GOSSIP GAZER ONLINE

One of the most striking Internet success stories in recent years is Zappos, the $1+ billion e-commerce business which was bought last year by Amazon. But, as is often the case, the Zappos empire was not created overnight.  Ten years ago, the online retailer known for selling shoes was actually desperate for sales.  It wasn’t until a young Tony Hsieh came aboard in 1999 -- as a business consultant and investor -- did that all begin to change. Hsieh’s unorthodox approach to company culture turned Zappos not only into a very lucrative business, but one beloved by customers and employees alike.  He was named CEO in 2000 and attributes Zappos’ success to sticking by the company’s core values, which were designed to make employees happy. “Our number one priority at Zappos is company culture. Our belief is that if we get the culture right most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term endu...

One of the most striking Internet success stories in recent years is Zappos, the $1+ billion e-commerce business which was bought last year by Amazon. But, as is often the case, the Zappos empire was not created overnight. Ten years ago, the online retailer known for selling shoes was actually desperate for sales. It wasn’t until a young Tony Hsieh came aboard in 1999 -- as a business consultant and investor -- did that all begin to change. Hsieh’s unorthodox approach to company culture turned Zappos not only into a very lucrative business, but one beloved by customers and employees alike. He was named CEO in 2000 and attributes Zappos’ success to sticking by the company’s core values, which were designed to make employees happy. “Our number one priority at Zappos is company culture. Our belief is that if we get the culture right most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term enduring brand for the company will happen naturally on its own,” sa...

One of the most striking Internet success stories in recent years is Zappos, the $1+ billion e-commerce business which was bought last year by Amazon. But, as is often the case, the Zappos empire was not created overnight. Ten years ago, the online retailer known for selling shoes was actually desperate for sales. It wasn’t until a young Tony Hsieh came aboard in 1999 -- as a business consultant and investor -- did that all begin to change. Hsieh’s unorthodox approach to company culture turned Zappos not only into a very lucrative business, but one beloved by customers and employees alike. He was named CEO in 2000 and attributes Zappos’ success to sticking by the company’s core values, which were designed to make employees happy. “Our number one priority at Zappos is company culture. Our belief is that if we get the culture right most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term enduring brand for the company will happen naturally on its own,” sa...

On Katy Perry's new No. 1 album "Teenage Dream," she sings about adolescent milestones like beach parties and Friday-night dates, and earlier this week she lived out many teens' real-life fantasy: standing in front of a huge, adoring crowd and calling out a crush who never gave her the time of day in high school. On Tuesday, the 25-year-old pop star returned to her alma mater, Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, California (which she attended her freshman year before earning her GED) for a homecoming concert. With an acoustic guitar strapped around her neck, Perry started talking about the difference between teen boys and girls, and unrequited love. "It's like, don't break my heart, because I'm going to go and write a song about you," she said. "I'm so thankful that God gave me that gift." [Photos: Katy Perry rocks vinyl dresses onstage] Pointing out into the audience, she identified one specific member of the crowd and asked, "...

Brian Wood spent his life thrilling millions of faceless gamers, but his last moment was spent saving the lives of those he loved most. Wood, a 33 year-old lead designer at popular game developer Relic Entertainment, was on his way back to his Washington home when his wagon was struck by an oncoming Chevy Blazer being driven by a 21 year-old woman believed to be driving under the influence. With his pregnant wife Erin in the passenger seat, Wood swerved his car to put himself directly in the path of the oncoming SUV -- a decision that ultimately cost him his life, but protected his wife and unborn child from harm. Two other passengers riding in the backseat of the Blazer were also killed. "All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead," Erin Wood told The Province . "At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the o...

Brian Wood spent his life thrilling millions of faceless gamers, but his last moment was spent saving the lives of those he loved most. Wood, a 33 year-old lead designer at popular game developer Relic Entertainment, was on his way back to his Washington home when his wagon was struck by an oncoming Chevy Blazer being driven by a 21 year-old woman believed to be driving under the influence. With his pregnant wife Erin in the passenger seat, Wood swerved his car to put himself directly in the path of the oncoming SUV -- a decision that ultimately cost him his life, but protected his wife and unborn child from harm. Two other passengers riding in the backseat of the Blazer were also killed. "All the policeman say that if we had hit the car head-on all of us would be dead," Erin Wood told The Province. "At the very last second (Brian) braked really hard and turned right so that he would be put in the path of the SUV and not me and the baby, and that is the only thing that s...

Can Lady Gaga succeed where gay rights activists in Washington so far have failed? Everybody's favorite hangar-steak-wearing pop queen is pushing her more than 6.3 million Twitter followers to lobby the Senate ahead of a planned vote this Tuesday on repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy,  which bans gay members of the military from serving openly. On Tuesday, Gaga, http://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/24476650085 ">via Twitter , encouraged her "lil monsters" — as she refers to her legion of fans — to call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule the vote. Reid promptly did and subsequently http://twitter.com/HarryReid/status/24489348293 ">announced this in a Twitter message to Gaga herself. "Anyone qualified to serve this country should be allowed to do so," Reid wrote. [ Photo flashback: http://bit.ly/cr7qlj ">Lady Gaga goes pants-free at a Yankees game ] But Republicans, led b...

Can Lady Gaga succeed where gay rights activists in Washington so far have failed? Everybody's favorite hangar-steak-wearing pop queen is pushing her more than 6.3 million Twitter followers to lobby the Senate ahead of a planned vote this Tuesday on repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy,  which bans gay members of the military from serving openly. On Tuesday, Gaga, http://twitter.com/ladygaga/status/24476650085 ">via Twitter , encouraged her "lil monsters" — as she refers to her legion of fans — to call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule the vote. Reid promptly did and subsequently http://twitter.com/HarryReid/status/24489348293 ">announced this in a Twitter message to Gaga herself. "Anyone qualified to serve this country should be allowed to do so," Reid wrote. [ Photo flashback: http://bit.ly/cr7qlj ">Lady Gaga goes pants-free at a Yankees game ] But Republicans, led...

Can Lady Gaga succeed where gay rights activists in Washington so far have failed? Everybody's favorite hangar-steak-wearing pop queen is pushing her more than 6.3 million Twitter followers to lobby the Senate ahead of a planned vote this Tuesday on repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which bans gay members of the military from serving openly. On Tuesday, Gaga, via Twitter, encouraged her "lil monsters" — as she refers to her legion of fans — to call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule the vote. Reid promptly did and subsequently announced this in a Twitter message to Gaga herself. "Anyone qualified to serve this country should be allowed to do so," Reid wrote. [Photo flashback: Lady Gaga goes pants-free at a Yankees game] But Republicans, led by Sen. John McCain, have threatened to filibuster DADT, which is included in a larger Defense Department budget bill. So on Thursday, Gaga, who is the most widely foll...

A clerk at the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica allegedly tried to pocket a $14 million winning lottery ticket turned in by a 72-year-old winner, officials said. Simmons/News A clerk at the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica allegedly tried to pocket a $14 million winning lottery ticket turned in by a 72-year-old winner, officials said. Related News * Still commuter hell on the LIRR * Editorial: No way to run ... * Morning rush hour a nightmare for NYC commuters * McCallister: Franchise funds college scholarships * Seeking more space for over-packed elementary school * Mom of ditched infant arrested Saturday * A coldhearted clerk at a Queens bodega tried to pocket a $14 million lottery ticket when the 72-year-old jackpot winner went to check his prize, officials said Friday. Milledge McCassell took a stack of lottery tickets to the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica on Aug. 26 to see if any were winners, officials said. He scanned the tickets at a self service priz...

A Storm’s Line of Destruction The maps below show the progression of the storm and trees that were felled in its wake. #interactiveShell .ledeStory .storySummary { position: absolute; margin-top: 70px; margin-left: 5px; } hr.nytmm_tabLine { margin-bottom: 50px; } /* Set widths here for slider */ #nytg-nav #nytg-slider{width:190px;} #sliderCol{width:105px;} .ui-slider{width:75px;} table#nytg-tickMarkTable{width:77px;} READER PHOTOS INTERACTIVE MAP Downed Trees There were more than 1,300 reports of damaged trees that were called into 311 or observed by Parks Department employees. Red dots show areas with downed trees. Source: Office of Emergency Management Following the Storm The worst of the storm started about 5 p.m., as a warm front from the south approached New York City. A line of thunderstorms moved through, intensifying as they reached the shore, causing ...

A clerk at the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica allegedly tried to pocket a $14 million winning lottery ticket turned in by a 72-year-old winner, officials said. Simmons/News A clerk at the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica allegedly tried to pocket a $14 million winning lottery ticket turned in by a 72-year-old winner, officials said. Related News * Still commuter hell on the LIRR * Editorial: No way to run ... * Morning rush hour a nightmare for NYC commuters * McCallister: Franchise funds college scholarships * Seeking more space for over-packed elementary school * Mom of ditched infant arrested Saturday * A coldhearted clerk at a Queens bodega tried to pocket a $14 million lottery ticket when the 72-year-old jackpot winner went to check his prize, officials said Friday. Milledge McCassell took a stack of lottery tickets to the Dynasty Deli and Grocery in Jamaica on Aug. 26 to see if any were winners, officials said. He scanned the tickets at a self serv...

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that a scientist and his wife, who both previously worked as contractors at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico, have been indicted on charges of communicating classified nuclear weapons data to a person they believed to be a Venezuelan government official and conspiring to participate in the development of an atomic weapon for Venezuela, among other violations.   The 22-count indictment, which was returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in the District of New Mexico, was announced by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Kenneth J. Gonzales, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico and Carol K.O. Lee, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Division.   The defendants are Pedro Leonardo Mascheroni (Mascheroni), 75, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Argentina, and Marjorie Roxby Mascheroni (Roxby Mascheroni), 67, a U.S. citizen.  ...