Sunday, March 29, 2009

Friday, March 27, 2009

Looking for a date with Grindr

Gay, bi, curious, or just checking things out? Grindr is the location-based way for you to find men who are looking for other men.

This free location-based service works with the Apple iPhone or iPod Touch to hook up local users in seconds. It’s fast, fun, and easy to use—offering profiles, photos, and stats at a touch. And unlike other dating sites, Grindr is mobile and works based on your location. Grindr uses the GPS technology in the iPhone and Wi-Fi in the iPod Touch to determine your exact location and instantly shows photos of the guys around you.

The genius of Grindr is in its immediacy. It allows men to connect with anyone, anywhere, anytime. Once Grindr is launched, local men looking to meet up appear. The closest men appear first. More info on a chosen guy is available in seconds, as are chat, additional photos, and his map location. There is no complicated registration process or account setup. To protect privacy, users can share as much or as little info as they desire.

One of my concerns with new iPhone-based dating networks like Skout is they they have to face off with huge, well established players like Match.com, which are slowly releasing their own iPhone applications. Grindr's Joel Simkhai says that there are a number of well established dating sites for gay men, but says that many of them feature adult content which Apple likely will be opposed to, giving Grindr a better shot.

Scott Lewallen, the creative mind behind Grindr, is confident that it is the next killer app. “Other apps take five steps to do what Grindr does in a single tap. It’s a simple, sexy user interface that connects you instantly with dudes in your area, all from the comfort and privacy of your iPhone.”

And did I mention the best part? Grindr is 100% free. There is no cost to text message guys in Grindr and it’s a free download on iTunes.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Maxim Mossman from Basic Model Management

Maxim Mossman by Joseph Bleu

Maxim Mossman

Runway model 4

LA Fashion week Kevan Hall Fall 2009

The bad economy and no official Mercedes-Benz L.A. Fashion Week couldn't get Kevan Hall down on Thursday March 19. Kevan Hall chose to show his fall collection at a charity event instead. And what a crowd he got! It wasn't your average L.A. fashion crowd: no quirky outfits, denim or drunken hipsters. The audience at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel consisted of actresses and powerful ladies-who-lunch, including a stunning 75-year-old Joan Collins.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan, the luncheon's honorary chairwoman, was not in attendance, but the collection showcased sheaths worthy of first lady Michelle Obama, along with structured dresses in tweed and wool and Hall's classic red carpet creations in earthy shades of ruby, bronze and brown.

In the audience, actress Virginia Madsen wore a Hall creation in snug-fitting leopard print, and model-actress Molly Sims donned a bright cranberry colored one-shouldered dress custom-designed by Hall for the event and decorated with real, freeze-dried cranberries to promote a new cranberry body wash by Dial.

The medley of music from James Bond films was a clue that Hall was inspired by spy heroines. In keeping with fall’s tough vibe, he focused on sexy tailoring and body-conscious silhouettes -- a black wool sheath with parallel zippers up the sides, a body-hugging black rayon jersey dress with geometric-shaped leather embroidery on the bodice, a reversible hounds-tooth coat.

His chocolate wool wrap top with fox sleeves was a great piece, considering fall’s emphasis on shoulder details, especially paired with a sequin skirt in a scribble pattern that was low-key enough for daytime wear. For evening, a pink and chocolate brown degrade silk chiffon gown with a beaded collar was fresh and pretty.

He showed a few looks from a forthcoming sportswear line he’s launching with Paul Stanley -- an aubergine cashmere sweater coat, a cheetah-print jersey dress and a nicely shaped tweed suit with leather trim -- with recession-friendly prices ($175 pants and $300 jackets). Hall says he’s hoping to get orders from Nordstrom or Bloomingdale’s.

"I think L.A. Fashion Week will continue," said Hall, smiling at the luncheon. "But this is a different kind of vibe. It's a great setting, beautiful people, shoppers."

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Three arrested and six hurt at America's Next Top Model audition

Six women have been hurt in a "stampede" outside an audition for hit TV show America's Next Top Model.

Chaos erupted in the street as thousands of hopefuls waited in line in New York.

Two women and a man have been arrested on charges of inciting to riot and disorderly conduct, a police official said.

Police didn't know what prompted the chaos involving hundreds of people outside the Park Central New York hotel in Manhattan. The panic left the street outside the hotel littered with shoes and clothing, according to news reports.

"It was pretty scary," Jessica Paravati told WNYW-TV. She said she was caught up in a stampede after waiting on line overnight, hoping for a shot at stardom on the reality show.

"The girls were running like it was 9/11 part two," said Jennifer Brown, 27, of Kensington, Brooklyn. "I feared for my life."

Officials said the chaos Saturday afternoon, involving hundreds of people outside the Park Central New York hotel, was prompted by smoke coming from an overheated car nearby that caused someone to yell "fire," sparking a model stampede at the Midtown hotel.

Mere moments later, someone yelled about a man with a gun, leading to more running and screaming chaos. The panic left the street outside the hotel littered with the would-be models' shoes and clothing, according to news reports.

"People were screaming 'fire,' people were screaming 'guns,'" aspiring model Imani said.

"Somebody screamed 'bomb,' so everybody panicked," Tasha McKethan said.

The audition was shut down after the incident, authorities said.

The hotel's phone rang unanswered. Representatives for The CW Network, which airs the show, released a statement saying it was working with authorities investigating the incident.

Some of the women had waited all night to audition for the show, which is presented by former supermodel Tyra Banks. Her agent and publicist didn't immediately return telephone calls.

Banks has said she created the show to counter stereotypes about beauty, and Saturday's auditions were open only to women no taller than 5-foot-7, which is shorter than the industry's conventions.

"I had to pee in a cup and change my clothes in the street," said Mona Knight, 18, of the Bronx, who slept on the street. "There was no organization whatsoever."

Cops arrived and placed barricades along the street. But by that point, there were already several thousand women lined up. A handful of women started fainting after getting pressed up against the wall, witnesses said.

"Everyone was so compressed, I don't think they could breathe," said Alex Saavedra, 23, who escorted his girlfriend to the audition. "Then they started passing out."

A fight broke out between two men who had been taunting each other for several hours, witnesses said.

Cops intervened and pulled the men off the line. One of them threatened to return with a gun, heightening tensions among the already-frazzled women.

Soon after, a black BMW with smoke pouring out of its hood pulled up in the street near the line, sending the sea of underdressed women scrambling to get away.

"The metal barricade fell down," said Kiara McCarthy, 19, of Levittown, L.I. "All of a sudden we heard this roar from behind us and we looked behind us and there's a wave of people falling on top of us."

Gabrielle Rose, 25, said several women started crying out in pain.

"We all fell on top of each other," said Rose, of Scranton, Pa. "People were squished against the wall, screaming, 'I can't breathe! I can't breathe!'"

Several women were treated at the scene, witnesses said. Two were transported to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell in stable condition, authorities said.

In the wake of the stampede, cops arrested three people: Clem Clemmons, 40; Vanessa Quiones, 20, and Michael Edwards. All were charged with inciting a riot.

"Representatives of The CW are working and cooperating with local authorities on the matter," a CW spokesman said.

No more women were allowed to audition after the stampede, leaving the diminutive ladies devastated that they missed out on an opportunity to make it big.

"No one came outside to explain anything to us," Palisade Park resident Jessica Paravati said. "We've been standing here since last night, we're out here for a reason, we want this – truly, truly want this."

"I'm 5-foot-3. There's no way I can make it into a model agency," McCarthy said. "They would turn me away at the door. We had an opportunity and it was taken away from us."

Tancredi and friends feel lucky they can walk away from a melee where there was a lack of model behavior. They also want another chance.

"We want another date," she said.

Tryouts also were being held this month around the country, including in Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

One would-be contestant in the New York throng said the tumult wouldn't stop her from trying again.

"This is my dream, so I'm not going to give up," Gifty Asika told WNBC-TV.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Runway model 3

male model