WRAPUP 2-Zumiez July same-store sales beat, Hot Topic misses - Fashion

* Zumiez July comps beat Street view
* Hot Topic July comps fall short of estimates
* Zumiez raises Q2 outlook
* Hot Topic sees Q2 loss of $0.14
* Hot Topic shares down 4 pct, Zumiez down 1 pct
(Adds details, analyst comment, updates share movement)
By Shradhha Sharma
BANGALORE, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Teen apparel retailer Zumiez
Inc's (ZUMZ.O) July same-store sales topped estimates, while
that of Hot Topic Inc (HOTT.O) fell short of analysts'
expectations as it sold fewer higher-ticket items and increased
promotional spending.
Zumiez, which sells clothing and equipment for skaters,
snowboarders and the like, saw robust sales for its
accessories, footwear and at its men's and boy's categories,
the company said on a pre-recorded call.
Warmer weather also helped drive more traffic to Zumiez
stores, but a boost from the crucial back-to-school shopping
season will only be seen in August, Wedbush Securities analyst
Betty Chen said.
U.S. consumers are expected to delay back-to-school
shopping into August this year as well in the hopes of finding
good bargains, which could hurt July numbers for a lot of other
teen apparel retailers that are slated to report comparable
sales on Thursday.
"(The hot weather) drove a little bit more of mall traffic
and compelled people to buy some wear-now clothes -- like
T-shirts and shorts, especially since a lot of these items were
on sale," Chen added.
Same-store sales rose 9.4 percent in July, compared with
analysts' estimate of an increase of 8.5 percent, according to
Thomson Reuters Data.
Total July sales at Zumiez jumped 15 percent, prompting the
company to raise its second-quarter outlook.
Zumiez now sees a quarterly loss in the range of 2 cents a
share to 3 cents a share, up from its previous expectation of a
loss of between 7 cents a share and 10 cents a share.
Bundling promotions -- where consumers get a discount for
purchasing a specific number of units from a designated
category -- also lifted July same-store sales at Zumiez, MKM
Partners analyst Linda Tsai said.
But Zumiez's bundling promotions, a major business driver till
now, could be pressured with other retailers raising the bar on
their promotional offers, Wedbush analyst Chen said.
The Thomson Reuters Same-Store Sales Index is expected to
post a 3.1 percent rise in July 2010 comparable sales,
reversing last year's fall of 5.1 percent, and making July the
11th straight month of improving sales.
However, Hot Topic failed to live up to expectations,
posting a 9 percent drop in same-store sales, much wider than
analysts' estimate of a 2.6 percent fall.
Citing lower-than-expected sales, the retailer also
forecast a loss of 14 cents a share for the second quarter.
On a pre-recorded call, the company said sales for
accessories and fashion apparel slumped 9 percent and 24
percent respectively in July.
Comparable sales at its Torrid stores fell 7.2 percent.
Hot Topic continues to expect consolidated inventory to be
down in the low single digit percentage range at the end of
this quarter, the company said on the call.
The company, which sells rock 'n' roll-inspired apparel and
accessories, was a great success last year when it began
selling "Twilight" related merchandise.
However, as the movie gained popularity, other retailers
have done the same, eating into Hot Topic's exclusivity, and
with time, the unique-quotient has died down.
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Lady Gaga wins record 13 MTV video music nominations - Music

Rapper Eminem was the most nominated male artist with eight nods after the success of his latest album "Recovery", while Canadian teen idol Justin Bieber scored his first nomination in the best new artist category for the music video of hit single "Baby".
Newcomer Ke$ha joined veterans Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Usher and indie band Florence and the Machine among the other nominees.
Lady Gaga has two entries in the coveted video of the year category -- "Bad Romance" and "Telephone" featuring Beyonce -- where her competition includes Eminem for "Not Afraid" and rapper B.o.B for "Airplanes".
The glam pop singer also won nods in the best pop, best dance and best female music video categories.
"I'm so honored for all the little monsters and self-professed freaks of the universe, to have more VMA nominations in a single year than any artist in MTV history. Ironically, I'm even more proud it's an unlucky number; 13," Lady Gaga said in a statement.
"A long time ago the world told me and my little monsters we would never be heard, together we changed the rules. God put me on Earth for 3 reasons: To make loud music, gay videos, and cause a damn raucous. Thank You MTV!," she added.
The awards will be presented in a live telecast from Los Angeles on September 12.
Eminem noted sarcastically that the award show fell in the middle of his U.S. tour. "Apparently MTV doesn't care that I have two massive stadium shows on the other side of the country the day after the VMAs," he said. "I mean, I'll be there but don't expect me to be nice about it."
Viewers can vote for the general categories on website vma.mtv.com starting on Tuesday, and voting by text message for the best new artist will continue throughout showtime on September12.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Watch Music Online

Is Bavaria without seals how strong?

Last season was new acquisition Arjen seals (26, at the end of of August 2009 came for 24 millions euros of Real Madrid) the projecting man, shot its Munich with important hits to Meister-Titel, cup victory and in the championsleague final. Completely by right its federal league colleagues with giant projection/lead selected it to the player of the season. But with the season prelude against Wolfsburg (20 August) it will be missing Bavaria. And thus the seal-free time begins only: For at least eight weeks the record master without its superstar must get along. Now the VTOL aircraft of the last yearly is to plug the giant hole. Probably a Thomas's Mueller (20) seal representative in the right centre zone becomes after his superyear for Bavaria (13 league gates) and a mega+ WM (gate king with 5 hits, best young player). The center would be then free for tonuses Kroos, which returned after one and a half years to Leverkusen again to Munich. Around the place compete completely in front Olic, Klose and Gomez. The Croat has the best maps, because he could complete the entire preparation. A three-fight in the attack, which should actually be a four-fight. Because coach Louis van Gaal wanted to actually test the learned Stürmer Mueller in the preparation as genuine point. Now the WM-hero on the position must substitute, on which he ballerte himself in South Africa to world fame. For world star seals surely good, but probably (still) no equivalent replacement. And the speed Dribbler is not possibly the only painful loss. With Daniel van Buyten (volume pulling in the left leap joint) is missing a further service provider in the final spurt of the preparation. If the defense boss does not become in time fit, Martin Demichelis must against Wolfsburg ran. Concerns over providing for coach van Gaal - and a giant responsibility for Mueller: Recently still surprise players, now the large hope. Much pressure for a 20-year old…

Strained situation at the border

According to Lebanese data the situation at the border remains strained to Israel. At the same time the country warns before provocations from Israel. Both countries assign themselves mutually the debt at the fights with four dead ones. World-wide to the moderation in the conflict one calls. The Lebanese military reported one day after the heavy fights at the Israeli-Lebanese border with four dead ones of new tensions. " Israeli bulldozers are again worden" near (Lebanese) the village Adisseh positioned; , a Lebanese military spokesperson in Beirut said. An Israeli army spokeswoman explained, who was troops locally, around those " Routinearbeiten" to continue in the border area. The fights the day before had caught fire from the fact that Israeli troops in the frontier zone wanted to eliminate trees and Gestrüpp. With violent combat with the Lebanese military stationed at the border the Israelis had used combat helicopters, tanks and artillery on Tuesday also. In the meantime Israeli soldiers have the tree please, around which the shooting had caught fire. Mutual accusation Both sides assigned themselves mutually the debt for the bloody incident. The Israeli military explained to have been present, only in the own area and have been fired at of the Lebaneses hinterrücks. Individual Lebanese officer is responsible, was called it in Israeli media. Therefore the commander concerned instructed Lebanese snipers to open the fire on the Israeli soldiers. Lebanon accused for his part Israel of on Lebanese area to have penetrated. Under the dead ones were Israeli and two Lebanese soldiers as well as a Lebanese journalist. The cause for the escalation was obviously a Baumfällaktion of the Israelis. (Photo: REUTERS) The Israeli safety cabinet comes together over over deadly combat to advise. It is to be spoken from Israeli government circles also over the consequences of the shooting, meant. Were the bloodiest collisions since the summer war 2006, when Israel marched after the displaced person of two soldiers by the Shiite Hezbollah militia into Lebanon. At that time 1200 Lebaneses and 160 Israeli soldiers died. " In case of a renewed aggression zurückschlagen" The Lebanese military spokesperson suggested that such incidents could repeat themselves. " We are zurückschlagen" in case of a renewed Israeli aggression; , it said. The UN-military mission UNIFIL, which coordinates the Israeli-Lebanese border supervised and military movements of both sides in the border area, did not express itself so far substantial to the event. " We participate still, the incident too untersuchen" , a speaker of the mission in Beirut said. " Our peace soldiers try to re-establish the peace in the region concerned because that is our Hauptaufgabe."

Whatever

courtesy of the creators of joy, here is a quick preview of some dialog ON stizzoso Sylvester Hers who will say in the second of stagione: "I hope that you are secretly in the middle of a crisis Half of Life, William, as these means you are half way to dead original, allowing the blessed and spent a crazy Orinats convalescenza your fell. "Sapere, write like this specie would be funny if anyone who said. But that is really, really fun when you can imagine Jane Lynch - who plays Hers - to say it. Lynch was not in the original pilot of joy, but the network executives said the brain that Ryan Murphy series that he "needed a scoundrel. "Murphy and his group have created a character turn to the page that have taken up this way:" Probably for the proposed '; Attic definitely sull' horse estrogen. "Was that description, really, he has obtained '; attention Lynch. "Types, this surreal and you do not know what to say," the Emmy-Nominated I Lynch said of the whole, which has received acclaim for its rappresentazione a car on cheerleading spaccone of joy. "I'm flattered Significantly autoconvaincu what have to put on this garment of track, you know? I am very lucky person. "Previously requested because Hers has interfered and of course, Lynch has suggested is the; halo unique character of the threat of commedia. "I think it is funny," Lynch has said so diabolical. "It is not dangerous. But it is a guerriero everywhere he observes, it looks difficult. "Is Sylvester a person's faulty? ", Is because people can love it," Lynch did not say. "I do not think that is diabolical. I think that is really in his own movie. "Lynch added that when fans meet her on, rather than ask Lynch to be caustic," they laugh. They say, `how are you, 'and then they laugh. "I think that whether one is afraid of her. It is Benin. There is the danger Benin. "Hers has a new goal in the second stagione joy, giving kicks off at 21 on Fox and Global september. And "it gives kicked out to" really is an apt term, since is an American football coach of the women who offends the sensibility of hers. The more they see a preview dialog: "A coach of American football is like a female '; male nurse. It is a sin against nature. "However, this does not mean that His own will facilitate in on the joy on the car-Randello Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison. "(Hers and) we must join forces, but it is such wuss, we can never go in there with the speed I have," Lynch said we. "The football coach has a feminine heel of Achilles. Actually he has a heart and get it in there and feels the crush. "The joy came in first on stagione without expectations and certainly even cynicism (distinguished greetings included). But the faults dell 'exposure have been hidden on the charm and the' objective now she continues the momentum in the non stagione. 2. Murphy said he was approached about the Fox to be a judge sull 'idolo U.S., but presumably said no (Do not say I will not drink fountain in your water, say, the longer lagging outside). But whatever happens, hope that His Sylvester never lose his spunk. While Lynch seems nice in person and he assured them that he can always invite her internal self inspiration. "Oh, is not that nice," Lynch said. "I can not dig that deep to find (Hers). "Knowing when you get in a mood defective Been trying everything to be wrong? He saw this. "

Soccer-World-We've nailed the World Cup, now for the Olympics - Board Games

PRETORIA July 12 (Reuters) - South Africa is basking in the
glory of successfully staging the first World Cup on African
soil but the country's thoughts have already shifted to another
top sports event -- the Olympic Games.
With rumours spreading fast that the coastal city of Durban
is seriously considering bidding for the 2020 summer Olympics,
South Africa may be gearing up for a battle that is much harder
to win than the right to stage a World Cup.
The Olympics are the biggest multi-sports event in the world
and while the World Cup may test a country's operational
strength with several cities involved in the staging of the
matches, the Olympics, held in one city alone, can sap its
energy and drain its financial resources.
It is the equivalent of staging 28 world championships with
the top athletes of each sport, simultaneously, within just a
few miles of each other.
"The World Cup is one of the two great sporting events in
the world along with the Olympics, and I am quite certain that
every member of the International Olympic Committee has been
looking at the matches from South Africa and seen the enthusiasm
and the excitement," IOC Executive Board member Craig Reedie
told Reuters.
"I would suspect they would not be surprised at all if a bid
came from the South African Olympic Committee for a future
Games, be it 2020 or 2024... I think the decision to go south of
the equator for the first time would be a natural encouragement
for South Africa," he said.

GOVERNMENT BACKING

� Continued...
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Factbox: Lohan latest in string of stars to serve time - Tv Series

(Reuters) - Actress Lindsay Lohan was released from jail early on Monday after serving 13 days of a 90-day sentence and taken straight into a rehabilitation program, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Here are details of some other celebrities who have served time behind bars in recent years:
* Martha Stewart -- U.S. business mogul and lifestyle guru spent five months in prison in 2004 for lying about stocks.
* Lil' Kim -- U.S. rapper served 10 months in prison in 2005 for lying about her friends' involvement in a shooting.
* Paris Hilton -- U.S. hotel heiress, served just over 22 days in detention in June 2007, for violating probation in a drunken-driving case.
* Michael Vick -- U.S. football player pleaded guilty in August 2007 to charges relating to a dogfighting ring and went to prison for 21 months.
* Nicole Richie -- U.S. star of the reality television show "The Simple Life" served 82 minutes of a four-day sentence for driving under the influence in August 2007.
* Kiefer Sutherland -- Star of the TV series "24" spent 48 days in jail after a September 2007 DUI arrest.
* Michelle Rodriguez -- Former star of the TV series "Lost" served 17 days of a six-month sentence in January 2008 for probation violation on previous DUI and hit-and-run offenses.
* O.J. Simpson -- Former athlete, acquitted of the 1994 murder of his ex-wife and her friend, currently serving 33 years in prison for bungled attempt to recover his own sports memorabilia.
* Phil Spector -- Eccentric record producer sentenced to 19 years to life in May 2009 for murdering an actress in 2003.
* T.I. -- U.S. rapper began serving a one-year prison sentence in May 2009 for possessing firearms before being moved to a halfway house six months later.
* Lil Wayne -- U.S. rapper began an eight-month prison sentence in March 2010 stemming from 2007 weapons charges.
* Lindsay Lohan -- Lohan, whose promising career has floundered during two years of strenuous partying, is freed on Monday after serving 13 days of a 90-day sentence.
-- She had been sentenced last month after violating her probation on a 2007 drunken-driving charge by missing a string of alcohol education classes. She was booked into the Lynwood Correctional Facility, an all-female jail in south Los Angeles on July 20.

A Minute With: Guillermo del Toro at Comic Con - Sci Fi

SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - Since he first caught Hollywood's eye with his directorial debut, the Mexican vampire film "Cronos," writer/director Guillermo del Toro has pursued the types of fantasy and horror films he would watch as a fan.
His passion has led to the successful translation of the cult favorite "Hellboy" comic books into two blockbuster films and another comic book movie, Marvel's "Blade II." He had planned to work on the "Hobbit" movies, which he co-wrote with producer Peter Jackson, but delays forced him to shift his focus.
He spoke to Reuters at Comic Con about how he hopes to frighten audiences with "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."
Q: What is it about Comic Con that you connect with?
A: "Comic-Con is a celebration of pop culture -- anime, sci-fi films, horror, anything that is within the scope of geek culture and is interesting for them. It's paradise. I normally try to travel with an empty suitcase, and then I end up coming home with a suitcase and four or five boxes filled with stuff."
Q: Why is "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" a passion project?
A: "This is a movie I've been dreaming of being involved with ever since I started making films professionally. It took me seven years to secure the rights and then another 13 years to get made. So it's been a 20-year journey altogether."
Q: What separates it from recent horror films?

� Continued...

Friends star Matt LeBlanc happy to send himself up - Comedy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Matt LeBlanc is heading back to TV after a four-year absence, playing a version of his old "Friends" character in a satire on U.S. network television.
So it's a good thing that LeBlanc, 43, has no trouble sending up his womanizing air-head alter ego Joey Tribbiani either in real-life or on screen.
"If people really believe me as that character, I have done my job," LeBlanc told reporters on Thursday, saying he is often greeted with the Joey catch-phrase "How you doin'?".
"I don't look on it as a negative thing. I take it as a compliment," LeBlanc said.
There are plenty "Friends" inside jokes in the new Showtime/BBC comedy co-production "Episodes," which tells of the hair-raising process of remaking a hit British TV show into a new program for American network television.
In the program, LeBlanc is chosen to play the lead character in a remake of a fictional British show that featured an elderly and erudite school principal. The big difference is that in the U.S. remake, the principal is turned into a high school hockey coach.
"Episodes" marks a comeback for LeBlanc after 10 years on "Friends" and another two on the TV comedy "Joey", which took his aspiring actor character to Los Angeles and ended in 2006.
LeBlanc said he had passed on most other TV offers since "Joey" because after 12 years of playing the same character, "I wanted to take some time off and spend time with my daughter."
But he said yes to "Episodes" after just one meeting, mostly because it is written by "Friends" co-creator David Crane.
"I committed right there. It's nice to be back with writing I have real faith in," LeBlanc said.
"Episodes" is due to premiere on cable channel Showtime in January. It promises to skewer U.S. network television, the short attention spans of TV executives and an industry that Crane described as "ruled by fear, panic and second-guessing" of how audiences and advertisers will react.