Summer music preview: Five tours you really need to see live

USA TODAY's music writers suggest five tours you shouldn't miss:

1. Rihanna

Rude Boy is the Barbados native's 14th hit to go top 10, tying her with Beyoncé for most by a female artist since 2000.

Setting the stage: Rihanna's 25-date Last Girl on Earth tour of arenas and amphitheaters starts July 2 in Auburn, Wash., and wraps up Aug. 28 in Syracuse, N.Y. She'll also appear July 12 at Lilith Fair in Salt Lake City.

Why it's a tour de force:  Rihanna's North American jaunt will come hot on the heels of two months of sold-out shows in Europe, which wrap up June 5 at the Rock in Rio festival in Madrid. The sultry star's show includes elaborate sets, special effects, sexy choreography and a plethora of eye-popping, skin-baring get-ups. Ke$ha — herself a chart-topping hitmaker — is the opening act. — Steve Jones

Cost: $20-$105

2. Adam Lambert

The dashing and colorful American Idol runner-up headlines his first North American tour.

Setting the stage: Lambert's Glam Nation tour kicks off June 4 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., with more than 30 concerts to follow. Shows are currently scheduled through Sept. 18 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Why it's a tour de force: Lambert, a dazzling singer, set the Idol standard for showmanship, and his devoted fan base will turn out in full force. The tour's support acts — flame-haired fellow Idol finalist Allison Iraheta and Australian guitarist Orianthi — make the package especially promising: Orianthi played on Lambert's album, and Iraheta's Slow Ride duet with Lambert was a highlight of their Idol season and the subsequent tour. — Brian Mansfield

Cost: $29-$73.50

3. Justin Bieber

Pop music's latest tween sensation has been inescapable in recent months, with a No. 1 album (My World 2.0) backed by appearances on Oprah, Saturday Night Live and American Idol.

Setting the stage: The 16-year-old's headlining tour kicks off June 23 in Hartford, Conn., and will reach 40-plus cities before wrapping Sept. 4 in Allentown, Pa. Sean Kingston and Jessica Jarrell are featured guests.

Why it's a tour de force: Like, are you kidding me? Bieber proved his pubescent charisma on YouTube before landing a record deal, and recent appearances had to be canceled after screaming girls got out of control. Just ask your 12-year-old how cool it would be to have Bieber pull her on stage to croon One Less Lonely Girl to her — as he'll do for one lucky fan at each show. — Elysa Gardner

Cost: $46.50-$75.50

4. Carole Kingand James Taylor

The beloved trailblazers of the singer/songwriter movement in the early 1970s.

Setting the stage: Their Troubadour Reunion tour includes a 45-date American leg, wrapping July 20 in Anaheim, Calif. It will feature some stageside table-for-two seats (proceeds go to charity) meant to create a club feel.

Why it's a tour de force: The tour evolved out of the pair's shows marking the 50th anniversary of West Hollywood's Troubadour club. With Art Garfunkel's ailing voice forcing postponements on his tour with Paul Simon, this is the best bet for reunion-minded Boomers. — Jerry Shriver

Cost: $95-$179

5. Eagles, Dixie Chicks and Keith Urban

One of the biggest rock acts of the '70s and '80s, the Eagles reunited in 1994 after a 14-year hiatus. They've remained a top-grossing force whenever they've hit the road.

Setting the stage:The Eagles and the Dixie Chicks flock together for eight stadium dates, from June 8 in Toronto to June 24 in St. Louis. Keith Urban joins for shows in East Rutherford, N.J.; Foxborough, Mass.; and Chicago.

Why it's a tour de force: The three shows with Urban put one of the biggest country-rock groups of all time on the same stage as two broad-appeal country acts capable of headlining arenas. Plus, they'll put the Chicks in front of live audiences for the first time in four years. — Brian Mansfield

Cost: $50-$225

Evan Lysacek: Winning Dancing With the Stars Wasn't My Goal

Evan Lysacek insists he won't be disappointed if he doesn't bring home the disco-ball trophy tonight.
"We are so excited to have gotten this far," the Olympian told us this morning during our weekly exclusive one-on-one. "What I said coming into this competition is, regardless of what anyone says—I did not know how to dance. My motives for doing the show were really simple and honest—I wanted to do something fun and I wanted to dance. At this point I feel like: mission accomplished."
But just how hard was it having to learn four dances this past week? Read on to find out, plus what he's saying about Kate Gosselin's finale performance…
Would you say that this week of practice was the most strenuous because you had to prepare four dances?
For sure it was, just because everything is heightened and we want to do our best and show that we belong in this finale. It's always difficult to find the time because my schedule is so tight with touring with Stars on Ice. We really were just using every free second we had and we ended up with four dances that we're really, really happy with.

Apple's Music Dealings Under Anti-Trust Scrutiny

The Department of Justice is making preliminary inquiries about Apple Inc.'s practices in the music business, people familiar with the situation said, the latest indication of the government's increased scrutiny of the company and others in Silicon Valley.

These people said the agency's antitrust staff has contacted music labels and Internet music startups about Apple, whose iTunes music service plays a dominant role in the distribution of digital music. The questions are not part of a formal investigation, these people said, but rather a routine initial attempt to learn whether complaints the agency has received deserve further examination.

One person familiar with the matter said the questions focus in very general terms on iTunes pricing practices.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that investigators were probing whether Apple has tried to persuade music labels to not give rival Amazon.com Inc. exclusive access to soon-to-be released music, an issue that surfaced in March in an article in music-trade magazine Billboard.

A spokesman for the Justice Department declined comment, as did a spokesman for Apple. Amazon representatives could not be reached.

The latest inquiry comes as both the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are holding discussions over which agency would handle a possible antitrust inquiry into recent changes that Apple made to its licensing agreement with iPhone application developers. Last year, the FTC investigated whether Apple sharing directors with other companies violated antitrust laws. That triggered Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt's resignation from Apple's board.

While the latest inquiries appear to be in the very early stages, the interest in Apple's businesses by regulators point to the Cupertino, Calif., company's growing importance in the technology industry.

Now the good news: it's turning out gloriously for Chelsea

The Chelsea Flower Show opens today, the signal that the British summer is here, that the London Season has begun (if one cares about such things) and that at least 2,000 bottles of champagne and 47,000 glasses of Pimms are about to be downed by 157,000 visitors.

Tickets for Chelsea sold out days ago – a record, despite one of the worst winters in living memory. So what is the allure?

Well, there's the timing for a start. Just before half-term and at the end of the spring, a sunny Chelsea puts everyone in a summery mood. Temperatures yesterday were 27.4C, though it is forecast to cool down a bit by the end of the week.

Jasper captures first game of Hudson series 13-7

Jasper overcame a struggling performance by ace pitcher Derek Sowell to claim a 13-7 victory over Lufkin Hudson. The victory gives Jasper a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three game series with Hudson.

Game two will be Friday in Woodville at 7:30 p.m. Game three will be Saturday in Woodville starting at 4 p.m.

Sowell struggled in the first three innings of the game as the senior lefty walked four while striking out seven batters. But Sowell came undone in the third inning. With Jasper leading 5-0, Hudson bunched together a single and two hit batters to load the bases.

Jasper Head Baseball Coach Shawn Mixon brought in Colton Burleson to relieve Sowell and the junior right-hander responded in fine fashion by striking out Hudson's Ethan Edwards and Jeremy Lowe to end the threat.

Hudson pulled to within 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning but Jasper came right back in the fifth to push the lead back out to 8-2. A Sowell double plated Sam Alvis and Parker Phillips to push the lead out to 7-2. A following RBI single off the bat of Tyler Ernest scored Sowell and gave the Bulldogs their 8-2 lead.

But Hudson came right back in the bottom half of the frame. With the aid of back-to-back triples, the Hornets cut the lead back down to 8-4.

When Burleson tired in the seventh inning, Mixon brought in Alvis to finish out the game and give Jasper the first game of the three-game series.

Latest Gas Line Proposal Runs onto Donlin Creek Gold Mine

Another gas line proposal is being floated in the state, but it’s not aimed at getting North Slope gas to markets.  This latest proposal would run from Cook Inlet, across a portion of the Iditarod trail and onto the proposed Donlin Creek gold mine near the Kuskokwim River.

Shane Iverson, KYUK – Bethel

Bocanegra latest U.S. injury concern

LONDON (Reuters) – Latest Group C news ahead of the World Cup in South Africa which starts on June 11.

ENGLAND England's last home game before the World Cup, a friendly against Mexico at Wembley on Monday, could see Wayne Rooney deployed as lone striker with Steven Gerrard behind him.

"Wayne and I are good friends off the pitch," Gerrard told reporters at England's training camp in Austria where manager Fabio Capello has experimented with Rooney in the solo role. "Before games we are always talking about what where we want each other.

"Football is about relationships on the pitch and because Fabio has given me license to get forward from the left and go inside, he wants me to link with Wayne."

England fans will be keeping their fingers crossed that Rooney and his team mates emerge unscathed from the troublesome Wembley pitch.

UNITED STATES The U.S. head into Tuesday's friendly against the Czech Republic in East Hartford with all members of the 30-man squad having participated in the training camp at Princeton University.

The latest injury worry surrounds skipper and defender Carlos Bocanegra who reported to camp while recovering from a hernia injury.

With center halfs Oguchi Onyewu not having played since suffering a knee injury in October and Jay DeMerit having had to deal with an abdominal strain, coach Bob Bradley will be hoping his defense look strong and healthy against the Czechs and then Turkey in Philadelphia on Saturday.

SLOVENIA

Defender Bosjan Cesar said Slovenia will not be overawed by the finals in South Africa.

"We are neither nervous nor afraid of the challenge because Slovenia have performed on the big stage already," said Cesar, who broke into the country's first team after their group stage exits in Euro 2000 and the2002 World Cup.

"We are probably not fully aware of what awaits in South Africa but we are confident because we have enough experience as players to compete in an event like this," he told local media.

ALGERIA

Four players remained sidelined at Algeria's pre-World Cup training camp in Switzerland but coach Rabah Saadane told reporters they were not serious injury cases.

Defender Majid Bougherra, midfielders Ryad Boudebouz and Mourad Meghni and striker Rafik Djebbour all missed weekend workouts in Crans-Montana.

"There is nothing serious. These are players who have suffered minor injuries and we only wanted to avoid risk of possible relapse during our training. They will be back with their team mates in two days at most," Saadane said.

I don't make films for reviews': Rakesh Roshan

Are you happy with the reviews you are getting for Kites?
I don't make a film for reviews. I don't make films with any expectation or deliberation. I make films that touch my heart...not run-of-the-mill Bollywood films that have six songs; and Kites is a film that is close to my heart.

You have invested an amount as huge as 30 million dollars in Kites. Do you think the film has finally been worth it?
See, when we decided to make a global film, we knew that we had to compete with a lot of films because the world has become smaller now. People are aware of the kind of films being made in Hollywood. So if you have even one action sequence that has to be able to meet the standards of those films. We released the film in that world too. So the expense was required by the script. And the film has justified the expense.

You have become a trendsetter in Bollywood with films like Koi Mil Gaya and Krissh. Do you think Kites has been successful in carrying forward your signature style?
Yes, I can say that. The main motive when we started Kites was to bring in a new era of cross-border collaborations. Hopefully we should achieve it in the coming days because it is a film that is different from what Bollywood has seen so far.

Every filmmaker says his film is 'different'...
(Smiles) True; everyone says that. But Kites is different in many ways... from location to music to taking of photographs, lighting...everything is different....and above all, it's an unconventional narration.

Was it a conscious decision to make Kites a cross-over film?
It was not a conscious effort (to make a cross-over film). But it's just that we thought if they (Hollywood) can make a global film, why can't we? We didn't stress upon it...that let's take a story that's different, make it in Hollywood style. We decided to put our own emotions inside...after all we Indians are really rich in emotions.

From Kaho Naa Pyar Hai to Krissh; and let's say, even Kites, Hrithik has got to play the most varied roles and been most successful when he is starred in your films. Do you make films for Hrithik?
Not really. Hrithik has been successful with a lot of films made by other filmmakers, say, Jodhaa Akbar. He will also surprise you in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish. It's just that he first got noticed as an actor in Koi Mil Gaya...nobody thought he can play such a role (of a mentally-challenged boy), and I knew if there is anyone to play Rohit, it has to be him. And yes, when I work on a new script, I do think of Hrithik, but only cast him if he fits the role.

In your earlier interviews you said it's high time that the world market recognizes Hrithik's talent. Was Kites an effort on your end to put him on a global platform with Mexican actress Barbara Mori?
Kites is a project that was made aiming at global audience. But Barbara's presence in the film is purely out of the script's demand. We could have well cast someone from Bollywood to play the role Barbara has played; but then, I thought it would not look real.

Kites has some really intimate scenes between Hrthik and Barbara. Was it difficult for you, as the father, to watch the shooting of those scenes?

Not at all. Why should it be difficult? We are shooting a film. When I can see Hrithik jumping from 50 feet in Krissh, why can't I see him making some intimate scenes! That's the part of the film. And it's not Hrithik Roshan but the character who is doing it.

Hollywood's VFX Sweatshops: Boom Times, Troubled Business

If you want to see the names driving Hollywood's growth, you have to stay for the movie's credits. The very end of the credits. After the actors and electricians — sometimes even after the people who serve the tacos on set — come the visual-effects artists. These are the people who make superheroes fly and cities fall into the ocean, and the effects-reliant films they work on, like Avatar and the Harry Potter franchise, are Hollywood's biggest moneymakers.(See the 100 best movies of all time.)

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990803,00.html?xid=rss-topstories#ixzz0p1gE5NtV

Fergie accepts award in Hollywood

Britain's Sarah Ferguson has accepted an award in Hollywood for her charity work amid a swirl of scandal.

US television footage of the gala event showed Ferguson as she accepted the award from the Variety International group, despite the media storm around her back home in Britain.

Ferguson in brief remarks at the soiree confessed late on Sunday to having had 'quite a heavy day,' after the News of the World went public with its story of having set up the duchess

'I hate grown ups, and I love children. Thank you very much,' she said as she accepted her award at the Hollywood event, without directly alluding to the payola scandal which has become huge news on both side of the Atlantic.

Ferguson, who divorced from Queen Elizabeth II's second son in 1996, apologised Sunday for a 'serious lapse in judgment' after the release of the film footage.

The video released by News of the World shows Sarah promising to provide a reporter posing to be a businessman extensive access to Prince Andrew in exchange for STG500,000 ($A874,584).

ESPN to Erin Andrews Stalker: Pay Up You Perv!

Creepy Michael David Barrett stalked Erin Andrews last year. He ended up costing ESPN a lot of money in extra security costs for its employee as a result.
Money the network wants back.
ESPN wants the perv who shot the peephole video of Erin Andrews nude to cough up more than $300,000 to help pay for the mess he's caused everyone.
Andrews, a sideline reporter for ESPN and current Dancing with the Stars hopeful, received an unrelated round of death threats earlier this year as well.

DANCING HEAT: Erin Andrews' profile has only grown since.

According to federal documents filed yesterday in California, the network claims they have to cough up a ton of cash to pay for extra security for Andrews.
ESPN also claims they incurred losses "from assisting the government in its investigation" and demands Barrett pay back ALL of the $327,442.27.
Michael David Barrett pleaded guilty to one count of being a dirty individual stalking Andrews last year and began serving a 30-month sentence May 3.
A hearing on the ESPN matter is set for June 7.

Miley Cyrus Lap Dance Video: Reportedly in Existence!

Miley Cyrus has tried to warn people: she can't be tamed!
According to a new report, this was never truer than at a wrap party last year for The Last Song. Radar Online states the actress gave producer Adam Shankman a lap dance at the event - and a tape of the performance is currently on the market!
“The video was taken about seven months ago,” a source says. “The worst part is that there were little kids at the party and the dancing between Miley and Adam was so dirty that some of the parents actually left the party and took their kids home.”
Not Billy Ray Cyrus, we presume. He probably loved his daughter's dirty work.

Those that have witnessed the video have relayed its contents:

• Shankman is allegedly on the dance floor with a drink in hand, grinding against Miley's rear end.
• She reciprocates the move.
• Soon, Cyrus turns around to face the producer and unbuttons the top layer of her shirt, teasing Shankman and those around her.
• In a separate scene, Miley is giving Shankman a lap dance while children under the age of 10 sit just a few feet away.

When photos of this moving and shaking appeared on Twitter in late 2009, Shankman (who is gay) defended Cyrus and wrote:
“Miley is a sweet angel who works tirelessly and endlessly, and is allowed to have fun in the make up room! Lighten up or no more behind the scenes pics! She’s my little angel sister.”
Others, however, fear that Cyrus won't be very angelic for much longer.
"[She's] heading down the same path as Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears," an insider said, insulting Miley in pretty much the worst way possible.
We'll have more on this video as news breaks and anonymous sources reveal more details about it.

Bollywood Wallpapers

iPad hospital, iTunes Festival, iPad user, ARM rumor

Kaweah Delta Health Care District in Visalia, CA is preparing to deploy more than 100 iPads for use by healthcare workers. Network World reports that the while the Nick Volosin, Keweah’s director of technical services, has bought three iPads for testing already, roughly 20 of the hospital’s doctors had already purchased one. “This is going to make my day easier and patient safety better,” Kidney Specialist Dr. Roger Haley said during an interview with a local ABC news station. “Now, I don’t have to find a workstation to do what I need to do; I do it right there, right then, right now.” The 100-plus iPads planned for deployment will be used by all manner of healthcare workers, including home health and hospice care workers, nurses, dietitians, and pharmacists.

Apple has announced the dates for its 2010 London iTunes Festival, to be held at Camden’s Roundhouse in London. As in past years, the Festival will feature 62 bands playing over the 31 nights of July, kicking off with Scissor Sisters on the 1st, Tony Bennett on the 2nd, and Ozzy Osbourne on the 3rd; more artists are expected to be announced in the coming days. For more information, visit the official iTunes Festival website. [via TUAW]

99-year-old Virginia Campbell has become the subject of a recent television segment and a YouTube tribute thanks to her new iPad. In an interview with Fox 12 in Oregon, Campbell revealed that while she had been an avid reader, and enjoyed writing, she had been unable to do either recently due to her glaucoma, which made it impossible for her to read large-print library books or even her own handwriting. Since receiving the iPad, Campbell has been able to read again, thanks in part to the high contrast of the device’s screen, and has been using Pages for composition. Continue reading to see both videos below in embedded form.

Apple may be considering an acquisition of chip designer ARM Holdings, if a curiously-sourced London Evening Standard report is to be believed. Citing “gossips,” the report claims that Apple would be interested in ARM due to its use of ARM’s designs in its iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad processors; these same speculators suggest a deal for ARM would cost around £5.2 billion, or roughly $8 billion. ARM CEO Warren East sees the situation differently, however, telling The Guardian, “Exciting though it is to have [our] share price pushed up by these rumours, common sense tells us that our standard business model is an excellent way for technology companies to gain access to our technology. Nobody has to buy the company.”

Wallpapers

Reggie the gator, new mate go public at LA Zoo

Reggie the celebrity alligator and his new female companion are going public with their relationship.

The 7 1/2-foot gator is now sharing space at Los Angeles Zoo with Cajun Kate, and the couple's habitat is open to visitors for the first time Monday.

The female gator moved in with Reggie after Methuselah, the zoo's oldest animal, died in March at 70-plus.

Before arriving at the zoo, Reggie was illegally raised as a pet, then made headlines after he was dumped in Harbor City's Machado Lake several years ago.

He drew large crowds, found himself in songs and on T-shirts. Los Angeles County spent thousands of dollars staffing the lake to warn people.

He eluded trappers for two years before wranglers caught him in 2007.

Celebrity Apprentice: Bret Michaels ‘Lucky To Be Alive’

After spending 10 days in the ICU with a massive brain hemorrhage, Bret Michaels, star of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, has been releasedfrom the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. The rock star opens up about the ordeal for the first time, telling PEOPLE magazine that he feels “lucky to be alive.” Keep reading for more details on his terrifying days in the hospital and his fatherly concerns…

After suffering a massive subarachnoid hemorrhage, Bret Michaels spent 10 days in intensive care, being closely monitored by doctors as they searched for the source of the bleeding. The Celebrity Apprenticestar’s prognosis wasn’t looking good as he spent over a week in critical condition, but the former Poison frontman has been released from the hospital and is expected to recover completely. Despite his lengthy hospital stay, Michaels is grateful and says he’s “lucky to be alive.”
He also opens up to PEOPLE magazine about the terrifying night he checked into the emergency room, complaining of a major headache. The Celebrity Apprentice competitor remembers the doctor asking if he had any children. The rock star is father to two daughters, Raine, 9, and Jorja, 5. When Michaels told the doctors this, he was told to have his daughters brought to the hospital. ”And I said in these exact words, ‘Am I dying? If I’m dying, I want to see my kids, but if I have a chance, I don’t want them to see me in this condition,’” Michaels recalls.
Surprisingly, Michaels was released from the hospital this week and is expected to be just fine. His neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Zabramski said, ”He is making a good recovery. I really expect that he will make a 100 percent recovery. He is one of those lucky people, the 20 percent who have a subarachnoid hemorrhage, who make a full and complete recovery.”

wallPapers

Jobs up 290,000; jobless rate rises to 9.9 pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- More confident employers stepped up job creation in April, expanding payrolls by 290,000, the most in four years. The jobless rate rose to 9.9 percent as people streamed back into the market looking for work.
The hiring of 66,000 temporary government workers to conduct the census helped overall payroll growth last month. However, private employers -- the backbone of the economy -- boosted jobs, too. They added a surprisingly strong 231,000 positions last month, also the most since March 2006, the Labor Department reported Friday.
"Clearly companies have a newfound confidence in the future of the economic recovery and on the part of their own business prospects," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. "The broadbased job gains are an indication that businesses are feeling more comfortable about expanding their work forces," he said.
The unemployment rate rose from 9.7 percent in March to 9.9 percent in April, mainly because 805,000 jobseekers -- perhaps feeling better about their prospects -- resumed their searches for work.
Many economists have predicted the unemployment rate would rise as people come back into the labor force. The jobless rate hit 10.1 percent in October, a 26-year high. The rate could climb back up to the 10 percent range in the months ahead, Naroff said.
Friday's employment report sketched out a picture of a healing jobs market and an economy picking up momentum in the early spring. The improvements, however, were taking place before the stock market plunged this week on concerns that the European debt crisis could spread. There are fears the crisis could make companies more cautious about hiring in the future, economists warned.
The surprisingly high number of jobs added in April offered the latest evidence that businesses are feeling more confident in the recovery. Consumers increased their spending in March by the largest amount in five months. Factory production grew in April at the fastest pace in nearly six years and demand grew briskly for a variety of services in that same month.
Job gains in April were widespread. Manufacturers, construction companies, retailers, professional and business services, education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and government all showed gains. Among the weak spots: transportation and warehousing, and information companies, which all cut jobs last month.
Also encouraging: The employment picture in both February and March turned out to be stronger than previously thought. Payrolls grew by 230,000 in March, better than the 162,000 first reported. And, 39,000 jobs were actually added in February, an improvement from the previous estimate of 14,000 losses.
All told, 15.3 million people were out of work in April.
Counting people who have given up looking for work and part-timers who would prefer to be working full time, the so-called underemployment rate rose to 17.1 in April. That's close to the record high of 17.4 percent in October and shows just how difficult it is for jobseekers to find work.
Another grim statistic: The number of people out of work six months or longer reached 6.7 million in April, a new high. These people made up 45.9 percent of all unemployed people, also a record high.
Hiring isn't expected to be robust enough anytime soon to lower the unemployment rate much. Economists think it will remain above 9 percent by the November midterm elections. That could make Democratic and Republican incumbents in Congress vulnerable.
Just 21 percent of Americans consider the economy in good condition, according to an Associated Press-GfK Poll conducted April 7-12.
Nationwide, average hourly earnings edged up to $22.47 in April, from $22.46. Lackluster wage gains are a big reason consumers are still hesitant to spend lavishly, making for a more subdued economic recovery.
For employers to boost hiring significantly, the economy would need to grow at an annual rate of 6 percent to 8 percent a quarter, rather than the 3.2 percent pace logged in the first three months of this year, economists say. Such growth would mean shoppers were spending much more freely. That would give companies confidence that sales gains would last.
That scenario isn't likely.
High unemployment and sluggish wage gains are likely to prevent consumers from going on spending sprees any time soon. Small businesses, which usually help drive job creation during recoveries, are having trouble getting loans. That tight credit is crimping their ability to expand operations and hire.
Europe's debt crisis will probably dampen demand for U.S. exports. And the debt crisis may continue to weigh on markets. Thursday's stock market plunge -- the Dow Jones industrial average dropped nearly 1,000 points before recovering two-thirds of its losses -- introduced fresh uncertainties.
Many economists think it will take until at least the middle of the decade to lower the unemployment rate to a more normal 5.5 percent to 6 percent.

MIley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Starred on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is getting her due – and a do-over. The Emmy-winning "New Adventures of Old Christine" actress got a star Tuesday on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But it read "Luis" instead of "Louis," and there was no hyphen between Louis and Dreyfus.

Louis-Dreyfus, the first "Seinfeld" cast member to make the Walk, was philosophical about the flub, The Spokesman Review informs.

"The misspelling was so perfectly apt, a great metaphor for show business," Louis-Dreyfus said after the Tuesday-morning ceremony. "Right when you think you've made it, you get knocked down," she continues. "It's an ideal metaphor for how this business works."