Jill Cutler, 60, Longmont resident Thrift store shopping since age 5 and has photos to prove it. Co-owner of Fabulous Finds, a consignment store at 600 Airport Road. Best find was a set of 20 sample French perfume bottles from the 1920s for $80. She sold them later for $900.

Clarissa Edelen, 48, Longmont resident Second-hand store shopper gene handed down from her mother. Fabulous Finds co-owner. Best find was an oil painting called Rainforest by artist ME Houck that she bought for either $1 or $5.

Carla Allen, 50, Longmont resident Refinishes old furniture as a hobby. Thrift store shopping since high school. Store manager for CeCis Boutique, a Longmont consignment shop at 370 Main St. Best find was a $12 solid iron bed frame hidden under an ugly coat of paint.

Chris Kollar, 44, Longmont resident Thrift store shopper for the past 20 years. Now thrifts twice a week. Former farmer. Currently unemployed. Best find was a $40 bike he sold via a classifieds ad for $80.

]]> http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/top-ten-tips-to-score-a-thrift-store-deal/feed/ 0 http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/businesses-prepare-for-extra-spending-this-mothers-day/ http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/businesses-prepare-for-extra-spending-this-mothers-day/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 08:28:26 +0000 Admin http://www.rodosfm.com/?p=1406
They’ll spend about eight percent more on Mother’s Day than they did last year. The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $18.6 billion this holiday. That breaks down to about $152 a person. Last year, Americans spent, on average, $140 on the holiday.

Eastern Iowa businesses are already seeing people rush in to spend cash on mom. It’s becoming a busy time for many with the holiday just a couple of days away.

Workers at Nadia’s Salon and Spa are selling a lot of gift cards right now. People typically spent about $100 there, for the special women in their lives. Salon workers said they’ve continued to see sales go up for Mother’s Day each year. The Nadia’s crew said sometimes mothers like the gift of a relaxing salon treatment more than a typical gift, like chocolate.

“Usually chocolate doesn’t last very long but a message is something that is actually beneficial to you. You can actually have time to relax and you don’t have as many extra calories as you do with chocolate,” said Nadia’s Adrienne Bailey.

Restaurants are also preparing for a busy Sunday.

Cibo Fushion in Cedar Rapids is holding a Mother’s Day brunch, like it has for five years now. They call it a grand bunch with everything from seafood to prime rib. The restaurant owner said he nearly doubles his staff to honor Mothers on what has become one of their biggest brunch days of the year. With just a couple days to go, the food preparations are already beginning.

“Mother’s are very special. So, I think that’s the day that everybody, no matter what, it is that people come back and see mom and take care of mom and thank mom for being a mother,” said Cibo Fushion Owner Tony Kassouf.

The brunch takes place Sunday, May 13 from 9 am until 2 pm


]]> http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/businesses-prepare-for-extra-spending-this-mothers-day/feed/ 0 http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/obama-is-gambling-on-gays/ http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/16/obama-is-gambling-on-gays/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 02:36:26 +0000 Admin http://www.rodosfm.com/?p=1404 US President Barack Obama took a calculated gamble and stepped into the political unknown with his firm public backing for gay marriage, after a long period of personal soul-searching.

Mr Obama’s move, in an interview with ABC News, sent seismic waves through pre-election politics and sparked immediate speculation as to whether he has hindered his chances of winning a second term in November.

But it also led his election foe Mitt Romney and his Republicans on to tricky ground, as the party’s social conservative base opposes same sex marriage, even as it becomes quickly more accepted across the broader political spectrum.

“I’ve just concluded, for me, personally, it is important to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Mr Obama said, unveiling his bombshell.

Mr Obama has now abandoned the sheltered but increasingly untenable position that he was “evolving” on gay marriage.

The risks are clear and dictated Mr Obama’s previous stance, despite fierce pressure for a more unequivocal stance from Mr Obama’s liberal base.

The sudden injection of a divisive moral-social question could hit Mr Obama’s prospects in battleground states that he needs in November.

He has always had trouble connecting with white, blue collar, socially conservative swing voters, and Wednesday’s move will hardly help.

A case in point is North Carolina, which Mr Obama won by less than one per cent in 2012. On Tuesday, 61 per cent in the state voted to ban gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Some observers feel Mr Obama could face a backlash from religious Hispanic and African-American voters, who helped sweep him into the White House in 2008.

“There may be a few white, religious Democrats whom he could lose in Ohio,” said Paul Beck of Ohio State University, adding that some Hispanics could drift away in Colorado or Florida.

“Still, I think the numbers will be small who are swayed at all by the position he took today,” he said, ahead of an election shaping up to be dominated by the lagging economy. Conservatives pledged to make Mr Obama pay.

“Today’s announcement almost ensures that marriage will again be a major issue in the presidential election,” said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council.

A senior Obama aide said it was unclear how the marriage issue would play politically, especially in battleground states such as Ohio.

Democrats shudder when they recall how ballot initiatives in swing states on social issues drove up Republican

turnout in 2004 and helped defeat their presidential candidate John Kerry.

Dennis Goldford, a professor of political science at Drake University, Iowa, suggested Mr Obama’s decision reflected an “electoral and strategic calculation”.

Democrats are more likely to favour gay rights, and those who most oppose the concept tend to be conservatives who would never vote for Mr Obama anyway, he said.

“The question is whether there is anybody in the muddled middle on this issue, that this might alienate. But we don’t know at this point.”

It is just possible that Mr Obama has pulled off a political master stroke, and decided to ride changing attitudes just at the right moment.

As another senior official explained, public perceptions on gay marriage are changing more quickly than almost any other political issue in the US.

More people are coming into contact with families with single-sex parents – a point Mr Obama made in his interview when he said he had talked about the issue with his daughters, Malia and Sasha.

A Washington Post poll suggests that the US public has, like Mr Obama, been evolving. In 2006, only 36 per cent backed legalising same-sex marriage, but in the latest poll, 52 per cent said they were for it.

The decision was greeted with joy in the gay and lesbian community and is certain to fire up Mr Obama’s political base, and give younger supporters – seen as less energised than in 2008 – a jolt. Wealthy gay and lesbian voters are also important contributors to Mr Obama’s re-election campaign. But one more question about this move was: Why now?

He seems to have been pushed by Vice President Joe Biden, who said on Sunday that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage.

A senior Obama official said that though Mr Biden’s move had advanced the process, the President had already concluded that he had to come out for gay marriage before the Democratic National Convention in September.

The official also used the issue to draw a sharp contrast with Mr Romney, whom the Obama camp has been portraying as extreme in abid to limit his appeal to the key political middle.

He noted that Mr Obama now favoured gay marriage while Mr Romney wanted to enshrine discrimination with a federal amendment to the US Constitution to ban it.

o President Barack Obama is running for a second and final term in office.

o His main challenger is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.

o Mr Obama’s campaign focuses on eliminating tax incentives for companies that send jobs overseas, measures to make it easier to refinance home loans, tax credits for firms that create new jobs or raise pay, expanded tax credits for investments in clean energy and help veterans returning from war to get jobs.

o This is the first US presidential re-election campaign to use Twitter and Facebook for promotion.

Interesting placement aside, however, Napa Valley Casino owner Brian Altizer said hes not using the sign as a shot at the city over the voter-approved $2 entry tax.

City Councilwoman Cindy Coffey said she believes him.

I know hes been trying to get a billboard in American Canyon for two years, Coffey said. If (the spot near City Hall) is the one that became available, then thats where it would go.

Thats what Altizer said happened. But, though the sign has brought in a few people who might have gone past the card room on Highway 29 without noticing it, Altizer said hes having it removed.

Ive had several emails and it seems to have rubbed a few people the wrong way, he said.

It will be gone by Monday and will remain empty until a new, less controversial message can be found, he said.

You cant see our (building) sign until youre right on it. I really wanted the one at 37 and 29 in Vallejo, he said.

A casino employee came up with the gambling capital message, Altizer said.

I thought it was brilliant marketing. Apparently not, he said.

Coffey said that the sign is technically correct.

If American Canyon is the only place you can gamble in Napa County, I guess its true. Its professionally done,

]]> http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/15/american-canyon-gambling-sign-goes-all-in/feed/ 0 http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/15/la-businesses-accused-of-practicing-medicine-without-a-license/ http://www.rodosfm.com/2012/05/15/la-businesses-accused-of-practicing-medicine-without-a-license/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 09:38:22 +0000 Admin http://www.rodosfm.com/?p=1400

Nine people have been charged with illegally selling dangerous drugs and praticing medicine without a license. Each violation carries a maxium sentence of one year in jail and a fine of $5,000 to $10,000.

The unlicensed practice of medicine and dispensing of medicines and illicit drugs poses a serious threat to our most vulnerable residents,” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. “Especially the elderly and young children.”

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Gay-marriage stand wins Obama cheers inside, outside Clooney event

– Esmeralda Bermudez

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., May 7, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ – Sears has launched SearsLocalAd.com, which provides Cincinnati customers with access to hundreds of additional local deals beyond the weekly Sears print circular or sears.com. The online shopping portal is dedicated to local customers, allowing them to shop smarter by previewing new local deals updated every week, and includes enhancements for Sears’ SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS(SM) members.

“SearsLocalAd.com gives our Cincinnati customers unprecedented access and power,” said Imran Jooma, senior vice president & president, online, marketing, financial services and pricing business units at Sears Holdings. “We know how savvy our customers are when it comes to finding the best deals. Giving our customers new services and conveniences like a real-time window into the selection and savings specific to their nearby store is a great example of how the future of integrated shopping is here today at Sears.”

Localization is pre-selected based on the shopper’s location and can be easily changed to another store within the experience. Shoppers can search their nearest Sears store and browse deals by department, brand or price point, quickly filtering to find offers of interest. SearsLocalAd.com helps shoppers ensure products are available before they go to the store. The site features not only hundreds of additional deals, but shows in real time how many items are currently in stock at the chosen location.

Cincinnati residents can enjoy new tools such as ratings, reviews and product comparisons to shop with confidence–and for added convenience, customers can create lists that they can print for in-store shopping, send to their mobile devices, and share with family and friends via email, shopyourway, Facebook or Twitter.

Even greater savings advantages are available to members of Sears’ SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS. Members get additional savings on SearsLocalAd.com offers, and bonus members can earn bonus points. Plus, SHOP YOUR WAY REWARDS members can preview upcoming sales before the print circular is released and receive personalized deals from their local store by email based on recent searches and site activity.

For more information on the service and to view the latest deals, visit the new local ad experience today at www.searslocalad.com .

About Sears Holdings Corporation

Sears Holdings Corporation is one of the nation’s largest broadline retailers with over 4,000 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, consumer electronics and automotive repair and maintenance. Sears Holdings is the 2011 ENERGY STAR® Retail Partner of the Year. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels as Lands’ End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and Covington brands. It also has the Country Living collection, which is offered by Sears and Kmart. We are the nation’s largest provider of home services, with more than 11 million service calls made annually. Sears Holdings Corporation operates through its subsidiaries, including Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Kmart Corporation. For more information, visit Sears Holdings’ website at www.searsholdings.com . |Twitter: @searsholdings | |Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SHCCareers

Contact: Brian Hanover Morgan Calef Sears Holdings Euro RSCG Worldwide PR 847-286-6080 212-367-6949 brian.hanover@searshc.com morgan.calef@eurorscg.com

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

The investigative journalism website Mediapart yesterday published a letter purportedly from the former Libyan intelligence services in which the government expressed agreement in principle to provide the sum of 50 million euros.

More from GlobalPost: Gaddafi offered Sarkozy $66 million to finance his 2007 campaign: report

The Sarkozy camp took to the media today, saying Mediapart was financed by friends of the Socialist front-runner Franccedil;ois Hollande and that the document was a fake.

Reuters also quoted an explicit denial from Bashir Saleh, Gaddafis former Cabinet chief, who Mediapart had said had been in charge of overseeing the payments.

In a statement sent to Reuters by his lawyer, Saleh is quoted as expressing the most explicit reservations as to the authenticity of the memo published by Mediapart and conveniently presented as constituting proof of financing of the 2007 campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy.

Saleh also said he had never been the recipient of such a document and categorically denied having participated in a meeting on Oct 6, 2006 during which an agreement was supposedly reached to determine the means of financial support for the 2007 presidential campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy.

Mediapart had published a commentary by the Libya businessman Ziad Takieddine, who, contrary to the note, said he had not been present for a meeting at which the payments were allegedly discussed.

Takieddine nevertheless said he found the memo credible.

Well, nothing succeeds like success. After drawing a family-friendly throng of more than 30,000 last year, the festivals third edition — set for May 19 and 20 in Asiatown — is shaping into a darling of the Cleveland business community.

The roster of festival sponsors has mushroomed well beyond neighborhood bakeries to include banks, hospital systems and the citys new casino. Some restaurants and vendors had to be turned away from a midway with a waiting list.

Mindful of a growing and vibrant Asian American community, businesses are lining up to be part of a two-day celebration of Asian culture in Northeast Ohio.

Before, we used to have to seek them out, said Ken Kovach, a festival volunteer and the chairman of its community outreach committee. Now, theyre calling the office. This festival is attracting companies that maybe didnt know how to approach the Asian community.

Leading the class of new sponsors is Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, which opens Monday on Public Square. Ohios first casino joined charter sponsor Consolidated Graphics Group as a Distinguished Sponsor at the $10,000 level.

Caesars Entertainment, which co-owns Horseshoe, saw a chance to get involved in the community and to introduce some of its Asian talent, said spokeswoman Christina Karas. Two of its Cleveland executive hosts, Jason Tsang and Wesley Poon, will be at the festival and prepared to address guests in both English and Mandarin, she said.

Other prominent new supporters include St. Vincent Charity Medical Center — which will help staff the festivals health pavilion — the venerable downtown law firm of Taft Stettinius amp; Hollister, and commercial cleaner Anago Cleaning Systems.

Meanwhile, the ranks of food vendors will nearly double, from 13 to 22, as new restaurants and ethnic gourmands join a food court that already includes Khmer fusion, Chinese dim sum and Filipino barbecue.