Fairmount CA

-
The
Caftan. It works for most shapes as the fabric is usually fine and glides
nicely down both curvy and straight figures. Choose a color that really
flatters you, and take care with size and pattern.

-
The
Maxi Dress. Even more popular this year. It can be tricky on petites (too much
volume or length) or big busts with small hips, (sizes that fit the bust will
be bigger elsewhere so can add unnecessary bulk) but shop around, as there are
plenty to choose from. The skirt should be just skimming the floor, not halfway
up your ankle or tripping you up.

-
White
trousers. White is big for summer (and
fall/winter) and is a fabulous holiday look. You can go head to toe white if it
works for you, or instead team it with your favorite seasonal shades. Choose
lightweight cotton or linen and wide leg, palazzo or peg cuts to keep you cool.
A word of warning: Winter white is right except when it comes to Visible Panty
Lines. A trick Sarah Jessica Parker once mentioned in Vogue magazine is that if
you a re wearing white or transparent clothing, check yourself at home to make
sure that you wont experience negative coverage when you get to the party
and encounter high voltage lighting where everyone can see your business
clear as day.

-
Utility,
tapered, or harem pants. Dont panic! You dont have to don the full
army/masculine/desert look – there are simpler variations of these styles. They
are airy, comfortable and can be rather elegant. If youre wider on the hips or
short in stature then minimize details such as zips, pockets, draping and
volume and always wear with a heel. They look great in khaki, stone, grey or
white, all of which are easy to paired up with colors or metallics.

The
Biggest fashion Do for the season is for you to be comfortable and to have a
good time. Be mindful of your alcohol intake as not to do or say something you
will regret the next day. If you are unable to drive at the end of the night,
or want to have an all-out good time, please make sure you have a designated
driver, someone who pledges not to drink at the party or someone whos looking
out for you and make sure you get more safely and in one piece. After all, your
life is worth more than a few drinks. At least, I would hope so.

Beauty
Watch with Dani Weiser: Holiday/Evening Makeup

As a professional make-up artist
with 20+ years in the business, I have long been on the receiving end of a
product avalanche from the various cosmetics companies. Professional make-up
artists are usually the first to receive samples of new products, the first to
try out these products on models and their other clients and to send feedback
to the respective companies. I have received products from companies big and
small that over-promise and under-deliver on their claims. I have also received
and used products that under-promise (no over-reaching narrative about how the
product will find you a fiance and a fortune in gold under a rock, make you the
most beautiful woman in the world, will make your children behave and love you)
and in a pleasant surprise over-delivers to spectacular results. My experience
with Artistry Beauty and Skincare is the latter. They didnt promise the world
but they gave me the moon and the stars.

Here at Fashion Maniac, we recently
shot our holiday dress and beauty editorial for our December issue and I
primarily used cosmetics and skincare products from Artistry. The kind folks at
Artistry, a subsidiary of Amway has a clear mission statement: We believe that
beauty is derived from truth. Truth that comes from careful, modern scientific
discovery, and the belief that every womans individual beauty should be
celebrated. This philosophy and the hard work they have done to create
products that enhance, not damage, your skin has placed them among the worlds
top five, largest-selling, premium skincare brands, and among the worlds top
ten, largest-selling, premium cosmetic brands, according to Euromonitor
International Limited; Beauty and Personal Care database, premium cosmetics
sector, global 2009 RSP, global brand name classification.

For our photo-shoot, we worked with
women from across the age spectrum: a 40-year-old woman, a 20-year-old young
woman and a 13-year-old teenager. Across the board, Artistry Beauty and make-up line performed beyond
expectations. I first used the Time
Defiance Cleansing Treatment ($31.65) to gently removes dirt and excess oil
while it also improves the skins firmness and elasticity. I like that it is
formulated with non-irritating ingredients, while serving to calm the skin,
increasing its resistance to the visible signs of irritation. Time Defiance
Cleansing Treatment moisturizes only specific areas of skin that need hydration
and is ideal for most skin types. I followed up with the Time Defiance
Conditioning Toner ($33.20) and the lines Time Defiance Day Protect Lotion SPF
15 ($62.25).

On Sophia, our beautiful and
glamorous 40-year-old, I used Artistrys Sheer Coverage Lip Gloss in Precious
Pink (10-9633, $20.00) and the Artistry 3D Face Powder in Shimmer Coral
(11-0079 $27.70) and I couldnt be more pleased with the result. The Artistry
Lip Gloss is a sheer color designed to glide on evenly with a single stroke;
and lightly flavored with natural pomegranate, I found that the color was
natural yet shiny, stayed on the models lip longer than most I have used, and
the accompanying brush made it easy to apply anywhere, anytime perfectly. The face powder falls in line with the
movement within the beauty industry to give the customer multiple options for a
fair price.With five softly shimmering shades, I was able to create a contours
and shadows on the cheekbone, and once dusted on the cheek, it created a
blushing effect that was complementary to my models skin tone. On Sophias eyes, I used Artistrys Automatic
Eyeliner Pencil Refill in Bronze ($12.50, which I found to be not the least bit
oily, was dry enough to not smudge and wet enough to enhance the eye with a
single swipe of the pencil), Rimmels
Sexy Curves Mascara, a well known English makeup brand sold in places like Target and Rite Aid (I
love this mascara, it is affordable and comes in with all different brushes to
suit your various need) and Revlon Matte 009 Brown eye Shadow (also very affordable and long lasting). The
gold on her lid, which is great for night and very flattering. The 3D Face
powder, I found, can also be used as highlighting anywhere on the face, goes on
smoothly and comes in 6 different shades.

I used Artistrys Sheer Coverage Lip
Gloss on all our other models, MAC Cosmetics Half Red Lip Liner, MACs Blush
in Hush-a-Bye and Coy Girl, Cliniques Brow Shaper 01 for the lighter brow on
some of our models and Brow Shaper 07 for a darker brow on the others, and
Smashbox High Definition Light Concealer. For the highlight under the brow,
which always helps to lift the eye, I used Bed Heads White, which is a
great subtitle highlight and last until you go to bed.

I used Dior Skin Spray Foundation
(available at Sephora, and at the Dior beauty counter at various department
stores) on all our models because it goes on flawlessly and feels like
airbrushing. But you have to be careful as you only need to spray for a few
seconds before it gets heavy and you end up redoing it. Additionally, I used
Dr. Jart Beauty Balm, an amazing moisturizer and foundation in one that is also
great for a light coverage as seen on Gabrielle, our youngest model. To finish
off all the faces, I used Make-Up Forevers High Definition Powder. This is a
MUST because it sets your make up for up to 12 hours; and something I have
deployed over the years when working on all-day photo-shoots, movie sets, and
television shoots where actors and models are working under harsh lighting and
has to look beautiful all day. Its likewise a great product to use for a bride
on her wedding day. Shes likely to be out front all day at the church and
reception and to cry at some point during the day. When used at home, if used
sparingly, it can give you that flawless face you are looking for for a
professional appearance and last you for months before being depleted.

Dani
Weiser is a 20+ year veteran of the beauty wars and have served as a make-up
artist for Julia Roberts and other celebrated actors and actresses, worked on
numerous film and television sets, photo-editorial shoots for international
fashion and lifestyle magazines around the world, as well as private jobs and
at-home appointments. For more information on any of the make up used in this
shoot or just a asked a make-up and beauty question, please feel free to
contact her at www.hollywoodmakeupartist.net

FASHION
MANIAC TEAM:

Features
Editor : Phillip Johnson

All
Photography amp; Managing Editor : Cheryl Gorski

Styled
By: Sophia Smith ,Susan Morreale, Whitney Curry, amp; Mario Lorenzo

MakeUp
: Dani Weiser

Hair
Stylist : Whitney Curry

Guest
Makeup amp; Hair : Andrew Brown

Gabrielle
is wearing a short gold metallic mini
dress (available at Halfamp; Half
clothing) and a longvelvet gown with red chiffon ruffles
from designer Sebastiana Piras of
Atelier .

Savannah is wearing a short mini metallic dress available at Half amp; Half clothing and a Silkfringe cocktail dress from Ann
Taylor

Maddy
Ruff is wearing a mens wear-inspired vested suit (provided by Sarah Mahoney
Adrian Jules, LTD) and Calvin Klein shoes (available at Lord amp; Taylor)and a black Bandage BCBG Max Azriadress (available at Lord amp; Taylor) with
shoes, Naughty Monkey provided by
Shoe Fly .

Stephanie
is wearing a cream empire silk organza
cocktail dress with jewel embellished bodice from Adam with Christian Dior
shoes and a Tadashi Shoji black velvet evening dress with bugle beading and
sequin embellishment at the bodice.

Sophia
is wearing Adams cream silk charmeuse cocktail dress with rhinestone
embellishment on the shoulder, Shoes by
Christian Dior, Jay Godfrey Black silk chiffon cocktail dress with gold sequin
detail, Vera Wang green silk organza evening dress, silk
evening shoes by Yves Saint Laurent. Red
amp; Black embroidered top from Lotions and Potions, Christian Dior silk tulle
skirt. Marchesa silk evening gown with hand sewn embroidery on bodice. Adam
silk chiffon evening dress, Escada rhinestone embellished shoes. Pearls came
from the models own collection.

All
Jewelry provided by : Lotions and Potions, 789 Elmwood Ave Buffalo, (716) 886-6457 www.lotionsandpotions.com

ADAM
www.shopadam.com 5454 Main St Williamsville NY
716-630-6410

Half amp; Half clothing 1088 Elmwood Ave,
Buffalo 716-881-4147 www.halfandhalfclothing.com

Designer
Sebastiana Piras of Atelier 820 Elmwood Ave 716-332-6935 www.sebastianapiras.com

Sarah
Mahoney Adrian Jules, LTD.2930 Monroe Avenue Rochester, New York 14618
585.381.1111 facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/AdrianJulesCustomClothiers

Shoe
Fly 801 Elmwood Ave Buffalo (716)-886-3595
www.ShoeFlyNY.com

Check out the other shoots to see the national trends and where to find them locally:United We Stand,bathing beauties,Black Velvet,James Scissorhands,kicks and handbags,Morgen Love,bowling,blue jeans,1950s, srocking carves,warrior, the workplace,raingear,Summer Whites,Lil Black Dress,Lingering Nights,concrete jungle,Hay Fever,Freeze Frame, custom hatter,night moves,British Invasion,Spring into Summer,Who Did It?,Good Clean Fun,Love Never Dies,Buff Designs,Oh What a Night,androgyny, Bite out of Fashion and the sultrybridesmaid.

——————-

LOOKING
FOR MODELS! ACTING A+

BOOKING
APPOINTMENTS FOR HEAD SHOTS SIGN UP NOW!
CONTACT

info@cherylgorski.com
716- 903-0600

Follow
us on Facebook amp; twitter

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fashion-Maniac/105787306149990?ref=ts

http://twitter.com/fashion__maniac

Come
check out our latest WEBZINE fashionmaniac.com.
Id like to introduce to you our latest edition. Our team has been
working on the latest fashion spreads, providing you with the latest runway
trends, from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York for over a year. Our mission
is to help you with your shopping sprees. We want to be your source to keep you
current , showing how accessories, and clothing can be bought, and worn
locally. Thank You for all your support over the year !

CONTACT
INFO:

Cheryl
Gorski | Photographer amp; Creative Director | 716-895-1689 |

716-903-0600
| info@cherylgorski.com | Also on Facebook specializingin:

Fashion,
Headshots/modeling/acting, Editorial, Portraits, Bands/ CD/

Press
Kits, Corporate events, Web photography, Run-way

Cassie
Rose: specializing in Visual merchandising, Styling, Fashion

editorial
and Media arts, personal shopper, and blogger.E-mail is

Cassandraelsaesser@yahoo.com

facebook-Cassie Rose Twitter- CassieRosee

Dani
Weiser: Makeup Artist www.hollywoodmakeupartist.net, 716-348-1239

Make-up
teacher, weddings, TV, Film, Print and SFX. Hollywood

Sunless
Tanning , for apointments. website is

www.hollywoodsunlesstanning.com
Please call for any questions.

Lucy
Perrone-Mancuso Prop Stylist: Owner of Moda 1509 Hertel Ave

716-725-6636.
Specializing in accessories, antiques, jewelry, furnishings,

buy
amp; sell, motion pictures/films, photo shoots.

Todd
Warfield Prop Stylist Extraordinaire:
716-289-1078. Specializing

in
special effects, production of designing and building sets, theatre

and
photo shoots.

Whitney
Curry: Hair stylist for photo shoots, films, bridal, personal

Whitfemale@gmail.com

Chezannsalon.com

Phillip
Johnson: Freelance Writer specialising in the fashion industry, and beauty.
fashionguyphil@gmail.com,
203-512-2528

Michael
Merisola Set Stylist amp; Expert in Antiques /Modern Furniture :

Owner
of Coo Coo U 1478 Hertel Ave. , Bflo, 716-432-6216

www.coocoou.com

Andrew
Brown: Hair amp; Makeup stylist and owner of Salon Rouge 700

Elmwood
Ave. 716-884-1010. Specialising in Up Dos for weddings,

color,
cuts, Halloween , Run Way , and photoshoots.

Kimberly
Cohen : Casting director and model/ actrss for movies, plays,

photography
and films. kimcohen14@gmail.com , Twitter: kmcohen,

Facebook:
Kimberly Cohen

Stephen
L. Phillips of The Lodge Auction House amp; Banquet Center 212 Cazenovia St.
Buffalo NY 14210 www.thelodgeauction.com
716-826-0168 Specializing in:
Estate amp; Business Liquidation, Antique Consignment, On-Site Auctions,
Estate Sales

A major five-year study will compare the da Vinci surgical robot with open surgery in cystectomy, or bladder removal.

Photo: SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, BILLY CALZADA
/ gcalzada@express-news.net

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ –More than 40 percent of small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) remain optimistic or very optimistic about their businesses heading into the New Year, despite 61 percent facing economic hardships and 50 percent failing to meet business goals in 2011. These statistics are revealed in the newly released survey conducted by Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls, a leader in the online survey space, and GrowBiz Media, a media company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses.

The data suggests that although SMBs do not plan to expand their 2012 business models, they do plan to devote resources to currently existing departments. A large number of SMBs do not plan to expand or diversify their companys focus in 2012. Rather, only 19 percent of respondents revealed plans to expand their businesses in 2012, focusing instead on internal growth. According to the survey results, 60 percent of SMBs plan to focus investments and staffing in the business development sector to offset challenges experienced in customer growth.

Many small businesses are optimistic about 2012, despite the economic challenges they faced in 2011, said Alex Terry, general manager at Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls. According to the Small Business Association (SBA), SMBs employ about half of all private sector employees. Its gratifying to see SMB owners resilience and their willingness to invest in the future of their businesses.

The recent survey findings reveal that SMBs plan to fill existing positions or promote employees within business development and social media departments focusing on internal processes instead of altering business plans. Interestingly, a third of respondents plan to use advertising, marketing and social media as the primary methods of attracting new customers, despite 25 percent stating that they do not personally feel comfortable with social media tools.

While SMBs see the value of social media for their companies, they still do not understand how to use these tools effectively for their businesses. In order for small businesses to remain competitive, its vital for them to be present on the channels that their customers access most often, says Rieva Lesonsky, CEO and founder of GrowBiz Media.

About the Survey

Conducted during a five day period from November 3-7, 2011, the survey was created to gauge the current state of SMBs in 2011 and their 2012 business projections. Respondents included more than 1,000 SMB decision-makers from Zoomerangs Online Survey Panel; primary research was conducted in order to assess SMB sentiments towards related topics.

About Zoomerang

Zoomerangis a fast, easy-to-use and powerful tool to make and send your own online surveys and polls. Millions of people and thousands of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions trust Zoomerang online surveys and polls to gather feedback, allowing them to make better decisions with minimal cost and effort. Zoomerang provides customizable survey templates for the most common questions including customer satisfaction, meeting feedback, product feedback, event planning, online voting and hundreds more. Zoomerang customers can take advantage of Zoomerang Sample, a panel of more than 2.5 million consumers ready to take surveys. Zoomerang is a product of MarketTools, Inc. For more information, visitwww.zoomerang.com.

About MarketTools, Inc.

MarketToolsis the leading provider of software and services for market research and enterprise feedback management (EFM). The company is focused on providing leading organizations the actionable customer insights they need to make better business decisions that lead to high-value business impact. As the first company to make online surveys widely available on the Web, MarketTools continues its market leading position by providing the broadest range of powerful, accurate and integrated customer insight technologies that empower companies to become the most customer-centric organizations in their industries. The MarketTools premier portfolio of technology-based insight brands includes CustomerSat, TrueSample, Zoomerang, ZoomPanel and ZoomPanel Tech. MarketTools is a privately held company with corporate headquarters in San Francisco and European headquarters in London. For more information, please visit:http://www.markettools.com.

About GrowBiz Media and Rieva Lesonsky

Rieva Lesonsky is founder and CEO of GrowBiz Media, a media company that helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Follow Rieva at Twitter.com/Rieva and visit her blog at SmallBizDaily.com. Visit her website SmallBizTrendCast to get the scoop on business trends and sign up for Rievas free TrendCast reports.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Heather Arft
Airfoil PR for Zoomerang
650-691-7309
arft@airfoilpr.com

SOURCE Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls

Back to top

RELATED LINKS

http://www.zoomerang.com

Toolbar sponsor: David Stanley Ford

Hundreds of Oklahoma officers face suspension with training deadline looming

Less than a month away from deadline, hundreds of law enforcement officers across the state may be up for suspension Jan. 1 if officials do not receive documentation they have received special training required by a law passed several years ago.

Whereas a Wii game may teach someone to master the Super Mario Brothers quest to rescue Princess Peach, the Santa Clara County-based creators of a new interactive video simulation hope it will teach officers how to deal with the mentally ill in a way that neither the officer nor the person ends up hurt — or worse.

This is no game.

On the video screen a fraught father watches as his mentally ill young son, off his medication and convinced police are secretly monitoring his every move, lurches unsteadily from a lawn chair to loudly confront an officer.

What happens next? Does the young man end up arrested, in a psychiatric hospital? Does he end up dead?

The different answers to that question have been electronically built into a new and nationally unique interactive video simulation program created for law enforcement by the county mental health department and unveiled at a presentation Friday.

As the officers react to the scenarios — a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder scaring people in a park, a girl making suicidal posts on Facebook and others — the realities change, prompted by a trainer at a computer behind the scenes. Afterward the officers and their trainers discuss what happened and what didnt. The key, the programs creators say, is to defuse the situation and avoid violence.

We are going to save lives with this, promised Patrick Dwyer, a retired Palo Alto police chief who now serves as the countys mental health liaison with law enforcement and helped create the program.

In hopes of that, agencies are lining up to include the video simulations into their officers training programs. The Palo Alto Police Department will be the first. The Santa Clara County Sheriffs department and San Jose police are expected to join.

Its a problematic issue that touches on police use of force, costly litigation and the humane treatment of the mentally ill. In Fullerton, two police officers are facing criminal charges for allegedly beating to death an unarmed mentally ill homeless man this summer. San Jose police have come under heavy scrutiny after officers shot and killed several mentally ill people in recent years, including a man in the foothills who told police he didnt believe they had bullets in their guns. In a different case in 2009, officers responding to Daniel Phams knife attack on his brother shot the mentally ill man in his back yard, leading to community protests.

Dwyer declined to say if he thinks the newly enhanced training would have saved the lives in those cases.

But he said that law enforcement agencies clearly need to augment and add to their training on how to deal with the mentally ill.

According to Dwyer, 10 percent to 15 percent of a police officers time is spent dealing with mentally ill people having a crisis, but the average amount of training time for many of those officers adds up to only a tiny fraction of their instruction.

Retired San Jose Police Sgt. Dave Newman played out the scenarios, calmly talking to the video screen at the sheriffs training center, reassuring the sims that he was there to help them, not hurt them.

No laser guns were drawn, no shots were fired as is usually found in the Shoot/Dont Shoot scenarios in the force options simulation videos used by law enforcement. These videos all end happily.

Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, said he was impressed at the video and other innovations aimed at reducing both the injuries to the mentally ill, but also unnecessary incarceration and stigma. Steinberg was a co-author of the Mental Health Act of 2004, which has increased funding, personnel and other resources to support county mental health programs.

—

Now Digital Leisure has brought Dragons Lair to Android in all its former glory including all the cut scenes, whacky death animations and the same directional/reflex game mechanics that came with the original. Youll be, once again, in control of Dirk the Daring who is trying to rescue the princess and destroy the Evil Wizard Mordroc. This is a complete port from the high definition film and replicates the entire arcade experience as it used to be but instead on your Android phone.

For those of you who have played this in the past, this is pretty much a given to purchase. For those that havent had a chance to ever play Dragons Lair, now would be a good time to get a piece of gaming history but on your Android phone. You can download Dragons Lair for $4.99 off the Android Market.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Developer Website: Digital Leisure

Android Market Link: Dragons Lair

Pinnacle Entertainment (PNK) A Top Pick For WSJ Best On The Street Analyst Due To Its Same-Store Macroeconomic Recovery And Growth Pipeline

December 5, 2011 – The Wall Street Transcript has just published Gaming and Leisure Report offering a timely review of the Leisure sector. This Special Report contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, Equity Analysts and Money Managers. Please find an excerpt below.

View This Special Report

Recent Wall Street Transcript Special Reports.

Rachael Rothman, CFA, joined Susquehanna Financial Group LLLP in 2010 as a Senior Analyst covering the restaurant, gaming, lodging and leisure industries. Her research leverages more than a decade of direct operational experience in the hospitality industry with 10 years of experience in equity research. She is a recognized expert in the field and has been selected to Institutional Investors All American Research Survey, The Wall Street Journals Best on the Street and the Financial Times Worlds Best Analysts. Before joining Susquehanna Financial, Ms. Rothman was a Managing Director and Senior Analyst at Wedbush Securities and Merrill Lynch. She began her equity research career at Morgan Stanley. She earned her masters degree in hotel and restaurant management from Cornell University, a graduate degree in economics from the University of Virginia and her bachelors degree from Bates College. She is a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts, the CFA Institute and the Cornell Hotel Society.

TWST: In terms of the hotel and casino space, whats your overall sentiment right now and why?

Ms. Rothman: We view casinos as three separate industries. There is the regional gaming industry, which would be comprised of the likes of Ameristar (ASCA), Isle (ISLE), Penn (PENN), Pinnacle (PNK), Boyd (BYD), which basically cater to local patrons within their local markets. There are the Las Vegas-based destination casino operators, and those would be MGM and Caesars. Caesars is not public currently. The Asian gaming companies which do have some presence in Las Vegas but where thats a smaller component of their overall EBITDA contribution are Las Vegas Sands and Wynn (WYNN).

So the dynamics across gaming obviously vary depending on whether or not youre talking about regional gaming, Asian gaming or domestic Las Vegas-based destination gaming. With respect to hotels, its obviously one industry largely, as most of the hotel properties are subject to the same macro drivers based on price and maybe some brand affinity. The big differences are where you believe you are in the hotel cycle, and as a result of that how much operational and financial leverage you want, meaning do you want to be invested in a hotel owner or do you want to be invested in a manager-franchiser? That would depend on whether you thought that fundamentals were going to continue to improve or whether or not you thought that they would get worse. The more bullish you are, the more operational leverage you want, all things equal.

TWST: How would you describe the overall health and outlook for the Las Vegas casino operators?

Ms. Rothman: In Vegas, our view on 2012 is pretty bullish. Were pretty optimistic. The basic underlying premise would be that a decent portion of the overall business for 2012 – which is the convention business, its about 15% of the overall business – is booked at higher rates. That isnt just because demand has improved now. Its also because what was booked for 2011, about a third of that was booked in 2009, a third of it booked in 2010 and a third of it booked in 2011.

Traditionally, the way it works is, a third, a third, a third. For 2012, by the same logic, the convention business was booked in 2010, 2011 and 2012, so youre swapping out a portion of the business that was booked in 2009 for business that was booked in 2010, once the rate recovery had already begun. So even if demand doesnt improve at all from todays levels, youre swapping out lower-rated business for higher-rated business just by definition of when the convention business is booked. Once you have that higher-rated business on the books, it gives the yield management systems and the general managers confidence to drive rate on both the leisure, which is the packaged customers, somebody that comes on Allegiant (ALGT) or through Orbitz (OWW) or Expedia (EXPE), and the individual traveler. So you should expect to see them holding rates longer and yielding rates higher sooner in the booking window than they had over the last two years, when demand was weaker.

TWST: So they burn through these lower rates?

Ms. Rothman: Yes, they just fall off. In 2009, they just wanted occupancy, and they were going to take it regardless of the rate. In 2010, once rates had improved, that wasnt the case anymore. So you have that whole delta between the rates in those two years, which will help support rate growth next year, even if the macro doesnt improve. On top of that, we think that the macro is improving. Recoveries are not linear, just the same way downturns are not linear. But we dont happen to be in the double-dip camp. With respect to regional gaming, its a slightly different scenario. Again, that customer is tied to local home values and employment, and those remain fairly depressed.

You could expect to see some modest economic recovery, but the direction and magnitude of that recovery isnt being driven by convention business or corporate profits. Its being driven by local metrics. You could think of it as directionally moving with unemployment in the local region or moving with home values in the local region or GDP in the local region, and those numbers are likely to be more modest. For Asia, the numbers out of Asia continue to surprise to the upside. However, our view on the stocks is that the beats are expected, and so unfortunately, you can get into a situation where if the beat just isnt strong enough – it can still be a pretty decent beat, but if it isnt enough – its viewed as a disappointment, and you can have a sell on a news event. So we are less optimistic on the Macau stocks.

TWST: How are gaming volumes faring? Thats a big portion of revenues for these companies.

Ms. Rothman: Baccarat in Vegas has been extremely volatile, so gaming revenues are down, but they arent necessarily down in the core mass players. Theyre down due to the volatility in baccarat. Our focus name is MGM, thats our top pick in the Vegas-based, larger-cap destination casinos, and thats really less about baccarat and more about a room rate recovery and a mass market recovery in Vegas. They do have two properties that participate in baccarat, Bellagio and MGM, predominantly Bellagio, but that is a smaller portion of their overall business.

TWST: So thats your top pick for the Vegas market. What other names are in your top investment picks right now?

Ms. Rothman: For the regional gamers its Pinnacle, and the thesis there would be that not only do you have this slow but steady same-store macroeconomic recovery, which very well could just be in the low single digits, but they have a growth pipeline where theyve already spent a significant portion of the capital but arent generating any EBITDA yet. As those properties begin to open, youll have the double benefit to free cash flow of dwindling capex and improving EBITDA. The third driver in Pinnacle would be an opportunity for cost cuts as they rationalize their promotional allowances, their direct marketing expenses to their casino customers, owing to a change in the management team over a year ago.

TWST: What companies with an Asian presence do you like?

The remainder of this 32 page Gaming and Leisure Report can be immediately viewed by purchasing online.

The Wall Street Transcript is a unique service for investors and industry researchers – providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs and research analysts. This Gaming and Leisure Report is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

The Wall Street Transcript does not endorse the views of any interviewees nor does it make stock recommendations.

For Information on subscribing to The Wall Street Transcript, please call 800/246-7673

Bug forces Wells Leisure Centre swimming pool to close

The Wells Leisure Centre swimming pool has been closed until January after a number of swimmers developed gastroenteritis.

Stuart Cave from Mendip District Council said it would stay shut until tests had been carried out and we are sure the situation has been resolved.

The council said swimmers experiencing symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhoea should contact their GP for advice.

Operator Avalon Leisure said the water was contaminated by an external source.

The decision to close the pool was taken by the councils Environmental Health Department and Avalon Leisure after it emerged the water had become infected by cryptosporidium.

The parasite causes stomach upsets and the most common symptom is diarrhoea.

The pool will re-open on Monday 2 January.

The Leisure Society have announced that they are to be playing a gig at the London Barbican on 8th December supported by Lonely, Dear.

After recently supporting Laura Marling on her Cathedral tour and appearing at several festivals over the summer including ‘End of the Road’, The Leisure Society are said to be starting a UK tour in February, with their gig at the Barbican starting acting as a taster.

The one off show on the 8th will feature backing from the 30-piece Heritage Orchestra, one of the most well known young Orchestra’s in the UK. Formed in 2004 are celebrated for their collaborations with contemporary, mainstream and experimental artists.

The Leisure Society released their second album entitled ‘Into the Murky Water’ in May and have played a series of unusual gigs this year including a sold-out gig at London’s Union Chapel and an acoustic set at the Sea life London Aquarium. They were also chosen by Ray Davies to appear at his recent Meltdown festival at the Southbank Centre.

The Leisure Society have also just finished writing their new song ‘Christmas Mistakes’ for the music site For Folk’s Sake’s Christmas Compilation album entitled ‘For Folk’s Sake it’s Christmas’ of which all profits are going to Integrated Cancer Centre.

Stream the album in full HERE.

In addition to this, the band have also been chosen to soundtrack the closing credits of ‘Tyrannosaur’. Written and directed by Paddy Considine and starring Peter Mullan, The Leisure Societys We Were Wasted will bring down the curtain on the upcoming feature.

The Leisure Society are set to play the following shows:

December
8 London Barbican

February
15 Norwich Arts Centre
16 Sheffield The Harley
17 Newcastle The Cluny
18 Clitheroe The Grand
25 Cambridge Junction 2
26 Birmingham Glee Club

March
2 Belfast Black Box
3 Dublin Whelan’s

Click here to buy tickets for The Leisure Society!

Words by Alex Mascolo

TJ Walker is the founder and managing editor of Daily National (www.dailynational.com), he is also the CEO of Media Training Worldwide (www.mediatrainingworldwide.com), a leading media and presentation training firm. For the last 25 years he has trained CEOs, Prime Ministers, Presidents of countries, Nobel Peace Prize winners, US Senators, Members of Parliament and Miss Universes how to communicate more effectively.

In 2010, Walker created TJWalker Interactive (www.TJWalker.com), a communication news/analysis site that features daily text, video and audio on top stories of the day.

Walker is also the author of “TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations,” a #1 USA Today Bestseller, and a Wall Street Journal and Business week Bestseller.

In 2009, Walker set the Guinness Book of World Records for most talk show appearances ever in a 24 hour period.

Based, in New York City, Walker trains and gives speeches all over the world.