If you are looking for a place to find unusual gifts and not feel you are exploiting Third World workers for bargains, you should check out the Fifth Annual International Gift Fair Dec. 5-6 at Mainland Regional High School in Linwood. It takes place from 10am-4pm both days.

This Gift Fair features “Fair Trade” items. If you are not familiar with the term, it refers to companies that help producers in developing countries and promote sustainability by paying them fair value for their products rather than as cheap as possible. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. Fair Trade proponents include a number of organizations promoting these practices. This Gift Fair is providing space for the following companies:
SERRV, Ten Thousand Villages,  Global Handcrafters, Global Mamas, Handmade Expressions, Frum Sum Dump-The Himese Twins, Herban Legend, Yoga Nine/Buddha Body, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of South Jersey, Gitas USA and Project Have Hope.

The gift fair is the perfect place for beautiful, handcrafted, fairly traded gifts for every budget. And, as you shop, you can learn about Fair Trade and what you can do to make a difference locally and abroad, using your power as a consumer.
This year, proceeds benefit local organizations and the Central Asia Institute in addition to supporting the work of the South Jersey Fair Trade Alliance.

In two exciting games of college hoops last night at Boardwalk Hall, Florida pulled off the upset of No. 2 ranked Michigan State and Rutgers defeated the University of Massachusetts 83-75. You can read my story here.

Below are a few pictures from the night.

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo.

Power dunk by Draymond Green.

State's Durell Summers makes a move.

Sean Carter of UMass drives.

Florida coach Billy Donovan.

The Atlantic City Ballet

On Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Sofia’s Restaurant in Margate will host a wine-tasting event that will be donating proceeds to the Atlantic City Ballet.

The event is part of a monthly series that takes place the first Tuesday of every month, from 5:30-7:30pm, and will pair an exquisite selection of wines with special hors d’ouevers for $25 per person.

Representatives of the fine wines will be on hand to answer questions. To make reservations, call 822-9111.

As the Asociated Press reports, Beal Bank, based in Dallas, which was once “allied with Donald Trump in a bid to buy the three Atlantic City Trump casinos out of bankruptcy now wants to buy them on its own.”

According to the report, “Beal Bank is offering to convert its $486 million loan to the casinos into equity in Trump Entertainment Resorts.”

Trump’s three properties in Atlantic City are the Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Marina and Trump Plaza.

Jesus Luz, a Brazilian model and Madonna’s boyfriend, dee-jayed for a set at Dusk nightclub at Caesars Atlantic City on Tuesday night. Luz played to an excited, packed house and sipped red wine while spinning dance hits.

Luz is 23 and the multi-millionaire pop star is 51 — perhaps a befitting nickname for Luz would be “Material Boy”?

Rants and raves about burning topics that have caught my attention midweek, be it greedy corporate shenanigans, frustration or joy in regards to the Philly sports teams, a movie, show or DVD that has fired up my imagination, an intriguing personality, or my on-going battle to lose weight in our fast food world. — Lori Hoffman, Associate Editor, Atlantic City Weekly

Beyond the turkey dinner and all the football, the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday can sometimes be buried under a mound of sweet potatoes. However, when you are gathered around the holiday table with friends and family, you can’t help but be glad for your blessings.

This is especially true if you’ve just seen the worldview of Precious in the acclaimed movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (read my review here). That movie will chill your soul at the sight of a teenager whose family life is full of hatred and jealously, pain and despair. The only thing that makes the movie bearable to watch is the fact that hope has not been completely abandoned and that a group of friends give Precious a life line and she has enough strength to take hold of that line and pull herself out of the abyss created by parental abuse.

I’m thankful that I have a family that has my back even if our banter is loaded with sarcasm and retorts. That is just how the Hoffman clan rolls and if you can’t take the kidding, stay away from the dinner table. And that ain’t happening because while the Hoffman clan is best known for our wisecracks, our mad skills at cooking (and eating) are nearly as famous.

Not that this family isn’t filled with the flaws that all families have. My two brothers have been estranged for the past decade and we haven’t had a complete family get-together in that time. My Mom and I get two Thanksgivings and Christmases out of it, one at each home. However, there has been some movement in the past year, an olive branch has been offered and accepted. They are talking to each other again.

It would be nice to see a reunion down the line. One can hope; I know my Mom has a sore spot on her soul that would be healed instantly if the boys could close the rift between them.

That is what Thanksgiving is all about, remembering that if you have a family that supports you, you have everything you need to keep plugging away at life despite an economic downturn, painful knees and the everyday frustrations of being a human being in the modern world.

P.S. : Speaking of family, my Mom’s allergies mean we can’t keep the kitten we rescued from our apartment complex this summer. Nine-month old Casey needs a new home. She’s smart and full of it and could use a home where she could go outside safely. If you are interested in giving a home to this sassy little feline, who is spayed, disease-free and has her shots, please E-mail me at Moviejunkie32@comcast.net

Atlantic City mayor Lorenzo Langford held a summit earlier today with local casino and civic leaders to address the bad economy, how it is affecting Atlantic City and what can be done to get the “ship” heading in a better direction.

Pictured at today’s summit are, from left, Curtis Bashaw, of Cape Advisors, Inc.; Mark Juliano, of Trump
Entertainment Resorts; Joseph Kelly, of  the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, and Mark Giannantonio, of Tropicana.

(Photo Lou Perri)

According to a recent Reuters article, “Atlantic City needs more flair, flesh and flash if it wants to take back business from the growing number of slot parlors in the Northeast, a senior executive with Harrah’s Entertainment said on Friday.”

The exec is Don Marrandino, who oversees Harrah’s four Atlantic City casinos in Atlantic City (Bally’s, Harrah’s Resort, Caesars and Showboat).

Marrandino tells Reuters that he is expected to speak today “with Atlantic City’s business leaders and politicians … to discuss revamping the city, which relies heavily on the casinos.”

Among the topics to be brought up include sports betting, topless shows in the casinos and more flash for the resort town.

“”We’re trying to get some of the laws swiftly changed so there can be topless shows in Atlantic City, like there are in Las Vegas,” Marrandino said, adding, “It would be great if sports betting or sports gambling would be allowed in Atlantic City,” Marrandino tells Reuters.

Terry at his store, which will close in early 2010.

I heard it first from AC Weekly columnist Ray Tyler earlier this week. But I didn’t want to believe it, so I took my semi-weekly trip to CD Exchange in Northfield yesterday and found out that it was true: After 12 years of being one of the only cool places to buy music in both Atlantic and Cape May counties, CD Exchange, on Route 9 in Northfield, is closing its doors.

The store, which was originally a chain as CD Warehouse before it was taken over by owner Terry Shellock, will shut its doors in January for good. It will continue to be fully stocked for the upcoming holiday season with new releases, according to Shellock.

The store is also having a blowout sale on used CDs and DVDs. Up until the day after Thanksgiving, used items are 10-percent off. Every week after that — through January — the discount will get greater and greater (20-percent, 30-percent, 40-percent-off, etc.); Shellock hopes to get rid of every disc in the store.

This sucks on many levels. Not only does it mean some great people will be out of work, but it also means that one of the last used CD stores in our area is packing it in.

I’ve been taking lunch breaks at CD Exchange for years. Perusing the new used inventory and the large jazz selection and seeing Terry, Chuck, Meryl and the crew was always something I looked forward to. WTF??

Don’t you youngsters get it? Downloading songs is not the same as having them on a CD or album. The quality is worse and in most cases, the music is being stolen. So while the majority of the ignoramouses out there are content to purchase their music in the same places where they can buy a dishwasher, I’ll be lamenting the fact that another honest-working man has been forced out of business by the cruel winds of change that technology has brought with it. This may sound like a rant, but it’s very sad to me to think that a store like this is biting the dust.

Hopefully, in a few years, when people wake up and realize that music isn’t just about downloading songs to your iPod or illegally sharing albums with wrong track listings, Shellock will be back in action.

For now, go say goodbye to Terry and take advantage of the deep discounts over the next several weeks. While you’re there, thank him for taking on the Best Buys and Napsters of the world for as long as he did in order to provide area residents with a place to listen, buy, order, search and find their music.

Caesars’ award-winning restaurant Mia, under the direction of esteemed chefs Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio, will launch its new “Seduction Menu” on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Nov. 27.
The menu will feature 10 savory items and a selection of unique cocktails, all for under $10, and will provide Caesars patrons with a unique take on late-night dining. The menu will be available every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 9pm until closing, and coincides with the days of the week that popular nightclub Dusk is open.
“With Caesars being home to Dusk, Atlantic City’s hottest night spot, it makes sense for us to offer a luxurious, affordable dining experience to people whether they are coming or going from the club or casino,” says Caesars Atlantic City vice president of marketing Erin Chamberlain in a media release. “Caesars is always looking to offer its customers innovative entertainment options. This new Seduction Menu at Mia certainly offers that to our loyal customers.”

Menu items include Fire and Ice Tuna Crudo, House Smoked Salmon Terrine, White Cheddar Cheese Panini, Oysters on the Half Shell, Philly Cheese Steak Spring Roll and more.