GoodFluff

The Little Online Auction That Could . . .

2007-12-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Going once, going twice . . . SOLD! — LD

OnlineAuction.com has become the second largest online auction site in the United States. To celebrate and to help continue this growth, they've announced a new YouTube contest with a $5,000.00 Grand Prize.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- Over the past weekend a small company in Grants Pass, Oregon has proven to be a real contender in the super-competitive online auction game. OnlineAuction.com (http://OLA.com) has come out of nowhere to emerge as the country's second largest online auction site ever, with more than 10,000,000 items currently listed. Wow!

This milestone has only been achieved before by mega-billion-dollar industry giant eBay.

Company spokesperson Valerie Fain says, "OnlineAuction.com owes its success to people across the country who are excited by fact that it's very inexpensive to sell items." At OLA.com there are different levels of membership, and for as little as $8 a month sellers may list as many items as they like with no worries of paying commissions. OLA's best value, the Founding Membership offers a free e-store, with a promise to the first million Founding Members that their membership rates will remain the same for life.

In the midst of this success, the company has announced a year-long contest guaranteed to push their numbers even higher. OnlineAuction.com is sponsoring a YouTube contest with a monthly prize of $100.00 for the best, most viewed video promoting OLA.com. And at year's end: A Grand Prize of $5,000 for one lucky winner! To learn more about this contest, go to OLA.com's home page and click on the YouTube icon.

As 'The Little Online Auction That Could', OnlineAuction.com is becoming a powerhouse in the online auction industry, and is picking up steam!

This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com.

SOURCE: OnlineAuction.com

Goodyear: Check Tread Before Driving Thru Snow

2007-12-06T19:41:00.001-08:00

You do NOT seem like the winter type. Well, no, but in another life I wuz quite the icer. — LD
AKRON, Ohio -- Winter sports enthusiasts anticipate this time of year for the chance to ski, skate and sled, although motorists likely fail to share that enthusiasm.

For the largest tire company in North America, the objective remains to offer products to help drivers "Get There," whether they are heading out to tackle slick roads on their way to enjoying those winter sports, or simply trying to get to work or another necessary destination.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT) suggests that one of the best ways to avoid slipping and sliding in a vehicle this winter is to improve the contact points between the vehicle and the road surface. For many motorists, that means selecting new tires with improved tread grip.

In severe winter areas, motorists may opt for a seasonal changeover that employs true winter tires to combat the expected ice and snow. For most, however, the choice may be a year-round tire that features an aggressive enough tread to handle the occasional sloppy winter days.

Goodyear's line of Ultra Grip severe winter weather tires, according to Bob Toth, general manager of auto tires, are engineered to perform in cold temperatures and provide grip in snow and slush. Additionally, Goodyear's tires featuring TripleTred Technology, while not winter-specific products, still carry many of the same winter performance characteristics.

The Assurance TripleTred tires for cars and minivans, and Fortera TripleTred tires for SUVs, are year-round products that don't have to be changed over on a seasonal basis. While they feature a Dry Traction Zone and a Wet Traction Zone for driving when the roads are clear or wet, they also have an Ice Zone, which translates into more gripping power on icy or snow- covered roads. This zone is enhanced by the use of fiberglass fibers and volcanic sand in the rubber, which help to present microscopic pores that act as traction elements.

"When making the decision between purpose-built winter tires versus more versatile all-season tires, consumers need to consider what level of winter they might face," said Toth. "Based on past experiences, do they feel their winter weather is moderate enough to choose an all-season tire, which offers the convenience of no seasonal tire changeovers, or will they face severe winter weather, in which case a true winter tire would be better?"

Whatever tire is chosen, Toth offers advice for motorists who will be faced with potential slippery driving conditions this winter:

* Match your driving speed to the current conditions. If conditions are challenging due to a slippery road surface or reduced visibility, decrease your speed. A slower driving speed allows more time for a necessary response.
* Additional factors to consider when adjusting speed are the condition of the vehicle, its tires and your driving abilities. Always keep in mind the posted speed limits, and understand that those limits indicate the maximum speed when weather conditions are good.
* Plan ahead and try to anticipate potentially dangerous situations. When approaching a curve or potentially slick area of the road, use the brakes effectively. Begin applying the brakes before a curve and on a straight section of the road. Sometimes, taking your foot off the accelerator and allowing the vehicle to naturally slow without using the brakes is best.
* Be alert to other vehicles. Maintain enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. If someone else seems to be following too close to your vehicle, perhaps slow down to allow them to pass - rather than speeding up to achieve a distance between vehicles.
* If visibility is poor, remember to use your lights. This helps other drivers to see you when approaching or when following. You should always turn your lights on when your windshield wipers are operating.
* Set the vehicle interior to a comfortable temperature. This can be a challenge during winter when drivers and passengers may be wearing heavy coats in a vehicle, but it is imperative to be comfortable when driving. Comfort includes keeping the windows free of frost, ice and snow.
* Be as smooth as possible, avoiding sudden braking and steering responses. Always signal early when turning or stopping, in order to alert approaching or following drivers.
* Avoid overconfident driving, and avoid overestimating the vehicle's capability simply because it is equipped with anti-lock brakes, four-wheel drive, traction control, winter tires or other safety devices. Do not allow good judgment and smart driving to be overtaken by a false sense of security provided by vehicle technology.
* Before driving in inclement weather, be sure that your vehicle is properly maintained. Make sure your windshield wipers work properly; have the correct level of antifreeze for heating and defrosting the vehicle; keep plenty of gas in the tank; and always use required safety devices such as seatbelts.

"Preparation - of the vehicle and the driver - is the key for winter driving," said Toth. "When it comes to driving on the changing road conditions, ranging from dry, wet, icy and snowy, one of the most important factors to consider is the tires. It doesn't matter if it's a front-, rear- or four-wheel drive vehicle; it will perform better if the vehicle has good tires. For some, this means purpose-built winter tires. For most, all-season tires with plenty of new tread will do the job."

For more information about Goodyear's TripleTred tires, details about Goodyear, or to find the nearest Goodyear retailer, go to http://www.goodyeartires.com

Note To Editors: News releases and downloadable photos are available at Goodyear's media website, http://www.GoodyearNewsRoom.com

SOURCE: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company

Sheryl Crow Readies 'Detours'

2007-11-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

“All I Wanna Do . . .” Is listen to Sheryl Crow? — LD

Grammy Winner Finishes Her New Studio Album

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- Singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow will release her sixth studio album, Detours, on February 5, 2008. The album marks the return of producer Bill Bottrell, who previously worked with Crow on her breakthrough debut album Tuesday Night Music Club, which earned the singer three Grammy Awards, and sold more than ten million copies worldwide.

"This is the most honest record I've ever made. It's about being forced to wake up," says Crow. Lyrically the album is the most politically and personally outspoken record of her career, addressing the current state of the world from different perspectives as well as some of the personal challenges she's faced over the last several years. The album, which in the end remains spiritually hopeful, retains the raw freshness of Bottrell's Tuesday Night Music Club-production and subtly pushes the boundaries of her previous work into new musical territories.

Track titles include "Shine Over Babylon" (currently available on iTunes, and the centerpiece of the album in Crow's opinion), "Love Is Free," the Arabic-tinged "Peace Be Upon Us," "Lullaby for Wyatt" (from Grace Is Gone, starring John Cusack) and the stark folky album opener "God Bless This Mess."

Sheryl can be seen performing tracks from Detours on CNN's "Heroes" on December 6th and on CBS' "A Home for the Holidays" on December 21st.

SOURCE: Interscope Records

Western Writers Add Best Western Song Category

2007-11-27T12:18:00.000-08:00

Go Western, young man. Yee-haa. Giddy-up! — LD

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Western Writers of America, a guild of 600 professional writers of Western literature, has added Best Western Song as the newest category to the Spur Awards.

The Spur Awards, given annually for distinguished writing about the American West, are among the oldest and most prestigious in American literature. Spurs are awarded for novels, short stories, articles, juvenile books, poetry, nonfiction books and screenplays for dramas and documentaries.

"When one thinks of the great American West, one naturally hears great music," WWA President Cotton Smith says. "Memorable words and music that tell us of this special place in America's heart. That is an important part of the Western experience and WWA wanted to honor it -- with the creation of the Songwriting Spur Award."

To qualify for Best Western Song, the song must be released for the first time (in 2007) and available to the public with lyrics dependent in whole or in part on setting, characters, or customs indigenous to the American West or early frontier. A copy of the lyric sheet and medium must be submitted. Entries must be postmarked by December 31, 2007.

"It was an honor to serve on the team that created the rules for the Western Writers of America's Spur Award for songwriting," says Bobby Bridger, composer of A Ballad of the West. "Until now this genre of interpreting the history and culture of the American West has sadly been overlooked, and I am pleased the WWA has taken the first step to acknowledge the important contributions of balladeers and troubadours."

Winners and finalists will be announced in March and honored at the WWA convention, June 10-14, at the Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale, Ariz. Since 1953, Spur Awards have been given to writers such as Tony Hillerman, Larry McMurtry, Leon Metz and Elmer Kelton. Entries are open to WWA members and non-members. For further information contact Executive Director Paul Hutton, wwa@unm.edu or (505) 277-5234; http://www.westernwriters.org.

SOURCE: Western Writers of America, Inc.

Green Is the New Color of the Bottom Line

2007-11-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

It isn’t easy being Green? Sure it is . . . & smart, too — LD

HARTFORD, Conn. -- "We believe design has enormous power and we are trying to use it to change the world," says Ian Yolles, Vice President of Brand Communications for Nau. "During Good And Green we will be sharing how the balance of beauty, performance and sustainability has driven everything we do as a company -- allowing us to not only generate a profit, but to contribute to positive, lasting and substantive change."

Yolles and other leaders in the fashion industry will show mainstream brands how to balance profitability and sustainability during Good And Green- The Green Marketing Conference, November 29-30, 2007, Chicago Cultural Center. Good And Green is designed to teach mainstream national marketers the techniques, benefits and bottom line impact of connecting with today's ecologically-concerned consumers through green marketing efforts.

Fashion has found success in blending "good-for-the-earth" business practices with state-of-the-art design and feels this way of doing business is key to a brand's current and future success. "We envision the eco movement as more than a trend. Eco has no "look" -- it is simply the way things should be done from now on," states Maria Intscher, Head Designer for Linda Loudermilk.

Good And Green attendees will have multiple opportunities to connect and learn from one another through solution-based workshops, drill-down discussion groups, insightful case studies and great networking events. A complete schedule and list of speakers is available at http://www.goodandgreen.biz.

Discovery Communications' Planet Green is the Exclusive Presenting Sponsor of Good And Green with Title Sponsors Bank of America, The Natural Marketing Institute, The Daily Green and Body + Soul magazine and Associate Sponsors 1% For The Planet, NatureWorks and Ketchum Public Relations. Fast Company is the Media Sponsor, Getty Images is the Imagery Resource, Earthsense is the Breakfast Sponsor, Nestle Waters is the Bottled Water Sponsor and NativeEnergy is the Official Carbon Offset Sponsor.

Good And Green is produced by PME Enterprises, Hartford, CT. Please visit http://www.goodandgreen.biz or call 860.724.2649 x 14 for more details and to register.

Contact: Patti Minglin -- 630-209-2524 -- pminglin@comcast.net

SOURCE: PME Enterprises

American Legion/Avue Launch Jobs Web Site for Vets

2007-11-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

What’s the deal? Just tryin’ to help my fellow Veterans. — LD

Site Promotes "More Jobs, Better Jobs"

WASHINGTON -- The American Legion and Avue Technologies launched a joint Web site, http://www.vetjobs.us, to substantially increase employment opportunities in the federal government for America's returning veterans. The American Legion is the nation's largest veterans service organization, and Avue is the leading private-sector provider of human capital management services for federal agencies.

The new site will be free to all users and will not contain advertising of any kind. In announcing the site, the Legion and Avue emphasized that the traditional focus of federal agencies on placement numbers, without regard to the long-term quality of the job opportunity, has resulted in inferior job placement and career tracks for many veterans.

For example, while veterans have represented between 30 to 37 percent of new federal government hires during the past five years, only 14 percent and 26 percent of them, respectively, are placed in the two highest-paid labor categories.

The fact that veterans disproportionately take entry-level jobs for low wages, despite high qualifications, often means they will spend their entire career economically disadvantaged.

"We view quality civilian job opportunities and career growth to be perhaps the most critical issue that faces the more than 250,000 veterans exiting the military each year, and we are very enthusiastic to offer a solution that we believe will result in not only more jobs, but better jobs for veterans," said Marty Conatser, national commander of The American Legion.

"Avue is the perfect partner for this project because Avue is not only the leading technology platform for information and outreach on federal jobs, it is also committed to supporting veterans, and its system is the only one that automatically ensures veterans preference is correctly applied in every hiring action," Conatser explained.

"We are pleased to be able to join with The American Legion to ensure that veterans receive the very best in information and advice to maximize long-term career growth, identify local opportunities, improve compensation, and help ease the transition from military to federal civil government employment," said Linda Brooks Rix, Co-CEO of Avue.

The new joint American Legion/Avue program can be visited on the Web at http://www.vetjobs.us. The Web site is expected to be one of many future partnering efforts on behalf of veterans between Avue and The American Legion.

The American Legion was founded in 1919 on the four pillars of a strong national security, veterans affairs, Americanism, and patriotic youth programs. The Legion's 2.7 million wartime veterans work for the betterment of their communities through more than 14,000 posts across the nation.

Learn more about The American Legion by visiting http://www.legion.org on the Web.

Founded in 1983, Avue Technologies is the recognized market leader and technology innovator in public sector management platforms (PS/MP). The company provides the public sector with integrated technology and service solutions that dramatically increase enterprise-wide visibility and management effectiveness, workforce productivity, and manager and worker satisfaction. Avue is a privately held company headquartered in Tacoma, Wash., with offices in Washington, D.C., and Victoria, B.C. Learn more about Avue Technologies at http://www.avuetech.com.

SOURCE: The American Legion

'iFly Hollywood' Launching Skydiving Wind Tunnel

2007-11-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

I fly . . . There I am . . . gonna hit the ground! — LD

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. -- Universal CityWalk takes extreme to a new level with the introduction of "iFly Hollywood," L.A.'s first ever indoor extreme sky-diving wind tunnel elevating "sky-divers" to new heights of up to 30 feet and suspending them mid-air at wind speeds of more than 125 miles-per-hour and affording them a 360-degree panoramic view of the landmark pedestrian promenade.

Housed in the world's tallest and most technologically advanced indoor vertical wind tunnel, "iFly Hollywood" breaks new ground as the only facility to be constructed out of one solid sheet of clear acrylic, adding a totally new open air dimension to the free-fall sport.

The "iFly Hollywood" experience replicates the extreme sport of sky-diving by employing two colossal electric fans, the equivalent of over 800 horse-power, to give guests of all ages an authentic and intense free-fall sensation.

Certified sky-diving instructors provide individualized training prior to each sky-diving adventure that focuses on safety and a series of hand signaling to communicate within the wind tunnel. Guests will don authentic sky-diving sports gear, sans parachute, and become acquainted with sequences of awesome aerial body maneuvers to elevate the sky-diving experience. Each "iFly Hollywood" flight session equates to one actual sky-diving jump. Participants are presented with a Certificate of Completion following their flight.

For additional information and details on pricing and special package options, visit http://www.iFlyHollywood.com. Information about Universal CityWalk can be found at http://www.CityWalkHollywood.com.

Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex; the Universal CityWalk Cinemas; and the Gibson Amphitheatre concert and special event venue. Universal CityWalk features over 60 entertainment-themed restaurants, nightclubs, shops and dynamic entertainment options. Universal CityWalk Cinemas, offering the best movie-going experience in Los Angeles, features 19 screens including one of Southern California's largest IMAX(R) venues and newly renovated stadium-style seating. The theme park features such groundbreaking attractions as "Revenge of the Mummy(TM) -- The Ride," "Shrek 4-D(TM)," "Jurassic Park(R) -- The Ride," the world-renowned Studio Tour, which takes guests behind-the-scenes of such landmark TV and movie locations and sets as Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," and the upcoming Spring 2008 new mega-attraction based on the blockbuster hit movie and TV series, "The Simpsons."

Universal Studios Hollywood (http://www.UniversalStudiosHollywood.com) is a unit of Universal Parks & Resorts, a division of Universal Studios, a part of NBC Universal. NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric, with 20% controlled by Vivendi Universal.

SOURCE: Universal Studios Hollywood

CelebPoker Giving Away Free Sponsored Seats

2007-11-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Mamma don’t ’llow no card-playin’ in here! What Mamma don’t know, won’t hurt me. — LD

LONDON -- Finding fame and fortune playing
online poker has just got easier, as Celebpoker announced today they are to extend the Team Celebpoker promotion and offer additional free sponsored seats to major televised poker events through the world.

Since its humble beginning on the banks of the Mississippi, the popularity of poker has grown in leaps and bounds. Increasingly, poker players are seeking new, exciting challenges to win them hard cash and elevate them into the lofty world of poker showbiz. With that in mind, CelebPoker have extended the search for new Team CelebPoker members and are confident that this will provide online poker players with a fast-track ticket super-stardom.

Team CelebPoker, offers players the chance to compete and win sponsored places to many grand poker events - the highlight of which, being fully sponsored seats to the Monaco EPT Grand Final April 2008 and the WSOP Las Vegas in 2008. The Team CelebPoker promotion is another way in which CelebPoker can fulfil its commitment to turn the 'everyday poker player' into a super-star, and propel them into a life of fame and fortune.

Team CelebPoker has already proved to be a hotbed for poker talent. Indeed, it was this promotion that 'discovered' the poker 'whiz-kid' Tronde Eidsvig earlier this year. The Norwegian sensation is one of the best young tournament players in the world, winning the Masters of Classics in Amsterdam, Holland this month and a monster EUR620,000 prize, and prior to that, finishing 4th with EUR127,630 at the EPT Dublin, 5th in the EPT Barcelona Open with EUR250,800 and 3rd with GBP14,400 in the Scottish Poker Championships, Edinburgh. The 22 year old is developing into one of the most feared and respected players in the game, and CelebPoker hope their next search will unearth more 'legends in the making' who will go on to dominate the world of poker.

There are two simple ways to qualify for a spot on the Team. The first is a simple 'rake race,' where players generate as much rake as possible during a set online qualification period on their favourite poker game at CelebPoker, and through their results gain entry to the online final for the chance to win a FREE sponsored seat. The second is through any of the Multi-Table Tournament Satellites, running every minute of the day 24-7.

Here players have the chance to win tickets to all major, red hot poker events throughout the season for as little as EUR2 buy in, including the EPT, The WSOP, WPT and the Aussie Millions to name but a few.

As if that was not enough, the world's favorite celebrity poker room has also agreed to offer a staggering 30% poker rakeback to all players (terms and conditions apply) through their new official rakeback site RakeBackCelebPoker.com. CelebPoker operates on the Boss Media and IPN Poker Network, which has a reputation for hosting plenty of loose and juicy games with a 40 to 60 flop %, therefore this announcement is definitely going to please everyone, with Team CelebPoker set to attract both big and small players alike.

Even during the Wild West period in the US, poker players would descend on every saloon in the town to 'feast' on the fish win and 'clean up' the cash. Now, just as they did in the past, Celebpoker are hoping that the modern day poker-sharks will gather to swim in the Team CelebPoker pool...soon to find themselves swimming in deeper water and representing CelebPoker at the biggest events on the planet!

About CelebPoker.com: CelebPoker.com is an exciting, fully licensed and regulated online poker room, operating in 11 languages, dedicated to helping online poker players find fame and fortune by honing their skills on the site and providing them with the opportunity to become sponsored players at major live poker events. CelebPoker is unique in that it is committed to turning players from its online poker community into real live poker celebrities!

More information available at http://www.celebpoker.com

More About Team Celebpoker:

- The winners of Team CelebPoker receive exclusive, free sponsored seats to live poker tournament main events.

- Players who get to final table at main event win a free automatic entry to the next major live, televised poker tournament.

- Players who win a main event receive 1 years sponsorship to 5 EPT events of there choice.

- Players receive free merchandise and exclusive branded celebpoker clothing.

- Players are cared for by their own personal VIP manager.

Visit http://www.celebpoker.com to qualify.

About RakebackCelebPoker.com: CelebPoker calculates player rake based on the actual percentage of what players put in to the pot. CelebPoker also includes tournament fees in the Monthly Gross Revenue (MGR) but net rake and bonuses are NOT deducted.

Players must make a minimum contribution of US$100 in rake, per month, to qualify for the 30% rakeback bonus (a single month is considered to be the 1st of one month to the 1st of the next). For more questions regarding CelebPoker rakeback please contact info@celebpoker.com or contact Linda Donovan via MSN Instant Messenger: linda_donovan66@hotmail.co.uk

See http://www.rakebackcelebpoker.com for more details.

Contact: Julian Bewley
Tel: +44(0)1702-344700.
Web: http://www.celebpoker.com

SOURCE: CelebPoker.com

Country Music Star Sara Evans Hosts Online Auction

2007-11-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

You pick the strangest stuff. It’s part of my charm. — LD

NEW YORK -- Country music superstar Sara Evans is playing an important role in combating eating disorders this year by serving as chair of the 3rd Annual Every BODY is Beautiful Online Auction, an exciting fundraising program currently underway by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

Open to the public, the online auction can be accessed by going to http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.cmarket.com. There are more than two hundred items to bid on, including tickets to an upcoming Sara Evans concert; priceless guitars autographed by musicians like Bucky Covington, Eric Clapton and James Brown; and lots of other memorabilia from Country Music Association award winners Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and others. The auction includes many great getaways, memorable dining experiences, art, clothing, jewelry, and much more. NEDA will be accepting bids for auction items through December 2, 2007.

Ms. Evans affiliated with NEDA last year as a means to promote both her interest in educating women about the importance of a positive body image and to generate awareness about eating disorders, which currently affect 10 million women and one million men every year in the U.S. She serves as a NEDA Ambassador, working tirelessly to help the organization with its education, research and advocacy efforts.

"I am committed to helping people with eating disorders," said Ms. Evans, who was named Top Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music and is a platinum-selling recording artist. "Too many young women fall victim to the idea that only thin is beautiful and end up with debilitating illnesses. I want people to know that eating disorders are preventable and curable, especially when treated in the early stages."

For more information on the NEDA auction, please visit http://www.NationalEatingDisorders.cmarket.com. If you have questions, email onlineauction@myneda.org or call NEDA's Development office at 206/382-3587 ext. 22. Sara Evan's website is http://www.saraevans.com.

SOURCE: National Eating Disorders Association

Stephen King Loves 'The Mist'

2007-11-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

Stephen King? He’s the best! I’m a Dean Koontz man, myself. He came to my bachelor party. — LD

Horror writer sends a
chilling message to filmgoers

NEW YORK -- At a press conference today (Nov. 12 ) for the highly anticipated film ‘The Mist’ by Academy Award nominated director Frank Darabont ("The Green Mile," "The Shawshank Redemption"), Stephen King, whose novella the film is based on, gave his blessing of the film adaptation as well as sent out a chilling message to anyone who dares to give away the film's ending.

Stephen King stated, "Frank wrote a new ending that I loved. It is the most shocking ending ever and there should be a law passed stating that anybody who reveals the last 5 minutes of this film should be hung from their neck until dead."

About “The Mist”
David Drayton and his young son Billy are among a large group of terrified townspeople trapped in a local grocery store by a strange, otherworldly mist. David is the first to realize that there are things lurking in the mist...deadly, horrifying things...creatures not of this world. Survival depends on everybody in the store pulling together...but is that possible, given human nature? As reason crumbles in the face of fear and panic, David begins to wonder what terrifies him more: the monsters in the mist - or the ones inside the store, the human kind, the people that until now had been his friends and neighbors? In this legendary tale of terror from master storyteller Stephen King, the thin veneer of civilization is stripped away, the masks are discarded, and the true horror is revealed as us.

Newsweek – The Year That Made Us Who We Are

2007-11-11T20:04:00.000-08:00

1968? Ancient history. Not so much. I wuz there. — LD

Newsweek Magazine Looks Back
at One of the Defining Years of the 1960s:
A Turbulent Period in American History

NEW YORK -- "There was at the end of 1968 an event that remains an inspirational symbol for the challenges ahead. For the Sixties were also the glory years of the American space program, and of astronauts such as Captain Jim Lovell," writes former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, in his forthcoming book, "BOOM! Voices of the Sixties," which is excerpted in the current issue of Newsweek. "The big goal was leaving Earth's atmosphere and landing on the moon, to keep the pledge President Kennedy had made at Rice University on September 12, 1962."

Brokaw writes that the three astronauts of Apollo 8 trained all year for the mission, which would have the spacecraft orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve, 1968. "When I met Lovell at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago-where he helped organize an elaborate exhibit commemorating the flight-I asked if the astronauts had been aware of all that was going on outside of NASA that year- the riots, the assassinations, the antiwar protests. 'We were all senior military people,' he said, 'and we were so intent on our project we put all of that aside. We did talk about the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and we worried the cost of the war would eat into the space program.'"

"Lovell says that even though he wasn't paying too much attention, he thought the culture was disintegrating. 'My background,' he says, 'was more patriotic. Listening to your elders, taking direction, trying to be a leader. The hippie movement sort of soured me'," Brokaw writes.

The excerpt is part of the November 19 cover package, "1968: The Year That Made Us Who We Are" (on newsstands Monday, November 12). Senior Writer and Political Correspondent Jonathan Darman reports that while the 1968 election is four decades old, we're still rehashing that moment-that era-in the 2008 contest. Barack Obama was born in the 1960s, but is not of them. Such is the constant promise-I am not the '60s-of his presidential campaign-heartfelt, but ultimately hard to believe. Just look at the gray-haired '60s idealists inside the senator's own brain trust who see him as the fulfillment of 40 years' worth of hard work. John McCain is also the '60s. McCain knows what Obama should have learned by now: the '60s are impossible to escape. They will define the 2008 presidential election, just as they have defined American politics, and American culture, for the past 40 years, he writes.

Also in the cover package, Newsweek looks back at one of the defining years of the 1960s-1968-a turbulent period in American history:

* Editor-at-Large Evan Thomas writes that in a year of tumult, one five-day span in early spring 1968 was disorder distilled. Lyndon Johnson's presidency was collapsing. Robert Kennedy had openly announced his intention to reclaim the throne in the memory of his brother. The year culminated in the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
* Contributing Editor Ellis Cose's essay recounts the personal impetus" ... that shook my world, upended my life and turned me into a writer," from the July 1966 Chicago Riots to the April 1968 assassination of Dr. King.
* Senior Editor Jerry Adler writes that 1968 wasn't the only year that changed everything in America. Other years, like 1908-this was America's year of destiny-were equally significant and are jostling for starring roles in history.
* Science Columnist Sharon Begley writes that in the spring of 1968 the Beatles traveled to the Maharishi's ashram in northern India to mediate and brought Eastern worship back to the West, most markedly the practice of meditation. Now, some four decades later, meditation is widely accepted within the scientific community as a beneficial practice.
* Senior Editor Barbara Kantrowitz explores feminism and sexual politics of 1968 when women dumped symbols of female oppression-girdles, steno pads, and stilettos-into a "freedom trash can." Bras went in, too, but none were burned, in the midst of the infamous and symbolic protest staged outside the Miss America pageant. Kantrowitz examines where the fight stands now, talks with the lead protester and Miss America 1968.
* Senior Editor David Gates writes that although the times they were a changin', in the arts, only music kept pace. Despite all the potentially rich tension and upheaval, 1968 didn't produce much fiction, film or art worth remembering.

The package also includes a photo essay by photographer Nigel Parry featuring people who spoke out-and stood out-in the monumental events of
1968.

(Read complete cover story at http://www.Newsweek.com.)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/69637 - 1968: The Year That Everything Changed

http://www.newsweek.com/id/69585 - Tom Brokaw Book Excerpt

SOURCE: Newsweek

A Street Car Named 'Survivor' - in New Orleans

2007-11-11T19:56:00.000-08:00

A streetcar named “Desire.” A news release named “PR.” — LD

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans' most venerable survivors -- the historic 1920 era double-ended green streetcars -- has once again rolled down the grassy esplanade on St. Charles Avenue into the heart of the world-famous Garden District on the oldest continually operating streetcar line in the world. The line reopened to Napoleon Avenue during a special ceremony at Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue on Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. The entire line is expected to reopen in Spring 2008.

Out of commission for more than two years, the streetcar line suffered significant damage from Hurricane Katrina but the historic wood and steel streetcars escaped destruction because the antiquated car barn in which they are housed is on high ground. And there was a streetcar named Desire among the bunch -- "Desire" was the terminus of one of the routes, hence the name.

Recognized by The National Register of Historic Places and a favorite among tourists, founded in 1835, the line is part of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and to this day is a revenue-operating division of the city transit system for commuters, students and residents.

As significant as the streetcars are, St. Charles Avenue and The Garden District also are authentic American treasures. Known as the "Jewel of America's grand avenues," St. Charles Avenue is more than 200 years old and in 2007 was named the one of the ten great streets and neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association.

The oak-lined St. Charles Avenue is an icon of Southern style and is the main artery into the Garden District -- home of Audubon Park, Loyola and Tulane Universities, historic cemeteries, churches, synagogues, schools and restaurants, and a neighborhood of extreme grandeur, graced by some of the most magnificent collections of antebellum Greek revival homes in the world.

This announcement is the latest in a series of milestones for New Orleans: cultural festivals are enjoying record-breaking attendance, airlines are adding new flights to Louis Armstrong International Airport and the French Quarter is cleaner than it has been in decades.

SOURCE: The New Orleans Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau

Harvard Law School Hosts Conference on Poker

2007-11-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Are you buyin’ this? I’m all in. — LD

Speakers Include World Champion Mike Sexton,
Author Jim McManus, Psychologist Alan Schoonmaker

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Students and professors at Harvard Law are hosting a one-day academic conference Saturday examining the educational possibilities of using poker as a teaching tool, and several poker celebrities are expected to attend.

Harvard's Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) announced the schedule for the conference, which is part of a continuing series at Harvard Law School that examines educational and academic aspects of poker.

The GPSTS has organized student poker societies at several major universities, including UCLA, Stanford, Harvard, and Michigan.

Titled "Innovative Thinking: The Educational Value of Poker," the conference will take place on Saturday, November 10th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in the Austin East lecture room of Harvard Law School's Austin Hall.

Press may register by email at globalpoker@gmail.com

Charles Nesson, the Harvard Law Professor and one of the founders of the GPSTS, said: "This conference underscores that poker is more than just a fun game. It is one of the best tools we have to teach negotiation, risk assessment, strategic thinking and other essential life skills."

"It is also a quintessentially American game that draws on the best traditions in our culture, mixing individualism and sociability, and placing a premium on smarts," Nesson continued. "Poker has real educational possibilities, which I look forward to examining in detail at the conference."

Andrew Woods, the Harvard Law student who is executive director of the GPSTS, said, "We are dedicated to three basic goals at GPSTS: forming local chapters at colleges and universities, presenting academic conferences that highlight the strategic thinking and policy implications inherent in poker, and exploring ways to use poker as a bona fide educational tool to teach life skills.

"We are delighted to have such notable speakers Jim McManus, Mike Sexton and Dr. Alan Schoonmaker join us on the 10th."

Conference Topics

-- Fun and Cool: How Educators Can Reach Students Through Poker – Mike Sexton
-- The History of Poker: How U.S. Luminaries Have Anted Up Throughout History, and Why Our Students Should Too - Jim McManus
-- Poker is Good for You: The Ability Of Poker To Teach Life Skills - Dr. Alan Schoonmaker
-- Tools for Education: Interactive Workshops: Introduction To Poker Literacy and Texas Hold'Em Beginners Workshop - Professor Charles Nesson and Andrew Woods
-- Focusing on Pedagogy: Developing An Effective Curriculum For Different Levels Of Education - Professor Charles Nesson and Andrew Woods

About GPSTS
The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society views poker as an exceptional game of skill that can be used as a powerful teaching tool at all levels of academia and in secondary education. We use poker to teach strategic thinking, geopolitical analysis, risk assessment and money management. We see poker as a metaphor for skills of life, business, politics and international relations. Our goal is to create an open online curriculum centered on poker that will draw the brightest minds together, both from within and outside of the conventional university setting, to promote open education and Internet democracy.

SOURCE: Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society

Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

2007-11-09T21:01:00.000-08:00

Ewe sum kind-a fan-at-tic? Nah . . . jes' luv da Kettle . . . & da Bell! — LD

Cub Foods donates
$10,000 challenge gift

BLAINE, Minn -- If The Salvation Army's red kettles and ringing bells symbolize Christmastime, then it's official: The holiday season begins Thursday, Nov. 15 at Cub Foods in Blaine, located at 4205 Pheasant Ridge Drive (off I-35W and Lexington Avenue).

That's where The Salvation Army will hold its Kettle Kickoff celebration, a 12-hour fund-raiser themed "Make Big Change". The event runs from 6 a.m. -- 6 p.m. and will feature an eight-foot quarter that has seemingly crashed into the pavement, a 3,000-pound red kettle and free refreshments courtesy of Cub Foods, Old Dutch and Angie's Kettle Corn.

KOOL 108 FM will broadcast live at the event from 6 a.m. -- 12 p.m.

On-air personalities will encourage listeners to become volunteer bell ringers and to donate to The Salvation Army at Cub Foods' 56 Twin Cities Metro area locations, the only places in which red kettles will be set up for the day. The kettle campaign gets underway at all other Twin Cities locations on Friday, Nov. 16 and runs through Dec. 24.

Cub Foods will match contributions up to $10,000 through its Cub Cares Community Foundation, which focuses on hunger relief and youth education.

A Kettle Kickoff ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. with guest speakers Greg Page, CEO of Cargill Inc., and Steve Irland, Cub Foods VP of marketing and advertising.

The Salvation Army is proud to partner with Cub Foods. Last year The Salvation Army raised $865,000 in kettle donations at Cub Foods storefronts.

The Salvation Army serves more than 200,000 people in the Twin Cities. Donations can be made by mailing a check to 2445 Prior Ave, Roseville, MN 55113, online at http://www.thesalarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY.

SOURCE: The Salvation Army

Thebloogle.com - Blogging & Information Portal

2007-11-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

So, you blog . . . I blog, therefore I am. — LD

NOVI, Mich. -- News, views, how-to's and more . . . that's what you'll find at thebloogle.com, a new blogging and information portal.

While there are thousands of blogs on the Internet, entrepreneur Nipa Shah believes the new venture will fill a definite need.

"Blogs that are focused on a particular topic or expertise are quite common. But there are fewer sites where you can find topics of all interests and even fewer that are user-friendly, informational and interesting," said Nipa Shah, president of the online marketing and web site development company Jenesys Group, LLC in Novi, Mich. "This portal will be different. Our goal is to provide a blogging experience that will attract and engage readers and writers alike."

The 14 categories on thebloogle.com range from Books, Films & More, where readers may find book or film reviews, to Dollars & Sense, where authors share financial know-how. Other categories include: Getting Down to Business, Health & Wellness, Kindergarten to College, On the Town, Hobbies & How To, Globally Speaking, Family & Friends, A Higher Power, Sports & Fitness, By Air Land & Sea, Pets and The Tech Place.

Shah, an Internet marketing expert who loves reading, writing and sharing knowledge, added that she is providing a medium for writers and subject matter experts to share their expertise with a global audience. She has teamed up with writer and editor Sue Voyles, president of Logos Communications, Inc. in Canton, Mich., who shares her enthusiasm for sharing information.

"We are confident that readers will find a blog that intrigues, informs or inspires them," said Voyles.

Shah added: "I have a vision to create several portals to meet various needs of online users. It has always been my goal to facilitate knowledge sharing and thebloogle.com was a natural project to help me meet that goal."

Writers and other subject matter experts are invited to contribute articles to thebloogle.com. Simply visit http://www.thebloogle.com to learn more.

About Jenesys Group, LLC
Jenesys Group, LLC (http://www.jenesysgroup.com) is a full-service online marketing and web site design, development, and maintenance company delivering web solutions to companies across the globe. The company's clients include lawyers, marketing companies, other web site development companies, radio show hosts, hardware and software retailers, and many other companies in diverse market segments.

About Logos Communications, Inc.
Logos Communications, Inc. (http://www.logos-communications.com) is a full-service public relations and marketing firm serving a wide range of small to medium-sized businesses. It provides ongoing counsel to the 20,000 member Michigan Business and Professional Association and is Best Practices Certified(TM) through the Management Impact Institute.
Contact: Sue Voyles (734) 667-2005
-or- Nipa Shah (248) 470-6299

SOURCE: Jenesys Group, LLC

Give Creative Gifts This Holiday Season

2007-11-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

And here I thought you had some degree of sophistication? Well, no. Not at all. I like gifts, you know, like fun stuff. — LD

Tips from a Chicago shopping expert
for gift ideas that are fun to shop for
and fun to receive

CHICAGO -- Don't let holiday shopping become just another item on your to-do list this holiday season. It's easy to start holiday shopping the intention of giving a unique gift, but wind up grabbing whatever is easiest as many stores overflow with uninspired choices. The lines, packed parking lots, crowds and unchanging merchandise
all promote stale gift giving.

The answer? Funky, neighborhood boutiques.

Local boutiques tucked away in quaint, character-filled neighborhoods make holiday shopping more creative and fun for both the shopper and the gift recipient. The boutiques cannot compete with larger stores with mas merchandise, so they typically carry handcrafted, one-of-a-kind, unique items. There is a story behind their products: whether it is the store owner's passion for her goods; the up-and-coming designer that was given his first opportunity to showcase his product at a local shop; or the extra-special packaging boutiques offer.

Urban Shop Guide, a Chicago shopping tour operator, helps small groups explore the blossoming neighborhood boutique scene. Julie Cameron, the founder, offers some tips to navigate the small shops for an efficient, but enjoyable holiday gift-giving experience.

Most cities have one or more of neighborhoods where the boutique assortment is best. Driving to one-off stores can be cumbersome with holiday traffic, but these neighborhoods allow you to grab your list, park the car and wander only a few short blocks.

Some tips to get started for a unique day of shopping include:

Do your homework. Searching websites such as dailycandy.com and luckymag.com are good sources to find the general area in a city where most of the best boutiques are located.

Shop during the weekday if possible. While you won't typically run into mall-sized crowds in these areas, weekdays after work are great times to shop. Most boutiques are open until 7 or 8 pm during the holiday season, and with no big budget to promote their holiday hours, there is even more opportunity for personal attention.

Meet the shop owners. Everyone wants to be a "regular" whether it is a shop, a restaurant or a bar. When you find your favorite store, introduce
yourself to the owner and take time to learn about the boutique. Most boutiques frequently have events for their best shoppers offering as much as 20% off their merchandise, as well as fun social events where you can relax with some wine and learn more about the products.

Explore the neighborhood beyond shopping. If you're going to make a day of it, plan some other aspects into your itinerary -- four or more hours is too long of a time for just shopping. The neighborhoods allow for a fun lunch at a cool new spot, some time in a park or other landmark that you don't often see, great people watching and socializing, and architecture and historical delights that you won't find in most shopping venues.

Know the return policies. Lastly, while many boutiques have more restrictions on their return policy than larger-format stores, most are willing to offer an exchange for a new size or other item. If the boutique was a place where you thought of your friend or family member for a gift,
most likely they will love the store as much as you did and be happy they had a new reason to shop there.

About Urban Shop Guide:
Urban Shop Guide (http://www.urbanshopguide.com) is a Chicago-based privately held corporation founded by Julie Cameron, a 15-year retail industry veteran. Urban Shop Guide offers guided, customized shopping tours of Chicago's trendy neighborhoods, providing visitors access to small boutiques and the essence of Chicago shopping.

SOURCE: Urban Shop Guide

NASA Wants Students to Share Their Ideas

2007-11-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

I knew it! You are a Trekkie! Live long, and be preposterous. — LD

WASHINGTON -- NASA's commitment to promoting science and technology has the agency looking to students to share their thoughts on how NASA technology impacts their lives. NASA's 50th anniversary essay competition for middle and junior high school students during the 2007-2008 school year will close in early January 2008.

The agency will use the essay contest to inspire and encourage students to continue their studies in science, technology, engineering and math.

Through hands-on, interactive educational activities, NASA is engaging students, educators, families and the general public to increase America's science and technology literacy.

The competition consists of two topics with each essay limited to 500 words. The first topic challenges students to describe benefits in their everyday lives from technologies built by NASA during the last 50 years.

The second topic challenges students to imagine how their everyday lives 50 years from now may benefit from NASA's future technologies.

U.S. students enrolled in an accredited middle school, junior high school or home school are eligible to enter the competition for prizes.

Non-U.S. citizens and students in international locations also may enter. NASA will award trophies and certificates to each winner, regardless of
citizenship. A teacher, parent, guardian or other adult mentor associated with the student's education must sponsor each entry.

For additional information and contest rules and requirements, visit:

www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/5-8/features/F_Essay_Competition.html

SOURCE: NASA

Entrepreneur Woman Behind Upscale Magazine

2007-11-09T20:14:00.000-08:00

Are you some kind-a Feminist? I have three daughters, female grand-kids, a great wife and a Mom without compare . . . That it, folks! — LD

ACUSHNET, Mass. -- Celebrating yet another year of success, Upscale Living Magazine climbs the ladder to the top. "The magazine business is indeed a challenge to be in," Alina Cabral, Publisher of Upscale Living Magazine states. "However, when you have a passion and the vision to make your dream a success, there is no stopping!"

"We came out with a unique publication that caters to the affluent communities in New England and Florida; and right now, we have subscribers and distribution as far as Georgia, Washington State and California. We are driven by our faith and passion and we are focused on making Upscale Living
Magazine the publication that brings solutions to those who entrust their advertising dollars with us." Alina goes on by saying, "There is nothing more pleasing to me than hearing one of our customers tell us that we've made a difference in their lives. That nothing has worked for them in the past until we came along. That is the best feeling, after motherhood of course, that anyone in my type of business can have."

Coming from a once successful and well-to-do family, Alina Cabral was born and raised in Havana, Cuba until she was 14 years old. Her family, loosing it all to Castro's regime, moved to Spain and then later established themselves in the United States. "Although I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, my mother always instilled her good taste in me, while teaching me the importance of staying real and not loosing my focus
in life." Now all grown up with two teenagers of her own, two step children, a dog and a loving and supportive husband, Alina finds herself on a road to success.

"I always tell my clients and prospective clients that my job is not done until I achieve their success, because without them succeeding, I am just another magazine struggling to make it to the top. Customer satisfaction is my number one priority, whether my customers are my readers or my advertisers. If I don't deliver good news to keep my readers wanting more, then I am not a success; and, if I don't bring you business, then I haven't done my job."

With Alina it's all simple: Upscale Living Magazine has been her passion for exactly three years this December and her passion has been the tool to drive new customers to her advertisers; bringing much success to everyone involved. "What can I say!, There will be bumps in the road and mountains to climb, but rest assured that Upscale Living Magazine is driven by the right set of people whose craving and passion is to make a difference in the world. With that, we will raise our glasses to heaven and Thank the Lord and everyone involved for giving us the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. After all, Upscale Living Magazine is not only our magazine, but Your magazine as well."

If interested in purchasing a copy of Upscale Living magazine, please visit the following vendors: Borders in Chestnut Hill Atrium Mall, MA; Roche Bros. Supermarket in Sudbury and Canton locations; Desivolte Boutique in Cambridge, MA; IGA Supermarket in Rockport, MA; Dave's Marketplace in
East Greenwich and Wickford, RI; Eastside Marketplace in East Providence; and starting December, Upscale Living Magazine will be available for purchase at Barnes & Nobles stores nationwide. We also provide the ability to purchase single copies or yearly subscriptions through our website at http://www.upscalelivingmag.com.

Press Release Contact Information:
Alina Cabral, Publisher
ADMS Publishing Group, LLC
508-763-0055
publisher@upscalelivingmag.com

SOURCE: ADMS Publishing Group, LLC

World War I Museum Ends 1st Year With a Bang

2007-11-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

You some kind-a warmonger? No, but I respect Veterans who gave it all – for whatever reason . . . lest we forget. — LD

Rare, battle-scarred French tank from WWI
acquired for Museum collection,
nine decades after its last battle

KANSAS CITY, Mo -- After nearly a year of success beyond expectations, the National World War I Museum at Kansas City's Liberty Memorial has topped off the year with the acquisition of a rare jewel for its collection -- a battle-scarred WWI tank.

"To find such a rare artifact intact except for its actual battle damage, 90 years after it was built, gives us a great deal to celebrate on our upcoming first anniversary," said Brian Alexander, who was recently appointed as the Museum's new President/CEO, "especially considering that we made the acquisition as Armistice Day approaches."

The French-made Renault FT-17 tank, which still bears its camouflage markings and a huge hole left by German artillery, fills a key gap in the Museum's world-class collection of WWI weapons, uniforms, writings and other objects. A tank was the only major historically significant exhibit that has eluded the Museum since its organizers began collecting artifacts in 1920.

Renault FT-17 light tanks first saw battle in 1918. American tank forces used the French-made Renaults -- possibly including the one obtained by the Museum.

"What makes this the perfect tank for our collection is that it will be an important tool for interpreting World War I," said Doran Cart, Museum Curator. "You can see the original camouflage paint and the registration numbers that identified the tank. With those markings we have a good chance to learn about its exact battle history. We can't wait to do in-depth research into its history."

The tank was obtained in 1920 by an American from the French government and was on display in San Francisco for several years. The tank was eventually obtained by Hayes Otoupalik of Missoula, Montana, from whom the Museum purchased it for $225,000. The Museum must still raise an additional $175,000 to complete the acquisition.

An anonymous donor gave $125,000 for the down payment. The additional $175,000 that must be raised will cover the remaining cost of the tank, its transportation and for exhibit installation.

"The acquisition of this tank was a once-in-a-generation opportunity -- maybe our last chance. The Museum purchased it with only a portion of funding in hand," explains Eli Paul, Museum Director. "We have confidence that with the proven success of the new museum -- and the importance of this tank -- our patrons will come forward to help make this acquisition a reality."

Donations of any amount are welcome and are tax deductible. Checks can be made payable to the Liberty Memorial Association and mailed to PO Box 411475, Kansas City, MO 64141-1475.

Officially designated the National WWI Museum by the 108th Congress, the 50,000-square-foot core Museum exhibit and companion research center and archives are housed directly beneath the historic Liberty Memorial. The 217-foot Liberty Memorial Tower and two exhibit halls were built by the citizens of Kansas City and dedicated, in 1926, by President Calvin Coolidge.

Museum information is available at http://www.nwwone.org or (816) 784-1918.

SOURCE: National World War 1 Museum

Drink Yourself Beautiful? Gulp, Gulp . . .

2007-11-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

I thought beauty was in the eye of the be-holder? In this case, it's the cup-holder. — LD

Hot New Tea Line is Changing
the Beauty Biz, Sip by Sip

BOSTON -- Beauty junkies and tea-lovers, get ready. Now you can enjoy a cuppa and get gorgeous at the same time! The secret? It's called Sipping Beauty, a new line of specialty teas guaranteed to add a brand new flavor to the business of looking good.

Created and distributed by Boston-based Maswel Brands, Sipping Beauty is the first product line to deliver beauty aids in the form of a tea. The result is a completely new concept in both the beverage and beauty markets - a delicious high-quality tea that does double duty by delivering beauty benefits, making you look better with every sip.

"With consumers demanding more and more sophisticated specialty beverages, the idea of beauty treatments people can actually drink is a really exciting concept," explains Claudia Starkey, designer of the SIPPING BEAUTY brand. "We're excited to be able to offer beauty-conscious consumers what has to be the easiest way ever to look great and enjoy it too."

Sipping Beauty gives tea lovers a choice of six delicious flavors to enjoy hot or iced, each targeted to a specific beauty need. Chocolaty, minty Forever Young contains antioxidants to keep skin youthful.

Weightless, flavored with papaya and pineapple, has the weight reducing benefits of green tea. Whiff's blend of spearmint and peppermint keeps sippers' breath fresh, while herbal Puritea is like detox in a cup. Fruity Multi-Beautimin is packed with skin-renewing Vitamin C, and finally, chamomile and licorice-packed Beauty Sleep lulls sippers to dreamland for a restful night's sleep.

More than just a drink or a beauty treatment, Sipping Beauty also offers sippers a whole new beauty lifestyle with a newsletter, The Sip and
the interactive Doll Club. Plus, our upcoming beauty ParTeas will turn the Sipping Beauty experience into bona-fide social events, where glamour gals gather to share sips and tips. To put it simply, tea has never been so hot.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit our websites at http://www.sippingbeauty.net and http://www.maswelbrands.com.

Images to accompany this story can be found at:
http://www.sippingbeauty.net/ekit.htm

For more information contact:
Claudia Starkey
Phone: 617-905-3843
Fax: 617-977-0185
Email: media@sippingbeauty.net

SOURCE: Sipping Beauty

The Biggest Men's Underwear!

2007-11-06T07:23:00.000-08:00

Boxer or briefs? For some reason, I don’t want to know. — LD

Australia's Favourite Underwear Company
Breaks the Guinness Book of World Record

SYDNEY, Australia -- In an effort to secure a position in the Guinness World Records book, aussieBum will unveil what is believed to be the "World's Largest pair of men's underwear."

Measuring in at 15.5 metres wide and 11 metres high, with a waist circumference of 32 metres, the mammoth pair of undies is the size of the front of a three-story building. It includes 300 metres of fabric, 500 metres of wide-width elastic, 5000 metres of cotton and a 1.5 x 6 metre logo. The giant underpants weigh a whopping 180 kg.

The aussieBum World's Biggest Undies have been built with the help of aussieBum's long term business partner, Italian firm Eurojersey, a major name in the international textiles industry. Eurojersey put its faith into the project by generously donating 300 metres of Sensitive(R) fabric. The incredibly soft, light and easy-to-handle nature of the Sensitive(R) fabric helped aussieBum achieve this challenge.

Visit the following links to view some behind-the-scenes footage of the production of the undies:

(youtube version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GbOfLka_IE

(High res version)
aussiebumvideo.com/rss/forcedownload.php?file=promo1_bigundies_aussiebum.mov

The underwear will be unveiled in the world-famous Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking the Sydney Harbour, with the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge as a backdrop.

Date: Thursday, November 8 - Guinness World Records Day!

Time: 10.00am sharp

SOURCE: aussieBum

Ghirardelli Raises the Dark Chocolate Bar

2007-11-06T07:17:00.000-08:00

Sounds like they’ve gone over to the dark side whoosh, whoosh "Luke, I am your chocolate." whoosh, whoosh — LD

SAN FRANCISCO -- America's obsession with premium dark chocolate is intensifying, a trend marked by rising sales and an appreciation for richer, darker and more sophisticated flavors. To satisfy the cultured palates of dark chocolate enthusiasts, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is announcing the addition of three new flavors -- Midnight Reverie(TM), Evening Dream(TM) and Mint Bliss(TM) -- to its popular Intense Dark product line launched in 2006.

Ghirardelli is a leader in premium dark chocolate that has been changing the category landscape with its strong innovation. In 2006, the top four premium chocolate bars launched were the four new Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate Bars. Confectioner magazine awarded Ghirardelli the Gold Medal for being the Premium Chocolate Bars Category Driver this year.

Ghirardelli will expand the Intense Dark line this year to meet growing demand for more flavors.

Dark chocolate lovers nationwide are indulging themselves at a record pace. The category has grown 49 percent from 2003 to 2006, with sales reaching nearly $1.2 billion last year, according to Mintel research.

Mintel projects continued growth of dark chocolate in the coming years and Ghirardelli is leading the way with its delectable variety of flavors.

Each named for a distinct and pleasurable everyday moment, Intense Dark Chocolate Bars are available in a range of flavors, sizes and cacao percentages. Ghirardelli is launching Midnight Reverie, an 86 percent cacao bar, one of the highest cacao content bars widely available nationwide, and earlier this year expanded the line to include 4.87-ounce bags with individual bite-sized pieces.

"As chocolate lovers' tastes for dark chocolate become more developed, Ghirardelli will continue to create new flavors to satisfy and intrigue their more sophisticated palates," said Fabrizio Parini, senior vice president of marketing for Ghirardelli. "The expansion of the Intense Dark line will provide a complete range of high cacao percentage dark chocolate products from the milder, more rounded 60% Evening Dream to the ultimately intense 86% Midnight Reverie."

New products in the Intense Dark Gourmet Chocolate Line for 2007 and 2008
Each Intense Dark Chocolate Bar is named after a distinct and pleasurable everyday moment. The three new flavors that will be available nationwide:

-- Midnight Reverie (86 percent cacao) -- Savor the ultimate in chocolate intensity with this 86 percent cacao dark chocolate. The deep, full bodied flavor is noticeable upfront and evenly throughout with hints of dark cherries, dried plums and a roasted flavor from the high cacaocontent. The supremely smooth texture has a fine, crisp snap with overall round, warm chocolate notes that linger for a lasting, enchanting finish.
-- Evening Dream (60 percent cacao) -- Embark on a sweet escape and let your worries float away with the impeccably matched balance of 60 percent cacao dark chocolate blended with prized Madagascan vanilla, a variety specially sourced to complement the chocolate's distinctive flavor profile. The light, floral notes of the vanilla enhance the vibrancy of the creamy dark chocolate, mellowing the flavors and creating exquisite harmony.
-- Mint Bliss (60 percent cacao) -- Close your eyes and rejuvenate with luxurious 60 percent cacao dark chocolate infused with the essence of natural mint. The crisp, clean and zesty flavor of fresh mint adds sparkling contrast to the smooth and seductive dark chocolate to awaken the senses.

The suggested price for Midnight Reverie, Evening Dream and Mint Bliss bars is $2.99. Mint Bliss is currently available in bars nationwide, and also in 4.87-ounce bags with individually wrapped bite-sized pieces.

Evening Dream is available now with limited distribution and Midnight Reverie bars will debut in January 2008. Intense Dark Chocolate Bars in the original Twilight Delight(TM), Citrus Sunset(TM), Toffee Interlude(TM) and Espresso Escape(TM) flavors are available in Ghirardelli retail shops, specialty stores, local grocery stores and drug stores. Twilight Delight, Espresso Escape and Mint Bliss are also available in 4.87-ounce bags with a suggested retail price of $3.99 each.

For pairing information, tasting notes and to find out your chocolate personality, visit http://www.savorchocolate.com.

About The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is a manufacturer and marketer of premium chocolate products. Incorporated in 1852, Ghirardelli has an incredibly rich American history. As the country's longest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer, Ghirardelli has established its position as America's Premium Chocolate Company with more than 150 years of chocolate making experience. Ghirardelli's product line includes its signature Squares(TM) chocolate, Intense Dark(TM) chocolate, other chocolate confections, baking chocolate and beverages. These items are sold through select specialty stores, grocery stores, drug stores, mass merchandisers and department stores. In addition, Ghirardelli sells a line
of premium chocolate, syrups and drinks for the Food Service channel.

Ghirardelli currently owns and operates 11 retail stores in four states, including the original Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop located in San Francisco's historic Ghirardelli Square. For more information about Ghirardelli, visit http://www.ghirardelli.com.

SOURCE: Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Kids: 'Why Should Your Parent Be President?'

2007-11-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

Kids asking Chelsea about Hillary? I kid you not. — LD

Scholastic Kid Reporters to interview
children of presidential candidates

NEW YORK -- Today, one year from Election Day 2008, Scholastic News(R), America's leading news source for kids, announced the 84 members of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps (listed below), a team of student reporters ages 10-14, who are covering the race to the White House from their hometowns across the country. The students'articles and interviews will appear on the Scholastic News Election 2008 Web site http://www.scholastic.com/election2008, complementing the robust in-print election coverage in classroom magazines Scholastic News(R) (for students in grades 1- 6) and Junior Scholastic(R) (grades 6-8).

Wearing red polo shirts and armed with their microphones and trusty notebooks, Scholastic Kid Reporters will interview presidential candidates and political experts throughout the election year and will cover the debates, caucuses and primaries in key states including Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, California and Florida. They will also report on the Democratic and Republican Conventions, Election Day and the presidential inauguration.

For their first major assignment, Scholastic Kid Reporters will interview the children of presidential candidates and find out why they think their dad- or mom-should be the next President of the United States.

"In addition to reporting from Scholastic's award-winning team of editors, the Scholastic Kids Press Corps will offer a first-person, youthful perspective to help raise students' interest in politics, current events and the electoral process. Our hope is that our readers - tomorrow's voters - will gain a deeper understanding of the world around them and will become engaged, well-informed citizens," said Rebecca Bondor, Editor in Chief, Scholastic Classroom Magazines. "Congratulations to our newest Kid Reporters and good luck on the campaign trail."

Parents, teachers and students can also look for occasional appearances by the Scholastic Kids Press Corps on NBC News programs and at MSNBC.com as part of a partnership between Scholastic News and NBC News to report on the 2008 Presidential Election.

To apply to the Scholastic Kids Press Corps Program, students were asked to submit a writing sample and to describe their interest in journalism and in the election. Besides their valuable on-site reporting experience, Scholastic Kid Reporters receive training in the principles of journalism and are put through a rigorous editing process by Scholastic News Online Editor Suzanne Freeman.

The Scholastic Kids Press Corps for 2007-2008 (Some of these reporters also covered the 2004 election, as indicated by *.)

Iowa:
Madeline Bowman, Davenport, IA
Adam Dada, Davenport, IA
Michal Porubcin, Davenport, IA
Lolly Talleen, Davenport, IA
Sydney Rieckhoff, Cedar Rapids, IA
Michael, Geheren, Huntley, IA
*London Ball, Des Moines, IA
Autumn Daniel, Des Moines, IA
Ronny DeMoss, Des Moines, IA
Devin Harter, Des Moines, IA
Marilyn Lo, Des Moines, IA
Coltin Martin, Des Moines, IA
Remy Nanthanorath, Des Moines, IA
Hailey Rice, Des Moines, IA
Austin Zanatta, Des Moines, IA

New Hampshire:
Molly Henry, Concord, NH
Hana Knowles, Concord, NH
Robert Law, Concord, NH
Victoria Pendak, Concord, NH
*Molly Wienberg, Concord, NH
*Chloe Conway, Manchester, NH
*Elizabeth Conway, Manchester, NH

South Carolina:
*John Dixon, Columbia, SC

California:
*Gabriella Casteneda, Sacramento, CA
Rachel Tucker, Culver City, CA
Allison Tam, Cupertino, CA
Abi Robinson, Dixon, CA
Mariam El Hasan, Laguna Niguel, CA
Katie Lyness, Pleasanton, CA
Eileen Iniguez, Sylmar, CA

Florida:
Jimmy Pitenis, Daytona Beach, FL
Charlotte Samson, Clearwater, FL
Shelby Fallin, Lakeland, FL
Juliette Johnson, Margate, FL
Michael Riordan, Panama City, FL
Jacqueline Parker, Tampa, FL

New York:
Alexandria Coffey, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Sean Coffey, Sleepy Hollow, NY
Samantha Group, New York, NY
Emma Hulbregste, New York, NY
Juliette Kessler, New York, NY
Jamie Sanders, New York, NY
Emmet Smith, New York, NY
Ethan White, Lewiston, NY
Shannon Kaupp, Pittsford, NY
Joe McIntyre, Randolph, NY
Jacqueline Minogue, Southhampton, NY
Michael Carboni, West Islip, NY

Kid Reporters from other states include:
Mackenzie Korbus, Colorado Springs, CO
Ashlyn Stewart, Salida, CO
Jack Greenberg, West Haven, CT
Gabrielle Aiardo, Orange CT
Cassie Madigan, Orange CT
Caitlin Wardlow, Stratford, CT
Gabbyliz Machado, Chicago, IL
Rudy Marschke, Chicago, IL
Joe Wlos, Chicago, IL
Allie Sakowicz, Park Ridge, IL
Carly Rodgers, Alexandria, LA
Taylor Keaton, White Plains, MD
Maeve Hammond, Battle Creek, MI
Kayla Gough, Canton, MI
Addie Backhus, Minneapolis, MN
Daysha Patterson, St. Paul, MN
Demarian Williams, Steele, MO
Jacob Schroeder, Albuquerque, NM
Matthew Smith, Collingswood, NJ
Kajal A. Jani, Fair Lawn, NJ
Danielle Azzolina, Lincroft, NJ
Hayley Livingston, South Orange, NJ
Jacob Wiseneck, West Orange, NJ
Kyle Nowak, Las Vegas, NV
Shelby Payne, Cushing, OK
Grace Choi, Portland, OR
Tess Foriesteri, New Tripoli, PA
John Foran, Philadelphia, PA
Aaron Broder, Memphis, TN
Michelle Sheena, Houston, TX
Lya Ferrerya, Fairfax, VA
Blake Murphy, Fairfax Station, VA
Danny Murphy, Fairfax Station, VA
Michael Murphy, Fairfax Station, VA
Madison Hartke-Weber, Washington, DC

About Scholastic Classroom Magazines
Scholastic is the largest publisher of educational magazines with 32 publications for grades PreK-12, reaching over 25 million students and teachers across the country. Teachers rely on these publications to enhance instruction in such subjects as science, reading and language arts, math, social studies, current events, history, geography, world languages, and art. Scholastic News Online (http://www.scholastic.com/news), the magazines' online companion, gives teachers, students and parents an additional resource with which to learn about and discuss current events in the classroom and at home.

About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school- based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, http://www.scholastic.com.

SOURCE: Scholastic Corporation

Brad Paisley Visits Wounded Soldiers

2007-11-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

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

2007-11-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

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

Web Site Launches Western-Style Sweepstakes

2007-11-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2007-11-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

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

Cranberries: Fresh and In Season!

2007-10-30T11:15:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

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

5 Finalists for 2008 Green Car of the Year

2007-10-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-29T04:22:00.000-07:00

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

NEWSWEEK: Kids & the Food Allergy Threat

2007-10-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

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

WealthTV Lets Viewers Decide the Best Cars

2007-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

Cars again? Guilty as charged. I'm basically a car guy . . . who respects the environment — LD

High Def TV Show to Highlight
the Best Cars for 2008

SAN DIEGO -- WealthTV, the premier luxury lifestyle and entertainment network in digital and high definition, announced today that its on-line polls are open for viewers to decide the best cars of 2008. WealthTV continues its tradition of allowing viewers to vote on the best cars in six categories. The categories are: The Most Luxurious SUV, the Best and Most Advanced Use of Hybrid Technology, the Most Luxurious Sedan, the Hottest Sports Car (under $50,000), the Hottest Sports Car (no price limit), and the Most Exciting New Release for 2008.

Viewers can vote directly on WealthTV's website, http://www.wealthtv.net; the winners will be announced on the website and featured on a special edition of the series 'Wealth on Wheels'.

This year WealthTV will be offering an added feature to the 'Wealth on Wheels: Viewer Choice Awards Special,' namely interactivity. Television viewers, using their remote control, will be able to view additional information on each highlighted car when they want it. Trivia questions, voting, and the ability to request a brochure will also be incorporated into the program.

"WealthTV is pleased to be able to take a show such as our Wealth on Wheels series to a whole new level," stated Charles Herring, president of WealthTV. "The viewer is put in control and the viewing experience is further enhanced with interactivity."

WealthTV's automotive series, 'Wealth on Wheels', highlights the newest trends in technology and luxury on the road. The series takes viewers inside the auto industry, speaking with leading industry experts from design to production to the major auto shows. 'Wealth on Wheels' introduces viewers to a world of class, elegance and speed in transportation.

About WealthTV
WealthTV is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network – the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. WealthTV delivers informative shows that provide invaluable insights on what every American dreams of -- from travel secrets to fast cars, from proper etiquette to better investing, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider's perspective.

If you would like more information, please contact Elizabeth Iverson or Charles Herring at (858) 270-6900 or find us on the web at http://www.wealthtv.net

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE: WealthTV

FROM THE PUBLISHER 10-27-07

2007-10-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome. Have a seat. Grab a cup of your favorite brew & read on . . .

Regular GoodFluff visitors will have noted some changes, the most significant of which is the little lead-ins prior to each posted item. I have done this for several reasons:

FIRST — It seemed appropriate and logical to let you know why I’ve chosen a given article, but I wanted to do so in a crisp, snappy way. The bold part of the lead-in is a “theoretical” visitor (perhaps you) reacting to my post. The words and phrases after the bold lead-in are my response to the reader’s reaction, thus giving a sliver of insight into my choices.

SECOND — To confirm what I’ve said in a previous FROM THE PUBLISHER post: I do GoodFluff by hand, literally finger-thumb, finger-thumb, clickity-clack on the keyboard of my faithful old iMac. (The one whose base looks like a white basketball cut in half, with quarter-inch holes drilled in the top). There are no spiders, bots, assistants, Board of Directors, focus groups or consultants helping me along.

THIRD — To sprinkle the top of posted items with something personal in an effort to convince Internet heavyweights like BlogExplosion to review and accept GoodFluff as a legitimate Web site. If they don’t, then I have to rely on random click-through visitors like you to find (and share) GF.

That’s it for now. I have some errands to run. If things go well, I hope to swing back through my little backroom and serve up some fresh GoodFluff — hot from the virtual oven to be placed before your ever-hungry eyes . . .

Wishing you GoodFluff today & always . . — LD

Alaska Airlines Inaugurates Service to Kauai, Hawaii

2007-10-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Alaska? Hawaii? Talk about an extreme fly-over! Been to both states, courtesy of the US Navy, the world largest & cleanest nuclear force. — LD

SEATTLE -- Alaska Airlines on Sunday will inaugurate year-round service to Lihue on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, becoming the only airline to fly the route nonstop. Alaska launched Seattle- Honolulu service on Oct. 12 and will begin Anchorage-Honolulu service on Dec. 9.

"Prized for its dramatic beauty, the island of Kauai is one of Hawaii's most popular destinations, making this new route the perfect complement to our new Honolulu service," said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska Airlines' executive vice president of flight and marketing. "Customers from the Pacific Northwest now have a convenient way to visit the 'garden isle' without having to change planes."

The new daily Seattle-Lihue flights depart Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 4:20 p.m. Pacific time and arrive in Lihue at 7:45 p.m. Hawaii time. Return flights depart Lihue at 9:15 p.m. Hawaii time and arrive in Seattle at 5:55 a.m. Pacific time. The schedule offers convenient connections for travelers in other cities served by Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air throughout the Pacific Northwest and state of Alaska.

The new flights are operated with Boeing 737-800 aircraft, accommodating 16 passengers in first class and 141 in the main cabin. All flights to Hawaii offer Hawaiian-themed beverage and meal service.

Customers in the main cabin are offered complimentary Mauna Loa macadamia nuts and a complimentary Mai Tai or POG juice, as well as a Hawaiian-themed meal-for-purchase option for $5. Customers in first class enjoy exotic meals such as macadamia nut-encrusted mahi mahi.

Inflight service includes Alaska Airlines' digEplayer, a personal entertainment system offering a variety of movies, television shows, music and other features. The rented systems include a channel devoted to Hawaii programming, including extreme surfing programs and the television show "Hawaii Five-O."

Alaska's Hawaii flights are available for purchase at alaskaair.com or by calling (800) ALASKAAIR. Alaska Airlines Vacations also offers a full line of vacation packages for travel to the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. Packages include air transportation, hotel accommodations, ground transportation and tours.

Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, serve 92 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. This year Alaska Airlines celebrates its 75th anniversary, marking the airline's growth from a single-aircraft operation in 1932 to one of the largest U.S. carriers. For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE: Alaska Airlines

8 Finalists for 'My Comfy Home Coloring Contest'

2007-10-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

This seems like a pretty blatant attempt at advertorial promotion! You nailed me on this one. Somebody on the list is from Dade City, about an hour away from where I live. I gotta support the home team. And if they win . . . “Cool!” — LD

Eight Finalist Families Competing
for a $15,000 Home Comfort Makeover;
Vote Deadline is Nov. 27

TYLER, Texas -- Constantly vacuuming, dusting and wiping down surfaces will soon become a thing of the past for one lucky family. American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning announces eight finalists in its My Comfy Home Coloring Contest and invites America to vote online at http://www.americanstandardair.com/comfy for the family they think is most in need of a home makeover valued at $15,000, including a consultation with home comfort expert and author Hannah Keeley. The deadline for voting is November 27, 2007.

The contest invited families to drop their dust cloths and pick up some crayons to work together on their entries. Parents or caregivers were asked to submit a 100-word essay on why they wanted to make their home more comfortable, and their child was asked to draw a picture of their home.

Judges sifted through entries from around the nation to select the finalists.

Americans are invited to view families' stories and illustrations online and vote for one of the following:

-- The Campagne family, Tucson, Ariz.
-- The Hernandez family, Dade City, Fla.
-- The Oakley family, Des Moines, Iowa
-- The Pieper-Hemmings family, Hendersonville, Tenn.
-- The Preston family, Willow Grove, Pa.
-- The Stannard family, Kent, Wash.
-- The Tuznik family, La Port, Ind.
-- The Wertanen family, Coloma, Mich.

Entries described and illustrated everything from an allergy-prone family of 10 that stirs up dirt, dust and dander, to a home with poor indoor air caused in part by two pet hamsters named "Munchkin" and "Luey."

One winner will receive a prize package that includes:

-- A complete home comfort system featuring the American Standard AccuClean(TM) whole-home air filtration system
-- A half-day in-home consulting session with Hannah Keeley
-- A signed copy of Keeley's new book, Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover
-- A Comfy Pajama Jam party for the kids, which includes $250 cash and eight American Standard goody bags

In addition, seven runners-up will receive a free, in-home assessment of their heating and air conditioning system; a $1,000 discount on a new American Standard comfort system; a signed copy of Hannah Keeley's Total Mom Makeover; and a goody pack for kids. The winners will be named in mid-December. Americans are invited to check back on http://www.americanstandardair.com/comfy to see who wins.

Help Your Family Breathe Easier
The contest is designed to help families make their homes cleaner and more comfortable without all the trouble and time. Part of the solution is the American Standard AccuClean whole-home air filtration system, which removes up to 99.98 percent of the dirt, dust, pet dander and pollen from your filtered air.

"Less dirt in your air not only means a healthier and more comfortable living environment, but it means less house work because fewer dust particles settle on your furniture or get stirred up by your vacuum," says Joyce Warrington, brand director, American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. "The My Comfy Home Coloring Contest is an opportunity for families to win a home comfort makeover and learn about easy tips they can implement."

About American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning
American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning provides air conditioning systems and services for residential and light commercial applications. The business is part of American Standard Companies (NYSE: ASD), which generated 2006 global sales of $11.2 billion. On Feb.1, American Standard Companies announced plans to separate its three businesses. Since then, the company completed the spinoff of its vehicle control systems business as an independent company known as WABCO (NYSE: WBC). The company also agreed to sell its bath and kitchen business to funds advised by Bain Capital Partners, LLC, and expects to complete the sale on or about Oct. 31. American Standard Companies plans to change its name to Trane by the end of this year and will continue to sell premium air conditioning systems and services under both the Trane(R) and American Standard(R) brands. In 2006, the global air conditioning systems and services business generated revenues of $6.8 billion with 29,000 employees.

SOURCE: American Standard Companies

New Book Relects on ‘The Scattered Italians'

2007-10-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

That’s funny, you don’t look Italian. Only on my mother’s side. She made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.— LD

Italian-American Examines Historical and Personal Past,
Reveals Key to Self-Authenticity in New Book

KAILUA, Hawaii -- "The Scattered Italians: Reflections on a Heroic Journey" (published by AuthorHouse - http://www.authorhouse.com), the new book by Thomas Gambino, is an impressively deep and revealing book, filled with the gusto and love of life which permeates the core issues of discovering one's roots and thus one's true identity. This nonfiction book interlaces historical factors with behavioral characteristics leading to conclusions affecting over 25 million Italian-Americans and potentially many other hyphenated citizens of the world.

Covering more than three millennia - from pre-Rome to the present, from Caesar to the Gambino family - "The Scattered Italians" invites readers to become familiar with the people who shaped the distant past and have contributed to how Italians live in the present.

Gambino uncovers links between past and present to establish proof of cultural norms, mores and customs. He examines how an agriculturally based Euro-Latin society evolved, at times painfully, into an industrially based North American one. The why, when, where and how of Italian immigration to the United States is explored, and each generation's progress is monitored to show the ups and downs of assimilation.

Gambino explains that present-day Italian-Americans, both as individuals and as a culture, are a discounted version of the original and are living the dilemma of a split personality. Seeking an authentic self can be elusive and frustrating. However, "The Scattered Italians" reveals an uplifting, practical formula for self-authenticity and redemption of the past.

"The Scattered Italians" is told in the author's delightful and often witty style for a pleasant, informative and entertaining read. Literary visits with some of the giants of history are blended with Gambino's personal anecdotes to deliver a fascinating epic on a human level.

Thomas Gambino was part of the airline industry for over 34 years, working his way through the ranks to become a senior director for a major carrier in Europe. His extensive travels, for both business and pleasure, have given him an international perspective which he shares with the reader in telling this significant tale. "The Scattered Italians" is his first book.

AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher (http://www.authorhouse.com) for emerging, self-published (http://www.authorhouse.com/GetPublished/FAQ.aspx) authors. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.
EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Promotional Services Department
Tel: 888-728-8467
Fax: 812-961-3133
Email: pressreleases@authorhouse.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)
This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE: AuthorHouse

Tenth Annual DukesFest & Hazzard County Fair

2007-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

You’re kidding! You watched that show? Yeah. I loved that crazy car. — LD

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Not far from its original filming location in Covington, Ga., the 10th annual DukesFest & Hazzard County Fair which will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the TV series, will take place at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga. on Saturday, June 28 and Sunday, June 29, 2008.

Paying homage to the hit 1980's TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard," DukesFest & Hazzard County Fair will feature a full slate of county fair-related activities. The weekend, and going forward, will be produced by John & Elly Schneider and will encompass appearances and autograph sessions from show cast members including John Schneider (Bo Duke), Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke), Tom Wopat (Luke Duke), James Best (Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane), Ben Jones (Cooter Davenport), Rick Hurst (Clettus Hogg) and Sonny Shroyer (Deputy Enos Strate). The event is attended by over 200,000 fans each and every year!

"Atlanta Motor Speedway is the perfect venue for the 2008 DukesFest & Hazzard County Fair event," said Schneider. "It is a beautiful facility and after all, it is just miles from where the Dukes were born."

Also scheduled for the weekend is a car show featuring hundreds of world famous 1969 'General Lee' Dodge Chargers, trucks and tractors, a demolition derby, stunt shows including an authentic 'General Lee' jump, craft vendors, lawn mower races, Daisy Dukes contests and a fireworks display. Also local music acts, and a to be announced special guest artist.
Fans will also be treated to carnival rides, a kids' barnyard area complete with a petting zoo, pie eating contests and question and answer sessions with the entire cast.

Gates for the DukesFest & Hazzard County Fair will open at 10 a.m. on June 28 and 29, with closing scheduled for 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Schneider will shake up his good guy image on F/X's acclaimed series "Nip/Tuck" this season. . . . His first episode will air on November 27.

Schneider will then star in the Hallmark mini-series "Shark Swarm" opposite Darryl Hannah which will air in January. In the spring (March 12 debut) the busy actor will co-star on HBO's drama series "12 Miles of Bad Road" with Lily Tomlin where he will portray an unscrupulous reverend inspired by Jim Baker.

For more information and event details, visit http://www.dukesfest.com.

SOURCE John Schneider

American Legion leader talks about Veterans Day,

2007-10-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

What are you, some sort of Patriot? My Dad was a WWII Vet. I served in Vietnam. I pray for our guys in war zones. Call me what you will. I been called worse. Trust me. — LD

A Grateful Nation Remembers

INDIANAPOLIS -- The following is a guest editorial by the national commander of The American Legion Marty Conatser about Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2007.

As leader of the world's largest veterans organization, I often have the privilege of meeting some important people. No, I am not referring to our elected officials, business leaders or celebrities. I am speaking of the members of the U.S. military.

Can any CEO or distinguished Ivy League graduate truly claim to be under more pressure than the 21-year-old squad leader walking a patrol in
Baghdad? Do they really have more responsibility than the young commander of a nuclear-powered submarine? Do they have as much on the line as the mechanic fixing a $2 billion Stealth bomber?

"Nothing in our lives will ever be as important as this," said Lt. Col Henry Mucci, in the 2005 true-to-life film "The Great Raid." He makes the
statement prior to leading the rescue of more than 500 American prisoners of war held by the Japanese. While Mucci's mission was spectacularly
successful, America is blessed because millions of men and women realized -- and still realize -- that nothing in their lives is as important as
defending this nation. For many veterans, it was important enough to endure long separations from their families, miss the births of their children, freeze in sub-zero temperatures, bake in wild jungles, lose limbs, and, far too often, lose their lives.

Sadly, their deeds are frequently unappreciated.

In an essay early this year, Army Sergeant Eddie Jeffers wrote, "Even thousands of miles away, in Ramadi, Iraq, the cries and screams and
complaints of the ungrateful reach me. In a year, I will be thrust back into society from a life and mentality that doesn't fit your average man.
And then, I will be alone. And then, I will walk down the streets of America, and see the yellow ribbon stickers on the cars of the same people
who compare our President to Hitler."

Unfortunately, Sergeant Jeffers won't get to walk down the streets of America in a year. On Sept. 19th, he was killed in Iraq. He was 23.

This brave hero is not the only veteran who has heard the screams and complaints of the ungrateful. When Congress refuses to pass mandatory
funding for VA health care, veterans are disrespected. When heroes are denied access to VA facilities, veterans are disrespected. When schools
tell the military to keep its recruiters away, veterans are disrespected.

When a wartime Army general is called a traitor, veterans are disrespected. When military and veterans funding bills are held up because of political
squabbling, veterans are disrespected.

Fortunately, when a soldier walks into an American Legion post, he is given the thanks of a grateful organization. If we put soldiers in boots,
and we put those boots in harm's way, The American Legion family knows it must support them in every way.

Not only must we support the veteran but we must also support their families, as we demonstrate through The American Legion Legacy Fund, which provides scholarships to the children of heroes like Sgt. Eddie Jeffers. We also show our support through the Family Support Network, Temporary
Financial Assistance and the National Emergency Fund, just to name a few. We welcome home our wounded servicemembers with our Heroes to Hometowns program, which eases their transition to civilian society.

We are committed to finding good jobs for Sgt. Jeffer's comrades by hosting career fairs and urging Congress to maintain a strong veterans
preference program for federal employment. Companies understand that it's smart business to hire veterans, and when members of the Guard and Reserves deploy, it is America's business to ensure that their civilian careers do not suffer.

We must not forget the unique needs of women veterans. Women are major contributors to our military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan and many have given their lives in the War on Terror. VA must be prepared to adequately treat the special needs of our female veterans.

It is tragic that the men and women who allow us to be safe in our homes are often without homes themselves when they shed their uniforms. An
estimated 23 percent of America's homeless are veterans. Of these homeless Americans, 89 percent were honorably discharged and 47 percent served during the Vietnam War. Too often today's tattered citizen of the street was yesterday's toast-of-the-town in a crisp uniform with rows of shining medals.

But all is not grim. When my predecessor, Past National Commander Pau Morin, asked Americans to donate $50,000 so wounded warriors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany could receive comfort items, The American Legion family and its friends responded in a big way -- raising more than $300,000 for these heroes. Moreover, the quality of health care provided at most VA centers is consistently rated among the best in the world. Communities across our great country have recognized the value of military service, honoring heroes and their families with Blue Star salutes. And the American GI consistently tops public opinion polls and surveys as the most respected person in America.

Just as Colonel Mucci said, "Nothing in our lives will ever be this important," -- likewise, nothing on a person's lifetime resume should trump past military service.

Pride in ones' military service is a bond shared by nearly all who have served. This pride is on display on every obituary page in the country,
where military service -- regardless of how many decades have passed and subsequent achievements reached -- is mentioned with the death notice of
nearly every deceased veteran.

Although the successful businessman may have closed multi-million dollar deals and raised a wonderful family, what single accomplishment tops
the decisive actions he took during the siege of Khe Sanh which saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines?

Fewer than 10 percent of Americans can claim the title "veteran." And while Veterans Day is Nov. 11, we should thank our veterans everyday. It's
the least a grateful nation can do.

Marty Conatser of Champaign, Ill., is national commander of the 2.7 million-member American Legion, the nation's largest wartime veterans
organization. A high-resolution photo of Cmdr. Conatser can be downloaded at http://www.legion.org.

Veterans Day artwork is available at: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/gallery.asp

SOURCE: American Legion

Green Savings Are In The Bag

2007-10-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is getting old! Hey, I'm trying to save the planet, here! — LD

GUILDFORD, England -- An innovative new range of reusable supermarket shopping bags has been launched to help shoppers reduce their consumption of disposable plastic carrier bags, estimated to be 220 per year for every shopper. The launch comes as London considers a tax or even a complete ban on disposable plastic bags in the capital.

Geccobags.co.uk argue that small lifestyle changes by large numbers of
people can have a major impact in reducing waste and the creation of
carbon, the main cause of global warming. The Geccobag, which holds the
equivalent of three plastic carrier bags, opens out to clip inside a
supermarket trolley. This, say the makers, not only cuts the average
shopper's consumption of plastic carrier bags, but also reduces customer
checkout time by up to 20%, making for a less stressful shopping
experience. "The majority of plastic carrier bags go straight to landfill.
Although these make up only a small percentage of total plastic waste,
tackling the issue will help raise people's awareness of wider issues
surrounding our unsustainable 'throw away' society", says Geccobags
managing director Georgina Tuson-Little.

"I've been using Geccobags for about 2 months and they've really
lowered my stress levels whilst shopping. I'm quite often in a rush and
have my 5 year old with me - it's fair to say that my main aim is to get in
and out as quickly as possible! I find I'm not rushing so much at the check
out. I forgot to take them with me once and was reminded of what a pain in
the neck the check out experience could be without them!" said Jane, a
Geccobag customer.

A range of bags is available, including bags with built in cooler
sections and bottle holders. Bags come in a range of colours including
plain and floral printed canvas.

Visit the website http://www.geccobags.co.uk for more details.

Full article with photos available at:

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/newsindex.shtml?/cgi/news/release?id=211063

Contact:
Tim Little
Telephone: +44-(0)7770-930361
Email: tim@geccobags.co.uk

SOURCE: Geccobags.co.uk

What Spooks You and Your Wallet

2007-10-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

And the answer is? If I knew that, I'd have a better Web site. — LD

Texas Society of CPAs
Discovers Employees Financial Fears

DALLAS -- So ghosts and witches don't do it for ou, and you laugh in the face of vampires and goblins. But what about creditors, auditors or inadequate retirement savings? They can definitely give you a little scare, right?

The Texas Society of CPAs recently conducted a poll to find out what employers collectively thought was their client/employee's greatest financial fear. Of the 158 employers surveyed, 31 percent believed that the rising cost of health care was their client's biggest problem. Closely trailing health care costs were inadequate retirement savings and an IRS audit, both receiving 29 percent of the votes. Lastly, credit card debt sill poses as a problem for many, receiving 10 percent of the total.

Although many Americans struggle with credit card debt every day, it seems that they are more concerned with retirement savings and health care.

TSCPA (http://www.tscpa.org) is a nonprofit, voluntary, professional organization representing Texas CPAs. The society has 20 local chapters statewide and has 27,000 members, one of the largest in-state memberships of any state CPA society in the United States. TSCPA is committed to serving the public interest with programs that advance the highest standards of ethics and practice within the CPA profession.

SOURCE: Texas Society of CPAs

Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Releases on DVD

2007-10-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Who? You had to be there. — LD

SANTA MONICA -- On March 1st 2007, Yusuf Islam, formerly known as Cat Stevens, made a historic return to the live arena performing a full length set to an invited audience at The Porchester Hall in London. This was the first time that Yusuf had performed a full concert in over 28 years.

Included in the set were classic renditions of "Peace Train" and "Father & Son" as well as a newly-worked version of the all time favourite "Wild World." Yusuf also performed a selection of tracks from his gold 2006 album AN OTHER CUP, described as "disarmingly beautiful" by Mojo among many critical plaudits.

The concert, which was filmed and recorded in 5.1 surround sound, drew in 2.7 million viewers when screened by the BBC at the end of April. The concert is available now on a DVD entitled Yusuf's Cafe. The package also includes an insightful one hour documentary 'A Few Good Songs'. The 60-minute film, originally entitled 'Imagine' and shown on BBC1 in May 2006, features Yusuf talking openly to Alan Yentob about his extraordinary life experiences. It now includes new exclusive unseen footage.

The DVD comes in single disc form complete with 16-page booklet and poster as well as the videos to "Heaven/Where True Love Goes" and "Midday (Avoid City After Dark)."

http://www.yusufislam.com

SOURCE: Universal Music Enterprises

Travelzoo Surpasses 12 Million Subscribers

2007-10-26T19:23:00.000-07:00

Travelzoo? I thought you knew. — LD

NEW YORK -- Travelzoo (Nasdaq: TZOO), a global Internet media company, today announced that it has surpassed 12 million subscribers to its publications.

"As a result of our global expansion we have grown our reach by over a million subscribers since March giving us a total global reach of 12 million subscribers in six countries," said Ralph Bartel, chairman and chief executive officer, Travelzoo. "From North America to Europe, and more recently in Asia, active travelers are quickly learning about great deals that we publish and signing up as subscribers to our publications. We attribute our success in attaining high quality subscribers not only to our marketing efforts but also to strong word of mouth as more people are recommending us as a trusted source for information on great deals. We can now provide advertisers with the ability to target active travelers in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, France and Hong Kong."

In the U.S. alone, Travelzoo has more than 11 million subscribers that represent over $26.8 billion per year in leisure travel bookings.(1) According to a Travelzoo subscriber survey, over 55% of subscribers have a household income of $75,000 and above and more than 75% have a college degree or greater. More than 73% of Travelzoo subscribers in the U.S. have a valid passport, compared with 27% of the general U.S. population.(2) In addition, over two-thirds of subscribers travel for leisure at least three times per year.

Recent surveys of Travelzoo subscribers in Canada, Germany, and the U.K. confirmed that Travelzoo users tend to have higher than average household income and tend to be frequent travelers.

About Travelzoo
Travelzoo is a global Internet media company. Travelzoo's media
properties, which reach more than 12 million travel enthusiasts in the
U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong and the U.K., include the
Travelzoo(R) Web site (http://www.travelzoo.com), the Top 20(R) list, the
Newsflash(TM) e-mail alert service and SuperSearch(TM), a travel search
engine. Travelzoo publishes offers from more than 600 advertisers.
Travelzoo's deal experts review each offer to find the best travel deals
and confirm their true value. Travelzoo is headquartered in New York City.

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not
historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements may include, but
are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations,
prospects and intentions, markets in which we participate and other
statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts.
When used in this press release, the words "expect", "predict", "project",
"anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "seek" and similar
expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Because these forward- looking statements involve risks and uncertainties,
there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking
statements, including changes in our plans, objectives, expectations,
prospects and intentions and other factors discussed in our filings with
the SEC. We cannot guarantee any future levels of activity, performance or
achievements. Travelzoo undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking
statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of
this press release. Travelzoo and Top 20 are registered trademarks of
Travelzoo. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.

(1) Travelzoo Subscriber Study, February 2007, Travel Industry Association 2006 ($754 average price of trips booked online)

(2) The New York Times, January 2007

Media Contact:
Mindy Joyce
(212) 521-4218
mjoyce@travelzoo.com

SOURCE: Travelzoo

Finalists in Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest

2007-10-26T19:11:00.000-07:00

Does anybody really care? I do. I like cranberry juice. — LD

Consumers Display Their Cranberry Creativity
to Show the Year-Round Versatility
of a Thanksgiving Classic . . .

LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass. -- Today Ocean Spray announces the top four finalists who will compete for the title of The 2007 Ultimate Cranberry Recipe and a $25,000 grand prize. The contest, a chal from festive cocktails and decadent desserts to chutneys, salads and hearty stews.

Displaying the true versatility of the fruit, finalist recipes include "Year-Round Holiday Turkey Sliders with Zesty Cranberry Ketchup" by Linda Rohr from Darien, CT; "Cranberry Glazed Berries in Dark Chocolate Pools" by Susan Scarborough in Fernandina Beach, FL; "Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with CranCherry Sauce and Bleu Cheese Crumbles" from Karen Harris in Castle Rock, CO; and "Cran-ango Beef Yakitori with Grilled Romaine Halves" by Bev Jones in Brunswick, MO.

Each finalist receives a trip for two to visit New York and compete in a live cooking contest on October 31 at the De Gustibus Culinary School. All finalists will receive a one-year supply of Ocean Spray products.

The winner will be announced on November 1 at the debut of Ocean Spray's 2007 "Bogs Across America" Tour in New York City, where about 2,000
pounds of cranberries will be on display in a free-standing bog in Rockefeller Center.

"Ocean Spray launched the Ultimate Cranberry Recipe Contest to celebrate the cranberry year-round," said Ken Romanzi, Chief Operating Office of Ocean Spray, Domestic. "And we were pleased to see that consumers are excited to celebrate with us. The originality and impressive variety of the recipes submitted showcased both the talents of our home cooks across the country and also the versatility of this fruit."

The top four recipes will also be featured on http://www.oceanspray.com starting November 1st.

Ocean Spray is an agricultural cooperative owned by more than 650 cranberry growers in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Oregon,
Washington, British Columbia, and other parts of Canada as well as more than 50 Florida grapefruit growers. Ocean Spray was formed 75 years ago by three cranberry growers from Massachusetts and New Jersey. Florida grapefruit growers joined the Cooperative in 1976. Ocean Spray is North
America's leading producer of canned and bottled juices and juice drinks, and has been the best-selling brand name in the canned and bottled juice
category since 1981. Ocean Spray posted fiscal 2006 sales of roughly $1.5 billion.

SOURCE: Ocean Spray

Author Reveals How to Cancer Proof Your Life

2007-10-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

Scary stuff . . . Hey, it's Halloween. — LD

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Lynne Eldridge, M.D., author of Avoiding Cancer One Day At a Time, will explain how to "cancer proof your life" from common forms of cancer during a series of FREE seminars at the San Jose Tech Museum at 201 So. Market Street in downtown San Jose on Sunday October 28th between 10am and 3pm. Visit: http://www.thetech.org for information and directions. While at the tech museum you can also visit the amazing Body Worlds exhibit. See the effects of living on the body, and then learn how to keep your body, and your family, healthy. Dr. Eldridge will be speaking and signing her books for visitors in the New Venture Hall near the tech ticket counter. There will be free gifts for visitors and balloon animals for the kids.

Dr. Eldridge is visiting San Jose and teaming with Council on Aging Silicon Valley, as part of her national campaign to educate consumers on the simple cancer prevention approaches that are even opening oncologists eyes.

At each seminar, this physician/humorist will explain why the billions invested in cancer research over the last 60 years has failed to reduce your risk of dying from cancer, and the simple things we are not hearing that drastically reduce your risk. Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time is the first book to apply sound medical research from around the world to the full spectrum of cancer-prevention strategies. Among the many cancer-related questions this book and the authors answer are:

-- Why Marin County is known as the "Breast cancer capital of the world"
-- How a healthy sex life impacts your risk of getting cancer. Hear about
the credible studies with interesting findings that have audiences on
the edge of their seats.
-- Why obesity is a problem -- causing 20% of cancers in women -- and
what you can do about it
-- Which prescription medications and medical procedures raise your risk
of getting cancer
-- How the amount of sleep and lighting at night affects your risk of
getting cancer

About The Author
Lynne Eldridge, M. D. promotes the prevention of cancer through books, seminars and multi-media learning materials. A graduate of the University
of Minnesota Medical School with prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honors, she completed her residency at the U of M dedicated to studying health risks of human exposure to pesticides. Dr. Eldridge practiced family medicine with a passionate emphasis on prevention for over 15 years in the Twin Cities, Minnesota before devoting herself full time to researching and speaking internationally on cancer prevention and nutrition. The web site for Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time is http://www.avoidcancernow.com and the blog site is http://blog.avoidcancernow.com.

About Council on Aging Silicon Valley
Council on Aging Silicon Valley (COA) is an independent non-profit organization and the State-designated Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for Santa Clara County. For over 30 years, COA has provided high quality service programs to seniors and their caregivers. Our mission is to improve the lives of older and disabled county residents in achieving independence and improving quality of life through innovation and introduction of new services, and to help them remain in their chosen homes and communities.

COA has just been awarded the 2007 Innovator award by the International Council on Active Aging.

SOURCE: Council on Aging Silicon Valley

LDS Church Members Ask Soul-Searching Questions

2007-10-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Coz, like you're a Mormon? No. Coz, like, mebbe Mitt might win. — LD . . . not LDS

SALT LAKE CITY -- The religion known in the past 30 years for its cutting-edge public service ads on the family has now redefined ways to share its message in a major multimedia campaign.

In ads being run in three test areas throughout the United States, recent converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share their experiences unscripted and in their own words.

Journalists in the test areas have already asked if the campaign, known as "Truth Restored," is a response to the current presidential campaign in
the United States and the attendant interest in the Church because of the Mormon faith of one of the candidates.

For the full story, including multimedia materials, go to http://www.newsroom.lds.org

SOURCE: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

Medialink and Chrysler: Are You Tuned Out?

2007-10-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Your car or your wife! I'm thinking, I'm thinking! Don't rush me! — LD

NEW YORK -- Does your relationship need a tune up? A new survey from Dodge shows 16 percent of men and 22 percent of women would rather spend an evening without their significant other than give up their vehicle for the same night.

Listen to this report from Chrysler at:

http://media.medialink.com/WebNR.aspx?story=34041

PS from LD: Listen to the audio. You could win a car . . . so, you know, if the relationship falls apart . . . you could still, like, go out and stuff . . .

First-Ever Knitted Stamp to Be Unveiled

2007-10-26T18:26:00.000-07:00

Knit one — purl, too? OK, OK, OK. I'm a sucker for this kind of thing. Like that Angel. In that movie. You know, the one with John Travolta. Where he wants to see the giant ball of yarn. And the big frying pan. Yeah, that movie . . . — LD

Holiday Stamp Ceremony
Launches Challenge
to Charity Knitters

DETROIT -- The Postal Service is hosting a ceremony to unveil our newest stamps, "Holiday Knits". But there's a twist -- the enlargement isn't a poster, it is a knitted likeness of the stamps, super-sized. The enlargement, designed and knitted by nationally recognized knitting expert and City Knits owner Karen Kendrick-Hands, is the only one of its kind in the nation and will be at center stage for this unique event. "When the Postal Service called to see if I was up to the challenge of knitting the enlargement for the unveiling ceremony it was easy to say yes -- I'd already started one," laughed Kendrick-Hands. "As soon as I saw the stamps I knew they would make a perfect Afghan and I picked up my needles and started the design."

And there is no better place to unveil a knitted enlargement of a knitting stamp than during the weekly Knit Around on The Detroit People
Mover. "Today's knitters are a lot like today's Post Office: contemporary and I'd even say cool," said Shannon LaBruyere, Communications Specialist for the Postal Service and an avid knitter. "The Knit Around brings a diverse group together to socialize, share and connect with the folks around them. They're the perfect participants for this special event.

Knitting isn't just for Grandma anymore -- and neither is the Post Office."

The unveiling will also launch a challenge to needle crafters in the Detroit Metro Area to knit an item for charity over the next few weeks. "These stamps will spread warm feelings throughout the holiday season," said LaBruyere. "It's just perfect that our ceremony will help inspire others to share the warmth of knitting with their community."

Where: Millender Center People Mover Platform

When: Tuesday, October 30, 2007, 5:45 PM

Participants: U.S. Postal Service
Karen Kendrick-Hands, City Knits
Detroit People Mover representative TBD
Kaleidoscope Kids representative TBD

SOURCE: Detroit People Mover

Rally in Celebration of Right to Breathe Clean Air

2007-10-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

You're kidding, right? Nope. I used to smoke. I don't anymore. Good for me. Disagree? Take a deep breathe and hold it . . . — LD

"Enjoy the Freedom to Breathe" Event
Raises Awareness of Benefits
of Smoke-free Policies

MINNEAPOLIS -- Hundreds of attendees of this week's 2007 National Conference on Tobacco or Health -- including teens and adults representing all 50 states -- rallied today outside the Minneapolis Convention Center to raise awareness about the benefits of smoke-free policies and celebrate the progress of smoke-free laws across the nation.

The "Enjoy the Freedom to Breathe!" rally highlighted Minnesota's
implementation earlier this month of its comprehensive workplace smoke-free law, the Freedom to Breathe Act. With the positive action in Minnesota,
more than half the U.S. population is now protected by smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars.

At the rally, participants enjoyed music by local performers and a
giant cake in the shape of the United States, which mapped out states and communities where residents already enjoy the right to breathe clean air.
The rally added to the growing momentum across the country and around the world to protect all workers and the public from the serious health hazards
of secondhand smoke. Across America, there is strong agreement that no one should have to put their health at risk in order to earn a paycheck or
enjoy a night out.

The rally was sponsored by Minnesota's Catalyst youth activism
movement, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Legacy Foundation, youth advocacy groups from across the country, and other partners. The National Conference on Tobacco or Health began Wednesday and runs through Friday, with an expected attendance of approximately 3,000 public health advocates -- including more than 100 teens from across the country.

"The Freedom to Breath Act is a major step forward for Minnesota and
for the country. I'm excited to welcome youth from across America to a smoke-free Minnesota," said Catalyst member Nikki Bunnell.

"I'm happy to be here today to celebrate the progress of smoke-free
laws across the country," said Chad Bullock, a youth from North Carolina. "The progress we've made nationwide is inspiring for states that are still
working toward that goal. We're working hard back at home to ensure that all North Carolina residents have the right to breathe clean air."

The need for protection from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and
public places has never been clearer. In issuing a groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke in June 2006, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults." Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 69 carcinogens. The Surgeon
General found that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low
birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths
in the United States each year, there is no safe level of exposure, and only smoke-free laws provide effective protection from secondhand smoke.

For more information about please contact Nicole Dueffert or visit
http://www.bethecatalyst.org/natcon.

SOURCE: Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Dog Day Afternoon Still Going to the Dogs!

2007-10-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

You must be dog-gone tired! Hey, I'm from Florida -- I wish I could send my dogs somewhere & yes, I am tired. -- LD

SANFORD, Fla. -- When Dog Day Afternoon opened its doors as a doggie daycare in Orlando eight years ago, a lot of people called to register their children. Their human children, that is. At that time, not many people had heard of a daycare for dogs. But times, and Central Florida, have changed.

When their second location, in Sanford, opened this summer, people knew
exactly what to look for. The expectation today is a level of care for a pet that is suitable for a member of the family.

Dog Day Afternoon, which was voted Best Pet Service by WESH-TV,
provides doggie daycare, boarding and grooming in a way designed to exceed customer expectations and that is fun for pets. There are webcams so people can watch their dogs playing in supervised playgroups; the facility is staffed 24-hours a day, every day; and dogs sleep in air-conditioned "bedrooms", not cages or runs.

"People are excited when their dogs have as good a time on their trip
as they do," said Emily Schlansky, owner of Dog Day Afternoon, Inc. "Customers log on and see their dogs having fun. "Some people board their dogs with us over New Year's because their pet is afraid of fireworks," she said. "It's better to be with us, than at home scared and shaking."

Trading Pantyhose for a Pooper Scooper
Before opening Dog Day Afternoon, Schlansky was in marketing. Opening a doggie daycare was quite a career change.

"I joked that I was trading my pantyhose for a pooper scooper," Schlansky said. "It was a great trade."

Dog Day Afternoon has more than fifty employees, mostly part-timers who enjoy playing with dogs.

Schlansky gets so many requests for franchises and from people who want
to open their own facility, she developed a "Start-Up Packet" which the company sells. Packets have been sold throughout the U.S. and franchising is underway.

Sanford is Dog Friendly
Dog Day Afternoon's new location is a converted warehouse which received a makeover including fire sprinklers and air-conditioning systems
throughout. Its colors make it look more like a child care facility than one for pets.

"This location has a historic feel, but with an updated, funky touch,"
Schlansky said. "We are walking distance from an award-winning dog park and many pet-friendly businesses."

SOURCE: Dog Day Afternoon, Inc.

Museum Acquires Wireless Picturephone Prototypes

2007-10-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

You are a hopeless Geek! May ye without Geek-i-ness cast the first iPod. -- LD

WASHINGTON -- The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History joined with inventor Daniel A. Henderson to acquire two prototypes and related documentation for a pioneering wireless picturephone technology developed in 1993. Henderson recently was awarded six U.S. patents for innovation incorporated in the wireless system and device.

The invention, known as "Intellect," was designed to receive pictures and video data from a message center for display on a portable device. It also anticipated spam filtering for wireless devices and the convergence of wireless communications and portable computing devices, which allowed users to see, hear and access information while moving in a mobile world.

"Digital convergence is among the most important phenomena of recent years," said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. "These new objects make significant additions to our holdings in this area. We appreciate Mr. Henderson's continued support of the museum."

This donation adds to a previous collection of wireless technology that Henderson donated to the museum's Information Technology and Communications Division in 2003, including the Casio Z7000 "zoomer," the immediate predecessor to the Palm Pilot, and the Atari Portfolio, the world's first palmtop computer. Other museum holdings include early Internet telephones and tablet computers.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Documenting the American experience from Colonial times to the present, the museum looks at growth and change in the United States. The museum is closed for major renovations and will re-open
in summer 2008. For information about the museum, please visit http://americanhistory.si.edu or call Smithsonian Information at (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY).

SOURCE: Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Video Professor Offers Resource Library

2007-10-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

Huh? I've never bought the Professor's stuff, but I do like his geeky infomercials. -- LD

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Video Professor is pleased to announce exciting new updates to the Video Professor resource library on
www.videoprofessor.com. Dozens of new articles are now available to enhance your computer learning on topics such as digital photography and Adobe Photoshop, how to create spreadsheets quicker in Excel, how to optimize your web site to increase traffic, and so much more. Video Professor will regularly and continually add fresh and interesting articles to its web site.

"This is a terrific resource for everyone," says John W. Scherer, CEO
and Founder of Video Professor, Inc. "I myself find so many of these articles useful to me and I know consumers will as well. Simply put, it is great news and information you can really use."

Video Professor aims to do more than just teach you computer programs
and systems. Video Professor wants you to stay current on topics that arise for everyone who uses a computer and computer software, whether it is an elementary student, a corporate CEO, a stay-at-home parent, or a senior citizen. Computer programs can make anyone's tasks easier, but people often don't take the time to learn about the programs they use or to read material on topics that would boost their computer understanding. Video Professor is set to change that conveniently on its web site http://www.videoprofessor.com!

Video Professor understands you don't want to spend your life sitting
at your computer trudging through how-to sessions, which is why we have
always made it a goal to be respectful of your time. The Video Professor three-disc CD tutorials use our unique "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Do" method of learning. It saves you hours of note taking and flipping through manuals. The tutorials can also be fast-forwarded, rewound, paused, and stopped so you can learn at your own pace on your own time and schedule. You choose when to learn.

Now Video Professor is taking that benchmark and applying it to the
Video Professor resource library. Simply visit Video Professor Resource
Library, and check out numerous articles. To make things easy for you, they're divided into categories such as computer development, education, computer help, employment, finance and accounting, graphic design and desktop publishing, self-improvement, and many more. Each main category is then divided into subcategories. This way, you can find exactly the article you are interested in reading quickly and easily.

Video Professor encourages you, to encourage yourself to become more
computer-literate, and check out our resource library! We are certain that you will find information that is relevant to your needs.

About Video Professor, Inc. Based in Lakewood, Colo., VIDEO PROFESSOR has been the leader in comprehensive self-paced computer software tutorials for more than 20 years. The core of VIDEO PROFESSOR's learning initiative is to provide home users as well as corporate professionals with valuable and user-friendly learning solutions for today's most common software titles. In addition to pioneering the future of easy-to-use online tutorials, VIDEO PROFESSOR currently ships over 250,000 CD-ROMs every month and has helped more than 8 million households learn the computer skills they need to remain competitive in today's computer-driven marketplace. The complete VIDEO PROFESSOR library is also available online to stream directly to computers.

Video Professor, its logos, slogans and product feature names are
trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Video Professor, Inc. in the
U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners, and the aforementioned entities neither endorse nor sponsor Video Professor or its products.

SOURCE: Video Professor, Inc.

Anheuser-Busch Recognized for Preventing Drunk Driving, Underage Drinking

2007-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

Can you say "Oxy-Moron"? Why, yes, I can . . . Why do you ask? -- LD

ST. LOUIS -- Anheuser-Busch was recently presented with a WRAPPY award by the Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) for the company's ongoing commitment to preventing drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metropolitan area.

The WRAPPY Award for Corporate Partnership, presented at WRAP's 25th
anniversary event at the Acela Club in the Verizon Center in Washington,
D.C., acknowledged the support Anheuser-Busch and its six wholesalers in the Washington, D.C., area, Bob Hall Distributors, Capital Eagle, Guiffre Distributing, J.F. Fick Distributing, King Wholesale and Montgomery Eagle, have given to WRAP and its various community-based alcohol awareness and education programs over the years.

"Anheuser-Busch is very pleased to receive this award, especially as we
celebrate this important milestone in the work of WRAP," stated Carol
Clark, vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility, Anheuser-Busch Cos. "We are proud of our long and rewarding partnership with WRAP, and we realize that tackling these problems truly requires a team approach."

As charter sponsors, Anheuser-Busch and its area wholesalers have
invested a third of a million dollars to help ensure WRAP's success and
longevity. This funding supports programs such as SoberRide that offers free cab-ride services to adults who may have had too much to drink. Since 1993, WRAP has provided more than 38,000 safe rides home through its SoberRide program.

"We are delighted to present this award to Anheuser-Busch for the
seventh consecutive year," said Kurt Gregory Erickson, WRAP's president.
"From the start, Anheuser-Busch has been an integral partner in helping us accomplish our life-saving mission, and this award recognizes the generosity and commitment of a partner who has gone above and beyond."

Anheuser-Busch and its 600 wholesalers nationwide, including the six in
the Washington, D.C., area, are proud to be the industry leaders in the
fight against alcohol abuse. Since 1982, they have invested more than $675 million in alcohol awareness and education programs and partnerships. For more information, visit http://www.beeresponsible.com.

Founded in 1982, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program is an
award-winning public-private partnership working to prevent drunk driving and underage drinking in the Washington-metro area. Through public education, innovative health education programs and advocacy, WRAP is credited with keeping the metro-Washington area's alcohol-related traffic deaths consistently lower than the national average. For more information, visit http://www.wrap.org.

SOURCE: Anheuser-Busch Cos.

AutoWeek Editors Honor Best of Tokyo Motor Show

2007-10-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

Cars? You've got to be kidding! Yea, I know. For all the "Green" stuff I post, you'd think I wuz a tree-hugger. But (God forgive me) I luv cars. Vroom, vroom. -- LD

The magazine's Editors' Choice Awards
recognize Best in Show, Best Concept,
Most Significant and Most Fun

DETROIT -- The AutoWeek editorial staff will announce its Editors' Choice Award winners for the 2007 Tokyo International Motor Show in its November 12 issue.

For more than a decade, the editors of the weekly automotive-enthusiast
magazine have scoured show floors in Detroit, Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt and Tokyo, selecting winners in four categories: Best in Show, Best Concept, Most Significant and Most Fun.

The 2007 AutoWeek Editors' Choice Award winners for the Best of Tokyo are:

BEST IN SHOW: Nissan GT-R - "This is the super car everyone has been
waiting for since Nissan officials announced in 2001 that they would re-
create the icon," said AutoWeek Editor and Associate Publisher Dutch
Mandel. "A twin-turbocharged, 3.8-liter V6 pushes this coupe to a top
speed of 193 mph and from zero to 60 in 3.5 seconds. The great news for
the U.S. is that Nissan will finally bring this flagship to our shores."

BEST CONCEPT: Mazda Taiki - "This aero-efficient sports car blends the
best of the last three Mazda show cars with the company's next-generation
Wankel rotary engine: a power plant that celebrates its 40th anniversary
this year. It sets the way for the future front-engine, rear-drive sports car."

MOST SIGNIFICANT: Honda CR-Z - "Here's a car that finally reintroduces passion and emotion in a legendary vehicle that is also powered by alternative sources. The CR-Z is very much the spiritual successor to Honda's beloved CRX, a subcompact rocket from the past."

MOST FUN: Suzuki X-Head - "It's every kid's Tonka toy come to life. It's
boxy, it's burly, it's bright yellow and looks as though it wants to haul
heavy loads through woods. It's what happens when Suzuki builds a Hummer."

The AutoWeek editorial staff will announce its 2008 Editors' Choice
Awards for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next
January during the magazine's annual Design Forum. For more information on the event as well as past Editors' Choice Award winners and auto show coverage, visit AutoWeek.com.

AutoWeek is the only weekly automotive-enthusiast magazine in North
America, providing its passionate readers with up-to-date information like
no other automotive news source. With nearly 50 years of unbiased
editorial, it delivers the latest on vehicle reviews, motorsports, events
and trends, personalities, auto show coverage and more.

AutoWeek.com delivers breaking news, vehicle specs, photo galleries and
podcasts to viewers faster than any other source. With its online
community, visitors have the opportunity to post their own reviews and
register to win unique trips as well as receive the latest, tailored e-mail
alerts and blogs to fuel their automotive lifestyle, proving why first
means everything.

SOURCE: AutoWeek

America's Largest Student-Run Food & Clothing Drive

2007-10-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Why this? Students helping others. Sounds good to me . . . -- LD

How much can your class collect?

NEWARK, N.J. -- While food and clothing drives have become synonymous with the coming of fall and the holidays, there's one happening this year that's unlike any other. It's called, "The Drive" -- and will be the largest ever run by students.

Created by a national, non-profit youth service organization called The
League, The Drive (November 7 to 21) expects to set a record and generate
more than $1 million in food and clothing for thousands of people.

"The Drive takes food and clothing collections to a whole new level by
inviting each and every school and student nationwide to participate," says
Dorothy A. Johnson of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The League Board Vice Chair. "America's youth are bright and enthusiastic -- and can achieve anything they put their minds to - particularly when they work as one. The Drive makes that possible, and quantifies the results -- all while connecting it to classroom learning."

Like in sports, classes score "points" for each item delivered to the
community agencies they've chosen. The points are then converted into
dollar values - demonstrating their economic impact on the community.

Schools can participate in The Drive by joining The League. Joining is
free and simple, and everything a school needs is available at
http://www.theleague.org. It contains detailed instructions on how to register, plan an event, track points, reward team members, and much more. It also provides access to more than 1,200 lesson plans, developed by The League's curriculum division, Learning to Give -- one of the world's leading developers of youth service and character-building education plans. The lessons, coded for use in K-12 classrooms nationwide, provide an interactive, hands-on approach to teaching the value of giving, service and civic engagement. The Learning to Give web site is visited more than 250,000 times per month.

Created by a consortium of business, education, government, media,
non-profit leaders and youth, The League empowers young people everywhere to "get in the game" of serving their community and the world. It is school and web based and uses a three-prong system that focuses on events, curriculum and recognition.

The League has earned praise from countless educational associations
including the National Associations of Secondary and Elementary School
Principals. To join us, visit http://www.theleague.org.

SOURCE The League

Genes Unlock New Treatments for Deadly Melanoma

2007-10-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Why this one: Because it's personal. My brother had Melanoma. I was the one who had to tell my Mom. He's better now, having had the proper treatment, which included Chemo and its side effects. Hit me hard, if you know what I mean. -- LD

Scientific Meeting Highlights
New Therapies and Diagnostics,
Holding Promise for Melanoma Patients

NEW YORK -- Record-high registration at the upcoming 2007 International Melanoma Congress signals new promise nd hope in treating a disease that has long held a dismal prognosis for those in the advanced stages. Caught early, melanoma is one of the easiest cancers to treat, but caught late, melanoma is one of the most incurable and deadly.

This year's Congress highlights the growing understanding about the
underlying genetic mutations that cause melanoma. "With each genetic
mutation we successfully identify, it opens up yet another door to a new
therapy," says Ze'ev Ronai, Ph.D., organizer of this year's Congress and
Program Director at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research. "What's
clear is that a broad-spectrum approach to treating advanced melanoma is
rapidly being replaced by targeted and likely personalized therapies."

The median life expectancy for those with advanced melanoma is nine
months and existing therapies have not improved survival in more than a
decade. Approximately five years ago, the research community began
unlocking the underlying genetic malfunctions that occur in cells, causing
melanoma. Today, researchers are beginning to correlate those discoveries
to therapies that may have a meaningful impact on the survival of patients.

"We're starting to understand that melanoma is actually many different
diseases and that there is not one easy magic bullet that we're going to
find," says Lynn Schuchter, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the Abramson
Cancer Center of University of Pennsylvania. "But there is great excitement
not only for the drugs in development, but also from the fact that much of
the basic science being done has implications for patients now. In many
cases we don't have to wait for a new drug to be developed. Drugs that are
already on the market are being used to slow down disease progression."

Highlights of the Congress includes:
-- research uncovering the usefulness of an existing drug
-- promising results of Stage II and Stage III clinical trials
-- a better diagnostic tool soon to be available
-- basic research findings that will serve as a platform for future therapies.

The Society for Melanoma Research meeting also marks a change in the
Society's main scientific publication. Pigment Cell Research will become
Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research to underscore the rapidly expanding
potential in melanoma research, and will serve as a focal point for the
international research community in discussing advances in field. A preview issue produced for the Congress will be dedicated to melanoma research. The renamed journal will be officially launched in January 2008.

The Society for Melanoma Research (SMR) is an all-volunteer group of
scientists working to find the mechanisms responsible for melanoma and,
consequently, new therapies for this cancer. SMR contributes to advances in melanoma research by bringing together researchers in a non-competitive way to unite the scientific community. The Society has commissioned the Roadmap for Melanoma which outlines the key targets for research and therapy that need to be addressed by 2010.

http://www.melanomacongress07.net

CONTACT: Berna Diehl
703-966-3602
berna@jonespa.com

SOURCE The Society for Melanoma Research

Cleverparties.com Combines Networking & Partners

2007-10-25T18:36:00.000-07:00

Why this one: I don't do parties. Wife does that. But, I did, I'd visit this Web site. -- LD

RedEnvelope, 1-800 Flowers, Sur la Table,
iGourmet, Mrs. Prindables, Beau Coup and
Birthday in a Box join Cleverparties.com

LOS ANGELES -- A new website, http://www.cleverparties.com, empowers party hosts to plan, socialize, decorate and create fabulous parties their own way. Customers can find products and services in a variety of ways when they search by occasion, specific item or gather ideas in the social network. There is no other visually exciting and helpful website with these capabilities available to consumers today.

"Cleverparties.com understands women are perpetually starved for time
and need fresh, creative ideas. It is the ultimate party planning site,"
said founder, Adeline Ashley.

Key features include dynamic search engine and social networking
capabilities that deliver a consumer friendly experience. When party hosts
become a member of Cleverparties.com they join the social network that
gives them access to parties, sharing ideas, recipes, photos, and tips. A
special feature is the rating system -- the Clever Crowd can rate and
recommend products found on the site. The rating system is helpful for
visitors as they are more likely to be influenced in their decisions based
on member reviews. Consumers will be inspired reading about other member parties, events and celebrations. Time saving party planning tools such as a budget calculator, address book, checklist and calendar are also member benefits. Every party host's life will be easier by using My Party Picks Folder to store their ideas, products or services found on the site.

CleverParties.com is headquartered in Los Angeles serving creative
needs and busy schedules of party hosts. CleverParties.com does this by
connecting and empowering individuals when creating their parties. The
products and services found on the website can be purchased through trusted
merchant partners. CleverParties.com is a free party planning website that
features a comprehensive search engine and interactive social networking
space. Founder, Adeline Ashley, has over 15 years experience in gourmet
foods, corporate gifts, catering and event planning industries. She has a
long list of celebrity and corporate clients from Oprah to Aerosmith and
Boeing to Warner Brothers. Additional information:

http://www.cleverparties.com

Media Contact:
Nancy Padberg
Clever Parties
nancy@cleverparties.com
310-437-3813

SOURCE CleverParties.com

Landmark Skyscraper Breaks Ground in Louisville

2007-10-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Why this one? Because I'm a sucker for tall buildings and architecture. Or maybe it's because I always wanted to be a designer (of some kind) when I was a kid. -- LD

Construction Begins Immediately
on Kentucky's Largest Ever
Public-Private Project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Developers in Louisville broke ground Thursday on the landmark Museum Plaza project, a $490 million
skyscraper that will transform the city's skyline.

"Museum Plaza will be one of the world's most unique new skyscrapers --
a structure that integrates art at every level," Louisville Metro Mayor
Jerry Abramson said.

Designed by a world-renowned team led by Joshua Prince-Ramus and Erez
Ella, Museum Plaza is a 62-story skyscraper with an innovative design and
mission, combining arts, commerce and residential space. Stretching more
than 700 feet above Louisville and the Ohio River, this new cultural center
will house 165 luxury condominiums; 300,000 square feet of class-A office
space; a 260-room Westin Hotel; and the University of Louisville Master of
Fine Arts program. The island, located 24 stories above ground, will be a
hub of activity with a 35,000 square-foot world-class contemporary arts
center, a luxury spa, pool and fitness center, a condo club, ballroom,
restaurants and retail. The plaza will feature a new three-acre public park
with connections to the Muhammad Ali Center and the riverfront.

"The Museum Plaza ownership team is committed to placing culture,
physically and spiritually, at the project's center," Joshua Prince-Ramus
said. "This commitment has been a catalyst for innovation."

Governor Ernie Fletcher and Louisville Metro Mayor Jerry Abramson
joined developers Laura Lee Brown, Steve Wilson, Steve Poe and Craig
Greenberg as a 20-foot, 400-pound shovel dropped from a crane to symbolize
the beginning of construction on the project. Museum Plaza is expected to
open in Spring 2011. Condo reservations are now being taken at the Museum
Plaza Sales and Design Center at 707 West Main Street in Louisville.

"Today is a day that we have all looked forward to since unveiling the
plans for Museum Plaza in February of 2006. Museum Plaza will be a unique
development to Louisville symbolizing a great marriage of the arts,
commerce and urban living," said Governor Fletcher. "This project is an
example of forward thinking in more than just design. This project shows
the potential for urban redevelopment through the use of Tax Increment
Financing. Today is a great day for all of Kentucky. I look forward to
breaking ground on many more projects like this one in the future."

More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony. Developer Steve Poe
thanked the community, government and business leaders for joining together to make Museum Plaza a reality.

"This celebration is not about the construction of a building, but that
of a community and its elected officials who have worked together to
accomplish a magnificent goal -- to build one of the biggest and most
unique projects in the Midwest," Poe said. "This is truly an example of a
win-win, public-private partnership. Without public involvement, the
project would never have gotten started; without the private sector
investment and the new tax revenue generated by the project, the public
infrastructure would never have been funded."

For more information on Museum Plaza, visit http://www.museumplaza.net. To
inquire about condo sales, call Molly Swyers at (502) 638-4923.
Media Contact
Lauren Reed
502.821.3633
lreed@perituspr.com

SOURCE Museum Plaza

World's Miracle Baby Turns One

2007-10-23T17:48:00.000-07:00

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Amillia Taylor, born at 21 weeks and six days turns one tomorrow (Oct. 24, 2007). Weighing
a little over 9 ounces and measuring 9 1/2 inches long (the size of a pen), Amillia Taylor is the first baby known to survive after a gestation period of fewer than 23 weeks. The family celebrated this milestone in Amillia's hometown of Miami, Florida by throwing a big party in Amillia's honor which was attended by family members, doctors, nurses, physical therapists and
other care takers whom have been instrumental in the survival of this infant. The family's representative Amy Bales, of Bales & Bales, P.A., is happy to report that the child is doing extremely well. Amillia now weighs about 17lbs 7oz and is 27 1/2 inches long. She has begun feeding herself and is becoming proficient at getting around in her walker. She laughs, plays, interacts with other family members, and loves to be around children.

Since Amillia's release from the hospital on February 21, 2007, her mother, Sonja Taylor, has dedicated herself fulltime to the health of her child. At the time of her release, Amillia weighed 4 pounds and required the assistance of an oxygen machine. Sonja's life consisted of taking her daughter to daily visits to specialist who monitored the baby closely. As a
result, Amillia suffers no major health problems and has surpassed the expectations of all of her care takers. Her daily visits have now turned into monthly visits for the purpose of tracking Amillia's progress and her mother has been able to return to work as a school teacher for the public school system. Asked, if knowing the plight of this last year, if they would do it again the parents respond, "Absolutely, she's our little miracle."

SOURCE Bales & Bales, P.A.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: 10-23-07

2007-10-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

It’s hot here in Florida today. Even though surfin' online is less strenuous than at the beach, I worked up a sweat looking for nuggets for you to read. My favorite was "Everything sells online -- Even Duck Eggs" . . . though the "10th Annual Chocolate Show Nov. 8-11" caught my eye, what with me being a choc-o-late lover. That said, I hope you'll find one or two stories to savor.

We -- speaking with the editorial GoodFluff "We" -- managed to get linked at www.tobeyfan.com. The article was headlined "Spike TV Announces Scream 2007 Winners" and mentioned the fact that Tobey was selected Best Super Hero (for Spiderman, of course).

Hoping that’s the first of many such links at various sites.

We have registered at www.technorati.com. Plus, we are hoping to get approved by www.blogexplosion.com. Those two relationships should help get the word out about GoodFluff. If you find a story here that you like and share it with a friend, that should help, too.

That updates you regarding today's postings. I'll be at work tomorrow so unless Wife lets me out of my cage 2-nite, that’s it for now.

Wishing you GoodFluff today & always . . . LD

'Sopranos' Star Celebrates 500 Years of Pasta

2007-10-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Think you know all there is to know about Napoli and its province? Experience the aroma, see the beauty and enjoy the mouth-watering taste of Neapolitan pasta while discovering magnificent destinations including Capri, Ischia, Sorrento, Pompeii and Naples, Italy. Join Vince Curatola a.k.a. Johnny "Sack" Sacramoni from the HBO award winning series "The Sopranos" as we launch "A Taste of Napoli" North American Tour Celebrating 500 years of Neapolitan pasta & tourism
(http://www.ATasteofNapoli.com).

When: Thursday, November 1st 2007 in New York City, 11 a.m.

Where: San Domenico Restaurant 240 Central Park South
T: 212.265.5959 http://www.sandomeniconewyork.com

What: Get in the kitchen with award winning Chef Tony May and Vince
Curatola for a media demonstration and cooking class celebrating
500 years of Neapolitan pasta in Naples, Italy. Impress your
friends and learn how to make a traditional pasta dish. Find out
how the Neapolitans replace fat with flavor. Italian chefs from
coast to coast are celebrating with events in multiple cities.
Audience sweepstakes included.

The whole story, other event dates and Vincent Curatola Bio below:

"A Taste of Napoli" North American Tour Celebrating 500 years of
Neapolitan Pasta kicks off November 1st 2007 in New York City.

For 500 years Neapolitans have been enjoying pasta and staying thin
changing the perception that pasta makes us fat.

Famous Italian chefs from New York to Los Angeles and Toronto, Canada
are celebrating the history, tradition and taste of Neapolitan pasta and
the province of Napoli this November by conducting a series of tv
appearances and cooking demonstrations.

The Chamber of Commerce of Naples, Italy & COM.TUR invite you to find
out what makes Neapolitan pasta so excellent and learn how to make a great
pasta dish. Our cache of celebrity chefs include: Tony May, San Domenico
Restaurant New York, John Coletta, Executive Chef/Managing Partner of
Quartino Chicago, Giovanni Gabriele, Giovannis on the Hill, St. Louis,
Marisa Rocca, Sotto Sotto, Toronto, Canada. Piero Selvaggio, Valentino
Restaurant Los Angeles and Chef Miguel Rivera Il Mulino, Las Vegas.
Be a part of Gastronomical history, come join us in one of our selected cities

Dates, Times & Locations:

New York, November 1. -- San Domenico 240 Central Park South, 11 am

Los Angeles, November 8 -- Valentino 3115 Pico Boulevard, 11:30 am

Chicago, November 13 -- Ristorante Quartino 626 N. State St., 11:30 am

St. Louis, November 15 -- Giovannis on the Hill 5201 Shaw Ave., 11:30 am

Toronto, November 22 -- Sotto Sotto 116A Avenue Rd., 12 noon

Las Vegas, November 28 -- Il Mulino 3500 Las Vegas Blvd S., 11:30am

* The events featuring the province of Napoli also include a
sweepstakes for three amazing vacations to the cultural center of Naples,
Italy and its most breathtaking sites of the Sorrento Coast, Ischia and
Capri. Your audience can submit their entries at http://www.ATasteofNapoli.com and once the tour is complete, three winners will be selected.

Sponsored by COM.TUR. - Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of
Naples, Italy.

Vincent Curatola Bio:
Vincent Curatola has portrayed the character of the New York boss
Johnny Sack on "The Sopranos" since 1999.

Vincent has just begun recording the voice of "Elkens," the crazy
sports nut neighbor of Dr. Bimblebee (Blair Underwood) on a new cartoon
series called "Fatherhood," produced by Bill Cosby with Disney, and
scheduled to run on Nickelodeon premiering this June.

Vincent's recent credits include the 2005 comedy "Fun with Dick and
Jane" and the upcoming film "Karma, Confessions and Holi." He also just
completed the filming of the role of Mr. Samantha in a movie entitled
"Johnny Slade's Greatest Hits", co-starring John Fiore, Richard Portnow and
Dolores Sirianni. He plays a mob boss in hiding from the FBI who hires a
broken-down lounge singer to sing special lyrics every night in the club.
His henchmen attend the performance and listen to their orders in musical
form.

Vincent and his wife Maureen are very proud to be connected to
Heartshare Human Services of New York, which helps people who need
assistance due to handicaps, diseases and mental retardation. They are
honored to announce that this spring, one of the Heartshare buildings will
be named the Vincent and Maureen Curatola Residence in Flushing, Queens.

From time to time he joins his friends from the band Chicago onstage to
sing a song.

SOURCE COM.TUR. - Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Naples

Online Prenup & Relationship Consultation Service

2007-10-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

TOKYO -- Agreeship (http://www.agreeship.com), an affordable online prenup and relationship consultation service for couples, is expected to serve more than 4 million couples worldwide.

On Agreeship.com, couples will answer questions and a diagnosis will be instantly provided. A score indicates whether the couple should sign a prenup and/or seek a professional consultation and what relationship issues the couple is likely to face.

"This is not just to tell you if you need a legal agreement before you get married," says Katsuyuki Tanaka, the founder and president of Gaisen Inc, which developed Agreeship. "This will illustrate what differences the couple has and in what area they may have issues, while suggesting how they can improve the relationship, based on the identified differences."

"It takes only 3 minutes to answer the yes/no questions and no personal information is required," he said. The 20 questions cover finances, values and communication styles.

The fee for the online consultation is about US$15, which will be paid via PayPal. Personalized online consultation with lawyers, financial planners and counselors will be available for additional fees in 2008.

Agreeship stands for "Agreement of Partnership." Though the word "prenup" is used, the service isn't limited to couples who are about to tie the knot. "Agreeship is a great way to strengthen relationship for married couples and couples who are just dating," says Mr. Tanaka.

While legal help for preparing a prenup is widely available online, "an online service that helps increase awareness or improve communication among couples is rare," he says. His main target is couples, married or unmarried, in their 20s to 40s, who are Internet savvy.

Mr. Tanaka says: "The service is useful for international or intercultural couples in particular." In early 2008 Agreeship will be tailored based on nationality or the country in which the couples reside, and Agreeship will pinpoint what issues might arise legally and culturally for those couples.

About Gaisen Inc.
Founded in Tokyo in 2007, Gaisen develops new online services focusing on interpersonal relationships, targeting the global market. Gaisen aims to provide the best and simplest solutions to improve interpersonal communication. Its flagship service, Agreeship, launches in October 2007.

SOURCE Gaisen, Inc.

Whoopi Teams Up with Scholastic Book Clubs

2007-10-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Continuing their commitment to promoting literacy for all children, Whoopi Goldberg and Scholastic Book
Clubs today announced the launch of the Whoopi! We're Reading! Sweepstakes as part of the Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program.

The actor, comedienne, author of Whoopi's Big Book of Manners and producer and host of the syndicated Wake Up with Whoopi! radio program is inviting classrooms from across the country to read 100 books for a chance to win ten 100-book collections for them to donate to the local charity or charities of their choice. One hundred winning classes will be chosen.

The sweepstakes is open to teachers in all classrooms participating in Scholastic Book Clubs' ClassroomsCare program, now in its sixth year, which sends 100 books to kids in need for every 100 books read in participating classrooms. ClassroomsCare is designed to empower students around the country to make a difference in their own communities, and will provide more than 1.2 million books that will be distributed through ClassroomsCare in 2007. The Whoopi! We're Reading! Sweepstakes donation of 100,000 more books will add to the impact of ClassroomsCare this year.

"Books Rule! I love fairy tales and I love spooky stories," Whoopi said. "Reading is a great way to spend time and learn all kinds of things, and now, with ClassroomsCare, it's a great way to give the gift of reading to others."

Whoopi herself is the author of several books, including her first children's book, Alice, published in 1992. Whoopi's Big Book of Manners, her first title in a three-book publishing deal with Hyperion Books, was released in 2006.

"We are so honored to be working with Whoopi Goldberg to put more books into the hands of the children who need them most," said Judy Newman, President, Scholastic Book Clubs, a division of Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company. "The Whoopi! We're Reading! Sweepstakes will ensure that thousands of children across America will be directly sharing the joy of reading with children in their communities who may otherwise not have access to books."

More than 750,000 classrooms nationwide have participated in ClassroomsCare since its inception in 2002, and more than 7 million books have been donated by Scholastic Book Clubs as part of the program. In addition to encouraging increased reading in the classroom, the program has helped respond to tragedies and natural disasters such as the Tsunami in Indonesia and Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast.

For more information on ClassroomsCare, instructions on how to enter the Whoopi! We're Reading! Sweepstakes and complete rules, please visit http://www.scholastic.com/classroomscare.

About Scholastic Book Clubs
For 59 years, Scholastic Book Clubs have provided monthly catalogues offering top quality books and reading materials from all publishers to teachers and students in pre-school through high school. Today, eleven different Scholastic Book Clubs reach over one million teachers each month, providing the most sought-after titles at affordable prices for children in
classrooms nationwide. Over 80% of all elementary school teachers in the United States participate in Scholastic Book Clubs.

About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (Nasdaq: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary
school-based book clubs, school- based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site, http://www.scholastic.com.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Deadline for entries is November 21, 2007. Void where prohibited.

SOURCE Scholastic

Share Your Humorous Holiday Stories

2007-10-23T14:50:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND, Oct. 23 -- Author Rose Cherin once said, "Heirlooms we don't have in our family. But stories we've got." Whether it's a funny story about a disastrous Thanksgiving dinner or trying to accommodate 10 visiting relatives with only one working bathroom, these family stories often become the thread of humor that connects our generations.

Now there is an outlet for your funny holiday stories - one that may even let you win free hotel nights for you or your overnight visitors. For the second year in a row, Americas Best Value Inn is asking visitors to its website, http://www.AmericasBestValueInn.com, to post their funny holiday stories at the "Too Close For Comfort - Holiday Edition!" link.

The top 10 winners, voted on by the public, will each win $150 in free room nights, making Americas Best Value Inn their 'spare guest room' the next time they travel or host overnight guests. The room nights are redeemable at any of the brand's participating 750 inns, hotels, and suites throughout North America.

Last year, a woman from New Jersey posted a story about the time she visited friends, only to find the host's escaped boa constrictor in her bed. "They all thought it was funny," she wrote, "I'm just glad that snake was not hungry."

Visitors to the site may read the postings and vote for their favorite story. Participants in the voting process are eligible to win prizes from sponsors HBO and Thrifty Car Rental.

By using humor as a tool, Americas Best Value Inn hopes to remind everyone to take the time to relax, laugh, and enjoy their family and friends. "Most of our hotels are family owned and operated," said Peter Frantz, Marketing Director, "so we want to create an interactive channel for our guests to share their funny stories about staying with relatives and friends."

The promotion runs now through January 31, 2008. Visit http://www.AmericasBestValueInn.com for more information.

Webloyalty.com # 202 on Technology Fast 500

2007-10-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

NORWALK, Conn. -- Webloyalty.com (http://www.webloyalty.com) today announced that it ranked Number 202 on
Deloitte's 2007 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth over five years, from 2002-2006. Webloyalty grew 860 percent during this period.

Webloyalty's CEO, Rick Fernandes, credits dedicated employees and
innovative technology with the company's revenue growth. He said,
"Webloyalty is honored to be included on as prestigious a list as the
Deloitte Fast 500. Our success can be attributed to our employees, who
strive for excellence both from their teams and from themselves. They've
helped us build, innovate and market the technology platform which is the
core of our business."

"To rank on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, companies must achieve
phenomenal revenue growth over five years," said Phil Asmundson, vice
chairman, U.S. Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. "We applaud Webloyalty for being among the fastest growing companies in North America."

In addition to ranking on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Webloyalty
ranked seventh on the Connecticut Technology Fast 50, which is a ranking of the 50 fastest growing technology firms in that state.

Fast 500 Selection and Qualifying Criteria
The Fast 500 ranks the fastest growing technology, media,
telecommunications and life sciences companies in North America. It is
compiled from Deloitte's 16 regional North American Fast 50 programs,
nominations submitted directly to the Fast 500, and public company database research. Companies are selected based on percentage revenue growth from 2002 to 2006.

Entrants must own proprietary intellectual property or proprietary
technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company's
operating revenues or devote a significant proportion of revenues to
research and development of technology. Using other companies' technology or intellectual property in a unique way does not qualify. Base-year operating revenues must be at least $50,000 USD or $75,000 CD, and current-year operating revenues must be at least $5 million USD or CD.

Companies must be in business a minimum of five years, and they must be headquartered within North America.

About Webloyalty
http://www.Webloyalty.com, a leading provider of technology-based,
online marketing services, has more than two million memberships in its
reward, discount and protection programs, including Reservation Rewards and Shopper Discounts & Rewards. Members benefit from high value subscription services that match their needs and interests. Webloyalty clients (http://www.webloyalty.com/rewards-programs-clients/) -- more than 150 e-commerce and travel sites -- benefit from increased revenue and repeat purchases.

Additional information about Webloyalty is available at
http://www.webloyalty.com. For customer service, please contact
1-800-732-7031 or customerservice@webloyalty.com.

About Deloitte
Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, a Swiss
Verein, its member firms, and their respective subsidiaries and affiliates.
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu is an organization of member firms around the
world devoted to excellence in providing professional services and advice,
focused on client service through a global strategy executed locally in
nearly 140 countries. With access to the deep intellectual capital of
approximately 150,000 people worldwide, Deloitte delivers services in four
professional areas -- audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory
services -- and serves more than 80 percent of the world's largest
companies, as well as large national enterprises, public institutions,
locally important clients, and successful, fast-growing global companies.
Services are not provided by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Verein, and, for
regulatory and other reasons, certain member firms do not provide services
in all four professional areas.

As a Swiss Verein (association), neither Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu nor
any of its member firms has any liability for each other's acts or
omissions. Each of the member firms is a separate and independent legal
entity operating under the names "Deloitte," "Deloitte & Touche," "Deloitte
Touche Tohmatsu," or other related names.

SOURCE Webloyalty.com

To Hell & Back -- 'Frightening'

2007-10-23T14:36:00.000-07:00

DETROIT -- Call it intense, unnerving, frightening, yet compelling. That's "TO HELL & BACK" presented "LIVE" onstage at Greater Grace Temple in Detroit, October 24th and 26th, 2007.

Start time is 7:00 p.m. each night. (Doors open at 6:00 p.m.) The public is invited to join Bishop Charles H. Ellis III and the GGT Performing Arts Ministry for this chilling presentation about the one place you don't ever want to go: HELL! ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

Over the years, the church has gained a "national" reputation for its elaborate "illustrated sermons," where drama and the gospel are a powerful mix. "To Hell and Back" has been seen by thousands over the last 10 years, and has been broadcast coast to coast on The Word Network. More than 80 cast members and stage crew will use pyrotechnic effects, professional
costuming and makeup, and eerie lighting to make this fright-filled presentation seem all too real.

TO HELL AND BACK begins with a stoic angel who leads Bishop Ellis thru the dark caverns of the damned. Their testimonies of "what could have been" and unending pain amid a hopeless oblivion are food for some very deep thought. The message of each one is clear: "Don't come here!"

In recent years, the crowds flowed out of GGT's 4,000-seat cathedral into its huge hallways, and it was standing room only at that point. Even with two presentations in 2007, overflow crowds are expected, especially Friday night. For video previews and more info, visit the church's website at http://www.greatergrace.org or call 313-543-6000. Greater Grace Temple is located at 23500 W. Seven Mile Road in Detroit, MI.

SOURCE Greater Grace Temple

New 'Food For Thought' Trivia Challenge Game

2007-10-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Attention Trivia Buffs and Foodies alike, Food For Thought trivia challenge(TM) is a new and uniquely
packaged trivia-type game with a twist on our national obsession with food. This clever game questions your knowledge on a broad range of subjects to which each answer is food.

For example:

Q: An intellectual is often referred to as?
A: an egghead

Q: Bill Parcells, the multi-winning Super Bowl NFL coach, is
affectionately called?
A: The Tuna

Q: To feel awkward or be in an unaccustomed environment is to be like
what?
A: a fish out of water

Q: The rapper and rock musician instrumental in creating gangsta rap is
known as?
A: Ice-T

Food For Thought trivia challenge(TM) is a sure recipe to stir up your
mind and whet your appetite for fun. The game makes a great host or hostess gift and is perfect for all occasions. The Questions are designed for the teen to adult population. The game is currently available at F.A.O. Schwarz and at Cucina & Co. in Macy's Cellar in New York, as well as, on line at http://www.foodforthoughttriviachallenge.com.

SOURCE Teearas, LLC

PlayPumps International Launches 'KnowH2O' Website

2007-10-23T14:22:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Today, PlayPumps International launched KnowH2O, a website designed for schools and
community organizations to build student awareness of global water issues and how they can work to help address the world's water crisis. The organization developed KnowH2O.org in response to the interests expressed by the increasing number of schools working with PlayPumps International to bring access to clean water to rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

The site offers a variety of ways for students and teachers to learn about and understand how people throughout the world are impacted by a lack of clean drinking water. The website contains teacher-tested tools and interactive resources such as online videos, water resource maps, web banners, and games that help students truly understand the impact of the water crisis.

PlayPumps International partnered with the National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) and a committee of dedicated teachers to develop the lesson plans featured on the website. The lessons plans are offered for grades K-12 and use various subject areas to educate students on water issues.

"The KnowH2O campaign is an exciting way to help students to 'think locally; act globally,'" said Maddy Wegner, Communications Director for NYLC. "In the lesson plans, teachers can address core learning objectives in literacy, civics, and science through service-learning, while young people apply their academic skills to the real needs of people who lack access to water in sub-Saharan Africa."

The website also features an interactive "Water IQ" quiz and will feature forum tools for educators to share their experiences and lessons learned from teaching water issues. Links to social networking websites such as Facebook and ThinkMTV are also included on the site to enable students to become more active in addressing water issues. In addition to
schools, the site should also be of interest to service-learning providers and leaders of faith-based and civics groups working within a community.

"Many people still do not realize the issues and challenges that face more than 1.1 billion people who lack basic access to water," said Dale Jones, CEO of PlayPumps International-U.S. "It is our hope that through KnowH2O, we can create awareness of these challenges and harness the power and importance of youth involvement to improve the lives of people around the world by providing access to clean drinking water."

About PlayPumps International
PlayPumps International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
helping improve the lives of children and their families by providing easy
access to clean drinking water, enhancing public health, and offering play
equipment to millions across Africa. To date, PlayPumps International has
donated more than 900 PlayPump(R) water systems in South Africa,
Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia. In 2007 and beyond, PlayPumps
International will help bring the PlayPump system to Ethiopia, Kenya,
Lesotho, Tanzania, and Uganda. The organization's goal is to provide the
benefits of clean drinking water to up to 10 million people by 2010. For
more information, visit http://www.playpumps.org.

SOURCE PlayPumps International

Green Machines at International Auto Show Nov. 9-18

2007-10-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

MIAMI, Oct. 23 -- As consumers look for more ways to soften the hit at the gas pumps, the auto industry is responding with innovations for both cars and trucks. The best of those efforts will help fill the Miami Beach Convention Center at this year's South Florida International Auto Show, November 9-18.

Hybrid has caught on, but now drivers can consider ethanol, flex-fuel, biodiesel and other options that include engines designed for new lower-sulfur diesel fuel. Even drivers looking for better mileage from conventional vehicles can benefit from industry efforts. They've reduced curb weight on some models by using lighter parts such as electric power
steering motors. Or they may be tweaked with turbochargers on engines that are smaller and lighter. In their trimmer tonnage, some can almost match hybrids' performance at sipping gasoline.

General Motors is among the leaders in hybrid trucks, and GM's derivative in a tuxedo, the Cadillac Escalade, is the newest hybrid model being introduced at this year's South Florida International Auto Show. By 2010, even the Porsche store will let spirited drivers go green when the Stuttgart maker offers a hybrid Cayenne SUV. By then, according to J.D. Power and Associates, there may be 65 hybrid models on the market, and more than half will be trucks. The South Florida event typically displays a great selection of the industry's latest green machines.

Enthusiasts can see other expressions of new technology at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Mercedes-Benz offers clean, quiet and powerful performance in its new Bluetec diesel technology found in the E320 sedan and GL 320 CDI sport utility. Jeep has added a diesel Grand Cherokee CRD 4x4 to its green mix. These common rail direct injection engines have been engineered to take advantage of lower sulfur diesel fuel now available across America. And don't forget ethanol and flex fuel models.

Fuel cell vehicles are still experimental. They burn hydrogen, nature's most abundant element. They generate electrical power and they exhaust only water, but the fuel is difficult to store. The industry is making headway, but existing technology is in demand in showrooms.

As always at this annual auto extravaganza, the Miami Beach Convention Center will be full of the industry's latest engineering innovations, showing off what's red hot in green rides.

SOURCE South Florida International Auto Show

Catholic Charities Mobilizing Disaster Response

2007-10-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- From Florida to Southern California, local Catholic Charities agencies are mobilizing to help their communities deal with recent and ongoing disasters.

With fires raging in Southern California, local Catholic Charities in San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino/Riverside are coordinating and collaborating with their local Catholic and disaster relief partners to assess the needs and determine relief efforts.

In Florida, Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida is helping families who lost their homes recover from strong storms and a tornado that tore through the northern panhandle last week.

"Catholic Charities USA's Office of Disaster Response is working closely with local agencies to ensure that our network has the tools and resources it needs to respond to these disasters," said Kim Burgo, director of disaster response for Catholic Charities USA. "We anticipate making emergency grants available to our agencies to support their immediate
efforts."

Catholic Charities USA, which has been commissioned by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to represent the Catholic community in times of domestic disaster, responds with emergency and long-term assistance as needed. Its Disaster Response Office connects the Church's social service agencies and disaster planning offices across the nation.

To contribute:
Call (800) 919-9338
Visit http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org
Send checks to
Catholic Charities USA
Disaster Relief
PO Box 7068, Merrifield, VA 22116-7068

Catholic Charities USA is unable to accept contributions of food,
clothing, blankets and other relief supplies. Its federal ID number is
53-0196620.

SOURCE Catholic Charities USA

Web Animation Series Spawns Feature Film

2007-10-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

EDINBURGH -- 'BloodSpell', the "punk fantasy" Web series, spawns its own feature film after more than 100,000 viewers.
In 2006, Web animation viewers watched as beautiful swordswomen battled on a pyrotechnic chess board. A gladiator with a steam-powered arm fled an army of wraiths. A sorcerer and an angel fought atop a cliff overlooking a fantasy city.

This was BloodSpell, the animated epic released online last year. Now, the series has spawned an 84-minute feature film.

"BloodSpell was conceived as a feature film" says Hugh Hancock,
BloodSpell's Executive Producer and author of 'Machinima for Dummies'. "We talked to conventional filmmakers who told us it would cost GBP3 million to make. I couldn't fund it myself and wasn't likely to get that sort of funding for my first feature film, so I decided to make it another way."

Hancock and his team labored for three years producing BloodSpell as a
15-episode series released every two weeks during 2006, creating the
visuals by adapting computer game Neverwinter Nights, supported by the
developers.

They worked unpaid, with GBP6,000 budget, supported by consultancy
work.

But the result was worth it - coverage on the BBC, The Guardian, and
USA Today, and praise from influential media figures.

Matt Hanson, author of "The End of Celluloid", said BloodSpell "ups the
ante for the next evolutions in the discipline", whilst UK newspaper The
Guardian described it as "A movie that defies most of the rules of
traditional film-making." Award-winning author and Fulbright chair Cory
Doctorow called BloodSpell "a pioneering and important start for a new
industry".

Over 100,000 people worldwide downloaded BloodSpell, the animated
series, persuading Hancock to return to his original vision: BloodSpell,
the feature film.

"We re-shot the opening scenes of the series to take advantage of our
experience." says Hancock "We recorded new voice, re-edited the entire
film, crafted a new soundtrack. It was a lot of work!"

More than 3,000 copies of the feature film were downloaded within 24
hours of release on the 21st.

"It's a triumph of guerrilla cinematography, "said Charles Stross, Hugo
award-winning writer and futurist. "If Marvel and DC Comics aren't feeling
the chill wind down the back of their neck, they're asleep at the switch."
BloodSpell can be download at http://www.bloodspell.com/film/list/
Print/online stills: http://www.bloodspell.com/index/PR .

SOURCE Strange Company Ltd

NBC's 'Green Is Universal' Initiative Nov. 4-10

2007-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- NBC Universal announced details for more than 150 hours of environmentally themed content encompassing all of NBCU's divisions across multiple platforms for the week of Nov. 4 - 10.

Additionally, the company took further steps to green its own operations worldwide, and for the first time, will award funds from the NBC Universal Foundation to three environmentally-focused organizations. The announcements, part of NBC Universal's ongoing "Green Is Universal" initiative, were made by Jeff Zucker, President and CEO, NBC Universal and Lauren Zalaznick, Chairman, NBC Universal Green Council and President, Bravo Media.

"The environment has become both a corporate and cultural issue," said
Zucker. "As a leading media and entertainment company, NBC Universal has a
responsibility, both in our own operations and in driving awareness. Green
is good for the world and the bottom line."

"Starting with this launch week of programming, the ongoing 'Green Is
Universal' initiative will help reach hundreds of millions of NBCU's
consumers, raising awareness, entertaining and ultimately, driving
results," said Zalaznick. "This week reinforces NBCU's continued commitment
to help raise environmental awareness through what we do in front of the
cameras and behind the scenes, in our offices, and in how we interact with
the community."

Separate related announcements are being made today by NBC
Entertainment, NBC Universal Entertainment Cable, the Sundance Channel,
Universal Parks and the Telemundo Network. Highlights of the company's
efforts are listed below.

NBC Universal's corporate commitment to green its own operations
worldwide continues to grow with its recently announced creation of a new
West Coast News Headquarters and Content Center. The Center will be a
leading example of sustainable design, construction and transit-oriented
development under the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED(R) rating system.
NBC Universal will seek LEED Silver certification for new construction for
the Center and will target LEED for existing buildings for its ongoing
operations. Completed in May 2007, the Universal Studios lot installed its
first solar energy system, the largest in the industry. Located on
approximately 2.5 acres of hillside property, NBC Universal's long-term
goal is to secure an increasing portion of its power from solar or wind
generators.

In 2007, a different car service was introduced in New York, resulting
in a 75 percent air pollution improvement over the old service and will be
further improved by yearend when 25 percent of the fleet is replaced by
Hybrid vehicles. Additionally, NBC Universal is in the process of deploying
multi- functional office machines to enable employees to scan and e-mail
documents, thus eliminating the need for multiple devices and reducing
paper use.

NBC Universal's office supplier now provides paper with 34 percent
recycled content. This equates to 145,000 gallons of water saved, 400 trees
saved and 81,000 KWH conserved, or the equivalent of providing electricity
to seven homes a year.

NBC Universal has been measuring greenhouse gas emissions since 2004
and in the coming months, the company has committed to conducting Energy
Conservation Surveys ("eco audit") that will identify and prioritize
additional internal environmental improvements. The company will work with
GreenOrder, a sustainability strategy firm to provide an independent,
quantitative analysis and verification of its environmental footprint.

Separately, the NBC Universal Foundation, which supports non-profit
organizations that concentrate on strengthening public secondary education,
has selected one national and two local environmentally-focused
organizations to receive grants to promote environmental education and help
employees get directly engaged in environmental efforts in their
communities. They are the Student Conservation Association
(http://www.thesca.org); New York Restoration Project (http://www.nyrp.org) and the Los
Angeles Conservation Corps (http://www.lacorps.org).

"The More You Know," NBC Universal's award-winning public service
campaign, will debut brand new environmentally-themed spots to be broadcast
across all platforms. The messages will focus on global warming, pollution
and recycling as well as provide viewers with ways to make a difference.
Participating NBCU talent include: Molly Sims, Josh Duhamel and James
Lesure ("Las Vegas"); Noah Gray-Cabey ("Heroes"); Christopher Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"); Ann Curry ("Today"); Jesse Martin and Jeremy Sisto ("Law & Order"); Linda Cardellini ("ER"); Donald Faison ("Scrubs"); Tim Gunn ("Project Runway" and "Guide To Style," Bravo); Jeffrey Donovan ("Burn Notice," USA); Tricia Helfer ("Battlestar Galactica," Sci-Fi); Maria Celeste ("Al Rojo Vivo con Celeste," Telemundo).

The company will launch a digital home for NBC Universal's "Green Is
Universal" initiative -- http://www.GreenIsUniversal.com -- to bring an
environmental perspective to its networks, platforms, audiences and
communities. Kicking-off on Nov. 4 with seven days of environmentally themed programming, GreenIsUniversal.com will live on with green tips, green clips, and a fast- paced blog covering everything at NBC Universal, and beyond.

Highlights of the company's 150 hours of green-themed content for the
week of Nov. 4-10 include:

-- NBC Sports kicks-off "Green Is Universal" on Nov. 4 during the "Sunday
Night Football" game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
NBC's "Football Night in America" host Bob Costas will explain the programming effort on NBC during the NFL studio show as NBC Universal's networks simultaneously turn their respective network logos green at 8 p.m. ET. The broadcast also will feature additional announcements about "Green Is Universal," as well as incorporate the themes throughout its broadcast on Sunday night.

-- The following Saturday, Nov. 10, the Air Force vs. Notre Dame college
football game will feature the University of Notre Dame's students' and
professors' research for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2), from the emissions
of power plants, which could ultimately contribute to reversing the effects
of global warming.

-- Highlighted by the "Today" show's "Ends of the Earth" trip (see
separate release), NBC News will dedicate programming across many of its
platforms as part of the Initiative. "NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams"
will feature a five-part green series -- dedicating each night to a single
topic: water, wind, grass, bio-fuels, nuclear, and how to "green your
house." NBC News' Environmental Correspondent, Anne Thompson, will
contribute to this series.

-- MSNBC will broadcast green-themed segments and programming all week,
including an emphasis on the politics of Green on "Super Tuesday," Nov. 6.
Throughout the week, the channel's "best and worst weather in America"
segments will focus on how environmental changes affect weather.

-- MSNBC.com will kick off its green series with special stories and
interactive features, including user-generated content showing what it's
like to be green in America. The FirstPerson eco-gallery will feature
videos and photos from consumers across the nation illustrating what
they're doing to help the environment. MSNBC.com will also feature
interactive slideshows, original stories, and video on a range of
environmental issues.

-- MSNBC.com's interactive features include "Warming World," a gateway
into compelling video, slideshows and stories about climate change around
the world. Consumers can also log on and learn about carbon trading, see
how the greenhouse effect happens, discover interesting engineering ideas
to cool the Earth, check out the greenest and meanest cars, and find out
about new and environmentally-friendly commuting options.

-- CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, will focus on investing
opportunities in the rapidly expanding and dynamic green movement covering
what Wall Street, venture capital firms and corporations are doing in such
areas as clean technology, alternative energy, and sustainability,
providing information for investors. In addition, CNBC will have
"conversations" with CEOs of top companies that are making a business in
the green space; large investors; environmental trailblazers in both the
private and government sectors; economic experts, as well as those who
question the business value of green. On Nov. 7, CNBC will report from the
Pacific Growth Equities 2007 Clean Technology & Industrial Growth
Conference in San Francisco; on Nov. 8, CNBC's housing reporter Diana Olick will report from Chicago and the Green Build Conference and Expo. That night, the network will broadcast a special green edition of CNBC's "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch" at 10 p.m. ET.

-- From the first and largest community of women online, iVillage's iGo
Green channel (http://www.ivillage.com/green) helps moms make the green lifestyle
work for them by featuring a wide variety and depth of green content, from
organic Thanksgiving ideas to eco-friendly gifts. In addition, iVillage's
gURL.com will feature a recycling game and Astrology.com will feature Green Scopes. Every day, new green content will be featured both on iVillage.com's main page and on its iGo Green channel, including opportunities to give green within iVillage Cares, with click-to-donate links for a variety of causes.

-- On November 1, iVillage.com will launch the iVillage Forest,
(http://www.ivillageforest.com), a virtual wintertime forest where visitors can help offset the 32 million trees that are cut down each December for holiday decorating. For each $5 donation, a virtual tree is planted in the iVillage Forest and a live tree is planted by The Conservation Fund (http://www.conservationfund.org).

-- The NBC Owned-and-Operated Stations will incorporate extensive
environmentally- themed stories throughout their newscasts and display
green logos and graphics on air. In addition, the group will run a
half-hour special on "Going Green at Any Age!" (check local listings). The
stations' Going Green websites will also have a green theme and will
provide calculators that can determine an individual's impact on the earth
according to carbon, water and energy use. Users can also download widgets
to get regional and national environmental news as well as the latest local
headlines sent to their desktops. Many of the stations will also continue
to partner with local organizations to promote green awareness in their
communities.

-- NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution's "Access Hollywood"
will report on Hollywood celebrities making an environmental difference,
with additional green interviews posted online at
(http://www.accesshollywood.com). On the Nov. 6 edition of "The Martha Stewart Show," (check local listings) naturalist, media personality and author David Mizejewski of the National Wildlife Federation, joins Stewart with several creepy-crawly friends to help educate her viewers on the growing importance of involving children in green activities and encouraging them
to spend more time outdoors. "Lyons and Bailes Reel Talk" will highlight Al Gore's Oscar-winning documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth" on the November 10-11 episodes. Additionally, "The Jerry Springer Show," "Maury," "The Steve Wilkos Show," "The Chris Matthews Show," "The Wall Street Journal Report with Maria Bartiromo," "Your Total Health" and "Lyons & Bailes" are all participating in the effort.

-- Universal Pictures will prominently promote "Green Is Universal" on
http://www.universalpictures.com with a lead editorial placement and banner at the
bottom of the page. Universal Pictures also will send its more than 400,000 newsletter subscribers information on the "Green Is Universal" initiative, and GetOnBoardNow.org will be updated with current content. Universal Pictures will run the "Green Is Universal" PSA's as a post-roll on their online trailers during this programming week and as ads in theater lobbies.

About NBC Universal
NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment
companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment,
news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May, 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

SOURCE NBC Universal

41st Annual CMA Awards Nov. 7

2007-10-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The list of Country luminaries performing on "The 41st Annual CMA Awards" reads like a who's
who of the format's finest and freshest faces with the announcement today that multiple nominee Alison Krauss and Horizon Award nominees Jason Aldean and Kellie Pickler have each been added to the list of performers for this year's gala.

"The 41st Annual CMA Awards" will be held Wednesday, Nov. 7 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) and will air live from the Sommet Center in Nashville on the ABC Television Network.

Sheryl Crow, Blake Shelton and Gretchen Wilson have been added to the
list of artists presenting CMA Awards.

Krauss received four nominations in 2007 including Female Vocalist of
the Year, Vocal Group of the Year for Alison Krauss and Union Station
Featuring Jerry Douglas, and two for Musical Event of the Year with John
Waite (his first CMA Awards nomination) on "Missing You" and with Vince
Gill on "The Reason Why." Krauss last won the Female Vocalist of the Year
category in 1995. She has been nominated in the category five times
including each year from 2002-2005.

Aldean and Pickler are first-time CMA Awards nominees in 2007. Both
were nominated for the coveted Horizon Award. Included in the category are
Rodney Atkins, Taylor Swift and Little Big Town. Aldean's self-titled debut
album was certified Platinum, and his sophomore release Relentless debuted at No. 1 on the Country sales chart in June. Pickler, an "American Idol" sweetheart, released her debut album, Small Town Girl, in October and by January, the project was certified Gold.

Performers previously announced for the 2007 CMA Awards include Atkins,
Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Eagles, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire in a duet with LeAnn Rimes, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Sugarland, Swift, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. Rascal Flatts will open the festivities and also perform with Jamie Foxx later in the broadcast.

Sara Evans and Rimes will host segments of the three-hour broadcast.
Other segment hosts will be announced soon. Presenters recently announced
include Luke Bryan, Jason Michael Carroll, Bucky Covington, Jewel with Ty Murray, Kid Rock, Montgomery Gentry, and Dwight Yoakam.

Tickets for the 2007 CMA Awards are on sale now and can be purchased by
logging on to http://www.ticketmaster.com; calling (615) 255-9600; or in person at
the Sommet Center box office, 501 Broadway (corner of Fifth Avenue and
Broadway, in Nashville). Ticket prices begin at $164 (excluding applicable
service/handling fees), with prices increasing depending on seating level.

"The 41st Annual CMA Awards" is a production of the Country Music
Association. Walter C. Miller is the Executive Producer, and Robert Deaton
is the Producer. Paul Miller is the Director. David Wild is the writer. The
special will be shot in high definition and broadcast in 720 Progressive
(720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with 5.1 channel surround sound.

Premiere Radio Networks is the official radio packager of the CMA
Awards, including a stereo-radio simulcast of the gala event. American
Airlines is the official airline of the 2007 CMA Awards. Chevy: The
Official Ride of Country Music. Mary Kay(R) is the Official Beauty Sponsor.
Additional promotional partners include AOL, LLC., Borders(R) Books &
Music, Carl Black Chevrolet, Coca-Cola(R), Dr Pepper(R), Gibson Guitar(R), Greased Lightning(R) Cleaning Products, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, Mr. Coffee(R) and The Yankee Candle Company.

For CMA Awards information, history and high-resolution images visit
CMApress.com. This site is password protected for media use only. The
public should be directed to CMAawards.com.

SOURCE Country Music Association

Martha Stewart Honors 'Dreamers into Doers'

2007-10-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's flagship publication Martha Stewart Living (MSL)
will honor 11 extraordinary women at the first annual "Dreamers into Doers" Awards program this evening in New York City. More than 1,000 dreamers entered the competition celebrating women who have turned their passions into businesses and philanthropic programs, hobbies into careers, and aspirations into realities, just as Martha did 25 years ago with her first book, Entertaining. Martha Stewart Living will also present the first Living Legend Award to best-selling, award-winning, singer-songwriter Carole King.

Cindy Kerr from Philadelphia, PA, will be awarded the grand prize as a result of her efforts with ConKerr Cancer, a group she started to provide hand-quilted pillowcases to children with life threatening illnesses like her son Ryan, who is battling cancer. While the Kerrs continue to fight for Ryan's life, hundreds of ConKerr Cancer volunteers have provided more than
14,500 pillowcases to children at pediatric hospitals throughout Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Florida. Cindy will receive the $10,000 grand prize from MSL to further pursue her dream and continue her philanthropic efforts. Additionally, Bank of America will match MSL's commitment of $10,000, Talbot's will provide a $1,000 wardrobe with a
limited edition bag to help her keep any paperwork organized and within hand's reach and HUSQVARNA VIKING(R) will award a DESIGNER(R) SE Limited Edition sewing machine to help with the production of pillowcases.

"Cindy's story is as inspiring as it is touching," said Martha Stewart,
Founder of MSLO. "I am so proud of her and of all the women who entered the contest and I am thrilled to recognize our first-ever Dreamers into Doers Awards program. I hope their experiences will lead others to pursue their passions and find success doing something that is meaningful to them."

Cindy Kerr and the 10 honorees were flown to New York City where they
appeared today on the Emmy-award winning The Martha Stewart Show and will
attend the awards ceremony at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at
Lincoln Center this evening. The 10 honorees represent a wide range of
talents and efforts, from sending cookies to the troops overseas, to
creating community gardens and establishing an arts center for at-risk
teens and special needs children. Each will receive a $1,000 award from
MSL, a matching contribution of $1,000 from Bank of America and a $250
Talbots shopping spree. A complete overview of all 11 winners and their
stories are included below. Additionally, the Dreamers into Doers winners
are featured in the November issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Carole King will also be recognized as a Living Legend at the awards
ceremony. A celebrated songwriter, performer and environmental advocate,
Carole challenged herself and created Tapestry, one of the most memorable
and successful albums of all time. Her music has inspired countless women
to follow their dreams. Carole will release a new DVD today on her own
label, Rockingale Records titled "Welcome to my Living Room" and performed during The Martha Stewart Show. This evening she will perform at the award ceremony.

"Bank of America is proud to sponsor Martha Stewart Living's "Dreamers
into Doers" program which will help transform the dreams of 11 remarkable
women into tangible business realities," said Beverly Ladley, small
business strategy and deposits executive for Bank of America. "Bank of
America is committed to supporting the successes of small business owners
across the country and, with our matching funds, we hope to advance the
goals of such notable entrepreneurs."

"We love this program because it promotes hope and celebrates the
creativity and entrepreneurial spirit within women," says Betsy Thompson,
Talbots director of corporate communications and public relations. "We
applaud the honorees and everyone at Martha Stewart Living for reminding us that dreams can come true."

Dreamers into Doers -- Honorees:

Grand Prize Winner

Cindy Kerr, nominated by her husband Gavin Kerr
Philadelphia, PA
A talented quilter and a loving mom, Cindy Kerr started making colorful
pillowcases to brighten her son Ryan's hospital room during his cancer
treatments. With the positive response from her son, the hospital staff,
and other families with sick children, Cindy knew she was on to something
much bigger. One mom's dream to make her child happy gave rise to ConKerr
Cancer. Cindy started ConKerr Cancer to provide cheerful pillowcases for
other children with life-changing illnesses. While the Kerr's continue to
fight Ryan's cancer, hundreds of ConKerr Cancer volunteers have provided
more than 14,500 handcrafted pillowcases to children at pediatric hospitals
throughout Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Florida. Find out
more about Cindy's mission at http://www.ConKerrCancer.org.

Winners

Kim Waite, Christchurch, VA -- Kim's Custom Cards
When money was tight, Kim started making personalized cards for her
children. Kim's Custom Cards has grown from a hobby into a successful
stationery business with her products in 80 stores across the country.

Victoria Wesseler, Lebanon, IN -- Going Local blog
Working as a corporate consultant, Victoria had her head in the
boardroom while her heart was in the garden and kitchen. She managed to
complete personal chef and advanced master gardener courses before
launching Going Local, which celebrates the abundance of Indiana's local
foods.

Lara Guerra, Windsor, CA -- J&M Chocolates
Lara taught herself chocolate making while home after the birth of her
second daughter. With an eye on evolving her hobby, she pitched wine-themed
chocolates to the local Sonoma wineries and also gave birth to a business
creating hand-crafted chocolate bars.

Laura Stachler, Atlanta, GA -- Susansnaps
Watching her husband and daughter undergo chemotherapy, Laura wanted to
help. Through her passion for baking, she developed the ultimate
gingersnap, a cookie that aids in soothing upset stomachs. Laura named the
cookies Susansnaps for her sister who lost her battle with cancer and her
daughter who beat the disease. She donates a portion of every sale to
cancer research.

Mary Beth Schad, McKinney, TX -- Ellie & Ollie
When a friend mumbled "I'd buy these from you" through a mouthful of
some cookies she had made, Mary got busy turning her passion into profits.
Now Ellie & Ollie offers five varieties of beautifully-packaged cookies for
gifting. Mary hopes some day to license the brand so others can work while
staying at home with their children.

Valorie Barrett, Broken Arrow, OK -- Covenant Cleaning Services
Valorie's dream of creating financial independence for herself, her
daughters, and women who need a helping hand was realized when she started
her business three years ago. Valorie hires women in need who can't provide
for their children, and offer them free childcare and transportation to
improve their quality of life.

Shannon Cumberland, Denver, CO --Rosy Rings
Shannon began making beeswax candles at her kitchen table with
botanicals and spices. Local stores first sold the candles, and now Shannon
sells 300,000+ hand-poured candles annually nationwide. Rosy Rings has
grown from a party of one to a company of 15.

Susan Hager, Frederic, WI -- Cookie Brigade
Inspired by a friend who had a brother in the army, Susan melded her
love of baking and dogs to launch the Cookie Brigade to help support the
troops. In just over a year, more than 1,400 dozen cookies and 400 dozen
dog biscuits have been shipped to military personnel.

Lorraine Donlon, Syosset, NY -- RESIDENTS for a More Beautiful Syosset
Determined to transform a trash-filled utility strip along a busy local
road into a community flower garden, Lorraine started RESIDENTS for a More
Beautiful Syosset, a non-profit organization of local families. The group
continues to plant and maintain three community gardens.

Linda Z. Smith, Midland, MI -- Creative Spirit Center
As one of five from a single-parent, welfare family and the first to
graduate from college, Linda was no stranger to challenges. She co-founded
the non-profit Creative Sprit Center to serve as an arts haven for at-risk
teens and special needs children in foster care, among others.

About Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO) is a diversified
media and merchandising company, inspiring and engaging consumers with
unique content and distinctive products. The Publishing segment encompasses
five magazines, including the company's flagship publication, Martha
Stewart Living, periodic special issues and books. The marthastewart.com
website provides consumers with instant access to MSLO's multimedia
library, search and find capabilities, and more. The Broadcasting division
produces the Emmy-winning daily, national syndicated program, "The Martha
Stewart Show" and Martha Stewart Living Radio, channel 112 on SIRIUS
Satellite Radio. In addition to its media properties, MSLO offers
beautiful, practical and superior quality Martha Stewart products through
licensing agreements with carefully selected companies. For additional
information, visit http://www.marthastewart.com.
About Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart Living is the flagship magazine of Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia. As the original lifestyle publication, it provides readers with
the information, ideas, inspiration and confidence they need to enhance
their quality of living. Recognized for its creative content, iconic
photographs, and singular design, Martha Stewart Living has received
numerous awards and honors, including three prestigious National Magazine
Awards. Adweek featured the magazine on its 2007 "Hot List" of Top 10
Magazines. For more information, visit http://www.marthastewart.com.

SOURCE Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc.

Everything sells online -- Even Duck Eggs

2007-10-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

CORONA, Calif. -- With the explosion of new Internet-based businesses and the dramatic expansion of online marketing, a
top-quality business website address or domain name has become of paramount importance. The right domain name conveys credibility, is memorable and can deliver potential customers directly to an ecommerce website without the site owner spending a penny for advertising.

The best domain names are comprised of the generic name of the product
or service being offered, experts say. For instance, if you are selling
cars, ideal domain names might include "cars.com," "usedcars.com" or
"luxurycars.com." Such a name enhances natural search engine placement and
instantly links potential customers who prefer "direct navigation" --
entering the generic name of the product they are searching for plus the
common extension ".com" (cars.com) in the address bar -- with the products or services they seek.

A perfect case in point is DuckEggs.com (http://www.duckeggs.com). A
California entrepreneur Sai Pola purchased the generic domain name as an
investment several years ago. Since then, those searching for duck eggs on
the Internet have typed the term "duckeggs.com" into their browser bars and
landed on his site. Though Pola had no intention of getting into the
business of selling duck eggs, he saw a lucrative opportunity and acted,
collaborating with a farmer who now fills and ships the orders Pola
receives for duck eggs thorough his website. Like other entrepreneurs, Pola
observes that direct navigation customers are "very focused and more likely
to complete a transaction" than those who browse more casually through
pages of search engine results.

While companies with strong brands -- Nike, Apple, Starbucks and Dell
-- are likely to attract loyal customers searching for their product by
brand name, millions of other customers are simply looking for the shortest
route to top-quality products, regardless of brand and many products remain without a dominant brand.

The economics of direct navigation are startling and appealing. Beyond
the initial cost of a premium domain name, the cost of running a website
and attracting customers repeatedly through direct navigation is close to
zero. That's because with a prime domain name, the company actually owns the advertising medium and generates its own customer leads. As pay-per-click advertising costs have skyrocketed, the value of generic domains has become clear.

Summing up the growth and promise of generic domain names, Pola said,
"If I can build a premier Internet property using an obscure domain name
like DuckEggs.com without spending a penny in advertising, imagine the
possibilities in other areas!"

SOURCE DuckEggs.com

GordonsGuide.com Wins Travel Web Site Award

2007-10-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

FRESNO, Calif. -- Gordon's Guide, the leading publisher of adventure and active travel, announced that the W3 Awards has recognized its Web site, http://www.GordonsGuide.com, with a Silver Award for outstanding Web site in the travel category.

The W3 Awards competition is a highly-respected, worldwide contest that
honors Web sites embodying a high standard of excellence. Each year,
winners are selected by the International Academy of the Visual Arts
(IAVA), top-tier professionals from a "Who's Who" of acclaimed media,
interactive, advertising, and marketing firms. IAVA evaluates Web sites on
the following criteria: creativity, usability, navigation, functionality,
visual design, and ease-of-use.

Launched nearly 10 years ago, GordonsGuide.com
(http://www.GordonsGuide.com) is the largest Web site on adventure and
active travel with 10,000 trips to 3,000 destinations in 126 countries. The
site represents more than 1,200 vacation providers across 79 categories --
the widest range of adventure and active travel options on the Internet.
Categories include Archeological Tours, Ecotourism, Culinary Vacations,
Safaris, Dude Ranches, Heli-Skiing, Houseboat Rentals, Surfing Camps,
Whitewater Rafting and four and five-star resorts and unique retreats
worldwide. For those that want special interest travel, there are
categories like Family Camps, Women's Travel, Storm Chasing, Sports and
Fitness Camps, Fantasy Camps and Racing Schools, to name some of the 79 unique categories.

"We are honored to be recognized as an outstanding Travel Web site,"
said Timothy E. Gordon, founder and CEO. "We have worked hard to create an easy-to-use, information-rich Web site for travelers to research, plan and book their vacations. The recognition from the W3 Awards and the International Academy of the Visual Arts validates our efforts to create a great user experience for consumers looking for adventure and active travel."

The W3 Awards honors creative excellence on the Web and recognizes the
creative and marketing professionals behind award-winning sites, marketing programs, and video created for the Internet. This year the W3 Awards received more than 2,700 entries from Ad Agencies, Public Relations Firms, Interactive Agencies, In-house creative professionals, Web Designers and Graphic Designers representing companies such as Gucci, BBC, Maserati, Reebok, Nike, and Abercrombie and Fitch, and Royal Caribbean, to name a few.

About Gordon's Guide
10,000 Trips, 3,000 Destinations, 126 Countries - 1 Web Site Founded in
1997, Gordon's Guide - Adventure & Active Travel Worldwide is a leading
publishing company based in Fresno, California. The company publishes
highly regarded magazine-style travel guides and an award-winning Web site, http://www.GordonsGuide.com, the premier information and largest online resource for active travelers, offering the finest adventure and active vacations from around the world. Gordon's Guide has partnered with premier vacation providers and resorts such as O.A.R.S., GAP Adventures, Dean Cummings H2O Heli Guides, Intrepid Travel, Backroads, Fairmont, Vail Resorts, Hilton Caribbean, Forever Resorts, Intrawest, ARAMARK Parks and Resorts and Delaware North. Forbes Magazine has awarded GordonsGuide.com "Best of the Web" eight straight years.

SOURCE Gordon's Guide

10th Annual Chocolate Show Nov. 8-11

2007-10-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Decadent. Dreamy. Creamy. What can be better than a weekend dedicated entirely to chocolate? The Pastry & Baking Arts division of The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is once again gearing up for several delicious days of demonstrations, special recreational classes and participation in the annual Chocolate Fashion Show, as part of New York's Chocolate Show taking place at The Metropolitan Pavilion & Altman Building (125 West 18th Street) from November 8th through the 11th.

The Fashion Show
The Chocolate Show kicks off with an opening night preview party and
Chocolate Fashion Show to benefit City Harvest on Thursday, November 8th. ICE Chef-Instructors Michelle Tampakis and Faith Drobbin will dazzle the runway for the fourth consecutive year with a fashion chocolate creation that is both wearable and edible. Their Indian-themed sari will be made of cocoa nibs, isomart drops and piped chocolate. The look will be complete with authentic "mendhi," substituting chocolate for traditional henna.

Demonstrations
The Chocolate Show will run a series of one-hour demos featuring
leading pastry chefs and authors within their two on-site mini-theaters.
ICE Chef-Instructor and Center for Advanced Pastry Studies (CAPS) Director, Michelle Tampakis will perform a chocolate tempering demo on November 9th at 3:30 pm, in addition to ICE alumna Gina DePalma of Babbo who will demo at 1 pm. On November 10th at 12 noon, ICE Director of Baking Programs and noted cookbook author, Nick Malgieri will be baking a French chocolate walnut tart scented with orange zest, all in a walnut pastry crust.

Off-Premise Hands-On Chocolate Classes
In addition to the action at the Metropolitan Pavilion, ICE will be
offering chocolate-themed hands-on recreational cooking classes and a
special charity cooking class during the week of The New York Chocolate
Show just a few blocks away at their 50 West 23rd Street location. Classes
are limited to sixteen people. To register, please call (888) 582-CHEF.

-- Chocolate Galore
Monday, November 5th from 6-10:30pm, $95

Learn the very best of all chocolate recipes, from cakes, truffles and
brownies to ice cream, and beverages.

-- Old Fashioned Chocolate Desserts
Tuesday, November 6th from 6-10:30pm, $95

Classic recipes for long-time favorites that are sure to please and
are easy to make.

-- Truffles, Truffles, Truffles: Chocolate Charity Event for City Harvest
Friday, November 9th from 6-10pm, $100

Learn to make delightful variety of decadent chocolate truffles, while
you sip champagne -- all for a good cause! All proceeds will benefit
City Harvest. Please pay $20 at time of registration and bring a check
for $80 payable to City Harvest.

About ICE:
Founded in 1975 by Peter Kump, The Institute of Culinary Education
(ICE) offers comprehensive career training programs in Culinary Arts,
Pastry & Baking Arts and Culinary Management. With an in-depth, global
curriculum, dedicated chef-instructors, a strong record in externships and
placements and a clear entrepreneurial focus, ICE is widely recognized by
top industry organizations as a premier pathway to begin or continue a
culinary career. ICE was a finalist (2002 & 2006) and winner (2003) in the
International Association of Culinary Professionals' Vocational and
Avocational Culinary School of the Year awards. In addition, ICE offers
over 1,500 hands-on recreational cooking, baking and wine education courses
to over 26,000 students, as well as hundreds of special events for
corporations, individuals and the press each year.

ICE is located at 50 W. 23rd Street in New York City. For more
information, please visit http://www.iceculinary.com.

SOURCE The Institute of Culinary Education

Comedian Jackie Mason now on iTunes

2007-10-23T12:34:00.001-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- The hilarious comedy of showman Jackie Mason is finally being offered for download in the Apple iTunes
store. Through digital entertainment label Skilled Cat Enterprises, the first offering from the veteran comedian features over three hours of tracks from the four-CD set of his latest stand-up tour, JACKIE MASON: FRESHLY SQUEEZED. Recorded over two nights of performances prior to opening on Broadway, it's shtick like no other about politics; past, present and possible future presidents; the war in Iraq; and more.

A masterful comic, Mason blends self-deprecating humility with "chutzpah" to acutely and hilariously dissect the differences between Jewish and non-Jewish culture, addressing stereotypes of all kinds with his storytelling style dotted with non-stop punch lines. Each track will be available DRM-Free at $0.99 per track and $15.99 per album. Mason also recorded nine one-of-a-kind ringtones for the Apple iPhone that are available free with album purchase.

There's nothing quite like hearing Jackie Mason colorfully let you know your mother-in-law is calling.

In his typical satirical tone, Mason said, "I'm thrilled that some of my best material will now be part of iTunes. Maybe now that I'm on it, Steve Jobs' little company has a chance of being successful!" Added Victor Castroll, Managing Director of Skilled Cat, "We are thrilled to be adding an icon like Jackie Mason to our roster of talent. Further, we are always on the prowl for similarly talented artists of his high caliber to represent digitally."

Already fast becoming a hit on the Internet and soon making a guest appearance on NBC's hit comedy "30 Rock," Jackie Mason has been posting videos to YouTube.com, with his own comedy bits about pop culture, current events and the presidential race. With bi-weekly postings under the moniker "The Ultimate Jew," Mason offers pungent political satire and insightful observations on the foibles of modern life delivered with impeccable timing. His most recent 'vlog,' viewable on both YouTube and iTunes, announces his iTunes debut and offers his own hilarious commentary on the success of Apple. Mason is also giving fans the chance to connect personally through a dedicated phone number from SayNow.com. Fans can call him at (212) 863-9216 to leave personal messages and to sign up to receive personal messages from Mason himself.

Currently on tour around the country with his next show October 27 in
Boca Raton, Jackie Mason also has announced his return to the New York
stage. "Jackie Mason -- The Ultimate Jew," billed as his final new solo
work in New York, will open Off Broadway in March.

About Jackie Mason:
Widely regarded as one of the greatest stand-up comics of all time, the
New York-raised Jackie Mason grew up in a family of rabbis, becoming a
rabbi himself at age 25, later to leave his job in a synagogue to become a
comedian because, as he says, "Somebody in the family had to make a
living." After years of touring comedy clubs, Mason made his mark in 1984
with the one-man show, "The World According to Me." Leading to a number of other stand-up shows, Mason earned himself a Tony Award, Emmy Award, Grammy nomination and more. Currently hosting a nationally syndicated radio show on The Talk Radio Network, writing books with long-time collaborator Raoul Lionel Felder and updating his video blog on YouTube.com, Mason also is currently on tour in the U.S. and Canada. See http://www.jackiemason.com for tour dates and locations.

About Skilled Cat Enterprises:
Skilled Cat Enterprises is a digital only entertainment label
concentrating on talented and diverse artists. To be considered for digital representation, please send a sample of your work to talent@skilledcat.com.

Skilled Cat Enterprises -- Digital-Only, Rights Reserved to Go Vinyl (TM)

SOURCE Skilled Cat Enterprises

Wave Magazine to Enter Tampa

2007-10-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

MIAMI -- Marine Media Works, publisher of Wave and International Yachtsman magazines, announced a partnership with The
Tampa Tribune today to further the magazine's goal to penetrate waterfront cities in the United States through strategic partnerships with major newspapers throughout the country, mimicking the success of the magazine's relationship with The Miami Herald in South Florida.

As part of the new deal, editions of Wave featuring content from
Florida's West Coast will be inserted into Sunday editions of The Tampa
Tribune and distributed to top income waterfront subscribers. "We're
thrilled to expand our efforts to Florida's booming West Coast," says Jorge
Arauz, Group Editor- in-Chief of Wave and International Yachtsman. "We have
assembled a Tampa Bay Area-based team of award-winning editors, writers,
photographers and reporters ready to service the area's water enthusiasts
the area like never before."

"The Tampa Tribune and our television, on-line partners at Media
General are very excited to give our readers yet another reason to read The
Tampa Tribune now that Wave will be included with the paper to select
readers," says The Tampa Tribune spokesman Alan Williams. "We are also
looking forward to working with Wave on their family-oriented Marine
SuperShow."

"It will be a great opportunity to meet and interact with our readers
and viewers in a dynamic environment catering to nautical enthusiasts in
our area and across Florida," adds Williams. The Tampa Bay Marine SuperShow
will be held at Vinoy Park, Marina and Hotel in St. Petersburg from May
23-26, 2008.

Wave and International Yachtsman are affiliated with The McClatchy
Company, the nation's third largest newspaper publisher with 31 newspapers
in 29 U.S. markets. The first Tampa editions of Wave will be distributed in
The Tampa Tribune on Dec. 1.

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE
The Tampa Tribune is part of the Media General's Florida Communication
Group which also includes NBC-Channel 8, tbo.com, Sunbelt Newspapers, The
Suncoast News, Hernando Today and Highlands Today. The Tampa Tribune and
their affiliated newspapers reach over one million readers daily in the
Greater Tampa Bay Area.

WAVE MAGAZINE
Wave Magazine is the world's premier nautical lifestyle publication
flaunting everything on, in and around the water. Its award-winning
editorial team is strategically located throughout the world at key
hotspots encompassing every continent and the Caribbean, ensuring Wave's
editorial pulse is on the cusp of international happenings and industry
trends.

INTERNATIONAL YACHTSMAN
International Yachtsman is the exclusive, award-winning global
lifestyle publication of the yachting elite, showcasing - and influencing -
the passions and pastimes of affluent yachtsmen and women, global business
leaders, jetsetters and travel aficionados - on land, sea and air.

SOURCE Marine Media Works

Domino's Introduces its New Crispy Melt Pizza

2007-10-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Crispy and melty come together as Domino's Pizza (NYSE: DPZ), the recognized world leader in
pizza delivery, introduces its new Crispy Melt Pizza-two distinct sensations united in one pizza.

The Crispy Melt Pizza includes melted provolone and cheddar cheeses,
pizza sauce and your favorite toppings, sandwiched between twin crispy
crusts. Beginning October 22, customers can purchase a medium, one-topping Crispy Melt Pizza for just $9.99.

"The melted cheeses, toppings and twin crispy crusts of our new Crispy
Melt Pizza really create diverse and delicious tastes in one great pizza,"
said Ken Calwell, Domino's Pizza chief marketing officer. "Our stores are
really excited about the unique combination of this new pizza and we're
sure our customers will be, too."

Domino's new Crispy Melt Pizza will be available in Domino's stores
nationwide beginning October 22. Customers can also order online at
participating stores at http://www.dominos.com or from a web-enabled cell phone by visiting mobile.dominos.com.

About Domino's Pizza
Founded in 1960, Domino's Pizza(R) is the recognized world leader in
pizza delivery. Domino's is listed on the NYSE under the symbol "DPZ."
Through its primarily franchised system, Domino's operates a network of
8,449 franchised and Company-owned stores in the United States and more
than 55 countries. The Domino's Pizza(R) brand, named a Megabrand by
Advertising Age magazine, had global retail sales of nearly $5.1 billion in
2006, comprised of $3.2 billion domestically and nearly $1.9 billion
internationally. During the second quarter of 2007, the Domino's Pizza(R)
brand had global retail sales of more than $1.2 billion, comprised of
approximately $754.7 million domestically and approximately $492.5 million
internationally. Domino's Pizza was named "Chain of the Year" by Pizza
Today magazine, the leading publication of the pizza industry and is the
"Official Pizza of NASCAR(R)." More information on the Company, in English and Spanish, can be found on the web at www.dominos.com.

SOURCE Domino's Pizza

National Sudoku Champion Crowned in Philadelphia

2007-10-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA -- Thomas Snyder of Palo Alto, California was crowned the U.S. Sudoku Champion today at the first-ever
Philadelphia Inquirer National Sudoku Championship in Philadelphia. Dr. Snyder won the championship by solving an advanced puzzle in a time of 7 minutes; 9 seconds. The tournament, which was sponsored by The Philadelphia Inquirer and hosted by world-renowned puzzle master Will Shortz, attracted over 1,159 participants including 857 contestants and 302 spectators, making it the largest live puzzle tournament ever.

In addition to the $10,000 first place cash prize, Dr. Snyder earned a
spot on the six person U.S. World Sudoku Team which will compete in the
Third Annual World Sudoku Championship to be held next year in Goa, India.

The Philadelphia Inquirer will also cover his travel and accommodation
expenses for the trip to India.

While Dr. Snyder won in the advanced division, other winners included
Lori Desruisseaux of Elverson, Pa. in the easy division and Ron Osher of
Stamford, CT in the intermediate division. Mr. Osher took home $5,000 in
prize money and Ms. Desruisseaux took home a check for $3,000.

"Sudoku hit a home run in Philadelphia this weekend," noted Brian P.
Tierney, Chief Executive Officer of Philadelphia Media Holdings and
Philadelphia Inquirer Publisher. "The appeal of this puzzle cuts across so
many social, economic and geographic areas. I am proud of the role
newspapers, like The Inquirer, have played in the growth of sudoku and I
add my congratulations to Thomas Snyder, Ron Osher and Lori Desruisseaux, our new U.S. Sudoku Champions."

The Championship was open to a national and international field of
contestants from a wide range of ages and backgrounds. The oldest
participant was 87 years young and the youngest was six years old. Players
came from as far away as California and as near as Center City
Philadelphia.

"The interest in Sudoku is truly global and its amazing success lies
both in the simplicity of its rules and its non-language nature," commented
Championship Director Will Shortz. "I congratulate each of the winners. And I would like to thank The Philadelphia Inquirer, our sponsor, for a memorable tournament."

There were three main skill divisions -- advanced, intermediate and
expert. In addition to the winners of those three categories prizes were
awarded to 15 more players who competed in a variety of age groups ranging from under 10 years to greater then 80 years.

The age group winners are:

-- Under 10: Rachel Hart
-- 11-12: Mira Pomerantz
-- 13-14: Drew Farber
-- 15-16: Amy Mount
-- 17-19: Chris Narrikkattu
-- 20s: Thomas Snyder
-- 30s: Kirstin Boes
-- 40s: Ron Osher
-- 50s: Jeff Weiss
-- 60s: Carol Peckman
-- 70s: Donald Russell
-- Over 80: Milton Schwartz

According to a recent survey conducted by The Philadelphia Inquirer,
more than 167 million Americans have played sudoku. Forty-percent or 67
million people play it in newspapers. Sudoku solvers are evenly split among
men and women, and are from all parts of the country. The survey also asked
about political orientations and that too showed an equal number of
conservatives, moderates, liberals and independents.

The Second Annual U.S. National Sudoku Championship will take place in
October 2008 and again be sponsored by The Philadelphia Inquirer and hosted by Mr. Shortz.

About Sudoku
Sudoku is a numerical logic-based puzzle. Its standard format is a 9 x
9 square grid that is further divided into nine 3 x 3 boxes. The goal is to
fill the grid with numbers from 1 to 9 so that every row, column and box
contains each of those digits only once. The puzzle's author provides a
partially completed grid to start. The predecessor to Sudoku, "Number
Place," was invented in 1979 by American Howard Garns. The game was
popularized in Japan starting in 1986, where it was renamed and introduced
by Nikoli Co. Ltd. as Sudoku. Sudoku is short for suji wa dokushin ni
kagiru, which means "only single numbers allowed." Sudoku was introduced to
the U.S. in 2005 and has quickly become the most popular puzzle format in
the country.

About Philadelphia Media Holdings
Philadelphia Media Holdings, LLC, is the leading media company in the
Philadelphia region. Privately held and locally owned, PMH is the owner of
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, philly.com, related online products
and several community newspapers. With almost one million people reading
The Inquirer each day, and 1.6 million on Sundays, The Inquirer is the
region's most-read daily newspaper. Together with the Daily News, the #1
tab newspaper in the region, which reaches 500,000 readers each week, and
philly.com, the #1 website in the region, Philadelphia Media Holdings, LLC, reaches almost two million people each day.

SOURCE Philadelphia Media Holdings, LLC

Disney Princess-Inspired Bridal Line Expands

2007-10-21T20:14:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Every princess begins her journey with a dream. As a tribute to aspiring princesses who dare to dream, Disney and renowned designer Kirstie Kelly today will unveil the "Blossoms" for flower girls collection alongside a new line of bridal gowns inspired by the strength and beauty of each Disney Princess. Kirstie Kelly For Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings will be showcased on the runways this evening as part of New York Bridal Fashion Week. The expanded collection now includes a new line of bridal gowns, "Maidens" for bridesmaids and "Jewels," jewelry and veils, each inspired by the Disney Princesses.

The new bridal collection builds on the phenomenal success of the line
since its debut in April. The essence of each Disney Princess is captured,
including Ariel, Aurora/Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and
Snow White. The grace and glamour of each princess comes through in rich
treatments with fabrications including silk chiffon, satin, taffeta and a
variety of laces, and are elegantly accented with touches of crystal and
pearl, ribbon and exquisite embroidery and delicate beadwork.

The Blossoms collection adorably connects to every little girl's inner
princess. From the perfect flower girl dress for special occasions to the
holidays, the collection will connect the Disney Princesses to aspiring
princesses everywhere. The inaugural Blossoms collection features 12 style
options in sizes 4 to 14.

"Each piece in our new Blossoms for flower girls line marries the
classical styling of our bridal gowns with romantic and flouncy elements
that make all little girls feel like princesses," said Kelly. "The gowns
are fun to wear, yet fit wonderfully into very elegant environments, a
natural way for little girls to realize their own princess-inspired
dreams."

The fashion-forward Maidens collection extends the aura of each Disney
Princess to women today with the most versatile gowns in the line. This
romantic collection was designed with a cocktail and eveningwear vision
that weaves traditional bridesmaid design with red-carpet glamour. The
collection includes a variety of princess-inspired silhouettes from flowy
to fluid, prim to form fitting. The couture-style gowns are available in a
wide range of colors and fabrications such as duchess satin, satin back
faille, taffeta, and silk shantung with intricate beading and adornments.

The Jewels collection is a glittering showcase of Disney
Princess-inspired pieces designed to complement every gown in the
collection, including dainty hand-forged flowers made of fine Czech crystal
for Snow White, softer, translucent crystals for Cinderella, and a
combination of fresh water pearls and crystals with deeper hues for Ariel.
The collection features traditional artisanship and elegant designs that
will become part of the princess-inspired legacy every bride looks to
create on her wedding day. Each piece is color coded with a gem depicting
the represented princess, such as light sapphire for Cinderella and
amethyst for Jasmine.

For the first time, the Jewels collection will introduce a line of
classic yet fashion-forward veils focusing on subtle variations in color
and shape that whisper characteristics of each Disney Princess.

"The Blossoms collection bridges the inspiration of the Disney
Princesses with the design sensibilities of Kirstie Kelly, while the new
Maidens and Jewels collections translate the color and texture drawn from
the well known fairy tales," said Jim Calhoun, executive VP, global
apparel, Disney Consumer Products. "Together, the collections offer a
stunning array of possibilities and choices for brides looking to add that
special magical touch."

In celebration of wishes coming true, Kirstie Kelly For Disney's Fairy
Tale Weddings will unveil a special platinum gown inspired by Cinderella.
The gown sparkles with a rouched bodice adorned with opulent crystal
beading and a draped ball gown skirt with cathedral train. In honor of
wishes being fulfilled, Kirstie Kelly announced that she will make a $125
donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation(R) for each platinum gown sold to help make wishes come true.

For consumer information on Kirstie Kelly For Disney's Fairy Tale
Weddings, consumers may visit http://www.disneybridal.com.

About Kirstie Kelly
Kirstie Kelly of Kirstie Kelly, Inc. designs couture bridal gowns with
the highest quality and attention to detail. A graduate of The Otis Art
Institute of Parsons School of Design in Los Angeles, she has been
designing bridal and evening wear for more than a decade. Hailed in USA
Today as one of the 2003 season's new designers favored among celebrity
brides, Ms. Kelly has a growing client base that includes individuals who
are influencing the worldwide media, art, culinary and political societies.
For more information visit http://www.kirstiekelly.com.

About Disney Consumer Products:
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt
Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) that extends the Disney brand to merchandise
ranging from apparel, toys, home decor and books and magazines to
interactive games, food and beverages, stationery, electronics and
animation art. This is accomplished through the work of DCP's various lines
of business: Disney Toys, Disney Apparel, Disney Food, Health & Beauty,
Disney Home, Disney Stationery, Disney Publishing, Disney Interactive
Studios, Baby Einstein, and http://www.disneyshopping.com. The Disney
Store, which debuted in 1987, also falls under DCP, through stores
currently owned and operated by unaffiliated third parties under licensing
agreements in North America and Japan, and wholly-owned stores in Europe.
For more information, please visit http://www.disneyconsumerproducts.com.

About Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with
life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with
hope, strength and joy. Born in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers
helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the
Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 67
chapters in the U.S. and its territories. With the help of generous donors
and more than 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish
every 41 minutes and has granted more than 153,000 wishes in the U.S. since
inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit
http://www.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish(R).

Disney Media Contacts:
Nidia Caceros Tatalovich
818-544-0399
nidia.tatalovich@disney.com

Aaron Hunt
818-544-0393
aaron.hunt@disney.com

Bridal/Trade Media Contact:
Paulette Cleghorn
DLPRUSA
212-944-9013
designerloftproductions@yahoo.com

SOURCE Disney Consumer Products

Mount Airy Casino Resort Set for Grand Opening

2007-10-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

PARADISE TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The spectacular new Mount Airy Casino Resort will formally open its doors to the public
tomorrow, October 22, 2007, with a Grand Opening ceremony at 11 a.m. The casino's first patrons will be admitted at noon to the casino floor, which holds 2,523 state-of-the-art slot machines.

Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, the $412 million Mount
Airy Casino Resort becomes the first stand-alone casino to open in
Pennsylvania. Mount Airy Casino Resort is built on the site of the former
Mount Airy Lodge, which served as the signature resort in the region for
more than half a century. The opening of the new Mount Airy Casino Resort
comes just 15 months after the official groundbreaking, and it also
includes the opening of the resort's four outstanding restaurants,
including two fine dining restaurants, an upscale diner and a 24-hour
buffet. The casino's 188-room hotel is projected to open in November and
the spa, salon and nightclub are projected to debut by the end of the year.
Online reservations for the hotel began earlier this month. Work on the
891-acre site will continue after the opening, with an additional 212 hotel
rooms, pool, and a casino with up to 3,000 total slot machines completed by the end of 2008.

WHAT: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony followed by public Grand Opening

WHEN: Monday, October 22, 2007
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 11:00 am
Grand Opening, approximately 12:00 noon

WHERE: Mount Airy Casino Resort
44 Woodland Road
Mount Pocono, PA 18344
Assemble at the main entrance to the hotel (Press parking in self-
lot adjacent to casino bus entrance)

SOURCE Mount Airy Resort & Casino

Newsweek -- Most Dangerous Nation: Pakistan

2007-10-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the United States successfully deposed the fundamentalist Taliban leadership in Afghanistan. But in the years since then, there have been an increasing number of signs of a resurgence, and their influence has crossed the border into neighboring Pakistan, which many now fear has become a safe haven for terrorists.

Today no other country on earth is arguably more dangerous than
Pakistan, according to Newsweek's South Asia Bureau Chief Ron Moreau and
Senior Editor Michael Hirsh, who delve into the Taliban's spreading
influence in Pakistan and what it means to the war on terror. The October
29 cover story, "The Most Dangerous Nation In the World Isn't Iraq. It's
Pakistan." (on newsstands Monday, October 22), states that unlike countries
such as Afghanistan and Iraq, Pakistan has everything Osama bin Laden could
ask for: political instability, a trusted network of radical Islamists, an
abundance of angry anti-Western recruits, secluded training areas, access
to state-of-the-art electronic technology, regular air service to the West
and security services that don't always do what they're supposed to do.
Then there's the country's large and growing nuclear program.

The conventional story about Pakistan has been that it is an unstable
nuclear power, with distant tribal areas in terrorist hands. What is new,
and more frightening, is the extent to which Taliban and Qaeda elements
have now turned much of the country, including some cities, into a base
that gives jihadists more room to maneuver, both in Pakistan and beyond.

Taliban fighters now pretty much come and go as they please inside
Pakistan, Newsweek reports. Their sick and injured get patched up in
private hospitals there. "Until I return to fight, I'll feel safe and
relaxed here," Abdul Majadd, a Taliban commander who was badly wounded this
summer during a fire fight against British troops in Afghanistan, told
Newsweek after he was evacuated to Karachi for emergency care. Guns and
supplies are readily available, and in the winter, when fighting
traditionally dies down in Afghanistan, thousands retire to the country's
thriving madrassas to study the Qur'an. Some of the brainier operatives
attend courses in computer technology, video production and even English.

Far from keeping a low profile, the visiting fighters attend services at
local mosques, where after prayers they speak to the congregation,
soliciting donations to support the war against the West. "Pakistan is like
your shoulder that supports your RPG," Taliban commander Mullah Momin Ahmed
told newsweek, barely a month before a U.S. airstrike killed him last
September in Afghanistan's eastern Ghazni province. "Without it you
couldn't fight. Thank God Pakistan is not against us."

The contrast to 2002 is striking. Back then, in the first flush of
President Pervez Musharraf's crackdown on extremists, a newsweek reporter
met Agha Jan, a former senior Taliban Defense Ministry official, in an
orchard outside the city of Quetta. A nervous Jan recounted how he had to
change homes every two nights for fear of capture, and he fled when some
local villagers approached. Jan now has a house outside Quetta, where he
lives when he's not fighting with Taliban forces across the border in his
native Zabul province. Reporters in Peshawar, a strategic Pakistani border
city some 50 miles east of the historic Khyber Pass and the Afghan border,
say it's not unusual these days to receive phone calls from visiting
Taliban commanders offering interviews, or asking where to find a cheap
hotel, a good restaurant or a new cell phone.

Armed militants have also effectively seized control in places like the
picturesque Swat Valley, where a jihadi leader named Mullah Fazlullah rides
a black horse and commands hundreds of men under the noses of a nearby
Pakistani Army division that seldom leaves its barracks. Peshawar is
perhaps the most important production and distribution center for Taliban
and other Islamist material. Jihadi CD and DVD shops abound. The Afghan
refugee camps around Peshawar, meanwhile, have become vast jihadist
sanctuaries, according to Moreau.

"The biggest chink in Musharraf's armor is his failure to move against
the Taliban, particularly in the cities," says Samina Ahmed, the South Asia
director of the International Crisis Group in Islamabad. "The brains, the
ones who plan the operations, are not necessarily in the boonies or in the
sticks, they're in cities like Quetta. Can he pick them up? Easily."

Bruce Riedel, the former senior director for South Asia on the National
Security Council, points out that Pakistan's large and growing nuclear
program is another cause for concern. "If you were to look around the world
for where Al Qaeda is going to find its bomb, it's right in their
backyard," he says. And despite the U.S. government's assertion that
Musharraf's government has tight control over its nuclear-weapons program,
radicals would not need to steal a whole bomb in order to create havoc.
Pervez Hoodbhoy, a noted nuclear physicist at Quaid-i-Azam University in
Islamabad, says outside experts don't really know much highly enriched
uranium Pakistan has produced in the past and how much remains in existing
stocks. "No one has a real idea about that," he says. "That means that
stuff could have gotten out. Little bits here or there. But we really don't
know."

The most recent example of how bold the extremists have gotten in
Pakistan occurred during what would have been former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto's joyous return to Pakistan on Thursday, Oct. 18, after an
eight-year exile. One or more suicide bombers set off twin explosions that
killed at least 134 bystanders and police, and injured 450 others as her
motorcade inched along a parade route guarded by roughly 20,000 Pakistani
security forces. Musharraf's government quickly fingered as a suspect
Baitullah Mehsud, a longtime Taliban supporter and director of some of the
most lethal training facilities for suicide bombers in the far-off
mountains of Waziristan.

(Read cover at http://www.Newsweek.com)

SOURCE Newsweek

Bobby Jindal Makes History in Louisiana

2007-10-21T20:05:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Mr. Jindal, 36, becomes the youngest U.S. governor and the first Indian-American to head a state. The Republican took 54 percent of the vote to win outright over his nearest rival, Democrat Walter Boasso, who got 18 percent. Outgoing Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco decided to not run again after she was widely criticized for her handling of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina crisis. He narrowly lost the 2003 Louisiana gubernatorial election to Ms. Blanco.

The U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) has proudly
supported the political career of the Governor-elect, and we are excited
about what Mr. Jindal looks to achieve in the near future. USINPAC and the 2.5 million strong Indian-Americans nationwide celebrate this historic event along with the people of the state of Louisiana.

Mr. Jindal, the American born son of Indian immigrants and a Rhodes
Scholar, was Louisiana's health secretary at age 24, president of the
University of Louisiana at age 28, appointed by President George W. Bush as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services at age 30, elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from the 1st district of Louisiana at age 33, and re-elected to the same seat in the U.S. Congress by an overwhelming 88 percent majority in 2006.

"It is surprising," said Dr. Surabhi Garg, USINPAC's Director of Member
Services, "that the public discussion surrounding this young man, who has
dedicated his career to serving the people of his home state of Louisiana,
has been about the shade of his skin color." Dr. Garg further stated that
"the consensus among USINPAC members is that Mr. Jindal is a role model for
young Indian-Americans who look to public service as a life mission."

Mr. Jindal deflected questions about his origins in a remark on the
campaign trail, "people want to make everything about race," he said. "The
only colors that matter here are red, white and blue."

In his victory speech, Mr. Jindal repeated his election pledge to fight
corruption in the state. "They can either go quietly or they can go loudly,
but either way they will go," he said, referring to people who were
"feeding at the public trough."

The U.S. India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) is the political
voice of 2.5 million Indian-Americans. USINPAC provides bipartisan support
to candidates for federal, state and local office who support the issues
that are important to the Indian-American community. For more information,
go to http://www.usinpac.com.

SOURCE USINPAC

Jack Welch Kicks Off AFP's Annual Conference

2007-10-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Jack Welch, former chairman and CEO of GE and New York Times' best-selling author of JACK: Straight from the Gut, told attendees at the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) Annual Conference, that good leaders must have three key characteristics: authenticity, resilience and "the ability to see around corners." He said that it is easy to see what's coming straight on, but the challenge is to predict "what's next, what service is needed, what product is needed, what new treasury investment to use ... "

"Jack Welch is one of the seminal figures in American business," said
Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP. I am sure that this audience of
financial professionals was challenged and informed by his
thought-provoking insights."

In a conversation with award-winning ABC News Correspondent Elizabeth
Vargas at AFP's Opening General Session, Welch discussed the current global
economic outlook. He posited that 2008 will be a "very tough year" but said
he did not expect a recession. He encouraged financial professionals to pay
attention to China and India. "China and India are very important players
and we have to play there ... They are a positive force in keeping
inflation down in this very heated moment." In contrast, Welch expressed
serious reservations about doing business in Russia. He said, "The only
time you like regulation is when you go to a place that doesn't have any
and Russia is a place like that."

In his 20 years as chairman and CEO of GE, Welch transformed GE from a
bureaucratic behemoth to a dynamic and revered powerhouse. In his remarks,
Welch shared his passion for excellence with the AFP audience as he talked
about his experiences. Prompted by Vargas' insightful questions, Welch told
the audience that values are as important as metrics and described some of
the values he sees as important. "Search for any idea anywhere. Say it like
it is. See the world as it is, not how you hope it will be. Never kick
anyone when their down." Finally he reminded the audience that, "You get
the behavior you want by constantly rewarding and praising."

More than 6,000 leaders in the treasury and finance profession are
meeting in Boston, MA, this week to discuss key industry issues and
challenges. The AFP Annual Conference, the most important treasury and
finance event of the year, offers more than 150 educational sessions
featuring original, essential and unbiased information and numerous
opportunities for attendees to network with peers. Featured speakers, in
addition to Jack Welch, include David Walker, Comptroller-General of the
U.S.; award-winning documentary filmmaker Ken Burns; presidential historian
Doris Kearns Goodwin; Leslie Bennetts, contributing editor at Vanity Fair;
and Gerald Corrigan, former president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

Following the General Session, Welch officially opened the Conference
Exhibit Hall featuring more than 300 sponsors and exhibitors. The Exhibit
Hall showcases innovative products, services and technologies for treasury
and related disciplines.

The final highlight of the first day of the AFP Annual Conference is
the Welcome Reception - held at the Boston Public Library, the country's
oldest municipal library. The Welcome Reception, sponsored by HSBC Bank,
USA, NA, gives attendees an opportunity to build new relationships and
reconnect with old acquaintances in a relaxed environment.

Jack Welch, who helped to open this year's AFP Conference, is
considered the most influential CEO of his era. During his 20-year tenure,
GE market value grew from $13 billion to $400 billion. He is currently the
head of Jack Welch, LLC, where he serves as an advisor to a small group of
Fortune 500 business CEOs and speaks to business people and students from
around the world. He also teaches a leadership course at MIT's Sloan School
of Management and writes a weekly column with his wife for Business Week
magazine.

About AFP
The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) serves more than
16,000 individual members throughout all stages of their careers in
treasury and financial management. Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, AFP
provides professional certification, continuing education, research,
development of industry standards, financial tools and publications,
training and career development and representation to legislators and
regulators. AFP's global reach includes AFP of Canada, a Toronto-based
membership organization and gtnews, a London-based, on-line resource for
the treasury and finance community.

AFP is the daily resource for its members to seek answers, solutions,
best practices and collaboration with peers. For more information about
AFP, visit http://www.AFPonline.org.

SOURCE Association for Financial Professionals

Minnesota Historical Society Film Winners

2007-10-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

MINNEAPOLIS -- The drama unfolded at the historic Riverview Theater in Minneapolis on Sunday night as the Minnesota
Historical Society announced the five winning films in the Minnesota's Greatest Generation Moving Pictures Film Competition. More than 400 filmmakers and event-goers walked past the searchlights for red-carpet arrivals in "old Hollywood" style in anticipation of the winning results:

* Matt Ehling of St. Paul won Best Film ($5,000) for his film "Coming
Home";
* Gayle Knutson of Marine on St. Croix, Minn., won Best Depiction of
"Coming of Age in the 1940s" ($2,500) for her film "Prisoner 32,232";
* Paul Creager of Minneapolis won Best Emerging Filmmaker ($1,000) for
his film "Resonance";
* Rita Nagan and Jeremy Wilker both of Golden Valley, Minn., won Best
Collaborative Effort ($1,000) for their film "Skating the Pacific to
Europe"; and,
* Kevin McKeever of St. Paul won the Legacy award ($1,000) for his film
"Marianne Hamilton: A Voice of Peace."

The five winning films were selected from 60 films submitted by amateur
and professional filmmakers across the state of Minnesota. Each of the
10-minute documentary films focus on the life and legacy of Minnesota's
Greatest Generation -- the men and women who came of age during the
Depression and World War II.

"I continue to be amazed by the quality of the films and the rich stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation brought into a new light through the outstanding work of so many filmmakers," said Randal Dietrich, Moving Pictures Festival Director. "Moving Pictures helps preserve these stories through the dynamic medium of film, while linking a new generation with a generation that has had a tremendous impact on how we lead our lives today."

Encore Screenings, Minnesota History Center, Oct. 23
Encore screenings of the winning films will take place at the Minnesota
History Center on Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 7-9 p.m. as part of the Past
Forward Tuesday night series. The screenings will include an exclusive
talk-back session with the filmmakers about how they documented the
compelling and deeply personal stories of Minnesotans who came of age
during the Depression and World War II. Tickets are: $8 for adults; $6 for
members, seniors and college students; and, $4 for children ages 14 and up.

In an effort to preserve these films and slices of Minnesota history,
the films become part of the permanent collections of the Minnesota
Historical Society and receive continuing visibility at public venues
across the state, at http://www.mnhs.org/mggfilm and on television.

Select submissions will be showcased in a statewide tour through the
fall including public screenings at libraries, historic sites and schools.
The tour kicks off with an 11-city public library tour starting with
Minneapolis Central Library on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 1 p.m. Complete tour
dates and times are available at http://www.mnhs.org/mggfilm and at
http://www.melsa.org.

Filmmakers Tell Compelling Stories of War Veterans, GI Wives, Prisoners and More
Matt Ehling's Best Film winner, "Coming Home," tells the story of Bill
Ehling, a World War II combat veteran who fought in the European theater.

Through family photos, historical footage, and glimpses of his hometown,
the film relates Bill's memories of war, struggle and, finally, coming
home. Footage of their family farm abstractly represents how Matt, as a
boy, internalized his grandfather's war stories.

Gayle Knutson's winning film for "Coming of Age in the 1940s,"
"Prisoner 32,232" recalls the story of longtime Minnesota college professor
Reidar Dittmann. The Nazi invasion of his native Norway led to his
involvement in the Norwegian Resistance and a 15-month incarceration in the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp at the age of 20.

Winning film "Resonance" by Paul Creager tells the story of Duluth
Mayor George D. Johnson as he and the city were faced with a difficult
decision: to keep a Buddhist temple bell as a war trophy from the USS
Duluth or return it.

Rita Nagan's and Jeremy Wilkers's winning film "Skating the Pacific to
Europe" tells the story of Art Seaman who began his skating career in
Longfellow Park and literally skated and danced his way from Minnesota to
the Pacific to the 1948 Olympics and back again.

Kevin McKeever's Legacy winning film, "Marianne Hamilton: A Voice of
Peace," is about a woman who exemplifies Minnesota's activist spirit in the
20th century. Marianne Hamilton recounts her amazing struggles including
leading the GI Wives Club during World War II, venturing to Hanoi for peace
during the Vietnam War and ultimately, co-creating the Women Against
Military Madness in defiance of the Cold War.

About Minnesota's Greatest Generation Project
From the heroic to the tragic and the dramatic to the ordinary,
Minnesota's Greatest Generation lived it all. After a childhood
overshadowed by the Great Depression, a Second World War rushed these young
men and women into adulthood and propelled the ingenuity and boom that
followed. Sadly, with each passing day, many of the artifacts from this
generation are being lost to history and the witnesses to these stories are
falling silent.

This year marks the second year that the Historical Society is
organizing and hosting the Moving Pictures Film Competition. A third
competition is planned for 2008. Moving Pictures is an initiative launched
by the Minnesota Historical Society in August 2005, during the 60th
anniversary of the end of World War II, to explore the life and legacy of
Minnesota's Greatest Generation. The privately funded initiative is simply
known as Minnesota's Greatest Generation.

About the Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and
cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota
history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota's
past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites,
educational programs and book publishing. More information can be found at
http://www.mnhs.org.

SOURCE Minnesota Historical Society

New Yoda Stamp to Be Dedicated Oct. 25

2007-10-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- The following was released today (Oct. 20) by the U.S. Postal Service:

What: The U.S. Postal Service will issue a pane of 20 Yoda 41-cent
commemorative postage stamps at the American Stamp Dealers
Association Postage Stamp Mega-Event in New York, NY. Since
this event is just six days before Halloween, stamp
enthusiasts and Star Wars fans alike are encouraged to dress
up as their favorite character from the Star Wars saga.

Who: Anita Bizzotto, Chief Marketing Officer, U.S. Postal Service
Terrence McCaffrey, Manager, Stamp Development, U.S.
Postal Service
Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith
Stormtroopers

When: 10 a.m. EDT
Thursday, Oct. 25, 2007

Where: The Mall, Madison Square Garden
4 Pennsylvania Plaza
New York, NY 10001-2807

Background: The U.S. Postal Service invited the public to vote online
for its favorite of the 15 images on the Star Wars stamp
sheet, which was issued May 25, 2007. More than half a
million votes were cast, and this special issuance
fulfills the voters' wishes by honoring their favorite
Star Wars stamp -- Yoda.

An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only
delivery service that visits every address in the nation, 146 million homes
and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies
on the sale of postage, products and services to cover its operating
expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and
delivers nearly half the world's mail.

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service

TEST

2007-10-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

FROM THE PUBLISHER: Welcome to GoodFluff

2007-10-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

GF is up and running . . . fulfilling a dream of years to publish something a little different. I regularly visit Google News, CNN, Fox, Yahoo, etc., and pretty much find the same stories covered and sometimes – even – the exact same story!

Why?

Because the people who put together “the news" are all swimming in the same media soup. At room temperature. With the same bland seasoning. I wanted something different, along the lines of lagniappe, that great southern Louisiana word that (roughly translated) means “a little bonus” or "an extra or unexpected gift or benefit."

And so I surf. In different waters. Looking for that something extra . . .

Now, mind you, since I have no budget, no staff, no secretary, no go-fers, I must rely on free news. Most of it PR stuff – what we used to call “fluff” back in the day. But it’s good fluff . . . hence the name.

So, you’ll see some stories here that you might not find along the mass-trodden path of ABC, NBC, CBS – stories like:

* Harley-Davidson Museum Rolls Out Holiday Gift

* Taxpayer Funding for Hippie Museum Defeated

* Bride-to-Be Receives Kidney Donated by Fiancee

* Eco-Bags Products Green Gifts for the Entire Family

Now, admittedly, these are not Pulitzer material. Nor will they change the world. But they are stories that caught my eye. And, by the way, I mean that literally. I don’t use spiders or bots or tech-no filtered aggregators. It’s just me. And my mug of coffee (if it’s in the morning) or glass of vino (at night). That and my bi-focaled eyes scanning the screen of my old trusty iMac. And my crusty old fingers and thumbs click-clacking on a keyboard stained with chocolate and covered with cat hair from my feline friend Kit-Kat. With songs like “Gimme Shelter” playing in the background.

Well, that’s about it – for now. I’ll jump in periodically and say “Hello” or some such thing.

In the meantime, keep in touch. If you like something, leave a comment. If you don’t, leave one anyway. It will reinforce the fact that I actually exist in this digitized, pixilated, inter-linked and hyper-connected cyber-whirl. Otherwise, I’ll be just a self-deluded, keyboard-striking guy who thinks somebody might actually read this stuff . . .

LD on 10-20-07

PS: Since I work for a living (racking up long hours & long days) this thing is updated when I can still see straight and my wife is watching something like “Desperate Housewives” and doesn’t mind me slinking away to the backroom.