In recent weeks the National Hockey League has garnered attention in the sports world, though its not the kind league officials would prefer.
Since late January theres been an uptick in fights, most notably two games featuring multiple-player brawls between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, plus two February tilts featuring the Boston Bruins one against the Dallas Stars and one versus the Montreal Canadiens.
In Jasons words: Its time to take our relationship to the next level … time to talk … with Real Talk.
Each Wednesday, Jason will produce a weekly podcast called Real Talk a 20-40 minute show including guest conversations, commentaries and raw sports discussion. No agendas. No topics too taboo to touch.
Get ready to think, laugh, cry and ponder whats going on within the worlds of sports and entertainment. Forget the surface-level, same old, same old. Forget the ordinary, the mundane, the stale.
And you need look no further than his first guest former AOL Fanhouse columnist Jay Mariotti for proof. In Whitlocks exclusive interview, Mariotti shared inside details from his controversial arrest last year on domestic violence charges and the resulting backlash which cost him jobs at ESPN and AOL. Listen now for Part II of Whitlocks riveting conversation with Mariotti.
Expect to think, to be challenged, to be entertained by the one and only Big Sexy. Tune in to FOXSports.com every Wednesday.
Various everyday people know that modern day fiscal disorders renders it grueling to successfully request capital in the course of these unescapable environments. Then again, people young and old can potentially locate finances via compelling personal unsecured loan channels that may are known for serving persons wedged in demanding incidents. People today in every state have discovered companies similar to unsecured personal loans through seeking Bad Credit Loans besides other money equivalent products which may also help while conditions tend to be arduous. People young and old are growing assurance for their flexibility for you to acquire finances regardless of whether they have got a range of challenges that will block all of them from possessing lending coming from standard strategies.
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Feb 16, 2011
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Elie Tahari says his fall collection starts with the letter “L.”
“It’s about love,” he said backstage before the line debuted at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday. “It’s about luxe, luxurious, luscious.” He went on to add leather, lace and leopard to the list.
Tahari’s romantic look combined sheer and flowing with solid, wearable materials. Clothing was grouped by colour as models moved down the runway, changing from black to white then fading to beige and darker browns before ending with burgundy.
Chiffon flowed over lace or lace fell over chiffon to create sheer effects. Sleeves were wide and floating. Fox fur functioned as vests, scarves and stoles. Animal prints appeared on skirts, jackets and pants.
The rich look attracted television’s Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa Rivers to the front row.
Tahari said he sees the woman he dresses as “sexy and smart.”
“It’s about dressing up,” he said. “It’s about looking beautiful while feeling good and being happy.”
Copyright © 2011 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Get moving and get the family out having fun without breaking the bank.
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Here is your second chance to see what deals are out there across the area in our new weekly Frugal Family column.
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This week, Frugal Family scoured local sources to come up with great deals for a cup of coffee, how to stay (really) active, even indoors, and even a place to buy a last minute Valentines Day gift of jewelry. Or maybe your sweetie wants an LCD HDTV.
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Dont see a deal thats out there and want to make sure your neighbors can enjoy it too? Let us hear about the deals youve seen. Just add them to our comment box below.
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Remember to check with the merchant for additional conditions:
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Starbucks, any grocery store
Deal: Purchase Starbucks VIA Ready Brew at your favorite grocery store (excluding 3, 10, 24 and 50-count packs). Go here to enter info into the online form, then send the form, UPC and original cash tape dated Feb. 1 through Aug. 31. Youll receive a 12-ounce bag of Starbucks House Blend ground coffee.
Good Through: Aug. 31
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Morris Martial Arts, Basking Ridge
Deal: Two-week free trial and free uniform.
Good through: No expiration
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Studio Fitness, Warren
Deal: Free mat class (for new members only).
Good through: Good with coupon on classes section of their website.
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Plaza Lanes, Madison
Deal: Thursday, all you can bowl (including shoes) 9:30 pm-midnight $9; Friday, all you can bowl (including shoes) 9:30 pm-midnight $10; Sunday, rent a lane for $16 (five person max, shoes not included) 9 am-noon, and and all you can bowl (including shoes) 8:30-11 pm
Good through: No expiration.
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Picture People, Bridgewater
Deal: 30 percent off all frames and canvas prints.
Good through: Feb. 28
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Chatham Cinema, Chatham
Deal: $7 for any movie Monday through Thursday.
Good through: No expiration
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The Dance Connection, Hillsborough
Deal: Free trial dance class.
Good through: Feb. 14
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Boro Kid Zone, Hillsborough
Deal: Book a birthday party in the month of February and get $25 off the total. Party can be booked for any month.
Good through: Feb. 28
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Sears, Rockaway Townsquare Mall
Deal: In store or online: Save $20 off fine jewelry over $99, plus free shipping on $79 or more. Print the coupon here.
Good Through: Feb. 14
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Electronics-Expo, Wayne, Succasunna
Deal: In store only: Pre-Presidents Day Sale. No interest for 24 months on purchase of $799 and higher. Samsung 32-inch LCD HDTV, regularly $499, on sale for $299. Only 200 pieces available, limit one per family. Sony 14.1 Digital Camera, regularly $169, on sale for $95. Limit one per family.
Good Through: Feb. 11-14
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Scoring a coveted spot in the glossy pages of a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition does wonders for a model’s career. Just ask alumni Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Marisa Miller or Brooklyn Decker.
But what about the bikini manufacturers who are also featured?
Apparently, the competition to make the magazine, and the cover, is just as stiff for the brands as it is for the models.
“The competition is so tough, to have your suit chosen out of thousands for the cover is just incredible,” Simon Southwood, who designed the pink-and-yellow Sauvage bikini worn by this year’s covergirl Irina Shayk, told FOX411′s Pop Tarts. “It is the Super Bowl of the swimwear community; I know how jealous I am when other brands make the cover, so I’m looking forward to others being jealous of us for a few months!”
The honor didnt come easy. Sauvage has been working with the magazine for more than 12 years, but this was the first time their suit scored the cover. Shayk also donned a bracelet by accessories brand Ettika to complement her sexy swimsuit – they were lucky enough to grace the cover as S.I rookies.
Ettika has been featured in quite a number of national and international magazines, but this is the first time it is being featured in Sports Illustrated, said designer Joey Rafaeli. With the great popularity and reach of Sports Illustrated, we anticipate this to be huge in terms of awareness to the brand and hope that It will have a major impact on our sales, both retail and wholesale.
So how does the Sports Illustrated team decide what brands will be featured?
“We have thousands and thousands of suits that are submitted to us every year, and there is only a small chance they’ll make the issue,” explained Diane Smith, Senior Editor of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. “The way it works out is that every trip we go on we pull a couple of hundred suits that are suitable for the category, each trip has its own fashion sense. For instance, this year we went to the Philippines and wanted shades of blue. Once we go on these trips, the model usually has two full days of shooting but the night before we randomly just pull through the racks and see what suits looks good.”
And yes, luck plays a big part, as the model usually has the final say on what she wears.
“It is really important that the girls love the suits that they are going to be in which gives them more of a feeling of confidence. I let the girls go through the racks too, so it is really luck,” Smith continued. “Most of the time I don’t even know who the manufacturer is – it all happens so quickly. If the model likes something and wants to be shot in it, then fine.”
The suits that make it into the pages over the years have been massive sales successes.
“It is ridiculous how much the particular suit sells once it has been in the magazine; there is always a huge surge of excitement. The exposure is tremendous,” Southwood said, adding that the phone was already going wild with requests for Shayk’s sexy cover bikini, just hours after it was unveiled.
Amahlia Stevens, designer of the high-end swimsuit label Vitamin A, has also worked with the SI Swimsuit issue for years, and said that the impact of being featured generates sales by showcasing a certain suit on a supermodel, and also raises brand awareness among swim retailers.
“It is extremely competitive, and every swimwear designer in the world submits their designs for the SI Swimsuit issue,” Stevens said.
Ever since Heidi Klum and Petra Nemcova were snapped donning Beach Bunny in the 2006 Swimsuit edition, sales for the bikini brand were given quite the boost.
“That year definitely catapulted Beach Bunny into the swimwear industry. Buyers, press and customers pay attention to this issue as to see what is hot for the coming year,” CEO Angela Chittenden said. “I have definitely noticed an increase in brand awareness and sales after the issue hits stands.”
And according to marketing expert and President of Backstage Creations, Karen Wood, the impact of placement like this far surpasses most forms of print advertising.
“People are savvy to advertising and understand that if you have the money to advertise it does not necessarily mean your brand is fashionable or trendy. If an editor selects a brand for a photo shoot, typically it has the seal of approval of the inside industry of tastemakers who have many brands to choose from.This equates in consumers’ minds as the hottest ‘it’ brands,” Wood said. “This SI issue carries pop-culture status which equates to instant confirmation of ‘hipness’ of a brand. If Sports Illustrated deems your bikini or jewelry fit to grace one of the models, you better believe it’s a brand that other girls will want to emulate.”
Former child star FRANKIE MUNIZ has moved on from a domestic dispute with his girlfriend by treating her to a romantic meal on Valentines Day (14Feb11).
Cops were called to the actors home in Arizona on Friday (11Feb11) after an altercation with his girlfriend, Elycia Turnbow, during which he reportedly held a loaded gun to his head and allegedly punched her.
Munizs rep slammed reports he was suicidal and insisted a gun played no part in the feud.
Just 24 hours after the argument the former Malcolm In The Middle star took Turnbow on a date to the Martini Ranch bar in Scottsdale, where they were acting completely care free, reports TMZ.com.
And on Monday (14Feb11), Muniz took to his Twitter.com page to demonstrate his love for Turnbow by tweeting a picture of a dinner table set out with red roses and petals, with the words, The tables all set for Valentines Day dinner… I love @elyciamarie.
A major challenge is how the Gretna Little Theatre describes its upcoming production of Jane Austens class Pride and Prejudice.
The play will be presented at 7:30 pm Friday-Saturday and 2:30 pm Sunday at the Gretna Movie Theatre in downtown Gretna.
A cast of 19 characters come together for the romantic comedy, which is the story of a family of five daughters with a mother anxious to marry off the first two. The play is set in the early 1850s.
It was the practice back then to have assemblies or balls, and all of the action springs from that assembly, said Janina Shoemaker, president, co-founder and artistic director of the Gretna Little Theatre.
The cast is wearing the most costumes ever for a Gretna Little Theatre production.
Its the biggest costume show weve done but the simplest set weve ever done, Shoemaker said. The wardrobe consists of almost 50 costumes, ranging from empire designs for women to formal dance wear and military uniforms for the men.
A crew of five people Bunny Eanes, Rosemary Bryant, Melba Dalton, Jordan Kee and Tina Spears has been working hard to sew the period costumes, according to Shoemaker.
The sparse silhouette set in front of black drapes was designed by James Chaney and Shoemaker.
The culture was so different (than ours) that we have had to explore how they would have acted and gestured, said Shoemaker. We wont be using the speech patterns, however.
Tickets for the performance will be available at the door, or in advance at Crossroads Restaurant, Tyler Flower Shop, Arlenes Closet, Netts Nest and the Gretna Movie Theatre, all in Gretna; at ChathaMooCa in Chatham; and at Edward Jones in Altavista.
Ticket prices are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors 60 and above and students.
The auditorium will be open 30 minutes before show time.
The all-volunteer Gretna Little Theatre was founded in 2005 and presents a five-show season.
For more information, call Shoemaker at (434) 228-1778 or e-mail her at janina3@comcast.net.
Mike Repole has had a pretty good winter. St. John’s, his alma mater, is inching closer to a berth in the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament for the first time since 2002. His racehorse Uncle Mo is the early favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. His beloved Mets have started spring training.
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Courtesy of St. John’s University
Over the past four years, Mike Repole has spent nearly $7 million on more than 65 horses at North American auctions.
Repole, after all, is the latest in what has become a sort of New York tradition — the person who hits it big in business, then turns his attention to sports.
“Business and sports have always been my passions,” Repole, 42, said. “They have shaped who I am and how I do things.”
As a teenager growing up in Middle Village, Queens, he paged through his twin bibles, Money magazine and Sports Illustrated, and imagined the kind of life he would like to lead. Even then he talked fast, moved faster and dreamed a little bigger than most.
Replacing the St. John’s legend Lou Carnesecca at the end on the Red Storm’s bench? Of course, he could. Working the winter baseball meetings as the Mets’ general manager? No problem.
When neither St. John’s nor the Mets came calling, however, Repole found a job in the beverage industry and remade himself into a coach of a different kind of team, a moneymaking marketing machine.
He has put up some significant victories. In 1999 he and Darius Bikoff took a bottled water company with $100,000 in sales and transformed it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise behind the Vitaminwater and Smartwater brands by concentrating on the health conscious and employing en vogue spokesmen like the rapper 50 Cent and Mets third baseman David Wright.
In 2007 Coca-Cola bought their company, Glacéau, for $4.1 billion. Repole, the coach, took care of his players. Glacéau’s 600 employees all had stock options: 50 of them cashed out with more than $1 million, another 150 with $500,000, and 200 with more than $100,000.
Repole could have retired to a beach, an island or a bank vault. But that would mean no more 14-hour days. So he became the key investor in the health-food chain Energy Kitchen and the chairman and majority owner of Pirate Brands, maker of the snack food Pirate’s Booty.
But he also cut out some time and money for St. John’s, where he earned a degree in sports management. Repole took five years to graduate from St. John’s with a 2.2 grade-point average, and he is grateful that the university patiently stood by him.
So much so that Repole is a member of the university’s Founders Society, the top tier of donors who have given, or committed to give, more than $1 million. At home basketball games, he is never far from the St. John’s bench, and last month when the Red Storm upset Duke, Repole was courtside on the bench — a privilege he bought at a university fund-raiser.
“St. John’s is important to him,” said Chris Monasch, the Red Storm’s athletic director. “He grew up around here, and the university gave him an opportunity to get an education and he’s gone on to have success. He’s really a great role model for our students.”
He also has spent a few bucks chasing fast horses, a pastime Repole fell for as a 13-year-old along the rail at Aqueduct. Over the past four years, he has spent nearly $7 million on more than 65 horses at North American auctions, according to Equineline.com.
None, however, have paid more dividends than Uncle Mo, whom Repole bought for $220,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2009. Uncle Mo is undefeated in three starts, has earned nearly $1.3 million and was named last year’s champion 2-year-old.
“He’s my 4.1 billion-to-1 shot,” said Repole, equating the thrills Uncle Mo has given him to selling his business to Coca-Cola. “But I’m a realist — 95 percent of the people in the horse business lose money, and the other 5 percent lie about it.”
What Repole does best is build brands, and he is doing that in thoroughbred racing. He writes an Uncle Mo diary and produces podcasts for BloodHorse.com. He oversees Uncle Mo’s Facebook page and Twitter account, and preaches the gospel of horse racing at every chance.
“Mike is used to competing at the highest level, and he understands what it takes to do that successfully in our game,” said Greg Avioli, president of the Breeders’ Cup. “It takes a combination of energy, passion, savvy and competitive spirit.”
Then, there are the Mets. Repole can go off into a soliloquy on the virtues of Mookie Wilson. He cherishes his season tickets behind third base. His racing silks are Mets blue and orange. He is exploring the possibility of buying into the team, whose owners, Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz, are embroiled in a lawsuit filed against them by the trustee representing the victims of Bernard L. Madoff’s multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.
In the meantime, Repole has plenty on his plate. He shuttles between his home on Long Island and Pirate Booty’s office in Sea Cliff, also on Long Island, and Energy Kitchen’s headquarters in Manhattan, trying to build the next “billion-dollar brand.”
Pirate’s Booty has doubled its sales to $100 million in the past two years, but Repole believes it can take on the snack giant Frito-Lay. Energy Kitchen has 12 stores in New York and has signed franchise deals for 78 more from Miami to Boston. By 2018, his goal is to have 1,000 of them.
Repole thinks St. John’s can make some noise in the N.C.A.A. tournament and Uncle Mo can sweep the Triple Crown. In other words, he is looking at having a pretty good spring.
“Think big,” he said, beginning one of his signature mantras. “Dream bigger.”
The Chicago Market: Living and Giving has announced the addition of South African Consulate artists to the January Market. The South African Consulate will feature more than 12 artists in booths 8-9100 and 8-9111. Exclusive South African handmade products to be offered include hand-blown glass, wood carvings, wire and bead products, basket weaving, jewelry and clothing accessories.
The South African artists featured at The Chicago Market produce a remarkable range of arts and crafts, from contemporary tableware, intricate bead workings and hand-painted fabric to carved wood working. The South African Consulate booth will offer a collection of large, commercial-sized hand-woven baskets, a perfect fit for interior designers or home retailers looking to offer clients international high-end goods.
The South African Consulate artist program promotes the fusion of heritage with the future, tradition with the imagination, creativity with business know-how. Its booth at The Chicago Market will feature artists from KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, both provinces in South Africa.
The Chicago Market runs Jan. 20-25.
For more information about The Chicago Market: Living and Giving, visit www.shopchicagomarket.com or call 800-677-6278.