Seminole Tribe buys Hard Rock Cafe

MIAMI (AP) ? The Seminole Tribe of Florida said Thursday it was buying the famed Hard Rock business, including its casinos, restaurants, hotels and huge collection of rock ?n roll memorabilia, in a groundbreaking $965 million deal with a British company.

The deal with London-based Rank Group PLC is believed to be an American Indian tribe?s first purchase of a major international corporation of its size, the Seminoles said. It includes 124 Hard Rock Cafes, four Hard Rock Hotels, two Hard Rock Casino Hotels, two Hard Rock Live! concert venues and stakes in three unbranded hotels.

The tribe also will acquire what is said to be the world?s largest collection of rock memorabilia, some 70,000 pieces including Jimi Hendrix?s Flying V guitar, one of Madonna?s bustiers, a pair of Elton John?s high-heeled shoes and guitars formerly owned by Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? Here?s a little secret, guys: Wearing pantyhose is no fun.

Sure, their sheer allure enhances the legs. But they’re tight, uncomfortable and one little rip can make them run ? and ruin an entire outfit. And while they once were a staple in a career woman?s wardrobe, sheer hosiery today faces an even a bigger snag that can’t be fixed with clear nail polish or a Band-Aid ? more than a decade of declining sales.

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According to the company, women ages 25 to 54 wear pantyhose an average of 1.8 times a week, down from 3.5 times a week a decade ago.

The snag, industry experts say, is the generation gap between women who remember a time when stockings and pumps were required workplace attire and slacks were a no-no, an era enshrined forever in the 1980 Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin comedy ?9 to 5.?

Nowadays, the trendsetters in many offices wear Capri-style pants, dress shorts, open toe sandals or even flip-flops.