STUDY: U.S. HISPANIC CONSUMERS LOVE TO SHOP
Annual HOT Survey Provides New Demographic Insights
By Laurel Wentz, AD AGE

Fifty-six percent of the U.S. Hispanics polled said "I love to shop" compared with 39% of the general population and are similarly much more likely to pay cash for their purchases, according to People en Espanol's fourth annual Hispanic Opinion Tracker (HOT) survey slated for release this week.
Hispanics are passionate about shopping, said Jackie Hernandez Fallous, publisher of 'People en Espanol,' which conducts the annual HOT survey.

HOT, one of the largest Hispanic surveys conducted in the U.S. each year, found that Hispanic consumers are more likely to go shopping and much less likely to use credit cards than their general market counterparts. Survey participants said they spent on average $1,992 on clothing and accessories in the last 12 months, for instance, compared to $1,153 for general market consumers.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45575

LEXUS PUSHES FOR PRODUCT PLACEMENTS IN MAGAZINE PHOTOS
Marketing Chief Cites 'Fantastic' Response From Publishers and Editors
By Jamie LaReau, AD AGE

You open up your favorite celebrity magazine. Russell Crowe is looking good in a photo spread about his Australian ranch -- especially in the shot of the dead kangaroo he’s strapping to the roof of his Lexus LX 470.
Lexus is targeting magazine editors with its latest marketing strategy. Related Stories:

Flip a page, and there’s an article about a hot New York eatery; a photo shows a Lexus SC 430 parked in front.

'Groundbreaking' strategy
Coincidence? No way. This hypothetical magazine is chock-full of product placements for Toyota Motor Corp. Its luxury division is asking several national magazines to use Lexus vehicles to illustrate stories in “groundbreaking” ways, said Deborah Wahl Meyer, Lexus division’s vice president of marketing.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45663

SHARP TO SELL WORLD'S LARGEST LCD TV
Company to sell 65-inch flat screen in U.S. this year
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sharp Corp. said on Friday it would begin selling a 65-inch liquid crystal display (LCD) television, the biggest in the world, encroaching on the turf of Matsushita Electric Industrial and other makers of plasma TVs.

Sharp, the world’s largest LCD TV producer, already markets a 45-inch model and is keen to expand its footprint in the fast-growing market for flat TVs above 40 inches, a segment now dominated by plasma and rear-projection models.

The Osaka-based company said it would launch the 65-inch TV in August in Japan with an expected selling price of 1.68 million yen ($15,520). It plans to introduce the TV in the United States and other overseas markets by the end of this year.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8087100/

VERIZON WIRELESS EXPANDS HISPANIC AGENCY ROSTER
Selects Latinvox to Handle Northeast Region
By Alice Z. Cuneo, AD AGE

SAN FRANCISCO (AdAge.com) -- Verizon Wireless, moving to increase its presence in the Hispanic market, today named Latinvox, New York, as its first agency of record for the Northeast.

As part of the new assignment, Latinvox will provide community relations, promotions and other broad
Latinvox has been named Verizon's Hispanic agency of record for the Northeast.
marketing efforts, as well as print and broadcast advertising, public relations and media planning and buying, a Verizon Wireless spokesman said.

RLR, GlobalHue
Verizon Wireless works with RLR Advertising, Pasadena, Calif., its agency for the Western states. GlobalHue, an Interpublic Group of Cos.-backed agency in Southfield, Mich., handles the wireless marketer's national Hispanic advertising.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45654

VIRGIN MAKES FUTURE PLANS WITH PROJECT 2050
By Sandra O'Loughlin, BRAND WEEK

Virgin Entertainment Group, Los Angeles, has signed Project 2050 as agency of record for strategic marketing and creative services for the North American chain of Virgin Megastores.

Project 2050, a bi-coastal agency with offices in New York and Los Angeles, will develop campaigns for the opening of the new Hollywood & Highland Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles and refurbish its East Coast flagship in New York's Times Square this fall. Project 2050 also will develop the company's overall creative platform, and design and execute consumer-marketing communications, including advertising, collateral and in-store graphics and signage.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001000372

BIG PUN'S FAMILY LAUNCHES CLOTHING LINE
By Remmie Fresh, ALLHIPHOP.COM

The estate of Christopher "Big Pun" Rios has started a clothing line in
memory of the late Bronx rapper in hopes of generating funds for the
family. The launch of Big Pun Clothing Line coincides with BigPunShop.com,
where the clothing can be found exclusively. Presently, the line consists
of several screen printed t-shirts more of which bear an airbrushed style.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=4655

LUXURY BRANDS FLEE DEPARTMENT STORES
Seek More Control and Higher Margins in Own Stores
By Mya Frazier, ADAGE

The blue suede Coach bag is stuffed on a clearance table with the markdown price of $88.90, a steal compared to the original price of $178. Nearby is a section of glass shelving stocked full of Coach purses, including a $328 pink suede satchel.
Only 11% of Coach's sales now come from department stores. The company is in the process of building its own national chain of 350 stand-alone stores.

Leave Nordstrom’s, however, and just three stores over Coach bags priced over $400 are displayed like museum pieces. It’s a world where a friendly and immaculately dressed sales staff always greets you, the music is always just right and absolutely nothing ever goes on sale.

$1.6 billion in sales
The contrast explains, in part, why in a little less than five years, Coach has cut its dependence on the department store channel -- down today to 11% of its $1.6 billion in sales from 15% in 2000 -- to build its own veritable retail empire, outlining ambitious plans to reach more than 350 stores over the next few years.

The strategy is much the same at other fashion megabrands like Polo Ralph Lauren, Guess and Liz Claiborne. Frustrated by an inability to control pricing and brand display and tired of competing with retailers’ proliferating private-label lineup, such brands are aiming to reduce their co-dependency on department stores.

“Great brands see they have to protect themselves and can no longer depend on department stores,” said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz and Associates.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45633

CROSSING CULTURES: WORKING TO GET AHEAD
Area offers opportunity, lower cost of living
By Chris Dumond, BUTLER COUNTY BUREAU

HAMILTON — A native New Yorker of Dominican descent, Dionys Del Rosari works as a clerk in the Guerrero Mini Mart on Dixie Highway. A clerk in the store for about a year, Del Rosari left the Big Apple for Hamilton to escape a high cost of living.

The Hispanic convenience store on Dixie is one of two in Hamilton under the same ownership. There's a third on Vine Street in Cincinnati. Because the shops carry ethnic food items not found elsewhere, they draw Hispanic customers from Kentucky, Indiana, Columbus and Dayton, Del Rosari said.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.journal-news.com/news/content/news/stories/2005/06/29/HJN0629ESPJOBS.html

KULTJAH BY DESIGN
A hip-hop clothing boutique reopens in Norwalk
By Brita Brundage,WESTCHESTER WEEKLY

"The spot," says designer Jahmane, "is intended to be low-key and hard-to-find." The three J's--Jahmane, John and Jay--opened their walk-up on Orchard Street, not far from Wall Street, April 30, but the shop and studio is a continuation of the specialty work they've been producing since the '80s. At its essence, Kultjah is a grassroots effort, a combination of art, graphics, street culture, African symbolism, graffiti, limited edition sneakers, specialty skateboards and music. It's a lifestyle, as evidenced by Jahmane, John and Jay, who wear their own creations--hand-printed shirts and sneakers, like John's, in shiny metallic gold.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://westchesterweekly.com/gbase/Lifestyle/content?oid=oid:117455

SONY BMG HINDERS MUSIC PIRATES WITH PROTECTED CD
By Adam Pasick, USA TODAY

Sony BMG, the world's 2nd-largest music company, is rolling out CDs with new technology that serves as a "speed bump" to hinder people who want to make illicit copies.

Users will be able to make three additional CD copies for their own use and to store the music files on their computer in a protected format from Microsoft.

Sony BMG's new copy-protection effort comes with what iPod users will see as a downside: PC users are unable to transfer the songs to Apple's popular iPod portable music player, because Apple has declined to make its software compatible with Microsoft's Windows Media digital rights management (DRM) system.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2005-06-16-sony-cd_x.htm?POE=MONISVA

BURNERS' BUMMER
New Software Guards CDs From Copiers, and the Mix Culture Doesn't Like It
By Anjali Athavaley, WASHINGTON POST

Ben Freedland did two things that his fellow college students have been doing routinely for the past several years: First, he bought a new music CD by campus fave the Dave Matthews Band, then he tried to upload it onto his Apple iPod.

But something was wrong. When Freedland, 20, first inserted the "Stand Up" disc into his laptop in preparation for transferring it to his iPod, "it took over my computer," he said.

The screen went blank, then a copyright agreement popped up. The music wasn't going anywhere. Freedland could play the CD on his laptop, but he couldn't transfer it, and he couldn't copy it to share the mellow grooves with friends or family.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061800149.html

TOP TEAMS IN FOOD CHAIN CROSSING POND
Real Madrid seeks more fans on American soil
By Bernardo Fallas, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

It's the latest trend to come out of European fashion capitals London and Milan, and Madrid refuses to fall behind.

Following in the steps this summer of London club and English Premiership champion Chelsea and UEFA Champions League runner-up and 17-time Italian Series A winner A.C. Milan, Real Madrid last week announced a U.S. tour to be held in July.

Earlier this month, Chelsea and Milan confirmed their participation in the 2005 World Series of Football July 24-31, which will include Major League Soccer defending champion D.C. United and the Chicago Fire.

Although having European clubs play exhibitions in the United States is nothing new, many Old World powers now consider trips to America preseason requirements.

Whether for profit or to be exposed to different styles of play, teams also view tours as a way to tackle a still largely untapped market.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3243633

PONDERING THE PROMISE OF MTV'S LOGO
What it will mean for advertisers targeting gays
By Diego Vasquez, MEDIA LIFE MAGAZINE

When Viacom promised to launch a gay cable network last year, it was hardly a surprise. The media giant had been mulling the idea for years yet never seemed to find the right time. With gay marriage in the news and Bravo's "Queer Eye" guys all over TV, Viacom finally committed. On Thursday, after a four-month delay to chase more subscribers, MTV Networks' Logo will launch with 10 million potential viewers. The new channel will feature mostly gay-themed movies, with originals such as wedding makeover show "Love Comes First" and the documentary "The Evolution Will Be Televised" filling out the schedule. Though it certainly seems like the right time for such a launch, there are still a lot of questions surrounding it. Are advertisers interested in gay media? Will the network have heterosexual crossover appeal? Has gay media gone mainstream? Media Life speaks with Howard Buford, founder and president of multicultural ad agency Prime Access, for some answers.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.medialifemagazine.com/News2005/jun05/june27/2_tues/news3tuesday.html

REEBOK TONES DOWN AD
By Chris Reidy, THE BOSTON GLOBE

The hip-hop star 50 Cent was set to star in a new television commercial for Reebok International starting on Tuesday that contains a tamer story line than a previous ad widely criticized as glorifying violence.

In one scene, 50 Cent plays a street baseball game called stickball with the Boston Red Sox slugger Manny Ramírez.

That's a far cry from the rapper's last Reebok TV ad, which the sneaker company pulled off the air in Britain after it was criticized. In that ad, which ran briefly in the United States in the spring, the camera panned on 50 Cent as one of his songs served as the soundtrack: "Shot nine times in Jamaica, Queens/Tell me, who you planning to massacre next?"

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/28/business/reebok.php

WILL CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP BUILD UP OR TEAR DOWN URBAN CULTURE?
By Hector Gonzalez, THE ATHENS NEWS

A while back, I was the opening act at a hip-hop show that featured underground MCs from San Jose and Los Angeles. The show took place in a small theater venue in downtown San Jose. As I walked off the stage after performing my set, I kept my head down, thinking that no one had paid to see my performance.

But outside was a group of people playing the role of groupies. They asked me to stand next to a car so they could take my picture. In return, they gave me a magazine and a CD. Suddenly, I felt like a superstar.

Little did I know this was only the beginning of a multimillion dollar campaign Toyota was setting up to sell its new product line, Scion, to younger drivers.

Since then, Scion has been making its presence known in the underground hip-hop community. In and around San Jose, Calif., where I live, Scion paraphernalia can be found at most hip-hop venues. Toyota's marketing strategy makes it clearer than ever that underground urban culture is a sought-after commodity.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.athensnews.com/issue/article.php3?story_id=21000

METS' BERNAZARD INTENT ON BECOMING BASEBALL'S SECOND LATIN GM
By Michael P. Geffner, TIMES HERALD RECORD

New York - Thirty-one. That's how many days in a row Tony Bernazard is rumored to have called Carlos Beltran's agent, Scott Boras, to lure the superstar center fielder to the Mets. That's in addition to chatting with Beltran himself. Sweet-talking him in Spanish, Puertoriqueno to Puertoriqueno. Bernazard from Caguas, Beltran from Manati.
Ask anyone about Bernazard and they'll say this is nothing special, but Tony to a capital T: determined, passionate and charming enough to close the deal.
"When Tony goes after something," says close friend Lou Melendez, Major League Baseball's VP of international baseball operations, "you might as well put it down as done."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/06/26/mlb1.htm

HISPANIC CULTURE, CLOUT GROW IN METRO DETROIT
Power brokers' presence at events, live Latino acts and TV station display growing numbers, status.
By Louis Aguilar, THE DETROIT NEWS

Vicente's Cuban Cuisine, which opened two weeks ago in Detroit, is more than just another downtown eatery.

A white-tablecloth restaurant by day and salsa club on weekends, Vicente's represents an emerging market in Metro Detroit: upscale Latinos. Many businesses have made moves in recent months to serve this growing demographic.

Programming on WUDT-23, the new Troy-based affiliate of Univision, the national Spanish-language television network, is chock full of commercials by automakers and national retailers.

At the same time, many politicians and major corporations send representatives to schmooze with members of the Hispanic Business Alliance, a nonprofit group that promotes Hispanic commerce, at the group's monthly mixers. An event last week at Vicente's drew staffers of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, state senators and Detroit's Big Three automakers.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.detnews.com/2005/business/0506/26/D01-227846.htm

THE COTTON CLUB
Black-conscious hip-hop deals with an overwhelmingly white live audience
by Bakari Kitwana, THE VILLAGE VOICE

Armed with messages of Black political resistance, Black pride, and opposition to militarization and corporatization, designed in part to counter the commercial hip-hop party-and-bullshit madness dumbing down the nation's youth, hip-hop's lyrical descendants of the "fight the power" golden era today are booking concerts in record numbers—far beyond anything imaginable by their predecessors. Problem is, they can hardly find a Black face in the audience.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.villagevoice.com/music/0526,kitwana,65332,22.html

STYLE & SUBSTANCE: AS MALLS THINK SMALL, BOUTIQUES GET THEIR CHANCE
By Amy Chozick, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

On a recent trip to the local mall, Suzy Lee ran her usual errands, shopping for her two children at Gymboree and buying makeup and a few basics at Neiman Marcus.

But before leaving, she made a slight detour to Talulah G, a boutique with a name most shoppers wouldn't recognize. The independently-owned shop, which opened at the Las Vegas Fashion Mall in 2002, sells designer clothes by Valentino, Theory, Balenciaga and Chloe, as well as by hot young designers such as Pegah Anvarian and Ella Moss by Pamella Protzel.

"A department store might carry the same lines, but Talulah G will have a quirkier take on it. It's not so mainstream," says Ms. Lee, 38-years-old, who bought herself a white Michael Kors summer suit and a pair of Citizens of Humanity jeans. She says she stops in at the store a few times a month, whenever she has other things to do at the mall.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05175/528032.stm

WHEN DID IT BECOME HIP TO HUNCH OVER?
BY Jodu Mailander Farrell, KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS

Check out the models on today's runways or the latest photo spreads in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle. Look closer at the red carpet postures of celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst, and Paris Hilton.

Perfect perky posture is out. The sag is in.

Shoulders are rounded, hips and head are thrust forward, the spine is curved. It's become fashionable to - insert shrug here - stand like you just don't care.

"It's that vacuous look, that `I don't have to pay attention or look interested in life' look,'' says Patti Wood, a body language expert who performs posture analysis for magazines such as Us Weekly and Cosmopolitan. "It's not cool to care.''

It may be all about the slump, but beware the hump. Today's S-shaped trendsetters could be tomorrow's fashion victims. Poor posture puts a strain on the spine and its supporting muscles and ligaments. Muscles adapt to a sloucher's round-shouldered position, resulting in chest muscles that are short and tight, and back muscles that are stretched and weak.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/11976186.htm

CULTURE SPHERE: A new dawn for Bangkok as a cultural hub?
By Phatarawadee Phataranawik, THE NATION

After a long wait, the government’s previously incoherent policy on building up a cultural infrastructure is finally taking shape. Members of the local art scene and design community have been given a major boost now that the administration has committed billions of baht on relatively well-thought-out art, design and fashion projects. In the next few years, Bangkok will boast its first world-class design, fashion and art venues, all easily accessible via Skytrain, which means we will be able to have fun indulging in a more sophisticated lifestyle while enjoying these venues instead of the more mundane fare of shopping malls and other temples of consumer culture.

Two art centres are planned. The Bangkok Art and Culture Centre will be on three rai of land on the corner of the Pathum Wan intersection, supported by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Also, a Bt5.8-billion cultural complex will be built on 35 rai by the Thailand Cultural Centre on Ratchadaphisek Road, a mega-project supported by the Culture Ministry.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://nationmultimedia.com/2005/06/25/opinion/index.php?news=opinion_17830757.html

FRAUDS TARGETING LATINOS ON RISE, CONFERENCE TOLD
FTC, AARP, local officials discuss ruses, remedies
By Blanca Torres, BALTIMORE SUN

Members of the Latino community increasingly are becoming targets of consumer fraud from sales of overpriced computers and credit-card schemes to predatory lending for cars and homes, community leaders say.

Regional officials representing counties, cities, AARP and the Federal Trade Commission met yesterday in Chevy Chase to discuss ways they can help Latinos avoid such schemes and to identify new avenues that fraudulent businesses are using.

As the purchasing power of Latinos grows in the United States, criminals have become more sophisticated in their efforts to target immigrants. Many schemes involving Spanish-speaking salespeople who are hawking credit cards, mortgages and other financial products have emerged as a growing concern among community leaders.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.hispanicfraud24jun24,1,4644160.story?coll=bal-business-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

MINORITY REPORT: CREATING A PRINT CAMPAIGN FOR THE ASIAN AMERICAN DEMOGRAPHIC
By Photo District News

It's not often that a multicultural agency gets to create something original for a print campaign. As we note in our June 2005 article, "Minority Report," most print ads tailored to minority demographics are little more than repetitions of the mainstream ads with translated copy and some ethnic models. But as the creatives interviewed for the story note, successful ads appealing to African-Americans or the Latino market demand original and intriguing executions, or no amount of research and strategic marketing will work. The best multicultural ads reflect an awareness of the interests, aspirations and culture of their target audience.
Here, Young Kim, creative director with Ad Asia, US, describes in his own words the conception and execution a two-ad print campaign for Subaru automobiles. Both ads are astute and subtle in their use of ideas and concepts that Asian-Americans can appreciate.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000967585

NEW SOUND FOR A SWELTERING SUMMER
By http://www.telegraph.co.uk

The hot Latin rhythm of reggaetón - a hybrid of reggae, rap and salsa - is sweeping across global dance-floors and about to hit the UK. Gervase de Wilde reports

DJ Jose Luis is worked off his feet. The music promoter, pushing the latest Latino sounds in the UK, has never seen such a rumpus. "Everyone's jumping on reggaetón," he says. "After eight years, this is the first successful crossover we've had with an English audience. At last, Latin music is coming through from the urban music scene rather than world music. People who were never interested before are getting really excited."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2005/06/23/bmregae23.xml&sSheet=/arts/2005/06/23/ixartleft.html

BUSINESS: HIP HOP'S MOBILE TAKEOVER CONTINUES
By Alyssa Rashbaum, VIBE MAGAZINE

Unless you’ve had your stereo turned to AM for the last few years, you already know that hip hop has plotted and deftly executed a massive takeover of radio and television. Now the genre has set its sights on your mobile phone.

Hip hop fans are rabidly buying ring tones, screensavers and more from their favorite artists, to customize and personalize their phones. In fact, last year more than 70% of all ring tones sold in the United States were from hip hop, rap and R&B artists. As that number looks poised to grow this year, more and more hip hop labels are leaping into the mobile game, hoping for a piece of the lucrative market.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.vibe.com/news/news_headlines/2005/06/business_mobile_takeover/

SEXY CAMISOLE MIGHT NOT BE THE WAY TO DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Stylish: A camisole paired with a jacket can pass muster in some offices, but others might consider it unprofessional.
By Katherine Heine, COX NEWS SERVICE


In the 1980s, women expressed their rising social and economic power in the workforce with the power suit. Giant shoulder pads and tailored blazers screamed, "We're equal and here to stay."

But women's business fashion during the past decade has come to embrace a more feminine side, with shorter skirts, low-cut tops and tight mini-jackets.

No one is campaigning for a return to '80s fashion, but many professionals say the pendulum has swung too far with the latest trend -- lacy, silky camisoles at work.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050623/LIVING/506230308/1007/LIVING

THIS ISN'T THE IMMIGRATION SOLUTION
The mayor of Fresno asking for a moratorium on immigrants is like Col. Sanders asking for a moratorium on chickens.
By Ruben Navarrette Jr., THE DAILY BREEZE

This is how wacky the immigration debate has become: The mayor of Fresno suggests the United States impose a moratorium on immigrants.

I know Fresno. I grew up in a small town nearby. We're talking about one of the farming capitals of the world and home to legions of immigrants -- many of them illegal. In fact, the leader of an Asian-American growers association in Central California estimates that nearly 100 percent of today's agricultural work force is illegal. Without immigrants, the local economy would shrivel up like a raisin in the sun.

So the mayor of Fresno asking for a moratorium on immigrants is like Col. Sanders asking for a moratorium on chickens.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.dailybreeze.com/opinion/articles/1620227.html

FASHION LOOK WILL WORK LIKE A CHARM
By Amber Graafland, LONDON MIRROR

No other couple have the power to start a trend quite like the Beckhams do.

When David gave his then girlfriend, Victoria Adams, a £13,000 diamond cross for Christmas in 1997, sales soared.

Last year, he started another trend when he appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine wearing a £550 Dolce & Gabbana rosary bead necklace.

Christian charity shops were bombarded with people wanting to buy them and the high street soon started making copies.

But the Beckhams have moved on yet again. David and Victoria have been spotted wearing necklaces adorned with tiny charms of religious significance.

Originally worn by Catholics in Brazil, they made their way to Europe when fashion stylists worked on a pop video in Rio with producer Ashley Pugh.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=15655878&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=fashion-look-will-work-like-a-charm--name_page.html

BONO CONSULTED STOCK MARKET GURU ON HOW TO APPEAL TO AMERICANS
By http://www.femalefirst.co.uk

U2 frontman BONO consulted stock market investor WARREN BUFFET about how he could best persuade "mad" Americans to support LIVE 8.

The legendary money mogul told Bono the US responds to anything which appeals to the nation's superiority complex.

Bono tells US magazine TIME, "Warren Buffet gave me the best advice on this subject. He said, 'Don't appeal to the conscience of America. Appeal to the greatness of America and you'll get the job done.'
"On stage, I talk about my first impression of Americans, which was watching a man walk on the moon. We thought, 'Americans are mad! But look what they can do when they get organised.'

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/64552004.htm

GAY OR STRAIGHT? HARD TO TELL
By David Colman, NEW YORK TIMES

ARE you confused that the newly styled Backstreet Boys, hoping for a comeback, look an awful lot like the stars of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"? Are you curious why Brad Pitt, to promote his new film, dyed his crew cut so blond that even his hairdresser is scratching his head?

Well, how about that guy you see in the locker room, changing out of his Prada lace-ups, Hugo Boss flat-front pants and Paul Smith dress shirt and cuff links into a muscle T-shirt and Adidas soccer shorts. Does he wear that wedding ring because he was married in New York - or in Massachusetts?

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/19/fashion/sundaystyles/19GAYDAR.html

CURVE APPEAL
Retailers Recognize Real Women
By Sylvi Capelaci, TORONTO SUN TIMES

GOOD NEWS for women who don't want to look like their little sisters or their matronly mothers. Times are changing.

There are a growing number of companies awakening to the needs of 30- to 50-year-old women who, until now, have been excluded from fashion's youth-obsessed culture.

New brands such as Yzza and Josef and established names like Le Chateau and Gap plan to dress this savvy shopper who is tuned into trends but doesn't follow them by the book.

She made all her fashion mistakes during her rebel youth and knows what looks good on her and what's appropriate -- nix the super-low-rise jeans and micro minis.

She is probably a mother with one or two children who can't wear a junior cut. She needs clothes with curves.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://torontosun.com/Lifestyle/2005/06/21/1097646-sun.html

CALIFORNIA DREAMING
Hoping to reach a broader audience, Telemundo's youth-targeted network is leaving Hialeah and heading to L.A.
BY Elaine Walker, MIAMI HERALD

Telemundo announced Monday that South Florida will no longer be home to mun2, its cable network aimed at young, bilingual youths.

Over the next few months, the creative, marketing and production operations will relocate from Hialeah to Los Angeles. The move is part of an effort to revamp the Latino youth network and connect with the Mexican population, which represents the largest segment of the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market.

As the largest Hispanic market and the entertainment capital, Los Angeles still remains the place where trends are launched more than Miami, experts said.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/11943480.htm

BLACK EYED PEAS ARE A SELLOUT, BUT DID THEY SELL OUT?
They found success when they tinkered with their sound
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Black Eyed Peas spent years languishing in hip-hop's underground before they found the formula to vault into the mainstream -- accessible pop melodies, star collaborations, marketing tie-ins and a sexy young thing to belt out catchy choruses.

That mix made their 2003 album "Elephunk" their big breakthrough. Their first two albums failed to sell 500,000 copies combined. But "Elephunk" -- which featured the Grammy-nominated anthems "Where Is the Love" with Justin Timberlake and "Let's Get it Started," which became the National Basketball Association's playoff anthem -- went multiplatinum and made them and their music ubiquitous.

Still, there are plenty of early Peas-heads who remain disgruntled about the group's leap to the pop world.

But go ahead and call them sellouts. Lead lyricist will.i.am doesn't mind.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/229001_blackeyedpeas20.html

‘POLITICAL INTERFERENCE’ UNDERMINES JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANTI-TOBACCO EFFORT
By Makebra M. Anderson, NNPA

Despite testimony from their own expert witness, the Department of Justice (DOJ) decided to decrease the amount of money it requested from the tobacco industry for nationwide tobacco-prevention programs from $130 billion to $10 billion—a move that sent shockwaves through the tobacco cessation community.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.amsterdamnews.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=4341&sID=3

HAVE YOU HUGGED A FASHION PLATE TODAY?
Don't thumb your nose at the ladies who lunch and the mall rats who are always in your way. Prod them for stock tips instead.
By Dayana Yochim, THE MOTLEY FOOL

Hi Dayana. I came across your article about the trends in retro shoes and the respective rise in certain brands' stock prices [Listen To Mrs. Peter Lynch]. I myself am a woman who is interested in both investing and clothes. Do you happen to know if there are groups of stylish women out there who use their ahead-of-the-trend knowledge to make money on the stock exchange? Tastefully yours, L.C.

Ah, to combine a few favorite pastimes -- and to use the profits from one to buy cute new shoes!

The idea of getting investing ideas by first looking at the brands you like (the hair products you use; the retailers where you spend your time and paycheck -- or at least observing those who shop for sport) -- is an approach championed by the famous Fidelity Magellan (FUND: FMAGX) mutual fund manager Peter Lynch. It was his wife who told him to check out Hanes (which then traded on the New York Stock Exchange), since she really liked their L'eggs pantyhose -- and, even more important, every woman she knew did, too.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.fool.com/news/commentary/2005/commentary05062005.htm

WALK THIS WAY, SUPERSTAR: WHITE DENIM ROCKS FASHION
These threads are bright, bold and to be worn beyond Labor Day -- forget what you were told.
By Joseph V. Amodio, NEWSDAY

It's a rock star thing. Just about any red-blooded American (at least those born after Bing and Dino, and even some of them) have a center-stage, live-in-concert fantasy.

It's what Gap execs were no doubt counting on when they offered up crooner Joss Stone in their latest ad campaign.

Clad in tight white denim, Stone looks as though she's taking part in an impromptu, just-jumped-up-in-front-of-the-microphone session at some after-hours spot. More people than would care to admit harbor a secret desire to jump up there beside her.

The opportunity to actually do so doesn't come along all that often.

The white denim, however -- hey, that's doable.

"There's definitely a rock-star edge to white denim," says Gap's Erica Archambault. "Pair it with a sleek metallic top for a hip but elegant nighttime look, or dress it down for day wearing capris or cutoffs." Denim is -- if you'll permit us -- white hot this summer.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.detnews.com/2005/lifestyle/0506/20/E01-220491.htm

MARKETING TO HISPANICS
Reaching out to increasingly diverse market can be a challenge
By Tilde Herrera, HERALD TODAY

Colombian-born Ricardo Diaz is open to varying cuisines and American products but admits Spanish-language advertisements get his attention fast.

"They don't have to because it's their country," Diaz said of United States-based companies that choose to target the Hispanic community. "But money talks."

And since the 2000 census, more companies than ever are listening. Hispanics, the fastest growing demographic in the country, are projected to enjoy the most substantial increase in spending power during the next 15 years. But the group's diversity, coupled with the language barrier, can make Hispanic marketing a challenging prospect.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/business/11927372.htm

BRAIN BOOM: LATINOS CAN HELP CLOSE TECHNOLOGY GAP
Encourage Hispanic youth to focus on math, science
By Richard J. Gonzalez, HOUSTON CHRONICLE

JAMES D. Spaniolo, president of the University of Texas at Arlington, has likened the current U.S. technological work force crisis to the space race of the 1950s and '60s.

The United States was caught flat-footed when Soviet scientists launched Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the Earth. In the brain race, America rallied its schools and students to pursue math and science studies.

The crowning victory over the Soviets, celebrated across the world on television, came when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon and planted the U.S. flag there in July 1969.

Thirty-six years later, new challengers to U.S. technological dominance have arisen across the world. In the near future, Chinese or Indian astronauts may plant their flags alongside the Stars and Stripes.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/outlook/3230751

COWTOWN TAPPING INTO VAQUERO ROOTS
Fort Worth: 3 major developments target Hispanic population
By Jeff Mosier, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Tourism marketers boast that Fort Worth is the city of "cowboys and culture."

But Rosa Navejar, president of the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, has a question. "If you look at history, who taught the cowboys?" she asked. "Vaqueros."

The steady growth in Cowtown's Latino population, which has doubled since 1990, has developers embracing a New West that looks a lot like the Old West.

At least three major Hispanic-themed retail projects are planned or in the works, each in neighborhoods that have struggled to attract development in recent decades.

The $4 million Mexican-style Mercado on North Main Street is mostly finished, and the city is looking for a buyer. The city took over the project, inspired by San Antonio's market, when the original developer was unable to raise private funds to complete what was started with government secured loans.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/061805dnmetmercado.1caf0580.html

LITTLE GUYS TAKE ON GREETING CARD GIANTS
By Lorrie Grant, USA TODAY

The growing ranks of small and start-up greeting-card makers still account for a little slice of the market, but they believe they are contributing a big wave of creative fresh air sorely needed by a $7.5 billion industry with flat growth.

Cardmakers' sales have been stuck at that level since 2003 — and are forecast still to be there through at least 2007, according to Stanford Group analyst Kathleen Reed.

The boutique makers' cards have offered new designs, new technology and cultural diversity.

"My generation is the first to grow up on hip-hop music, and its culture was not being represented in the greeting-card market," says Ron Williams, whose Long Island, N.Y.-based company Lyrics2go makes cards with technology that plays 10 seconds of urban music.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/2005-06-16-greeting-cards-usat_x.htm

COWBOY SINGS 'HICK-HOP'
By Jack Leaver, THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS

Cowboy Troy knows his unique brand of country music has some radio programmers scratching their heads.

After all, when the 6-foot, 5-inch, 250-pound rapper first appeared on Big and Rich's multiplatinum debut album, "Horse of a Different Color" and subsequently toured with the hot new duo, Cowboy Troy turned some heads among country-music fans.

However, his multilingual rap in the middle of the Big and Rich song "Rollin' (The Ballad of Big and Rich)" instantly became a crowd-pleasing part of the duo's show each night, and now Cowboy Troy is striking out on his own with his debut album, "Loco Motive."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.mlive.com/music/grpress/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-1/1119019550319030.xml

PHOENIX GETTING NEW RANCH MARKET
Garfield area's demographics appeal to firm
By Yvonne Wingett, THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC

The supermercado known for its display cases overflowing with pan dulce, beef tamales, quesos and Mexican sodas is less than three weeks from opening a new store in central Phoenix.

And everyone, it seems, is talking about Ranch Market. At least in the Garfield neighborhood.

The former Kmart building at Roosevelt and 16th streets is filled with construction workers, trucks and dirt. By June 29, it should be filled with shoppers, store officials said.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/centralphoenix/articles/0617ext-ranchmarket0617Z4.html

THE U.S. MALE GOES FIRST CLASS
While women prefer “cheap chic” fashion so they can have more variety, men tend to pick better-quality items and trusted brands, one retail survey says.
By Joyce Smith, THE KANSAS CITY STAR

It’s Saturday morning, and Pete Walsh is agonizing over what to wear to his parents’ 50th anniversary dinner that night.

Three salesmen at Hudson & Jane on the Country Club Plaza huddle around a purple shirt and brown jacket as the tie possibilities pile up.

“The older I get, the more obligations I have to parties and events,” said Walsh, a producer at Lockton Benefit Co. “I have to make sure I look professional outside of the office just in case I meet someone I do business with or who I could potentially do business with.

“My mother taught me that if you look and dress nice, it’s hard to go wrong.”

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/business/11915472.htm

BLACK IS BACK IN FASHION IN A BIG WAY
By Teri Agins & Alessandra Galloni, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Black is back.

After more than three years of pushing bright colors, bold prints and femininity in fashion, designers and retailers are heralding the return of basic black for fall.

Banished to the back of closets for much of the new millennium, black came barreling back down the runways in Milan and Paris in February and March.

Miuccia Prada opened her influential fall fashion show with an austere, black slip dress with a slight edge of lace at the hem. Chanel ended its show with an array of short black dresses. Even Pucci -- famous for its swirling patterns of color -- embraced black for fall.

It remained to be seen whether it would catch on.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050616/FEATURES/506160351/1013

POTENTIAL MARKET FOR TRANSPORTING BODIES BACK TO THEIR HOMELAND IS GROWING IN U.S.
By Hiram Soto, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

When the cousins of Narciso Díaz died in a car accident in Temecula recently, the Mexican gardener did what many poor families do to bury their dead: ask for help.

After turning to a Los Angeles radio station, the 23-year-old immigrant was able to raise a small part of the thousands of dollars needed to return the bodies of his relatives to their native state of Chiapas. As is often the case, the rest of the bill would have been paid by the Mexican government, which spends millions annually on the repatriation of bodies.

But then something unprecedented happened.

A company looking to introduce a repatriation service offered to pay for the return of the cousins' bodies as a way to promote its products. It then promptly contacted the media.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20050626-9999-1c26body.html

SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR HOSTS VOTO LATINO FUND RAISER
Voto Latino had a very good event in San Francisco this past week that was hosted by the city's 35 year old Mayor. The event helped to raise some funds for Voto Latino and our upcoming programs.

http://www.drewaltizer.com/index_main.html
http://www.patrickmcmullan.com/HomePage.aspx?page=2&Event_ID=0

The next morning, they were on the local morning radio show and
sang some songs on air...lots of fun!:

http://www.radioalice.com/gallery/rd/rd1.asp

RECYCLE THOSE KICKS: TIP FROM WWW.GREENMATTERS.COM
You may or may not know that there is a way to recycled your worn out athletic shoes. Nike, through their Reuse-A-Shoe program, collects worn out althetic shoes of any brand (and Nike-only defective shoes) which get ground up to make Nike Grind--a material used in sports surfaces.

There are three ways to recycle your worn out althetic shoes:
1) Mail them to Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave.,Wilsonville, OR 97070
2) Take them to any Niketown.
3) Find a drop-off site by visiting this link...
http://www.nike.com/nikebiz/nikebiz.jhtml?page=27&cat=reuseashoe&subcat=us-dropoff

ONE BEDROOM AVAILABLE IN WEEHAWKEN, NJ
If anyone is interested in a very sweet, one-bedroom apartment in Weehawken(literally right across the river), in a perfectly maintained Victorian woodframe, with a view of Manhattan from the kitchen, 1/4 block from every bus that goes through the Lincoln Tunnel to the City and equidistant from both Ferry Landings.

2806 Palisade Ave., Weehawken, NJ 07086
$820/mo.

Call Anne Parete at 201-863-4213
Please tell her that the current tenant, Maria, sent you.

TEGO CALDERÓN, SIGNS GLOBAL DEAL WITH ATLANTIC
Atlantic Records has announced the signing of Latin rap superstar Tego Calderón via a long-term, worldwide deal with Calderón's own Jiggiri Records label. Heralded as the king of the Puerto Rican-bred music known as reggaetón, Calderón is the first artist in this rapidly burgeoning genre to ink a global pact with a major label. His debut Jiggiri/Atlantic album, to be entitled "THE UNDERDOG," is slated for release in October.

The announcement was made today by Atlantic Co-Chairman/COO Craig Kallman, who commented: "With the continuing creative and commercial explosion of new Latin music in the U.S., I am thrilled that one of its signature artists, the brilliant Tego Calderón, has joined the Atlantic family. The reggaetón and Latin hip-hop movements are rapidly merging into the mainstream of American music and media, and Tego's innovative style, street credibility, and charismatic presence have already made him a cultural icon, placing him at the leading edge of the vibrant new urban-driven Latin scene. Atlantic is committed to the aggressive development of Latin artists, nurturing their music and broadening their reach into the global mainstream. The signing of Tego is a proud moment in Atlantic history, signaling our enthusiasm and our long-term belief in this boundary-crossing music."

"This is a new stage in my life, and I am very excited about my venture with Atlantic Records," stated Tego Calderón. "I have the freedom I have been looking for, and I am proud to have Atlantic's and Craig's support backing me up with a team that believes in me. For the first time, I feel like I have control of my career."

For more information contact:
Sheila Richman
Atlantic Records
212-707-3063
sheila.richman@atlanticrecords.com


Susan Makarichev
Dan Klores Communications
212-981-5243
susan_makarichev@dkcnews.com

THURSDAY'S THRU AUGUST | 7:30-8:30 AM |
FREE TAI CHI CLASSES AT BRYANT PARK
Every Thursday morning through August, the Tai Chi Chuan Center of New York is offering a free, one hour class from 7:30AM-8:30AM in Bryant Park (42nd Street) - at the 6th Avenue entrance. The classes are open to anyone interested in learning more about the health benefits of this ancient Chinese discipline.

For example, did you know Tai Chi reduces muscular tension, relaxes the body, protects against injuries, and enhances circulation? Regular practice can boost the immune system, and may reduce the symptoms of many chronic diseases, including arthritis, diabetes, and thyroid disorders. The more you practice Tai Chi, the more you can handle, and practicing Tai Chi three times a week helps relieve tension, too.

SATURDAY | 06.26.05 | 8PM |
JVC SALSA MEETS JAZZ @ CARNEGIE HALL FEAT. EDDIE PALMIERI AND RAY BARRETTO
Salsa Meets Jazz stars Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II featuring Herman Olivera and The 2 Worlds of Ray Barretto featuring Adalberto Santiago with special guest jazz soloists Randy Brecker and Ronnie Cuber.

For more information, visit the official JVC Jazz Festival - New York website at http://www.festivalproductions.net


Tickets for SALSA MEETS JAZZ are available at Carnegie Hall Box Office; CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800; or www.CarnegieHall.org. For more information and a Festival brochure, call (212) 501- 1390 or (212) 501-1393for Group Sales weekdays from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. or write JVC Jazz Festival - New York, P.O. Box 1169, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10023.

DEADLINE: WEDNESDAY | 06.15.05 |
BLACK SOIL HIP HOP FILM FESTIVAL CALL FOR SUBMISION
This year the 3rd edition of Black Soil, hiphop filmfestival, the oldest
hip hop filmfestival in Europe will take place in Rotterdam and Amsterdam
(the Netherlands).

The audience will have five days to enjoy shorts, feature films, documentaries and animations rooted in hip hop culture from all over the world. Some twenty films and videos of varying length will be selected with the emphasis on
recent films.

Film makers are requested to submit their films for selection, deadline is 15 June 2005, submissions can be VHS or dvd, there is no entryfee.

More info: http://www.blacksoil.com

Please send submissions to:

Black Soil
207 W102nd Street #5A
NY NY 10025-8704

or:

Black Soil
da Costastraat 83 II
1053 ZT Amsterdam

contactperson: Sasha Dees
Phone +1 212 864 59 21 / +31 20 612 46 58
E-mail: deessasha@cs.com

ADVERTISING RECRUITER IN SEARCH OF TALENTED INDIVIDUALS
Tell your co-workers, your friends, your Vendors, tell everyone you
know! Everyone knows someone in Advertising who needs a job and we
want to know them too. And, send us your resume. You never know when
that dream job? is going to come our way!

Our Clients include Major Advertising Agencies, creative boutique?
Agencies, and major consumer Client companies. They are seeking
superb talent in all disciplines: Creative (Art & Copy), Account,
Studio (Mac Artists & Retouchers), Print Production, Project
Management, Traffic, Art Buying, Media & Human Resources.

Jobs presently available in New York City, New Jersey, Los Angeles,
San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, Ohio
and Dallas.

Full time, Freelance, All levels!

All interested should contact us at:
jobs@creativerecruiters.com

VOGUE SEEKS FASHION MERCHANDISING DIRECTOR
Director on Fashion Business: American Fashion & Retail
-Manage workflow and lead team of two
-Create strategic alliances and build integrated merchandising programs
-Work closely with sales team on business development
-Brainstorm ideas and develop concepts for clients, including special event development
-Identify new program opportunities with external contacts (TV, Film, Music)
-Possess strong communication and writing skills; research, write and edit merchandising proposals
-Lead proposal writer for all Fashion and Retail programs
-Possess a strong knowledge of cultural events and the fashion world
-Flawlessly execute client merchandising programs
-Develop and maintain program budgets and manage program development

Retail and fashion experience required.

Submit resume to:
holly_tedesco@vogue.com

PAID INTERNSHIP WITH MISTO MARKETING & MANAGEMENT IN MIAMI
Paid Internship available as marketing/production assistant with Misto Marketing & Management/ Soulfrito Entertainment beginning part time immediately and full time in July- Flexible schedule.

Seeking individual who is a go-getter and interested in working within the Urban Latin music, marketing & entertainment industry. Requirements:

Detailed orientated
Multi-tasked
Lots of initiative
Minimal book keeping experience
Excellent communication skills both written & verbal
Skills in MS Word, MS Power Point, MS Outlook, Excel
Typing
Telephone etiquette
Doesn't mind street promotions

Please send resumes to: info@soulfrito.net or call 305 371 2431

YOUNG COOL LATIN AD AGENCY SEEKS CONSUMER INSIGHT PLANNER
We are seeking a bilingual (Spanish/English) talent with strong writing skills in English. Background in research a plus.

This person must be very familiar with the Hispanic community (familiarity with the community in LA and Texas a strong plus!) This person must be a people person. He or she must be prepared to conduct interviews and write many insight reports. Must be willing to travel at least once every 2 months(within the US). Strong project management skills and attention to detail a must.

Must be proficient microsoft office package.

The job entails exciting opportunities with a young, thriving Hispanic agency that focuses on the markets here in the US. Opportunities for growth are limitless. Salary range depends on experience.

For more information regarding the company see www.latinvox.com

Interest parties please send resumes and cover letters to:
marcia@latinvox.com

HARRIS PUBLICATIONS SEEKS BLOGGER FOR ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR POSITION
The Managing Editor will be responsible for the development of and editing
of blogs for various Harris Publications websites.

Responsibilities include:
-Work with editorial staff to identify topics and generate content ideas.
-Ensure timely and frequent posts on the Harris sites (XXL, KING, SCRATCH, and RIDES and more)
-Oversee contributing writers to maintain quality and consistent tone of posts.
-Measure success of posts to drive traffic to the sites utilizing website traffic statistics.
-Appoint and oversee message board moderators and posted content.
-Select the best posts and news for daily email blasts
-Coordinate with editorial to traffic monthly magazine updates for the sites.

Skills needed:

-Understanding of blog software like Movable Type or similar blog systems
-Understanding of website traffic statistics
-Interest in urban/hip-hop content a plus
-HTML and PHP experience a plus

This a full time staff position with benefits.

Send resume and salary history to the email address below; please reference the job: OME

Jason Brightman
Web Director
Harris Publications
jason@harris-pub.com

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN: BECOME A MERRILL LYNCH FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Merrill Lynch is hosting a conference to invite professional women in today's market to learn about becoming a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor. If someone is looking to change their career and want to know about becoming a financial advisor, they can come to the conference and learn how to become a financial advisor. They will hear about Merrill Lynch training program and hear from other women who have gone through our program, I'm in the program. So please pass this information on and anyone interested please contact me at 1-800-277-8199 or e-mail me at aurea_delacruz@ml.com. If anyone attends I will be at both sessions.

PLEASE JOIN US TO:
Meet some of our member Financial Advisors
Share perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for professional women in today's market
Learn more about the benefits of a career as a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

IN NEW YORK ON JUNE 15, 2005, Wednesday, AT 5:30pm
New York University Rosenthal Pavillion
60 Washington Square, 10th Floor

IN NEW JERSEY ON JUNE 28TH, Tuesday, AT 5:30pm
Jasna Polana
8 Lawrenceville Road
Princeton, New Jersey

REFRESMENTS WILL BE SERVED

Please contact me and I will provide more information.

Aurea De La Cruz
aurea_delacruz@ml.com

PROFESSIONAL WOMEN: BECOME A MERRILL LYNCH FINANCIAL ADVISOR
Merrill Lynch is hosting a conference to invite professional women in today's market to learn about becoming a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor. If someone is looking to change their career and want to know about becoming a financial advisor, they can come to the conference and learn how to become a financial advisor. They will hear about Merrill Lynch training program and hear from other women who have gone through our program, I'm in the program. So please pass this information on and anyone interested please contact me at 1-800-277-8199 or e-mail me at aurea_delacruz@ML.com. If anyone attends I will be at both sessions.

PLEASE JOIN US TO:
Meet some of our member Financial Advisors
Share perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for professional women in today's market
Learn more about the benefits of a career as a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor

IN NEW YORK ON JUNE 15, 2005, Wednesday, AT 5:30pm
New York University Rosenthal Pavillion
60 Washington Square, 10th Floor

IN NEW JERSEY ON JUNE 28TH, Tuesday, AT 5:30pm
Jasna Polana
8 Lawrenceville Road
Princeton, New Jersey

REFRESMENTS WILL BE SERVED

Please contact me and I will provide more information.

Aurea De La Cruz
aurea_delacruz@ml.com

A TEAM, IN CLEATS OR DANCING SHOES
By Sara Rimer, NEW YORK TIMES

Gustavo Duran and his best friend, Carlos Del Rosario, and the other five seniors on the George Washington High School baseball team in Washington Heights had been talking about the prom for weeks: the cool tuxedos they would wear, the limousine they would rent, the gorgeous girls they would dance with.

Gustavo Duran a captain of the George Washington High School baseball team, is attended to at the All Star Barber Shop.

Freddy Soto is helped by his friend's mother, Estela Fernandez.

With Santiago Molina, the smoothest dancer on the team, leading them, they practiced their salsa and merengue in their dingy locker room, twirling each other around the concrete floor between the rows of battered lockers.

The prom would be the biggest night of the school year. And for this band of 17- and 18-year-old Dominican-Americans, friends since middle school, bound by their determination to make something of themselves through baseball, it was important that they would spend the evening together.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/13/nyregion/13prom.html?ex=1119326400&en=3af30c157d23b1d8&ei=5070&emc=eta1

THE NEW MAINSTREAM
A multicultural transformation is sweeping the U.S.
By Guy Garcia

Editor’s note: In his new book, The New Mainstream, journalist Guy Garcia explains how a multicultural revolution is transforming the American economy. The change, Garcia argues, is both subtle and seismic. It is demographic and social, cutting across corporations and organizations. It is putting a multicultural spin on everything from business and politics to entertainment and technology, and no amount of armed vigilantes on the Arizona border can stop it. The following essay is adapted from a recent presentation Garcia gave at the Association of International Educators:

“The future,” Rainer Maria Rilke once observed, “enters into us to transform us even before it happens.”

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.gnn.tv/articles/1447/The_New_Mainstream

A WORD OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG BLACK MALES -- GRADUATE!
By THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR

The education system and the black community are failing young black males, whose high dropout rates are a national disaster, charges Phillip Jackson of the Black Star Project. School reform requires addressing the relationship between black male youth identity and hip-hop culture, says Jose Evans of the Black and Latino Policy Institute. The pair explain how educators and the community must reach out to young blacks to offer them a better future.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050522/OPINION/505220302

A LATIN POWER SURGE
A new mayor in L.A. A decisive showing in '04. Latinos are making their mark on politics as never before. Get used to it.
By Arian Campo-Flores and Howard Fineman, NEWSWEEK

Antonio Villaraigosa's cell phone was trilling incessantly. Every Democrat in the nation, it seemed, wanted a piece of the newly elected mayor of Los Angeles, the first Latino to win the office in 133 years. John Kerry phoned to congratulate him, as did John Edwards, Howard Dean, Al Gore and Sen. Chris Dodd. Driving to city hall last Friday as he spoke by phone with a news-week reporter, Villaraigosa interrupted the interview to field yet another call on a different phone. "Yes, I would like to speak to Senator Clinton," he said. "Can I call you back?" he told the reporter. Afterward, Villaraigosa recounted his exchange with Hillary: "She said that she and President Clinton were just elated with my victory," and "if they could be helpful in any way in the coming weeks and months," they were eager to do so. Villaraigosa said he had responded with a few admiring words of his own. She was "an example of what I need to do as mayor of the city of Los Angeles," he had told her. "Not get so caught up in all of the national attention and focus on my job."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7937184/site/newsweek/

HACKER HUNTERS
An elite force takes on the dark side of computing
By Brian Grow, with Jason Bush in Moscow, BUSINESS WEEK

In an unmarked building in downtown Washington, Brian K. Nagel and 15 other Secret Service agents manned a high-tech command center, poised for the largest-ever roundup of a cybercrime gang. A huge map of the U.S., spread across 12 digital screens, gave them a view of their prey, from Arizona to New Jersey. It was Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, and Operation Firewall was about to be unleashed. The target: the ShadowCrew, a gang whose members were schooled in identity theft, bank account pillage, and the fencing of ill-gotten wares on the Web, police say. For months, agents had been watching their every move through a clandestine gateway into their Web site, shadowcrew.com. To ensure the suspects were at home, a gang member-turned-informant had pressed his pals to go online for a group meeting.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_22/b3935001_mz001.htm?chan=tc

GOOGLE'S LONG MEMORY STIRS PRIVACY CONCERNS
By REUTERS

When Google Inc.'s 19 million daily users look up a long-lost classmate, send e-mail or bounce around the Web more quickly with its new Web Accelerator, records of that activity don't go away.

In an era of increased government surveillance, privacy watchdogs worry that Google's vast archive of Internet activity could prove a tempting target for abuse.

Like many other online businesses, Google tracks how its search engine and other services are used, and who uses them. Unlike many other businesses, Google holds onto that information for years.

Some privacy experts who otherwise give Google high marks say the company's records could become a handy data bank for government investigators who rely on business records to circumvent Watergate-era laws that limit their own ability to track U.S. residents.

At a time when libraries delete lending records as soon as a book is returned, Google should purge its records after a certain point to protect users, they say.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/internet/06/03/google.privacy.reut/

APPLE OFFERS $50 CREDIT FOR IPOD BATTERIES
By ASSOCIATED PRESS

Andrew Westley had high hopes for his iPod, when he purchased the digital music player in 2001 and loaded more than five hours' worth of music for a cross-country flight. But the music died before the San Francisco attorney reached the East Coast - despite claims by Apple Computer Inc. that a fully charged iPod would play continuously for eight or more hours. Disappointed, Westley called a consumer rights attorney and later became one of eight people who sued the computer maker in 2003 over the iPod's battery failures.

As part of a tentative settlement announced this week, Apple agreed to give $50 vouchers and extended service warranties to as many as 2 million customers whose older iPods had batteries that needed to be replaced or didn't fully charge.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2005/06/03/ap2073244.html

SURVEY: U.S. RESIDENTS ADDICTED TO E-MAIL
Some are so hooked that they check for messages while in the bathroom
By Juan Carlos Perez, IDG NEWS SERVICE

U.S. residents are so hooked on e-mail that some check for messages in the bathroom, in church and while driving, a new survey sponsored by America Online Inc. has found.

The average e-mail user in the U.S. has two or three e-mail accounts and spends about an hour every day reading, sending and replying to messages, according to the survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corp.

E-mail dependency is so strong for 41% of survey respondents that they check their e-mail in-boxes right after getting out of bed in the morning. The average user checks his in-box five times a day, according to the survey, which polled 4,012 respondents at least 18 years old in the 20 largest U.S. cities.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.infoworld.com/article/05/05/27/HNsurveyemail_1.html

WATCH FOR ROADCASTING RAGE
By Daniel Terdiman, WIRED NEWS

Stuck in traffic and sick of Howard Stern, you may soon be able to tune in to the music collection of the person in the car in front of you.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing an ad hoc networking system for cars that would allow any driver to broadcast music to any other vehicle within a 30-mile radius.

Developed by a group of current and former master's students at the Human Computer Interaction Institute, the Roadcasting project would allow drivers to stream their MP3 music collections by Wi-Fi or similar technology to any other vehicle within range that is equipped with compatible hardware and software.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,67653,00.html

SONY TESTS ANTI-CD BURNING TECHNOLOGY
By ABC NEWS ONLINE

As part of its mounting United States rollout of content-enhanced and copy-protected CDs, Sony BMG is testing technology that bars consumers from making additional copies of burned CD-R discs.

Since March the company has released at least 10 commercial titles - more than 1 million discs in total, featuring technology from UK anti-piracy specialist First4Internet that allows consumers to make limited copies of protected discs, but blocks users from making copies of the copies.

The concept is known as "sterile burning" and, in the eyes of Sony BMG executives, the initiative is central to the industry's efforts to curb casual CD burning.

"The casual piracy, the school-yard piracy, is a huge issue for us," Thomas Hesse said, president of global digital business for Sony BMG.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1379891.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200505/s1379891.htm

IPOD PLUG-IN SETS MUSIC FREE
By Katie Dean, WIRED NEWS

IPod users are raving about a plug-in that makes the Winamp digital jukebox a better way to manage the iPod than Apple's iTunes.

The plug-in, called ml_iPod, allows iPod users to bypass iTunes and manage music collections in Winamp instead. The iPod is supposed to work with iTunes only. A new version of the software was released Monday.

Justin Frankel, creator of Winamp and the open-source peer-to-peer software Gnutella, initially developed ml_iPod, but programming was taken over by Will Fisher, a computer science student in the U.K.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,67593,00.html

BRAND AND YOUTH LIFESTYLE EXPERTS LAUNCH 'PROJECT 2050'TO CONNECT BRANDS WITH TODAY'S YOUTH & LIFESTYLE MARKETS
Renowned Design Revolutionary Shepard Fairey Signs on as Creative Force. Initial Clients and Brand Work Include EA Sports, Boost Mobile and Honda

Project 2050 officially launched today to bring brands closer to the influential, trend setting, and urban-skewing youth markets. The marketing and strategy shop will offer corporate clients as well as advertising agencies services that include brand consulting, branded content opportunities, public relations, experiential marketing, creative support and trend analysis.

Project 2050 is a collaboration between cultural youth and lifestyle experts Phil Colon, Christopher White and Matt Pressman. The three individuals bring extensive experience from the branding, advertising, media, and entertainment realms. In addition to agency experience, the founding partners have successfully managed three of the most prominent urban youth publications in the marketplace today (Vibe, The Source, and Urban Latino). Their collective expertise coupled with a keen understanding of the urban mindset creates a level of specialization and real world knowledge of urban youth culture all under one shop.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/050502/lam109.html?.v=6

AMERICAN CONSUMERS LARGELY IGNORE 'MADE IN USA' PITCH
Perception Study Finds Young Adults the Least Likely to Own U.S.-Made Cars
By Bradley Johnson, AD AGE

The good news for beleaguered U.S. manufacturers: Americans believe “Made in the USA” stands for quality and value. The bad news: Consumers -- especially young adults entering their prime buying years and richer households who have money -- aren’t inclined to look for products made at home.
Consumers rank the quality of U.S. autos at No. 2; the prime young-adult demographic prefers foreign-made vehicles.

These are among the findings from the American Demographics Perception Study, a new consumer survey on topics from Chinese goods to Wal-Mart’s image.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=45213

APPLE PLANS TO SWITCH FROM I.B.M. TO INTEL FOR CHIPS
By John Markoff and Steve Lohr, NEW YORK TIMES

Steven P. Jobs is preparing to take an unprecedented gamble by abandoning Apple Computer's 14-year commitment to chips developed by I.B.M. and Motorola in favor of Intel processors for his Macintosh computers, industry executives informed of the decision said Sunday.

The move is a chesslike gambit in a broader industry turf war that pits the traditional personal computer industry against an emerging world of consumer electronics focused on the digital home.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/06/technology/06apple.html?th&emc=th

WHAT EBAY COULD LEARN FROM CRAIGSLIST
By Randall Stross, NEW YORK TIMES

THESE days, triple-digit annual growth rates are rare among major Web sites. Meet that rarity: Craigslist.

Exceptional, too, is the ability to draw 10 million unique visitors each month without ever relying on venture capital and equity markets. Or the ability to attain fourth place among general-interest portals without ever spending a penny on marketing.

Signal accomplishments, to be sure, fit for boasting in an annual report. But Craigslist is a privately held company that has no such reports, and no burning interest in the competitive fray. It does far more shrugging than boasting. Its management regards profits, which it has earned consistently since 1999, as merely the means to remain in control of its own destiny. Free of debt, it can do as it wishes to maximize what it calls its service mission without having to maximize profits. This is good news for its customers - that is, community members - and bad news for competitors whose shareholders are unlikely to regard community service as their own companies' raison d'être.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/business/yourmoney/05digi.html?th&emc=th

DOES THE REALITY SHOW MAKE THE DESIGNER?
By Tracie Rozhon, NEW YORK TIMES

OVER kaleidoscopic images of striped shirts, red-white-and-blue logos, flashing lights and a zooming red Ferrari, a man's disembodied voice intones: "If you've ever turned on a television, opened a magazine or gone shopping, you know who I am."

In the first episode of "The Cut," to be broadcast on Thursday, Mr. Hilfiger is blunt with some of the 16 contestants. At one point he told one in a green T-shirt and chinos, "You don't look like you care about style."

As the television show unfolds, the camera cuts to the speaker. "My name is Tommy Hilfiger," he says. "People around the world know the name and know the fashion. But the road to fame wasn't easy."

Nor has it always been a one-way street. Mr. Hilfiger's reputation has waxed and waned, often reflecting his company's latest sales or profit figures - or speculation about its dealings with regulators. His company's stock is still depressed from the beating it has taken over the last six years. The Justice Department, meanwhile, is investigating the company itself for possible tax evasion.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/business/yourmoney/05reality.html?th&emc=th

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE. A HIP-HOP MOGUL SAYS IT'S PROPAGANDA.
By Jeff Leeds, NEW YORK TIMES

Russell Simmons has long reigned as one of the entertainment industry's most capable promoters. At 47, as the co-founder of the Def Jam Recordings label, Mr. Simmons still tirelessly hawks a portfolio of ventures, from financial services to an energy soda.

"You give out false statements to mislead the public so they will then increase in their mind the value of your company."

Russell Simmons and his wife, Kimora Lee, both work in fashion.

His best-known recent success has been Phat Farm, the hip-hop-flavored clothing line he founded in 1992. Early last year, the Kellwood Company, an apparel maker based in Chesterfield, Mo., purchased the firm for $140 million, retaining Mr. Simmons as chief executive of the division.

But in a civil deposition last July, he provided some unusual insights into fashion marketing. Under questioning from a plaintiff's lawyer as part of a lawsuit involving a longtime business partner, Mr. Simmons told of what he described as "the amount of hype that goes on when I discuss the value of Phat Farm," according to the transcript.

"It is how you develop an image for companies. So in other words, you give out false statements to mislead the public so they will then increase in their mind the value of your company," Mr. Simmons said.

The strategy seemed to work. In February 2003, for instance, Mr. Simmons appeared on CNBC saying that Phat Fashions was "doing $350 million" in sales. In fact, Phat Fashions' revenue for 2002 totaled $14.3 million, according to court papers and the company.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/16/business/media/16simmons.html?ex=1118030400&en=583183b54dc2945a&ei=5070&ex=1117080000&en=5e9842b470bc70c9&ei=5070&oref=login

DECLINE AND FALL OF HELMUT LANG
By Eric Wilson, NEW YORK TIMES

Helmut Lang's major influence over the fashion of the last 15 years there is little doubt. Consumers can thank him for flat-front pants, the number of buttons on men's suits - first three, more recently two - and the spiraling prices of designer jeans and T-shirts. An entire culture of prestige denim was born from Mr. Lang's low-rise jeans with intricate washes, for which he dared to charge close to $200 in the 1990's.

So powerful was his creative leadership that when he said he would show his collections in Manhattan ahead of European rivals, most American designers followed suit, and New York Fashion Week was permanently rescheduled.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/26/fashion/thursdaystyles/26helmut.html?ex=1118030400&en=e4ea48673b1dd3ef&ei=5070&8nyh&emc=nyh

ADVERTISING REACHES OUT TO LATINOS
By Yvette Armendariz, ARIZONA REPUBLIC

PHOENIX — As businesses ramp up their marketing aimed at Hispanic consumers to the tune of more than $3 billion nationally, small specialty ad agencies are taking root.

Phoenix now ranks as the No. 9 Latino market in the United States based on population, and the past two years have seen the opening of at least five Hispanic-oriented agencies: Alternatives/Alternativos, Molina/Lopez, Raices Unidas, Del Sol Hispanic Advertising and IQ Espanol.

Companies are pitching everything from laundry detergent, cosmetics and diapers to cable, cars and homes to Hispanics.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/businessnews/onthemove/ci_2765931

COMMON DESIGNS LIMITED EDITION SNEAKER WITH KRISPY KLEAN
By Jayson Rodriguez, WWW.ALLHIPHOP.COM

Chicago emcee Common has partnered with celebrity design team Krispy Klean to release a pair of limited edition Nike Dunks.

The sneaker hit stores earlier this week to coincide with the release of the conscious rapper’s latest effort, BE.

Just as eclectic as the emcee’s taste, the Dunks are available in two different color schemes, red and brown or green in brown. Only 100 pairs of Com’s sneaker will be available, retailing at a price of $350.00 per pair.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.allhiphop.com/hiphopnews/?ID=4444

SHAME ON BP AND MORGAN STANLEY AD PULL POLICIES
The Editorial Board, ADVERTISING AGE

Shame on BP. And shame on Morgan Stanley and General Motors and any other advertisers involved in assaults on editorial integrity and independence. By wielding their ad budgets as weapons to beat down newsrooms, these companies threaten the bond that media properties have with their audiences, the very thing that gives media their value to advertisers to begin with.

Editorial integrity eroded
Most of all, shame on all those who stand by quietly as editorial integrity is eroded, whether the media agencies that help implement ad-pull policies and hide behind the phrase "common practice" or the publishers and editors too timid to speak up against those who pay the bills. (And where are the leading trade associations, which should take a stand in support of editorial independence?)

Yes, every advertiser has the right to decide where to place its budget, and the right not to support a media property it believes has treated it unfairly or with disregard to facts. And it's clear why airlines would want to avoid ads appearing alongside coverage of air disasters. But that's different from the kind of insidious approach taken by advertisers that unreasonably demand to know whenever a publication is writing, in positive or negative terms, about a company, its rivals or its entire industry, as BP did with its "zero-tolerance policy," or demand to see edit in advance. It's also different than GM making a public example out of the Los Angeles Times to send a not-so-subtle signal to the rest of the media marketplace about the consequences of tough coverage of its problems.

Trust and credibility
The primary reasons for advertisers to invest in any media product should be the bond that product has with its audience and the relevance of that audience as a marketing target. Such relationships are often based on trust and credibility. Tools such as ad-pull policies can damage that credibility. They make clear to editors and publishers that if they don't create an editorial environment friendly to a marketer's message, the money will go elsewhere.

Marketers should encourage media outlets to serve audiences first, not advertisers. Those that attract the right audience should get the ad dollars. Shame on anyone who believes otherwise.

DOES THE FUTURE BELONG TO CHINA?
A new power is emerging in the East. How America should handle
unprecedented new challenges, threats—and opportunities.
By Fareed Zakaria, NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL

Americans admire beauty, but they are truly dazzled by bigness. Think of the Grand Canyon, the California redwoods, Grand Central Terminal, Disney World, SUVs, the American armed forces, General Electric, the Double Quarter Pounder (With Cheese) and the Venti Latte. Europeans prefer complexity and nuance, the Japanese revere minuteness and minimalism. But Americans like size, preferably supersize.

That's why China hits the American imagination so hard. It is a country whose scale dwarfs the United States—1.3 billion people, four times America's population. For more than a hundred years it was dreams of this magnitude that fascinated small groups of American missionaries and businessmen—1 billion souls to save; 2 billion armpits to deodorize—but it never amounted to anything. China was very big, but very poor. All that is changing. But now the very size and scale that seemed so alluring is beginning to look ominous. And Americans are wondering whether the "China threat" is nightmarishly real.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7693580/site/newsweek/?GT1=6542

LATIN AMERCA IN REVOLT: CONTINENT DEFIES USA
By Stuart Munckton, SCOOP INDEPENDENT NEWS

For over two decades the US has forced neoliberalism — and its accompanying poverty and despair — down Third World throats in order to make the world better for US business. To many, the spreading US economic empire, backed by the point of a gun and a loan, has seemed unassailable. But now, unable to defeat a rag-tag bunch of Iraqi militias, and rapidly losing allies in Latin America, the empire is not looking so strong. As yet another neoliberal, pro-US government falls in Latin America,

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0504/S00278.htm

ART AND SOLE
By Lesley Gillilan, FINANCIAL TIMES

Give or take a couple of go-faster stripes and a brand logo, one pair of trainers looks much like another to me. So, I am faintly bemused by the world of the sport shoe connoisseur (or the hardcore "sneaker freak"), for whom the differences between, say, an Adidas and a Reebok are paramount.

What should surely be a case of choosing a basketball shoe over a tennis one has become all wrapped up in identity and street cred. And, yes, I have seen the shops. I know there are hundreds of different styles to choose from. But what drives someone to buy every pair?

According to Sneakers, a new book written and designed by the team behind London-based creative agency Unorthodox Styles, there are myriad reasons from fashion to hero worship; brand loyalty to team loyalty; and technological innovation. The mass appeal of trainers, it says, has become a "full-blown mainstream phenomenon".

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/c0c819ec-b88c-11d9-bfeb-00000e2511c8.html

THE SUBMARINE
By Paul Graham

"Suits make a corporate comeback," says the New York Times. Why does this sound familiar? Maybe because the suit was also back in February, September 2004, June 2004, March 2004, September 2003, November 2002, April 2002, and February 2002.

Why do the media keep running stories saying suits are back? Because PR firms tell them to. One of the most surprising things I discovered during my brief business career was the existence of the PR industry, lurking like a huge, quiet submarine beneath the news. Of the stories you read in traditional media that aren't about politics, crimes, or disasters, more than half probably come from PR firms.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.paulgraham.com/submarine.html

WEDNESDAY | APRIL 13, 2005 | 6-10PM
DTM APRIL ISSUE #17 RELEASE EVENT

Join Dominican Times Magazine in celebrating their April Issue Release on Wednesday, April 13th from 6pm - 10pm at Ambar Room, located at 3595 W. 203rd Street, New York, NY 10034 on 10th Avenue. Tel. (212) 304-8611

Dominican actor Manny Perez will be gracing the cover and will attend this event.

Happy Hour will be from 6pm - 8pm, so get there early!

FOR FURTHER INFO E-MAIL: info@dominicantimes.com

GOOD-LOOKING FEET AND NEVER MIND THE COST
BY THE NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL

Call it the Sneakerhead syndrome. Fashion-conscious consumers are joining shoe devotees known as Sneakerheads when it comes to trendy athletic footwear.

As a result, high-priced athletic shoes are jumping off the store shelves and padding profits at Nike and its rivals.

Sneakerheads have long had a reputation as a rare breed of collector willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on hard-to-find sneakers few others have. But analysts say a fashion shift to premium sneakers like the Nike Shox has turned spending big bucks on athletic footwear more mainstream in a trend that is a boon for shoe companies.

Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at marketing firm NPD Group, said demand for athletic shoes that cost more than US$100 ($140) grew 18 per cent in the United States last year to almost US$600 million as premium footwear became the latest rage.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10118897

SELENA RECORDS STILL SELLING 10 YEARS AFTER HER DEATH
By Dulcinea Cuellar, THE MONITOR

Even 10 years after her death, Selena records continue to sell in South Texas.

Like Elvis Presley and John Lennon were to the generations before her, Selena was a star, the hope of Tejano music fans and performers hoping to break out.

Her death not only solidified her place in music history, but also turned her into an icon for generations of Tejano fans.

"In Tejano music, she was the reyna (queen)," said Robert Ceballos, programming director for KJAV, Jammin’ 104.9, an easy-listening station in McAllen. "The young reyna."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.valleystar.com/localnews_more.php?id=57336_0_19_0_M

THE GENIUS OF SIN CITY
By David Edelstein, WWW.SLATE.COM

As a film critic, I have often bemoaned the amorality and opportunism of the vigilante genre, as well as the sadism and righteous torture on display in movies and television in the wake of Sept. 11. From time to time, I have also lamented the explosion of the comic-book superhero genre. With the recent exceptions of Spider-Man 2 and The Incredibles, these cookie-cutter action thrillers have been crafted for a generation weaned on Game Boys. Meanwhile, computerized effects have taken cinema farther and farther from the world that human beings actually inhabit. And now comes cinema's latest devolutionary milestone, Sin City (Miramax), a graphic novel come to life, its sets copied from the page and regenerated in three dimensions inside a computer, and boasting the most relentless display of torture and sadism I've encountered in a mainstream movie.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://slate.msn.com/id/2115999/

PRE SCHOOL TOUTED FOR ALL
Benefits include fewer crimes, dropouts, report says
By Staff and Wire Reports, SAN BERNADINO SUN

High-quality, universal preschool for all 4-year-olds in California would generate $2.62 in benefits for every public dollar spent, according to a new economic analysis released Tuesday by the Rand Corp.

The cost-benefits study by the Santa Monica-based think tank estimated average annual costs of $1.7 billion for universal preschool would be offset in the long term by a reduction in the high school dropout rate, less juvenile crime and a more productive work force.

Redlands Police Chief Jim Bueermann said universal preschool would help reduce crime.

"The more teens that have the educational foundation of a preschool education, the less teens my officers will see in a lineup,' Bueermann said.

Bueermann said children who lose interest in school are more likely to drop out and commit crimes. Taxpayers take on the burden of paying the cost associated with youth violence such as legal and medical costs, he said.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.sbsun.com/Stories/0,1413,208~12588~2788644,00.html

COLORFUL CROCS ATTACK THE MIDWEST
By MAGGIE MEYER, THE MISSOURIAN

Crocs shoes, shown here at Dryer’s Shoe Store in Columbia, are plastic slip-ons that have become popular over the past year. Available in 14 colors, they spread from Colorado, where they started as a water shoe. (Chris Gubbels/Missourian)

Their bright colors and distinct look can be spotted a mile away. After gaining popularity in Colorado and then spreading to the coasts, Crocs shoes are showing up across the Midwest.

Crocs — ventilated waterproof clogs — have been around since 2002. The company has grown exponentially, according to Tia Williams, Crocs public relations executive. The shoes made their debut at the Miami Boat Show and were marketed as perfect for boating, water sports and beachwear.

Since then, the company has spread to retail stores and is looking to expand internationally for 2005.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://columbiamissourian.com/taste/story.php?ID=12961

RETURN OF THE MAC
By Paul Graham

All the best hackers I know are gradually switching to Macs. My friend Robert said his whole research group at MIT recently bought themselves Powerbooks. These guys are not the graphic designers and grandmas who were buying Macs at Apple's low point in the mid 1990s. They're about as hardcore OS hackers as you can get.

The reason, of course, is OS X. Powerbooks are beautifully designed and run FreeBSD. What more do you need to know?

I got a Powerbook at the end of last year. When my IBM Thinkpad's hard disk died soon after, it became my only laptop. And when my friend Trevor showed up at my house recently, he was carrying a Powerbook identical to mine.

For most of us, it's not a switch to Apple, but a return. Hard as this was to believe in the mid 90s, the Mac was in its time the canonical hacker's computer.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://store.yahoo.com/paulgraham/mac.html

McHIP-HOP NAME DROP
Chain wants rappers to mention Big Mac
By Oren Yaniv and Laura Williams, DAILY NEWS

With names like Big Pooh, Big Daddy Kane, Big Rich Tha Don and Notorious B.I.G., "big" is already huge for rappers.

Now, McDonald's reportedly hopes to lure hip-hop artists to drop references to Big Macs into their rhymes.

Though it's not offering money upfront, the fast-food giant is willing to pay rappers $1 to $5 each time songs with the plug hit the radio, according to today's Advertising Age. McDonald's hopes to have its signature sandwich in several songs by summer, the mag says.

And it looks like the plan just might boost sales, some McDonald's customers said yesterday.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:


http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/294121p-251806c.html

USTED HABLA ESPAÑOL?
By The Business Ledger

The Census Bureau reports that approximately 40 million people in the United States do speak Spanish.

And with the Hispanic market ready to boast a spending power of $1 trillion by 2007, any marketers who can’t answer “yes” to the above question will be left out of a significant niche.

“Companies will definitely have to start figuring that market into the mix,” said Brian Dorn, president of Edward G. Dorn Associates in Rolling Meadows. “By 2020 that population will be 25 percent of the market. People will have to start setting aside some part of their advertising budget for that.”

Many corporations already have started to target the lucrative Hispanic market. According to the Arbitron Power of Hispanic Consumers Study, corporate spending on Hispanic advertising from 1998 to 2003 nearly doubled to $2.7 billion.

Marketing to the Hispanic population, however, isn’t as simple as translating advertising campaigns word for word.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.thebusinessledger.com/Articles.asp?artId=777&isuID=39

PAID INTERSHIPS FOR MINORITIES

The Louis Carr Internship Foundation http://www.louiscarrfoundation.com is accepting applications for Summer 2005 paid internships in communications from minority students, who have completed their sophomore and/or junior year of college.

The Foundation will award ten (10) internships at top television, print media, advertising, marketing, information technology and other communications-related businesses in Chicago, New York, and Washington, DC. Interns, who are matched with mentors, will participate in an eight-to-ten week internship and obtain valuable hands-on experience plus insight into the challenges and rewards of careers in communications.

Please help the Foundation communicate our paid internship opportunities for minority students. The application form for Summer 2005 plus complete details about the internship are available on our website at http://www.louiscarrfoundation.com or http://www.louiscarrfoundation.org.

All applications must be post-marked by March 31, 2005. For additional information, please contact the Foundation at 1-800-LCIF-740 (1 800 524-3740).

The Foundation was created in 2003 by Louis Carr, President, Broadcast Media Sales at BET, to increase multiculturalism and to enhance diversity within the communications industry. After 20 years of hearing much talk in the industry about more diversity and the under-representation of minorities, but witnessing very little action, Carr made a commitment of $50,000 annually to fund summer internships. The Louis Carr Internship Foundation offers highly motivated and talented students of color, who cannot afford to work for free in the summer, paid internships and a opportunity to get a 'head start' on career development.

Thank you in advance for your assistance and for disseminating information on the Louis Carr Internship Foundation to your colleagues and students.

Carolyn A. Davis, Executive Director
LOUIS CARR INTERNSHIP FOUNDATION
P.O. Box 81859
Chicago, IL 60681-0859
Tel: (800) LCIF-740 - (800 524-3740)
Website: http://www.louiscarrfoundation.com
or http://www.louiscarrfoundation.org

FREE LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE TICKET'S TO SEASON FINALE OF ESPN SHOW "DREAM JOBS"UP FOR GRABS IS A COVETED SPOT ON ESPN AS AN NBA STUDIO ANALYST, THIS TAPING WILL DETERMINE THE WINNER

THE SHOW IS ON EASTER SUNDAY SO DO NOT RSVP UNLESS YOU ARE 100% SURE YOU CAN ATTEND.

You are invited to join the studio audience of ESPN'S 3rd season of the hit reality show Dream Job. It will be a high speed, high stakes adventure as 6 FORMER NBA PLAYERS/finalists are challenged each week with nerve wracking on air sports tasks. Can these former NBA players who know the game so intimately make the transition to TV or will they crash and burn showing that skills on the court don't necessarily get the job done on ESPN? See former Knick Gerald Wilkins, Former Celtic Dee Brown, Former Piston Dana Barros, Former Slam Dunk King Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins, Former Hornet Herman "JR" Reid Jr. and Former Rocket Matt Bullard battle it out off the court for a shot at a new career on ESPN. You haven't seen this kind of competition since the legendary battles between the Knicks and the Celtics. Come be a part of the fun as ESPN searches for an NBA STUDIO ANALYST. This season finale show will determine the winner.

Filming takes place at a convenient Midtown Manhattan Studio close to Penn Station.

If you are interested in tickets to the show please email us at: dreamjob@broadwayvideo.com ASAP and include the following information in both the subject line and body of your email:

1. Your full name
2. The number of tickets that you want (max. 4 tix.)
(don't ask for 4 tickets unless you will absolutely be using them.)
3. Your phone number
4. email address
5. WHICH SHOW-FINALE SHOWS:SHOW 7 - SUNDAY - MARCH 27 - 9:30-11PM

EX: Walt Frazier/4 tickets/212-333-1555/shoothehoop@aol.com/ SHOW 7

You will receive a confirmation phone call or email with all of the ticket information no later than Saturday afternoon depending when you rsvp. WE HAVE TICKETS TO THE FINALE AS OF FRIDAY, March 25, 2005.

Come check out the action and have a chance at winning $150, VIP TICKETS TO CHAPPELLE SHOW and TO HBO COMEDY SPECIALS FILMING IN APRIL (EACH HBO SHOW WILL HAVE TWO STAR COMICS).

You won't want to miss seeing Dream Job 3 live with your SportsCenter host Stuart Scott and our great panel of judges.

AOL, MSN, UNIVISION LAUNCH MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR HISPANIC CONSUMERS
By WWW.INTERNETRETAILER.COM

Focusing on the growing online presence of Hispanic consumers, AOL, MSN, Yahoo, Univision.com and other members of the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Hispanic Committee are launching a marketing campaign designed to convince online marketers that the Internet is an important means to reach a growing Hispanic market.

The committee has selected advertising agencies Tapestry, Starcom IP and Lapiz, all part of the Publicis Groupe, to launch a multi-media campaign later this year promoting the value of marketing to Hispanic consumers. "Competing online media companies banding together to launch a targeted campaign, especially in a market as competitive as the Hispanic sector, is truly unprecedented," said Greg Stuart, president and CEO, IAB. "This historic initiative is just another example of the online industry`s focused commitment to growing the industry above all else."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=14489

PORN PUSHERS OR YOUTH PROPHETS?
Sweatshop-free fans get their panties in a knot over American Apparel's gritty ad come-ons
By Adria Vasil, WWW.NOWTORONTO.COM

Me and Dov go way back. Ever since the days when I ran my own one-woman sweatshop, scrawling grrl-power slogans onto clothes in my dark basement kitchen, I've bought T-shirts off the guy. OK, not him personally, but his company, American Apparel. But his face would pop up in my mail-order catalogue every now and then.

Our relationship was all smiles and rainbows for a long time. I bought boxfuls of his girly Ts, and his people assured me their workers made more than any other sewers in L.A., got free daycare, nearly free insurance coverage and free in-house massages. My back hurt; I was jealous. But we were happy.

That was before the company's massive modern white storefronts started infiltrating the trendiest streets on the globe and ads declaring it sweatshop-free began dominating the back pages of alt weeklies across the continent.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2005-03-17/news_feature.php

JOB OPPORTUNITY | TITLE: RECRUITMENT RESEARCH ASSOCIATE/PROJECT COORDINATOR
SALARY: $35,000 - $40,000

REQUIREMENTS: Do lots of research to identify and interest potential design management candidates to talk to us about great opportunities for them. We’re looking for a bright, enthusiastic, outgoing, smart, articulate and extremely well-organized person to learn the search business from us uncovering and talking with some of the best designers and creative directors all around the world who are creating the products, environments and communications of the future. The position involves a lot of cold-calling, written correspondence and documentation, including research, tracking and status reports. The individual will grow into a position of responsibility working side-by-side with outstanding recruiters with a passion for what they do. You must be extremely Internet savvy in research, curious and resourceful, able to mine awards competitions, professional organizations conferences and familiar with Hoovers and other business related search engines for top talent. You also must be able to work independently, take initiative without a lot of hand-holding, and be fun to have around. We are a dynamic and fast-paced executive search firm (a division of a large global staffing firm) specializing in the design industry. We want to add a person who can hit the ground running. Excellent benefits. Minimum of one year of experience in a busy for-profit office and language skills (French, German and/or Spanish) are a plus.

Please email a resume and cover letter to: sgrossman@ritasue.com and include Job #888 and where you heard about our opportunity in the
subject line.

PLAYING THE ETHNIC CARD IS A TIME-HONORED BASEBALL TRADITION
BY Jonathan Tilove, NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE

By day Julio Ferreras works across the street from Shea Stadium, home to his beloved New York Mets, keeping the Number 7 subway trains in good working order.

By night and weekend, he runs the Dominican youth baseball league he founded here in Queens.

And, in the weeks before opening day, Ferreras has also been scouting Dominican talent for the Mets -- not ballplayers, mind you, but merengue musicians who can perform at Shea when Pedro Martinez, the team's newly acquired Dominican superstar, is on the mound.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.newhousenews.com/archive/tilove032305.html

RESTAURANT REVIEW | IT'S A DOMINICAN THING
TOP PICK | $25 AND UNDER
DOMINICAN PRIDE, RIGHT ON THE TABLES
By Dana Bowen, NEW YORK TIMES

ENTER It's a Dominican Thing, and you'll land yourself a spot at a table with that country's famed baseball players, political activists, artists and pop singers.

Well, not really. The celebrity images, snipped from magazines and torn from books, are collaged under glass atop the handful of tables filling the cozy dining room.

The decorations were a conversation starter; you're eating over somebody's inspired art project. On our first visit, as we lounged on pillow-strewn wicker chairs, the manager pushed aside my wine goblet and pointed to a picture of Julia Alvarez, the author of "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents."

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://events.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/dining/reviews/23unde.html?pagewanted=all

DOMINICAN ACTOR MANNY PEREZ OF NBC'S THIRD WATCH
SET'S THE THIRD WATCH MESSAGE BOARDS ON FIRE

Props to Manny!!!

THIRD WATCH MESSAGE BOARDS:
http://www.thirdwatch.net/forum//index.php?act=SF&s=&f=91

BRINGING THE FRIJOLES TO BEANTOWN
It started with a $500 micro loan
By Avi Steinberg, THE BOSTON GLOBE

Surveying his cavernous Jamaica Plain warehouse, stocked high with colorfully-packaged items from teas to spices to canned vegetables to frijoles, frijoles, and more frijoles, Mariano Suriel nods his head with measured approval.

"All of this" he says, sweeping his hand through the air while, in the process, nearly tripping over his newly adopted kitten, ''it all started with $500. Can you believe that? Even I don't always believe it."

This month Suriel, 48, of Jamaica Plain, celebrates the first anniversary of Suriel Food Products Distributor in its current location, the Brewery Small Business Center, part of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. His small, but quickly growing company supplies Latino neighborhood markets and restaurants around the region with frijoles and much more. Suriel, who worked as an accountant and sporting goods retailer in the Dominican Republic, arrived in New York City a year and a half ago, determined to establish a new life in the United States for his family.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/03/20/bringing_the_frijoles_to_beantown/

INTERVIEW WITH GIL CESNEROS
President, Chamber of the Americas
By Julie Dunn, THE DENVER POST

Q:What do you consider to be the most important emerging market in the Americas for Colorado businesses?

A: There are two huge markets in Latin America. Number one, there is still an incredible amount of opportunity in Mexico. The other market that I think is just a huge industrial giant is Brazil.

Q: What is the goal of the Chamber of the Americas?

A: Basically, our mission is to create more trade opportunities between the countries in the Americas. That's 34 countries, with the exception of Cuba at this point.

What we really are is a big center of influence to help people do business in Latin America. We have a little over 300 members, including members in 26 states and 23 countries. The more people you know, the more people you can help.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~33~2771053,00.html

BOXINGTALK'S FIRE WITH ROBERTO BENITEZ JR.
By Jose Aguirre, WWW.BOXINGTALK.NET

Roberto Benitez Jr is a former 2004 Olympian who comes from the lower east side of Manhattan known as Alphabet City. Benitez is also a ten time National Champion and 1998 Goodwill Games silver medalist. It doesn't stop there as he is also a two time National Golden Gloves champion. Last year Benitez became only the fifth person in history to win four Everlast National Championships. Boxingtalk caught up with the young phenom as he was arriving home from his workout. Benitez spoke to us about how he became involved in the sport and the feeling of winning his first amateur title. He speaks about the excitement of his pro debut and much more. Don't miss what else he had to say.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.boxingtalk.net/pages/free2878.htm

TUESDAY | MARCH 22, 2005
IMAGES OF WOMEN IN HIP HOP

Essence is telling women to "take back the music" as its reporters and editors explore how denigrating lyrics and sex-saturated visuals dominate pop culture and create stereotypes influencing not only how young girls see themselves, but how black women are beginning to be perceived in other countries. Join the conversation.

Moderator: Thabiti Boone, Co-founder, Hip Hop Political Convention/
Panelists: Akiba Solomon, Health Editor, Essence/Remy Martin, Rap Artist/Johnnie Walker, Founder, NABFEME; former SVP, Def Jam/DJ Beverly Bond/Jean Grae, Rap Artist/Stanley Crouch, Writer/Critic; Author, The Artificial White Man/Karen Hunter, Co-host, Morning Show, WWRL 1600 AM

Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T)
Katie Murphy Amphitheater
[27th Street @ 7th Avenue]

Co-presented by Essence & the Utopia Network

FOR MORE INFO VISIT:
http://www.cencom.org/

SATURDAY | MARCH 26, 2005 | 1pm-9pm
THE POINT CDC’s 2ND ANNUAL WOMEN IN HIP-HOP FEMALE FLAVOR CONFERENCE

Develop your artistic skills in attending the only conference with creative
arts and business development workshops for female artists by female
artists.

The conference will explore what does it mean to be a Hip-Hop filmmaker? What does it mean to be a Hip-Hop Novel writer? What does it mean to be a Performance Artist
rooted in Hip-Hop culture? The conference not only explores different aspects of what being a Hip-Hop artist means, but also how to turn your creative arts form into a career.

Attendees Will:
• Develop their creative arts and business skills.
• Be inspired to take the next step in following their creative vision.
• Connect with other females artists and activists in the community.
• Learn new business strategies of how to make yourself marketable as an
artist.

• Workshops by: Toni Blackman, Chica Luna, Tru Essencia & Luminating Works

Workshops will be followed by Pat's Kitchen Dinner Party in honor of Pebblee
Po, with an introduction by Henry Chalfant.

The Point
940 Garrison Avenue
Bronx, NY 10474

Sponsored by: Chica Luna, Luminating Works, Ladies on the Mic, Women of
Color Policy Network, International Hip-Hop Exchange, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Power 105.1

FOR MORE INFO VISIT:
http://www.thepoint.org

NAPSTER VS. iTUNES: LET THE CONTEST BEGIN
By Wilson Rothman, THE NEW YORK TIMES

A Napster commercial on TV offers the following comparison.

On top, there is a single iPod. The cost to fill it, Napster says, is $10,000. Beneath it are three MP3 players: Dell's Pocket DJ, Creative's Zen Micro and iRiver's new H10. With Napster to Go, the commercial says, you can fill all three with almost any song you can think of and you're out only $15.

Next to that, in tiny print, are the words "per month."

Ordinarily such a lopsided comparison would make me cringe and conclude that it was aimed at the gullible. But this one made me re-examine my life.

Napster to Go is the latest edition of Napster's legal download service. (Although it was previewed to the public last fall, the software allowing small portable music players to work with it has become available only in the last few weeks.) A vast majority of the available tracks--Napster says 1.3 million--can be downloaded by subscribers without paying additional fees.

http://news.com.com/Napster+vs.+iTunes+Let+the+contest+begin/2100-1027_3-5623272.html

HIGH-RISE CONDO MARKET COULD TOP OUT
By Tony Illia, LAS VEGAS BUSINESS PRESS

High-rise mania has hit Las Vegas with the sudden intensity of a desert storm. Luxury tower living is being marketed as the epitome of cool, a white-hot fashion trend among the wealthy and well-to-do. Many local and out-of-state developers are betting big bucks on the market's sustained popularity with buyers over the next decade. The units generally range from 700 to 2,500 square feet in size, and cost anywhere from $350,000 up to $4 million. A single-family detached home, by comparison, averages 2,200 square feet in size and costs about $298,000.

http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2005/03/21/news/news01.txt

I SEE LONDON, I SEE FRANCE . . .
Are we seeing too many underpants? Although the trend may be passe now, this cultural wedgie leaves few people stuck in the middle.
By Aline Mendelsohn, ORLANDO SENTINEL

Not since Bill Clinton was asked "Boxers or briefs?" have underwear and politics collided so publicly.

State Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, recently introduced a measure in Florida that would make it illegal to "expose below-waist underwear in a public place." Violators of Florida's Senate Bill 2260 would face a second-degree misdemeanor and punishment of no more than 10 days in jail and a ticket of $50.

And Siplin isn't the only one hoping to pull up the public's pants. Similar bills were proposed in Virginia and Louisiana.

But the news isn't good for politicians and others striving to put underwear out of sight, out of mind: Public support for the measures has been weak, with most adults seeing them as unenforceable.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/orl-livunderwear032105mar21,1,171569.story?coll=orl-living-headlines&ctrack=1&cset=true

NYC: WEDNESDAY | MARCH 30, 2005, 5PM
CLASSIC MAMBO WEDNESDAY'S @ THE LQ
LIVE: SONERO & PUTUMAYO RECORDING ARTIST CHICO ALVAREZ

Versatile Sonero, Putumayo Recording Artist, Chico Alvarez closes out the month. Those who for years have listened to his Sunday radio show at WBAI know Chico, as a radio personality. His true calling, however, is behind the mike, belting out montunos to the dance audience. Chico is making his maiden performance at the LQ and this would be a perfect time to come and enjoy one of New York's truly good Soneros.

Latin Quarter
511 Lexington Ave.
Bet 47th & 48th St
New York City
Doors Open @ 5pm
21 & Over
ID Required
Dress In Good Taste.

FREE Mambo lessons in the "Q" Room with Dance Instructor Amarelys Cintrón. For reservations and information call: (212) 593-7575.

NYC: WEDNESDAY | MARCH 23, 2005, 5PM
CLASSIC MAMBO WEDNESDAY'S @ THE LQ
LIVE: SALSEROS THE LEBRON BROTHERS

Salseros worldwide know "The Lebrón Brothers" a group that chiseled its name in history with their hot and raudy New York sound of the 1960's. That the brothers are still performing speaks for the quality of their music, which still is a true Salsero musical experience. Be ready to dance for "The Lebrón Brothers" have what it takes.

Latin Quarter
511 Lexington Ave.
Bet 47th & 48th St
New York City
Doors Open @ 5pm
21 & Over
ID Required
Dress In Good Taste.

FREE Mambo lessons in the "Q" Room with Dance Instructor Amarelys Cintrón. For reservations and information call: (212) 593-7575.

KEEPING DEALS OUT OF LINE OF FIRE
Rappers cognizant of corporate marketability
By Samantha Marshall, CRAIN'S NEW YORK

When hip-hop music entrepreneur Tracey Smith first heard about last month's gunfight outside radio station Hot 97, it wasn't the welfare of rappers 50 Cent or The Game that concerned her. It was the financial future of Comp, the up-and-coming young rapper whom she is managing.

"Companies don't want to put their names on something that winds up on the evening news," says Ms. Smith. "This makes it harder for the rest of us.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.crainsny.com/article.cms?article_id=22647&arc=n

CHANNEL 7 TO LAUNCH LATINO STATION
By Dick Kreck, DENVER POST

The rapidly growing Latino television market has attracted the attention of the majors, including McGraw-Hill, which numbers KMGH-Channel 7 among its properties.

Last week, the station held a news conference to launch Azteca America Colorado, its Spanish-language affiliate.

There are an estimated 194,300 Spanish-speaking homes in the metro Denver area, and another 47,460 in Colorado Springs. The majority of the Latino residents are from Mexico, making Azteca a perfect fit for a U.S. network in an age of media diversity.

STORY LOCATION:
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~120~2766650,00.html

50 CENT MEANS BUSINESS
That name may sound cheap, but this million-dollar gangsta rapper is anything but. Now the multiplatinum artist moves beyond music to mogul-dom.
By Raquel Cepeda, USA TODAY

Fifty Cent should probably change his name to $50 Million. That's how much the rapper, born Curtis Jackson, reportedly pocketed after taxes last year, thanks to various business ventures. But don't think he's finished. To quote his smash hit "Disco Inferno," "I get dough, to flip dough, to make mo' fo' sho'." The track, from his new album, "The Massacre," was one of three singles featuring 50 Cent in the "Billboard" Top 10 at press time.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://usaweekend.com/05_issues/050320/050320_50_cent.html

CLOSE-UP ON SPANISH HARLEM
By Christine Lagorio, THE VILLAGE VOICE

Spanish Harlem, 1930: In the back room of Almacenez Hernandez, his sister's Madison Avenue Record shop, Raphael Hernandez eases a melody from the piano. Almacenez is the first Puerto Rican music store in a neighborhood soon to be nicknamed "El Barrio." Due to East Harlem's proximity to Manhattan's recording scene, the wedge between Central Park and the river is beginning to draw Hispanic musicians abandoning their former enclave of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Social clubs are springing up on neighboring blocks and Hispanic immigrants turn passion into a cultural force that overwhelms the old Jewish community and lingering Dutch influence in what had once been called Nieuw Haarlem.

http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0512,lagorio,62149,15.html

BANKRUPTCY BILL ON THE SENATE FLOOR WILL ERECT
HARSH NEW BARRIERS AND REWARD ABUSIVE LENDERS
By WWW.CONSUMERUNION.ORG

Washington, D.C. — As the U.S. Senate began considering bankruptcy legislation today, national consumer organizations called on Senators to reject the bill because it would favor creditors at the expense of Americans who have suffered genuine financial misfortune.

The bankruptcy bill (S. 256) would place numerous additional restrictions on Americans who attempt to declare either chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy (see attached for more information.) It does not, however, place any restrictions on abusive lending by creditors.

“While credit card companies urge Congress to erect new bankruptcy barriers for many families, their profits are soaring,” said Travis Plunkett, Legislative Director of the Consumer Federation of America. “This bill simply doesn’t balance responsibility between families in debt trouble and the creditors whose practices have contributed to the rise in bankruptcies,” Plunkett said.

A large body of evidence links the rise in consumer bankruptcies in the last twenty years directly to an increase in consumer debt. Revolving debt, most of which is credit card debt, increased nearly fifteen-fold from January 1980 through 2004, from $54 billion to $791 billion. The higher the level of consumer debt, the more likely a family is to declare bankruptcy when misfortune strikes.

Much of this lending boom was fueled by the extension of credit to vulnerable consumers, including young people, lower income Americans and minorities, and the elderly. Some lenders, such as those offering “predatory” mortgage loans, targeted these borrowers with often deceptive offers that had abusive terms.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_financial_services/001980.html

SINGAPORE FASHION FESTIVAL TO KICK OFF MARCH 24TH
By Rita Zahara, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE: Celebrating all things fashion, Singapore Fashion Festival 2005 will open later this month with close to 50 events.

Dubbed the biggest and most glamourous fashion and shopping extravaganza in Asia, the festival which is organized by the Singapore Tourism Board, aims to establish Singapore as Asia's leading Shopping Capital.

The festival will offer retail therapy to visitors featuring the best trend-setting looks from high-end designers to popular fashion brands.

It opens from the 24th March to 3rd April.

NASCAR MAKING INROADS INTO MEXICO
This weekend's Busch Series event is expected to draw 140,000.
By Jay Hart, The Morning Call

NASCAR keeps marching on, pulling up its roots in the Deep South and planting them elsewhere. The sport first ventured west to California, then north to Indianapolis, followed by invasions of Texas and Las Vegas and Chicago. Sunday, NASCAR will make its way to Mexico City.

The Telcel Motorola Mexico 200, a Busch Series event, will be the first race on foreign soil for any of NASCAR's three premier series. The race is expected to draw some 140,000 spectators, but that's not why NASCAR is heading south of the border. No, the real reason NASCAR is going to Mexico sits a lot closer to home.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.mcall.com/sports/all-ts_mainbarmar03,0,4747429.story?coll=all-sports-hed

THE WORD ON WIFE-BEATER
By Alyson Ward, Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Stanley Kowalski wore 'em. Kid Rock wears 'em. Some take offense at this hip fashion term, but snooty language experts soon will officially give it definition.

Coming soon to a dictionary near you: "wife-beater."

Not the abusive husband, mind you -- but the sleeveless, white undershirt. The "wife-beater" -- frequently spotted on Kid Rock, available at your neighborhood Gap -- is soon to be immortalized in the Oxford English Dictionary. It'll likely be added, somewhere between "whip" and "women's lib," next month.

For at least three decades, the controversial term has been used to describe the ribbed tank top made famous by violent movie stereotypes and the Fox show Cops. Men who beat their wives, the thinking goes, like to spend their spare time drinking beer in thin white undershirts.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/living/10969720.htm?1c

SNOWBOARDING EMBRACES THE DARKSIDE
By John Stouffer, Snowboarding-Online.com

Skulls, crossbones, flames, gargoyles and an overall prevailing evilness has slowly crept back into the snowboard scene, as seen on board graphics throughout the Las Vegas SIA Show. The Hessian revival is back, led by Nitro and Santa Cruz Snowboard lines, but can also be seen creeping in such mainsteam brands as K2, Burton, and Rossignol.

Is devil worshipping back? Are we going to see pagen virgin sacrifices at snowboard contests? Or is it just a reaction to the pop culture dominating the scene right now?

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://expn.go.com/snb/s/010321_graphics.html

'WARMING' TREND IS ONLY FOR THE SELECT, SLENDER FEW
By Karalee Miller, Knight Ridder Newspapers

Yes, leg warmers are back. But only the young and hip should attempt this hot fashion trend. Here's how the fashionistas say to wear 'em.

Do's

DO wear them with short skirts

Whether it's mini- or knee-length, the skirt should not travel lower than the kneecap when paired with leg warmers. Short and sweet is key. Trendy moccasins complete the leg-warming look.

DO pair them with flat, ballet-style shoes

Fashionable flats work best for this look. Toss the idea of pairing leg warmers with gym shoes or, worse yet, high heels. "High heels are a big don't," says Teresa Hunt, wardrobe consultant for Nordstrom's Personal Touch, the store's complimentary shopping service. "That look is a mother's worst nightmare." Enough said.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/224496-9836-047.html

THINGS DON'T ADD UP
BY KIRK BAIRD, Chicago Sun-Times

For decades consumers have been led to believe "thin is in." The trouble is, too many women aren't in or thin.

One in three Americans is overweight today. Between the 1950s and 2003, the average dress size increased from a 6 to a 14.

"It used to be that your clothing had to be age appropriate. That's no longer true," said Mercedes Gonzalez, director of Global Purchasing Group, a clothing buyer for 100 independent specialty stores nationwide. "Now it has to be size appropriate."

Gonzalez said plus-size clothing for men, women, teens and children is now a $27 billion business.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/lifestyles/cst-ftr-plussize24.html

THE CASE FOR SOCIALISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
by Jason Schulman, CUNY Graduate Center Advocate

We live in an insane world. Today we see, more than ever, incalculable wealth standing opposed to unspeakable misery. Millions die of curable or preventable diseases while the United States government wastes hundreds of billions of dollars on arms production. Half the world's working population makes $2 a day or less. In the US there has been a 20 percent fall in living standards for 80 percent of the population since 1973, with one third of the work force stuck in temp and part-time jobs as the eight-hour workday becomes a thing of the past, and a predominantly Black and Latino prison population which may hit 5 million by the year 2010. The gap between what could be accomplished with the talents of the world's population and what actually happens is wider than ever.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=41&ItemID=7301

SUEDE MAGAZINE HALTED AFTER 4 ISSUES
By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Essence Communications Partners announced yesterday that it was stopping publication, at least temporarily, of Suede, an ethnic fashion magazine aimed at young women, after four issues because of high production costs.

Essence owns the magazine jointly with Time Inc., which bought 49 percent of Essence in 2000 and announced in January that it had agreed to buy the remaining 51 percent. Time officials said yesterday that the deal was still on track.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/24/business/media/24suede.html

BLING IS NOT THEIR THING
Led by Kanye West and Black Eyed Peas, hip-hop takes a relentlessly positive turn
By Fred Shuster

Watching the Grammy Awards' rap album of the year winner Kanye West arrive for a Hollywood club date the other week, you could clearly see the dramatic change that's overtaken rap/hip-hop in the past months.

Instead of the intimidating, gun-toting crews surrounding older rap stars, with their familiar sour looks, baggy track suits, bulletproof Hummers and threatening poses, West and his preppy new-generation pals strolled in as if they were showing up a few minutes early at a business-fraternity mixer. Polo shirts, khakis, sports jackets, friendly smiles, relaxed handshakes - could this spell the end of the expletive-deleted world Snoop Dogg, Nas, DMX and 50 Cent once knew?

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://u.redlandsdailyfacts.com/Stories/0,1413,217~24270~2728362,00.html

DOMINICAN'S RING THE OPENING BELL @ THE NYSE IN CELEBRATION OF DOMINICAN INDEPENDENCE DAY
This morning, several Dominican leaders, including DAPA members Cid Wilson and Assemblyman Jose Peralta, joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg in ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The honor came as part of the city's celebration of Dominican Independence Day which is February 27.

Go to the link below for a picture and added blurb.
http://www.nyse.com/Frameset.html?displayPage=/events/1109159400413.html

CLEAR CHANNEL'S 104.1 MORPHING FROM ROCK TO 'REGGTONE'
BY NMBW Staff

Clear Channel Communications Inc. is changing the programming format of its Albuquerque radio station 104.1 FM from "World Class Rock" to a mix of Hispanic and urban music.

At noon on Friday, the on-air programming and branding will change to "Mega 104.1," says Chuck Hammond, Clear Channel's Albuquerque and Santa Fe vice president and general manager.

FOR THE REST OF THIS STORY VISIT:
http://albuquerque.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/stories/2005/02/21/daily14.html?jst=b_ln_hl