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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jan 6, 2015
January 6, 2015
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Anniversaries:
Hard to believe it was 20 years ago today that somebody ran out at a practice session during the U-S Figure Skating Championships in Detroit and clubbed skater NANCY KERRIGAN with an iron bar (1994). SHANE STANT was later linked to skater TONYA HARDING after it was revealed that her ex-husband, JEFF GILLOOLY, and bodyguard SHAWN ECKHARDT hired Stant to hit Kerrigan on the knee, forcing her withdrawal.
--"Wheel of Fortune," debuted 40 years ago on this day in 1975. Most people don't know that the original hosts were CHUCK WOOLERY and SUSAN STAFFORD. Vanna White came later.Getting up to speed:
Girl Scout cookie time is coming up later this month, and the organization announced yesterday they're adding a gluten-free cookie called Trios to the Thin Mints and other popular selections in several test markets.
There's also a new and improved Cookie Finder app which will --yes-- let people purchase through their phones and tablets as well. Cookies go on sale from Jan 16 thru Mar 01.Shopping Around:
Online reviews aren't as vengeful as you might think. According to a new study by YouGov, most consumers don't write online reviews to vent their dissatisfaction.
Instead, among US internet users who posted online customer reviews, the top reason is simply to help others make better purchasing decisions, cited by 62 percent of respondents. Thirty-five percent share because they think it's polite to give feedback, and around one-quarter want to let others know about their own good experience or make sure that good vendors got good business. (Kaye)On, off an way-off Broadway:
"Cats" is coming back to Broadway. Composer/producer ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER told the UK newspaper The Guardian that after a 15 year break, he wants to bring the singing cats back, perhaps even to its original home, the Winter Garden Theater where it played 7,485 performances from 1982 to 2000. A revival of "Cats" is currently in London's West End, starring former PUSSYCAT DOLL singer, NICOLE SCHERZINGER. Andrew says he wants her to be in the Broadway revival too. So far, no official announcement has been made about it, but Andrew said you'll be hearing all the good news very soon. (Marino)
Fashion Emergency:
Some Urban Outfitters underwear just got banned in the U-K for modeling too much "thigh gap." The United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority has ordered the retailer to remove the image from its website. It shows a model from the waist down wearing a pair of mesh underwear with what the Standards Authority called "a significant gap between the model's thighs, and that her thighs and knees were a similar width." People's Stylewatch says Urban Outfitters has complied, but under protest. They issued a statement saying they did not believe the model was underweight.
Editor's FYI & Phone Starter: In the last couple of years, attaining "thigh gap" has become a controversial body image issue, with many young women in particular trying to lose weight to have a noticeable space between the thighs. It's a rare body feature to come by naturally. (CARA DELEVINGNE and BEYONCE both allegedly have real-life thigh gaps) Most of the time, thigh gaps appear in over-Photoshopped pictures. But they also often appear on pro-anorexia "thinspiration" websites.
In this season of New Year's Resolutions and weight loss programs, do you look for inspiration in a certain body type? Are you trying to get MICHELLE OBAMA arms? Or KIM KARDASHIAN bootie? How are you trying to get yourself in shape, but keep your expectations realistic? (Bartha) -
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