Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Scarlett Johansson Has the Best Boobs in Hollywood



I am a fan of Scarlett Johansson, because she is a good actress.
Of course, Scarlett is pretty and sexy and I think her breasts are the best boobs in Hollywood. And I am entitled to my personal opinion.



Un-Jersey Bride Blog for the Funky Jersey Bride



29 Feb 2012 15:15 Africa/Lagos

Un-Jersey Bride Blog for the Funky Jersey Bride

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Feuza Reis, a New Jersey-based, international lifestyle and wedding photographer, will be launching a new blog, the Un-Jersey Bride. The blog aims to go against the grain by sharing fun, hip, modern, and funky NJ wedding ideas.

The Un-Jersey Bride Blog, launching February 29, will be a resource for soon-to-be brides who do not fit the stereotypes of what New Jersey is perceived to be. Featuring photos, mood boards, articles on everything from floral decor ideas to gift registries and honeymoon tips, the blog is a superb tool to ensure that special day is enjoyable. Unique vendors can come together and collaborate on ideas and share their expertise within the industry.

Feuza's realization as a wedding photographer is that social trends are trending away from trends. That is, to make a wedding day truly special, it should be unique and embody the spirit of the bride and groom. The blog will showcase wedding themes, funky trends, and couples who are not afraid to be different and incorporate who they are in their wedding planning.

It is a one-stop shop for the local brides-to-be's wedding planning needs. All of the content for the blog will be pored over from head to toe, selecting only unique, diverse services that are catered toward providing brides with high quality information and tools. By providing a collection of wedding photography and content from local weddings it will inspire style-savvy brides-to-be.

The creator of the site, Feuza Reis, has a two-fold vision for the site. The first objective is to provide a new source of exposure for the bridal community of in New Jersey. Second she intend to provide artistic, original and stirring content, as well as service resources for couples who strive for creativity and demonstrate quality, The Un-Jersey Bride Blog will also serve to inspire and educate couples.

"New Jersey brides search the web seeking inspiration and striving to differentiate their special day. They are in search of ideas and products that have yet to integrate into mainstream weddings." Feuza Reis, creator, explains, "The new blog gives couples an answer for their desires be to unique and unconventional."

If you have a unique wedding you would like to feature on The Un-Jersey Bride Blog, visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Un-Jersey-Bride/147728921993441 or http://www.unjerseybride.com.


Media Contacts:

Sean Schrecengost
201.281.7125
SeanSchrec@fortheperfectday.com

SOURCE Un-Jersey Bride Blog

Web Site: http://www.unjerseybride.com



The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam Wins "Global Hotel of the Year 2011"


29 Feb 2012 19:27 Africa/Lagos

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam Wins "Global Hotel of the Year 2011"

BRUSSELS, February 29, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam has been awarded the title of "Global Hotel of the Year 2011" by the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The property, located in the heart of Amsterdam, has been named the best of more than 420 Radisson hotels worldwide, and the leading player within the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group with regards to guest satisfaction, employee engagement, business performance, and market positioning.

"The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam has delivered an outstanding result - not only in 2011, but over the last three years. It has truly raised the bar in achieving operations and service excellence within our group", said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO of Rezidor at the Award Ceremony during Carlson Rezidor's Global Business Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. At the forefront of the Global Business Conference, the property had already been awarded the title of "Hotel of the Year 2011" in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

"Both awards are a thank you and a fantastic motivation to my staff. Such achievements cannot be won by a single employee or following a single activity. They are the result of long term and intense team work", said Ronald Smithjes, general manager of the Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam at the prize giving.

The hotel aims to combine past and present in downtown Amsterdam, and was carefully designed to encompass several 18th century merchant houses, a former paper factory and a 19th century vicarage. Featuring 248 modern and stylish rooms and suites, the "De Palmboom" restaurant with a Dutch and international menu, the unique "Pastorie Bar", flexible meeting rooms for up to 160 delegates and a business centre, as well as a gym including sauna and solarium, the hotel is an ideal location for both leisure and business travelers staying in Amsterdam hotels [http://www.radissonblu.com/hotels/netherlands/amsterdam ]. The hotel also aims to adhere to Radisson's service philosophy "Yes I Can!", a 100% guest satisfaction guarantee, and further signature services such as free high speed internet access at all times. According to the group's Responsible Business Programme, the hotel is a smoke-free environment, and pet-friendly.

About Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts:

Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts (formerly Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts), part of The Rezidor Hotel Group, offers first class service, providing guests with a contemporary, upscale hospitality experience. Radisson Blu has received numerous awards for Best Hotel Chain and is renowned for its "Yes I Can!" spirit of service and the "100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee". September 2005 saw the roll out of a free broadband service across the portfolio - the first international hotel chain to offer this service. Radisson Blu currently includes more than 250 hotels either in operation or under development and with more than 58,300 rooms in Europe - including a hotel Lyon [http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-lyon ], hotel Stockholm [http://www.radissonblu.com/royalvikinghotel-stockholm ], hotel Salzburg [http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-salzburg ] and hotel Toulouse [http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-toulouseairport ] - the Middle East and Africa, which offer conference facilities and accommodation.

For more information, visit http://www.radissonblu.com.


PR contact:
Christine Reiter
Senior Director Corporate Communication
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Avenue Du Bourget 44
B-1130 Bruessel
Belgien
+32-2-702-9331
http://www.radissonblu.com


Source: The Rezidor Hotel Group



Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival Kicks Off Thursday, March 1



29 Feb 2012 15:07 Africa/Lagos

Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival Kicks Off Thursday, March 1

LATFF Features Prestigious Line-up of Judges Presiding Over Shorts Competition



LOS ANGELES, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Radio host and film critic, Elvis Mitchell; Barbara Boyle, Head of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Film and TV Department and Kathy Evelyn Smith, Head of the University of Southern California (USC) Film School's Animation and Digital Arts Department will select the winner of the short film competition at the First Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival. The festival will run March 1st to 4th at the Egyptian Theater and features award-winning films, Q&As and panel discussions, and a red carpet and awards ceremony.



Completing the jury are Alin Tasciyan, film critic and vice president of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Dervis Zaim, one of Turkey's most acclaimed new directors, whose film, "Shadows and Faces" will open LATFF.

"I am thrilled to have such a prominent group of judges at our first festival," said Cenk Erturk, Director of LATFF. "We received more than 200 entries from Turkish filmmakers and we will present the ten strongest finalists."

The shorts will be screened on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3. Their subjects range from romantic and family love to hard-hitting topics like domestic violence, war and suicide bombings. The competition winner will be announced at an awards ceremony on Sunday, March 4.

The ten finalists are "Journal" by Abdulbaki Yavuz, "Scarecrow" by Adem Demirci, "Love is Blind" by Ertug Tufekcioglu, "The Beginning" by Yigit Evgar, "The Monster Toros" by Firat Yavuz, "Four Walls Sarajevo" by Nadim Guc, "The Bus" by Olgu Baran Kubilay, "Ali Ata Bak" by Orhan Ince, "Milk" by Aysegul Sahinbozkir and "Off the Record" by Tufan Simsekcan.

"There is a reason why most of the films in the world are made in Hollywood," said director Kubilay who arrived from Turkey for the festival. "Showing my film to an audience in the capital of filmmaking is the most exciting and helpful thing I can imagine."

"I am incredibly excited," added Boyle who is also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. "I am really looking forward to seeing and hearing these new voices."

The festival will also present five award-winning features by Turkey's top filmmakers. For information and tickets visit www.latff.org, email info@latff.org or call (310) 866 8406.

SOURCE Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival

CONTACT: Elif Cercel, Publicist, ecercelpr@me.com, +1-310-430-1691

Web Site: http://www.latff.org



Top 10 Best Family Cars of 2012



2012 Toyota Prius V
Love the idea of 50 mpg but need room for your family and fixings? You might be suffering from Prius envy. But now there's a bigger Prius Toyota called Prius V. Its combined fuel economy of 42 mpg doesn't quite match its little brother's, but it's way more fuel efficient than any compact SUV and roomier than many.

2012 Ford Flex



One of the most appealing boxes in the world, the 2012 Ford Flex comes with three rows of family seating and plenty of opt-up possibilities, including all-wheel drive, an EcoBoost V6 (high power, high fuel economy) and a center-console fridge. Best of all, the Flex is just rare enough a beast to let you maintain a degree of exclusivity in neighborhoods glutted with minivans and crossover SUVs.

2012 Honda CR-V



The 2012 Honda CR-V was named one of the 10 Best Family Cars of 2012 by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com.

Fully redesigned for 2012, the fourth-generation Honda CR-V offers a more contemporary look and feel than the vehicle it replaces along with even better fuel economy and an improved Real-Time all-wheel drive system. Perennial best-seller in the hotly contested compact crossover class, the CR-V is also one of the few in the class to offer a rear-seat entertainment system.

2012 Subaru Outback
If your family deserves a sport utility vehicle but doesn't want an SUV, the 2012 Subaru Outback is the perfect on-road, off-road, all-road choice. Every Outback comes with all-wheel drive, an integrated roof rack and 8.7 inches of ground clearance – not bad for a fuel-smart, road-savvy station wagon with room for five adults and loads of cargo.

2012 Volkswagen Passat
Crafted specifically for the American market – it's even built in Chattanooga, Tennessee – the 2012 Volkswagen Passat is both larger and cheaper than the model it replaces. But the European driving dynamics and interior feel remain, making the new Passat a uniquely well-rounded, high value family sedan.

For the remaining five vehicles, including full editorial commentary for each of the editors' picks and the rank order, please visit http://www.kbb.com/car-news/all-the-latest/10-best-family-cars-of-2012/. For more information and news from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, visit http://www.kbb.com/media/, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kelleybluebook (or @kelleybluebook), or like our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kbb.

About Kelley Blue Book ( www.kbb.com)
Founded in 1926, Kelley Blue Book, The Trusted Resource®, is the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the industry. Each week the company provides the most market-reflective values in the industry on its top-rated website www.kbb.com, including its famous Blue Book® Trade-In and Retail Values and Fair Purchase Price, which reports what others are paying for new cars this week. The company also provides vehicle pricing and values through various products and services available to car dealers, auto manufacturers, finance and insurance companies as well as governmental agencies. Kbb.com provides consumer pricing and information on minivans, pickup trucks, sedan, hybrids, electric cars, and SUVs. Kelley Blue Book Co. Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AutoTrader.com.

SOURCE Kelley Blue Book



Children of the Leap Year


Leap Year photo by Silver Pen

Children of the Leap Year


Oh, awesome children of the leap year
How beautiful and wonderful you are!

You do not celebrate every year, so you seldom come our way
That is why the whole earth is agog to see you today.
We are going to roll out the red carpet
We are going to sing and dance on the street
Because we are going to paint the town red
And our songs of joy will echo until we go to bed.

Happy birthday on this awesome leap day
That was started by the great Julius Caesar
Then Pope Gregory XIII in February 1582 perfected the calendar.
And since then your leap days have come to stay
The last time you invited us to your quadrennial birthday was in 2008
And we have to wait for another four years to celebrate again!

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima


Famous people born on Leap Day
.

1468 - Pope Paul III (d. 1549)
1792 - Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer (William Tell, The Barber of Seville) (d. 1868)
1896 - Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister (d. 1995)
1916 - Dinah Shore, American singer (d. 1994)
1924 - Al Rosen, American baseball player
1924 - Carlos Humberto Romero, former president of El Salvador
1960 - Richard Ramirez, American serial killer
1960 - Anthony (Tony) Robbins, American motivational speaker
1964 - Lyndon Byers, Canadian hockey player
1972 - Antonio Sabàto Jr, Italian-born actor
1976 - Ja Rule, American rapper and actor
1980 - Chris Conley, American musician and songwriter/composer


Leap Year in other calendars





Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Cirque Du Soleil® Presents Exclusive One-Time-Only Performance at The 84th Academy Awards®



Hollywood Gives Standing Ovation to the Troupe’s Movie Tribute

BEVERLY HILLS, CA — February 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Cirque du Soleil presented a wholly unique and exclusive performance for the 84th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, February 26. The one-time-only event featured the largest Cirque cast ever assembled for a single act.



CIRQUE DU SOLEIL® PRESENTS EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS® (Photo credit: ©A.M.P.A.S.)

More than 50 international artists from Cirque du Soleil productions around the world converged in Los Angeles to bring the dynamic showcase to life. The act featured aerialists, Icarian acrobats, hand balancers, dancers and characters from IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema™ along with the 15-member Banquine team from Viva ELVIS™ in Las Vegas and a hand balancer from Zarkana™, direct from Moscow’s Kremlin State Palace Theatre. The act was accompanied by music from Academy Award®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, who scored the music for Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema.

Cirque du Soleil presented the performance as a tribute to the movie theatre experience incorporating signature Cirque acrobatic elements and imagery along with classic film clips.

The act marked the second time Cirque du Soleil performed during an Academy Awards telecast. The troupe’s first appearance, at the 74th Academy Awards, sparked discussions about creating a permanent show at the theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and resulted in the creation of IRIS.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 were presented on Sunday, February 26, at the theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC Television Network as well as being televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.

ABOUT Cirque du Soleil
Since 1984, the company has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in over 40 countries in more than 300 cities on six continents. Cirque du Soleil has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world’s preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Press contact:
Leticia Buckley, Cirque du Soleil
Phone: 323 337 6162



Nine West – Silver Lining


Nine West – Silver Lining

NEW YORK, February 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Silver is this season’s most wearable metallic that’s sleek, modern and utterly timeless. Pair the Nine West “Fastlife” with an embellished dress to complete an effortlessly chic downtown look. Taking over the VIP lounge…Envy me much?

Fastlife Platform Sandal, $99
Holler at Me Fringe Frame Bag, $69

www.ninewest.com

PRESS CONTACT
Andrea Fodera | NINE WEST | 212-536-9659| Andrea_Fodera@ninewest.com




Monday, February 27, 2012

George Clooney and Stacy Keibler Win Perfect Picture Award


Handsome Oscar nominee George Clooney and Stacy Keibler look like a beautiful couple at the 84th Academy Awards. And they have won Nigerian Times Perfect Picture Award.



And the Winners Are The Artist and Others Following




Jean Dujardin wins Best Actor for THE ARTIST.

The night of the Oscars belonged to The Artist as the French Black and White film won the most coveted Oscars at the 84th Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role, Original Score and for Costume Design as well.



As the era of silent films draws to a close, two actors find their careers and their relationship influenced by the coming of talking pictures. While popular screen star George Valentin resists the transition to sound, young Peppy Miller embodies a modern age that is leaving Valentin behind.

The Iranian film A Separation by Asghar Farhadi won the Oscar for the best Foreign Language Film.

When an Iranian couple separate prior to their divorce, a chain of events is set in motion that will affect the future of two families. After his wife’s departure, Nadar hires a woman named Razieh to care for his elderly father, but complications in Razieh’s own life give rise to an escalating series of problems.

List of the 84th Annual Academy Award winners announced Sunday:

1. Best Picture: "The Artist."
2. Actor: Jean Dujardin, "The Artist."
3. Actress: Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady."
4. Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer, "Beginners."
5. Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer, "The Help."
6. Directing: Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist."
7. Foreign Language Film: "A Separation," Iran.
8. Adapted Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, "The Descendants."
9. Original Screenplay: Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris."
10. Animated Feature Film: "Rango."
11. Art Direction: "Hugo."
12. Cinematography: "Hugo."
13. Sound Mixing: "Hugo."
14. Sound Editing: "Hugo."
15. Original Score: "The Artist."
16. Original Song: "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets."
17. Costume Design: "The Artist."
18. Documentary Feature: "Undefeated."
19. Documentary Short: "Saving Face."
20. Film Editing: "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo."
21. Makeup: "The Iron Lady."
22. Animated Short Film: "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore."
23. Live Action Short Film: "The Shore."
24. Visual Effects: "Hugo."
------
Oscar winners previously presented this season:
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Oprah Winfrey.
Honorary Award: James Earl Jones.
Honorary Award: Dick Smith.
Gordon E. Sawyer Award: Douglas Trumbull.
Award of Merit: ARRI cameras.

Winners List compiled by FOX News.



Sunday, February 26, 2012

Night of the Oscars!



Here comes another Night of the Oscars and there will be surprises tonight as the winners will be making headlines tomorrow, while the losers will wait for their own Oscar moments in the future.

Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards®

Actor in a Leading Role

  • Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
  • George Clooney in "The Descendants"
  • Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
  • Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
  • Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
  • Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
  • Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
  • Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
  • Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Actress in a Leading Role

  • Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
  • Viola Davis in "The Help"
  • Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
  • Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
  • Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"

Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
  • Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
  • Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
  • Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
  • Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film

  • "A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
  • "Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
  • "Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
  • "Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
  • "Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

  • "The Artist"
    Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
  • "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
    Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
  • "Hugo"
    Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
  • "Midnight in Paris"
    Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
  • "War Horse"
    Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

  • "The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
  • "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
  • "Hugo" Robert Richardson
  • "The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
  • "War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

  • "Anonymous" Lisy Christl
  • "The Artist" Mark Bridges
  • "Hugo" Sandy Powell
  • "Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
  • "W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing

  • "The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
  • "The Descendants" Alexander Payne
  • "Hugo" Martin Scorsese
  • "Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
  • "The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

  • "Hell and Back Again"
    Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
  • "If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
    Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
  • "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
    Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
  • "Pina"
    Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
  • "Undefeated"
    TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Rich Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

  • "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement"
    Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
  • "God Is the Bigger Elvis"
    Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
  • "Incident in New Baghdad"
    James Spione
  • "Saving Face"
    Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
  • "The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"
    Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

  • "The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
  • "The Descendants" Kevin Tent
  • "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
  • "Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
  • "Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

  • "Bullhead" Belgium
  • "Footnote" Israel
  • "In Darkness" Poland
  • "Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
  • "A Separation" Iran

Makeup

  • "Albert Nobbs"
    Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
  • "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
    Nick Dudman, Amanda Knight and Lisa Tomblin
  • "The Iron Lady"
    Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

  • "The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
  • "The Artist" Ludovic Bource
  • "Hugo" Howard Shore
  • "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
  • "War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)

  • "Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets"
    Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
  • "Real in Rio" from "Rio"
    Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown; Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Picture

  • "The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
  • "The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
  • "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
  • "The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
  • "Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
  • "Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
  • "Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
  • "The Tree of Life" Sarah Green, Bill Pohlad, Dede Gardner and Grant Hill, Producers
  • "War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

  • "Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
  • "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
  • "La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
  • "A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
  • "Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

  • "Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
  • "Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
  • "The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
  • "Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
  • "Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

  • "Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
  • "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
  • "Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
  • "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
  • "War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

  • "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
    David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
  • "Hugo"
    Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
  • "Moneyball"
    Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, David Giammarco and Ed Novick
  • "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
    Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
  • "War Horse"
    Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

  • "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
    Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
  • "Hugo"
    Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossmann and Alex Henning
  • "Real Steel"
    Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
  • "Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
    Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
  • "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
    Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

  • "The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
  • "Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
  • "The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
  • "Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin; Story by Stan Chervin
  • "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • "The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
  • "Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
  • "Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
  • "Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
  • "A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi




The Emotional Oracle Effect


Photo Credit: Urlesque


24 Feb 2012 19:13 Africa/Lagos

The Emotional Oracle Effect

Study reveals that individuals who trust their feelings are consistently able to predict future events more accurately than people who do not trust their feelings - a finding called the emotional oracle effect.

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A forthcoming article in the Journal of Consumer Research by Professor Michel Tuan Pham, Kravis Professor of Business, Marketing, Columbia Business School; Leonard Lee, Associate Professor, Marketing, Columbia Business School; and Andrew Stephen, PhD '09, currently Assistant Professor of Business Administration, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, finds that a higher trust in feelings may result in more accurate predictions about a variety of future events. The research will also be featured in Columbia Business School's Ideas at Work in late February 2012. In the research, the researchers conducted a series of eight studies in which their participants were asked to predict various future outcomes, including the 2008 U.S. Democratic presidential nominee, the box-office success of different movies, the winner of American Idol, movements of the Dow Jones Index, the winner of a college football championship game, and even the weather. Despite the range of events and prediction horizons (in terms of when the future outcome would be determined), the results across all studies consistently revealed that people with higher trust in their feelings were more likely to correctly predict the final outcome than those with lower trust in their feelings. The researchers call this phenomenon the emotional oracle effect.

Across studies, the researchers used two different methods to manipulate or measure how much individuals relied on their feelings to make their predictions. In some studies, the researchers used an increasingly standard trust-in-feelings manipulation originally developed by Tamar Avnet, PhD '04 and Professor Michel Pham based on earlier findings by Norbert Schwarz of the University of Michigan and his colleagues. In other studies, the researchers simply measured how much participants typically relied on their feelings in general when making predictions. Regardless of the method used, participants who trusted their feelings in general or were induced to trust their feelings experimentally were more accurate in their predictions compared to participants with lower trust in their in their feelings and participants in a control group.

In one study involving the Clinton-Obama contest in 2008, high-trust-in-feelings respondents predicted correctly for Obama about 72 percent of the time compared with low-trust respondents, who predicted for Obama about 64 percent of the time – a striking result given that major polls reflected a very tight race between Clinton and Obama at that time. For the winner of American Idol, the difference was 41 percent for high-trust-in-feelings respondents compared to 24 percent for low-trust respondents. In another study participants were even asked to predict future levels of the Dow Jones stock market index. Those who trusted their feelings were 25 percent more accurate than those who trusted their feelings less.

The researchers explain their findings through a "privileged window" hypothesis. Professor Michel Pham elaborates on the hypothesis. "When we rely on our feelings, what feels 'right' or 'wrong' summarizes all the knowledge and information that we have acquired consciously and unconsciously about the world around us. It is this cumulative knowledge, which our feelings summarize for us, that allows us make better predictions. In a sense, our feelings give us access to a privileged window of knowledge and information – a window that a more analytical form of reasoning blocks us from."

In accordance with the privileged window hypothesis, the researchers caution that some amount of relevant knowledge appears to be required to more accurately forecast the future. For example, in one study participants were asked to predict the weather. While participants who trusted their feelings were again better able to predict the weather, they were only able to do so for the weather in their own zip codes, not for the weather in Beijing or Melbourne. Professor Leonard Lee explains this is because "…they don't possess a knowledge base that would help them to make those predictions." As another example, only participants who had some background knowledge about the current football season benefited from trust in feelings in predicting the winner of the national college football BCS game.

Thus, if we have a proper knowledge base, the future need not be totally indecipherable if we simply learn to trust our feelings.

About Columbia Business School
Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School is at the forefront of management education for a rapidly changing world. The school's cutting-edge curriculum bridges academic theory and practice, equipping students with an entrepreneurial mindset to recognize and capture opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the school offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real-world environments. The school offers MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) degrees, as well as non-degree Executive Education programs. For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu .

SOURCE Columbia Business School

CONTACT: CONTACT: To speak to Professors Lee and/or Pham or to receive the forthcoming Journal of Consumer Research paper, contact Sona Rai, sr2763@columbia.edu, +1-212-854-5955

Web Site: http://www.gsb.columbia.edu



Pray the Devil Back to Hell



"The film is inspiring, uplifting and is a call to action for all of us"
-Desmond Tutu, Winner 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.




Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the astonishing story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and regime of dictator Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war, and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003. As the rebel noose tightened around the capital city of Monrovia, thousands of women – ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim – formed a thin but unshakeable line between the opposing forces. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they literally faced down the killers who had turned Liberia into hell on earth. In one memorable scene, the women barricaded the site of stalled peace talks in Ghana and refused to move until a deal was done. Their demonstrations culminated in Taylor’s exile and the rise of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Inspiring and uplifting, Pray the Devil Back to Hell is a compelling example of how grassroots activism can alter the history of nations.

Credits for Pray the Devil Back to Hell
October 7, 2011

Produced by
Abigail E. Disney

Directed by
Gini Reticker

Edited by
Kate Taverna and Meg Reticker

Co-Produced by


Johanna Hamilton

Cinematographer
Kirsten Johnson

Music Composer
Blake Leyh

Vocals
Angelique Kidjo

Associate Producer
Regina Boyer

Title Design and Art Direction
Interspectacular

Illustrator
Olaf Hajek

Writer
Sara Lukinson

Production Designer
Norval Johnson

Field Producer
Edwin Clarke

Production Sound
Wellington Bowler

Additional Camera
Maryse Alberti
Johann Perry
Jimmy Mangou

Videographers
James Brabazon
Tim Hetherington
Pewee Flomoku
Jonathan Sahn

Assistant Camera
Mariusz Cichon
Ben Bloodwell
Anton Jeffes
Dan Moody

Additional Sound
Judith Karp
Sean O’Neil
Doug Dreger

Post Production Supervisor
Shannon J. Fogarty
Parker Chehak

Post Associate Producer
Juli Kobayashi

Assistant Editor
Alexandra Meistrell

Additional Assistant Editors
Omry Maoz
Elizabeth Merrick
Naftali Rutter

Gaffer
Iris Ng

Consultant
Stephen Ellis

Post Production Facility
Full Circle Post

Online Editor
Rob Burgos

Re-Recording Mixer
Andy Kris

Sound Editor
Dave Patterson

Mixed at
Sound One

Production Assistants
Jeff Clark
William Cruz

Production Associate
Yvonne Moore

Archival Footage
ABC News VideoSource
AP Archive
Aurora Productions
James Brabazon
British Broadcasting Corporation
CNN Image Source
Everyday Gandhis ®
Gabriel Films
GTV
Harper Karmon
ITN Source
Jimmie Mangou
Journeyman Pictures
Just Media
Nancee Oku Bright
National Geographic Digital Motion
New Jersey Network
Pewee Flomoku
Jonathan Sahn
Television for the Environment
TV3
West African Network for Peacebuilding Women in Peacebuilding Network

Still Photographs
Pewee Flomoku
Getty Images
Foley Sanyon
Sunny Ugoh
Moses Zangar

For WOMEN, WAR & PEACE

Senior Producer
Nina Chaudry

Post Production Supervisor
Mridu Chandra

Re-Versioning Editor
Kristen Huntley

Theme Music
Bob Golden

Motion Graphics Designer
Yorgo Alexopoulos

Additional Motion Graphics
vanOs

Online Editor
Edward Goldberg

Post Production Sound
Doug Johnson

Series Announcer
Jay O. Sanders

Senior Multimedia Producer
Lauren Feeney

Multimedia Producers
Renee Feltz
Caitlin Thompson

Assistant Editor
Scott Greenhaw

Production Intern
Sam Jinishian

Sr. Project Manager
Rekha Menon

On-Air Promotion
Rob Issen
Jed Parker
Jon Berman

Legal
Jessica Bohrer
Robert Feinberg

Director of Publicity
Roberta Lee

Publicists
Lindsey Bernstein
Donna Williams

Executive in Charge for WNET
Stephen Segaller

Executive Producers
Abigail E. Disney
Pamela Hogan
Gini Reticker

—-

A Fork Films production in association with THIRTEEN for WNET

© 2008 Fork Films LLC
All Rights Reserved

This program was produced by THIRTEEN and Fork Films which are solely responsible for its content.



Saturday, February 25, 2012

Salma Hayek and Ellie Krieger Show How Every Good Day Starts With Milk


MILKPEP SALMA HAYEK GOT MILK THE BREAKFAST PROJECT AIMS TO MAKE OVER AMERICA'S MORNINGS, HELP UPGRADE THE A.M. ROUTINE IN THIS COUNTRY -- Salma Hayek and Ellie Krieger Help Kick Off New Campaign to Show How Every Good Day Starts With Milk.

OS ANGELES, Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakfast is famously known as the most important meal of the day, yet it's a meal that's likely to be skipped. One in five Americans, or about 60 million people, do not eat or drink anything in the morning before 11 a.m., according to a new analysis by The NPD Group[1]; and millions more opt for nutrient-poor choices on the run. The Breakfast Project is attempting to tackle this problem and change the way Americans view their morning meal.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120224/CG59084)

Award-winning actress Salma Hayek and celebrity TV chef Ellie Krieger are teaming up with the National Milk Mustache "got milk?®" Campaign to launch The Breakfast Project to help more Americans enjoy breakfast at home and be sure to set the table with milk. The goal is to makeover America's mornings so families can have a more nourishing and delicious start – which can have a powerful impact on the rest of their day, and even their lives.

"My days are always super busy, always very hectic, and I have to juggle so many things at the same time, but I wouldn't dream of skipping breakfast," said Hayek, who unveiled her new milk mustache print ads and TV commercials today to kick off The Breakfast Project. "I recognize how valuable it is to begin the day with a healthy breakfast that includes milk. It's a special time that I can share with my family, and I feel good that my daughter is getting the best start possible to her day."

Hayek will be the face of the multifaceted and bilingual campaign, where she will appear in two TV spots, directed by award-winning Hollywood cinematographer Wally Pfister, that will begin airing nationally on February 27.

One commercial titled "Come Drink Your Milk," reflects the tradition of passing on the healthy habits of drinking milk every morning to your children.
For the commercial "Midnight Run," Hayek takes a comic turn demonstrating the extreme lengths she would go to make sure her family has milk in the morning.

In addition, Hayek will appear in three print advertisements that will run beyond 2012. This is the first time that the campaign will use one celebrity to do TV commercials in English and Spanish.

Hayek is helping launch The Breakfast Project today to celebrate breakfast at home. Visitors to TheBreakfastProject.com will join a growing community of Americans gaining (and sharing) insights and inspiration to help makeover their mornings. Along with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Hayek's new ads and her personal tips on tackling the morning chaos, The Breakfast Project will share unique breakfast recipes, insights from other real moms and a Breakfast Learning Lab that delves into the country's a.m. habits and the research that supports the benefits of breakfast.

"I make sure that my family has a nutritious breakfast every day," Hayek said. "We often keep it simple with cereal and milk at breakfast, or sometimes we have some fun and make smoothies with milk and fruit. As long as my daughter has that glass of milk, I know that she's getting calcium, protein and other nutrients to help her be strong, focused and ready for the day. Plus, I make sure she sees me make healthy choices in the morning, too. I'm trying to be a positive breakfast role model."


DOWNFALLS OF BREAKFAST SKIPPING


"Breakfast sets the tone for your day, so if you don't start off right with a healthy, filling breakfast, then you may be more likely to make poorer choices the rest of the day," said Krieger, who is registered dietitian, mom and former milk mustache celebrity. "Skipping breakfast also makes it tough for you to get all the nutrients you need, which is a problem for adults, but it's especially worrisome for kids. Their growing bodies and developing brains need a healthy breakfast every day."

The frequency of breakfast skipping has increased over time, particularly among children and teens who tend to skip breakfast more than any other meal. The highest incidence (14 percent) of skipping is among 13- to 17-year-olds, according to NPD data. If breakfast is skipped, or the morning meal does not include milk, then it's difficult to make up for this nutrient deficit during the rest of the day.

Skipping breakfast, or missing out on milk with your morning meal, makes it nearly impossible to achieve adequate intakes of key nutrients, studies have repeatedly shown. In one of the largest ongoing investigations of children's eating habits[2], researchers found that 10-year-old children who did not eat breakfast failed to meet two-thirds of the recommendations for multiple nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. Children, adolescents and adults who regularly eat breakfast consistently have higher intakes of calcium, vitamin A, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B-12 and phosphorus – all nutrients found in milk. If milk is missed in the morning, it is rare for people to compensate for this shortage at other meals.

"Even though mornings can sometimes be chaotic, this is a special time of day and moms can feel good that they're bonding with their family and helping their kids get off to a right start by eating a healthy breakfast that includes milk," said Krieger.

Moms say they serve their family milk at breakfast because it's healthy and encourages good eating habits, according to research conducted by Monitor.[3] They also feel like they're being a good parent by encouraging milk at breakfast, and their main motivation to eat more breakfasts at home is to spend time with their family.

Not only does breakfast at home give families a chance to bond, it's also cost effective and helps recharge your brain and your body so you'll be more efficient and successful in just about everything you do. For kids, studies show that breakfast helps them concentrate in the classroom, and it's even been linked to better school attendance, fewer tardies and decreased discipline problems.[4] Adults need breakfast to have sufficient energy to tackle the day's to-do list, and to focus on demands at the office or at home.

Additionally, studies show that eating breakfast is an important strategy for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. People who skip breakfast actually end up eating more calories throughout the day and tend to weigh more than breakfast eaters do. A new analysis of published research by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrition Evidence Library[5] concludes that children and teens who do not eat breakfast are at increased risk of overweight and obesity.


MILK MAKES THE MEAL


"Lowfat or fat free milk will help make any breakfast you choose more nutritious," Krieger said. "It's certainly the most naturally nutritious drink you could pour in your glass in the morning, but it also pairs up well with a whole-grain cereal for a quick and easy breakfast. And what's so great about this combination is that it provides calcium, vitamin D, potassium and fiber – the four nutrients most likely to be lacking in the American diet."

An additional bonus is that milk is a good source of protein (even more than an egg), which helps to keep you full and satisfied so you'll stay on track with your healthy eating plan. Studies show that adding some protein to your morning meal can help control hunger and limit overeating later. [6]

Beyond cereal and milk, Krieger also recommends making a fast smoothie in the blender with milk and fruit, or heating up some milk in the microwave for a homemade latte. "Adding milk to your morning meal is affordable, delicious and nutritious," Krieger said. "And if you start your day without it, you're creating such a nutrient void that you may never fill it with your other meals."


JOIN THE BREAKFAST PROJECT


Visitors to TheBreakfastProject.com (or in Spanish ProyectoDesayuno.com) start at the project's Facebook page, where they can join a growing community, share their breakfast stories, find out how to get a free gallon of milk to help make sure more Americans have milk at their breakfast tables, or continue through to The Breakfast Project digital hub.

This content hub includes a Breakfast Learning Lab that provides a deeper dive into how (and why) to get into a healthy breakfast at home routine – even amidst the typical morning chaos. It also provides a real-time look at America's mornings, showcasing an ongoing snapshot of our country's collective a.m. routines. Visitors can also explore recipes and tips from celebrities and top registered dietitians like Ellie Krieger, behind-the-scenes video of Salma Hayek's ad shoots, and videos from other moms revealing their morning routines.

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign

The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.TheBreakfastProject.com or Facebook.com/MilkMustache. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?®" Campaign.

[1] The NPD Group/Morning MealScape 2011.

[2] Nicklas TA, O'Neil CE, Berenson GS. Nutrient contribution of breakfast, secular trends, and the role of ready-to-eat cereals: A review of data from the Bogalusa Heart Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.1998;67:757S-763S.

[3] Monitor. The State of Breakfast at Home. Conducted for the Milk Processor Education Program. July 2011.

[4] Murphy JM "Breakfast and Learning: An Updated Review. Journal of Current Nutrition and Food Science 2007; 3(1): 3-36.

[5] U.S. Department of Agriculture. Breakfast consumption, body weight, and nutrient intake: A review of the evidence. Nutrition Insight 45. USDA Nutrition Evidence Library. November 11. www.NEL.gov.

[6] Leidy H, Bossingham M, Mattes R, Campbell W. Increased dietary protein consumed at breakfast leads to an initial and sustained feeling of fullness during energy restriction compared to other meal times. British Journal of Nutrition. 2009;101:798-803.

SOURCE MilkPEP

RELATED LINKS
http://www.TheBreakfastProject.com



Friday, February 24, 2012

Be Forever Sexy With Suzanne Somers


Sexy Forever: How To Fight Fat After Forty, by Suzanne Somers. (PRNewsFoto/BodyLogicMD)

24 Feb 2012 19:08 Africa/Lagos

Be Forever Sexy With Suzanne Somers and BodyLogicMD

Suzanne Somers' new book, Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty, is on sale now!

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The queen of anti-aging, Suzanna Somers, shares even more secrets for looking and living younger and fabulous in her new book, Sexy Forever: How to Fight Fat after Forty. Somers has authored three books previously – touting the benefits of bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, with each one featuring BodyLogicMD as the expert resource.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120224/FL59382 )

According to Suzanne Somers the key to healthy weight management and sustenance of youth is living an all-natural lifestyle. In her new book, she describes how the widespread use of processed foods, loaded with chemical additives and packaged with plenty of preservatives, has led to the rise in obesity and preventable chronic diseases. Much like the experts of BodyLogicMD, Somers' book offers sound advice for changing your habits to cleanse and detoxify, resulting in weight loss, youthfulness and life-long health.

Dr. Jennifer Landa, Chief Medical Officer of BodyLogicMD applauds Somers for advocating this worthwhile message that consumers and experts everywhere need to hear, "I joined the BodyLogicMD network because I wanted the opportunity to pursue the passion that drove me to become a doctor - helping people before they become ill. Medicine should not be about simply treating a disease, it should be about offering a permanent solution and really change lives for the better. Thankfully, BodyLogicMD focuses on the patient and ensures that I have the time and the resources to offer preventive approach to medicine to every patient. Many thanks to Suzanne Somers for tirelessly sending out this message – preventive medicine not only changes lives, it saves lives, in every aspect, with the most optimal outcomes."

Somers continues to emphasize that the way to a longer, happier, healthier life is preventive medicine – maintaining body awareness through communication with your doctor, accountability of your diet and exercise habits and participating in a high-quality detoxification on a routine basis. The highly-trained physicians of BodyLogicMD are experts of preventive medicine and, in addition to bioidentical hormone therapy, help patients achieve natural hormone balance and total wellness through personalized, detoxification plans, balanced nutrition and fitness programs as well as pharmaceutical grade supplements.

About BodyLogicMD

Founded in 2003, BodyLogicMD physician-owned practices make up the nation's largest and fastest growing network of the most highly-trained physicians specializing in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Integrated with fitness and nutrition programs, BodyLogicMD's medically supervised programs are for men and women suffering from hormone imbalance associated with menopause and andropause. Also, BodyLogicMD is currently featured as an expert resource on Oprah.com and Suzanne Somers' latest selling books, Knockout: Interviews with Doctors Who Are Curing Cancer and How to Prevent It and Break Through: Eight Steps to Wellness , and her book, Ageless: The Naked Truth about Bioidentical Hormones dedicates and entire chapter to BodyLogicMD. Florida Trend cover story December 2009, features BodyLogicMD as the national leader in the growing anti-aging industry. BusinessWeek cover story March 2006, features the BodyLogicMD start-up story.

Suzanne Somers and Bioidentical Hormones
Suzanne Somers and Menopause


Media contact:

Sarah Caro
scaro@bodylogicmd.com
561.972.9569

SOURCE BodyLogicMD



Ancestry.com Teams Up With Actor Blair Underwood to Support Big Brothers Big Sisters


Ancestry.com Teams Up with Actor Blair Underwood to Support Big Brothers Big Sisters.


24 Feb 2012 15:00 Africa/Lagos

Ancestry.com Teams Up With Actor Blair Underwood to Support Big Brothers Big Sisters

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Ancestry.com, the world's largest online family history resource, has teamed up with one of its high-profile celebrity customers to support a national non-profit organization that helps youth overcome what are too often generational cycles of adversity.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120224/PH58763 )

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110613/PH17540LOGO )

Actor Blair Underwood will appear in a commercial promoting Ancestry.com's support of Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest mentoring network, proven to help children overcome adversity to achieve in school and succeed in life.

In the commercial, scheduled to air February 24, Underwood says discovering his family history on Ancestry.com gave him a greater understanding of himself. He goes onto say that while it's incredible to know where you came from, it's also important to know where you are going.

"That's why I'm joining with Ancestry.com to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that helps kids reach their full potential," states Underwood.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides one-to-one mentoring services to children of single, low-income or incarcerated parents as well as sons and daughters of military personnel or those who face other forms of adversity. The new TV commercial airs February 24 on the heels of the announcement of the Big Brothers Big Sisters 2011 Youth Outcomes Survey Report, which shows statistically significant improvements for youth throughout the first year of enrollment. The improvements are in three areas – educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors and socio-emotional competency, measures that researchers link to long-term outcomes, such as high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency, and college or job readiness.

Ancestry.com has worked with Underwood on a network TV show that airs on Friday nights. The company provided important family history research for the show, including tracing the roots of the featured celebrities including Underwood. Each episode takes one celebrity on an emotional, and often times soul-searching journey to discover the lives of family members who came before them.

Ancestry.com is donating 20 percent of proceeds of all new subscriptions donated through www.ancestry.com/donate from February 24-29, 2012 to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Funding is used by Big Brothers Big Sisters to carefully screen volunteer mentors and match them with youth in long-term, staff monitored and supported friendships.

To view the commercial and to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, visit www.ancestry.com/donate.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course. The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization's 100-year history. With about 360 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org .


About Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com Inc. (Nasdaq:ACOM) is the world's largest online family history resource, with more than 1.7 million paying subscribers. More than 8 billion records have been added to the site in the past 15 years. Ancestry users have created more than 31 million family trees containing over 4 billion profiles. In addition to its flagship site www.ancestry.com, Ancestry.com offers several localized Web sites designed to empower people to discover, preserve and share their family history.


Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include our ability to manage growth, and attract and retain qualified personnel. Information concerning additional factors that could cause events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements is contained under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2011, and in discussions in other of our SEC filings. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date and we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters

CONTACT: Heather Erickson, Ancestry.com, +1-801-705-7104, herickson@ancestry.com; Kelly Williams, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, +1-215-665-7795, Kelly.williams@bbbs.com

Web Site: http://www.bbbs.org



TOP 100 MOVIES OF ALL-TIME (Worldwide Gross)*



  1. Avatar (2009)
  2. Titanic (1997)
  3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 (2011)
  4. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
  5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
  6. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
  7. Toy Story 3 (2010)
  8. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
  9. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
  10. The Dark Knight (2008)
  11. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
  12. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
  13. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
  14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1 (2010)
  15. The Lion King (1994)
  16. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
  17. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
  18. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
  19. Shrek 2 (2004)
  20. Jurassic Park (1993)
  21. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
  22. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
  23. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
  24. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  25. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
  26. Finding Nemo (2003)
  27. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
  28. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
  29. Inception (2010)
  30. Spider-Man (2002)
  31. Independence Day (1996)
  32. Shrek the Third (2007)
  33. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
  34. E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  35. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
  36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
  37. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
  38. 2012 (2009)
  39. The Da Vinci Code (2006)
  40. Shrek Forever After (2010)
  41. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
  42. The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
  43. Up (2009)
  44. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)
  45. Transformers (2007)
  46. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (2011)
  47. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
  48. Forrest Gump (1994)
  49. The Sixth Sense (1999)
  50. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
  51. Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
  52. Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
  53. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  54. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
  55. Kung Fu Panda (2008)
  56. The Incredibles (2004)
  57. Fast Five (2011)
  58. Hancock (2008)
  59. Iron Man 2 (2010)
  60. Ratatouille (2007)
  61. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
  62. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
  63. Mamma Mia! (2008)
  64. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)
  65. Casino Royale (2006)
  66. War of the Worlds (2005)
  67. Tangled (2010)
  68. Men in Black (1997)
  69. Quantum of Solace (2008)
  70. I Am Legend (2007)
  71. Iron Man (2008)
  72. The Hangover Part II (2011)
  73. Night at the Museum (2006)
  74. The Smurfs (2011)
  75. Cars 2 (2011)
  76. Armageddon (1998)
  77. King Kong (2005)
  78. Mission: Impossible II (2000)
  79. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
  80. Despicable Me (2010)
  81. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  82. Madagascar (2005)
  83. Puss in Boots (2011)
  84. The Simpsons Movie (2007)
  85. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
  86. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
  87. WALL·E (2008)
  88. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  89. Meet the Fockers (2004)
  90. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
  91. Ghost (1990)
  92. Aladdin (1992)
  93. Troy (2004)
  94. How to Train Your Dragon (2010)
  95. Twister (1996)
  96. Clash of the Titans (2010)
  97. Angels & Demons (2009)
  98. Toy Story 2 (1999)
  99. Rio (2011)
  100. Bruce Almighty (2003)


Source: BOX OFFICE.

24 Feb 2012 08:00 Africa/Lagos


Saga Launches the Search for the top 50 Films at 50



LONDON, February 24, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Saga Travel has teamed up with LOVEFiLM to discover which films top the charts for the UK's over 50s. The travel and the home entertainment giants have developed an online survey to discover which films today's over 50s love, from Hollywood blockbusters and the latest comedies, to gripping drama and cult classics.

The quick and easy poll, which is only open to the over 50s, can be completed by visiting http://www.fiftyfilmsatfifty.co.uk and will be live from 22nd February to 6th March. Everyone taking part will be entered into a draw to win a fantastic 15-night voyage aboard Saga Sapphire [http://travel.saga.co.uk/holidays/ocean-cruises.aspx ], the new cruise ship in the Saga fleet. Cruising to the Canary Islands and North Africa the winners will experience a wealth of contrasts from rainforest and verdant mountains to black-sand beaches and volcanic scenery.

There are also four runners up prizes of iPads to be won, including a year's free LOVEFiLM Instant, providing access to thousands of movies streamed direct to the iPads. All entrants in the survey can also take advantage of an exclusive LOVEFiLM offer; two months unlimited LOVEFiLM for just GBP2, a saving of GBP27.

Promising an authentic 'real ship' experience, along with many traditional British twists, Saga Sapphire will offer 700 guests the best in high-tech entertainment including iPads, onboard cinema and a new DVD library which will carry the top films as voted for in this survey.

Susan Hooper, Chief Executive, Saga Travel said, "As we continue to develop our onboard product we felt it would be great to discover which movies really resonate with today's over 50s. This survey may throw up a few surprise, and gives us the opportunity to stock our DVD library with movies our passengers really love."

For more information about Saga Sapphire visit http://www.sagacruises.co.uk
or call 0800-50-50-30.

For media enquiries please contact
Carl Catterall on +44(0)1303-771118 or at carl.catterall@saga.co.uk


Source: SAGA and LOVEFiLM