike Place Market on Friday, Jan. 4, 2013. Dempsey meets with employees from left including Stephen Loewen, Susie Campos and Sarah Paulson. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Mike Siegel) OUTS: SEATTLE OUT, USA TODAY OUT, MAGAZINES OUT, TELEVISION OUT, SALES OUT. MANDATORY CREDIT TO: MIKE SIEGEL/THE SEATTLE TIMES.

SEATTLE (AP) ? "Grey's Anatomy" star Patrick Dempsey may be the real "McSteamy."

The actor, who was dubbed "McDreamy" as a star of the hospital drama while his co-star was called "McSteamy," may soon be serving hot, steaming cups of Joe.

Dempsey won a bankruptcy auction to buy Tully's Coffee, a small coffee chain based in Seattle. Among those he beat out is Tully's much bigger Seattle neighbor, Starbucks Corp., which is known for its ubiquitous white cups with a circular green mermaid logo.

Dempsey, whose company Global Baristas LLC plans to keep the Tully's name, declared victory on the social media site Twitter: "We met the green monster, looked her in the eye, and...SHE BLINKED! We got it! Thank you Seattle!

The win for Dempsey deals a rare setback for Starbucks on its home turf. Starbucks has long been both praised for bringing "coffeehouse culture" to the U.S. and criticized for crushing smaller chains. The coffee giant, which had planned to convert the Tully's cafes to its own brand, last month announced plans to expand its global footprint to 20,000 cafes over the next two years, up from the current 18,000.

Dempsey said in an interview on Friday that as the underdog in Seattle, Tully's will need to find its identity.

"It's a much smaller chain that has a lot of potential that hasn't been given the proper care," he said.

But in a statement shortly after the auction on Thursday, Starbucks insinuated that Dempsey shouldn't celebrate just yet.

Starbucks, which wanted to convert the Tully's cafes to its own brand, said that a final determination on the winning bid won't be made until a court hearing on Jan. 11. Starbucks said it's in a "back-up" position" to buy 25 of the 47 Tully's cafes, with another undisclosed bidder making an offer for the remainder.

The combined bids of Starbucks and the undisclosed bidder come to $10.6 million, above the $9.2 million Dempsey's company is offering to pay through his company, which was formed in order to purchase Tully's. The other investors in Global Baristas aren't being disclosed.

Tully's Coffee, which is known for serving Joe with a milder taste than Starbucks brand, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October, citing lease obligations and underperforming stores. Tully's wholesale business, which includes Tully's Coffee in bags and single serve K-cup packs that are sold in supermarkets and other stores, is owned separately by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc.

TC Global Inc., the parent company of Tully's, said in a release Friday that it was "encouraged and excited" about Dempsey's commitment to the chain.

Tully's President and CEO Scott Pearson called the deal a "great match" and that the goal is to make sure creditors get paid and to keep as many people employed as possible.

Dempsey said he planned to be very involved in the running of the company, adding that the immediate challenges were to address bookkeeping issues, staff morale and sprucing up the coffee shops. Once the business is stabilized, Dempsey said the long-term goal would be to take the chain national.

"We can pull this off. We just have to take steps that are slow and smart," he said. "I'm going to get behind the counter. I'm going to serve coffee...I'm going to give the company a boost of energy."

Although Dempsey lives in Los Angeles, he plans to spend more time in Seattle, the city where "Grey's Anatomy" is set in. Dempsey said he believed there is room in the city for Tully's and the much larger Starbucks; he noted there might be people who are rooting for the underdog.

"In a society where there are so many big corporations that swallow the little guy, we thought, let's not let this happen to this company," he said.

Dempsey made an appearance Friday morning at a Tully's near Pike Place Market, shaking hands with workers and greeting customers before visiting other stores. Several dozen people, mostly women, came into the store.

Patrease Estelle, 45, works nearby, and came in with a small group from her office.

"I will take whatever I can get. A photo, a hug, a 'hey, how you doing,' a wink," said Estelle, who got a picture and handshake with the actor.

___

Blankinship reported from Seattle and Choi from New York.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-04-Tully's%20Coffee-Sale/id-dc98423a96c345e1b0dabed4e8cd0794

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PFT: Marrone on Eagles' list? |? Jay Gruden, too

Everyone except the Jets is talking about Rex Ryan?s notorious tattoo.

The Pats have added QB Mike Kafka to their offseason roster.

The Dolphins didn?t make it to the postseason, but some have received postseason awards from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

The Bills built huge expectations on defense in 2012, and completely failed to meet them.

Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell reflects on facing the franchise with which he spent 10 years.

For Bengals QB Andy Dalton, a playoff game in his hometown is becoming a tradition.

If the Browns hire Chip Kelly, the roster may need yet another makeover.

More and more people are realizing that the Steelers need a good running back.

Titans DE Kamerion Wimbley, with only six sacks in 2012, says he fell short of his expectations.

Colts rookie RB Vick Ballard has gone from survival to, um, thrival?

Jaguars assistant coaches have been given permission to look elsewhere for work.

Texans QB Matt Schaub is ready for his playoff debut.? (His performance in big games this year would suggest otherwise.)

The Broncos? running backs have a ?next man up? attitude.

The Chargers will reduce or not increase prices on season tickets for 45,000 seats.

The deal between the Chiefs and coach Andy Reid covers five years, which likely gives him at least three or four years to turn things around.

When the Raiders coach one of the Senior Bowl rosters, there?s a chance they?ll actually be coaching a better team than the one they coached all year.

The Cowboys appeared in four of the six most-viewed games of the season.? (That and a Super Bowl championship will get you a Lombardi Trophy.)

As the Redskins uncharacteristically have thrived, owner Daniel Snyder uncharacteristically has remained in the background.

Giants G.M. Jerry Reese thinks that the team should have given WR Hakeem Nicks more rest when he was dealing with early-season injuries.

The image of Eagles LB Chuck Bednarik taunting a fallen Frank Gifford has been picked as one of the top sports photos of all time.

Life?s been good so far to Vikings K Blair Walsh.

The Bears have brought back speedy WR Brittan Golden.

The Lions were 1-6 against NFC teams that made it to the playoffs.

Since winning the Super Bowl less than two years ago, the Packers have replaced 14 of 22 starters.

First-year Falcons don?t want to hear about past-year playoff failures.

The good news for Buccaneers rookie RB Doug Martin?? He?s a finalist for the Pepsi Max Rookie of the Year Award.? The bad news?? So are Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Alfred Morris.

The Saints have added WR Preston Parker and DE Jay Richardson.

Despite getting a head start by firing G.M. Marty Hurney during the season, the Panthers won?t start interviewing G.M. candidates until Monday.

49ers TE Garrett Celek, the brother of Eagles TE Brent Celek, was the only undrafted rookie to make the team, and he participated in more snaps than six draft picks.

Returning from a four-game suspension won?t keep Seahawks CB Brandon Browner from starting on Sunday.

The notoriously parsimonious Cardinals are surely hoping Ken Whisenhunt gets a head-coaching job in this cycle.

Rams offensive line coach Paul Boudreau says he got the most out of a ?bunch of misfit toys? in St. Louis this year.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/05/eagles-to-meet-with-doug-marrone-while-out-west-as-well/related/

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News Summary: December retail sales rise - San Antonio Express ...

THE NEWS: Major retailers said a key revenue figure rose in December, helped by a last minute surge of holiday shopping.

THE CONTEXT: Retailers including Costco, Gap and Nordstrom on Thursday reported better-than-expected December revenue. That was a relief for stores that can make up to 40 percent of their annual revenue during the winter holiday shopping period.

BY THE NUMBERS: Twenty retailers reported revenue at stores open at least a year ? a figure that indicates a retailers' health ? rose 4.5 percent in December compared with the year-ago period, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/News-Summary-December-retail-sales-rise-4164987.php

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