For generations, kids across New England have grown up with the sticky-sweet,
snow-white confection known as Marshmallow Fluff. These days, however, there's a
hint of sour at the Lynn headquarters of the key ingredient behind the classic
peanut butter-and-Fluff concoction known as the Fluffernutter.

Durkee-Mower Inc., longtime maker of Marshmallow Fluff, has sued Williams-Sonoma
Inc., ordering the kitchen-furnishings retailer to stop selling tins of a candy
bar called the Fluffernutter, a name 86-year-old Durkee-Mower trademarked in
1961. Williams-Sonoma has until April 14 to respond to the complaint in US
District Court in Boston.

"They're trying to trade on the nostalgia for the classic Durkee-Mower product
without acknowledging our trademark rights," said Durkee-Mower attorney Peter
Sloane, who specializes in intellectual property law at Ostrolenk, Faber, Gerb &
Soffen in New York. ''To me, it's a flagrant violation."

Hilleary Kerhli, manager of public relations for San Francisco-based
Williams-Sonoma, declined to comment on the suit because it is still pending.

For Don Durkee, the 80-year-old son of company cofounder H. Allen Durkee, it's
amusing to think of his product in terms of ''intellectual property." Made by a
firm with 21 employees from front office to the back of the warehouse and no
ancillary ventures other than modest-selling strawberry and raspberry flavors,
Marshmallow Fluff is a simple, old-fashioned commodity with humble ambitions.

"We're a low-profile company," the president said in a recent interview in his
wood-paneled office in the company's old plant by the railroad tracks. One wall
is dominated by a classroom-style topographical map of the United States; in the
hallway hang a huge, ragged American flag and an impressive mounted tarpon
caught by his father. Describing recent improvements to the company website,
Durkee turns on his computer, joking about how rarely he uses it.

The late Allen Durkee and his partner, Fred L. Mower, fellow Swampscott High
graduates and World War I veterans, went into business together in 1920, making
hard candy and lollipops. Soon after launching they bought the recipe for a
marshmallow cream from a Somerville entrepreneur. They focused their energies on
the new product, which was originally called Toot Sweet Marshmallow Fluff.

The formula -- a well-beaten mixture of corn syrup, sugar, dried egg white, and
vanillin -- cost the partners $500, Don Durkee says.

"It only had four ingredients. You could almost accidentally invent it."

From the earliest years the co-founders marketed the brand by emphasizing its
many uses. By the 1940s the company was luring customers with a popular cookbook
-- "The Yummy Book" -- with recipes for frostings and Whoopie pies. Later
innovations included Rice Krispies Treats, candied sweet potatoes, and a
Fluff-enhanced cheesecake.

"It was part philosophy and part logistics," recalls Durkee, who joined the
company upon his graduation from Dartmouth in 1949. ''Rather than bring out new
products every year, we felt Fluff was an ingredient." He compares it not to
peanut butter or jelly but to cooking staples such as sugar and flour: ''It has
unlimited uses, really."

Today, Durkee distributes to most regions of the United States as well as much
of Europe, though its stronghold remains in the Northeast.

"It's a nice fit," said Darryln Leikauskas, vice president of marketing for
Brigham's. "They're a real New England kind of flavor, and that's what Brigham's
is all about."

According to Durkee-Mower, the standard white plastic 16-ounce tub of
Marshmallow Fluff rivals Skippy's most popular peanut butter container as the
best-selling item in the sandwich-spread sections of New England supermarkets.

"We have the position in the market virtually to ourselves," says Durkee,
walking a visitor along the clattering production line in Lynn, where buckets of
Fluff shimmy down conveyor belts under the eyes of machine operators in white
jumpers. ''It's a quality product at a reasonable price."

The peanut butter-and-Fluff sandwich, long a customer favorite, didn't take on
its Fluffernutter nickname until an advertising agency suggested it around 1960.
The company quickly moved to register the trademark.

Though there has been at least one minor challenge to the Fluffernutter name
since, the Williams-Sonoma lawsuit, about which Durkee defers all comments to
his lawyer, has prompted friends to needle him about his sudden propensity for
suing people. He likes his tidy little operation just fine, without the
headaches of big business.

"I don't think any of us particularly want to deal with that aspect of the
business," agrees treasurer and executive vice president Jonathan Durkee,
41-year-old son of the president. "Unfortunately, sometimes you have to.

"My father would rather promote the product than the company. Most people have
never even heard of the company, but pretty much everyone knows the name of the
product."

HOUSTON - Former first lady Barbara Bush gave relief money to a hurricane relief
fund on the condition that it be spent to buy educational software from her son
Neil's company.

The chief of staff of former President George H.W. Bush would not disclose the
amount earmarked for purchases from Ignite Learning.

Since Barbara Bush's gift, the Ignite Learning program has been given to eight
public schools with high numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees, the Houston
Chronicle reported.

"Mrs. Bush wanted to do something specifically for education and specifically
for the thousands of students flooding into the Houston schools," the former
President Bush's chief of staff Jean Becker said Thursday.

The money was donated to the Bush-Clinton Houston Hurricane Relief Fund, said
Steve Maislin, president of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, which
administers the fund. That fund has no connection to the Bush-Clinton Katrina
Fund, he said.

Barbara Bush chose to promote Ignite because she supports her son and has
genuine enthusiasm for his company's program, Becker said.

Two years ago, the Houston school district board wrestled with conflict of
interest concerns over the Ignite program. Neil Bush had helped raise $115,000
for the district's philanthropic fund from donors who insisted the money be
spent on his company's software.

The district accepted the donations and used them to pay half the costs of new
Ignite software, about $10,000 per school.

Currently, Houston public schools use 15 Ignite programs and the Houston area
has 40 programs, said company president Ken Leonard.

Neil Bush founded the Austin-based company in 1999.

Khaleej Times Online
Chairman rules out Disney park in Mideast
BY LUCIA DORE (Senior Correspondent)
24 March 2006

DUBAI - Disney will not be establishing a park in Dubai or, in fact, anywhere in
the Middle East anytime soon, said James Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks
and Resorts speaking to Khaleej Times, during the IAA Congress.

"When deciding on a location, we have to look at the size of economy and the
distribution of income. We are a premium tourism product and we need certain
characteristics. I don't see the Middle East today as a market that is quite
ready for that, but I never say never," he said.

However, India fulfils some of those requirements. He said: "There is a still a
fundamental evolution of infrastructure that has to occur so that people can get
to a single destination with the footprint that we would like to develop. Today
that footprint is not in place." But that will not be the case forever, he
added. "If you look at the population and economic realities of India, it is
possible one day, but that day is not now."

China is a slightly different matter. Although Hong Kong recently opened a
Disney Resort, he sees the establishment of a second resort in China as a real
possibility. "Someday I imagine that due to the sheer geography of China, a
growing economy and population there may be a second destination in China," he
said. But not in coming years. "We look with great anticipation to be able to
deliver our very special formula and entertainment to all of the markets that
can support it," he said.

Rasulo also spoke about how to manage global brands in a "flat world". This is a
world "where media is ubiquitously available, and the definition of what is a
local market is being eroded by portability, customisation and personalisation,"
he said.

As one of the world's most global and successful brands, the reason for Disney's
success is simple. "The basic principles of global brands come back, not
shockingly, to consumer insights," said Rasulo. "If a brand does not speak to
consumer need it will not be a global brand. It will simply be a globally
distributed local brand." He said companies that have been successful in
establishing a global brand speak to universal human values and the need to
belong to communities.

Speaking about Walt Disney Parks and Resorts specifically Rasulo said the
concept is successful because it fulfils "the desire to have a transformational
experience and to feel as if your own personal dreams are coming true".

He also said; "The principles on which we can manage a global brand are anchored
in consumer insights. They have universal principles that have to be
consistently expressed and speak to universal values. They speak to what we
believe are a market of one, that is so basic in its needs and desires, that
that market is replicated by four or five billion people all over the world.
This is what Disney does."

Rasulo explained that the branding is so consistent and universal that research
shows that people all over the world see the Disney brand in the same way,
"whether in a living room in Southern China or in California, where they have
grown up with Disneyland," he said. He said the words that are consistently used
to describe the Disney experience are magical, wonder and imagination, and
phrases like: "Where my dreams can come true." "And we have built our brand
around this," he said.

THE PRESIDENT:"Well, then, let me take it back." (Laughter)

THOMAS: "I'd like to ask you, Mr. President, your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, wounds of Americans and Iraqis for a lifetime. Every reason given, publicly at least, has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war? From the moment you stepped into the White House, from your Cabinet - your Cabinet officers, intelligence people, and so forth - what was your real reason? You have said it wasn't oil - quest for oil, it hasn't been Israel, or anything else. What was it?"

THE PRESIDENT: "I think your premise - in all due respect to your question and to you as a lifelong journalist - is that - I didn't want war. To assume I wanted war is just flat wrong, Helen, in all due respect ..."

THOMAS: "Everything ..."

THE PRESIDENT: "Hold on for a second, please."

THOMAS: "Everything I've heard ..."

THE PRESIDENT: "Excuse me, excuse me. No president wants war. Everything you may have heard is that, but it's just simply not true. My attitude about the defense of this country changed on September the 11th. We - when we got attacked, I vowed then and there to use every asset at my disposal to protect the American people. Our foreign policy changed on that day, Helen. You know, we used to think we were secure because of oceans and previous diplomacy. But we realized on September the 11th, 2001, that killers could destroy innocent life. And I'm never going to forget it.

"And I'm never going to forget the vow I made to the American people that we will do everything in our power to protect our people. Part of that meant to make sure that we didn't allow people to provide safe haven to an enemy. And that's why I went into Iraq - hold on for a second ..."

THOMAS: "They didn't do anything to you, or to our country."

THE PRESIDENT: "Look - excuse me for a second, please. Excuse me for a second. They did. The Taliban provided safe haven for al-Qaida. That's where al-Qaida trained ..."

THOMAS: "I'm talking about Iraq ..."

THE PRESIDENT: "Helen, excuse me. That's where - Afghanistan provided safe haven for al-Qaida. That's where they trained. That's where they plotted. That's where they planned the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans. I also saw a threat in Iraq. I was hoping to solve this problem diplomatically. That's why I went to the Security Council; that's why it was important to pass 1441, which was unanimously passed. And the world said, disarm, disclose, or face serious consequences ..."

THOMAS: "Go to war ..."

THE PRESIDENT: "And therefore, we worked with the world, we worked to make sure that Saddam Hussein heard the message of the world. And when he chose to deny inspectors, when he chose not to disclose, then I had the difficult decision to make to remove him. And we did, and the world is safer for it."

THOMAS: "Thank you."

THE PRESIDENT: "You're welcome." (Laughter.) "I didn't really regret it. I kind of semi-regretted it." (Laughter)

THOMAS: "Have a debate."

Disney plays the dating game
CGI toon 'Robinsons' pushed back to next March

By BEN FRITZ

Disney has pushed CGI toon 'Meet the Robinsons' to 2007.

Disney has staked dates for its major releases through the end of 2007,
including laying claim to Memorial Day next year for the third "Pirates of the
Caribbean."

But studio has blinked on its major holiday release, CGI toontoon "Meet the
Robinsons," pushing it back to next March.

Weinstein Co. has also delayed its big holiday release, pushing back
"Superhero!" from Dec. 8 to Feb. 9, 2007. Indie recently greenlit the spoof on a
fast track, with hopes of hitting theaters by December, but has quickly changed
its mind.

Disney distrb topper Chuck Viane said a benefit of delaying "Robinsons" to March
30, 2007, will be to allow time for more screens to be converted to digital.
Mouse House is using the technology to play "Robinsons" in 3-D, which it hopes
will draw more auds and justify higher ticket prices. "Chicken Little" had
success on a handful of digital 3-D screens in November.

Shift also comes as Pixar toppers Ed Catmull and John Lasseter have recently
started to review Disney's animation slate in anticipation of taking over Mouse
House's toon unit once the Pixar acquisition is complete.

There currently aren't any toons set for release in December. Closest one is
DreamWorks Animation's "Flushed Away," which bows Nov. 3.

However, "Meet the Robinsons" has animated competition on its new date: Warner
Bros. has dated "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," which it just picked up for
distribution, the same day.

By dating "Pirates of the Caribbean 3" on Memorial Day next year, Mouse House
pushed off the frame's previous occupant, Fox's Ben Stiller comedy "Used Guys."
It will now bow June 15.

Disney is also aggressively dating its other big toon for 2007, Pixar-produced
"Ratatouille." Pic has been set for June 29, where it will face off against
Universal comedy "Evan Almighty." Five days later, on July 4, Par is planning to
bow "Transformers."

Next "Narnia" pic will aim for success in the same holiday frame as the first.
Mouse House has set "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" for Dec. 14,
2007.

Date in print: Fri., Mar. 10, 2006, Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- Imagine for a moment a TV world in which Earl Hickey, after
winning his $100,000 and getting run over by a car, doesn't see Carson Daly
talking about karma from his hospital bed.

Imagine, instead, that he instead took a life lesson from ... Stewie Griffin.

Or, save yourself some imaginative effort and just wait until the first season
of "My Name Is Earl" is released on DVD sometime later this year. Because then
you'll find out.

Greg Garcia, creator of the hit NBC comedy, unveiled plans for the show's
first-season DVD set Tuesday night (March 7) to the audience at the Museum of
Television & Radio's annual Paley Festival. He says it should be released before
the show's second season begins in the fall, and it will contain a fair number
of bells and whistles including commentary tracks and selections from "hours and
hours" of gag-reel footage cast and crew have accumulated this year.

"We're actually doing 15-minute mini-episode [that asks] what if Earl [Jason
Lee] passed by Carson Daly and landed on Stewie from 'Family Guy,'" Garcia says.
Garcia is a former producer on "Family Guy," and both it and "Earl" are produced
by 20th Century Fox TV.

Lee and Garcia also discussed the origins of television's most famous facial
hair since the heyday of "Magnum, P.I." Garcia says that NBC initially was
hesitant about having a mustachioed Earl, "but Jason said, 'Trust me, I look
funny with facial hair.'"

The network did, however, convince Lee to trim the 'stache back a little bit. "I
originally went for a fu manchu, but NBC said no. I guess it made me look a
little bit too trashy," he says. "So we sort of shaved off the chu and left the
fu man."

"My Name Is Earl" is in the homestretch of production for this season, with
three episodes and part of a fourth left to shoot. Garcia says in the season
finale, we'll find out the No. 1 item on Earl's karmic to-do list, which was the
misdeed he performed just before he won the lottery.

Other upcoming episodes include two that were screened for the audience Tuesday:
one in which Earl and Randy (Ethan Suplee) try to make up for all the bad
Mother's Days they've given their mom (Nancy Linehan and Beau Bridges reprise
their roles as Earl's parents) and a flashback-heavy episode that shows how
Earl, Randy, Joy (Jaime Pressly) and Darnell (Eddie Steeples) lived through Y2K.

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Original Message Follows:
------------------------
The following message was received on March 06,2006 07:30 AM, by the
Walmart.com Help Desk:

First Name : josh
Last Name : edwards
Comments : Hi, I hope you can help me.

I couldn't find this book on your website. It can be either paperback
or hardcover. The author is BILL QUINN and it was published in April
2005. The ISBN is 1580086683.

The title is "How Wal-Mart Is Destroying America (and the World): And
What You Can Do about It".

Do you sell this at your store?

Thank you.

Josh Edwards

"The Mini is small enough that people will consider adding it to their living
room consoles," says Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner. "The transition of
bringing the computer into the living room won't happen overnight, but this is a
good first step."

Apple Computer on Tuesday introduced a revamped Mac Mini aimed at making the
pint-sized computer an easy addition to living room entertainment centers.

The Mac Mini is a bare-bones machine that comes without a keyboard or mouse.
Now, though, there's a remote control and Apple's Front Row software to access
digital music, photographs, home videos and recorded TV shows when connected to
a television or computer monitor.

It can also play media from other computers in the home via wireless networking
features.

"We think this is a big deal for moving media around the house and experiencing
it in a great way," Apple CEO Steve Jobs says.

Intel Chips, Remote Control

Apple also introduced a US$349 speaker system, called iPod Hi-Fi, to appeal to
the growing audience of iPod customers who purchase high-end iPod speaker
accessories. The iPod plugs into the top of the Hi-Fi.

The updated Mac Mini units sell for $599 (up from $499) and $799 (formerly
$599). They now have Intel processing chips, which make the computers from two
to four times faster, Jobs said.

The Mini was introduced with great fanfare in January 2005 as a low-cost way for
Windows PC users to switch to the Apple platform. Apple, which has a 78 percent
share of the digital music device market, has just a 4 percent to 5 percent
share of the PC market.

Apple won't say how many Mac Minis it has sold. Shaw Wu, an analyst at American
Technology Research, estimates sales at 1 million to 2 million units. "Just
okay," he says.

Wu says the new Intel chips add power, a problem for the first Mac Minis. The
revamped machines will have greater appeal to consumers, he says, especially
with the remote control feature.

Still, the units do not have TV tuners or TiVo-like recording capability and so
can only access video recorded on another device. That makes the Mini "not the
complete solution," Wu says.

No Recording Functionality

Microsoft works with Hewlett-Packard, Dell and other computer manufacturers on
"entertainment PCs" that do everything the Mac Mini promises, plus record TV
shows on some models. They sell for more than $1,000.

Van Baker, an analyst at researcher Gartner , says the Microsoft units haven't
caught on because the computers are too large for the living room. The majority
of the entertainment PCs, he says, were sold without video-recording capability.

"The Mini is small enough that people will consider adding it to their living
room consoles," Baker says. "The transition of bringing the computer into the
living room won't happen overnight, but this is a good first step."

Adding video recording functionality would have made the Mac Mini too
complicated, says Phil Schiller, Apple senior vice president

"We're not trying to replace the TiVo," he says. "This is about taking the media
from your computer and accessing it via the TV."

To run media from other computers using the Mac Mini, those PCs must store
music, videos and TV shows in Apple's iTunes software.

If PC users listen to music in, say, Musicmatch or RealPlayer, the Mac Mini
won't be able to find the songs.

© 2006 Gannett Co. Inc. All rights reserved.

WE HEAR . . .

THAT fans of "Arrested Development" can relax. Word is Showtime not only picked
up the canceled Fox show but also ordered 26 more episodes . . .