The XBIZ Weekly Retail Round-Up

Adult Outsourcing Solution

MARYLAND

Ocean City Sex Shop Ordinances Could Pass Next Week

OCEAN CITY, Md. — The mayor and city council are close to passing ordinances outlining the zoning and licensing of sexually oriented businesses in Ocean City, according to local media reports. City Solicitor Guy Ayres presented two ordinances at a work session this week, and both may pass on first reading Monday night.

Zoning and licensing of sexually oriented business has been an exhaustive topic among the Mayor and City Council and their staffs over the past year.

The first ordinance deals with zoning of sexually oriented business, outlining limitations on locations and distance from certain established businesses. It calls for sexually oriented businesses to be 600 feet from protected facilities — including schools, churches, recreational parks, the beach, the Boardwalk, and family or children oriented entertainment businesses such as movie theaters and mini-golf courses — and 300 feet from residential uses. The ordinance also limits the hours of operation from 10 a.m. to midnight and requires patrons to be over 18 years of age.

With the restrictions of the ordinance, two acres of property will be zoned for any additional sexually oriented businesses.

The second ordinance defines sexually oriented businesses, outlining research findings regarding such businesses and defining various aspects of sexually oriented businesses. Sexually oriented business will be required to be licensed through town agencies, and all employees must be licensed as sexually oriented business employees.

For more information, click here.

NEW JERSEY

State Appeals Court OKs Adult Bookstore Agreement, But Also OKs Appeal

FAIRFIELD, N.J. — A state appeals court has ruled that an 18-month-old court agreement allowing the Essex Adult Emporium video and book store to operate in Fairfield is constitutional, but also said town officials could return to court and seek to close or move the business based on new zoning laws.

The case began in 2005, when store owners were denied permission to open because a Fairfield zoning law prohibits a sexually-oriented business within 1,000 feet of a school, school bus stop, child care center, playground, park, hospital, place of worship or residential area. The owners filed a lawsuit in Superior Court claiming the zoning law prevented it from operating anywhere in Fairfield and was unconstitutional because it prevented free speech.

When a Superior Court judge ruled that the zoning law was "unconstitutional on its face'' and directed Fairfield to allow the store to open, the township entered into a consent agreement in June 2006, allowing the store to operate.

Last year, after establishing an area where sexually-oriented businesses can operate, Fairfield refused to issue the permit. When a Superior Court judge ruled Fairfield must follow through on the permit agreement, it appealed. The township argued that the store is operating in violation of state and local law making the permit agreement contrary to public policy and void.

For more information, click here.

OHIO

Athens Strip Club May Share Property With Car Dealer

ATHENS, Ohio — A car dealership may be added to a property that a local landlord has proposed turning into a strip club, the property’s owner said yesterday.

The dealership would sell used high-end cars and specialize in customer orders, and could share the property with a strip club if the Athens Board of Zoning Appeals agrees to several code variances at their Feb. 12 meeting.

A zoning application has been filed with the code enforcement office for the dealership, which by itself would not present any city code violations, said Steve Pierson, code enforcement director.

Although Pierson said there are not enough parking spots for the strip club, the owner said he does not agree, saying that the zoning application lists 20 parking spots and the property has more than 40.

The club will feature karaoke, two stages and an area in the middle for dancing and seating. The manager of the property said it will be more of a burlesque club than a typical strip club.

City codes state that nightclubs are allowed in the area, but businesses that feature food and drink are not.

“You cannot put a Chuck E. Cheese there, but you can put an adult club,” the owner said.

For more information, click here.

WEST VIRGINIA

State Sex Shop Bill Introduced

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Legislation allowing county and city governments to control the locations of shops that sell sexually explicit materials without enacting zoning ordinances made its first move in the House of Delegates this week.

Members of the House Political Subdivisions Committee recommended passage of the bill (HB4001) and sent it on to the Judiciary Committee.

Under current law, only counties and municipalities with zoning ordinances and planning commissions can regulate where such businesses can locate, although local governments can regulate locations of strip bars. The bill would allow local governments to place restrictions on adult businesses, such as how close they can be to a church, school or residence.

Members of the committee had to define "sex shop," because many convenience stores sell some types of sexual material or marital aids. Lawmakers took their definition from a Texas law that defines sex shop as any "sex parlor, nude studio, modeling studio, love parlor, adult bookstore, adult movie theater, adult video arcade, adult movie arcade, adult video store, adult motel, or other commercial enterprise the primary business of which is the offering of a service or the selling, renting or exhibiting of devices or any other items intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification to the customer."

If passed, the law could not be enforced retroactively.

For more information, click here.

WISCONSIN

Allouez Village Board considers adult entertainment law

ALLOUEZ, Wis. — The Village Board planned to discuss a proposed ordinance to restrict adult entertainment establishments at its meeting this week The ordinance, proposed by the Zoning and Planning Committee, is based on similar ordinances in nearby Bellevue and Appleton.

General standards for the proposed ordinance include restricting the locations of adult entertainment establishments to only areas zoned as intensive commercial district, light industrial district or highway business-uses district.

The board plans to discuss whether adult establishments will need to be declared a conditional use based on a number of criteria. Only one adult establishment can be located on one parcel and such establishment must be at least 1,500 feet from any other adult establishment. No adult establishment may be within 1,000 feet of residential districts, a historic site, any public or private elementary, secondary or licensed nursery school or daycare center, a church or place of worship or public park, and all outdoor adult motion picture theaters are prohibited.

Currently the village does not have an ordinance regarding adult entertainment.

For more information, click here.

Adult Outsourcing Solution

AEE Day 2: The Show Floor

XBIZ POLL

Do you support Vivid using a 2257-based claim in its lawsuit against Pornotube?

Yes

No

By Steve Javors

Friday, Jan 11, 2008 Text size:

LAS VEGAS – Day 2 of the Adult Entertainment Expo, at the Sands Convention Center, has a distinctly different flavor than day 1. After the first day, where mostly other trade people in the adult industry traverse the show floor aisles for business and networking, during the second half of the second day the fans enter and the pace picks up considerably.

Teravision CEO Evan Seinfeld chatted with fans and business associates white sitting in the pimped-out Teravision booth. Flanked by his wife and company namesake Tera Patrick along with Sasha Grey, Seinfeld reflected on a great 2007 and told XBIZ he was very happy about recently launching his Iron Cross gonzo label.

Shane’s World star Casey Parker looked every inch the blond surfer girl right down to the longboard, surf wax on her signing table and a cute yellow bikini as she signed autographs in front of a massive Shane’s World-skinned recreational vehicle.

Third World Media provided a different flavor to the show floor with a handful of imported Asian models who were visibly excited to be in Las Vegas to greet their American fans.

The Ninn Worx_SR booth attracted a lot of attention when the company’s contract stars donned their warrior outfits for Michael Ninn’s upcoming epic “The Four.”

AbbyWinters.com also drew considerable crowds when a squad of its flexible all-natural models engaged in a group yoga session. This activity drew the attention of Evil Angel owner John Stagliano who rushed over camera in hand and began directing.

Naughty America’s ubiquitous house booth, replete with white picket fence, now includes a built-out backyard featuring extensive patio furniture. Roxy DeVille made herself at home in one of the bedrooms and invited fans to lay down with her while uber-blondes Puma Swede and Nikki Benz posed on the chrome laden Harley-Davidson in the NA driveway.

Star power was in full effect Thursday: Flower Tucci was camped out at Elegant Angel; Joanna Angel held court at Adam & Eve; Courtney Cummz looked rocker-chic at IMLive.com; Memphis Monroe greeted fans with open arms at Pink Visual; Aubrey Addams looked cute as a button at Red Light District; Savanna Samson was vivacious at Vivid; Gianna Michaels was fiercely hot at Jules Jordan Video and Jenny Hendrix looked every bit the rising star at Evil Angel.

Other companies also opted for a meeting room in AEE’s B2B Marketplace underneath the main hall. Shane’s World, Anabolic, Zero Tolerance, GVA-TWN, Vouyer Media, Metro Interactive and Northstar Associates conducted business in the meeting lounges down below.

With two measured days now in the books, show organizers and exhibitors hope days 3 and 4 provide the expected frenetic pace.

Adult Outsourcing Solution

The new year is just few days away; however, not all parties are planned, not all presents are packed and not all work is done. If you feel under the weather, bored or overwhelmed by the late shopping or working chaos, it’s just the right time to take a short break and get into the right mood.

To help you to achieve just that we’ve collected some excellent, funny and touching animated videos — for you, your colleagues, your friends and your family. You probably have seen some of them, but it doesn’t make them less funnier.

Enjoy the last days of the year 2007. Smashing 2008, folks!

Animated Videos

Kiwi! (YouTube) or Kiwi! (Quicktime)
The story of a Kiwi who spends his whole life working towards achieving his dream. Very sad, indeed. But so beautiful, and so touching.

Scrat-Ice and Scrat-Shine (YouTube)
Scrat, probably the coolest squirrel ever, still doesn’t have any luck.

Pixar — Lifted (MetaCafe)
Pixar’s latest short-film “Lifted”. Apparently, aliens also need to learn how to drive.

Funny Cat Cartoon (YouTube)
You probably shouldn’t show this video to your pets.

For The Birds - McFly (YouTube)
Morality: Whoever laughs last laughs best.

Bonus

What Song Is This? (YouTube)
Can you guess what song is being sung here? It should become apparent at the middle of the video. Hint: don’t read the tags on the YouTube page. They contain spoilers.

The World’s Most Effective Speed Bump (Gizmodo)
Here’s the perfect way to slow down those doggone kids driving their noisy pocket rockets, invading the neighborhood at high speed without regard to the peace and personal safety of the local inhabitants. Don’t try this at home. Please.

MADISON, Wisconsin (AP) -- Bloggers and free speech advocates are calling on prosecutors not to file charges against a teacher arrested for allegedly posting an anonymous comment online praising the Columbine shooters.

In 1999, two Columbine High School students killed 12 fellow students, a teacher, and themselves.

Some were disturbed by the post that police say James Buss left on a conservative blog, but other observers said it was a sarcastic attempt to discredit critics of education spending.

The suburban Milwaukee high school chemistry teacher was arrested last week for the November 16 comment left on www.bootsandsabers.com, a blog on Wisconsin politics. The comment, left under the name "Observer," came during a discussion over teacher salaries, after some writers complained teachers were underworked and overpaid.

Buss, a former president of the teacher's union, allegedly wrote that teacher salaries made him sick because they are lazy and work only five hours a day. He praised the teen gunmen who killed 12 students and a teacher before committing suicide in the April 1999 attack at Columbine High School.

"They knew how to deal with the overpaid teacher union thugs. One shot at a time!" he wrote, adding they should be remembered as heroes.

The comment disturbed at least one teacher, who called police in West Bend, 40 miles north of Milwaukee and home of the blog's administrator. Police traveled to arrest Buss at his home in Cudahy, south of Milwaukee, last week after the blogger gave them the anonymous poster's IP address.

After his arrest, Buss spent an hour in the Washington County jail before he was released on $350 bail. He did not return phone messages and e-mails seeking comment, and it was unclear whether he had a lawyer.

Washington County District Attorney Todd Martens is considering whether to charge Buss with disorderly conduct and unlawful use of computerized communication systems.

"If you look at all the factors in this case, it's pretty clear it would be a mistake to charge," said Larry Dupuis, legal director of The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin. "At worst, it was somebody expressing admiration for somebody who did something reprehensible. But the more reasonable explanation is this is somebody who is trying to mock the conservative view of teacher salaries."

Police Capt. Toby Netko defended the arrest. He said the teacher who complained was disturbed by the reference to "one shot at a time" and other educators agreed it was a threat.

"What happens when you say 'bomb' in an airport? That's free speech, isn't it?" he said. "And people are taken into custody for that all the time."

Donald Downs, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor and expert in free speech, said that "all sorts of unsavory, controversial speech" are protected by the First Amendment.

"It has to be intended to incite violence" to be illegal, Downs said. "If it's tongue-in-cheek, there's virtually no way they can claim that."

Downs added, however, that the school district might have legal grounds to discipline Buss. The teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave while his school district considers what action to take.

Sara Larsen, superintendent of the Oak Creek school district where Buss has worked since 1994, said she was "dismayed, disappointed and discouraged" by the posting. She had worked closely with Buss when he was president of the teacher's union for three years ending in 2006.

"It's not something that I would have expected any teacher to do. As much as teachers understand the whole situation in Columbine, to reference that is certainly inappropriate," she said.

Our creative business cards post went down very well so I decided to take a look at some more print-based design today. I scoured the net looking for creative examples of advertising. Some are funny, provoke discussion or are just damn clever. Enjoy these examples this fine friday …

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ASPE Crime Stories - Not sure of the story behind this carrier bag but its a clever design

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Stop n Grow - Another clever carrier bag aimed at you nail biters!

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Casino Di Venezia - A Luggage carousel mocked up as a roulette wheel

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Adidas - Transforming a bridge into German goal keeper Oliver Kahn, scarey stuff indeed

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United States Postal Service - An R2D2 mail box, love it

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City Pulse - Great advert for a cablew news channel

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Lego - A lego crane - excellent!

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BIC Razors - I love these adverts which tamper with the environment they are in

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3M - A million dollars encased in 3Ms security glass

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Ann Summers - Guerilla marketing for sex shop Ann Summers

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St Matthews Church - Advertiosing animal blessings

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Amnesty International - Excellent advert - check out the rest in this series as well

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Creative Advertising that makes you look twice - Another collection from the Pronet Advertising People

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Creative Advertisements - Hemmy provides another collection of great adverts

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Creative Advertising - Another collection from Hemmy

A print of a cup of Folgers coffee was placed on top of manhole covers in New York City, USA. Holes on the print allows the steam to come out. Wordings around the cup reads ‘Hey, City That Never Sleeps. Wake up.” from Folgers.

An innovative idea on a large billboard in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It really makes you want that ‘Heineken’.

This is a great advertisment campaign at Unicenter Shopping Mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina for Valentine’s Day. It magnifies the romantic ambience with a simple idea.

Life-size stickers of people were stuck on automatic sliding doors at a mall in Mumbai, India. When someone approaches the doors move apart and it feels like the people on the door are moving away. The person enters to find the message ‘People Move Away When You Have Body Odour’.

A sticker has been placed on the high voltage box depicting that Duracell’s batteries were used. Cool advertisement found in Malaysia.

An ambient exercise to promote Eatalica burgers. A ‘Caution Wet Floor’ board was placed near an Eatalica burger signboard. The copy on the board reads ‘Oogling at the burger may involuntarily cause drooling which may in turn lead to a wet floor. Issued for your safety by the management of Eatalica restaurant’. Eatalica is an American-Italian Food Joint in Chennai, India.

A life size sticker for the horror movie ‘The Maid’ in Singapore placed near the toilet round the corner. The kind of advertisement that makes you pee in your pants.

A giant mirror was built that allowed passersby to stop and look at themselves wearing Indivi clothes at a shopping mall in Tokyo, Japan

An advertisement for a job recruiting company in Berlin, Germany. Depicting people working in the vending machines, ATMs, it delivers the message that ‘Life is too short for the wrong job’.

Stickers were placed in selected car park locations and car workshops where the product is sold in Malaysia. It delivers the message that M-Tech Plasma HID Lights are 300% brighter than regular headlights. The burn effect sticker from the headlights really leaves an impression.

This controversial idea was done in Dubai by Sandeep Fernandes and Husen Baba Khan for the male deodorant, Axe. The mouse pad that every guy needs.

This is an advertisement found in Vancouver during the National Non-Smoking Week. The car was placed at the Vancouver Art Gallery and the message reads ‘Death from car accidents: 370, Death from smoking-related causes: 6,027, Quit now before it kills you.’

Life size images were stuck on glass doors at shops, airports in South Africa for the advertisement of glass and window cleaner I.C.U. The expression on the face is priceless.

Another creative idea by The Fitness Company. Heavy Weights were placed at various subways in New York City which creates an illusion that the person holding the safety bar is doing weights.

A very cost-effective advertisement in Hong Kong for a yoga school. It showcases the prowess of a yoga practitioner on the flexible stems of drink straws. A surge of enquiries and enrollment went after up this promotional stunt.

This is a creative ad by Mini Cooper placed at the Zurich, Switzerland train station. It gives the perception that the Mini Cooper has a large space.

Our editors have compiled a list of the five most creative advertisements that we've come across in recent time. If we happened to miss any, please leave us a comment. "Continue reading" for the list.

5. Jobsintown

German job finder site Jobsintown got the most for their advertising dollar with these creative posters.

4. 3M Security Glass Advertisement

What better way to test your Security Glass than by creating a display loaded with cash and telling people to kick. That's exactly what 3M did.