Saturday, November 3, 2007

Brad Paisley Visits Wounded Soldiers


I hear you once hugged a USO girl in the airport. U SO right. Big hug, too. — LD

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Today, country music singer/songwriter Brad Paisley accompanied the USO on a visit with wounded troops at the Brooke Army Medical Center's Burn Unit in San Antonio, the U.S. Department of Defense's premiere burn center. During the trip, Paisley walked from room to room shaking hands with service members, listening to stories, signing autographs and expressing his heartfelt thanks for their service. Paisley also provided service men and women with free tickets to his concert tonight at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

Touched by their dedication and selflessness, Paisley gave an impromptu concert in early August to more than 35,000 soldiers and their family members at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. Proclaimed by Paisley as his most important concert of the year, the event detoured his Bonfires & Amplifiers 80-city tour and included performances by Kellie Pickler and Taylor Swift.

For his efforts in support of U.S. troops, Paisley received a special plaque signed by U.S. Army Major General Jeffrey J. Schloesser.

"Today's USO visit was surreal," says Paisley. "Sitting with service members that have been through so much and hearing their stories is something I'll never forget. To them I am just a country music singer, but to me they're my heroes, and I wish them all a speedy recovery."

Paisley's most recent #1 hit, "Online," became his 9th chart-topper in a short 15 weeks, tying his own record for quickest trip to #1 which he set when his single "He Didn't Have To Be" became his first hit in December 1999. Among artists who landed #1 songs since that time, Paisley leads the list with nine. He has sold more than 10 million albums since his 1999 debut. Paisley tied with George Strait for the most CMA Awards nominations this year with five including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album (5th Gear), Single ("Ticks") and Video ("Online"). The 41st Annual CMA Awards will air live from Nashville Nov. 7 on ABC.

In times of peace and war, the USO has consistently delivered its special brand of entertainment and comfort to service men and women serving around the world. In 2006, the USO staged 328 special entertainment events, to include music concerts, autograph signings, hospital visits and movie screenings.

AT&T, Inc. is the official telecommunications sponsor of USO entertainment tours. For a list of recent and upcoming USO tours, visit http://www.uso.org/whatwedo/entertainment/. To learn more about the USO or to find out how to support the troops, visit http://www.uso.org.

About the USO
For more than 66 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems North America, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, DRS Technologies, Inc., S & K Sales Co., TriWest Healthcare Alliance and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO.

For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org.

SOURCE: USO

General Motors: Self-Driving Robotic Cars


Somethin’ tells me you aren’t goin’ ta like dis. Yer right. I want to drive on my own. No “bots” please! — LD

NEW YORK -- You get in your car, turn on the navigation system and then type in the address to your destination. Instead of you driving your car there, the car drives itself. Engineers and students from the nation's top universities alike are competing to develop exactly that -- a self-driving car.

(See video from General Motors (NYSE: GM) at:
http://www.mediaseed.tv/Story.aspx?story=34073)

The competition is sponsored by the Department of Defense. They are eager to apply the technology on the battlefield to keep soldiers out of harm's way and to help save lives. There are also many civilian uses for the technology. Self-driving cars will be programmed not to crash into each other, to reduce traffic congestion and to also reduce stops and starts -- saving on energy and reducing emissions.

Automotive safety technologies like cruise control, lane departure warning and blind zone alerts already exist. It won't be long until cars will start to drive themselves.

Registered journalists can access video, audio, text, graphics and photos for free and unrestricted use at http://www.mediaseed.tv.
11FF07-0014

SOURCE: Medialink and General Motors

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Web Site Launches Western-Style Sweepstakes


Cowboy? Hee-haw! — LD

Apparel and Footwear
Gives Away Four Outfits
in November


DENVER -- Getyourselfwest.com, the online source for Western fashion and style, has teamed up with Western wear leader Stetson Apparel and Footwear to give four lucky winners Western apparel in November.

Western and fashion enthusiasts alike can now enter the online sweepstakes at www.getyourselfwest.com/promo_november.php. Stetson will give away a total of four outfits (valued at approximately $250 each) between November 1 and November 30, 2007.

Get Yourself West Sweepstakes Information
Winners will be selected and notified on a bi-weekly basis. The official rules of the sweepstakes are available at
www.getyourselfwest.com/promo_tc.php. Please see official rules for details of how to enter and restrictions that may apply.

About GetYourselfWest.com
Launched in March 2007 by the Western English Trade Association (WETA), Getyourselfwest.com is part of an industry-wide effort to increase the popularity of Western wear -- the first effort of its kind in scale and ambition.

Featuring fashion editorial, County Western events and concerts, photo libraries, retail locator and much more, Getyourselfwest.com is a fun destination for anyone who has an interest in the Western lifestyle.

WETA is not-for-profit national trade association for companies that manufacture, distribute or sell Western and English apparel and equipment, their suppliers and supporters of the industry. For more information about Getyourselfwest.com or WETA please call 303-295-2001 or visit www.wetaonline.com.

About Stetson Apparel and Footwear
Since 1865, Stetson has defined the cowboy hat. Now Stetson has partnered with Roper Apparel & Footwear to produce a line of men's and ladies' apparel and boots that embodies the spirit of the West and the mystique of the cowboy. The Stetson Apparel collection is inspired by rugged sophistication, understated refinement and classic details. The line of men's and women's jeans, shirts and accessories is modern enough to be relaxed and comfortable yet dressed up enough to go from work to a night out. For more information about Stetson Apparel and Footwear please call 800.753-3577 or visit stetsonapparel.com.

SOURCE: GetYourselfWest.com

Is Hispanic Advertising Dead? No, es muy bueno


Donde esta el aqua? Yo no se. — LD

Hispanic Marketing Agencies
Face Their Demons and Confirm
Industry Is Vibrant


MCLEAN, Va., and NEW YORK -- At the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) 23rd Semi-Annual Conference for creative and account planning, there were no skeletons in the closet to reveal only cutting-edge creative and strategic, skill-building discussions. The ghosts that haunt this thriving industry are the misperceptions that Hispanic advertising and marketing is old-school and somehow lagging behind its general market counterpart when in fact it is the only segment of the industry that is growing year after year. And Hispanic marketing is growing in sophistication as well which conference organizers intend to demonstrate during the two-day conference of workshops, panel discussions and presentations being held November 1st and 2nd at the Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan.

The conference theme is more than just a kitschy phrase or concept that makes sense creatively with the conference's Halloween timing.

"It's an absolute misperception really that corporate marketers, and some in the advertising industry, would even consider Hispanic advertising dead," says Jackie Bird, chairwoman of AHAA and president of Wing Latino in New York.

"Corporate advertisers are being misled. Hispanic agencies and the marketing campaigns we deliver are more alive than ever before. Our strategies for reaching this evolving market segment must be as dynamic as the consumers with whom we are trying to connect.

"Reaching and influencing the diverse population of Latinos in the U.S. today means more than simply a 30-second commercial on Spanish-language television," Bird continues. "It requires deep cultural and Latino consumer understanding as well as creative, strategic, savvy marketing that speaks the consumers' language -- linguistic and beyond -- and builds trusted relationships between brands and consumers that transcend Spanish or English."

Keeping a step ahead of this rapidly changing marketplace means challenging traditional thinking and conference co-chairs Aldo Quevedo and Gustavo de Mello expect marketers attending the three-day event to come away revitalized and energized to step outside of the box. The conference kicked off with a networking reception on Halloween, and concludes with a gala awards celebration on Friday evening to honor the best creative in the industry.

Highlights of the conference include:

-- Today's Keynote speaker Edoardo Chavarin Chavarin, co-founder of NaCo, will discuss strategy and concepts behind inspiring creative campaigns with a fascinating personal reflection of his journey as a Latino in the U.S. and as a talented creative marketer. NaCo is Chavarin's unique apparel and accessory company. The name NaCo is based on the derogatory term used by upper- and middle-class Mexicans to describe people and things they felt were beneath them. Chavarin and partners have turned T-shirts that started as gifts for family and friends into international best-sellers and made tacky...cool.
http://www.usanaco.com/news/default.asp?contentID=572

-- Alternative Media: Creating and Planning for Today's Consumer Jonas Hallberg, Partner/Creative Director, Kirschenbaum Bond + Partners and Liron Reznik, Co-Director, Brand Strategy, Kirschenbaum Bond + Partners shared their approach to developing over-the-top creative that works ... no matter what the medium. Highlighting their work on Don Julio Tequila, the duo explained how they focus on delivering value to the consumer first and then create a way for the community of users to interact with the brand.

With the increasing number of Hispanics adopting and using new media, sometimes faster than the general market, creating and planning for this opportunity is critical for Hispanic agencies.

-- Executive Chat
Joe Uva, Chief Executive Officer, Univision, and an executive marketer from Sprint will discuss the future of Hispanic marketing from their unique perspectives -- brand marketing and media. An interactive moderated discussion with questions from the audience will offer important insight into the next steps for Hispanic marketing.

For a complete agenda visit:
http://www.ahaa.org/meetings/newyork07/conferenceagenda.htm

"Latino agencies are proven change agents for clients and the brands they serve," says Ald Quevedo, conference co-chair and president and chief creative officer of Dieste, Harmel & Partners in Dallas. "We want to spark creativity, opinion and discussion that will keep our industry moving forward."

"We want this conference to be a call to action to inspire our agencies to remain on top of their game, driving the industry and continuing to answer the tough questions about how to creatively and effectively communicate our brands' messages beyond the traditional methods," says Gustavo de Mello, conference co-chair and senior vice president of strategic planning for Lapiz Integrated Marketing Communications. "It's about taking marketing out of the comfort zone and coming up with great ideas. Not great ideas for the Hispanic market, but great ideas that happen to be created by an Hispanic agency - in Spanish or not."

For additional information about the conference or the Hispanic advertising industry or to schedule interviews, contact Elinor Kinnier, AHAA Communications, 703-610-0204 or ekinnier@cmgresults.com.

About AHAA:
The Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies (AHAA) is the national organization of firms that specialize in marketing to the nation's 46 million Hispanic consumers: the most rapidly growing segment of the American population. AHAA promotes the strength of the Hispanic marketing and advertising industry to the private and public sectors. AHAA agencies offer a unique blend of cultural understanding, market intelligence, proven experience and professionalism that deliver Hispanic market success for clients. AHAA agencies help organizations gain market share, increase revenue and grow profits by building the bridges and delivering the messages to reach America's Hispanic consumers, who together have an estimated buying power of more than $930 billion. Visit http://www.ahaa.org for more information.

SOURCE: Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Cranberries: Fresh and In Season!


So, you actually like cranberries?. They're cran-delicious! — LD

WAREHAM, Mass. -- While cranberries have traditionally been passed around the holiday table, there are deeply-rooted reasons to enjoy these healthy, tasty berries throughout the year in a variety of forms. Today, fresh cranberries are in season, and their journey from the bog to the breakfast table is anything but ordinary, say experts at the Cranberry Marketing Committee.

Cranberries grow on low-lying vines in watertight beds layered with sand, peat, gravel and clay. These beds, commonly known as bogs or marshes, were originally created by glacial deposits. Commercial bogs/marshes use a system of wetlands, uplands, ditches, flumes, ponds and other water bodies to provide a natural habitat for the cranberry vines.

The cranberry season begins in winter, when growers flood the bogs/marshes with water that freezes and insulates the vines from frost.

During spring, the bogs/marshes are drained, blossoms begin to appear, and through the summer, the cranberries become red, ripe and ready to gather. Cranberries are typically harvested in September and October.

Most cranberries are harvested using the wet method: Growers flood their bogs/marshes with water, and then use harvesting machines to loosen the cranberries from the vine. With small air pockets in their center, the cranberries then float to the water's surface where growers corral the berries onto conveyers, which lift them from the flooded bog/marsh onto trucks and into processing plants. A small percentage of cranberries are dry harvested, which involves using mechanical pickers resembling lawn mowers with comb-like conveyer belts to pick the berries and carry them to attached burlap bags. Dry harvested berries are sold as fresh fruit.

Not only are cranberries extremely tasty and versatile in culinary applications, they're also a mighty healthy fruit with the unique power to fight bacteria. What's more, cranberries have been shown to have more antioxidant phenols than 19 commonly eaten fruits. These antioxidants can help aid a healthy immune system, maintain heart health, protect healthy cells from damage, and promote successful aging.

Take pleasure in this year's harvest by discovering new ways to enjoy the vibrant flavor of fresh cranberries. Try them in sauces, beverages, desserts, vinaigrettes, salads and more. In season, they're available at most supermarkets, usually in the produce section.
Here are some newly picked ideas to get rolling with fresh cranberries in the kitchen:

-- Make a simple, elegant relish for sandwiches or salads by combining oranges, fresh cranberries and sugar in a blender for a blast of flavor.
-- Make dinnertime dynamic with a simple glaze for chicken. Over the stovetop, combine and simmer fresh cranberries, brown sugar, Dijon-style mustard and a touch of molasses. Pour over chicken, cover and bake.
-- Whisk homemade cranberry compote into a vinaigrette for hearty winter green salads.
-- Create a cranberry frozen margarita by blending frozen cranberries with a favorite margarita mix and confectioners sugar to taste.
-- Whip up an antioxidant smoothie by combining frozen cranberries, frozen blueberries, vanilla-flavored yogurt, milk and honey.

Stock up on fresh cranberries for use beyond their season by storing them in the freezer. Simply place bags of fresh berries directly into the freezer in their original bags. Frozen cranberries can be kept in the freezer for up to one year and can be used in any recipe that calls for fresh berries.

Enjoy cranberries in all their ruby-red forms; choose from sweetened or unsweetened cranberry juice, sweetened dried cranberries, and prepared frozen berries. With their unique sweet-tart taste and striking red color, cranberries are refreshingly versatile.

For more information on cranberries, please visit http://www.uscranberries.com.

SOURCE: Cranberry Marketing Committee

Road & Travel Magazine Launches New Website


Don’t tell me . .. it has pictures of cars. Hmmmmm . . . Bright, shiny, new cars. Better than donuts. And with fewer calories, too. — LD

DETROIT, Oct. 30 -- The online resource for all things automotive- and travel-related aimed at the women's market, ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine (RTM), launches its all-new, completely redesigned website.

The new website, which continues to offer free access to its 8,000 pages of automotive, travel and safety content, now showcases an edgy and hip new design, video, and Web 2.0 features like RSS feed and social bookmarking. In addition to these user-friendly tools, RTM also presents an easier-to-use navigation system to help readers quickly locate relevant articles and guides, as well as tools to expand font size, allowing readers to review content easily.

With in-depth reviews, comprehensive guides, splashy photography and enticing design, RTM continues to be the leading online resource for women seeking information on automotive, travel and safety issues.

"Our mission is to present a contemporary and unique website that not only stands out among the pack but also reflects through its design and content the unique interests of our upscale audience, who are primarily women," says Editor-in-Chief Courtney Caldwell.

Expanding to a weekly release in 2008, RTM continues to add and freshen its content to reflect the latest automotive and travel topics, whether new travel destinations or vehicle reviews. Now, readers will also be able to automatically post RTM's popular stories on websites such as Digg, De.licio.us, Sk*rt and StumbleUpon.

RTM's edgy yet elegant new look is the brainchild of Tenth Floor, a national interactive marketing and content management company based in Cleveland, Ohio.

"ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine's needs were three-fold," explains Tony Pietrocola, President of Tenth Floor. "The automotive industry is all about the latest and greatest, so we designed a website incorporating this type of imagery to usher RTM into the 21st century with an extremely modern look."

About RTM
ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine was founded in 1989 by Courtney Caldwell as the pioneering publication to target the women's automotive market. In print for twelve years RTM shifted the publication to an online magazine in 2000 and today is the largest online magazine to target the women's automotive and travel markets. RTM targets female consumers between 25 - 54, a body of consumers that purchase more than 50% of all new vehicles and influence 85% of all other sales.

For more information, please visit http://www.roadandtravel.com or call 248.546.4646.

SOURCE: ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine

Apple Sells 2 Million Copies of Leopard


Hello, I’m a PC. And I’m a Mac. — LD

CUPERTINO, Calif. -- Apple(R) has announced that it sold (or delivered in the case of maintenance agreements) over two million copies of Mac OS(R) X Leopard since its release on Friday, far outpacing the first-weekend sales of Mac OS X Tiger, which was previously the most successful OS release in Apple's history. Sales included copies sold at Apple's retail stores, Apple Authorized Resellers, the online Apple Store(R), under maintenance agreements and bundled with new Mac(R) computers. Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X and is packed with more than 300 new features.

"Early indications are that Leopard will be a huge hit with customers," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Leopard's innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac."

Leopard introduces Time Machine, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs*; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat(R).

Pricing & Availability
Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard is available through the Apple Store (http://www.apple.com), at Apple's retail stores and through Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $129 (US) for a single user license. The Mac OS X Leopard Family Pack is a single-household, five-user license for a suggested retail price of $199 (US). Volume and maintenance pricing is available from Apple. Leopard requires a minimum of 512MB of RAM and is designed to run on any Macintosh(R) computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5 or G4 (867 MHz or faster) processor. Full system requirements can be found at http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs.

* Requires an additional hard drive sold separately.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market this year with its revolutionary iPhone.

(C) 2007 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, Apple Store and iChat are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Apple Inc.

Eight Man-friendly Brands Unite


Manly men? The very same. — LD

ManCrib.com Launches as the Internet Gift Haven for Men

BENTON HARBOR, Mich -- "Guy's guys" who were previously left out in the cold when it came to gift registries and giving, now have a home on the Internet -- http://www.ManCrib.com. The ManCrib.com registry site, launching today, will be the internet parallel to that one place in the home -- garage, den or basement -- where a man can be a man.

The site will provide men with a one-stop-shop to ensure they receive the manly gifts they really want such as work benches, HDTV's, tools and grills. ManCrib.com will offer the perfect gift for any occasion, including holidays, birthdays, Father's Day, "man-registering" for a wedding or house warmings.

The leaders in garage organization, Gladiator(R) GarageWorks are the masterminds behind the site, with the Whirlpool(R) brand serving as the site's title sponsor. Other popular brands joining Gladiator, as founding category exclusive partners include:

-- Panasonic (Consumer Electronics)
-- Steiner Sports (Sports Memorabilia)
-- Channellock (Hand Tools)
-- KitchenAid brand (Grills)
-- Wayne Dalton (Garage Door Openers and Doors)
-- Crocs (Footwear)
-- Whirlpool brand (Home Appliances)

"Gladiator(R) GarageWorks is thrilled to partner with several other popular man-friendly brands to provide the ultimate Internet gift-giving resource for guys," noted Lou Ann Schafer, Senior Marketing Manager, Gladiator(R) GarageWorks. "ManCrib.com can once and for all put an end to the dreaded tie, and ensure guys everywhere receive the gifts they really want. We look forward to adding more category-exclusive male brands to the ManCrib registry shortly."

Upon login, users will be invited to create a list of manly stuff that they can easily share, display and send to prospective gift givers. Through the site, gift buyers can purchase gifts, check items off from a member's event-specific gift list and rest assured they've purchased a gift a man really wants. In an effort not to limit registrants, men will also be able to add and link to other manly items not featured on the site with limited functionality.

For additional information on the site or for information on how your man- friendly brand can be featured on the site, visit, http://www.ManCrib.com.

About Gladiator(R) GarageWorks
Components in the versatile Gladiator(R) GarageWorks family of products include the Jumbo Cabinet, Modular GearBox, Modular Gear Drawer, the Tall GearBox, Tall GearBox Locker, Trash Compactor, GearTrack(R) Channels, GearWall(R) Panels, Chillerator(R) Refrigerator, Freezerator(R) Convertible Refrigerator Freezer, Roll Flooring, Tile Flooring, GearTrack(R)Pack and a variety of hooks and baskets. These ultimate garage organization products including the new Jumbo Cabinet will be available either through your local garage dealer, Sears, Lowe's or via http://www.gladiatorgw.com.

SOURCE: Gladiator(R) GarageWorks

Save the Earth — Put on a Sweater


Tree-hugger! It isn't easy being green. — LD

SC Johnson's environmental Web site
shows families how to save money
while protecting the planet


RACINE, Wis. -- As temperatures dip, budget-conscious family members can expect to fight an age-old battle: whether to put on a sweater or raise the thermostat. Well, take heart: piling on layers does more than just reduce heating bills; it can help save the earth. Moving your thermostat down two degrees during cold months and up two degrees in summer can prevent as much as 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the earth's atmosphere -- the approximate equivalent of GHG emissions generated by a car driven from Cleveland to Los Angeles.

Adjusting your thermostat is one of many simple tips for families available on SC Johnson's new environmental Web site, http://www.scjohnson.com/environment On the site's Using Less Energy While Cleaning section learn to reduce electricity consumption by unplugging appliances when not in use since some appliances can draw electricity even when turned off. Visitors can also take a virtual tour of a house to learn how environmental stewardship begins at home, http://www.scjohnson.com/environment/doing_1.asp

"Conservation can happen in every room of the house," said Kelly M. Semrau, vice president of Global Public Affairs and Communication for SC Johnson. "For instance, many people aren't aware that showers can account for two-thirds of a home's water-heating costs. By taking SC Johnson's virtual home tour, families can discover how to reduce 300 pounds of carbon dioxide annually by installing a low-flow showerhead. They'll also learn how to cut their energy bill."

In addition to useful tips, SC Johnson's environmental Web site provides fun, interactive activities. There's a quiz to challenge your knowledge about social responsibility, a word-search game to test your identification skills, and a video that demonstrates how SC Johnson creates green energy from the waste methane produced by a public landfill. These are all located on the Doing Your Part section http://scjohnson.com/environment/doing_4.asp

The user-friendly Web site also provides an in-depth look at SC Johnson's progress in the following four key areas of environmental, social and corporate responsibility:

-- Growing Greener Products: Highlights SC Johnson's commitment to providing environmentally responsible products including the company's award-winning, patented Greenlist(TM) process, which transformed the way raw materials are selected and used
-- Conserving Critical Resources: Provides information about the company's continued commitment to finding alternative energy sources; outlines aggressive emission reduction goals
-- Preventing Dangerous Diseases: Features SC Johnson's work to help protect families from insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue and asthma in high-risk areas around the world
-- Creating Stronger Communities: Presents company programs that help to improve the quality of life for families around the globe, from SC Johnson's groundbreaking work that creates partnerships with consumers in some of the world's poorest communities to volunteerism to philanthropy

While on the Web site, visitors can download SC Johnson's 2007 Public Report, Doing What's Right, Doing Our Part. SC Johnson's Public Report captures insights on sustainable development through third-party Q&As on topics from the environment to social progress. For example, Janet Ranganathan, from the World Resources Institute shares her insights on the importance of addressing climate change. The report also provides information on SC Johnson's sustainable development initiatives, including reaching more than 600,000 people in South Africa with malaria education, giving more than $160 million globally in philanthropic contributions toward efforts that improve quality of life, and being named among the Top 10 of FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the third year in a row.

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, personal care and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as EDGE(R), GLADE(R), OFF!(R), PLEDGE(R), RAID(R), SCRUBBING BUBBLES(R), SHOUT(R), WINDEX(R) and ZIPLOC(R) in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN(R), BAYGON(R), BRISE(R), ECHO(R), KABIKILLER(R), KLEAR(R), and MR. MUSCLE(R). The 121-year old company, with more than $7.5 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries.

SOURCE: SC Johnson

Wirelessly Upload to 17 Online Photo Destinations


From my InstaMatic? I think you gotta be digital. — LD

Eye-Fi Users Can Now Wirelessly Upload Photos
Directly to Online Photo Sharing, Printing and
Social Networking Sites


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Eye-Fi (http://www.eye.fi) today announced that its Eye-Fi Card will allow users to automatically upload photos from their digital camera directly to 17 online photo sharing, printing, social networking and blogging sites. The Eye-Fi Card went on sale today at online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com and Walmart.com. See release entitled: "Eye-Fi Unveils World's First Wireless Memory Card for Digital Cameras."

Eye-Fi users are free to select from popular online photo destinations including KODAK Gallery, Shutterfly, Wal-Mart, Snapfish, Photobucket, Facebook, Webshots, Picasa Web Albums, SmugMug, Flickr, Fotki, TypePad, VOX, dotPhoto, Phanfare, Sharpcast and Gallery.

"We've eliminated the hassle and made it simple for users to do more with their photos," said Ziv Gillat, co-founder and vice president of marketing and sales for Eye-Fi. "By partnering with 17 of the top online photo destinations, we're giving users the greatest choice and flexibility to do what they want with their photos - from posting to a blog, printing them for relatives, or sharing them online with friends."

"KODAK Gallery is committed to helping people tell their stories and we are thrilled that the new Eye-Fi Card will help people free their pictures from their cameras so they can share them with friends and family," said Mark Cook, worldwide director of marketing for KODAK Gallery. "We're excited that our customers can now spend less time dealing with the upload process and more time creating beautiful and meaningful personalized holiday items like cards, calendars, photo books, and more."

Eye-Fi users can also choose from top social networking, digital media and blogging sites including Photobucket, Facebook, TypePad and VOX.

"User-generated content is now a defining feature of the online experience, especially when it comes to linking and sharing that content across social networks," said Alex Welch, president of Photobucket, one of the Web's most popular creative hubs. "Eye-Fi has made it even easier for Photobucket users to express themselves, and share photos with their community of friends and family."

Eye-Fi's 2GB wireless SD memory card was announced today, and is available at major online retailers including Amazon.com, Buy.com and Walmart.com for $99.99 USD. It's also available from the online stores of J&R, B&H Photo and Video, dotPhoto and Photojojo. For more information, please visit http://www.eye.fi/.

About Eye-Fi, Inc.
Founded in 2005, the company is dedicated to building products and services that help consumers navigate, nurture and share their visual memories. Eye-Fi's patent-pending technology works with Wi-Fi networks to automatically send photos from a digital camera to online, in-home and retail destinations. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., the company's investors include Opus Capital and Shasta Ventures. More information is available at http://www.eye.fi/

About Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $10.7 billion in 2006, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital
and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using KODAK solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on KODAK technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images. More information about Kodak is available at http://www.kodak.com

About Photobucket
Photobucket is one of the Web's most popular hubs for managing media. Photobucket's users upload, link to, share and search for billions of personal photos, graphics, and videos every day. The company was founded in 2003 and acquired by Fox Interactive Media, Inc., a division of News Corp., in July 2007. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colo. with offices in Palo Alto, Calif., and is available online at http://photobucket.com/

SOURCE: Eye-Fi, Inc.

Massive Black Hole Smashes Record


New blockbuster movie? I think it has something to do with the deficit. — LD
GREENBELT, Md. -- Using two NASA satellites, astronomers have discovered the heftiest known black hole to orbit a star. The new black hole, with a mass 24 to 33 times that of our Sun, is more massive than scientists expected for a black hole that formed from a dying star.

The newly discovered object belongs to the category of "stellar-mass" black holes. Formed in the death throes of massive stars, they are smaller than the monster black holes found in galactic cores. The previous record holder for largest stellar-mass black hole is a 16-solar-mass black hole in the galaxy M33, announced on October 17.

"We weren't expecting to find a stellar-mass black hole this massive," says Andrea Prestwich of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., lead author of the discovery paper in the November 1 Astrophysical Journal Letters. "It seems likely that black holes that form from dying stars can be much larger than we had realized."

The black hole is located in the nearby dwarf galaxy IC 10, 1.8 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Cassiopeia. Prestwich's team could measure the black hole's mass because it has an orbiting companion: a hot, highly evolved star. The star is ejecting gas in the form of a wind.

Some of this material spirals toward the black hole, heats up, and gives off powerful X-rays before crossing the point of no return.

In November 2006, Prestwich and her colleagues observed the dwarf galaxy with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. The group discovered that the galaxy's brightest X-ray source, IC 10 X-1, exhibits sharp changes in X-ray brightness. Such behavior suggests a star periodically passing in front of a companion black hole and blocking the X-rays, creating an eclipse. In late November, NASA's Swift satellite confirmed the eclipses and revealed details about the star's orbit. The star in IC 10 X-1 appears to orbit in a plane that lies nearly edge-on to Earth's line of sight, The Swift observations, as well as observations from the Gemini Telescope in Hawaii, told Prestwich and her group how fast the two stars go around each other.

Calculations showed that the companion black hole has a mass of at least 24 Suns.

There are still some uncertainties in the black hole's mass estimate, but as Prestwich notes, "Future optical observations will provide a final check. Any refinements in the IC 10 X-1 measurement are likely to increase the black hole's mass rather than reduce it."

The black hole's large mass is surprising because massive stars generate powerful winds that blow off a large fraction of the star's mass before it explodes. Calculations suggest massive stars in our galaxy leave behind black holes no heavier than about 15 to 20 Suns.

The IC 10 X-1 black hole has gained mass since its birth by gobbling up gas from its companion star, but the rate is so slow that the black hole would have gained no more than 1 or 2 solar masses.

"This black hole was born fat; it didn't grow fat," says astrophysicist Richard Mushotzky of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who is not a member of the discovery team.

The progenitor star probably started its life with 60 or more solar masses. Like its host galaxy, it was probably deficient in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. In massive, luminous stars with a high fraction of heavy elements, the extra electrons of elements such as carbon and oxygen "feel" the outward pressure of light and are thus more susceptible to being swept away in stellar winds. But with its low fraction of heavy elements, the IC 10 X-1 progenitor shed comparatively little mass before it exploded, so it could leave behind a heavier black hole.

"Massive stars in our galaxy today are probably not producing very heavy stellar-mass black holes like this one," says coauthor Roy Kilgard of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. "But there could be millions of heavy stellar-mass black holes lurking out there that were produced early in the Milky Way's history, before it had a chance to build up heavy elements."

For images related to this story, please visit:

HYPERLINK

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/overweight_hole.html

SOURCE: NASA

Monday, October 29, 2007

5 Finalists for 2008 Green Car of the Year


Cars AND the environment! You must be beside yourself! We are. — LD

Jay Leno Joins Jurors
Who Will Select the Winner
of the Auto Industry's
top Environmental Honor


LOS ANGELES -- The winner of the 2008 Green Car of the Year(R) award has been narrowed to five nominees, according to an announcement by Green Car Journal, the leading automotive environmental magazine. The winner will be announced on Nov. 15 during Press Days at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/laautoshow/30319/

"There has been significant movement in the auto industry toward making mainstream models 'greener' in recent years, with notable milestones in fuel efficiency and low emissions," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal. "This is especially evident with hybrids, where gasoline-electric hybrid technology is being applied to popular models in the most important vehicle classes where consumers are shopping."

This mainstreaming of hybrid technology is reflected in the five nominees for the 2008 Green Car of the Year(R) award: The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, and Saturn Aura Hybrid.

"The fact that all five Green Car of the Year(R) nominees are hybrids this year is a clear indication that the auto industry's significant investment of time and resources into gasoline-electric hybrid technology is paying off," explains Cogan. "Hybrids were not a specific focus during our nomination process. There are many pathways to achieving efficiency and emissions goals, and hybrids, while popular, represent just one of these."

Each of the nominees achieves "firsts" in specific ways. All, of course, feature fuel efficiency gains and offer extremely low emissions with advanced technologies used to further increase their environmental performance. The Chevrolet Tahoe, a popular larger SUV, is now much more fuel efficient through the use of an all-new two-mode hybrid technology.

Mazda's Tribute Hybrid is this auto maker's first-ever gasoline-electric hybrid model and exemplifies the continuing evolution of fuel efficient hybrid technology shared with related brands. The Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura hybrids showcase affordable hybrid technology available in mass-market sedans. Nissan's Altima Hybrid represents this brand's first-ever use of hybrid technology to blend higher efficiencies and performance in its popular sport sedan.

Dozens of potential nominees weighed in during the selection process.

Green Car Journal editors considered vehicles employing all fuels and technologies in the effort to raise the bar in environmental performance, including high efficiency gasoline internal combustion, advanced diesel, hybrids, and vehicles capable of running on alternative fuels. In the Green Car of the Year(R) program, nominees must stand out as exemplary models that forward environmental performance in meaningful and quantifiable ways.

Market significance and "newness" are factors. All nominees must be on sale by January 1st of the award year.

Jurors include leaders of the nation's top environmental organizations,
including Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; and Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute. Also, Jay Leno noted auto enthusiast and host of the "Tonight Show" as well as automotive icon Carroll Shelby join four Green Car Journal editors to round out the 2008 jury.

About Green Car of the Year
The Green Car of the Year(R) award is an important part of Green Car Journal's mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry.

Since 1992, Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment, first with an industry newsletter and then with an award-winning auto enthusiast magazine. Today, the magazine is considered the premier source of information on high fuel efficiency, low emission, advanced technology, and alternative fuel vehicles. For more information, visit http://www.greencar.com. Green Car of the Year(R) is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc.

About the LA Auto Show
For the second year in a row, the LA Auto Show will be held in the fall. The show opens for media only Nov. 14 and 15. Public days run from Nov. 16-25 including Thanksgiving Day. For general information, visit http://www.LAautoshow.com.

SOURCE: LA Auto Show

Snapple Squeezes Tropical Flavors into Juice Drinks


Whatever happened to Snapple? Great question . . . I don't know. — LD

PLANO, Texas -- Snapple, Made from the best stuff
on Earth(R), today announces a new line of "Good For You" juice drinks that boast unique fruit flavor combinations from super fruits including all-natural ingredients with added vitamins, and low-calorie varieties. The invigorating taste of the Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks will transport your taste buds to a tropical paradise.

"Our new Super Premium Juice Drinks will contribute to a healthy immune system and provide the metabolism boosting benefits consumers look for, complete with plenty of the great taste that they expect from Snapple," said Bryan Mazur, vice president and general manager of Snapple for Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. "The exciting flavor combinations of the new Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks include all-natural ingredients with added vitamins, and low-calorie options provide even more choices for Snapple enthusiasts."

Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks offer consumers the benefits they want in a unique variety with real fruit juice and all natural flavors. The new line has varieties that boost metabolism and contain vitamins to benefit the immune system. The Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks is available in four distinctive and tempting "Good for You" flavors – the Goji Punch and Peach Mangosteen, and the low-calorie Noni Berry and Kiwi Pear.

The Goji Punch, created from the delicious flavor of Goji berry originally found in the Himalayas, is packed with Vitamin A and antioxidant Vitamin E. The fragrant and tropical Peach Mangosteen flavor is derived from the 'Queen of Fruits' and supports a healthy immune system with Vitamin A and antioxidant Vitamins C and E. Low-calorie Noni Berry, derived from the flavors of exotic Polynesian fruit, and low-calorie Kiwi Pear flavor will boost both your metabolism and your mood with caffeine and the antioxidant EGCG, and at just 10 calories per serving-now that's refreshing!

Already the number one Super Premium Tea brand, Snapple owns a 71 percent market share of the Super Premium Tea segment and is responsible for 96 percent of the growth that the category experienced in 2007 (up 168 percent overall).(*) The launch of Snapple Juice Drinks marks the company's first offering in the Super Premium Juice category, which is up 14 percent since last year.

Available in tall, slim 17.5 oz bottles, Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks can be found in major retail, grocery and convenience stores nationwide at a suggested retail price of $1.39. To learn more about Snapple Super Premium Juice Drinks and other Snapple products, visit http://www.Snapple.com.

About Snapple
Snapple is the leader in great-tasting premium beverages. Founded in 1972 by three childhood friends, Snapple got its start in Greenwich Village, New York and is now available throughout the United States and 80 countries worldwide. Snapple prides itself on developing, producing and marketing a wide variety of premium beverages, including ready-to-drink iced teas, juice drinks, 100% vitamin-fortified juices and water. Known for its down-to-earth approach to marketing, Snapple continues to delight fans across the world. In 2003, Snapple made history by becoming the official iced tea of New York City.

About Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages
Snapple is a leading brand in the beverage portfolio of Plano, Texas-based Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages (CSAB), a subsidiary division of Cadbury Schweppes plc (NYSE: CSG). CSAB is one of the largest producers of soft drinks and premium beverages in the Americas. CSAB's brand portfolio includes Dr Pepper, 7UP, Snapple, Accelerade, Mott's Apple Juice and Sauce, RC Cola, A&W Root Beer, Sunkist Soda, Canada Dry, Hawaiian Punch, Schweppes, Diet Rite, Clamato, Mr & Mrs T Mixers, Holland House Mixers, Rose's, Mistic, Yoo-hoo, Orangina, IBC, Stewart's, Nantucket Nectars and other well-known consumer brands. For additional information on CSAB and its products, visit http://www.brandspeoplelove.com.

(*)AC Nielsen All Outlets Combined, Super Premium Tea Segment, Volume Sales 52 wks through 10/6/07

SOURCE: Snapple

Sunday, October 28, 2007

NEWSWEEK: Kids & the Food Allergy Threat


Wimp! Baby! Skittish eater! Well, no. I got foods that if I eat – well, you do NOT want to know the details. And there are millions of others like me out there, nee’? — LD

Eleven Million Americans
Suffer From Food Allergies
and Numbers are Climbing


NEW YORK -- Today about 11 million Americans
suffer from food allergies, and many scientists agree the numbers are climbing. As Senior Writer Claudia Kalb reports in the current issue of Newsweek, peanut allergies-among the most dire-doubled between 1997 and 2002 in children under 5 years old. "Clearly, the number has increased in the younger population," says Dr. Hugh Sampson, a food-allergy pioneer at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in N.Y. "We suspect that [in the future], the numbers in general are going to increase." Allergists say they're now seeing more children with multiple allergies than ever before, not just to 1950s staples such as milk and wheat -- but to global foods we have adopted since, like sesame and kiwi. And allergies many kids outgrow -- like those to eggs-seem to be lingering longer than they did in the past.

Kalb looks at why allergies appear to be on the rise. One of the most intriguing theories, dubbed the "hygiene hypothesis," is that we've all become too clean. The immune system is designed to battle dangerous foreign invaders like parasites and viruses and infections. But clean water, antibiotics and vaccines have eliminated some of our most toxic challenges.

Intriguing research even posits that kids born by Caesarean section, which have risen 40 percent in the last decade, could be at higher risk for allergies, perhaps because their bodies are never exposed to the healthy bacteria in their mothers' birth canals. Without hard-core adversaries, the theory goes, the immune system starts battling the innocuous-egg or wheat-instead, Kalb reports in the November 5 cover, "Kids and the Growing Food Allergy Threat" (on newsstands Monday, October 29).

For Sampson, the quest for a solution is more urgent than ever. "We're desperate," he tells Newsweek. Almost everyone, it seems, has had to adapt to the rise in food allergies. Affected kids are carrying EpiPens, syringelike devices loaded with epinephrine, in case of severe reactions.

Many schools maintain "peanut-free zones," where allergic students can eat in safety. A growing number of states are establishing allergy guidelines.

While scientists have a basic understanding of how allergies work, they can still be stumped by the immune system, which is too complex to submit
easily to their control. Kalb reports that in recent years, researchers have begun to make exciting progress. They're studying a radical approach: introducing the offending ingredients early to see if they can treat, cure or even prevent food allergies from developing. In one study, children allergic to peanuts are being given tiny amounts of peanut flour to see if they can build up tolerance. In another, funded by the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (coFAR), a five-year $17 million initiative launched in
2005 by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, researchers will give peanut-allergic adults small doses of an engineered peanut protein to ward off reactions and possibly eliminate the problem.

The idea is ultimately to have a peanut-allergy vaccine.

The holy grail would be to stop allergies from developing in the first place. Prof. Gideon Lack, of King's College London, has studied allergy incidence worldwide and has discovered an intriguing paradox: countries that have advised avoidance of peanuts in early childhood, like the United States, have seen the greatest rise in peanut allergies. In some Asian and African countries, on the other hand, where children eat a variety of peanut products starting at a very young age, peanut allergies are far less common.

Now Lack has enrolled more than 200 babies with eczema or egg allergies -- but no known peanut allergy -- in a groundbreaking trial. He'll give half the babies a peanut-containing snack; the other half will avoid peanuts. He'll then follow them all until age 5 to see if he has stopped a peanut allergy before it takes hold. "We're going to try to intervene during a narrow window of immunological opportunity in the first year of life," says Lack. If it works with peanuts, it could apply to other foods as well. Lack is hesitant, however, to make predictions and warns that nobody yet knows which method -- avoidance or exposure -- will turn out to be the best way to go. "I don't want to give the impression that feeding peanuts is a safe way to prevent peanut allergy, because we really don't know," he says. If parents try to introduce peanuts early at home, "it could be dangerous." If the study is successful, however, it could lead to a turnaround in medical advice.

(Read cover story at http://www.Newsweek.com)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/62296

SOURCE: Newsweek

Savannah Film Festival Honors X-Men's Brett Ratner


X-Men? That's kid's stuff! You know nothing. You have nothing. X-Men is sophisticated entertainment, for older-minded film buffs like me. — LD

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The 10th annual Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design and sponsored by Memorial Health, the Savannah Morning News, the City of Savannah and The Talking Phone Book, presented Brett Ratner an Outstanding Achievement in Cinema Award and Milos Forman with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Directing Oct. 28, 7 p.m. at Trustees Theater, 216 E. Broughton St.

"Nothing is impossible with perseverance, hard work and loving what you do," Ratner said upon receiving his award.

Ratner has established himself as one of Hollywood's most successful directors with seven feature films that have collectively grossed more than $1 billion dollars worldwide.

In 2006, Ratner shattered several box office records with the release of "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006). The film opened with a staggering $123 million in four days, with its $45.1 million-opening day marking the second-biggest single day box office ever.

Director and screenwriter Milos Forman is a two-time Academy Award-winner as Best Director for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Amadeus" (1984).
"This is a magical moment. Since I was a child and teenager behind the iron curtain and barbed wire, I was devouring books about the Wild West and cowboys. There was one word that jumped out at me as mystical - Savannah," Forman said. "To stand today in Savannah to receive a lifetime award while I'm still alive is magical."

Forman is one of a handful of foreign directors to achieve international success without being pigeon-holed by genre or nationality, and his films celebrate individualism.

A tribute to Forman and Ratner preceded the special screening of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly," directed by Julian Schnabel.

Based on a true story, "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" gives insight to how Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor-in-chief of Elle France, coped with a rare stroke to the brain stem.

For more information, call 912.525.5050 or visit the festival Web sites at http://www.scad.edu/filmfest/ and http://www.youtube.com/user/savannahfilmfest.

About the college
Named one of Kaplan's "25 cutting-edge schools with an eye toward the future," the Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Ga., and in Lacoste, France. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs also are offered online through SCAD-eLearning. The college offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Architecture, Master of Arts, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Urban Design degrees.

For more information about the college, visit http://www.scad.edu/.

SOURCE: Savannah College of Art and Design