Rocco Shoes Unveils the Latest Technology in Elevator Shoes - SBWire (press release)

Phrakanong, Bangkok -- (SBWIRE^[1] ) -- 08/21/2013 -- Rocco Shoes is pleased to announce the latest technology in elevator shoes. What makes our shoes different is that the height increasing insole is included in the arch, unlike similar shoes that have an elevated heel. This means our elevator shoes bring a new level of comfort for the wearer as well as adding height to a person’s stature.

The new range of elevator shoes^[2] are bespoke, luxury shoes, and they are handcrafted by an expert team. Our customers have an array of styles and colors to choose from. Whether the customer is looking for something casual or formal, there is a style to suit everyone. Our exciting new range is affordably priced and made to the highest of standards.

Our elevator shoes are expertly crafted from imported Italian leather, which assures our customers that only the best quality of materials is used.

Rocco’s elevator shoes don’t just offer style and comfort, they give the wearer confidence. The elevator shoes give extra height, allowing the wearer to stand taller, walk with confidence, and with good posture.

Appearing confident is essential whether at work or at leisure. With the new range of elevator shoes, the wearer never has to feel self-conscious about their height again. The shoes are ideal for weddings, job interviews or even dates. Our shoes can increase a man’s height by up to 3.5 inches. The shoes look normal and natural from the outside.

Elevator shoes are also won by the rich and famous. U2 frontman Bono, American Idol star Simon Cowell and actor Robert Downey, JR. are all said to have worn elevator shoes to add height to their statue; Hollywood actor Tom Cruise is rumored to wear them, too.

To view our range, to make an order, or to sign up to our newsletter, visit out site at:

http://roccoshoes.com/all-shoes^[3]

Rocco Shoes accept payment by most major credit cards or by PayPal and we ship orders worldwide.

About Rocco Shoes

Rocco has been manufacturing shoes for more than seventeen years. Our bespoke, beautifully crafted shoes are made from real leather and are designed to be comfortable as well as stylish.

Contact:

If you have queries or questions, please contact us at:

Telephone: 909-222-1843

rony@roccoshoes.com^[4]

Social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roccoshoes

Twitter: https://twitter.com/roccofootwear

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/roccoshoes/^{[5] [6] [7]}

References

1. ^{^} SBWIRE (www.sbwire.com)


2. ^{^} elevator shoes (www.roccoshoes.com)


3. ^{^} http://roccoshoes.com/all-shoes (roccoshoes.com)


4. ^{^} rony@roccoshoes.com (www.sbwire.com)


5. ^{^} https://www.facebook.com/roccoshoes (www.facebook.com)


6. ^{^} https://twitter.com/roccofootwear (twitter.com)


7. ^{^} http://pinterest.com/roccoshoes/ (pinterest.com)

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3D Print Everything: Printing Birdhouses to Violins to Shoes - ABC News

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Joe South, 'Walk a Mile in My Shoes' Singer, Dies - Hollywood.com

Joe South, the country and folk singer-songwriter most famous for the song "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," died on Wednesday at the age of 72. The Huffington Post ^[1] reports that South passed away following a heart attack in his home in Buford, Ga.

Georgia native South was born Joseph Souter in 1940, rising to prominence as a musician in the late 1950s and early '60s, after writing the novelty hit "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor," born from the characters created in the popular songs "Purple People Eater" (by Sheb Wooley) and "Witch Doctor" (made famous by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr.'s Alvin and the Chipmunks). South went on to collaborate with famed music icons like The Big Bopper, Gene Vincent, and Aretha Franklin.

South's lengthy and eventful career has invited a great deal of recognition; In 1979, South was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2003, he found a home in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

[Photo Credit: GAB Archive/Getty Images]

More:

Taylor Swift Storms the First Round of the CMA Awards Nominations^[2]

Elisha Cuthbert is Engaged!^[3]

Tori Spelling Gives Birth to Fourth Child^[4]

From Our Partners:

(Celebuzz)

(Celebuzz)

References

1. ^{^} The Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com)


2. ^{^} Taylor Swift Storms the First Round of the CMA Awards Nominations (www.hollywood.com)


3. ^{^} Elisha Cuthbert is Engaged! (www.hollywood.com)


4. ^{^} Tori Spelling Gives Birth to Fourth Child (www.hollywood.com)

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3D Printed Shoes By Janne Kyttanen Turn Home Computer Into Cobbler - Huffington Post

Forget that trip to the shoe store. Why not just have your computer make your footwear for you?

That's the basic idea behind Finnish shoe designer Janne Kyttanen's latest project. He's released a collection of shoes^[1] that can be assembled by a 3D printer, Mashable reports. Customers can download the blueprints for Kyttanen's designs then make them on their own 3D printer, a fairly new technology that can create 3-dimensional objects^[2] from specified materials based off of digital models.

Of course, 3D printing remains a relatively rare technology, with home models retailing over $1,000^[3] , so using a 3D printing service like Cubify^[4] might be a better option, according to Mashable. Or check out one particular UPS in San Diego that began offering 3D printing services^[5] around a month ago to help you render one of Kyttanen's designs.

The collection of wedge heels –- which includes four models -– is on display on Kyttanen’s Cubify profile^[6] . Here's one of them:

Many expect 3D printing to become increasingly popular^[7] since the technology offers small businesses and designers like Kytannan a number of advantages. Instead of entering full-scale production, which is often costly, businesses can now test, develop and distribute products on a much smaller scale^[8] , Business News Daily reports.

Indeed, Kyttanen isn’t the only fashion innovator attempting to leverage 3D printing technology. Protos Eyewear has launched a crowd-funding effort to bring 3-D printed eye glasses^[9] to customers, according to Venture Beat. Meanwhile, 3-D printing technology can also be applied to a number of products, such as bionic ears^[10] or even guns^[11] .

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow

• 
  

  Google Project Glass

  
  

  Google's Android operating system allows user to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/04/project-glass-google_n_1403174.html" target="_hplink">interact with app icons</a> through the frameless, glassless interface, effectively augmenting reality.

  
  


• 
  

  Android Watch

  
  

  WiMM Lab's One gives users access to several smart phone apps on their wrist with speciality <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/01/13/wimm-one-android-watch/#43347WiMM-One-Charging-View" target="_hplink">Android-powered smart watches</a>.

  
  


• 
  

  E-Bra

  
  

  From the University of Arkansas, this e-bra <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/e-bra-tracks-health-stats-sends-smartphone-replace-conventional-blood-pressure-monitors-article-1.1076442" target="_hplink">tracks your health stats</a>, such as your heart rate, and sends them to your smart phone for tracking and number crunching.

  
  


• 
  

  Digital Ticket Wristband For Concerts

  
  

  MissionTix recently introduced a <a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-05-02/business/bal-wristband-tickets-by-missiontix-20120502_1_wristband-new-tickets-concert-goers" target="_hplink">reusable digital wristband</a> concert-goers can wear so they don't lose track of their ticket during the show.

  
  


• 
  

  Vuzix Smart Glasses

  
  

  The functional prototype seen in the video was originally developed for the military. Wearers view a <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/vuzix-augmented-reality-smart-glasses-prototype-hands-on-video/" target="_hplink">1.4mm holographic picture</a> through a special lens, which is attached to the powerhouse of the gadget -- a proprietary display driver.

  
  


• 
  

  Nike+ FuelBand

  
  

  The wristband monitors your activity throughout the day and <a href="http://www.zdnet.com/blog/apple/nike-fuelband-the-wearable-fitness-computer/12813" target="_hplink">calculates your your "NikeFuel" score</a>, based on your rate of motion and oxygen consumption, along with calories burned and number of steps taken.

  
  


• 
  

  Dancepants Kinetic Music Player

  
  

  These speciality pants require you to keep running in order to <a href="http://www.ecouterre.com/power-your-music-player-with-your-running-pants/" target="_hplink">keep the music pumping</a>.
  
  (Photo via Designboom.com, designers: Inesa Malafej, Inesa Malafej and Arunas Sukarevicius)

  
  

• Contribute to this Story:


• Send us a tip^[12]


• Send us a photo or video^[13]


• Suggest a correction^[14]

References

1. ^{^} collection of shoes (mashable.com)


2. ^{^} can create 3-dimensional objects (mashable.com)


3. ^{^} home models retailing over $1,000 (www.businessweek.com)


4. ^{^} Cubify (mashable.com)


5. ^{^} UPS in San Diego that began offering 3D printing services (www.theatlantic.com)


6. ^{^} Cubify profile (cubify.com)


7. ^{^} 3D printing to become increasingly popular (www.businessweek.com)


8. ^{^} test, develop and distribute products on a much smaller scale (www.businessnewsdaily.com)


9. ^{^} crowd-funding effort to bring 3-D printed eye glasses (venturebeat.com)


10. ^{^} bionic ears (www.huffingtonpost.com)


11. ^{^} guns (www.huffingtonpost.com)


12. ^{^} Send us a tip (www.huffingtonpost.com)


13. ^{^} Send us a photo or video (www.huffingtonpost.com)


14. ^{^} Suggest a correction (www.huffingtonpost.com)

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Parents, neighborhood get shoes for running grade-schoolers - Billings Gazette

The kids in McKinley Elementary’s cross-country club gathered on the blacktop, running shoes tied tight, ready to take a jog around the neighborhood Friday morning.

The shoes are important. Elementary school students wear all kinds of shoes — big, blocky basketball shoes, barely there flats, slip-ons, Chuck Taylors. But not all of them have running shoes, and it can be hard to jog a mile in a pair of flats.

“They could, it’s just not good for them,” said volunteer coach Ceci Bentler.

So parents at the school got together and went through their closets. Some of them had older children who had outgrown a perfectly good pair of running shoes and they offered them to the club.

Pretty soon, the school had a full-blown shoe drive on its hands, with families and neighbors offering their children’s outgrown shoes. For the students who needed them, it was a welcome offering.

McKinley has a diverse student body, with kids coming from shelters and downtown motels and 100-year-old restored manses up the hill.

Getting running shoes to everyone who needs a pair — and making sure kids are aware those shoes are available so that they’ll feel they can join the club — has been an important, but delicate task.

In an effort not to single anyone out, club organizers have talked up the shoes to all the kids, explaining that running shoes, like football pads or shin guards, are a necessary piece of equipment to participate in the sport of distance running.

When they join a team, they get the equipment they need.

“It’s sports equipment,” Bentler said. “It’s gotten to be so big, it’s become a non-issue.”

And ultimately, that was the goal — to get as many kids running as they could.

“They are so talented and eager,” Bentler said.

Sarah Brown’s two children run in the club. Providing shoes to any kid who might need them or want them is vital, she said.

The high cost of participating in many sports often excludes students with the talent or desire to participate who would otherwise play or run if they could. They need the chance, Brown said.

“I feel really strongly about it.”

It’s why she loves running and making sure students get the chance to do it.

“I think it’s a huge gift to give these kids,” she said. “A sport they can do just walking out their back door.”

They don’t need a team; they don’t need helmets or pads or rackets or gloves. They just need shoes and the road or an open park, she said.

Running also gives the kids a kind of alone time that really doesn’t come from anything else. They take off on a jog and they’re on their own, a solitary escape for a few moments from the world around them, she said.

“They need that,” she said.

The club is still looking for shoes, specifically children’s sizes 3 to 6. Bentler has set up a collection box at the downtown YMCA and hopes to gather in what they need.

“It’s an organic effort of getting hand-me-down shoes to kids,” she said.

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Eve's pain over Sex movie shoes - Hollywood.com

The blonde beauty was thrilled to land a role as a nanny working for Kristin Davis' character in the highly-anticipated sequel, but didn't realise the cast's dedication to fashion until she arrived on-set.

Eve was convinced she would be able to remove her painful designer shoes in-between takes - but was shocked to see the main castmembers kept theirs on at all times.

She tells Britain's Daily Record, "They were those shoes, the ones with the really high heels, all day long. I kept expecting them to put on Uggs (flat, sheepskin boots) at some point between takes like everyone else. But no."

And Eve was left in agony after trying out a runway-style walk in her high heels: "I had watched models walking down the catwalk. It looks incredibly easy, just like tennis looks easy. So I copied them - and I had the sorest legs the next day."

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Jim Donaldson: Amendola, filling big shoes, hangs tough in opener - The Providence Journal

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y — For a little guy, Wes Welker left some huge shoes to fill in New England.

For six seasons, he was Tom Brady’s “go-to” guy. When the Patriots needed a first down, a clutch catch, somebody to move the chains, Welker was often Option Number One.

In five of the six years he was a Patriot, Welker caught at least 111 passes. He set a team record for receptions with 123 in 2009 and had 122 in 2011.

Then, Thursday night in Denver, in his first game with the Broncos, he had nine catches, two of them for touchdowns.

Talk about tough acts to follow.

It would be easier to sing after Sinatra, or for an understudy to step in for James Earl Jones in a Broadway play.

That was the situation Danny Amendola found himself in Sunday afternoon against the Bills.

He was playing Welker’s position of slot receiver, but he was the center of attention.

Everyone in New England was watching him, wondering if he really could replace the wildly popular — and highly productive — Welker.

So it was troubling when, late in the first half, after catching three passes for 40 yards, Amendola limped off the field in obvious discomfort with what appeared to be a strained groin muscle.

Talk about a worst-case scenario.

Amendola came to New England with a reputation of being injury prone.

He played in only one game for the Rams in 2011 because of a dislocated elbow and sat out five games for St. Louis last season because of shoulder and ankle injuries.

No one ever questioned Amendola’s productivity. His durability, however, was another matter entirely — particularly when compared with Welker, who would take a licking and keep on playing, missing just three games in his six seasons with the Pats.

So it was significant that, after getting treatment at halftime, Amendola came out in the second half and made some Welker-like plays that helped the Patriots avoid what would have been an embarrassing loss.

In the end, the game came down not to Stephen Gostkowski’s foot but to Amendola’s hands.

With just 1:20 remaining, the Patriots were trailing, 21-20, and facing a 3rd-and-8 situation at the Buffalo 39 — still out of realistic range for a field goal.

That’s when Amendola darted over the middle and made a surehanded grab of a rifled pass from Tom Brady for a first down at the 29.

It was his fourth catch of the desperation drive, and when Shane Vereen followed it with a 15-yard run to the Bills’ 14 on the next play, the Patriots were able to pull out the win on a 35-yard field goal by Gostkowski.

“Danny stepped up,” Belichick said. “He made some big catches in some tough situations.”

Brady spoke similarly of Amendola.

“He really toughed it out, which was pretty impressive,” the quarterback said. “I thought he was going to be out the rest of the game. He gave everything he’s got.”

Amendola showed something Sunday to Patriots fans.

He stayed in the game, and then did as much as any Pats player to win the game.

Targeted 14 times by Brady, he finished with game-high totals of 10 catches for 104 yards.

Afterward, in the crowded visitors locker room, Amendola pointed out that this isn’t the first time he’s followed in Welker’s footsteps.

“I was a senior in high school, and going to Texas Tech, when Wes Welker was there and catching 15 balls a game,” he said. “He’s one of the most productive players ever.”

As a senior at Texas Tech in 2003, Welker caught 97 passes for 1,099 yards. When Amendola was a senior, in 2007, he caught 109 for 1,245 for the Red Raiders.

That’s not to say he’s going to surpass the phenomenal numbers Welker put up in New England. That borders on the impossible. But, if he can avoid injury, Amendola should compile some pretty healthy stats.

“I don’t think about that stuff,” Amendola said when asked about the inevitable comparisons with Welker, and the pressure of trying to replace him — both on the field and in the hearts of Patriots fans.

“I just think about my job. I’m really excited to be here. I love playing with these guys.”

In the first half, he said, “I really didn’t have my legs under me.”

And, when he limped off the field, it seemed as if he might not be running at all in the second half.

“We have some good trainers here,” was Amendola’s tight-lipped explanation for how he was able to keep playing.

“It’s a long game, a physical game,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep fighting.”

After the game, Amendola was feeling no pain.

“Right now,” he said, “I feel good about winning.”

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At New York Fashion Week, designers mix it up and defy match-matchy convention - Detroit Free Press

NEW YORK — Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match.

Isn’t that why there are suits? And belts should complement shoes. And try to wear the same shades of black, right?

The biggest group of offenders to that conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers. In the styles they’ve been previewing at New York Fashion Week, which hit its midpoint Sunday, it has been “juxtaposition” this and “opposite” that.

“It’s all in the mix: feminine with masculine, sexy and slouchy, tailored with sport, chic with street,” according to notes for the DKNY show.

It was OK at Tracy Reese that a raffia lace dance skirt covered with circle patterns was worn with a floral cropped shirt, and a checkered backpack was strapped to a floral top.

Designers can do it well, sometimes, with years of experience mixing colors and patterns — and having confidence. And times have changed, too.

“There’s more freedom now to express yourself through your clothes than there was 20 years ago, 50 years ago. You can wear that full feminine skirt with the man’s shirt. Go ahead, take your cues from the runway,” Reese said.

Here are more fashion notes from the runway:

Kenneth Cole

Cole’s sporty Anorak and track jackets, hoodies and drawstring pants weren’t clothes to just throw on in the morning without care. The mix of snakeskin, calf-hair camo and leather elevated normally casual silhouettes.

“The world is consumed with myriad points of view,” Cole said in his notes. “And through ever-emerging technologies, our points of view can now be made available to everyone, everywhere.”

That’s why he sent his models down the runway with their own mobile devices to snap the crowd.

Victoria Beckham

The tight ship Beckham seems to run at fashion week allowed her collection to sail smoothly down the runway.

For Beckham, there was no chaos or confusion. That goes for her small, insider-only show as well as the clothes she offers. She sticks to her vision: a chic, no-fuss approach to fashion.

Things were mostly black and white, and there was no adornment or embellishment. She does allow for the occasional pop of pink, which is impactful because of her restraint.

It’s become the norm that David Beckham comes out a few moments before the show to shake a few hands, and then their toddler daughter, Harper, sits on his lap as the models go by. They, along with everyone else, get only a short peek at Victoria who pops out for a quick wave — and stays away from the cameras.

DKNY

Twenty-five years in fashion is worth celebrating, and that’s what Donna Karan did Sunday at her DKNY show.

She was all smiles as she did her lap of the runway after her parade of flirty, colorful looks.

Karan wasn’t afraid to pay homage to the late 1980s when this brand — geared toward a younger woman with a smaller paycheck than her signature collection — was launched. The soundtrack was courtesy of the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Aerosmith, and the backdrop was done in graffiti, reminiscent of New York’s grittier time.

“DKNY, I mean, really it was a nod to 25 years of DKNY saying that it’s as good today as it was then,” Karan said of the show.

“We celebrated the city of life, it happens in New York City. They’re clothes that last forever. They’re clothes that have been inspired from nylons to lifestyle to yoga to bathing suits. You name it we do it, but it’s done within the DKNY frame, and I think they’re classics but they go to the next level,” she added.

She showed flirty, flippy skirts now made of neoprene, slouchy trousers and even overalls. There was the updated version of “the naked dress” with its invisible straps and sexy bias cut that Carrie Bradshaw wore on “Sex and the City,” worn by Karlie Kloss in red.

Diane von Furstenberg

After four days of runway shows, it takes something special to get the fashion week crowd excited, and apparently Naomi Campbell is it.

Campbell, regarded by fashion insiders as queen of the catwalk, got the often-jaded crowd cheering when she wore the finale look at von Furstenberg’s show Sunday. The look: a black, gold and white knit macrame sleeveless shift dress.

It fit into von Furstenberg’s broader theme of “oasis,” which also inspired some retro glam tunic-and-pants sets, ombre prints and a safari animal T-shirt dress worn by a model and von Furstenberg herself when she took her bow.

The designer stuck close to the looks that have made her famous: the wrap dress, wide-leg pants and prints. She could pick any one of the pieces on the runway for her own summer vacations, which she spends on her yacht.

“What I wanted to do was create in this world that’s a little terrifying and scary, I wanted to create an oasis of peace, of beauty, of color and of harmony,” she said in a backstage interview. “I care about making the woman feel beautiful.”

Monique Lhuillier

Does Lhuillier have perfect timing or what? Fashion Week hits right before the Emmy Awards — and then again in February right before the Oscars. Hollywood surely is her bread and butter.

The looks on her runway were lovely, and she clearly catered to her celebrity crowd with many gowns and cocktail looks. But her own wardrobe was a factor, she said in a backstage interview: “I always look at women that I know and myself, and I’m like, ‘What do I want to wear next?’ I always tell myself I want to have to want to wear these clothes because if I don’t, then women won’t.”

Gone were big ballgowns or super-slim sheaths. Do we miss them? Not really.

Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley was true to, well, Cynthia Rowley with fun and funky dresses and two-piece sets featuring thick embroidery.

A full, long skirt in rose was paired with the embroidery in yellow, one of the standouts at a presentation she turned into a Mexican fiesta in a cavernous hotel space that was once part of a seminary.

A short-sleeve dress in white with thin horizontal stripes had fans of blue embroidery at the chest and floppy, poppy red flower applique at the shoulders.

“For me, this season, I just wanted to be true to myself and my brand. It’s sporty, it’s pretty, it’s a little sexy, a little bit colorful, but also experimenting with a lot of new techniques,” she said.

Joseph Altuzarra

Altuzarra, his mother and grandmother nearby, offered this message for the woman he dresses: Relax this spring.

With an emphasis on “woman,” as opposed to “girl.”

“I love the shape of the average woman’s body, and that’s why I always say ‘woman’ and not ‘girl,’ ” the 30-year-old explained in a backstage interview after rolling out shimmery silvers and golds for evening, layered Oxford shirting for day and a range of silks.

Altuzarra’s woman isn’t afraid of his high-slit dresses and skirts, long fringe on a white leather jacket and skirts, or white wool ponchos as he left behind some of the structure and aggressiveness of collections past. Inspired in part by the patchwork of traditional Japanese Boro clothing farmers and fisherman, he brought utilitarian grace to red and blue silk stripes, cotton jackets and blouses, and drawstring skirts.

This collection lends his brand an easy elegance, but his customer remains the same.

“She’s someone who’s quite sensual and is very in touch with her femininity, her sexuality,” Altuzarra said. “I actually prefer dressing a woman as opposed to a young girl.”

Herve Leger

The best model for the new spring Herve Leger collection wasn’t on the runway, she was next to it: Nicki Minaj clapped heartily for and took her own photos of each dress that was paraded in front of her at his show. Then she stood up in her own black bandage-style dress and gave designers Max and Lubov Azria a standing ovation.

Her presence largely changed the tone of the audience conversation, which had been about rumored financial troubles with the label, but Minaj — even with the camera-and-security frenzy she caused — helped put the focus back on the clothes.

Leger has a look: second-skin silhouettes that strictly follow the curves of the body. What’s new each season is the palette — black, blue and blush this time — and the embellishment, which included zippers and fringe.

There also were flashes of skin on the bodice with strategic cutouts, emerging as a trend this season on other runways, too.

Mara Hoffman

Hoffman has some hashtags for us: Fearless. Rainbow. Vibes.

As in good vibes. As in good vibes inspired by color, light and happiness playing out in her bold spring collection.

She said in a backstage interview that the collection is fit for a gang of rainbow warriors. As in warriors with extra-long braids down their backs, some dressed in sheer beaded chiffon adorned with neon orange, yellow and green. Others went into runway battle in bright tribal prints for mid-leg looks, shorts and swimsuits.

“I’m being a little bolder this season,” Hoffman said, “as fortune favors the bold.”

Christian Siriano

At 27 and fresh from an island vacation, Christian Siriano the designer is working on Christian Siriano the mogul.

The former makeup artist and hair stylist has a new year-long beauty partnership with Sebastian Professional, an as-yet unnamed fragrance and his bespectacled eyes on designing, yes, eyewear.

And he hopes to expand his brick-and-mortar presence over the next few years. Now, he has just one namesake shop that opened last year in downtown Manhattan, selling everything from accessories to fancy home goods.

“The last year or two has been really about growing the business,” Siriano said in an interview backstage. “I really wanted to make sure we were selling clothes first and really building with retailers.”

So how big is too big for the season four “Project Runway” winner? Does he fret losing himself in a lifestyle brand?

“I thought it would be hard,” Siriano said. “But at the end of the day, I’m growing up. I’m definitely learning every season about what I can do, what I can’t do. What I like and what I don’t like.”

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Sarah Castille mounts an exploration of MMA - USA TODAY

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Celebrity Super Spa: Beauty and the beasts - Daily Star

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Foot health - Another Cubs Blog (blog)

I like to go walking in my sandals. I wonder if it is bad for the health of the feet, and not supporting the arch of the foot. I have 30 now, could have a negative effect on the feet in the long run to keep going on walks around the block in my sandals. After looking around, I learned – Yes It's too bad to walk in flat shoes, unless you have flat feet. When you have a bow and wear flat shoes Soo puts much stress on one of the main tendons in the bottom of your foot, running from the toe to the back of the heel. It is basically all the time bending you are wearing flat shoes. Overtime will take wear and tear in the tendon itself and together with the bones. Just buy the sandals with a bow so that the tendon can relax instead of being stretched

Natural Sports Podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan explains neuromas and what can cause the nerves in the feet to become thickened and enlarged in the first place. Lea. . .

---

About The Author

Author: Joy comes in the morning, Copyright © 2013, Yahoo Answers

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Jim Donaldson: Patriots' Amendola, filling big shoes, hangs tough in opener - The Providence Journal

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y — For a little guy, Wes Welker left some huge shoes to fill in New England.

For six seasons, he was Tom Brady’s “go-to” guy. When the Patriots needed a first down, a clutch catch, somebody to move the chains, Welker was often Option Number One.

In five of the six years he was a Patriot, Welker caught at least 111 passes. He set a team record for receptions with 123 in 2009 and had 122 in 2011.

Then, Thursday night in Denver, in his first game with the Broncos, he had nine catches, two of them for touchdowns.

Talk about tough acts to follow.

It would be easier to sing after Sinatra, or for an understudy to step in for James Earl Jones in a Broadway play.

That was the situation Danny Amendola found himself in Sunday afternoon against the Bills.

He was playing Welker’s position of slot receiver, but he was the center of attention.

Everyone in New England was watching him, wondering if he really could replace the wildly popular — and highly productive — Welker.

So it was troubling when, late in the first half, after catching three passes for 40 yards, Amendola limped off the field in obvious discomfort with what appeared to be a strained groin muscle.

Talk about a worst-case scenario.

Amendola came to New England with a reputation of being injury prone.

He played in only one game for the Rams in 2011 because of a dislocated elbow and sat out five games for St. Louis last season because of shoulder and ankle injuries.

No one ever questioned Amendola’s productivity. His durability, however, was another matter entirely — particularly when compared with Welker, who would take a licking and keep on playing, missing just three games in his six seasons with the Pats.

So it was significant that, after getting treatment at halftime, Amendola came out in the second half and made some Welker-like plays that helped the Patriots avoid what would have been an embarrassing loss.

In the end, the game came down not to Stephen Gostkowski’s foot but to Amendola’s hands.

With just 1:20 remaining, the Patriots were trailing, 21-20, and facing a 3rd-and-8 situation at the Buffalo 39 — still out of realistic range for a field goal.

That’s when Amendola darted over the middle and made a surehanded grab of a rifled pass from Tom Brady for a first down at the 29.

It was his fourth catch of the desperation drive, and when Shane Vereen followed it with a 15-yard run to the Bills’ 14 on the next play, the Patriots were able to pull out the win on a 35-yard field goal by Gostkowski.

“Danny stepped up,” Belichick said. “He made some big catches in some tough situations.”

Brady spoke similarly of Amendola.

“He really toughed it out, which was pretty impressive,” the quarterback said. “I thought he was going to be out the rest of the game. He gave everything he’s got.”

Amendola showed something Sunday to Patriots fans.

He stayed in the game, and then did as much as any Pats player to win the game.

Targeted 14 times by Brady, he finished with game-high totals of 10 catches for 104 yards.

Afterward, in the crowded visitors locker room, Amendola pointed out that this isn’t the first time he’s followed in Welker’s footsteps.

“I was a senior in high school, and going to Texas Tech, when Wes Welker was there and catching 15 balls a game,” he said. “He’s one of the most productive players ever.”

As a senior at Texas Tech in 2003, Welker caught 97 passes for 1,099 yards. When Amendola was a senior, in 2007, he caught 109 for 1,245 for the Red Raiders.

That’s not to say he’s going to surpass the phenomenal numbers Welker put up in New England. That borders on the impossible. But, if he can avoid injury, Amendola should compile some pretty healthy stats.

“I don’t think about that stuff,” Amendola said when asked about the inevitable comparisons with Welker, and the pressure of trying to replace him — both on the field and in the hearts of Patriots fans.

“I just think about my job. I’m really excited to be here. I love playing with these guys.”

In the first half, he said, “I really didn’t have my legs under me.”

And, when he limped off the field, it seemed as if he might not be running at all in the second half.

“We have some good trainers here,” was Amendola’s tight-lipped explanation for how he was able to keep playing.

“It’s a long game, a physical game,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep fighting.”

After the game, Amendola was feeling no pain.

“Right now,” he said, “I feel good about winning.”

Read More

Midway through NY Fashion Week, designers say it's all about the mix - Vancouver Sun

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match.

Isn't that why there are suits? And belts should complement shoes. And try to wear the same shades of black, right?

The biggest group of offenders to the conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers. In the styles they've been previewing at New York Fashion Week, which hit its midpoint Sunday, it's been "juxtaposition" this and "opposite" that.

"It's all in the mix: feminine with masculine, sexy and slouchy, tailored with sport, chic with street," according to notes for the DKNY show.

It was OK at Tracy Reese that a raffia lace dance skirt covered with circle patterns was worn with a floral cropped shirt, and a checkered backpack was strapped to a floral top.

Designers can do it well, sometimes, with years of experience mixing colours and patterns — and having confidence. And times have changed, too.

"There's more freedom now to express yourself through your clothes than there was 20 years ago, 50 years ago. You can wear that full feminine skirt with the man's shirt. Go ahead, take your cues from the runway," Reese said.

___

KENNETH COLE

Cole's sporty Anorak and track jackets, hoodies and drawstring pants weren't clothes to just throw on in the morning without care. The mix of snakeskin, calf-hair camo and leather elevated normally casual silhouettes.

"The world is consumed with myriad points of view," Cole said in his notes. "And through ever-emerging technologies, our points of view can now be made available to everyone, everywhere."

That's why he sent his models down the runway with their own mobile devices to snap the crowd.

___

VICTORIA BECKHAM

The tight ship Victoria Beckham seems to run at fashion week allowed her collection to sail smoothly down the runway.

For Beckham, there was no chaos or confusion. That goes for her small, insider-only show as well as the clothes she offers. She sticks to her vision: a chic, no-fuss approach to fashion.

Things were mostly black and white, and there was no adornment or embellishment. She does allow for the occasional pop of pink, which is impactful because of her restraint.

It's become the norm that David Beckham comes out a few moments before the show to shake a few hands, and then their toddler daughter Harper sits on his lap as the models go by. They, along with everyone else, get only a short peek at Victoria who pops out for a quick wave — and stays away from the cameras.

___

DKNY

Twenty-five years in fashion is worth celebrating, and that's what Donna Karan did Sunday at her DKNY show.

She was all smiles as she did her lap of the runway after her parade of flirty, colorful looks.

Karan wasn't afraid to pay homage to the late 1980s when this brand — geared toward a younger woman with a smaller paycheque than her signature collection — was launched. The soundtrack was courtesy of the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Aerosmith, and the backdrop was done in graffiti, reminiscent of New York's grittier time.

"DKNY, I mean really it was a nod to twenty-five years of DKNY saying that it's as good today as it was then," Karan said of the show.

"We celebrated the city of life, it happens in New York City. They're clothes that last forever. They're clothes that have been inspired from nylons to lifestyle to yoga to bathing suits. You name it we do it, but it's done within the DKNY frame and I think they're classics but they go to the next level," she added.

She showed flirty, flippy skirts now made of neoprene, slouchy trousers and even overalls. There was the updated version of "the naked dress" with its invisible straps and sexy bias cut that Carrie Bradshaw wore on "Sex and the City," worn by Karlie Kloss in red.

___

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

After four days of runway shows, it takes something special to get the fashion week crowd excited, and apparently Naomi Campbell is it.

Campbell, regarded by fashion insiders as queen of the catwalk, got the often jaded crowd cheering when she wore the finale look at von Furstenberg's show Sunday. The look: a black, gold and white knit macrame sleeveless shift dress.

It fit into von Furstenberg's broader theme of "oasis," which also inspired some retro glam tunic-and-pants sets, ombre prints and a safari animal T-shirt dress worn by a model and von Furstenberg herself when she took her bow.

The designer stuck close to the looks that have made her famous — the wrap dress, wide-leg pants and prints. She could pick any one of the pieces on the runway for her own summer vacations, which she spends on her yacht.

"What I wanted to do was create in this world that's a little terrifying and scary, I wanted to create an oasis of peace, of beauty, of colour and of harmony," she said in a backstage interview. "I care about making the woman feel beautiful."

___

MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Does Monique Lhuillier have perfect timing or what? Fashion Week hits right before the Emmy Awards — and then again in February right before the Oscars. Hollywood surely is her bread and butter.

The looks on her runway were lovely, and she clearly catered to her celebrity crowd with many gowns and cocktail looks. But her own wardrobe was a factor, she said in a backstage interview: "I always look at women that I know and myself, and I'm like, 'What do I want to wear next?' I always tell myself I want to have to want to wear these clothes because if I don't, then women won't."

Gone were big ballgowns or super-slim sheaths. Do we miss them? Not really.

___

CYNTHIA ROWLEY

Cynthia Rowley was true to, well, Cynthia Rowley with fun and funky dresses and two-piece sets featuring thick embroidery.

A full, long skirt in rose was paired with the embroidery in yellow, one of the standouts at a presentation she turned into a Mexican fiesta in a cavernous hotel space that was once part of a seminary.

A short-sleeve dress in white with thin horizontal stripes had fans of blue embroidery at the chest and floppy, poppy red flower applique at the shoulders.

"For me, this season, I just wanted to be true to myself and my brand. It's sporty, it's pretty, it's a little sexy, a little bit colorful, but also experimenting with a lot of new techniques," she said.

___

JOSEPH ALTUZARRA

Joseph Altuzarra, his mother and grandmother nearby, offered this message for the woman he dresses: Relax this spring.

With an emphasis on "woman," as opposed to girl.

"I love the shape of the average woman's body and that's why I always say woman and not girl," the 30-year-old explained in a backstage interview after rolling out shimmery silvers and golds for evening, layered Oxford shirting for day and a range of silks.

Altuzarra's woman isn't afraid of his high-slit dresses and skirts, long fringe on a white leather jacket and skirts, or white wool ponchos as he left behind some of the structure and aggressiveness of collections past. Inspired in part by the patchwork of traditional Japanese Boro clothing farmers and fisherman, he brought utilitarian grace to red and blue silk stripes, cotton jackets and blouses, and drawstring skirts.

This collection lends his brand an easy elegance, but his customer remains the same.

"She's someone who's quite sensual and is very in touch with her femininity, her sexuality," Altuzarra said. "I actually prefer dressing a woman as opposed to a young girl."

___

HERVE LEGER

The best model for the new spring Herve Leger collection wasn't on the runway, she was next to it: Nicki Minaj clapped heartily for and took her own photos of each dress that was paraded in front of her at his show. Then she stood up in her own black bandage-style dress and gave designers Max and Lubov Azria a standing ovation.

Her presence largely changed the tone of the audience conversation, which had been about rumoured financial troubles with the label, but Minaj — even with the camera-and-security frenzy she caused — helped put the focus back on the clothes.

Leger has a look: second-skin silhouettes that strictly follow the curves of the body. What's new each season is the palette — black, blue and blush this time — and the embellishment, which included zippers and fringe.

There also were flashes of skin on the bodice with strategic cutouts, emerging as a trend this season on other runways, too.

___

MARA HOFFMAN

Hoffman has some hashtags for us: Fearless. Rainbow. Vibes.

As in good vibes. As in good vibes inspired by colour, light and happiness playing out in her bold spring collection.

She said in a backstage interview that the collection is fit for a gang of rainbow warriors. As in warriors with extra-long braids down their backs, some dressed in sheer beaded chiffon adorned with neon orange, yellow and green. Others went into runway battle in bright tribal prints for mid-leg looks, shorts and swimsuits.

"I'm being a little bolder this season," Hoffman said, "as fortune favours the bold."

___

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

At 27 and fresh from an island vacation, Christian Siriano the designer is working on Christian Siriano the mogul.

The former makeup artist and hair stylist has a new year-long beauty partnership with Sebastian Professional, an as-yet unnamed fragrance and his bespectacled eyes on designing, yes, eyewear.

And he hopes to expand his brick-and-mortar presence over the next few years. Now, he has just one namesake shop that opened last year in downtown Manhattan, selling everything from accessories to fancy home goods.

"The last year or two has been really about growing the business," Siriano said in an interview backstage. "I really wanted to make sure we were selling clothes first and really building with retailers."

So how big is too big for the season four "Project Runway" winner? Does he fret losing himself in a lifestyle brand?

"I thought it would be hard," Siriano said. "But at the end of the day, I'm growing up. I'm definitely learning every season about what I can do, what I can't do. What I like and what I don't like."

___

Leanne Italie contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP Fashion on Twitter @AP_Fashion and see behind-the-scenes Instagram photos here: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2013/fashion-week/

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Designers Defy Matchy-Matchy Wisdom For The Mix - NPR

NEW YORK (AP) — Most people are taught from a young age that they want their outfits to match.

Isn't that why there are suits? And belts should complement shoes. And try to wear the same shades of black, right?

The biggest group of offenders to the conventional wisdom, however, is probably fashion designers. In the styles they've been previewing at New York Fashion Week, which hit its midpoint Sunday, it's been "juxtaposition" this and "opposite" that.

"It's all in the mix: feminine with masculine, sexy and slouchy, tailored with sport, chic with street," according to notes for the DKNY show.

It was OK at Tracy Reese that a raffia lace dance skirt covered with circle patterns was worn with a floral cropped shirt, and a checkered backpack was strapped to a floral top.

Designers can do it well, sometimes, with years of experience mixing colors and patterns — and having confidence. And times have changed, too.

"There's more freedom now to express yourself through your clothes than there was 20 years ago, 50 years ago. You can wear that full feminine skirt with the man's shirt. Go ahead, take your cues from the runway," Reese said.

___

KENNETH COLE

Cole's sporty Anorak and track jackets, hoodies and drawstring pants weren't clothes to just throw on in the morning without care. The mix of snakeskin, calf-hair camo and leather elevated normally casual silhouettes.

"The world is consumed with myriad points of view," Cole said in his notes. "And through ever-emerging technologies, our points of view can now be made available to everyone, everywhere."

That's why he sent his models down the runway with their own mobile devices to snap the crowd.

___

VICTORIA BECKHAM

The tight ship Victoria Beckham seems to run at fashion week allowed her collection to sail smoothly down the runway.

For Beckham, there was no chaos or confusion. That goes for her small, insider-only show as well as the clothes she offers. She sticks to her vision: a chic, no-fuss approach to fashion.

Things were mostly black and white, and there was no adornment or embellishment. She does allow for the occasional pop of pink, which is impactful because of her restraint.

It's become the norm that David Beckham comes out a few moments before the show to shake a few hands, and then their toddler daughter Harper sits on his lap as the models go by. They, along with everyone else, get only a short peek at Victoria who pops out for a quick wave — and stays away from the cameras.

___

DKNY

Twenty-five years in fashion is worth celebrating, and that's what Donna Karan did Sunday at her DKNY show.

She was all smiles as she did her lap of the runway after her parade of flirty, colorful looks.

Karan wasn't afraid to pay homage to the late 1980s when this brand — geared toward a younger woman with a smaller paycheck than her signature collection — was launched. The soundtrack was courtesy of the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and Aerosmith, and the backdrop was done in graffiti, reminiscent of New York's grittier time.

"DKNY, I mean really it was a nod to twenty-five years of DKNY saying that it's as good today as it was then," Karan said of the show.

"We celebrated the city of life, it happens in New York City. They're clothes that last forever. They're clothes that have been inspired from nylons to lifestyle to yoga to bathing suits. You name it we do it, but it's done within the DKNY frame and I think they're classics but they go to the next level," she added.

She showed flirty, flippy skirts now made of neoprene, slouchy trousers and even overalls. There was the updated version of "the naked dress" with its invisible straps and sexy bias cut that Carrie Bradshaw wore on "Sex and the City," worn by Karlie Kloss in red.

___

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

After four days of runway shows, it takes something special to get the fashion week crowd excited, and apparently Naomi Campbell is it.

Campbell, regarded by fashion insiders as queen of the catwalk, got the often jaded crowd cheering when she wore the finale look at von Furstenberg's show Sunday. The look: a black, gold and white knit macrame sleeveless shift dress.

It fit into von Furstenberg's broader theme of "oasis," which also inspired some retro glam tunic-and-pants sets, ombre prints and a safari animal T-shirt dress worn by a model and von Furstenberg herself when she took her bow.

The designer stuck close to the looks that have made her famous — the wrap dress, wide-leg pants and prints. She could pick any one of the pieces on the runway for her own summer vacations, which she spends on her yacht.

"What I wanted to do was create in this world that's a little terrifying and scary, I wanted to create an oasis of peace, of beauty, of color and of harmony," she said in a backstage interview. "I care about making the woman feel beautiful."

___

MONIQUE LHUILLIER

Does Monique Lhuillier have perfect timing or what? Fashion Week hits right before the Emmy Awards — and then again in February right before the Oscars. Hollywood surely is her bread and butter.

The looks on her runway were lovely, and she clearly catered to her celebrity crowd with many gowns and cocktail looks. But her own wardrobe was a factor, she said in a backstage interview: "I always look at women that I know and myself, and I'm like, 'What do I want to wear next?' I always tell myself I want to have to want to wear these clothes because if I don't, then women won't."

Gone were big ballgowns or super-slim sheaths. Do we miss them? Not really.

___

CYNTHIA ROWLEY

Cynthia Rowley was true to, well, Cynthia Rowley with fun and funky dresses and two-piece sets featuring thick embroidery.

A full, long skirt in rose was paired with the embroidery in yellow, one of the standouts at a presentation she turned into a Mexican fiesta in a cavernous hotel space that was once part of a seminary.

A short-sleeve dress in white with thin horizontal stripes had fans of blue embroidery at the chest and floppy, poppy red flower applique at the shoulders.

"For me, this season, I just wanted to be true to myself and my brand. It's sporty, it's pretty, it's a little sexy, a little bit colorful, but also experimenting with a lot of new techniques," she said.

___

JOSEPH ALTUZARRA

Joseph Altuzarra, his mother and grandmother nearby, offered this message for the woman he dresses: Relax this spring.

With an emphasis on "woman," as opposed to girl.

"I love the shape of the average woman's body and that's why I always say woman and not girl," the 30-year-old explained in a backstage interview after rolling out shimmery silvers and golds for evening, layered Oxford shirting for day and a range of silks.

Altuzarra's woman isn't afraid of his high-slit dresses and skirts, long fringe on a white leather jacket and skirts, or white wool ponchos as he left behind some of the structure and aggressiveness of collections past. Inspired in part by the patchwork of traditional Japanese Boro clothing farmers and fisherman, he brought utilitarian grace to red and blue silk stripes, cotton jackets and blouses, and drawstring skirts.

This collection lends his brand an easy elegance, but his customer remains the same.

"She's someone who's quite sensual and is very in touch with her femininity, her sexuality," Altuzarra said. "I actually prefer dressing a woman as opposed to a young girl."

___

HERVE LEGER

The best model for the new spring Herve Leger collection wasn't on the runway, she was next to it: Nicki Minaj clapped heartily for and took her own photos of each dress that was paraded in front of her at his show. Then she stood up in her own black bandage-style dress and gave designers Max and Lubov Azria a standing ovation.

Her presence largely changed the tone of the audience conversation, which had been about rumored financial troubles with the label, but Minaj — even with the camera-and-security frenzy she caused — helped put the focus back on the clothes.

Leger has a look: second-skin silhouettes that strictly follow the curves of the body. What's new each season is the palette — black, blue and blush this time — and the embellishment, which included zippers and fringe.

There also were flashes of skin on the bodice with strategic cutouts, emerging as a trend this season on other runways, too.

___

MARA HOFFMAN

Hoffman has some hashtags for us: Fearless. Rainbow. Vibes.

As in good vibes. As in good vibes inspired by color, light and happiness playing out in her bold spring collection.

She said in a backstage interview that the collection is fit for a gang of rainbow warriors. As in warriors with extra-long braids down their backs, some dressed in sheer beaded chiffon adorned with neon orange, yellow and green. Others went into runway battle in bright tribal prints for mid-leg looks, shorts and swimsuits.

"I'm being a little bolder this season," Hoffman said, "as fortune favors the bold."

___

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO

At 27 and fresh from an island vacation, Christian Siriano the designer is working on Christian Siriano the mogul.

The former makeup artist and hair stylist has a new year-long beauty partnership with Sebastian Professional, an as-yet unnamed fragrance and his bespectacled eyes on designing, yes, eyewear.

And he hopes to expand his brick-and-mortar presence over the next few years. Now, he has just one namesake shop that opened last year in downtown Manhattan, selling everything from accessories to fancy home goods.

"The last year or two has been really about growing the business," Siriano said in an interview backstage. "I really wanted to make sure we were selling clothes first and really building with retailers."

So how big is too big for the season four "Project Runway" winner? Does he fret losing himself in a lifestyle brand?

"I thought it would be hard," Siriano said. "But at the end of the day, I'm growing up. I'm definitely learning every season about what I can do, what I can't do. What I like and what I don't like."

___

Leanne Italie contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP Fashion on Twitter @AP_Fashion and see behind-the-scenes Instagram photos here: http://hosted.ap.org/interactives/2013/fashion-week/

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Jim Donaldson: Amendola, filling big shoes, hangs tough in opener - The Providence Journal

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y — For a little guy, Wes Welker left some huge shoes to fill in New England.

For six seasons, he was Tom Brady’s “go-to” guy. When the Patriots needed a first down, a clutch catch, somebody to move the chains, Welker was often Option Number One.

In five of the six years he was a Patriot, Welker caught at least 111 passes. He set a team record for receptions with 123 in 2009 and had 122 in 2011.

Then, Thursday night in Denver, in his first game with the Broncos, he had nine catches, two of them for touchdowns.

Talk about tough acts to follow.

It would be easier to sing after Sinatra, or for an understudy to step in for James Earl Jones in a Broadway play.

That was the situation Danny Amendola found himself in Sunday afternoon against the Bills.

He was playing Welker’s position of slot receiver, but he was the center of attention.

Everyone in New England was watching him, wondering if he really could replace the wildly popular — and highly productive — Welker.

So it was troubling when, late in the first half, after catching three passes for 40 yards, Amendola limped off the field in obvious discomfort with what appeared to be a strained groin muscle.

Talk about a worst-case scenario.

Amendola came to New England with a reputation of being injury prone.

He played in only one game for the Rams in 2011 because of a dislocated elbow and sat out five games for St. Louis last season because of shoulder and ankle injuries.

No one ever questioned Amendola’s productivity. His durability, however, was another matter entirely — particularly when compared with Welker, who would take a licking and keep on playing, missing just three games in his six seasons with the Pats.

So it was significant that, after getting treatment at halftime, Amendola came out in the second half and made some Welker-like plays that helped the Patriots avoid what would have been an embarrassing loss.

In the end, the game came down not to Stephen Gostkowski’s foot but to Amendola’s hands.

With just 1:20 remaining, the Patriots were trailing, 21-20, and facing a 3rd-and-8 situation at the Buffalo 39 — still out of realistic range for a field goal.

That’s when Amendola darted over the middle and made a surehanded grab of a rifled pass from Tom Brady for a first down at the 29.

It was his fourth catch of the desperation drive, and when Shane Vereen followed it with a 15-yard run to the Bills’ 14 on the next play, the Patriots were able to pull out the win on a 35-yard field goal by Gostkowski.

“Danny stepped up,” Belichick said. “He made some big catches in some tough situations.”

Brady spoke similarly of Amendola.

“He really toughed it out, which was pretty impressive,” the quarterback said. “I thought he was going to be out the rest of the game. He gave everything he’s got.”

Amendola showed something Sunday to Patriots fans.

He stayed in the game, and then did as much as any Pats player to win the game.

Targeted 14 times by Brady, he finished with game-high totals of 10 catches for 104 yards.

Afterward, in the crowded visitors locker room, Amendola pointed out that this isn’t the first time he’s followed in Welker’s footsteps.

“I was a senior in high school, and going to Texas Tech, when Wes Welker was there and catching 15 balls a game,” he said. “He’s one of the most productive players ever.”

As a senior at Texas Tech in 2003, Welker caught 97 passes for 1,099 yards. When Amendola was a senior, in 2007, he caught 109 for 1,245 for the Red Raiders.

That’s not to say he’s going to surpass the phenomenal numbers Welker put up in New England. That borders on the impossible. But, if he can avoid injury, Amendola should compile some pretty healthy stats.

“I don’t think about that stuff,” Amendola said when asked about the inevitable comparisons with Welker, and the pressure of trying to replace him — both on the field and in the hearts of Patriots fans.

“I just think about my job. I’m really excited to be here. I love playing with these guys.”

In the first half, he said, “I really didn’t have my legs under me.”

And, when he limped off the field, it seemed as if he might not be running at all in the second half.

“We have some good trainers here,” was Amendola’s tight-lipped explanation for how he was able to keep playing.

“It’s a long game, a physical game,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep fighting.”

After the game, Amendola was feeling no pain.

“Right now,” he said, “I feel good about winning.”

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Designers in New York keeping it simple with black and white - Reuters

A model rehearses before a presentation of the Thakoon Spring/Summer 2014 collection during New York Fashion Week, September 8, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lucas Jackson

By Ellen Wulfhorst

NEW YORK | Sun Sep 8, 2013 6:59pm EDT

(Reuters) - It's all there in black and white.

Stylish clothes being unveiled for spring 2014 are highlighting the pronounced simplicity of black and white. The colors are either elegant monochromes or mixed up in playful zebra prints, classic checks and mod color blocking.

Victoria Beckham's show on Sunday was the latest in a string of collections at New York Fashion Week adhering almost entirely to a black and white palette.

Her looks were sporty, with short pleated skirts, the season's omnipresent cropped tops and flouncy hemlines over knee-length shorts.

Describing her collection, the celebrity designer said she set "boyish elements against a sense of femininity."

Some of Beckham's pieces were all-black or all-white, and she would use unusual structure or overlaid textures to bring them to life.

Mixing the two colors, a short black dress revealed a pleated white skirt, peeking out from under an angled hemline, and a spaghetti-strapped black top was trimmed with white pleats at the midriff. All the black and white was accented with just a brief splash of hot pink and a subdued rust.

At Yigal Azrouel, the collection was entirely black, white, cream and gray. Some were solids, some mixed.

Among the stand-out looks was a set of dresses, jumpsuit, jacket and culottes in white silk with a black tree-branch pattern.

Opening with all-cream looks, the show closed with a series of gray suits and dresses conservatively cut, but in an unlined, and revealing, open-weave fabric.

"Minimalism reigns in a decisive pattern of black, white, and shades of gray," the New York-based designer said in a statement accompanying the show. "Androgynous tailoring and architectural lines are juxtaposed with arched necklines and seductive cut-outs."

Another showcase for sporty minimalism, the Y-3 Adidas collection by Yohji Yamamoto featured a stream of black and white, from t-shirts and dresses to kneesocks, shoes and backpacks.

Various Y-3 hoodies, sweats and trench coats were accented with dabs of rainbow, electric blue and canary yellow.

Porsche Design, too, barely strayed from blacks and whites in its show of sophisticated sportswear. Only a touch of gray and a rich blue briefly altered the Porsche color landscape.

Spain's Delpozo, one of the more highly anticipated shows of the week-long extravaganza, used black and white in a striped, boxy top over a full-bodied black skirt, in a casual checkered top and in florals.

Delpozo also mixed black with sand and with ecru, similar pairings of colorless hues. Accents were a delicate lavender, angelic florals and a bold black-and-yellow sunflower print.

Designer Sofia Sizzi drew from her native Florence, Italy for her Giulietta collection - also heavy on black and white.

Ahead of the show, she said she was influenced by the stark blacks and whites of the city's churches and piazzas.

"It's the idea of a walk through a city," she said. "You have all these elements from the buildings and the shadows of the buildings."

Sizzi accented her classic black and white with blue florals and spiced up the collection with a pair of bright red dresses.

The black and white trend was bolder at Alexandre Herchcovitch, whose use ranged from polite pinstripes to brazen zebra prints.

The Brazilian designer, popular with Lady Gaga, punched up his black and white with purple.

Even designers who use vibrant color as their trademarks trotted out black and white.

Tracy Reese, one of first lady Michelle Obama's favorite designers, cited Afro-Cuban influences in her colorful geometric prints, raffia embroidery and flared dresses in her show on Sunday.

But she accented her collection with a black-and-white zigzag lace maxi slip, an embellished trapeze dress and a laser-cut neoprene jacket over a black gingham shell.

New York Fashion Week ends on Thursday, followed by fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan.

(Additional reporting by Marguerita Choy, Noreen O'Donnell, Eileen Houlihan and Erin Geiger Smith; Editing by Maureen Bavdek and Nick Zieminski)

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Jim Donaldson: Danny Amendola, filling big shoes, hangs tough in opener - The Providence Journal

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y — For a little guy, Wes Welker left some huge shoes to fill in New England.

For six seasons, he was Tom Brady’s “go-to” guy. When the Patriots needed a first down, a clutch catch, somebody to move the chains, Welker was often Option Number One.

In five of the six years he was a Patriot, Welker caught at least 111 passes. He set a team record for receptions with 123 in 2009 and had 122 in 2011.

Then, Thursday night in Denver, in his first game with the Broncos, he had nine catches, two of them for touchdowns.

Talk about tough acts to follow.

It would be easier to sing after Sinatra, or for an understudy to step in for James Earl Jones in a Broadway play.

That was the situation Danny Amendola found himself in Sunday afternoon against the Bills.

He was playing Welker’s position of slot receiver, but he was the center of attention.

Everyone in New England was watching him, wondering if he really could replace the wildly popular — and highly productive — Welker.

So it was troubling when, late in the first half, after catching three passes for 40 yards, Amendola limped off the field in obvious discomfort with what appeared to be a strained groin muscle.

Talk about a worst-case scenario.

Amendola came to New England with a reputation of being injury prone.

He played in only one game for the Rams in 2011 because of a dislocated elbow and sat out five games for St. Louis last season because of shoulder and ankle injuries.

No one ever questioned Amendola’s productivity. His durability, however, was another matter entirely — particularly when compared with Welker, who would take a licking and keep on playing, missing just three games in his six seasons with the Pats.

So it was significant that, after getting treatment at halftime, Amendola came out in the second half and made some Welker-like plays that helped the Patriots avoid what would have been an embarrassing loss.

In the end, the game came down not to Stephen Gostkowski’s foot but to Amendola’s hands.

With just 1:20 remaining, the Patriots were trailing, 21-20, and facing a 3rd-and-8 situation at the Buffalo 39 — still out of realistic range for a field goal.

That’s when Amendola darted over the middle and made a surehanded grab of a rifled pass from Tom Brady for a first down at the 29.

It was his fourth catch of the desperation drive, and when Shane Vereen followed it with a 15-yard run to the Bills’ 14 on the next play, the Patriots were able to pull out the win on a 35-yard field goal by Gostkowski.

“Danny stepped up,” Belichick said. “He made some big catches in some tough situations.”

Brady spoke similarly of Amendola.

“He really toughed it out, which was pretty impressive,” the quarterback said. “I thought he was going to be out the rest of the game. He gave everything he’s got.”

Amendola showed something Sunday to Patriots fans.

He stayed in the game, and then did as much as any Pats player to win the game.

Targeted 14 times by Brady, he finished with game-high totals of 10 catches for 104 yards.

Afterward, in the crowded visitors locker room, Amendola pointed out that this isn’t the first time he’s followed in Welker’s footsteps.

“I was a senior in high school, and going to Texas Tech, when Wes Welker was there and catching 15 balls a game,” he said. “He’s one of the most productive players ever.”

As a senior at Texas Tech in 2003, Welker caught 97 passes for 1,099 yards. When Amendola was a senior, in 2007, he caught 109 for 1,245 for the Red Raiders.

That’s not to say he’s going to surpass the phenomenal numbers Welker put up in New England. That borders on the impossible. But, if he can avoid injury, Amendola should compile some pretty healthy stats.

“I don’t think about that stuff,” Amendola said when asked about the inevitable comparisons with Welker, and the pressure of trying to replace him — both on the field and in the hearts of Patriots fans.

“I just think about my job. I’m really excited to be here. I love playing with these guys.”

In the first half, he said, “I really didn’t have my legs under me.”

And, when he limped off the field, it seemed as if he might not be running at all in the second half.

“We have some good trainers here,” was Amendola’s tight-lipped explanation for how he was able to keep playing.

“It’s a long game, a physical game,” he said. “You’ve just got to keep fighting.”

After the game, Amendola was feeling no pain.

“Right now,” he said, “I feel good about winning.”

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School library redo goes high-tech - Monitor Online (blog)

Monitor Photos/Robyn Wheeler

The new state-of-the-art library at Mabank Intermediate School includes new colors, and a lounge and Internet bar for a more welcoming environment.

By Robyn Wheeler

Monitor Staff Writer

MABANK–Mabank Intermediate School is leading local schools in moving to 21st century learning with a new state-of-the-art library.

The new interior began its extreme makeover in April and made its opening debut to teachers and staff Aug. 19.

“The new library includes brighter colors, bistro-style tables, a stage with a drop-down screen and an Internet bar with several phone jacks and electrical outlets to accommodate devices,” Mabank Intermediate School principal James Pate said.

The up-to-date facility also comes with 400 eBooks, 10 iPads, several lava lamps, three flat screen televisions, a lounging area for reading and classroom activities, and a beverage bar.

“We want our students’ learning to be more aligned with the technology of today. Most school libraries are still traditional and have not changed over the years to accommodate the new devices,” Pate added.

“We are encouraging college awareness and feeding that mindset with the ability to check out eBooks 24/7,” Pate said.

In January of this year, Pate began the Bring Your Own Device pilot program where kids were allowed to bring iPads, cell phones and eReaders to school.

With more than 75 percent of students bringing Internet devices to school, Pate said giving kids permission to use these devices to aid learning has led to fewer disciplinary problems regarding these devices.

“The new library has a calming, peaceful effect,” Mabank Intermediate School counselor Tanya Chapman said.

“We wanted a more welcoming environment, not the out-dated ‘hush-hush’ feel of other libraries,” she added.

The school staff agree part of their responsibility to students is to teach them how to use new technology appropriately and the new ‘Internet cafe’ allows them to do that more easily.

No comments were made on the out-of-pocket expense to the school but Pate did say ‘it was a sizable investment.’

He also said the school would like to acquire close to 1,000 new eBooks a year, hopefully seeing a sizable collection within the next five years.

The library still displays several hundred hardback books which are placed against the walls around the library.

“We have not received any negative comments so far,” Mabank Intermediate assistant principal Brent Fisher said.

“It draws people in. Kids are now asking when do they get to go to the library instead of when they get to go to recess or PE.”

“Teachers are making special trips to show their students around the library and reserve classroom time in the lounge,” he added.

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Has Apple lost its mojo? - Kingston Daily Freeman

By Patrick May, San Jose Mercury News

Click to enlarge^[1]

Apple CEO Tim Cook rteaches for iPhone as he speaks at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco on June 10, 2013.

Could Apple drop a "one-more-thing" bombshell one more time?

The late Steve Jobs used to whip his product-launch crowds into a frenzy with that famous keynote postscript -- "Oh, there is one more thing" -- just before blowing them away with the latest gadget. But on the eve of Tuesday's big product announcement, many Apple watchers are wondering if Cupertino's dream-catcher has lost its knack for innovating technology that time after time would take the world's breath away.

"The wow-factor is wearing off at Apple," said analyst Laurence Balter with Oracle Investment Research. "Innovation has been put on the back burner while the company focuses on market-share penetration. But unless they pull one incredible rabbit out of the hat next week, the pressure is going to be even more intense on Apple to somehow surprise us all again."

While the rumor mill expects Apple to unveil an iPhone 5 successor along with a lower-cost iPhone that will come in multiple colors, Balter scoffs at the offering: "It's almost become like the fall catalog from JCPenney. 'Ooo, look at the new colors for the new season.' But it sure doesn't scream 'innovation.'"

No one is suggesting Apple's days are numbered. It remains the world's most valuable company in terms of market capitalization, even as the growth of sales of its signature iPhone slows and its stock price is stuck far below its highs. Its crack team of creatives, led by the legendary Jony Ive, is presumably hard at work on the next major product. And a second announcement expected next week from the company will reportedly showcase a blockbuster iPhone deal with China Mobile. The behemoth carrier's 710 million customers would lend Apple a staggering heft in the world's largest smartphone market, a place where Apple hopes to step up its game.

As Apple continues to serve up new versions of a product arguably long in the tooth, at least in Internet years, analyst John Jackson with IDC admits there is some "iteration fatigue" among consumers. Still, Jackson insists next week's product launch doesn't need to be of biblical proportion to please fanboys everywhere.

"I don't think Apple has to do much," he said. "And they certainly don't have to create something entirely new right now to get a wow from people, as long as it's slick and sophisticated. I think there's a huge appetite out there for something, anything, new from Apple, even if it's a variation on a current theme."

The spotlight is turned up high on CEO Tim Cook, now more than two years at Apple's helm, where he's had to not only try to fill Jobs' shoes, but do damage control for product snafus like "Mapgate" and fix an important hire that went south when Apple Store chief John Browett was shown the door last October after only six months. Whether it's boosting the bottom line after two quarters of disappointing earnings or finally delivering on what he's hinted at several times as a product pipeline extraordinaire, Cook's under the gun. And overshadowing it all is the not-so-distant memory of Apple under Steve Jobs.

"This is a transcendent moment," business strategist Pam Murtaugh wrote recently on Huffington Post. "Apple became Apple when Jobs brought 'post-computer products' to the world. While Jobs thought the iPod was 'a thousand songs in your pocket,' its magic came from giving people a thousand feelings in their pocket. The iPod was a bank of feelings."

It's hard to imagine that sort of emotional geyser unleashed by simply a new colored iPhone or, as is expected later this year or early 2014, a new version of the iPad. And while Apple busies itself with its product pipeline, which eight long months ago Cook described as being "chock full" of "incredible stuff," the clock is ticking. Continued...^[2]

Literally. Samsung's release this past week of its new workout-tracking, photo-snapping smartwatch, the Galaxy Gear, puts one of Apple's fiercest rivals a few steps in the lead, at least on this one path of innovation, while the Cupertino brain trust reportedly works on a smartwatch of its own.

But before anyone starts ringing the funeral chimes, said analyst Joel Achramowicz with Merriman Capital, Apple could still make history with a piece of wearable technology that blows Galaxy Gear right off your wrist. Achramowicz finds it intriguing that Apple, simply by its silence, "appears to be falling behind. Maybe it's good that Cook has been so quiet for so long, because Apple could very well come out with a version of a smartwatch that nobody has even thought about yet, and then it's 'Bingo!'"

Think iPod, he said, or iPhone. In both cases, it was as if Apple were lying in wait while its competitors stumbled about releasing their own not-insanely-great portable music-players and mobile phones until -- Bingo! -- Apple finally weighed in. If Achramowicz's instincts are spot on, Cook and his crew may be sitting on an egg of innovation that, once hatched, will blow everyone away. Or maybe not.

"It's hard to believe Apple would come out with, say, a smartwatch that's not really exciting," Achramowicz said. "But either way, this is it for Tim. He's got really smart people in the organization, but you've got to take risks or you don't get anywhere. Now's the time for him to come up with something really surprising, like Jobs always did, and to create his own legacy."

References

1. ^{^} Click to enlarge (www.dailyfreeman.com)


2. ^{^} Continued... (www.dailyfreeman.com)

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