How to Diminish Eye Stresses

From any standpoint, our eye problems are caused by stresses. As for the structure of our eyes, they are composed of many muscles that can coordinate our visions. If we now are very stressful in our work and lives, some eye problems will occur in the future. So the solving of these stresses is of vital importance.

Saying is easier than doing. To solve these stresses is very hard. Even as for this matter, some of us think it is possible and practical, but other think it is funny. Nowadays, it is very important for us to learn the way of solving stress, as our daily lives are full of stresses.

Now, let’s begin our process of solving stress. The first is to find out the root of our stresses. If we can not find the root, there is no solution for our stresses. There is always a solution for any problem. For example, if you can not do something in time, just set the time ahead a little. If you encounter traffic jam, try another way.

Generally, stresses come from our daily work. Too much work makes all of us felt very stresses and tired. Now, as for these matters, we should ask other people for help or expound cleanly to our bosses. All work what we do should be within our ability. If they are out of our ability, it will be very tired for us to deal with them.

The way for relaxation is very simple. First, inhale deeply. Then, relax ourselves with eyes closed for some time. Look at objects far way for some minutes in each working hour. Because vision problems will ensue if we have accumulated too much stresses.

If you want to know more about Vision knowledge, then feel free to visit http://vision.firmoo.com/

Eye makeup unsafe for children

Eye makeup such as mascara, eye shadow and foundation can be a danger to young girls, according to a recent study by the Environmental Working Group in America.

The chemicals in them can cause conditions such as cancer, infertility and hormone imbalance.

Conducted on 14 to 19-year-old girls, the study found that the harmful chemicals phthalates, triclosan, parabens and musks were found in all the beauty products tested.

It also found that the longer a young girl uses the products, the more harmful they could be.

Beauty products have also been linked to depression and eye infections can occur because the products can be easily contaminated with bacteria, especially when used by young children.

Colour additives in permanent dyes used on eyebrows and eyelashes could cause blindness if they come into direct contact with the eye.

Speaking to the Kansan newspaper, Julie Toon, president of the Eye Care Council, recently advised parents to make sure their children`s eyes are safe over the festive period.ADNFCR-1853-ID-19529083-ADNFCR

GUNNAR Optiks Digital Performance Eyewear

GUNNAR Optiks claims that their products not only provide an "immediate and noticeable visual advantage" but the product greatly reduces eye strain and the affects of Computer Vision Syndrom (CVS). If you use a computer or other digital device for extended periods of time, GUNNAR Optiks has its eye on you.

Eye strain is actually one of the many symptoms of CVS as are headaches, dry eyes, blurred vision and or double vision. People that spend more than a few hours a day on a computer (*cough, cough* most of you) are susceptible to computer vision syndrome because the eye has to work extra hard to process the thousands of images and words made up of millions of tiny pixels. The human eye can focus on printed images far easier than they can on digital images or the text displayed on a computer monitor. Text and other images displayed on a computer monitor cause the eye to constantly focus and refocus contributing to eye fatigue, burning eyes, and tension. Most likely if you are reading this, you have had one or more of these symptoms if not all.

GUNNAR Optiks claims to have developed several proprietary technologies that, when used together, virtually eliminate the adverse affects of eye strain and other symptoms associated with long term computer use.

Doctors eye cure for inefficiency

All the consolidation that took place in the health care industry in 2009 could have a surprising benefit for patients: greater strides toward efficiencies in customer service.

That's because larger doctor practices that swallowed up smaller ones have deeper pockets to upgrade their information systems and other infrastructures, which the Obama administration is touting as part of health care reform and which studies have shown consumers are demanding.

These upgrades include transferring medical records from shoe boxes and file cabinets to computer systems, as well as instituting a payment system that insurers increasingly use to tie how much doctors get based on their performance or their adherence to certain quality measurements.

By instituting such measures, patients spend less time repeating their medical histories and waiting for an appointment.

"Some of these tools are very expensive, and they don't make sense for smaller practices because they don't have the financial wherewithal to implement them," said Alwyn Cassil, spokeswoman for the Center for Studying Health System Change.

According to a study this month by the Center for Studying Health System Change, a national health policy research organization, solo and smaller doctor practices are less likely to:

--Use care management tools, such as nurse managers who can coordinate patient care.

--Issue reports on physician performance.

--Conduct "group visits," which a physician uses to educate a group of patients suffering from the same illness or disease at the same time.

Often, the larger systems have the latest in technology, allowing them to offer patients better access to the latest standards and quality measures, particularly if the system is connected to an academic center or a bigger network that allows them to share best practices.

For example, Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare and Pennsylvania-based Geisinger Health System both have hundreds of physicians and highly coordinated health care practices whose electronic medical record systems are already in place, putting them way ahead of the national curve.

Analysts say it's harder for solo practitioners and those in small doctor practices to break away from seeing patients to attend an educational conference or have the luxury of bouncing ideas off colleagues in the office.

"If you're a busy physician, giving an educational pamphlet to your patient is quick and easy, but most researchers think it's less powerful than other, more demanding interventions we found were used much less often," said Dr. Emily Carrier, a senior researcher at the Center for Studying Health System Change.

About 33 percent of doctors are in a one- or two-person practice, according to the most recent statistics available from the Center for Studying Health System Change. A decade ago, the number of doctors in such practices was about 40 percent.

Some of the nation's largest health care systems say they have seen an uptick in doctors from smaller practices wanting to join them.

Advocate Medical Group, one of the largest health care systems in the Midwest, this year saw more doctors from solo or smaller practices join the company, which contributed to the 10 percent jump of employed physicians in 2009 to 700.

"The number of discussions with physicians interested in employment ... has more than doubled in the last six months," said Dr. Jim Dan, president of physician and ambulatory services at Advocate.

Analysts expect the consolidation trend to continue because hospitals and some doctors, including specialists, are expected to have their payments squeezed under health care reform.

Even those doctors who may see higher payments under health reform, such as primary care physicians, will look into joining bigger practices because of the capital needed to upgrade their offices, analysts say.

Four Kinds of Laser Eye Surgeries

In modern society, having a laser eye surgery is not only a fad, but also a more preferable way to have eyesight problems corrected rather than wearing eyeglasses. There are four kinds of laser eyesight correction surgeries which are thought to be necessary to be listed to help patients get a general view.

This first one is the flap techniques, among which the LASIK is the commonly applied one procedure. During the surgery, the surgeon cuts a small flap in the cornea, if LASIK applied, a laser beam is used to create the flap and remove the extra tissue, so that the cornea can be reshaped and regain the ability to focus objects. This procedure can also be achieved by photoablation techniques in which a kind of cool heat, mainly composed of ultraviolet radiation, is used to impair the excess tissue. Then the tissue is taken off from the cornea. The difference between flap technique and photoablation technique is that the latter comes to comparatively secondary. However, as it known to all that problems are inevitable to emerge during any surgery, so do flap techniques, during which, the flap may be put out of place causing eye soreness and blurry vision but this is of low probability, a million to one. In addition, a perforation in the eye and an irregular flap can happen at times, resulting in seeing “floaters” in vision, but those often happen when older equipment is used.

The second one is the thermal techniques, which are mainly applied to cure farsightedness. It, in both laser technique and electric probe, is achieved by heating up the pupil with thermal heat 8-16 tiny burns. Thus the cornea can be reshaped to be steeper.

The third one is the corneal incision methods. This technique is accomplished based on the principle of changing the surface of the cornea, so that vision errors are fixed. However this technique is proceded in a traditional way by using a diamond-tipped knife to make a tiny cut in cornea, it has been replaced by laser technology now.

The forth one is the implants. They are done by putting contact lenses right behind the cornea forever, which are referred as intra-ocular contact lens implant. This technique is usually applied when one’s cornea are so extremely deformed that eye problems can not be corrected by other surgeries.

After the operation, a few days or last up to a month will be taken for one to get recovered which varies from person to person. It is worth to notice that in the course of healing, people should take good care of their eyes, or some issues will occur, for that with any operation, there is certainly a risk of infection. Therefore, it is advisable not to rub eyes, and take along eye drops, which can serve as a help to keep eyes from getting dry. If your eyes are unfortunately get infected, go to see your eye doctor as soon as possible, in case of slowing the course of healing.

That’s all the kinds of laser eye correction surgeries above. If you have had enough of the trouble of wearing eyeglasses and contact lenses, it is the time for you to try the new, which will definitely surprise you a lot. Do not be worried about the accidents mentioned above, study show that laser issues happen in less than 1% of eye operations done today. Anyhow, no matter what kind of surgery you are intended to take, do consult a professional eye doctor. If permissible, consulting another one or two ophthalmologists will be great.

If you want to know more about Vision knowledge, then feel free to visit http://vision.firmoo.com/

World Vision suggests putting something meaningful under the tree

World Vision Canada is hoping a pig, fruit trees or even school supplies will be the answer to your holiday gift-giving woes.
During the Christmas season, the Christian organization promotes its meaningful gift catalogue, which can be viewed at www.WorldVision.ca.
As part of the purchase of gifts, buyers can choose the option of sending an e-mailed greeting card, or e-card, to the gift recipient to show what their gift entails.
Last year, more than 90 Sydney residents used the catalogue to buy $14,463 worth of items ranging from livestock to school uniforms to medical supplies for children and families in developing countries.
Another 121 Sydney donors purchased $13,000 worth of items in 2007.
“People in Nova Scotia in general are very generous,” said Karen Flores, spokesperson for World Vision Canada. “We’re hoping that this year we can... just encourage them to continue to donate to the catalogue and make a difference in someone’s life.”
World Vision says its gift catalogue helps poverty-stricken communities bring about a sustainable change.
The purchase of gifts also includes training to ensure families can use the animals and plants they are given to improve their children’s health for years to come.
“The online version offers over 80 gifts to choose from,” said Flores. “So even if you’re stumped you know literally minutes before Christmas you can still purchase a gift and get an e-card sent to whoever is getting the gift. There’s still tons of time left.”
Prices for animals also include pen construction, pen material, vaccinations and feed.
World Vision is a Canada's largest private relief and development agency.

Types and terms of magnifying glasses

Some people need magnifying glasses in certain circumstances, such as reading a newspaper, a book, the fine print on a map, a menu as well as examining a diamond or gemstone. Currently, there are various kinds of magnifiers, including Head Visor magnifiers and pendant necklace magnifying glasses. The first criterion is that the type of magnifying one chooses should match the use of it.

Magnifying glasses are now provided in different styles and designs. And different people need specific magnifying power. For instance, ordinary people may use a 5x hand held magnifier to examine windshield for defects. A pocket 10x folding magnifying glass is helpful for a border protection department as well as a police department. In addition, 20x jeweler loupes can be used by a county department of agriculture to examine crops for insect and blight problems.

For general reading, hand held magnifiers are convenient and helpful. For newspapers or books, people always use a magnifier with 3x or 6x magnification and 3 or 4 inch diameter. And for finer print materials, magnifiers with 8x or 20x magnification are needed. For people with low vision, magnifying glasses in standard design are not competent and they may resort to electronic vision aids which can offer greater magnification.

The following is the explanation of several terms of magnifying glasses. Magnifying power means the ability of a magnifying glass to increase the visual size of an object. A magnifying lens simply bends light in a special way and makes an image looks larger than an actual object. The X indicates the magnifying power. For instance, a 3x glass triples an image and 4x magnifiers magnify an object 4 times.

Focal length or working distance is another way to classify magnifying glasses. This element represents the distance that should be set between the magnifier and an object in order to get the optimal magnification effect. For example, a lens with 2x magnification and 5” focal length means that the lens can provide double magnification when it is held at a distance of 5” from the object.

Field of view simply indicates the size of the area that a person sees through the glasses. Depth of field is the distance that a magnifier can be moved above an object and still maintains focus ability. In general, depth field decreases as magnification power increases.

Get Rid of Dry Eye Syndrome

Some people experience eyes sticking shut when they wake up; some people feel eyes too dry to have a clear vision; some people wearing contact lenses encounter contacts falling out, but few of them know why they have these experiences. The truth is that they suffer from dry eye syndrome which is caused by various factors, such as checking the computer screens for a long time, eyes exposing to polluted air, dry air, poor lighting or sun for long period of time and being in aging process. Usually besides the above symptoms one's eyes will experience, dry eyes can cause a gritty, sandy sensation accompanied by burning, stinging and itching. To solve those eye problems, it is necessary and important to find out the reason for dry eyes.

Firstly, in a time when computer constitute the main tools for one to work and entertain, people spend eight or more hours a day on computer at work or at home. During this process, they are often so concentrate that they forget to blink, by which way eyes can be lubricated. Secondly, for environment being polluted, the air is reeking with more dust and dirt which are harmful for eyes. When they enter into eyes,they deposit there, making eyes hard to produce tears. Thirdly, when we get old, our bodies will be in a lack of oil, a necessary component of our tears. If we suffer from oil deficiency, water in our eyes can evaporate very quickly, thereby eyes are inclined to get dry. Fourthly, various systemic diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, or Sjogren's Syndrome can also cause dry eyes.

Then come to the question of how to get rid of dry eye syndrome. The first and easiest way is to proceed from diet. Fish, good for both eye health and eyesight, has special effect on dry eye syndrome as well, for the reason that it contains omega 3 fatty acids which is able to increase the viscosity of oils. Taking foods rich in vitamin A or directly taking vitamin A supplements are also quite helpful. Next, take along eye drop and drip several drops when you feel discomfortable about eyes. Then wear sunglasses when you are out to reduce your eyes exposure to wind and dust, while when you are indoors, keep your house or office humidity between 30 to 40 percent.

Therefore, when you once again experience either sticking eyes or blur vision, you can make a sense that you suffer from dry eye syndrome, which results in decreased tear production and dryness in the tear film, then you are able to suit the remedy to the case.

more info

·Dry eye in older women

·Dry eye causes and treatments

·Flaxseed oil for dry eye treatment

What Makes People Suffer From Eye Problems

Eye is one of the most delicate parts in body. Many people would have experienced dry, irritated and sore eyes every now and then, but little knows what makes them suffer from those eye problems, thus finding corresponding ways to relieve those symptoms is difficult. Therefore, I think it is necessary to make clear the factors caused those eye problems, and some of the factors are listed below:

1. People working long before a computer would suffer from those eye symptoms more often. It is researched that when we stare at a computer screen, we blink about just 7 times a minute, and when we are relaxing, when blink 22 times and 10 while reading, which means that tears are less to lubricate the surface of eyes, because blinking is able to keep eyes moisturized with the protective layer of tears. (Tears, consisting of water, mucus, oils, proteins and antibodies, are of vitality in overall eye health. They are not the mere production of sorrow or excitement, and foreign objects entering into eyes. They constitute an important role in fighting against infections, protecting eyes from dust or dirt particles and keeping eyes moistened. )

2. People wearing contact lenses suffer from dry eyes more often. Contacts lenses, although some are designed to be gas-permeable, would keep eyes from breathing in some degree. Thus the surface of eyes can not be supplied with enough tears to keep them moistened. Therefore, it is advisable for contacts wearers to take their contact lenses out frequently, especially those who wear contact lenses for long term use.

3. People being allergic to pollens or as such suffer from dry eyes more often, even through a year. We usually call those hypersensitive response hay fever, which is typically associated with being most common during the summer, and people who suffer form hay fever will have red, itchy, sore and constant ' streaming ' eyes. In UK alone, many thousands of people will suffer from hay fever in summer.

4. People of inadequate estrogen levels suffer from dry eyes more often, therefore women who are menopausal frequently claim that their eyes are often very dry. Similarly, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and many contraceptive pills are researched to be able to cause not only dry eyes but also dry eye pain.

Fortunately, there are a number of solutions for those eye problems, the simplest and most convenient one is the use corresponding eye drops according to diverse eye symptoms. When you sit before a computer for an extended period of time, or wear contact lenses frequently, or overreact to grasses, pollens or something alike, or are of estrogen deficiency, you can drip one or two drops eye drops to keep eyes moistened and then you will feel comfortable. With those eye drops, especially those who have allergic reactions do not have to shut themselves away inside houses and workplaces, they can also go out as others to enjoy the full blossoming of flowers and the harvesting of wheat and rye, etc..

more info http://vision.firmoo.com/

Ed Hardy Speaks, Raphael Saadiq

Ed Hardy's merchandise has surged in popularity lately, but don't let an army of the overly-tanned and coogi waxed distract your from his iconic original body art. Tonight at 6 p.m. Ed Hardy, the artist himself appears in person at Minna gallery to discuss his art and life in tattooing as told in his new book, Beyond Skin.

RAPHAEL SAADIQ: The Oakland-native first rose to fame with his 80s group Tony! Toni! Tone! Now that this soulful artist has gone solo, Raphael Saadiq's strong lyrics and unbelievable Affliction voice have had a real chance to shine. Hear him perform his most recent album, The Way I See It, tonight Christian Audigier at the Fox Theater.

HOLY MOLE: Tasting one kind of Mexican mole sauce is already like a slice of heaven, a whole selection of them in one grand Mole Tasting Contest? That's the stuff dreams are made of. Head to the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts tonight at 7 p.m. and make your tastebuds dance with joy.

Fury as massage parlour wins go-ahead

A MASSAGE parlour at the centre of a long-running row can now legally operate in Radcliffe.

Councillors have given the go-ahead for Christina’s Palace — saying there were no planning reasons to refuse it — despite an outcry from nearby business owners and residents about ed hardy clothing
the services it offered.

At Tuesday night’s meeting of Bury’s planning control committee, the agent for Christina’s Palace, Jeremy Christian Audigier Harris, said: “We need to make sure that the application is dealt with in terms of planning law — not in terms of morality. My client has been extremely restrained throughout these proceedings and we seem to have complied with every single policy.”

But Tom Mitchell, the council’s development control manager, said: “The proprietors have been anything but restrained. They have obstructed us at every turn in the last 12 months and, indeed, have been found guilty in the magistrates court as a result.”

Mr Hedley Hill, who owns Ainsworth Road Garage which is adjacent to the massage parlour in Water Street, said: “A stigma already exists within this area. Passing this application will be devastating to a small business area. Customers won’t come.”

Cllr Sam Cohen said: “In Bury, we have about 15 of these places — 11 of which are on main roads and many of them of them got permission to operate with a lot less fuss than this one.”

Chairman, Cllr Yvonne Wright, said: “The reality is that, whether we like it or not, these places operate and, if we are to refuse the application, we have to give a proper planning reason.”

Speaking after the decision was made, Ms Christine Affliction Mungins-Nicholson said: “I was so happy and emotional when I left the meeting. I was in tears of delight.”

But Cllr Catherine Berry said: “I am absolutely disgusted and quite surprised. I know the planning committee has to follow the recommendations, but something needs to be done here. This isn’t the end of the road. I will do everything I can to get this closed down because residents and businesses do not want it in Radcliffe.”

In January 2008 Mungins-Nicholson opened a massage parlour in Water Street, despite the council denying her permission to do so.Neighbours accused her of running a sex trade in the property close to two schools.

The venue’s website reads: “We only employ staff that meet our five-star requirements. We have a strict no-rush policy that ensures your time spent with us is an enjoyable one you won’t forget. Our ladies range in age from 19 to 30 plus years and vary from the very slim to extremely busty.”

But Ms Mungins-Nicholson said it was a health studio offering a spa. The council told the owners to shut it down, but they appealed.

Last December planning inspector Jaqueline North dismissed the appeal. She said using the premises as a massage parlour was inappropriate because it was harmful to the character of the area.

A new application was submitted for Christina’s Palace which came before councillors in October.

El Monte bans new massage parlors

The El Monte City Council voted this week to extend a temporary ban on permits for new massage parlors and massage therapists.

The council voted 5-0 to extend a 45-day coogi ban approved last month for 10 months and 15 days, meaning all new massage businesses are banned for one year total.

The moratorium will allow city staff to review ordinances regarding massage parlors intended to safeguard the public against illegal activity. In addition, staff needs to ensure their compliance with new state laws regulating the industry, according to a staff report.

"If the city is not given sufficient time and opportunity to develop updated code requirements... the city could be left without any enforceable safeguards against the proliferation of establishments which are merely fronts for prostitution or other illegal activities," city staff wrote in a memo to the Christian Audigier council.

While many massage businesses are legitimate, such establishments can "often be used as fronts for prostitution and other illegal activities," the memo said.

Currently four massage businesses ed hardy clothing operate in the city. As of last month, more than 50 people from El Monte had applied for new state massage therapists.

Office Depot Black Friday Ad 2009: Ed Hardy iPhone Faceplates

We have a cool Black Friday deal from Office Depot today for the iconic iPhone in the form of Ed Hardy iPhone Faceplates, which are currently being offered by Office Depot for a reasonable $29.99 per iPhone Faceplate, but come Black Friday the price falls.

On Black Friday, Office Depot will offer Christian Audigier the Ed Hardy iPhone Faceplates and an even lower price of just $24.99 delivering the buyer coogi a saving of $5.00 per iPhone faceplate and at that low price you could easily snap up a couple so you can ring the changes on your iPhone.

There are five Ed Hardy iPhone faceplates to be had Eternal Love, Tiger, Love Kills Slowly Black, King Dog and Love Kills Slowly Pink, all with exceptional artwork to make your iconic iPhone stand out and above all the rest, and will be a conversation starter between friends I’m sure.

So if you are looking to make your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS flashy and simply stand out from all the others, now is the time to pick up your low, low priced Ed Hardy iPhone Faceplate from Office Depot in their ed hardy clothing Black Friday Deal.

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Girl's night out

There’s no getting around it: Break-ups are a bitch. I was reminded of this delightful little Christian Audigier fact last month after going through a disappointing and rather abrupt parting of the ways. I could have thrown myself the mother of all pity parties, but I made a conscious decision not to. Instead, I successfully cycled through the seven stages of relationship mourning in record timing.

After that, I was ready for my first Girl’s Night Out as a freshly minted singleton.

So I called up Steph (my partner in crime) and we headed to Society Dining Lounge, Yaletown’s latest hotspot. Not normally my scene, but I’m trying to broaden my horizons. That said, I promised myself, “If I see one guy in a Ed Hardy t-shirt, I’m outie.” (Sorry, but you can’t buy rock n’ ed hardy roll attitude. You either got it or you don’t.) Thankfully, there wasn’t any yuppy tough guys in sight. Society is first-class all the way, but not in a stuffy way. There’s a few touches of unexpected camp thrown in for good measure (most notably the two giant pink chandeliers that hang side by side in the main dining room).

We started the evening off with a cocktail in the upstairs lounge, a very intimate and dimly lit space – perfect for playing footsies or even making out with someone you can’t keep your hands off. Ahh, the good ole days.

Anyway, I had some champagne and Steph had the Pink Samurai, a refreshingly sweet and fruity martini that we both highly, highly recommend!

After nursing round one in this beautifully sexed up drinking den, we decided to eat dinner in the packed dining area downstairs – we Affliction figured there was more chance of meeting people there. So we moseyed up to the downstairs bar, where they had platters of blue cotton candy for patrons to pick at. Inspired, by these big tasty mounds of candy, we put our creative minds together and invented a new sex position. How it works is you stuff your ginch with blue cotton candy and then when your man goes to take them off, you yell, “Surprise! You’re getting a bluebeard tonight.” Yup, we were just buzzed enough to think that was hil-arious.

Clearly, it was time to order some food. See, I was still fragile enough from my relationship woes that if I risked one more cocktail without any booze cushion, I would be swinging from those pretty pink chandeliers in no time.

Our first course was the Forno Meatloaf Balls and oh my god, they were, without a doubt, the tastiest meata-ballza I’ve ever put in my mouth (enter teabagging joke here). Then we had the Iceberg Wedge salad, Lobster Gnocchi and ‘Mac and Cheese’ Balls (am I detecting a pattern here?)

Every dish was amazing. So much so, we ate ourselves sober. And after scanning the room, we decided that we probably weren’t going to meet any guys. Society is a really great place for a girl’s night out, a guy’s night out or an afterwork hangout. It’s also the perfect place to take a date or celebrate a special occasion with a group of people, but I’m no so sure if it’s the place to meet new people. Maybe on the weekends?

Either way, it was pretty clear that I wasn’t going to find a rebound man on this rainy Tuesday night, so I did what women in my family have been doing for generations: I stuffed my feelings with junk food – a Junk Food Platter no less.

At the manager’s suggestion, we ordered this PMSing pothead’s dream come true: A dessert sampler that includes homemade ice cream sandwiches, doughnut holes, cookies, rice crispy squares, chocolate cupcakes, caramel popcorn, an Oreo milkshake and

and of course the aforementioned blue cotton candy. It was a great way to cap off my first night back on the market.

In fact, we had so much fun that Steph and I have decided to make this a regular event. Rain or shine, we’re doing a Girls’ Night Out once a week and you can read about our adventures right here every Friday.

Modern Fashion Follows Insane Anti-Human Stereotypes

“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” the proverb goes. Based on this, I dread to think what kind of a monster zoo some clothes designers live in.

We are not talking Christian Audigier about clothes made for podiums and popular people, but the mass-produced clothes designed for ordinary mortals. I rarely meet people who do not have to spend several hours in a store trying on a dozen of outfits to find something that fits.

Many people I know stopped paying coogi attention to color, shape, or fabric, and are happy to grab anything that fits. Tall people always have issues with sleeves that are too short, while jackets designed for average height people have sleeves that reach the knees, obviously, made for gibbons.

The notion of height as well as size is very relative for clothes designers. Despite the numbers on a label, any piece of clothing has to be tried on to figure out the real size.

Designers are quite mysterious. Lately, the perfect female proportions are considered to be 36-24-36. However, it is nearly impossible to find classic pants or jeans that would fit these proportions.

The other day my friend tried to find high-waist leather pants designed for a slim girl, not a beer belly. Shop assistants swore that such pants do not and cannot exist since hips would not fit through a hole designed for a narrow waist. They could not answer the question about the function of a zipper.

Designers obviously think that long legs, regardless of height and gender, are a serious drawback. They are fighting it by making pants short for everyone whose legs are longer than torso. At the same time, they state that a man’s pants must cover his socks and hang a half inch above the floor. I have no idea how it is technically possible unless you are super creative ed hardy clothing.

Recently designer Christian Louboutin, whose luxury shoes sell for no less than a thousand dollars, was preparing for the Barbie Doll anniversary. He declared that the doll was too fat for his shoes and said that he would change it to look better.

Specialists calculated Barbie’s proportions. If she was human, she would be 5’6, her waist circumference would be 17.7 inches, her hips would be 33 inches, and her breast would be 39 inches, and she would weigh less than 110 pounds. With these proportions, she would be only able to move on all fours.

According to the media, all types of shapes have been identified, re-calculated and all most common imperfections were taken into account. It remains unclear why the theory does not match the reality.

Magazines advertise one thing, but stores sell another. Designers post touching words on their websites describing the attention they pay to the needs of their potential clients. Boutiques sell outfits designed for goblins with disproportional arms and legs, bear guts, and fat ankles.

It could be one of two things. Designers either stick to Lamarck’s theory in hopes that out bodies will eventually transform to meet their needs, or their mass addiction to drugs and alcohol has something to do with it.

If the first theory is true, than Russian schools have to introduce mandatory sewing classes. If the second theory holds, then we have to learn to develop a positive outlook in regards to clothes available in stores and stop being picky. It’s not a big deal if sleeves are three times longer than needed. We should be happy that there are only two of them and not 15.

Chiefs to see LJ soon?

Chiefs fans might soon have reason to care about the Dec. 27 game against Cincinnati if reports are true that Larry Johnson is about to sign with the Bengals.

Ever since the Christian Audigier Chiefs released Johnson last week, I was hoping he would sign with a team on the Chiefs' remaining schedule and now that appears about to happen. That perpetual chip on LJ's shoulder will be bigger than ever that day. Even if Johnson does nothing else of substance the rest of his career, his stance would be validated if he rings up ed hardy clothing a big day against his former team.

I already can't wait. coogi My only regret is that the game won't be played at Arrowhead Stadium, where Chiefs fans would be able to voice their considerable displeasure with Johnson.

Your clothes can save lives

We launched our Handbags and Gladrags appeal with Save The Children last month. We're already more coogi than a third of the way to our target of ￡30,000 - but we need YOUR help to raise the rest... By Claire O'Boyle Holby City star Amanda Mealing helped us launch our Handbags and Gladrags appeal with Save The Children just one month ago - and we've already raised an amazing ￡12,000!

We asked Daily Mirror readers to dig out the gorgeous handbags and gladrags lurking at the back of their wardrobes, and use them to help save kids' lives.

According to Save The Children each Christian Audigier
item donated - a quality handbag, dress or pair of decent shoes - could be worth up to ￡10 to the charity when dropped in at one of their 122 stores across the UK. The items don't need to be brand new, just in decent shape.

We set a target of 3,000 items, to raise a huge ￡30,000 - and we've an impressive ￡11,836 so far.

Actress Amanda, 42, donated a frock of her own last month to kick-start the appeal.

"I'm giving my gorgeous Dolce and Gabbana dress to the appeal," she says. "This is a typical example of what we're talking about.

"I got it in a sale ages ago and absolutely loved it. But the truth is, I've never worn it. It still has the label on - it'll do much more good raising money for Save The Children."

And as brilliantly as we've done so far, we've still got a long way to go to hit our target.

Jayne Cartwright from Save The Children says: "We have already had such a fantastic response from Mirror readers. Wonderful bags, party frocks and good quality shoes have come flooding through our doors, all of which will help children across the globe who desperately need our help.

Mirror readers have shown how easy it is for everyone to make a difference. We're now urging readers who haven't donated yet to rummage through their wardrobes and delve through their drawers to find that life-saving handbag."

So go on - get your best handbags and gladrags down to your nearest Save The Children shop.

Attach our logo to the items you donate, and if you need more, feel free to photocopy them! The charity is keeping track of how many things you're donating, and we will keep you up to date. And remember - just one nice bag or fancy frock could make a much-needed tenner for the charity.

Chiefs to see LJ soon?

Chiefs fans might soon have reason to care about the Dec. 27 game against Cincinnati if reports are true that Larry Johnson is about to sign with the Bengals.

Ever since the Christian Audigier Chiefs released Johnson last week, I was hoping he would sign with a team on the Chiefs' remaining schedule and now that appears about to happen. That perpetual chip on LJ's shoulder will be bigger than ever that day. Even if Johnson does nothing else of substance the rest of his career, his stance would be validated if he rings up ed hardy clothing a big day against his former team.

I already can't wait. coogi My only regret is that the game won't be played at Arrowhead Stadium, where Chiefs fans would be able to voice their considerable displeasure with Johnson.

VSi Ed Hardy Tattoos Break New Ground In Flat Vend

High fashion and bulk vending would seem to have little in common, except that one of today's Affliction best-selling temporary tattoo lines is based on the edgy designs of Ed Hardy, the California tattoo artist whose incorporation of Japanese tattoo artistry into American styles led to a variety of successful ventures in haute couture and celebrity marketing.

Vending Supply inc., which acquired the license four years ago, has seen the popularity of the license build inside and outside bulk vending. Launching its sixth Ed Hardy series, the firm recently rolled out the Christian Audigier PINK series, a softer version of the designs.

VendingSupplyinc. "We had the license before it was really big, and it started slow," said VSi sales director Cindy Wilson. "But as celebrities started wearing Ed Hardy designs, and they're retailed everywhere, sales have really picked up."

The Ed Hardy clothing line is based on the designs of famed tattoo artist and author Don Ed Hardy. Signed first by Ku USA to create a line of high-end fashion, then by Von Dutch designer Christian Audigier, Hardy created Asian-influenced tat artwork that quickly became standard casual garb among celebrities, celebrity wannabes and trendsetters who didn't mind paying $60 or more for a T-shirt.

More recently, the branding and licensing powerhouse Iconix Brand Group, which built such brands as Candies, Sean John and Skechers, bought into the Hardy franchise leading to even more licensing, wider distribution and affordable product lines.

"Consumers are seeing Ed Hardy merchandise at every major retailer," Wilson explained. "Macy's has an Ed Hardy section. It's in T.J. Maxx and Dillard's, and Walmart is starting an Ed Hardy section."

In the fashion world, moving a line from exclusive high-end boutiques out to the big box stores and mass-market retailers through licensing agreements is standard operating procedure. However, licensing a fashion designer has put VSi and Ed Hardy on the cutting edge in bulk vending. The industry, which has made a serious and continuing commitment to acquiring high-profile licenses over the past decade, is now venturing into a whole new arena. And so is the fashion industry.

In the more than 30 years since pioneering designer Calvin Klein first embroidered his name on the backside of blue jeans, designers have become celebrities in their own right – and their names enormously bankable licenses. Even designers associated with haute couture are not immune to the lure of lucrative licensing agreements. "The Ed Hardy brand is now going into the mass market, getting into mainstream," said Ian Cooper, VSi's vice president. "You'll see toys this fall with the Ed Hardy license, as well as an energy drink, lighters and key chains."

Licensing high-profile fashion designers is different from other brands brought into the bulk vending industry. Not only does the Ed Hardy brand enjoy high recognition on the part of consumers from tween to adult, but the clothing itself acts as a promotional vehicle, extending the lifespan of the vendible merchandise by increasing the perception of its value. Movie licenses, by contrast, have short life expectancies, usually measured in months, if not weeks. And multiple series based on a single film license are seldom practical in bulk vending.

The longevity of couture-inspired themes is due in part to the nature of the fashion business. Like vendible product producers, couturiers continually refresh their brands with new designs and promotional efforts. And, as VSi officials point out, the Ed Hardy license has been gaining momentum for four years or more.

"We had the Ed Hardy license four years ago and a lot of people didn't understand it," said Cooper, "but we kept with it. Prior to this year, Ed Hardy has been among our top 10 licenses, but this year it surged ahead. It switches back and forth between number one and number two."

Fashion designs are also unique in other respects, VSi added. "The difference between a fashion brand and a movie brand is that the fashion brands have already proven themselves," Cooper pointed out. "You never know how a movie going to do. You can have a film with a big promotional buzz around it, but it flops."

Is fashion in bulk vending's future as a standard licensing segment? Industry skeptics point to the fact that the Ed Hardy brand and its tattoo designs are particularly well suited to bulk vending, with its traditional tattoo segment. Even if young consumers didn't know who Ed Hardy was, they liked his designs. What these cynics may be overlooking is the increasingly graphic orientation of casual youth fashion. It is no longer simply Calvin Klein's signature, nor even the fit of the clothing itself. Like bulk vending, it is the graphic elements that add value. Ed Hardy may just be part of a larger trend in the fashion industry that makes it particularly well suited to bulk vending.

VendingSupplyinc. "Clothing companies are now contacting us after seeing what we've done with Ed Hardy," explained Cooper. "They see it as more exposure for their brand and additional revenue for their company."

VSi recently licensed Skelanimals. Like the Ed Hardy brand, Skelanimals designs, which could be described as Hello Kitty's evil twin, are "tween edgy," appealing to young patrons even without immediate brand recognition.

"Skelanimals is also a fashion-driven license," said Cooper. "It's a license we considered specialty only, and we're taking it to the masses. But next year they are going into Target and rolling it out at other mass retailers. We're keeping in tune with the fashion industry."

eBay Unveils Online Fashion Magazine

Online auction site eBay has unveiled their very own online fashion magazine. The Inside Source is written and edited by glossy magazine writers ed hardy and features the trendiest items for sale on the website.

According to the new website, The Inside Source offers "fresh, original perspective and editorial content, such as feature articles and opinion pieces written by journalists and shopping specialists, that provides an insider look at what's hot and what's next."

Editorial Director Meredith Barnett, who previously served as Lucky magazine editor, told New York Times that The Inside source is for shoppers who are sophisticated and fashion-sensible and are familiar with eBay, but maybe not with the full extent of what it has to offer.

The website's biggest focus is on fashion, but it also includes home and garden, Christian Audigier, Affliction and entertainment articles.

Got a great handbag? Build around it!

In “Fashion Forward,” Jessica Lynn guest hosts and goes to Saks Fifth Avenue to talk to international handbag designer,Affliction Nancy Gonzalez and two Saks’ stylists about how to build an outfit around a handbag.

Gonzalez, who is Colombian born, has been designing handbags for 10 years and is a huge fan of color. Accessories are a must in Nancy’s wardrobe, along with heels, big rings and a white shirt.

Jessica and Gonzalez look and discuss Christian Audigier the different handbags available at Saks. A fun turquoise handbag, designed by Gonzalez herself, will be in the movie "Sex and the City 2". Gonzalez says the best way to take care and preserve a handbag is to make sure to use them.

Next, Jessica speaks to two Saks stylists about how to make build an outfit around Nancy Gonzalez’s handbags. Karen, one of the stylists, says that people should focus on Gonzalez’s philosophy ed hardy clothing and focus everything in an outfit around the bag.

Fendi Twins Straw Tote

I am ready to plan for Resort, as in, a warm vacation somewhere! Maybe that's why this Fendi straw tote is fascinating me so. I am reminded of a tropical Asian country because this design looks like seat mats that you always find in places like that. You know, Affliction like in cabs. It is unique for a bag to have this woven design with straw but I am comforted by its familiarity. It is obviously meant for a beach holiday but I think it would be brilliant to use this for work so you can pretend you are going off on vacation every morning. Or is that just more brutal when the mundane reality Christian Audigier comes crashing down? I don't know, it's been a while since I've been in an office setting =) I have one final reservation and it's not a small one, the price!! At Saks Fifth Avenue for $2,560. Is there a world shortage on straw??!!

The Ed Hardy Whale Penis Tragedy

The Way We Live Now: Bootleg. Quality is dead. Authenticity has been taken out to the trash, then stolen by scavengers and sold for one hit of whale penis leather—bootleg whale penis leather. What would Ed Hardy think?

Nothing is sacred in this savage world, any more. Not even ed hardy clothing, America's foremost artist. Pirates—pirates!—are bootlegging Ed Hardy gear left and right, victimizing those members of society least able to make wise choices on their own: the people who wear Affliction shirts.

Hell-O-bama? Where is the government, on this?

It gets worse. That Diamond Edition customized armored car you ordered, with the genuine whale penis leather interior? The one you were totally gonna rock out with your cock out in your genuine Ed Hardy-brand nightlife-ready gear? You can forget the whale penis leather interior dude. They're not offering it any more.
Other blog:ndhsu5y45.blogetery.com

IBW debuts Ed Hardy and True Religion fragrances

US. IBW Inc, the distribution arm of Falic Fashion Group, presented Ed Hardy's latest Hearts & Daggers fragrances and the first fragrance line from denim brand True Religion at the 2009 TFWA World Exhibition last month. In addition, fashion designer Christian Audigier's signature fragrance is being introduced to travel retail.

Hearts & Daggers, from the Ed Hardy fashion label by Christian Audigier, is available in men's and women's versions and is designed to reflect the striking nature of the clothing brand. It will be rolled out in the first quarter of 2010.

The new fragrance follows the successful launch of the original Ed Hardy line and the Love & Luck collection, which was introduced in 2008.

Talking to The Moodie Report at Cannes, IBW Inc Travel Retail Director Martha Rosas said the response to the brand had been very good so far. "The packaging is updated every three months and the reaction has been very good.

“Ed Hardy has created yet another great product Affliction with strong global appeal. The brand has capitalised on its recognisable styling and produced a new line that speaks volumes about the brand’s strength.”

The Hearts & Daggers fragrances are inspired by the vintage tattoo art of Ed Hardy’s clothing line. The women’s juice has top notes of blood orange orpur, violet leaf and apple; middle notes of mango, apple blossoms and pink jasmine; and drying notes blending cashmere musk, amber, benzon tears orpur and blond wood.

The packaging features the iconic Ed Hardy tattoo graphics. Both the box and the bottle are covered in the colourful graphics synonymous with the Ed Hardy signature brand.

The edp spray is available in 1.7oz/50ml and 3.4oz/100ml sizes. The bottle imagery focuses the attention on the centre, where the text ‘Love Kills Slowly’ drapes over a heart and skull. The bottom becomes transparent rose-coloured glass. The sweet scent is also available in Shimmering Body Lotion (6.7oz/200ml).

The female fragrance also features a gwp of a stylish Ed Hardy overnight bag with two original Ed Hardy tattoo designs. A special value gift set is also available, which features the perfume, lotion and a travel-sized perfume.

Ed Hardy’s Tattoo Art Is Booty for Digital Pirates

Don Ed Hardy, the famed tattoo artist, must smell good. Make that really good. Ed Hardy-themed perfumes have become some of the most popular fragrances in the world, with retailers buying $85 million worth of them so far this year.

Mr. Hardy’s colorful and exotic tattoo designs-cum-artwork seem to help sell just about anything, The New York Times’s Ashlee Vance writes. Cruise around the local mall or online and you will find ed hardy clothing, jeans, shower curtains, golf carts, nasal strips and lollipops.

Thirty-five years after Mr. Hardy opened his first San Francisco tattoo studio, to only a trickle of foot traffic, his North Beach shop Tattoo City is known the world over as the place to go for vivid murals on flesh.

Were Sailor Jerry, his gruff mentor, still around, he might be bewildered and a bit aghast to find that licensees of the Ed Hardy moniker expect to move more than $700 million in merchandise this year. Tattoos have gone mainstream and then some, thanks in part to Ed Hardy.

But now, a business inspired by San Francisco’s nautical past is being hijacked by its digital present. And Google, the search giant located 40 miles away on the Peninsula, inadvertently enables the piracy.

Backers of the Ed Hardy name find themselves in a constant battle with counterfeiters who quickly and easily create fake Ed Hardy Web sites, almost indistinguishable from the real sites, and then try to manipulate Google’s search and advertising systems. The end goal is to make sure people hunting for Ed Hardy gear online find the fake goods first, lining the pockets of pirates, largely based in China.

That Mr. Hardy ever ended up at the center of a global brand and counterfeiting maelstrom is rather remarkable. “In the early days in the city, I might do one tattoo and then wait three days to do another,” Mr. Hardy said in a recent interview. “I think it’s funny and totally surreal to see what’s happened.”

Neil Cole, Christian Audigier the chief executive of Iconix Brand Group, which just bought a stake in the Ed Hardy franchise and keeps track of its worldwide sales, said: “It’s a phenomenon that has happened over the past few years. We’re looking at this booming business that is now starting to hit Asia and Europe.”

Growing up in the Newport Beach community of Corona del Mar, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles, Mr. Hardy fell in love with tattoos during a time in which they were anything but broadly accepted by mainstream society.

In the 1960s, a large city might have just one tattoo artist, who usually operated out of a non-descript shop. “In those days, everything was very secret,” Mr. Hardy said. “It was a cash business, and tattooers were classed as the lowest form of humanity, so you kept to yourself.”

The tattoo artists were visited most often by an assortment of sailors, military personnel — always appreciated because they showered regularly and were polite — and bikers who picked from limited, preset pictures.

Mr. Hardy, along with a few others in the field, hit on the idea that people ought to have more options and a chance to pick from customized, sweeping designs. He would talk with a client and then set to work, crafting what amounted to body murals rather than the stereotypical anchor and mom pictures.

Over the years, Mr. Hardy built a reputation as one of the most creative tattoo designers, intermixing Asian, Californian and American themes throughout eye-popping pictures.

“I just wanted to develop it as a challenging medium,” Mr. Hardy said. “It was just stupid that everything had to have black outlines.”

About five years ago, the French fashion designer Christian Audigier decided to create an Ed Hardy line of clothing, wrapping the tattoo designs around the arms of sweaters and down the legs of jeans so that people could put their counter-culture statements in the closet at night rather than making lifelong commitments.

Today, celebrities from Madonna and Britney Spears to reality TV stars are often seen in Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier gear, and grousing celebrity and fashion Web sites have noticed. Mr. Cole said the Ed Hardy brand has entered a delicate stage where it is important to keep it “cool and fashionable” without being overexposed.

“An Ed Hardy golf cart that costs a few thousand dollars is a wonderful status symbol,” Mr. Cole said. “But, when I see an air freshener that goes for $3, it’s time to pull back the reins.”

Control, however, seems a tough thing to come by when it comes to the Ed Hardy brand. Just as some of the brands’ backers look to narrow the Ed Hardy product line, counterfeiters around the globe have taken matters into their own hands.

Dave Rosenberg, the managing director at Mr. Hardy’s licensing company Hardy Way, has authorized police raids at factories in Israel, Mexico, Australia and in the United States where fake Ed Hardy merchandise was being produced. Recently, Mr. Rosenberg stumbled upon a counterfeit Ed Hardy shop in the Mission district of San Francisco.

But the biggest threat to the brand comes from online raiders who copy the content from legitimate Ed Hardy Web sites word-for-word and picture-for-picture. People searching for “Ed Hardy Hoodies” will find a host of fake sites that offer the gear at huge discounts.

A number of cases have gone through the courts trying to create firmer rules for blocking competitors and others from buying advertising words tied to a particular brand, although the law remains opaque.

“This is a particularly difficult situation and is what lawyers politely call an unsettled area of law,” said Mark F. Radcliffe, an intellectual property lawyer at DLA Piper.

Mr. Rosenberg must keep track of ads pointing to fake sites and submit removal requests to Google on a regular basis. “Even if Google gets one, they just set up another site and ads in a matter of minutes,” he said. “The counterfeiters are so much faster than Google.”

In June, Google released what it billed as an improved trademark-abuse complaint system, giving people an online form to fill out if they think nefarious types have bought ads to promote counterfeit goods. Google now acts on complaints within days rather than months as it had in the past, Mr. Rosenberg said.

But the fake Ed Hardy sites lurking in Google’s regular search results are likely to be around for a while. Google’s search algorithms are designed to deal with the entire Web and are less flexible when it comes to blocking individual sites. And the counterfeiters have devised effective means of making themselves attractive to Google’s algorithm, experts say.

Knowing that the algorithm favors sites linked to by many other sites, the counterfeiters create both bogus sites that link back to the main counterfeit site, not to mention fake blogs with thousands of computer-generated posts and comments.

Ultimately a brand’s success may be measured by the lengths counterfeiters are willing to go to in a bid to cut in on the action. “The better the brand is the worse the problem is,” Mr. Cole said.

As for Mr. Hardy, his tattooing services are no longer available at Tattoo City. (The going rate for a real tattoo is $200 an hour for tattoos from other artists. ) He has set up a nearby studio for painting and other projects.

“I tattooed for 40 years,” he said. “That’s enough.”

Fall In Love With Louboutin

THINK PINK: To add some spice to any outfit just add Christian Louboutin's Declic Glitter Pumps in Hot Pink! These sparkly 5 1/2" heels are perfect for a festive Holiday party or on any day when you're feeling ultra-girly and feminine! $675 available at Saks Fifth Aveunue.

BABY SOFT: You love Ella Moss for its super-soft and fashionable jersey tops and dresses, why not pass along your good Christian Audigier style sense to the little one in your life. Piccolini carries Little Ella and many other hip, modern brands for babies and toddlers in their newly renovated Main Line store. $67.95 available at Piccolini, 32 W. Lancaster Avenue, Affliction.

MADE TO LAST: Kids are always on to the next toy, but with Vilac's wooden creations, you can bet they'll love these forever. Their whimsical and brightly colored designs feature iconic children's book character's like Babar and Miss Roxy.

Other blog:jhudsr53.gujaba.com

Emotional Shopping 101

I am an emotional shopper.

Having recently gone through the break-up of a 4-1/2 year relationship, which continues to be followed by silly crushes (big and small, all of which cause a roller-coaster of emotions) I find myself getting urges to go to ed hardy the mall. All of the shiny new things and hip clothes make me happy. I enjoy looking at them, pretending that I can buy them all, and finally settling on the few items that are within my budget. My emotions are usually bigger than my budget.

I hate perpetuating stereotypes- but you know me, it’s something I do well. The truth of the matter is that lots of gays work in retail. Lots. So I have to admit that the newly single, flirtatious me sort of enjoys that element of shopping as well. I love flirting with the cute gays that are working in various stores. When they flirt back and give Christian Audigier me the special “Fashion Valley gay discount” it boosts my self-esteem, which takes me back to the emotional shopper thing. The whole experience makes me feel just so good.

Since shopping is on my mind (I went three times this past weekend) I thought I would share some of my favorite shopping spots. Of course, the “ultimate” shopping experience in San Diego is Fashion Valley. Sure it is a great mall, but even better, there are just so many gays there! Everywhere you turn there is a gay, plus all of the hot foreign men who work at the little carts in the middle of the mall. They aren't necessarily gay, but their sexy accents have swayed me into buying so many things I do not need.

Some of the gayest stores at this mall include: The Mac Affliction Store, Armani Exchange, H&M, Express, and Abercrombie & Fitch. It is fun to go into these stores and see how many gays are working there (remember: “Fashion Valley gay discount”) and how many other gays I can eye shopping. My new favorite store at the mall is called Cotton On. It just opened last week and there are only two stores in the US at this time. It's an Australian brand and has some great styles for really cheap! Sort of a smaller, but even cheaper H&M. I bought a lot of things there this weekend and it made me happy.

Aside from the mall, Hillcrest is of course, always a shoppers paradise. With the great shops along Fifth Avenue and others scattered throughout the ‘hood, who needs the mall? Buffalo Exchange, Flashbacks, Luigi Vera, and Urban Outfitters are just a few of the stores along Fifth that offer great fashions for pretty reasonable prices. There is even a cool candle store called Cathedral on University, a few doors down from Column One, where you can find some great fountains and really gay statues. Further down University is Obelisk, which always provides the perfect pick-me-up spot as I browse through the fun gifts, magazines, and videos. And ACE Hardware Hillcrest is just about the gayest hardware store in town, where you can find great wine glasses next to the drills and screws.

Other fun places to shop in the county include the Otay Ranch Town Center in Chula Vista, Plaza de Americas Outlet Center in San Ysidro, the funky shops along Coast Highway in Encinitas, and if you want to take a drive up to the OC there is always South Coast Plaza.

Certainly, I don’t recommend emotional shopping. It can be dangerous to your credit health and bank account balance. My credit cards hate me but my closet loves me! See you at the mall!

Shop until you drop

Koreans' knack for fine needlework and craftsmanship has been a boon to the country's tourism. Moderate prices added, the country counts among Asian tourists' Christian Audigier favorite shopping destinations.

Indeed, last year, shopping ranked as the number one reason for tourists to visit Korea at 15 percent, according to a survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization.

Along with airport duty-free shops and department stores, Affliction small-scale stores in more inexpensive shopping areas like Myeongdong and Namdaemun draw just as many foreign shoppers as local ones, if not more.

Myeongdong is typically referred to as "heaven" for shoppers -- the KTO survey shows that high numbers of tourists visit Myeongdong to shop -- the traditional markets of Dongdaemun and Namdaemun are almost as competitive.

Namdaemun is well-known for local foods like dried seasoned seaweed and ginseng, as well as moderately-priced prescription glasses. Dongdaemun, meanwhile, is a tourist favorite fashion shopping destination, where they can get the latest fashions at low prices.

The abundant availability ed hardy clothingof street foods in these markets -- including popular "tteokbokki," or stir-fried rice pasta, and "sundae," or Korean-style sausage -- are also a major draw for tourists. The street foods tend to be more popular among tourists than the formal Korean cuisine because of the interesting eating atmosphere, good tastes, cheap prices and relatively large amounts.

Namdaemun

Walking around the busy streets of Namdaemun, it is easy to spot foreign tourists. Namdaemun vendors say that, despite the world-wide swine flu fear, the number of foreign shoppers does not seem to have noticeably decreased.

Foreign tourists are most often spotted purchasing seasoned dried seaweed, which is one of the most popular souvenirs among Japanese tourists. Japanese tourists typically purchase 8 to 10 packages of dried seaweed, according to a vendor surnamed Lee. Lee says foreign tourist spending compensates for reduced sales to local shoppers.

The nutty fragrance and slightly salty taste of Korean dried seaweed appeals to Japanese who are more used to rather rough and sweet seaweed at home, Lee said.

The case is not only for dried seaweed. Other products special to Korea like red ginseng also sell well. Especially, red ginseng capsules are emerging as a hot item. Sales of the capsules have grown around 30 percent compared to last year, according to vendors.

"I think it is mainly because the prices for products -- whether dried seaweed or ginseng -- have become relatively cheaper for the Japanese because of the strong yen. Alongside retail transactions, I'm also getting more orders by fax from Japan," said a ginseng merchant surnamed Kim.

Namdaemun is also well-known for affordable prescription glasses. Opticians offering frames and lenses for as much as 50 percent cheaper than other retail opticians are concentrated in the area.

Visiting an optician has become part of the average itinerary for foreign tourists visiting the market area. Indeed, the majority of customers visiting opticians in the area on weekdays are foreign nationals rather than locals.

Dongdaemun

Whereas Namdaemun is better known to most tourists as a place for getting truly Korean products at a good deal, Dongdaemun is referred to as the "fashion mecca" of Seoul.

According to shopkeepers, there is a high turnover rate among the shops in Dongdaemun with only those which are in tune with the latest trends surviving.

It is primarily why the stores in the area strive to present fresh designs. An increasing number of establishments by newly emerging young designers there have added to the originality and diversity of the area's fashion.

The fact that Dongdaemun has become one of the favorite shopping destinations among foreign tourists can be seen easily when one spots the endless rows of chartered buses that line the area.

The sales figures are further proof. The total sales revenue of the Dongdaemun commercial district is estimated to be around 20 trillion won this year, which is comparable to the total sales of nationwide department stores.

With winter around the corner, Gwanghee Fashion Mall, which specializes in fur and leather clothing was packed with Japanese customers on a recent Saturday afternoon.

Groups of female Japanese customers were excitedly trying on fur coats, vests and mufflers, as well as leather jackets at a shop. The owner, meanwhile, explained the characteristics and qualities of each product in Japanese.

After some discussion, the women each bought a leather jacket and a fur vest to match -- paying around 300,000 won per person. They said the prices for each item were much cheaper compared to those of their homeland.

Foreigners who only used to account for 20-30 percent of the total shoppers have gone up to around 40 percent, said the shop owners. More and more Asian tourists -- Japanese, Chinese and those from Southeast Asia -- are flooding into Korea to get the latest fashions at affordable prices, they said.

A man surnamed Yoo who runs a store at the Migliore fashion mall in Dongdaemun, says he has been getting a lot more Japanese customers lately.

"Having them (Japanese customers) is good for us in many ways since they mostly pay in cash. Plus their buying power has gone up with the strong yen -- they usually spend about 200,000-300,000 won per person," he said.

Yoo said he is not only getting retail customers who purchase in small volumes but those that regularly order products in large amounts from China and Japan.

Shopping tips

The Seoul Grand Sale, for which diverse enterprises from small shops to leading hotels participate, continues through Nov. 25. It is an ambitious strategy by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to lure more tourists to the city even during tourism's off-season. It was first launched last year.

The two-month offer this year which began last month features up to 50 percent discount in around 516 shopping and beauty venues, accommodations and restaurants throughout the city -- especially those at popular tourist spots like Myeongdong, Itaewon, Dongdaemun and Namdaemun.

Foreign nationals as well as locals in possession of coupons which are downloadable at the website, www.seoulgrandsale.com, are eligible for discounts.

Seoul City also provides a shopping guide book, Seoul & Shopping, for foreign tourists in three different languages -- English, Japanese and Chinese.

Around 60,000 copies of the booklet, which was intended to help tourists find their way to well-known shopping venues like department stores and shops that sell local specialties, are placed at the city's tourist information centers, hotels, department stores and duty free stores.

The 64-page booklet features some 130 recommended stores as well as items from eight famous shopping areas including Myeongdong and Dongademun as well as Cheongdam-dong and Sinsa-dong in Gangnam or southern Seoul. It will be updated two times a year to reflect the latest trends, according to Seoul City.

Designer jeans for $40

Having some trouble keeping up with today’s fashion on a budget?

The Warehouse Sale will be in the Valley for two days, November 14 and November 15 at the Chaparral Suites & Resort in Scottsdale. ed hardy clothing The sale is from 10am-4pm on both days.

There will be more than 20,000 designer brand items from Affliction, Rock & Republic, Seven, Christian Audigier and more at prices up to 80% off.

Designer jean prices will range from $40 - $130.

RSVP online and admission is free. Without RSVP, admission is $5.

Plus, Smart Shoppers use your Smart Shopper card and get an additional 10% off your entire purchase.

Ed Hardy’s Tattoo Art Is Booty for Digital Pirates

Don Ed Hardy, the famed tattoo artist, must smell good. Make that really good. Ed Hardy-themed perfumes have become some of the most popular fragrances in the world with retailers buying $85 million worth of them so far this year.

Mr. Hardy’s colorful and exotic tattoo designs-cum-artwork seem to help sell just about anything. Cruise around the local mall or online and you will find Ed Hardy sweaters, jeans, shower curtains, golf carts, nasal strips and lollipops.

Thirty-five years after Mr. Hardy opened Affliction his first San Francisco tattoo studio, to only a trickle of foot traffic, his North Beach shop Tattoo City is known the world over as the place to go for vivid murals on flesh.

Were Sailor Jerry, his gruff mentor, still around, he might be bewildered and a bit aghast to find that licensees of the Ed Hardy moniker expect to move more than $700 million in merchandise this year. Tattoos have gone mainstream and then some, thanks in part to Ed Hardy.

But now a business inspired by San Francisco’s nautical past is being hijacked by its digital present. And Google, the search giant located 40 miles away on the Peninsula, inadvertently enables the piracy.

Backers of the Ed Hardy name find themselves in a constant battle with counterfeiters who quickly and easily create fake Ed Hardy Web sites, almost indistinguishable from the real sites, and then try to manipulate Google’s search and advertising systems. The end goal is to make sure people hunting for Ed Hardy gear online find the fake goods first, lining the pockets of pirates, largely based in China.

That Mr. Hardy ever ended up at the center of a global brand and counterfeiting maelstrom is rather remarkable. “In the early days in the city, I might do one tattoo and then wait three days to do another,” Mr. Hardy said in a recent interview. “I think it’s funny and totally surreal to see what’s happened.”

Neil Cole, the chief executive of Iconix Brand Group, which just bought a stake in the Ed Hardy franchise and keeps track of its worldwide sales, said: “It’s a phenomenon that has happened over the past few years. We’re looking at this booming business that is now starting to hit Asia and Europe.”

Growing up in the Newport Beach community of Corona del Mar, about 50 miles south of Los Angeles, Mr. Hardy fell in love with tattoos during a time in which they were anything but broadly accepted by mainstream society.

In the 1960s, a large city might have just one tattoo artist, who usually operated out of a non-descript shop. “In those days, everything was very secret,” Mr. Hardy said. “It was a cash business, and tattooers were classed as the lowest form of humanity, so you kept to yourself.”

The tattoo artists were visited most often by an assortment of sailors, military personnel — always appreciated because they showered regularly and were polite — and bikers who picked from limited, preset pictures.

Mr. Hardy, along with a few others in the field, hit on the idea that people ought to have more options and a chance to pick from customized, sweeping designs. He would talk with a client and then set to work, crafting what amounted to body murals rather than the stereotypical anchor and mom pictures.

Over the years, Mr. Hardy built a reputation as one of the most creative tattoo designers, intermixing Asian, Californian and American themes throughout eye-popping pictures.

“I just wanted to develop it as a challenging medium,” Mr. Hardy said. “It was just stupid that everything had to have black outlines.”

About five years ago, the French fashion designer Christian Audigier decided to create an Ed Hardy line of clothing, wrapping the tattoo designs around the arms of sweaters and down the legs of jeans so that people could put their counter-culture statements in the closet at night rather than making lifelong commitments.

Today, celebrities from Madonna and Britney Spears to reality TV stars are often seen in Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier gear, and grousing celebrity and fashion Web sites have noticed. Mr. Cole said the Ed Hardy brand has entered a delicate stage where it is important to keep it “cool and fashionable” without being overexposed.

“An Ed Hardy golf cart that costs a few thousand dollars is a wonderful status symbol,” Mr. Cole said. “But, when I see an air freshener that goes for $3, it’s time to pull back the reins.”

Control, however, seems a tough thing to come by when it comes to the Ed Hardy brand. Just as some of the brands’ backers look to narrow the Ed Hardy product line, counterfeiters around the globe have taken matters into their own hands.

Dave Rosenberg, the managing director at Mr. Hardy’s licensing company Hardy Way, has authorized police raids at factories in Israel, Mexico, Australia and in the United States where fake Ed Hardy merchandise was being produced. Recently, Mr. Rosenberg stumbled upon a counterfeit Ed Hardy shop in the Mission district of San Francisco.

But the biggest threat to the brand comes from online raiders who copy the content from legitimate Ed Hardy Web sites word-for-word and picture-for-picture. People searching for “Ed Hardy Hoodies” will find a host of fake sites that offer the gear at huge discounts.

A number of cases have gone through the courts trying to create firmer rules for blocking competitors and others from buying advertising words tied to a particular brand, although the law remains opaque.

“This is a particularly difficult situation and is what lawyers politely call an unsettled area of law,” said Mark F. Radcliffe, an intellectual property lawyer at DLA Piper.

Mr. Rosenberg must keep track of ads pointing to fake sites and submit removal requests to Google on a regular basis. “Even if Google gets one, they just set up another site and ads in a matter of minutes,” he said. “The counterfeiters are so much faster than Google.”

In June, Google released what it billed as an improved trademark-abuse complaint system, giving people an online form to fill out if they think nefarious types have bought ads to promote counterfeit goods. Google now acts on complaints within days rather than months as it had in the past, Mr. Rosenberg said.

But the fake Ed Hardy sites lurking in Google’s regular search results are likely to be around for a while. Google’s search algorithms are designed to deal with the entire Web and are less flexible when it comes to blocking individual sites. And the counterfeiters have devised effective means of making themselves attractive to Google’s algorithm, experts say.

Knowing that the algorithm favors sites linked to by many other sites, the counterfeiters create both bogus sites that link back to the main counterfeit site, not to mention fake blogs with thousands of computer-generated posts and comments.

Ultimately a brand’s success may be measured by the lengths counterfeiters are willing to go to in a bid to cut in on the action. “The better the brand is the worse the problem is,” Mr. Cole said.

As for Mr. Hardy, his tattooing services are no longer available at Tattoo City. (The going rate for a real tattoo is $200 per hour for tattoos from other artists. ) He has set up a nearby studio for painting and other projects.

“I tattooed for 40 years,” he said. “That’s enough.”

Hermes 2010 Spring and Summer Handbag Collection

The weather being still winter, Christian Audigier and every fashion house and boutique has already launched their 2010 Spring and Summer handbags collections. We are dazzled by so many new bags. Today, HandbagsOutlet.biz especially presents this Hermes Spring 2010 handbags feature in the hope of providing you with some reference to the overall trend of Hermes 2010.

We should put it fairly that what we find most special Affliction is the tennis racket cover. It is very creative to have the models carry tennis racket covers over their shoulders as handbags. Maybe we will find people carrying tennis racket covers in large streets and small lanes in varied cities next year, what a view!

Article from:ndhsu5y45.blogetery.com

Gucci Bamboo Bar Leather Tote: Almost Cute

I walked by Gucci today Christian Audigier and saw a few bags that are definitely snob worthy. There was a gray/white python one that stopped me in my tracks for a minute and almost convinced me to pull out that Amex card I've semi-retired. Luckily I came to my senses and moved on, that's when I came across the Bamboo Bar Leather tote. Now this is not a bad looking bag, I actually like the shape, the leather and even the very discreetly placed strip of embossed logo leather. What is puzzling is the flimsy (though stylish) Coogi handles and all the unnecessary little pieces of straps that render the bag sloppy. So the bag is almost Affliction cute but definitely expensive ($1,895 for leather).

Louis Vuitton is Donating 10% of Sales This Month to The Red Cross

We love a great cause and how great is Louis Vuitton donating 10% of ONLINE sales of select bags this month to The Red Cross??? ed hardy clothing Louis Vuitton has chosen four iconic monogram canvas designs to feature online and donate the sales of. The Affliction Keepall was originally created as a back-up bag included in the Louis Vuitton trunk and quickly became the ultimate weekend tote. The Speedy was created in 1930 but became famous when it was redesigned specifically for Audrey Hepburn in the 1960s. The Noe was invented by Gaston Louis Vuitton to perfectly hold five champagne bottles. The Alma was originally inspired by the Art Deco movement and has become a recognizable symbol of Louis Vuitton. If you have Christian Audigier been thinking of purchasing one of these timeless styles, this month is the time to do it!

Duluth stores busted for counterfeit merchandise

Three Duluth retail stores were raided by federal Christian Audigier and local authorities in recent weeks and cited for selling thousands of dollars of counterfeit designer and licensed clothing.

Duluth police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed search warrants and made seizures at the New U Clothing Store, 207 E. Superior St.; Christopher's Clothing, 305 W. Superior St.; and Fred and Mark's Sports World, 1600 Miller Trunk Highway.

At New U, owned by Willie Love, 65, of Duluth, 668 items worth more than $20,000 were seized that included counterfeit designer purses such as Dooney and Bourke, Dolce and Gabanna, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Prada and Fendi. Designer clothing was also seized bearing such names as Coogi, Sean Jean, Apple Bottom, Evisu, Roca Wear and Nike, including Air Jordan.

At Christopher Clothing, 281 items were seized valued at $16,620 including counterfeit designer names such as Coogi, Evisu, Roca Wear, Lacoste, Ed Hardy, Apple Bottom and Baby Phat. The business owners are Nicholas Frank Campanella, age 29, and Christopher Giddens, age 29, both of Duluth.

At Fred and Mark's, in a raid conducted Friday, a search warrant turned up 709 items valued at nearly $65,000, including jerseys and T-shirts bearing trademarks from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB. The owners are Frederick Allen Degerstrom, age 33, and Mark John Pero, 30, both of Duluth.

Charges under Minnesota Statute 609.895, which governs the sale of intellectual property, have been requested against the owners of the three businesses. Federal officials said the problem of counterfeiting and piracy are growing and cost the U.S. between $200 billion and $250 billion per year and as many as 750,000 American jobs. Some estimates indicate that 5 percent to 8 percent of all the goods and merchandise sold worldwide are counterfeit.

Jon Gosselin Sues TLC for $5M

How is an unemployed single dad with eight mouths to feed, a lot of partying to do, and an Ed Hardy habit to support supposed to pay the bills? Jon Gosselin has one idea: Christian Audigier Countersue TLC for $5 million. The Jon and Kate Plus 8 network is already suing him for breach of contract, and Jon will likely now claim TLC’s too-restrictive contract is keeping him from earning any money.

Things Bogans Like describes the no-taste generation

A new Aussie website, Things Bogans Like, charts the shift from the stereotypical bogan to the cashed-up Aussie.

The authors of the site have ignored ed hardy clothing, mulle cuts and the Bathurst 1000, the conventional bogan staples.

Instead, the new-age bogan loves "getting huge" at the gym, Contiki tours and Boost Juice bars.

Also on the list are popular emerging habits such as "misspelling kids' names", and naming babies after high-end brands such as Mercedes, Armani and Chanel.

"The end result of all this creativity is that instead of five Johns in a class attempting to distinguish themselves from each other, there are now Riley, Reilly, Rhylie, Rylee, Ryley and Rylie getting into stoushes over whose dad has the biggest flatscreen," the website says.

The site also claims there is a marketing catch cry that draws a bogan like a moth to a light bulb – "no deposit, no interest, no repayments for 18 months".

But some traditional bogan behaviour remains on the list, such as refusing to read a book until the film has been released Affliction and the penchant for decorating the home with stolen bar mats and street signs.

The site also takes aim at families that decorate their homes with religious icons but don't actually follow that particular religion.

"What better way to announce one's entry into the knowledge economy than by purchasing a Buddhism-themed figurine, statue or water feature from the garden section of Kmart," it says.

The emergence of the female bogan has also been singled out.

A tattoo on the small of a woman's back, also known as a "tramp stamp" or "slag tag", is listed as a known indicator as Christian Audigier.

Bogan is a term coined to refer to people who are, or are perceived to be, of a lower-class background.

The site has a Twitter profile and a Facebook page and uses a photo of notorious AFL player Brendan Fevola as its profile picture.

Six Melbourne men, calling themselves Michael Jayfox, E. Chas McSween, Intravenus DeMilo, Ben Chapleski, Hunter McKenzie-Smythe and Lance Romance, claim responsibility for the site.

What's On: Cheaper By the Dozen

If Jon and Kate won’t play ball, TLC can always scrounge up a few Wife Swap rejects for a new reality series, just as they did with the Hayes family. We all know there are only two ways that the network’s new series, Table for 12, will end. The multiples of the Hayes family record a few top 40s hits and open a theater in Branson or they watch as their parents’ marriage falls into acrimonious disrepair, their mom adopts a hairstyle that looks like a pile of sticks and their dad starts draping himself in Ed Hardy printed tees.

TLC’s latest Great White Hope is the Hayes family, a New Jersey unit comprised of a cop father, stay-at-home mom, two sets of twins and sextuplets. In tonight’s new episode, the clan goes backyard camping, an activity the Gosselins enjoyed pre-split. The Hayes are still coasting through their first season, so savor their unpolished appearances and stress-induced meltdowns before season two’s expenses-paid vacations, extra babysitters and sponsored field trips.

In the Spotlight With Robin Roberts: Bright Lights, Big Stars, All Access Nashville [10 PM, ABC]
Letterman featured all country music acts last week, Christian Audigier Taylor Swift hosted and performed on this weekend’s Saturday Night Live and tonight, country music continues to assume dominance over all other musical genres with a prime time ABC special. Within the hour, Robin Roberts will interview Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Affliction, Roseanne Cash, Vince Gill and Loretta Lynn.

If you’re craving some fashion stylist drama in The Rachel Zoe Project’s off-season, look no farther than MTV’s new stylist competition faux-ality experiment. Following new episodes of The Hills and The City, five junior assistants compete for a styling contract and representation by the Margaret Maldonado Agency. While the show reveals equal amounts demeaning errands and freak-outs, it is missing the Rachel-Brad-Taylor triangle of passive aggressive jealousy and “I die” utterances. New episodes air on Sunday.

Much has been made of the physical attractiveness disparity between Judd Apatow’s schlubby male heroes and the women who sort of love them, but less attention has been paid to the generally pleasing qualities of the second couples in his films. Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann make a handsome pair, Coogi and even though they’re marital squabbles don’t create much of a B plot, at least we aren’t questioning Leslie’s choice in mate.

Massage Therapists Massage U.S. Marines

When Lori-Ann Gallant-Heilborn graduated from massage school, she already had her sights set on sports massage. And, just Afflictionlike one of her athlete clients, she is a champion in her chosen field.

Gallant-Heilborn massaged athletes Christian Audigier at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, in between establishing her own sports-massage practice and sports massage "away team," which travels
to athletic events throughout New England.

Most recently, her Ultimate Sports Massage, LLC provide massage therapy at the 2009 Marin Corps Marathon in Washington, DC.

What's next for this successful massage ed hardy clothing therapist? She is currently working on being selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Obama Delays Japan Tour By A Day

U.S. President ed hardy clothing Barack Obama's Japan visit has been postponed by one day to allow him to attend a memorial ceremony for the victims of Thursday's shooting at the Fort Hood military base.

Japanese Prime Minister Christian Audigier Yukio Hatoyama, who was supposed to have talks with Obama during his two-day visit beginning November 12, explained Saturday about the change in the schedule.

Obama would now be arriving Japan Friday and stay Affliction until Saturday, on his first trip to that country.

CDC Launches Vision Health Initiative Site

The Christian Audigier for Disease Control and Prevention has created a new Vision Health Initiative Web site with information regarding vision and eye health, projects with diverse stakeholders, journal publications and reports, and vision health-related resources for professionals and consumers.

The Web site includes an interactive map displaying state-specific vision and ed hardy clothing. With this tool, states that use the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System visual impairment and access to eye care module can produce reports and presentations with data specific to their states.
In 2004, coogi according to CDC, approximately 3.3 million persons aged 40 years old or younger had blindness or visual impairment; this number is predicted to double by 2030 because of increases in diabetes and other chronic diseases and aging of the U.S. population. With early detection and treatment, half of all blindness can be prevented or reversed.

Graphite Design helps capture Hana Bank

Graphite Design, maker of some of the most widely played premium shafts on the PGA TOUR, announced that the winner of the LPGA Hana Bank - KOLON Championship in South Korea played Graphite Design's Tour AD YS+ shaft in her hybrid.

"We congratulate the winner on Christian Audigier capturing her first LPGA Tour victory in her home country," said Mr. Tak Yamada, VP of Sales & Marketing, Graphite Design. "She also played our shaft recently at the Samsung World Championship which was her first victory on the LPGA Tour. We are pleased that she continues to help validate our superior shaft technology and design with her victories this year."

Graphite Design Tour AD shafts have been a popular coogi choice for LPGA Tour Players and have consistently been one of the top three wood shafts played on the LPGA Tour. In addition, Graphite Design is the most dominant shaft on the JPGA tour and has been for the past six years.

The company's Tour AD shafts have been historically requested by some of the best players in the world. Tour AD stands for Accuracy and Distance, and is a moniker that has long been known for high quality and superior performance. This is represented by the company's success which has been documented by professionals and amateurs alike.

Graphite Design International manufactures the highest quality shafts in the world for Pure Distance and Perfect Accuracy. Graphite Design shafts can be seen in play by the best professional players on the PGA, Nationwide, Champions, Japan, European and LPGA tours. Graphite Design shafts reinforced its dominance on the Japan Tour, where it has claimed 163 consecutive graphite wood shaft brand counts -- an unprecedented streak which dates to 2003. On the PGA Tour, Graphite Design shafts have helped professionals earn Affliction 65 victories since 2004 and millions of dollars in prize money. A total of 18 US distributors and 14 international distributors supply Graphite Design shafts to over 1000 custom fitters around the world.