Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
Compiled by "Smart Mouth" columnist Amelia Robinson, Seen and Overheard is fueled by juicy tidbits, oddball tales and strange sightings.
Home > Blogs > Seen and Overheard > Archives > 2010 > January
January 2010
CBS rejects gay Super Bowl ad
Apparently a commercial featuring two male football fans making out is too much for Super Bowl fans.
CBS refuses to air the commercial for the internet dating site ManCrunch.com during Super Bowl XLIV Feb. 7, according to Entertainment Weekly and CNBC.
In the humorous ad, men smooch after their hands touch while they watch a football game. (See the commercial for yourself below.)
ManCrunch.com spokeswoman Elissa Buchter told CNBC that she thought CBS simply didn’t want anything to do with a gay issue.
“If it were a heterosexual couple or even two women, it probably would have gotten approved,” she said.
CBS told Entertainment Weekly the following:
“After reviewing the ad — which is entirely commercial in nature — our Standards and Practices department decided not to accept this particular spot.”
CBS drew considerable heat from women’s groups earlier this week after accepting an anti-abortion ad for this Super Bowl earlier staring football star Tim Tebow.
You decide. Should the ad be accepted?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
TweetLess Platinum Weddings, average cost of weddings drops
Weddings had less bling last year, according to The Wedding Report, an industry research firm.
The average cost of a wedding in 2009 dropped 10.2 percent compared to 2008.
The average couple spent $19,581 in 2009 and $21,814 in 2008.
Couples spent less on jewelry, gifts, invitations and grub. The average spending on reception menus fell by 36 percent, The Wedding Report said.
Fewer people made the weddings.
The average number of guests in 2009 was 128, a decline of 11.7 percent. The average number of guests in 2008 was 145.
The wedding industry’s market value in 2009 was $56.8 billion, a decline of 7.4% from $61.4 billion in 2008.
But couples did spend more on a few things — musicians, photographers and wedding dresses.
What do you think?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetArea woman to compete Saturday in Miss America pageant
Erica Gelhaus, an Otterbein College student from St. Henry, will represent Ohio in the Miss America pageant Saturday, Jan. 30, at the Planet Hollywood Resort in Las Vegas.
The pageant will air at 8 p.m. on TLC.
Gelhaus was crowned Miss Ohio in June.
The 21-year-old aims to be a professional opera singer. She will seek a doctorate degree in vocal performance. Her platform is “Turning the Page for Children’s Literacy.”
Gelhaus and her parents will be interviewed on Celina’s WCSM 96.7 today at 12:30 p.m.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: People you know
TweetHogwarts taking shape in Orlando
Proud Harry Potter nerds ( we mean nerds in the most delightful way) the wait for your mecca is almost over.
Hogwarts castle is taking shape at Universal Orlando Resort, according to resort a spokeswoman.
The giant castle will house the the state-of-the-art ‘Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey’ attraction at the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park.
Set to open this spring and inspired by J.K. Rowling’s books, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature, shops, a restaurant and Harry Potter themed attractions like the Hogwarts Express, Hogsmeade station, the Three Broomsticks and Hog’s Head pub. In other worlds, more Harry Potter than you can shake your wand at.
What do you think?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Sightings
TweetBar says Jell-O shots are not ‘alcoholic beverages’
It jiggles, it wiggles and a judge says it is booze.
Union Bar in Iowa City, Iowa came up with a very creative defense after being accused of selling Jell-O shots to underage patrons working with police - Jell-O shots are not alcoholic beverages.
A judge didn’t buy it, according to the Press-Citizen.
“There is no evidence in the record to support the licensee’s argument that — simply because vodka was mixed with Jell-O mix — it lost its character as an alcoholic beverage,” Administrative Law Judge Laura Lockard recently ruled, according to the newspaper.
“While there might be some debate in another context as to whether Jell-O is a food item or beverage, in this context … the Jell-O shots served by the licensee were alcoholic beverages.”
Nice try.
The bar was fined 500 bucks.
What do you think? Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Just Funny
TweetWhat most ticks you off at the office?
From loud talkers to grub thieves, annoying co-workers have a way of grinding on the soul.
The Today show tackled annoying co-worker behavior in a ‘ground-breaking’ expose Monday, Jan. 25, called “Pains in the Office.”
Host Meredith Vieira interviewed lesser paid Today show staffers about the annoying things other lesser paid Today show staffers do - stealing food, talking baby talk, lingering too long, spilling smelly foods in the microwave, etc.
(See the rather cute video below.)
If Michael Scott proves anything it is that annoying co-workers don’t only work at the Today show.
They are you, they are me.
Thirty-two percent of those who took part in a 2006 Harris Interactive poll listed “loud talkers” as one of their biggest pet peeves in the office.
Thirty percent were ticked off by cell phones ringing and 22 percent with those who use of speakerphones in public areas.
Another 9 percent hate when people using personal digital assistants (PDAs) during meetings.
Considering all of that, it is sort of surprising that 91 percent of people do not think profanity is acceptable in the workplace.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Permalink | Comments (26) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetMore “Pants on the Ground” than you can shake a stick at
General Larry Platt’s inspirational revolution against pants on the ground has sparked a fire in devotees ranging from football player Brett Favre to talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
The anthem remains a sensation a week after Platt gained national attention by singing it during an “American Idol” episode.
But now Platt, a long-time civil rights activist, says his song and image is being stolen by some trying to make a buck.
He’s seen his face on T-shirts and buttons.
“I need a copywriter to help me. They are stealing my stuff,” he said according to FOX News.
Platt, who developed the song after seeing someone with a pacifier in his mouth and his pants on the ground, has a slew of imitators. Some may be out for money, but others simply want pants off the ground.
Check out some of the videos below and stop looking like a fool.
What do you think? Do you hate seeing pants on the ground?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Just Funny
TweetLocal woman to step into ABC’s “Shark Tank,” community showcased
After setback after setback, Jan Augenstein of Yellow Springs couldn’t be happier to be stepping in the “Shark Tank.”
Filmed in July, the Shark Tank episode featuring the 44-year-old Dayton native and her firm, FridgeFronts, is set to air next month on ABC.
Yellow Springs will get a spin in the spotlight. Augenstein’s segment includes shots of the Greene County community.
The reality show has entrepreneurs pitch their businesses to five tycoons.
If the idea is accepted, the tycoons will enter a business partnership with the entrepreneur, helping with marketing, production, distribution and other elements.
If the entrepreneur’s plan is rejected, “you get to cry and go home,” Augenstein said, noting that being on the show is a victory in itself.
“The exposure is going to help,” she said. “These are true Titans of the industry, millionaires and billionaires.”
The panel of ‘Sharks’ are real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran, “infomercial” industry pioneer Kevin Harrington, technology innovator Robert Herjavec, fashion icon Daymond John, and financial expert Kevin O’Leary.
Currently a contractor, feng shui practitioner and stager, Augenstein developed the idea for FridgeFronts, decorative magnet covers for kitchen and laundry appliances, in 1999.
At the time, she was a military wife at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois in need of a way to jazz up the kitchen in her base housing.
The graduate of Wright State University with a master’s degree from Boston University began selling Fridgefronts in 2005.
The product can cover appliances ranging from refrigerators to dryers.
“You can changed the look of your appliance for less than $100,” Augenstein said. “It will stick to anything metal.”
The company initially financed with the help of Augenstein’s brother Jason, received its first major setback after being included in “Sky Mall Magazine” with incorrect pricing.
“We lost about $10 on each sale,” Augenstein said.
The company rebounded and was featured on the “Rachael Ray Show,” but couldn’t fill orders. Click here to see Rachael Ray Show clip. A printing company Augenstein worked with went belly up, taking a large portion of FridgeFronts’ inventory with it.
“After that we were pretty much ready to give up until Shark Tank came along,” said Augenstein who attended Springfield area high schools.
She applied to appear on the show after receiving an out-of-the-blue email about the show’s contestant search in late June.
“They got about 30,000 applications,” Augenstein said. About 100 contestants were selected.
Augenstein’s appearance will be a part of the second half of Shark Tank’s season.
An ABC representative said an exact day for its broadcast has not been established.
Programming changes were made to accommodate the two-hour, all-star special “Hope for Haiti.”
What do you think?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
TweetDiet plan smack down! Weight Watchers wins first round
Weight Watchers has temporarily smacked Valerie Bertinelli down.
The weight lost giant was granted a temporary restraining order in its lawsuit against rival Jenny Craig.
Jenny Craig is prohibited from broadcasting, publishing or disseminating claims of superiority over the Weight Watchers program, finding that such claims are not supportable, according to a Weight Watchers press release.
“We are extremely pleased with this outcome,” said David Kirchhoff, Weight Watchers President and Chief Executive Officer said in the release. “The swiftness and strength of the ruling supports our assertion that Jenny Craig is making false and unsupported advertising claims.”
Weight Watchers claims a Jenny Craig commercial starring Valerie Bertinelli is misleading and deceptive.
In other words, Weight Watchers says Jenny Craig is a big, fat liar.
Weight Watchers takes issue with statements about a study comparing Weight Watchers current weight-loss program and Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged meals system, according to the AP.
According to a court filing described by Bloomberg News, Bertinelli dons a lab coat and says the following referring to Weight Watchers:
“Jenny Craig clients lost, on average, over twice as much weight as those on the largest weight-loss program.”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetDid Avatar make you blue? Some fans depressed
Was your mood down in the dumps after you saw one of the bluest movies of the modern age?
No, apparently a lot of people were crushed.
According to a recent CNN story, buckets of moviegoers experienced depression after seeing James Cameron’s Golden Globe-winning film “Avatar.”
Yep, makeshift support groups of sorts were even formed for those hoping to express sorrow that the harmony experienced in the movie is a myth. In a few words, Earth stinks when compared to Pandora, the home of the Na’vi in the film.
The topic thread “Ways to Cope with the Depression of the Dream of Pandora Being Intangible,” was hot on Avatar Forums, a fan site.
Other thread topics now on the site include “Ways to cope with your family and friends not understanding your love for Pandora,” “Why Post-Avatar Depression May Be Justified,” “How to Cure the Depressions Feeling for the Absence of Pandora,” The Positive Feelings/Effects Avatar has had on you,” and of course, “My Tears Won’t Come.”
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetDiet plan fight! Who should win Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers?
Finally a fight not involving Conan or Jay.
Weight Watchers International has squared up in an epic battle against diet plan rival Jenny Craig.
It claims a Jenny Craig commercial starring Valerie Bertinelli is misleading and deceptive.
In other words, Weight Watchers says Jenny Craig is a big, fat liar.
Weight Watchers takes issue with statements about a study comparing Weight Watchers current weight-loss program and Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged meals system, according to the AP.
According to a court filing described by Bloomberg News, Bertinelli dons a lab coat and says the following referring to Weight Watchers:
“Jenny Craig clients lost, on average, over twice as much weight as those on the largest weight-loss program.”
This all begs a very important question: which of the two diet plans do you think work best?
The only the other thing that would make this better is if Nutrisystem and its pitch woman Marie Osmond got involved.
Imagine the weight that would be lost during a three-way wrestling match.
What do you think? Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetLocal girl’s passion for fashion may land her Fashion Week trip
Brianna Bilik’s passion for fashion has begun to payoff.
The 17-year-old of Arcanum High School senior was recently named the local first place winner at The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati in The Art Institutes Passion for Fashion Competition in the fashion marketing, merchandising and retail management category.
The competition is designed to encourage and reward students interested in fashion. There is also a fashion design category.
Bilik won $3000 tuition to study Fashion Marketing & Management at The Art Institute of Ohio - Cincinnati.
She will compete in the National Passion for Fashion Competition where her fashion marketing, merchandising and retail management plan will be judged against other contestants from North America for the Competition’s grand prize - a full-tuition scholarship to an Art Institutes school and a VIP trip to New York City to attend Fashion Week.
The winner will meet Seventeen Magazine staffers and receive a $500 shopping spree.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: People you know
TweetTrue Blood Jewelry hits the Market
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner there’s seems no better time to start thinking about red gifts.
In this case, the gift ideas are blood red.
HBO and Udi Behr, Chief Designer for Love Peace and Hope, have introduced the True Blood Jewelry Collection. The new line features sterling silver, polished steel and crimson rubies bracelets, leather cuffs, necklaces, rings and earrings.
It is inspired the hit HBO show “True Blood” and its dark and naught vampires. The jewelry is available at www.TrueBloodJewelry.com and www.HBO.com/store. \
What do you think?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Good to Know
TweetA whole lot of hummus sets record
This from Staff Writer Meredith Moss
There’s a lot of hummus and then there is a lot of hummus.
A new Guinness World Record was set this week in the multi-cultural village of Abu Ghosh, near Jerusalem in Israel.
Under the direction of restaurant owner Jawdat Ibrahim, villagers spread 9,992 pounds of hummus into a 20-foot satellite dish making it the largest serving of hummus ever.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, this week’s record broke the previous Guinness record set in Lebanon two months earlier.
Pita, anyone?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Just Funny
TweetLimbaugh: ‘We’ve done enough for Haiti,’ Robertson: quake ‘blessing in disguise’
Yeah, it is kind of sick to kick an island when it is down.
Christian televangelist Pat Robertson and syndicated radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh are being called everything but “Rush” and “Pat” for recent comments about Haiti.
Speaking on the CBN Wednesday, Robertson implied that Haiti is wicked and brought Tuesday’s deadly Earthquake on itself.
He said the quake may have been a “blessing in disguise” that starts a massive rebuilding effort.
The televangelist said Haiti made a pact with the devil to win its freedom from the French. Its been “cursed by one thing after another” since, he said.
On his radio show, Rush Limbaugh used the tragedy to slam President Obama.
He say the tragedy will play right in the president’s hands by allowing him to seem “compassionate.”
“Yes, I think in the Haiti earthquake, ladies and gentlemen — in the words of Rahm Emanuel — we have another crisis simply too good to waste. This will play right into Obama’s hands. He’s humanitarian, compassionate. They’ll use this to burnish their, shall we say, “credibility” with the black community — in the both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. It’s made-to-order for them. That’s why he couldn’t wait to get out there, could not wait to get out there,” Limbaugh said.
Read the transcript of the show on his website.
He said Americans have already done enough to help the impoverished island nation.
“We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the U.S. income tax,” he said.
Portion of Limbaugh’s show
What do you think?
Get a juicy dose of celebrity news daily in the Dayton Daily News’ Celebriefly page found in the Life section. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth .
Permalink | Comments (132) | Post your comment | Categories: talk
TweetArea woman plays woman killed by viper in ‘deadly animal series’
Lesley Ann Fogle was attacked by an urutu pit viper and the whole thing was captured on film.
The Vandalia resident, an actress with the P.C. Goenner’s Talent Agency, plays Alexandria Hall in the Animal Planet’s upcoming three- part series “Fatal Attractions: Some animals are best left in the wild.” It is set to air 10 p.m. March 14, 21, and 28.
Hall, who according to news reports had nine poisonous snakes and more than one dozen other snakes, lizards and alligators, was bitten by the highly venomous viper in her suburban Cincinnati home in 2004.
“This woman actually drove herself to the hospital,” Fogle said. “She had a brain hemorrhage and died.”
Some of the filming for the series was shot in the Cincinnati area, Fogle said, noting that several animals were used during the filming.
Car mounted cameras were also used.
The series also includes stories of a the Connecticut women attacked by a chimp, a man eaten by his Nile monitor lizards and a woman mauled by her own leopard.
What do you think?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: People you know
TweetElvis turns 75, is he still the King?
Elvis Aaron Presley wiggled his way into the world 75 years today.
Happy birthday!
The hit maker behind “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Love Me Tender,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and dozens of other songs, remains culturally relevant 32 after his death.
His movies are rented and his music is downloaded, but is Elvis still the “The King of Rock and Roll?”
What do you think? If he is not the king, who dethroned him?
Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Post your comment | Categories: Good to Know
TweetBeauty counters closing at Beavercreek, Miamisburg malls
Fans of Prescriptives Cosmetics will have to shift their beauty routines.
The company will close all of its department store beauty counters on Sunday, Jan. 31, including those at the Dayton Mall Macy’s and the Elder Beerman’s at the Mall of Fairfield Commons.
Prescriptives products will still be available at prescriptives.com while supplies lasts.
The bestselling Calyx fragrance will still be sold at select department stores beginning Monday, Feb. 1, and on the company’s web site.
What do you think? Seen & Overheard runs daily in the Dayton Daily News. Twitter with me at DDNSmartmouth. Have an item for Seen and Overheard? Click here.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Business interest
Tweet
