Kisses 'n' Roses

Square Enix, Inc. Announces Final Fantasy® XIII-2 Now Available at Retailers

2012-01-31T11:45:00.000-08:00

Downloadable Content Will Include Lightning Coliseum Battle on Feb. 7

FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 protagonists Serah and Noel; FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 in stores everywhere today

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 31, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas today announced FINAL FANTASY® XIII-2 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system is now available at retailers.

FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 has already received critical acclaim from media. The game surpasses the quality of its predecessor in every way, featuring new gameplay systems, cutting-edge visuals and audio. In this game, players have the freedom to choose from a range of possibilities and paths; their choices affect not only the immediate environment, but even shape time and space.

“…playing FFXIII-2 will restore your excitement for the franchise’s future.”
-Official Xbox Magazine, February 2012 (9/10, Editors’ Choice Award)

“…Final Fantasy XIII-2 makes a great sequel.”
-GamesRadar.com (9/10)

“It’s fun, packed with content, and made me feel that old Final Fantasy magic again.”
-Machinima (9/10)

SQUARE ENIX also announced that extensive downloadable content is planned for FINAL FANTASY® XIII-2. The planned content includes Coliseum Battles pitting the player against adversaries from previous FINAL FANTASY titles that, when defeated, can be recruited into the player’s party. The Coliseum battle “Lightning and Master Sergeant Amodar” will be distributed on February 7. In addition, there will be episodes which enhance the experience and complement the narrative of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 with storyline branches for key characters in the story.

Full details on each piece of content will be revealed at a later date.
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Key Features

A New Tale Awaits
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 will reveal further events from the amazing mythology as presented in the original FINAL FANTASY XIII. The story is written in a way that it can still be enjoyed without playing the previous title.

Larger, More Interactive Environments
Places with multiple pathways to explore and many secrets to find offer players the chance to shape their own adventure.

Time Travel – A New Dimension of Exploration
The situation, scenery, flora, fauna and weather conditions all change, depending on when you visit locations. Untangling the threads of time is essential to experience the full story.

Enhanced Battle System
New elements, such as visually dynamic Cinematic Action sequences and the Mog Clock that rewards players for their actions, creating further variety and choice for the player.

Master of Monsters
A wide variety of more than 150 different monsters inhabiting the game world can be recruited into the player’s party and battle strategy, with each creature having unique and devastating special abilities.

ABOUT FINAL FANTASY

Since the release of FINAL FANTASY in 1987, this unique RPG series continues to showcase the spectacular visuals, highly imaginative worlds and rich stories leading the industry and earning the highest accolades from users around the world. Titles of the series have so far achieved a cumulative shipment of over 100 million units worldwide (as of June 2011).

Title: FINAL FANTASY XIII-2
Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 system
Genre: RPG
Release date: January 31, 2012
MSRP: $59.99
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Website: http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2

Related Links

FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 Official Homepage: http://na.square-enix.com/ffxiii-2
FINAL FANTASY XIII-2’s Official Facebook® Page: http://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIII
Follow FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 on Twitter®: http://twitter.com/OfficialFFXIII

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 59 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/na/.

FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 ©2011, 2012 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All rights reserved. CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA FINAL FANTASY, the FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 logo, DRAGON QUEST, EIDOS, SPACE INVADERS, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, TAITO and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Media Contact:

Elizabeth Stewart
Square Enix, Inc.
310.846.0400
na.pr@square-enix.com

Top 20 Nigerian Filmmakers

2012-01-31T08:03:00.001-08:00

Tunde Kelani

Top 20 Nigerian Filmmakers

In no particular order, the following are the top 20 Nigerian filmmakers based on the local and international ratings of their active engagements, current movies at the cinemas, critical press reviews by film critics and screenings at film festivals.

1. Tunde Kelani

Tunde Kelani has been the most resourceful and outstanding Nigerian filmmaker from the old school who has remained very active since the 1970s to date when his contemporaries are no longer very active. He is accomplished in both celluloid and video And his notable films include Anikura, Ireke Onibudo, Pap Ajasco, Kannakanna, Ogun Ajaye, Iya Ni Wura, Taxi Driver, Iwa, Fopomoyo and feature videos Ti Oluwa Nile , Ayo Ni Mofe , Kosegbe, O Le Ku, Saworoide And Thunderbolt and Maami.

2. Amaka Igwe

Amaka Igwe may be called the “Mama of Nollywood” for being the leading lady of Nigeria’s home video industry for her notable contributions to the sustainable development from the 1990s to date. And famous for her outstanding movies Rattle Snake, Violated, Checkmate, Forever and celluloid film A Barber's Wisdom - a film which is part of M-Net's new directions.

3. Izu Ojukwu

Izu Ojukwu is one of the most accomplished Nigerian filmmakers of the new generation, but very modest about his achievements. He has won African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) for Best Director for the film Sitanda, which received 9 nominations and won 5 awards at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards, including Best Picture & Best Nigerian Film.

4. Lancelot Oduwa Imaseun

Lancelot Imaseun who is the real Mr. Prolific of Nollywood, is one of the icons of the Nigerian film industry who has been there from the birth of Nollywood in the early 1990s to date and a multiple award winning director of over 200 movies so far including A Private Storm, Bent Arrows , Home in Exile and his latest blockbuster Adesuwa.

5. Teco Benson

Teco Benson is without dispute among the outstanding filmmakers in Nigeria today and among his notable movies are High Blood Pressure, The Fake Prophet, Mission To Nowhere, Explosion: Now or Never, Silence of the Gods, Blood Diamonds, Danger Signal, State of Emergency and War Front.

6. Kunle Afolayan

Kunle Afolayan is carrying on the torch of his famous father Adeyemi Afolayan, aka Ade Love who produced box office hits in the 1970s. Kunle’s Irapada was the best indigenous movie at the 2007 African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) and his box office hit The Figurine: Araromire won the best picture prize and four other major awards at the 2010 African movie academy Awards (AMAA) and has been well received at local and international film festivals.

7. Faruk Lasaki

Faruk Lasaki is an accomplished young filmmaker who is more accomplished for his commercials. And his first feature Changing Faces has become one of the most critically successful Nigerian movies in recent time.

8. Chineze Anyaene

Chineze Anyaene’s first feature IJÉ the Journey shot on 35mm is so far the most successful Nigerian movie in Nigeria and at major international film festivals where the film has won many nominations and awards

9. Mak Kusare

Mak ’Kusare is a young and ambitious filmmaker who has won multiple awards for his features, including three awards for his first feature Ninety Degrees in 2006 at the Zuma Film Film Festival in Abuja, for the Best Director, Best First Film/Video of a Director and Best Feature Film. He also directed the Champions of our Time that has won prizes, including; Best Film award at the Zafaa International Film Festival, Abuja International Film Festival, the special jury prize for TV/Video fiction and a special ECOWAS prize at the 2011 Pan African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).

10. Jeta Amata

Jeta Amata is a highly rated filmmaker for his ambitious 35mm film The Amazing Grace which won the Best West African Film award at the 2006 Screen Nations Awards UK and for his daring award winning 2011 film Black Gold and the multiple awards winning Inale.

11. Obi Emelonye

Obi Emelonye who is now based in the UK is a notable award winning Nollywood filmmaker known for his outstanding movies, including The Asylum (2008), Sweet, Betrayal (2007), Lucky Joe (2006), London Successor (2006), Echoes of War (2003), Who's Next? (2001), Good Friends (2000) and his most successful so far The Mirror Boy.

12. Mahmood Ali-Balogun

Mahmood Ali-Balogun is the director of Tango With Me, one of the most successful Nigerian films shot on 35 mm and for “Temi ni Tooto” in 2003.. He is also respected for .his award-winning MNET short film A Place called Home in 1998

13. Stephanie Okereke

Stephanie Okereke’s Through the Glass which premiered in October 18th 2008 at the Pacific Design Center in Hollywood, California and got her the Recognition Award from the California state legislature and the city of Carson is among the top 10 Nigerian movies at the cinemas and also got an international distributor in North America.
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14. Femi Odugbemi

Femi Odugbemi is a highly esteemed award-winning filmmaker who is notable for his award winning documentaries, dramas, TV Shows and commercials and commended for his Bar Beach Blues and Maroko.

15. Lonzo Nzekwe

Lonzo Nzekwe’s Anchor Baby won the Best Film prize at the 2010 Harlem International Film Festival in New York and has taken him places so far. The film is among the fantastic revelations of Nigerian motion pictures in the first decade of the 21st century.

16. Michelle Bello

Michelle Bello’s feature film, “Small Boy” had scooped coveted prizes and nominations at various awards ceremonies and film festivals, including Two AMAA awards for Best Art Direction and Best Young Child Actor in April 2009; two nominations at the American Black Film Festival in Los Angeles in August 2008, the Heineken Red Star Award for Innovation in Film and the Target Filmmaker Award for Most Inspirational Film. The film was also part of the Federal Government delegation to the Israeli Film Festival. Ms. Bello is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C. where she earned a degree in Mass Communication, specializing in Visual Media. She is the daughter of respected arts promoter, Mrs. Sylva Bello, of the Masoma Foundation.

17. Chike Ibekwe

Chike Ibekwe’s first and only feature so far Eternal shared the Golden Screen prize for the best film award with “An Unusual Woman” by Burkinabe director Abdoulaye Dao at the 14th annual “Ecrans noirs” Film Festival in Yaounde (Cameroon) and has been screened at other international film festivals..

18. Niji Akanni

Niji Akanni is a quiet storm that thundered with Aramotu his historical film that won the Best Nigerian film prize at the 2011 http://www.ama-awards.com/amaa-nominees-and-winners-2011African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA), beating Mahmood Ali-Balogun’s Tango With Me, Tunde Kelani’s Maami, Jeta Amata’s Inale and Lancelot Imaseun/Ikechukwu Onyeka’s Private Storm. Akanni is a seasoned and well educated director who is highly respected in the Nigerian film industry for his award winning short and full length films.

19. Newton Aduaka

Newton Aduaka’s feature film, Rage, became the first wholly independently financed film by a black filmmaker in the history of British cinema to be released nationwide and has earned him a place among the most accomplished young Black filmmakers in the world today. Ezra, his first non-independently funded film, for Arte France was nominated for top honours at several film festivals and was an official selection at Sundance and Cannes and won the most coveted first prize of Etalon d'or de Yennenga (the golden stallion of Yennenga) at the 2007 Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO).

20. Ejim Onyenkachi

Ejim Onyekachi’s multiple award winning film The Tenant earned him a place among the top 20 Nigerian filmmakers. The film notably won the Audience Choice Award, Best Feature Film– at the Hollywood Black Film Festival in 2009, Best Film at the Mid Atlantic Black Film Festival, Virginia in 2009 and the Best Feature Film at the Moving Image Film festival, Toronto, Canada in 2008.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima is the author of Young At Art, Best of Nollywood and other articles and books.

Top 20 Nigerian Filmmakers

2012-01-31T08:03:00.000-08:00

My Birthday Message

2012-01-30T01:47:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to all those who remembered my birthday, January 30th without being reminded. I really appreciate your well wishes and I have prophesied the blessings and favcurs of God to reward you always. Amen.

To celebrate my birthday, may I share the following article on how to separate fact from fiction in the midst of the existential challenges of life.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Inch by Inch ...

"If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which will grow—perhaps it all will."1

I recently read about a woman who planted some 50,000 daffodil bulbs in her back yard—one at a time—over a period of nearly fifty years!

"Year after year, she kept planting bulbs until she had created five acres of ineffable magnificence, beauty and inspiration. After seeing the spectacular garden one woman remarked, 'It makes me sad in a way. What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal 35 or 40 years ago and had worked on it one bulb at a time through all those years? Just think what I might have been able to achieve!' Her daughter responded, 'Start tomorrow.' The mother said, 'I'll start today.'"2

It's amazing what can be accomplished by doing just a little every day, day after day. You've probably heard the old saying that says, "Inch by inch anything's a cinch—but yard by yard it's miles too hard."

When I first wanted to write a book, it seemed like an overwhelming task. However, a friend suggested I considered writing just one page at a time. "I can handle that," I said to myself … and that's what I did 205 times.

Not many people are going to plant five acres of daffodils and not everybody is going to write a book. However, the important thing is to invest your life in a worthwhile cause that will achieve at least three things: (1) it will have eternal value, (2) it will benefit others, and (3) it will give you a deep sense of satisfaction in that you will not have lived in vain but have achieved something worthwhile with your life. It doesn't have to be profound or earth shattering—just significant. And that you can start today … one "bulb," one "page," one kind word of encouragement, one act of kindness at a time … every day for the rest of your life.

Suggested prayer:
"Dear God, please give me a noble cause for which to live—not so big that it will cause me to be proud … not so small that it will never be a challenge … but big enough to make me stretch and grow … and give my life significance. And most of all grant that it will be a blessing to others and bring glory to your name. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Ecclesiastes 11:4, 6 (TLB)(NLT).
2. KneEmail #777, Mike Benson, Editor, http://www.oakhillcoc.org

<:))))><

Faithfully,
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

The Material Girl is Back on the Dance Floor

2012-01-29T07:42:00.000-08:00

29 Jan 2012 14:00 Africa/Lagos

The Material Girl is Back on the Dance Floor
MADONNA'S FIRST SINGLE "GIVE ME ALL YOUR LUVIN'" FEATURING NICKI MINAJ & M.I.A. OUT FEB. 3rd

Madonna "Give Me All Your Luvin'" Album Cover. (PRNewsFoto/Interscope Records)

MDNA New Studio Album For Interscope Records To Be Released March 26th
Limited Time iTunes Pre-Order of Exclusive MDNA Deluxe Edition Begins Feb. 3rd
AMERICAN IDOL To Air Exclusive Video Preview of Single on Thursday, Feb. 2nd on FOX

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Madonna will be releasing her new single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A. on February 3rd, three days before her highly anticipated Bridgestone Super Bowl halftime performance, it was officially confirmed by Interscope Records. "Give Me All Your Luvin'" is the first single from Madonna's upcoming album MDNA , her 12th studio album and follow up to 2008's Hard Candy which debuted at No. 1 in 37 countries. The song was written by Madonna, Martin Solveig, Nicki Minaj and M.I.A, composed by Martin Solveig and Michael Tordjman and produced by Madonna and Martin Solveig.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120129/LA43566)

iTunes will offer an exclusive global pre-order of an 18 track Deluxe Edition of MDNA including one exclusive remix from Madonna's new album. The bonus remix will be available from Friday, February 3rd through Monday, February 6th only. During this time period the album will be available for $9.99 and fans will also receive the digital single "Give Me All Your Luvin'" immediately. This single is also exclusive to iTunes during this limited time. At launch, the offer can be found at www.iTunes.com/Madonna.

The video for "Give Me All Your Luvin'," directed by Megaforce, is football and cheerleader themed - inspired by her upcoming Super Bowl appearance. In an AMERICAN IDOL exclusive, Madonna will world preview the video for her new single "Give Me All Your Luvin'," featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A., during IDOL Thursday, Feb. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. The full video for "Give Me All Your Luvin'" will premiere on Madonna's YouTube channel on February 3rd at 9am EST/6am PST. www.youtube.com/Madonna

MDNA, recorded in New York and LA, reunites Madonna with former collaborator William Orbit ("Ray of Light") who co-wrote and co-produced several cuts on the new album. Other co producers include Martin Solveig, The Demolition Crew, Marco "Benny" Benassi and Alessandro "Alle" Benassi, Hardy "Indiigo" Muanza, Michael Malih and Madonna.

The Golden Globe Award winning song "Masterpiece" from the Madonna directed Weinstein Company film "W.E." which opens in February is also included on MDNA as well as on W.E. – Music From the Soundtrack which is scheduled to be released on January 31st at digital retailers on Interscope as well. The Compact Disc version of the soundtrack is scheduled to be released exclusively at Amazon.com on February 14th. The score was composed, orchestrated and produced by Abel Korzeniowski.

Madonna is scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Show on January 30th.

SOURCE Interscope Records

CONTACT: Liz Rosenberg, liz@lizrosenbergmedia.com or Karen Moss, karenmoss@lizrosenbergmedia.com both of Liz Rosenberg Media, +1-212-991-4290; or Dennis Dennehy, +1-310-865-7934, d.dennehy@umusic.com or Christine Wolff, +1-212-841-8048, christine.wolff@umusic.com, both of Interscope Geffen A&M

Mexico Poised to Break Tourism Records in 2012

2012-01-29T06:41:00.000-08:00

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on solid tourism numbers in 2011, the Mexico Tourism Board predicts 52 million tourists will visit Mexico in 2012. This follows a strong winter break season with hotels in many of the top tourist destinations – from Cancun to Los Cabos -- seeing a significant increase in occupancy compared to last year's winter break.

SECTUR, The Mexican Ministry of Tourism reported that the number of air arrivals in December 2011 was up 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. More than 1.07 million international travelers visited Mexico in the last month of 2011, a record for December.

In addition to an increase of visitors from the US (10.6 percent) and Canada (9.1 percent), Mexico received significant year on year increases from Spain (6 percent), Italy (10.5 percent), Argentina (21.4 percent), and France (12.4 percent).

"We envisage that 2012 will be a record-breaking year for Mexico in terms of tourism numbers," said Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board. "Mexico's tourism industry is undergoing a stunning transformation - based on a bold strategy of diversification -- focused on promoting a broader range of tourism products (i.e. cultural tourism, adventure travel and health related-tourism) aimed at attracting a new breed of global consumer."

"The Mexico Tourism Board will continue to market directly to tourists from non-traditional origins in Europe and Asia, while at the same time strengthening our hold on American and Canadian travelers."

A key focus for the Mexico Tourism Board in 2012 will also be to capitalize on, celebrate and promote the start of the new Mayan calendar -- with a strong awareness campaign aimed at promoting travel to the five states that comprise the Mayan World - specifically Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas and the Yucatan.

This further reinforces the Mexican Government's goals of aggressively driving a diversified tourism strategy to achieve its goal of ranking amongst the world's top five tourism destinations by 2015.

"We have no intention of simply being seen as a 'sun and beach destination.' Mundo Maya is a prime example of this strategy as we are converting the Southeast into a coveted tourist destination, internationally."

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Jennifer Risi
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
+1-646-240-6297

SOURCE Mexico Tourism Board

Spinlet Showcases DJ Jazzy Jeff, Naeto C, Paul G, and Sesu in Cannes

2012-01-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

28 Jan 2012 12:11 Africa/Lagos

Spinlet Debuts Digital Distribution Technology for African Markets at Midem 2012

SAN FRANCISCO, January 28, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

- Africa's Most Diverse Digital Music Platform Will Debut Technology and
Showcase with Top Acts including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Naeto C, Paul G, and Sesu in Cannes, France

The much-anticipated launch of Spinlet, Africa's premier digital distribution service will be celebrated this week on an international level at the Midem 2012 in Cannes, France. The Spinlet service will debut within Africa this February with over 200 thousand tracks making it the largest platform for music discovery throughout Africa.

To celebrate, Spinlet is hosting a showcase of African music on Monday, January 30th at the DaDaDa Club as part of the official Midem Off festival. Spinlet Night will feature two of Africa's hottest hip-hop stars Naeto C and Paul G as well as the rising soul and R&B star Sesu. Headlining the event is the world-renowned DJ Jazzy Jeff, who will be DJ'ing from the Spinlet catalog, including top songs from Ice Prince, D Grin, 2face Idibia, Tiwa Savage and more.

DJ Jazzy Jeff

Spinlet's launch means a paradigm shift in music distribution and the fight against piracy in one of the world's hottest emerging markets. "We are dedicated to working against piracy with structured deals in the artists favor and bringing in marketing support to create revenue and promotion of artists' music internationally," says Spinlet CEO Eric Idiahi. "Being on the ground in Nigeria, I see that our biggest competitors are pirated CD's on the street corner, we want to create value in the users eye and revenue for the artists."

Spinlet is supported on the most popular smart phones including Android, BlackBerry and Symbian^3 and is available for free download via the Android Market, Blackberry Store, and Symbian Platform. "We have partnered with an amazing catalog of artists, mobile carriers, payment providers and a variety of brands to support our network to ensure our users get a unique and quality experience," Says Spinlet founder and COO Sami Leino, "we are confident that the service speaks for itself, and users and artists alike will agree that is what sets us apart as Africa's top mobile music application."

Within Spinlet, users can remotely store, manage and listen to music from anywhere using their mobile device. Spinlet promotes social sharing with an interface that allows users to create accounts, make playlists and share their favorite titles using social-networking sites, such as Facebook with their friends. "We want to support African music in every way possible and that means promotion on every level, whether it be internally on the Spinlet application or at international events like Midem, the largest and most influential music industry conference in the world," says Idiahi.

This has made Spinlet the first stop in signing digital distribution agreements in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African Countries. Spinlet offers an array of multi-national, award winning music and has signed hundreds of artists and labels to the service. Additionally, any music rights holders can upload their music for sale on the Spinlet platform.

For press inquiries please contact: Melissa Adair // +1-415-503-7526 //E-mail: press@spinlet.com.

About Spinlet:
Spinlet is a lifestyle entertainment company focused on meeting the needs of music lovers allowing them to buy, listen, share, and manage music all within a user friendly mobile platform. http://spinlet.com

Source: Spinlet

Introducing Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry

2012-01-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

COTY INC. REVEAL THE PASSION BY HALLE BERRY Halle Berry launches her new fragrance, Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry. (PRNewsFoto/Coty Inc.) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES.

"Nothing makes a woman sexier or more beautiful than the confidence that comes from within." - Halle Berry
COTY INC. REVEAL THE PASSION BY HALLE BERRY Halle Berry launches her new fragrance, Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry. (PRNewsFoto/Coty Inc.) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- One year after the premiere of the successful reception to Reveal by Halle Berry, Coty Inc. is pleased to announce the latest scent in the Halle Berry fragrance portfolio: Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120127/NY41906 )

Oscar winner and international icon Halle Berry has secured her position as a timeless beauty through a rare blend of natural elegance and sensuality. This irresistible combination is highlighted in her existing scents Reveal by Halle Berry, Halle by Halle Berry, and Pure Orchid by Halle Berry.

Now, with Reveal the Passion, an even sultrier side of Halle is unveiled, promising tantalizing mysteries waiting to be explored. The woman who wears Reveal the Passion is full of confidence, endlessly elegant, and always the most intriguing person in the room. The sexiness of her smile is matched only by the lingering of her touch. She knows intuitively that true passion is intertwined with untamed desire.

"I wanted to create a scent that helped empower women to reveal their passionate sides," says Halle Berry. "Nothing makes a woman sexier or more beautiful than the confidence that comes from within."

When creating Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry, perfumer Olivier Gillotin of Givaudan envisioned a bolder, sexier, more alluring interpretation of the original Reveal fragrance. Deeply feminine and with a touch of a woman's sensuality, Reveal the Passion is a floral woody scent that weaves a delicious web of contrasts. At the top, the fragrance bursts open with a blend of fragrant Italian Bergamot and sparkling Dewfruit. Passionate heart notes of intensely seductive White Champaca and lusciously tempting Mangosteen ignite desire, and are enveloped in an enthralling drydown of Ambered Okoume, Patchouli and luxurious, warm Musks.

Sexy Top Notes: Italian Bergamot, Dewfruit, Freesia, Apple

Passionate Heart Notes: White Champaca, Mangosteen

Sensual Drydown: Branches of Ambered Okoume, Patchouli, Musks

The Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry range will feature a 15 ml and 30 ml eau de parfum.

Shot by renowned photographer Cliff Watts, the Reveal the Passion ad campaign captures Halle's remarkable sensuality and relaxed confidence. In the breathtaking image, Halle reclines effortlessly on a sofa, a sumptuous, bright magenta satin slip of a dress contrasted against her radiant skin. Halle's seductive gaze is fixed on the viewer, its smoldering intensity hinting at the mysteries and secret passions yet to be unveiled. The elegant, jewel-like ring that adorns Halle's resting hand is cut in the shape of the fragrance bottle's dazzling cap, glowing with brilliant fuchsia hues.

The Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry bottle is an eye-catching art deco inspired design in shades of bright magenta. The flacon is curvaceously shaped like a four-sided teardrop with tactile ridges, and the bottle is topped with a jewel-like cut cap. Echoing the bottle shape, the bright magenta box is embossed with sensual waves, complementing the bold-yet-feminine perfume within.

Reveal the Passion by Halle Berry Collection

Eau de Parfum 0.5 oz/15 ml - $17
Eau de Parfum 1.0 oz./30 ml - $28

Available February 2012 in the US, Canada and Latin America at most mass retailers.

About Coty Inc.

Coty was created in Paris in 1904 by Francois Coty who is credited with founding the modern fragrance industry.

Today, Coty Inc. is a recognized leader in global beauty with annual net sales of nearly $4 billion. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, passion, innovation and creativity, Coty Inc. has developed an unrivaled portfolio of notable brands and delivers its innovative products to consumers in 90 markets worldwide.

The Coty Prestige brand portfolio is distributed in prestige and ultra-prestige stores and includes Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Cerruti, Chloe, Chopard, Davidoff, Jennifer Lopez, Jil Sander, JOOP!, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, L.A.M.B. fragrance by Gwen Stefani, La Voce by Renee Fleming, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs, Nikos, philosophy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood and Wolfgang Joop.

The Coty Beauty brand portfolio is more widely distributed and includes adidas, ASTOR, Baby Phat, Beyonce Knowles, Celine Dion, Chupa Chups, David and Victoria Beckham, Esprit, Exclamation, Faith Hill, GUESS?, Halle Berry, Jovan, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, La Cross, Lady Gaga, Manhattan, Manhattan Clearface, Miss Sporty, Nautica, N.Y.C. New York Color, Nicole by OPI, OPI, Pierre Cardin(1), Playboy, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Stetson, Tim McGraw, TJoy and Tonino Lamborghini.

Coty and Puig Fashion and Beauty S.A. have a strategic partnership for the distribution of the perfume lines of Nina Ricci, Carolina Herrera, Prada, Paco Rabanne, and Antonio Banderas in the United States and Canada.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com.

(1) Not available in North America

SOURCE Coty Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.coty.com

Nneka Announces March Tour Dates

2012-01-28T07:00:00.001-08:00

Nneka Announces March Tour Dates

Releases Exclusive MP3 Premiere of “My Home (Coki of Digital Mystikz Remix” on The Fader.

It's been over two years since Nigerian-German songstress, Nneka, has toured the United States, and with the upcoming release of her third album Soul Is Heavy she's more than ready to return.

Nneka has also just released the Coki (Digital Mystikz) remix of “My Home” (premiered on Fader) which offers listeners a lively rendition of the heartfelt lyrics and powerful vocals derived from the original track. Nneka explains the song as the realization that “there is no peace on Earth until you accept that both bad and good are part of life.”

Encompassing a combination of hip hop beats, reggae grooves, brass riffs and African-pop, Nneka's album Soul Is Heavy is a raw and honest window into her beliefs of love, pain, politics and God. The album will be released on February 28th on Yo Mama's Recordings/Decon.

Nneka Tour Dates

3/6: Vancouver @ The Biltmore Cabaret

3/7: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile

3/8: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

3/10: San Francisco, CA @ Red Devil Lounge

3/11: West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour

3/13 – 3/17: Austin, TX @ SXSW

3/18: Houston, TX @ House Of Blues Bronze Peacock

3/21: Chicago, IL @ Double Door

3/23: Toronto @ Virgin Mobile Mod Club "Canadian Music Week"

3/24: Montreal @ Cabaret du Mile End

3/26: Cambridge, MA @ T.T. The Bear's

3/27: New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre

3/28: Philadelpha, PA @ Johnny Brenda's

3/29: Vienna, VA @ Jammin Java Music Club & Cafe

3/31: Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl

www.nnekaworld.com/

www.twitter.com/NNEKAWORLD

www.facebook.com/NnekaWorld

For more information please contact:

Pam Nashel Leto @ Girlie Action (212) 989-2222 x 111 Pam@Girlie.com

Jess Torraca @ Girlie Action (212) 989-2222 x 123 Jess@Girlie.com

Calabar Carnival and Other Stories 1

2012-01-28T05:34:00.000-08:00

PHOTOGRAPH IS FROM THE CALABAR CARNIVAL'S WEBSITE.

Calabar Carnival and the Governor’s Booth Tourism

For instance at the stadium yesterday (during the carnival), a seat at the governor’s booth sold for N25, 000 and I think that we made more than N5 million ($35, 000). So there are products that we think we can generate revenue from and we are hoping to get to a stage where we can concession it whereby somebody comes in and says I want the governor’s booth and pay for it then market it. The same on the carnival routes, vendors on the routes are registered and pay for space.

~ Senator Liyel Imoke, Governor of Cross River State in Nigeria, in DESTINATION , page 42, TRAVEL & TOURISM SECTION of The Guardian of Nigeria on Saturday January 28, 2012.

PHOTOGRAPH IS FROM THE CALABAR CARNIVAL'S WEBSITE.

Only God knows how much in billions of naira the administration of Senator Liyel Imoke of Cross River State has spent so far on the so called Calabar Carvival, dubbed as Africa’s Biggest Party . And as the governor himself confirmed, the carnival is presently in debt, because the state government is not generating much revenue from the billion naira investment in the annual December carnival of music, dance and drama with the glitz and razzmatazz of over 50,000 costumed revelers and "2 million spectators?" in the coastal city of Calabar staged to boost tourism. But the panorama is yet to attract even a thousand "Oyibo" tourists who as we know are scared of traveling to Nigeria, because of the spate of deadly terrorist attacks by the Boko Haram "Jihadists" on rampage in the north and Niger Delta militants kidnapping both foreigners and natives in the south. So the deplorable state of insecurity is enough to strangulate and puncture the colourful balloons of the optimism for tourism in Nigeria. But insecurity is not the only reason why the Calabar Carnival is not a bankable event for now?

The Calabar Carnival is a good concept of the immediate past Governor of the state, Mr. Donald Duke, who started it in 2004, but it has been mismanaged by opportunistic jobbers and political contractors like his other equally mismanaged Tinapa with an ultra modern film studio that has attracted more lizards and spiders than filmmakers.

Personally I like carnivals, but only when they are not bacchanalian feasts of debauchery for orgies of sex by hordes of “dogs” in heat. Because, carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia.

The model of the Calabar Carnival is the famous Brazilian Carnival which originated in Rio de Janeiro in 1641 when the city's bourgeoisie imported the practice of holding balls and masquerade parties from Paris. It originally mimicked the European form of the festival, later absorbing and "creolizing" elements derived from Native American and African cultures.

Calabar Carnival begins on every 1st of December and lasts till 31st , with almost copycats and replicas of the Brazilian Carnival on parade.
Last December, the different bands like Masta Blasta, Seagull, Freedom, Bayside and Passion 4 competed to interpret the theme of the Carnival, which was "Endless Possibilities", but might as well also mean the endless financial liabilities of the jamboree with many useless events like the football competition and wasting money on foreign entertainers like Wyclef Jean, Nelly, Kirk Franklin, Sean Kingston, Rick Ross, Akon and even the defunct American bands like Midnight Star, Sky, Cool and the Gang and others specially resurrected for the Calabar Carnival and get paid what they would never have earned playing in New York today.

PHOTOGRAPHS ARE FROM THE CALABAR CARNIVAL'S WEBSITE.

There are some niche events in the Calabar Carnival that will be enough to attract thousands of foreign tourists than the indigenes and make millions even in a week and I don't think the Governor's Booth is one of them. Again, stop stretching the events unnecessarily for one month of monotonous activities repeated by the same bands every year.

You don’t need one month to do a great street carnival, except it is a conduit for sleaze and public graft and run an annual government racket.

The famous Rio de Janeiro's carnival does not last more than a week and this year’s edition starts on Saturday, February 18th and ends on Tuesday, February 21. In 2011, it attracted over 4.9 million people, of which 400,000 were foreigners.

The Calabar Carnival should focus on the panoramic fanfare of the pageantry of street floats, the Boat regatta, Christmas Village (with live music concerts and fashion shows to showcase the rich haute couture of Nigerian culture), and Governor’s Masked Ball should be strictly for paying audiences. And the carnival should be used to take tourists on excursions to the exotic tourist attractions in Cross River State.

~ By Orikinla Osinachi, prize winning Nigerian writer and author of Children of Heaven, Scarlet Tears of London, Bye, Bye Mugabe, In the House of Dogs and other book.

Adrianne Curry Stars as a Sexy Cupid in CrowdGather's Social Media Campaign for Erox

2012-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

Erox, scientifically proven to increase feelings of arousal, excitement, social warmth, and friendliness in both female and male users
View all images
Geek's Revenge: Using Science to Win!
Adrianne Curry - Sexy Cupid

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdGather, one of the leading networks of forum communities on the Internet, introduces its new social media campaign featuring reality star, winner of America's Next Top Model, and enthusiastic lover of all things geek, Adrianne Curry. Created for CrowdGather's new social media fragrance, Erox, the campaign includes a series of videos and comic strip parodies that poke fun at mainstream culture, characters, and events.

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a new comic strip currently available for viewing on http://www.erox.com and named, "Geek's Revenge: Using Science to Win!," pays homage to the retro comic style Charles Atlas ads of the 1940s. Adrianne stars as a beautiful, modern-day cupid who uses Erox to help a fellow geek find love and confidence. The campaign will be introduced through social networks such as forums, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as via online advertising.

The lovely Adrianne is best known as the first winner of the now-iconic reality television series America's Next Top Model, as well as for her starring roles in two VH1's hit series, "The Surreal Life" and "My Fair Brady." She can currently be seen as the returning celebrity Judge on the Sony PlayStation Network's hit show, "The Tester:3", premiering February 7, 2012.

"I wear Erox regularly, and I love getting immediate feedback on how people feel about the product across social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube," said Adrianne Curry. "It's great to see a fun product like Erox grow in popularity."

Erox is the first commercial product to contain Human Pheromone Sciences' patent pending Muricin Aglycone (ER303), a compound that has been shown to increase arousal, excitement, social-warmth, and sensuality in both men and women during a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Prior to Erox, the compound ER303 had never before been available in a consumer product. Erox also contains two human pheromones, Androstadienone (ADO) and Estratetraenol (ETE), which have been proven to increase feelings of confidence and well being in both wearers and those around them.

Erox body spray is currently available in a 40mL bottle at www.erox.com.

Visit us on Facebook to get real user feedback and testimonials: https://www.facebook.com/ER303

About CrowdGather, Inc.

With its growing portfolio of special interest forums and enthusiast message board communities, CrowdGather (www.crowdgather.com) has created a centralized network to benefit forum members, forum owners and forum advertisers. CrowdGather provides a highly interactive and informational social network for members, a management and revenue-sharing resource for third-party forum owners, and a largely untapped advertising network for marketers worldwide.

SOURCE CrowdGather, Inc.
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RELATED LINKS
http://www.erox.com/
http://www.erox.com/comics

Hola Mickey!

2012-01-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Hola Mickey!
Disney Parks Celebrates 5th Annual Walt Disney World Moms Panel Allowing Guests to Ask Vacation Planning Questions in Spanish
Included in the Fifteen New Park-Savvy Panelists are the First-Ever Disneyland Resort and runDisney Specialists

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Jan. 12, 2012 -- Disney Parks announced today the Walt Disney World Moms Panel has unveiled a new feature – the panelists can receive and answer guests' questions in Spanish. In addition to the first-ever bilingual offerings, two new specialty areas will be added to the site − Disneyland Resort and runDisney. These features are available to guests at www.DisneyWorldMoms.com.

The Walt Disney World Moms Panel is an online forum that serves as a resource for planning Disney Parks vacations. From the most thrilling attractions at Disneyland Resort and how to make the most of Disney Vacation Club points at Walt Disney World Resort, to the decks of Disney Cruise Line and immersive international itineraries of Adventures by Disney, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel offers advice and personal experiences to help turn dream vacations into reality. As the Moms Panel expands, Disney Parks will look to rebrand in 2012 with exciting details to come later this year.

"When we first launched the Moms Panel in 2008, we dreamed of offering guests the ability to ask questions in various languages. Launching the Spanish option in our fifth year turned our dreams into reality and we're excited to see the questions and new visitors to the site that come as a result of these new features," said Leanne Jakubowski, Director, Social Media; Walt Disney World Resort. "As Walt once said, 'You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.' The Walt Disney World Moms Panel is living proof of that statement and we believe Walt would be proud of the magic our panelists are making for families around the world."

Disney Parks received thousands of applications from the U.S., Canada and United Kingdom to be considered for the Walt Disney World Moms Panel. Each panelist went through three rounds of interviews before they were selected to follow in the footsteps of more than 60 moms, dads, grandparents and guardians who have signed on to share their knowledge and passion for the Disney brand with others.

Meet the 2012 Walt Disney World Moms Panel:
Amanda Ficili Amanda Ficili; Mendocino, Calif. (Disneyland Resort) – Known as the “Disney Go To Girl,” this stay-at-home mom is a coast-to-coast Disney Parks storehouse of knowledge. The proud holder of a Disney Premiere Passport, Amanda grew up a short while from Walt Disney World and now spends every moment she gets enjoying Disneyland Resort.

Andrea Houston-Lingman Andrea Houston-Lingman; Jamison, Pa. (Disney Vacation Club) – A high school English teacher by day and a “Disney Sherpa” by night, this Disney Vacation Club Member enjoys Disney vacations of all shapes and sizes. When she’s not teaching, Andrea chaperones Walt Disney World trips for students and enjoys the parks with her husband and two children.

Ari Krell Ari Krell; Reseda, California (Disneyland Resort) – Growing up in the shadows of Sleeping Beauty Castle, Ari is now the father of two little princesses of his own, guiding his girls around Disneyland, from the twists and turns of Space Mountain to breakfast with Cinderella. Never far from the magic, this Disney dad thinks of Disneyland Resort as his own backyard.

America's Next Top Model Intoxicates Viewers with New Scent: DREAM COME TRUE™

2012-01-27T04:21:00.000-08:00

27 Jan 2012 12:00 Africa/Lagos

America's Next Top Model Intoxicates Viewers with New Scent: DREAM COME TRUE™
Innovated by Creative Beauty Agency, HATCHBEAUTY, LLC

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- HATCHBEAUTY and its Creative Director Ben Bennett, one of the beauty industry's most admired innovative forces, has joined with CBS Consumer Products to license a series of exclusive fragrances for The CW's top-rated reality program America's Next Top Model (ANTM) and will collaborate with future winners as part of every grand prize package going forward. The first-ever ANTM fragrance is fittingly named DREAM COME TRUE™.

The DREAM COME TRUE™ fragrance officially launched today at Target stores nationwide and select Regis stores throughout the country; it will be available in 1 fl. Ounce EDT ($21.99) and a 30 ML Perfume Rollerball ($12.99) at ShopDreamComeTrue.com. A Warm Tahitian Vanilla infused with intoxicating blooms of Amazonian Lily and Empress Peony, DREAM COME TRUE™ is flirtatious, fun and sophisticated.

As part of the on-air integration, Bennett appeared as a guest expert on Episode 7 of ANTM's cycle 17, which aired on October 26th and collaborated with producers to create a Fragrance Challenge, in which each contestant developed and marketed a unique scent that conveyed her personality. HATCHBEAUTY then worked with Cosmo International and perfumer Arnaud Winder to develop the fragrance for the show.

"Working with these very dynamic women was an exhilarating experience," said Bennett. "The excitement and enthusiasm that pervades the set inspired our inaugural scent. There is a joie de vivre the contestants conveyed that we tried to capture in the fragrance."

The new fragrance was revealed on ANTM's finale episode in which host Tyra Banks announced that the winner, Lisa D'Amato, would be made the official spokeswoman of DREAM COME TRUE™.

About HATCHBEAUTY, LLC
Based in Santa Monica, California, HATCHBEAUTY, LLC is the creative architect behind inspired, strategic, brand partnerships linking celebrities to products and creating beauty lines all over the world, including Europe, China, Australia and Africa. HATCHBEAUTY is the only creative agency of its kind that also manufactures brands to major retailers such as CVS, Target, Carter's and Trader Joe's. http://www.hatchbeauty.com/.

About CBS Consumer Products
CBS Consumer Products manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Television Studios and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles, Showtime and CBS Films. Additionally, the group oversees online sales of programming merchandise. http://www.cbsconsumerproducts.com/.

PR Contact: alana@muchandhousepr.com

SOURCE HATCHBEAUTY, LLC

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

Salvatore Ferragamo Launches Online Trunk Show Featuring Women's Spring/Summer 2012

2012-01-26T10:36:00.000-08:00

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO TRUNKSHOW www.Trunkshow.Ferragamo.com. (PRNewsFoto/Salvatore Ferragamo) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES
www.Trunkshow.Ferragamo.com

SALVATORE FERRAGAMO TRUNKSHOW www.Trunkshow.Ferragamo.com. (PRNewsFoto/Salvatore Ferragamo) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES

NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Salvatore Ferragamo announces the launch of the Spring/Summer 2012 Women's Runway online trunk show to go live on Thursday, January 26th. This important digital initiative marks the only opportunity to purchase the RTW collection via e-commerce which will be available for pre-order on the site for a limited time period. The trunk show will offer a range of head-to-toe runway looks from the Spring Summer runway collection including clothing, shoes and handbags.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120126/NY41902)

"Her sense of style is eclectic and refined, combining amphora trousers in silky fabrics, detailed with a torchon at the waist," describes Massimiliano Giornetti of the Spring/Summer Ferragamo woman. "She wears tailored jackets with a dazzling micro-sequinned top, creating a sophisticated flow of movement. In the evening, she shifts from the voluminous consistency of lurex crochet dresses adorned with chain applications to laminated chiffon styles that slide against the body like molten metal, showing glimpses of bare skin."

Unique in the luxury digital sector, Ferragamo's online trunk show will feature a user-friendly styling tool where customers can create their own looks by mixing and matching ready-to-wear and, for the first time, accessories from the actual runway looks as designed by Creative Director Massimiliano Giornetti. Additional features include user created look shareability through Facebook and Twitter.

Quantities will be limited and available to US residents only.

Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. is the parent company of the Salvatore Ferragamo Group, one of the world's main players in the luxury goods sector, which origins could be traced back to 1927. The Group is active in the creation, production and sale of shoes, leather goods, clothing, silk products and accessories, as well as fragrances for men and women. The Group's product range also includes eyewear and watches, manufactured by licensees. Attention to uniqueness and exclusivity and successful harmony of style, creativity and innovation with typical Made in Italy quality craftsmanship have always been the hallmarks of the Group's products. With about 2.800 employees and a network of 578 mono-brand stores, the Salvatore Ferragamo Group operates in Italy and worldwide, with a broad footprint in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

www.Trunkshow.Ferragamo.com

SOURCE Salvatore Ferragamo
RELATED LINKS
http://www.ferragamo.com

Basketmouth, The Funniest Man in Nigeria Drops First Single

2012-01-26T10:10:00.001-08:00

The funniest man in Nigeria, Basketmouth drops first single Where You Dey featuring the popular young hip hop singer Whizkid and also eLDee.

I am a fan and I really Digg his hilarious BIG FRIDAY SHOW on MTV Base.

Basketmouth whose real name is Bright Okpocha is a native of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria and a graduate of Sociology and Anthropology from University of Benin, UNIBEN, who dropped his certificates to become a stand-up comedian. And he has no apologies or regrets for doing so since that has brought him both fame and fortune as the most bankable comic act in the most populous country in Africa.

~ By Orikinla Osinachi, author of Scarlet Tears of London, In the House of Dogs and other books.

Was There A Rape On Big Brother?

2012-01-25T10:37:00.000-08:00

Where Virgins Dance Topless in Public

2012-01-25T08:04:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the kingdom where virgins dance topless in public.

Arianna Huffington Receives Aenne Burda Award

2012-01-25T03:54:00.000-08:00

Arianna Huffington Receives Aenne Burda Award

Arianna Huffington, founder and chief-executive editor of the Internet-newspaper The Huffington Post, was honored with the Aenne Burda Award during the last day (January 24) of the international digital conference DLD in Munich. Dr. Maria Furtwängler-Burda consigned the trophy, a statue of Pallas Athene. The award honors successful and creative female entrepreneurs with visionary ideas from the digital world, this year for the seventh time already. Maria Furtwängler pleaded in her laudatory speech for female empowerment as start-up founders. Arianna Huffington could serve as a role model here: “Arianna Huffington experienced backstrokes and was never deterred by them – her fearlessness is a stimulus for women, to get active themselves.”

Arianna Huffington, born as Arianna Stassinopoulos in July 1950 in Greece, counts as one of the leading and most influential women of the modern media generation. Still in May 2005, when “Huffington Post” entered the online-media world, nobody took her serious. Today, six years later, “Huffington Post” is a constant in American journalism. In February 2011 the internet corporation AOL acquired “Huffington Post” for $315 million. Huffington is also a successful book author and published, among others, “One Becoming Fearless: …in Love, Work and Life” and “Third World America”. In 2006 and 2011 Huffington was on Time Magazine’s “Time 100” list, which features the 100 most influential people worldwide.

The “Aenne Burda Award for Creative Leadership” honors women for their entrepreneurial and creative achievements within the digital industry. The price is consigned in memory of the visionary entrepreneur Aenne Burda, one of the gorgeous symbolic figures of the German post-war generation. After 1949, Aenne Burda grew the world’s biggest fashion publishing house. The award is consigned since 2006. Earlier honorees are Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Google (2006), Flickr founder Caterina Fake (2007), TV-presenter and entrepreneur Martha Stewart (2008), internet-pioneer and investor Esther Dyson (2009), chairwoman of the Mozilla Foundation Mitchell Baker (2010) as well as Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet (2011).

For more information: www.dld-conference.com
About DLD:

DLD is a Burda Digital company, one of the leading European Internet companies related to a media group. The group with managed revenues of Euro 1.2 billion contains the companies Tomorrow Focus AG, Burda Consumer Tech Group, Burda Direkt Services and Xing AG as well as a venture business with holdings in, among others, Zooplus, Glam Inc. and Ubermedia.

Further information:
Michael A. Pries
Corporate Communications
Hubert Burda Media
Tel.:+49 89 9250-3784
Mail: michael.pries@burda.com

How Much Does Your Boyfriend Help You to Fulfill Your Dreams?

2012-01-24T09:47:00.000-08:00

How much does your Boyfriend Help You to Fulfill Your Dreams?

Every girl needs a boyfriend?
Any girl who tells you that she does not need a boyfriend is either a liar or just ignorant of the facts of life.

How much your boyfriend helps you to fulfill your dreams matters most in your relationship, because having a boyfriend is more than having a “fork buddy” just to be forking you whenever he likes or when you like it.

Your relationship can make you or mar you for life. Therefore you must not joke with your relationship.

If I tell you that bad relationships have been responsible for the deplorable state of Nigeria, you may not be able to grasp it, but it is actually true. Because everything we have been doing so far started from our relationships from when we were in secondary schools to tertiary schools and to our respective workplaces.
If you had a very good boyfriend in secondary school, he would have done his best to make sure you excelled in your studies and passed your examinations in flying colours and boosted your morale to use your intelligence and brilliance successfully from matriculation to convocation. But if you had a bad boyfriend whose only interest in you was to use you as his sex object or sex toy and did not even care about your grades, because he liked taking advantage of your shortcomings and weaknesses, you would end up just being an average pupil and student and would have graduated without much ambition and would likely die with only the common obituary announcement naming all your survivors.. Finis.

Only a fraction of the population achieve more than that while the majority end up as Average Joes and Average Janes and if you really sit back to analyze the causes and consequences of the ills plaguing our beloved nation, you will trace them to the root causes from bad and faulty foundations from when most of us were still growing up.

How much has he helped you in your studies or work?

Can your boyfriend contribute to your project even if he knows little or nothing about your course? Or he would prefer to be bunking you when you were meant to be studying for very important exams? And instead of buying you that very important textbook, he buys you a BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad just to impress you to give more of your body than your brains?

A guy who seems very generous to you by giving you so much money and gifts, but does not show much interest in your grades or promotion at work is only fattening the sheep for the slaughter slab. I mean you are only being well fed to end up in his bed as his sex object or baby factory. This is actually what majority of Nigerian boyfriends and husbands have been doing to their Nigerian girlfriends and wives for decades.

A girlfriend who was studying law insisted that her boyfriend should help her with her research on diplomatic immunity and he did his best and she went on to have her LLB and LLM, Then he continued until she became one of the most notable young lawyers in Nigeria and he even recommended her to the International Law Office of which he is a nominating member of the Global Counsel Awards.

Another girlfriend had the cooperation and support of her boyfriend who went as far as writing one quarter of her thesis. And she put his name among those who helped her to earn her BA.

A good boyfriend will do his best for you all the way from the bedroom to the boardroom.

You can really excel and succeed in life if you have a good boyfriend and later husband and not dating a dummy.

I know that majority of Nigerian girls are dating dummies that in most cases do not have great ambitions than to earn a seven digit salary and without their salaries they will starve!

How do you know if you have a creative and productive boyfriend?
By how much he can use his skills and wits to create employment for himself and others without depending on others for his survival and welfare.
Why are over 20 million Nigerian youths jobless?
Why can’t they create jobs for themselves as millions of their fellow youths in the developed countries are doing by developing and launching many startups.

Iron sharpeneth iron and the deep calleth unto the deep says the Holy Bible. So, be wise in your choice of boyfriends and husbands.

Only a dummy will be dating or even thinking of marrying a boyfriend who cannot help you to excel and fulfill your dreams.
Many girlfriends are having boyfriends who are even liabilities to their parents, guardians and others.
How can someone who cannot even take care of himself convince you that he can take care of you?

Boyfriends who are neither confident nor independent once they cannot get any steady supply of cash and gifts from their parents or uncles.
Boyfriends without initiative, and who are not creative or productive.

You should challenge your boyfriends to do their best to boost your morale in the pursuit of your dreams and if they cannot prove that they are capable of doing so, please don’t waste your time on them again. Just dump the unworthy boyfriends and look for worthy ones who can help you to fulfill your dreams for your mutual benefit and to make your family, community and country proud.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, December, 2011.

Hallmark Unveils Secret Message for the Valentine

2012-01-23T10:58:00.000-08:00

First-of-its-kind Flower Blossoms to Unveil Secret Message

HALLMARK CARDS, INC. BLOOMING EXPRESSIONS Hallmark introduces the first-of-its-kind Blooming Expressions - a fabric flower that blooms to reveal a message for a special person. (PRNewsFoto/Hallmark Cards, Inc.) KANSAS CITY, MO UNITED STATES
HALLMARK LOGO Hallmark Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Hallmark) KANSAS CITY, MO UNITED STATES

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hallmark introduces the first-of-its-kind Blooming Expressions — a fabric flower that blooms to reveal a message for a special person. Blooming Expressions blossom repeatedly with the touch of a button, letting a consumer express love, appreciation or friendship again and again, while allowing the person receiving the gift to relive those warm feelings any day of the year.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120123/CG39868)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111129/CG13329LOGO-b)

"With the ability to last forever and bloom multiple times, Blooming Expressions enhance the tradition of giving a loved one flowers," said Dan Woodall, Product Manager at Hallmark. "We're excited to offer consumers another innovative and tangible way to express what's in their hearts."

Retailing for $14.95, Blooming Expressions reveal one of the following messages: "I Love You," "You are the heart of our family," "There's only one you!" or "Love you lots!" They currently are available in red or pink shades, but additional colors and messages will be available in February.

"Whether given from a child to a parent, spouse to spouse, friend to friend, as a teacher-appreciation gift or just because, Blooming Expressions will serve as a daily reminder of someone's appreciation or love," said Dan Woodall, Product Manager at Hallmark.

The full garden of Blooming Expressions is available at Hallmark Gold Crown stores, as well as Walgreens, CVS and other stores where Hallmark products are sold. For more information or to watch Blooming Expressions in action, visit www.Hallmark.com/bloomingexpressions.

About Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Hallmark makes the world a more caring place by helping people express what's in their hearts and spend time together — a privilege few other companies in the world enjoy. Hallmark greeting cards and other products are found in more than 40,000 retail outlets in the U.S., including the network of flagship Hallmark Gold Crown® stores. The brand also reaches people online at Hallmark.com and on television through Hallmark Hall of Fame original movies and cable's top-rated Hallmark Channel. Worldwide, Hallmark offers products in more than 30 languages available in 100 countries. This privately held company is based in Kansas City, Mo., and is led by the third generation of the founding Hall family. Visit http://corporate.hallmark.com for more details.

http://newsroom.hallmark.com

SOURCE Hallmark Cards, Inc.

RELATED LINKS
http://www.Hallmark.com

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Breaks Worldwide Box Office

2012-01-23T05:48:00.000-08:00

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 Breaks $700 Million Mark At Worldwide Box Office

Summit Entertainment, a LIONSGATE® company, announced today that the fourth installment in the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA franchise – THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1 has grossed an estimated $701.3 million in global box office receipts since the film's release on November 18, 2011. THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1 is on its way to becoming the highest grossing film in the series to date looking to surpass the worldwide box office gross of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON which tallied $709.8 million. The two other two films in the franchise THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE and TWILIGHT have each grossed $698.5 million and $390.4 respectively and the franchise continues to break records. Upcoming releases of THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN – PART 1 internationally include Japan and China.

Top Topics of Today

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 1 BREAKS $700 MILLION MARK AT WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE

Number of Registered Sex Offenders in the U.S. Nears Three-quarters of a Million

Death of Joe Paterno

Priceline.com "Kills" The Priceline Negotiator

SOPA Legislation

Super Bowl

Costa Concordia

Oscar® Winner Meryl Streep Narrates New IMAX® 3D Adventure Documentary To The Arctic

2012-01-23T05:12:00.000-08:00

IMAX CORPORATION MERYL STREEP Academy Award(r) winner Meryl Streep narrates the upcoming IMAX(r) 3D documentary, To The Arctic. The film debuts exclusively in IMAX theatres on April 20th. (PRNewsFoto/IMAX Corporation, Brigitte Lacombe) LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES.

To The Arctic 3D, from two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Greg MacGillivray (The Living Sea, Dolphins), is the first co-production from Warner Bros. Pictures, MacGillivray Freeman Films and IMAX Corporation, following the companies' strategic alliance announced late last year.

An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, To The Arctic 3D is the ultimate tale of survival. The film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family's struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks.

"To The Arctic was filmed entirely in 15/70mm with spectacular shots designed to take full advantage of the IMAX 3D format, and the story and setting will be made even more powerful by Meryl Streep's unmatched artistry," said Greg MacGillivray, President, MacGillivray Freeman Films and director of To The Arctic. "This is MacGillivray Freeman's third collaboration with Meryl, and we are delighted to pair her prodigious talents with this emotional story of family and hope."

Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution for Warner Bros. Pictures, stated, "Together with IMAX, we have transported audiences from the reaches of space to the depths of the ocean and, most recently, into the untamed jungle. We are thrilled to partner with IMAX and MacGillivray Freeman Films to tell an important story about a vanishing landscape and the animals that count on it for their survival."

"The most enduring relationship is that between a mother and child, which is powerfully portrayed through the polar bear family in To The Arctic," added Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "Greg MacGillivray's engaging storytelling combined with the strength of the Warner Bros. and IMAX partnership will deliver for audiences an inspiring glimpse into how the ties between family prevail above all else."

Meryl Streep most recently earned a Golden Globe Award for her leading role as Margaret Thatcher in Phyllida Lloyd's new film "The Iron Lady." Her numerous honors include an astonishing 16 Academy Award® nominations, including her two Oscar® wins for her work in "Sophie's Choice" and "Kramer vs. Kramer," as well as 26 Golden Globe nominations, with additional wins for her performances in "Julie & Julia," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Angels in America," "Adaptation," "Sophie's Choice," "The French Lieutenant's Woman," and "Kramer vs. Kramer." Streep's many other additional credits include the recent award-winning films "Mamma Mia," "Doubt," and "The Hours." She next stars in the comedy "Great Home Springs," to be released by later this year.

About To The Arctic 3D
To The Arctic 3D is an IMAX, MacGillivray Freeman Films and Warner Bros. Pictures co-production and a presentation of One World One Ocean (www.oneworldoneocean.org). The film was produced in association with Campion Foundation, Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management, Canadian Museum of Civilization and MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation. To The Arctic was shot by Greg MacGillivray, Brad Ohlund, Bob Cranston, Howard Hall, Ron Goodman and Jack Tankard, produced by Shaun MacGillivray, written by Stephen Judson and executive produced by Tom Campion, Chat Reynders and Harrison Smith. The film's companion book, To The Arctic, featuring photography by wildlife photographer Florian Schulz, is now available from Braided River, whose books combine photography and essays to raise awareness about some of the world's last great wild places (www.welcometothearctic.org). More information about the film can be found at http://www.imax.com/tothearctic.

About MacGillivray Freeman Films
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the world's foremost independent producer and distributor of giant-screen 70mm films with 35 IMAX films to its credit. Throughout the company's 40-year history, its films have won numerous international awards including two Academy Award® nominations and three films inducted into the IMAX Hall of Fame. To The Arctic 3D follows in the company's long tradition of producing films that call attention to the natural world. It is the first film presentation of One World One Ocean, a multi-year, multi-platform campaign established by company founder Greg MacGillivray to change how people see and value the world's oceans. MacGillivray Freeman's films are known for their artistry and celebration of science and the natural world.

About IMAX Corporation
IMAX Corporation is one of the world's leading entertainment and technology companies, specializing in the creation and delivery of premium, awe-inspiring entertainment experiences. With a growing suite of cutting-edge motion picture and sound technologies, and a globally recognized entertainment brand, IMAX is singularly situated at the convergence of the entertainment industry, innovation and the digital media world. The industry's top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and as such, the IMAX network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe. The Company's new digital projection and sound systems - combined with a growing blockbuster film slate - are fueling the rapid expansion of the IMAX network in established markets such as North America, Western Europe, and Japan, as well as emerging markets such as China and Russia. IMAX theaters deliver the world's best cinematic presentations using proprietary IMAX®, IMAX 3D®, and IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-Mastering) technologies. IMAX DMR enables virtually any motion picture to be transformed into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. As of September 30, 2011, there were 583 IMAX theatres (441 commercial multiplex, 23 commercial destination and 119 institutional) operating in 48 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience® and The IMAX Experience® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).

This press release contains forward looking statements that are based on management's assumptions and existing information and involve certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Important factors that could affect these statements include, but are not limited to, general economic, market or business conditions, including the length and severity of the current economic downturn, the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by the Company, competitive actions by other companies, the performance of IMAX DMR films, conditions in the in-home and out-of home entertainment industries, the signing of theatre system agreements, changes in law or regulations, conditions, changes and developments in the commercial exhibition industry, the failure to convert theatre system backlog into revenue, new business initiatives, investments and operations in foreign jurisdictions and any future international expansion, foreign currency fluctuations and the Company's prior restatements and the related litigation. These factors and other risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and most recent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

For additional information please contact:

Business Media:

IMAX Corporation – New York

Adam Davis

212-821-0116

adavis@imax.com

Sloane & Company – New York

Whit Clay

212-446-1864

wclay@sloanepr.com

Entertainment Media:

IMAX Corporation – Santa Monica

Christine Tasto

310-255-5547

ctasto@imax.com

MacGillivray Freeman Films

Lori Rick

818-212-3434

lrick@macfreefilms.com

Warner Bros. Pictures

Paulette Osorio

818- 954-2708

paulette.osorio@warnerbros.com

SOURCE IMAX Corporation
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Ben Murray-Bruce and Lynn Whitfield

2012-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

The numero uno of Entertainment in Nigeria, Ben Murray-Bruce and famous American actress, Lynn Whitfield on December 3, 2011, the closing gala of the 2nd AFRIFF International Film Festival at the Lagos Oriental Hotel in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria.

Ben was born on February 18, 1956 in Lagos to an Ijaw parent Mullighan and Margaret Murray-Bruce from Akassa, Bayelsa State of Nigeria. He attended the famous Our Lady of Apostles, in Yaba, Lagos and St Gregory College in Obalende. He studied Marketing and Business at the University of Southern Carolina.He is the Chairman/Founder of the Silverbird Group, the largest entertainment corporation in Nigeria and Africa. Consisting of Silverbird Entertainment, Silverbird Cinemas, Rhythm FM Radio Stations and Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (MBGN) Beauty Pageant and other related ventures.

Lynn Whitfield (born May 6, 1953) began her acting career in television and theatre, before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special and a NAACP Image Award for her performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO movie The Josephine Baker Story (1991). She also won NAACP Image awards for her work in Touched by an Angel (1998), The Planet of Junior Brown (2000) and Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (2004).

Infiniti JX Named To Parenting Magazine's "Smartest Family Cars Of 2012"

2012-01-21T10:15:00.000-08:00

INFINITI 2013 JX 2013 Infiniti JX. (PRNewsFoto/Infiniti, James Yates) LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES.

- All-New 7-Passenger Luxury Crossover Recognized for its Family-Friendly Features in Magazine's First-Ever "Genius" Issue -
INFINITI 2013 JX 2013 Infiniti JX. (PRNewsFoto/Infiniti, James Yates) LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES
NISSAN NORTH AMERICA INFINITI LOGO Infiniti Badge (PRNewsFoto/Nissan North America) NASHVILLE, TN UNITED STATES

"By recognizing today's smartest cars, Parenting hopes to make it easy for families to use technology on the road, whether it's for a quick run to the store or for an extended road trip vacation," said Ana Connery, Editorial Director for The Parenting Group. "Our editors' top picks have thought of everything so that parents don't have to."

The Infiniti JX, which will be available at Infiniti retailers beginning this spring, was chosen for its many family-friendly features, such as its collision sensors that automatically engage the brake if another vehicle is detected when the JX is in reverse, as well as four external cameras that provide a 360-degree view of the surroundings. There is also the ability to synch appointments from Google Calendar into the navigation system.

"The Infiniti JX's features were inspired by families who told us they wanted a luxury vehicle with features like the world's first Backup Collision Intervention system, an Around View Monitor and not having to take out a child safety seat to get access to the 3rd row," said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. "We're proud that Parenting magazine recognized our desire to make hectic family lives a little a more efficient and much more enjoyable."

For complete details on the "Smartest Family Cars" list, please visit http://www.parenting.com/gallery/best-family-cars-suvs. Parenting magazine's February "Genius" issue is available on newsstands now.

About The Parenting Group

The Parenting Group, home of the Parenting, Babytalk and Conceive brands, reaches moms over 15 million times every month through magazines, digital media, custom content, and events. TPG's publications include: Parenting School Years, for moms with children in kindergarten through elementary school; Parenting Early Years, for moms of infants, toddlers and preschoolers; and Babytalk, for new moms and moms-to-be. TPG's other media properties include: Conceive, for women trying to get pregnant, the Babytalk Pregnancy Planner; the Parenting.com and ConceiveOnline.com web sites; MomConnection®, a nationally representative online research network; and a custom content unit. The Parenting Group is a division of Bonnier Corporation.

About Infiniti

Infiniti offers a full-line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M luxury performance sedan, EX and FX crossovers, and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

SOURCE Infiniti
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Top 10 Nollywood Divas

2012-01-21T04:27:00.000-08:00

Genevieve Nnaji

The top 10 Nollywood divas have been selected based on their current active engagements both in home videos and cinemas since the revival of the movie theatre culture in Nigeria after many years of dormancy. They have proved to be truly the leading ladies of Nollywood in local and international movies. They all have their aces. They can walk tall on any red carpet in the world if they can improve their public relations and go beyond the African magic of Nollywood.

Funke Akindele

1. Genevieve Nnaji
2. Rita Dominic
3. Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
4. Stephanie Okereke
5. Funke Akindele
6. Omoni Oboli
7. Monalisa Chinda
8. Tonto Dike
9. Ini Edo
10. Uche Jumbo

Source: Supple Magazine.

Ann Taylor Announces World-Renowned Actress Kate Hudson as New Face for Spring 2012

2012-01-20T04:11:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, JANUARY 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Ann Taylor announces award-winning actress Kate Hudson as the new face of the brand for Spring 2012. The collaboration reflects Ann Taylor’s continued focus on celebrating modern women of substance, style and success across every generation.

Kate Hudson looks right at home while shooting Ann Taylor’s Spring 2012 ad campaign at a private estate in Los Angeles.

Kate Hudson debuts as the new face of Ann Taylor’s Spring 2012 campaign wearing the brand’s Modern Lace Sheath Dress and Perfect Skinny Neon Belt.

“Kate is a dynamic woman who truly embodies the new Ann Taylor,” said Kristen Dykstra, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing for the Ann Taylor division of ANN INC. “While she is most known as a beautiful and talented actress, she is also a devoted mother, daughter, sister and philanthropist who manages to do it all with a radiant smile, joie de vivre and effortless style.”

Kate Hudson prepares for her day on set while shooting Ann Taylor’s Spring 2012 ad campaign in Los Angeles.

“I am thrilled to collaborate with Ann Taylor this Spring,” said Hudson. “I love fashion, and their new Spring collection is so stylish and hip and colorful! As a young girl I looked up to the sophisticated style of Ann Taylor so it’s been very cool to see how the brand has evolved to meet the changing needs of modern women. The new Ann Taylor is not afraid to be sexy and real – because they design for every generation. The clothes are stylish and comfortable, easy and wearable. They really help you look and feel perfectly put together for any occasion.”

Shot by famed fashion photographer Tom Munro at a Pasadena, California estate with breathtaking views of the San Gabriel Mountains, the campaign features Hudson in a series of softly backlit interior portraits wearing some of her favorite looks from the Spring collection, including a mix of iconic silhouettes with feminine details and statement accessories in bold, vibrant colors.

Since Head Designer Lisa Axelson has been at the helm of Ann Taylor’s design team, the brand has become a favorite style destination for modern American women, and continues to attract some of the world’s most celebrated style icons as its biggest fans, including Angelina Jolie, Katie Holmes, Heidi Klum, Naomi Watts, Cameron Diaz, Milla Jovovich, Rachel Bilson, Jessica Biel, Halle Berry, Jessica Alba, Tina Fey, Olivia Wilde, Sofia Vergara and more.

All items featured in the Spring 2012 campaign are available as of late February in Ann Taylor stores nationwide and on www.anntaylor.com.

# # #

About Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor defines what it means to be chic, smart and sophisticated. Always relevant, always stylish—Ann Taylor offers beautiful, refined fashion designed for how women live today. Ann Taylor operates 280 stores across the United States, as well as an e-commerce website at www.anntaylor.com. Ann Taylor is a division of ANN INC (NYSE: ANN).

Media Contact:

Randi Peck
Starworks Group
646.336.5920
randi@starworksny.com

I Love You More Than Your Vagina

2012-01-14T09:24:00.001-08:00

Which comes first in romance? Lust or love? Of course it is lust. Let us be honest, no one truly falls in love at first sight. Love is not based on sight, but it grows in your heart. And you may sleep with someone for years and still be in love with another person you are not even sleeping with. Many people think they can use sex to make someone love them. But it has failed in many cases. And when you are bored of having sex with your lover it does not mean you no longer love him or her. I have seen where mere kissing someone you love is more thrilling than sex. There is more to making love than just having sex. Love does not live in the vagina, but in the heart.

They Say The Name Of Beyonce's Baby Means Lucifer's Daughter In Latin

2012-01-09T11:56:00.001-08:00

Americans are arguing over the "eerie" meaning of the name of the baby of Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Blue Ivy Carter, because of the rumours of the parents membership of one Illuminati cult.

Click here for more.

Anytime Fitness CEO Admits “Working Out Sucks!”

2012-01-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

Anytime Fitness CEO Admits Working Out Sucks!
In His First Book, Chuck Runyon Challenges the Nation to Get Real About Getting Healthy

Left to Right Chuck Runyon, Rebecca DeRossett, Brian Zehetner

January 5, 2012, Hastings, Minn. /PRNewswire/ — Working out Sucks! is probably the last thing you’d expect the CEO of the world’s largest fitness franchise to say in the midst of a national obesity crisis, and yet it’s the self-proclaimed title of a new book co-written by Anytime Fitness CEO and co-founder Chuck Runyon.

Working Out Sucks! (And Why It Doesn’t Have To): The Only 21-Day Kick-Start Plan for Total Health and Fitness You’ll Ever Need (published by Da Capo Lifelong Books) hits bookstores nationwide on Jan 3, 2012 with 100 percent of the book’s proceeds going to Limbs for Life -- a nonprofit organization that provides fully functional prosthetic care to individuals who can’t afford it.

“This is more than a book, this is a deprogramming effort,” said Runyon. “For too long we’ve been brainwashed by unhealthy habits, destructive attitudes, and misinformation about health. I’m here to offer a no-b.s. way to get back on track.”

Check out the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckp47vIYJrY

Runyon’s overall philosophy states that working out may suck—but the alternatives—from heart disease, fat kids, less sex, less money, diabetes, premature aging and shortened lifespan—are a lot worse. Runyon pulls no punches with his tough love approach, asking the reader to ponder such questions as “Should Parents of Fat Kids go to Jail?” and “Is Money Allergic to Fat People?” With provocative chapter titles, he tackles the self-inflicted damage of technology on health in a chapter called “iDeath,” takes Oprah’s yo-yo dieting to task, and offers a new take on MILFs – “Mothers Into Lifelong Fitness.”

To help bridge the gap between wanting to “get healthy” and actionable results that help you “be healthy,” Runyon enlists the help of psychologist Rebecca DeRossett and dietitian and personal trainer Brian Zehetner. Together they confront the emotional issues that get in the way of being healthy and dispel the mystery and intimidation surrounding fitness and nutrition, including:

Strategies to deprogram bad diet, exercise and attitude habits
21-Day Health and Fitness Plan
Meal plans consisting of breakfast, a morning snack, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner
Nutrients breakdown for each day of the plan adjustable for body type
Fitness plan that pairs resistance training and cardio with flexibility exercises adaptable to skill level and schedule
Tips on how to exercise the mind, such as how to fight negative thinking and how to use physical movement to spark creativity

"Working Out Sucks!" has garnered advanced praise from such notable health and wellness experts as P90x creator Tony Horton; former chief medical editor for NBC News Dr. Bob Arnot; host of "Could You Survive?" and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Pam Peeke; and Season 7 Biggest Loser Finalist and Ironman athlete Tara Costa.

To learn more visit Workingoutsucks.com.

About the Authors
Chuck Runyon is the cofounder and CEO of Anytime Fitness, based in Hastings, Minnesota. Brian Zehetner, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS, is the Chief Science Officer at Anytime Fitness, a registered dietitian, and a certified strength and conditioning specialist with more than fifteen years of experience in the nutrition and fitness industries. Rebecca A. DeRossett, MSW, LICSW, is an executive coach for Anytime Fitness.

About Anytime Fitness
Founded in 2002, Anytime Fitness is now the fastest-growing fitness club franchise in the world, with more than 1,300,000 members and 1,700 clubs worldwide. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Anytime Fitness prides itself on providing its members with convenient and affordable fitness options in friendly, well-maintained facilities which feature top-quality exercise equipment. Clubs are now open in 49 states, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Grand Cayman, Poland, Qatar, the Netherlands and Japan. Join one club and use them all. Members in the U.S. also enjoy free access to AnytimeHealth.com, the most comprehensive wellness website available.

For Additional Information, Contact:
Tara Dosh
National Media Specialist
651-438-5032
tara@anytimefitness.com

1 Out of 3 Women in U.S. Use Mobile Broadband

2012-01-07T06:52:00.001-08:00

Survey Commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association® Shows Moms and Women Increasingly Favoring Wireless Technology for Daily Life Activities, Including Keeping Connected with Families.

Majority of women said wireless devices make the family feel closer when apart; keep the family informed about each other's activities and locations; and help coordinate schedules

Almost 45 percent said wireless devices help the family spend more time together

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A survey commissioned by CTIA-The Wireless Association® and using Qualtrics, revealed surprising responses from U.S. women about how they are using wireless technology, choosing their devices, replacing traditional communication tools with mobile and how wireless technology is allowing families to spend more time together and to be better connected. The results, which were obtained by surveying 1,005 women, were released today and show a pronounced shift to mobile from such communication modes as landlines and desktop computers, and a substantial favoring of wireless technology for a wide array of family activities and interactions.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-b)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120106/DC31329-c)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110630/MM28614LOGO-b)

When asked if the respondents were either primarily responsible or involved in making decisions on wireless devices and/or services for their family, more than 94 percent said yes. More than 74 percent of these women also paid their families' monthly wireless service bills.

Since these women play a leading role in deciding their families' wireless technology purchases, CTIA asked what the most important factors were when they chose their mobile devices. 36 percent said Internet connection speed was the most important; 25 percent said the price of the device (including service plan options); 17 percent said network coverage; 11 percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape); and eight percent said the operating system. These answers were similar to those given when respondents were asked about what the primary factors were when they chose a wireless device for others in the family. 36 percent said Internet connection speed was most important; 32 percent said price of the device (including service plan options); 11 percent said network coverage; nine percent said design of the device (including screen size and shape).

In addition to the factors the women used when choosing the mobile devices, the top five uses cited were:

Internet access, 81 percent
Email, 69 percent
Text messaging/instant messaging (IM), 64 percent
Camera/video, 41 percent
Search, 29 percent
Social networking, 26 percent
Games, 26 percent
Calendar/reminders, 21 percent
Maps/navigation, 18 percent
Entertainment, 13 percent

When asked what they thought was the most important function of their mobile devices: 61 percent said the Internet; 42 percent said text messaging/IM; and 40 percent said voice. More than 38 percent of women said their mobile devices were their main access point to the Internet and almost a third (32 percent) said mobile broadband had replaced their traditional Internet service. Almost half (48 percent) of the respondents said that their wireless phones have replaced their landline as their primary means of voice communications. 51 percent of the respondents said they spend between one and four hours using their wireless devices daily.

In response to what functions they used to perform on a computer that they now almost solely perform on their mobile devices:

51 percent said text messaging/IM
39 percent said email
34 percent said camera/video
32 percent said weather
31 percent said maps/GPS/navigation
30 percent said calendar/reminders
26 percent said games
24 percent said social networking
22 percent said search
21 percent said music

Another aspect of the survey addressed women's perceptions of how wireless technology was impacting family dynamics and behavior. Anecdotally, some might believe technology divides families, but the CTIA survey shows that almost 85 percent said wireless devices make the family feel closer when apart. Almost 80 percent said they use mobile devices to keep the family informed about each other's activities and locations while 70 percent said it helps coordinate schedules. In addition, almost 45 percent said wireless devices help the family spend more time together.

"It's undeniable that wireless devices have changed the way we live and work. As our survey has proven, mobile technology is also changing the way families interact and improving the quality of time they're spending with each other. As the father of a nine-year-old daughter, I know that's invaluable," said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director of CTIA. "Interestingly, the results also showed that the most important factors when making purchasing decisions do not necessarily correlate with the most important functions of the devices. This is another example of the U.S. wireless industry providing their customers with phenomenal options and innovations, which Americans are recognizing as being indispensable."

The survey also asked moms what they thought consumed the most of their children's mobile screen time. The top five answers were: texting, single-player games, social networking, completion of schoolwork and assignments and music.

1,005 women in households with more than two people responded to the survey during the week of December 5, 2011. For more information on survey methodology and results, please click here.

About CTIA Shows
CTIA Shows bring together all industries advanced by wireless technology for intense business, learning and networking. International CTIA WIRELESS® takes place May 8-10, 2012 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La. CTIA ENTERPRISE & APPLICATIONS™ takes place Oct. 10-12, 2012 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. Visit www.ctiashows.com.

About CTIA
CTIA–The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international organization representing the wireless communications industry. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products. CTIA advocates on behalf of its members at all levels of government. The association also coordinates the industry's voluntary best practices and initiatives, and sponsors the industry's leading wireless tradeshows. CTIA was founded in 1984 and is based in Washington, DC. Visit www.ctia.org.

SOURCE CTIA-The Wireless Association
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Top Magazines in the World

2012-01-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

O: The Oprah Magazine was first published on April 19, 2000. As of June 2004, its average paid circulation was over 2.7 million copies, two thirds by subscription. A South African edition was first published in April 2002; according to the South African Advertising Research Foundation, its average readership was over 300,000. The editor of the South African edition is Samantha Page.

While most US magazine sales declined in 2009, O Magazine increased its newsstand sales by 5.8 percent to 662,304 copies during the second of half of the year.

The magazine's newsstand sales fell 15.8% during the first half of 2010,while its subscription circulation increased,and sales fell 8.2% in the latter half of the year.

Top 10 Magazines

Singer Debbie Gibson to appear on “Celebrity Apprentice” to help poor children

2012-01-05T05:14:00.001-08:00

Singer Debbie Gibson supports Helen's family which lives in a cemetery.

Singer Debbie Gibson to appear on “Celebrity Apprentice” to help poor children
Gibson to play for personal charity Children International

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (January 4, 2012) /PRNewswire/ — Singer songwriter Debbie Gibson will appear on season five of Celebrity Apprentice, and has announced she will play for the charity Children International.

During her second visit to Children International in the Philippines, Gibson poses with sponsored children living in poverty.

Celebrity Apprentice is a reality television show where celebrities compete in weekly challenges and donate any winnings to their personal charities. Every week, the celebrity contestants will work in two teams, each under the guidance of a designated project manager, to compete in business-driven tasks around New York City, using their fame, along with their proven business acumen, to win challenges.

Contestants are subjected to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes, and intense scrutiny under the careful watch of Donald Trump and his advisors. The last person standing will be chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice and have the honor of delivering a $250,000 bonus check to their designated charity.

Gibson will compete to help provide 5,000 poor children in India with medical and dental care and educational support.

Children International president and CEO Jim Cook said, “Children International is fortunate to have such a dedicated supporter as Debbie Gibson. She has proven she is an ardent advocate for children living in the most extreme poverty.”

Gibson, who is the youngest performer ever to write and record a number one song, has been a supporter of the U.S.-based humanitarian organization since 1991. Currently, she helps support 7-year-old Helen, her mother and five siblings living in a cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Helen and her family guard a cemetery crypt, and live on less than $11 a month. With Gibson’s help, Helen and her siblings now receive medical and dental care and attend school.

Children International’s programs provide poor children like Helen with medical and dental care, educational support and health education to children and youth, some whose families live on less than $1.25 a day.

About Children International:
Established in 1936, Children International is an award-winning humanitarian organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. The organization has been recognized by the Philippine and Colombian governments for its humanitarian and disaster relief work. Children International’s programs help more than 340,000 children and their families in 11 countries around the world including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Zambia, Honduras, India, the Philippines and the United States. For more information about Children International or to sponsor a child, visit www.children.org. Follow Children International on Facebook and Twitter.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Dolores Quinn Kitchin
Public Relations
Children International
Direct: (816) 943-3730
Cell: (816) 718-0711
dkitchin@children.org
https://twitter.com/ci_doloresk

Beyoncé Has Not Given Birth Yet

2012-01-02T06:08:00.000-08:00

Heavily pregnant Beyoncé Giselle Knowles and her ever caring husband Jay-Z were spotted having a quiet New Year’s Eve dinner at Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn and that was enough proof to end all the rumours that Beyonce has given birth to a baby daughter that she and husband Jay-Z have named Tiana-May Carter.

There's Nothing Like New Year's Eve in Australia

2012-01-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

SYDNEY, Australia, January 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Revellers across the world will be able to see for themselves why there’s nothing like celebrating New Year’s Eve in Sydney, thanks to Tourism Australia’s latest digital and social media campaign.

Sydney New Year's Eve 2011/2012. Credit: Courtesy City of Sydney.

Tourism Australia has created a short film overnight featuring footage downloaded by Sydney revellers sharing their New Year’s Eve experience via an iPhone app created specially to mark the year-end celebrations.

The film titled Project:12 captures the shared experience and emotion of welcoming in the New Year with friends and family against the magnificent backdrop of Sydney’s world-renowned fireworks display.

Tourism Australia used its Facebook fan page to source stories of people travelling to Sydney to celebrate with their family and friends, filming Skype interviews, emotional reconnections at the airport and festivities throughout the evening.

These stories were edited together with user-generated video clips, uploaded via the City of Sydney’s NYE iPhone app, and the official broadcast footage of the fireworks within just hours of the midnight celebrations.

Project:12 was released on Tourism Australia’s YouTube channel and distributed internationally via social media networks before many other parts of the world reached their own 2012 countdown.

The initiative is part of a Tourism Australia and City of Sydney joint venture to show the world why there’s nothing like celebrating New Year’s Eve in Sydney, Australia.

Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy believes New Year’s Eve and the world-famous Sydney fireworks display provides the perfect platform to showcase Australia to the world.

“As clocks around the world count down to 2012, we’re looking forward to leading the global celebrations and, through this video, allow revellers across the globe to share in one of world’s most spectacular New Year celebrations and see for themselves why there truly is nothing like Australia for New Year’s Eve, for fun and for a holiday," McEvoy said.

For information on travelling to and within Australia, go to www.australia.com.

To watch Project:12, go to http://www.youtube.com/australia.

Tourism Australia’s social media channels:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/seeaustralia
Twitter: www.twitter.com/seeaustralia & www.twitter.com/tourismaus
Media Contact:

Anita Nelving
Tourism Australia
+61-4-0936-5292
anelving@tourism.australia.com

Angelina Jolie Donates Proceeds from First Film’s Soundtrack to Bosnian Charity

2012-01-01T05:57:00.001-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!Photo Credit:Saw Htoo.

UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie, left, and Brad Pitt, second from left in foreground, visit Bosnian Muslim refugee Sabina Karman, second from left in background, and her four children, in the village.

American actress Angelina Jolie who is well known for humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the SOS Children's Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina will receive a sizable part of the proceeds from the soundtrack LP of her thrilling new film In the Land of Blood and Honey, which is her debut as a director and screenwriter. The review was published in Supple Magazine last August.

Angelina Jolie in a dark blue asymmetrical Romona Keveza gown at the premiere of ‘The Land Of Blood and Honey’ in LA on December 8, 2011.

The SOS Children’s Villages in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been caring for the children adversely affected by the Balkans war back in the 1990s.

“We are happy that a portion of the proceeds from the film’s soundtrack will support SOS Children’s Village in Bosnia and Herzegovina to provide stable, family-based homes to children, regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender, who do not have their own families to care for them”, Jolie said.

In The Land of Blood and Honey has received favourable critical reviews and last December the Producers Guild of America announced that the film would be honored with its 2012 Stanley Kramer Award and it has been nominated in the Best Foreign Language category for the 69th Golden Globe Awards.

The following is the Official Soundtrack List for Angelina Jolie’s In The Land of Blood and Honey:

Music Composed by
Gabriel Yared
(The Lives Of Others, Cold Mountain)
Release Date: 01/10/12
1. When The Heart Dies (3:59)
Performed by Nataša Mirković – De Ro
2. Sables Mouvants (3:15)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
3. Towards The Unknown (2:16)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
4. The Loss (3:04)
Composed by Gabriel Yared
5. Miss Sarajevo* (5:44)
Performed by Passengers and Luciano Pavarotti
6. Evo Jedne Što Se Svira Na Plaži
(Here’s One That Is Sung By The Sea)* (2:53)
Performed by Bombaj Stampa
7. The Waves (5:11)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns
8. Moja Bozicna* (4:14)
Performed by Rade Šerbedžija & Miroslav Tadić
9. Zemlja (2:13)
Performed by Samir Besirevic
10. Tebi Za Ljubav (3:15)
Performed by Radisa Urosevic
11. Stani Draga (3:52)
Performed by Almer Imamovic
12. Od Srca (From The Heart) (2:58)
Performed by Boban Markovic Orkestar
13. A Wish (3:59)
Performed by Dado Džihan & Waves and Patterns

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

Patrice Tanaka Presents "Becoming Ginger Rogers" Book Party

2011-12-31T09:17:00.000-08:00

“Becoming Ginger Rogers” Book Party Launch Benefits Dancing Classrooms

Patrice Tanaka

Program Teaches Ballroom Dancing in 500+ Public Schools Across U.S. and in Jaffa, Israel, Bringing Together Israeli and Palestinian Children

Patrice Tanaka (Photo Credit: Jan Goldstoff)

NEW YORK, DEC. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The recent industry launch of PR maven Patrice Tanaka’s new book, “Becoming Ginger Rogers…How Ballroom Dancing Made Me a Happier Woman, Better Partner and Smarter CEO,” co-hosted by MultiVu, a PR Newswire company, and CommPRO.biz, at The Ball New York on Dec. 14 was appropriately a fundraiser for Dancing Classrooms. The New York City-based non-profit, co-founded by ballroom champion Pierre Dulaine and his dance partner, Yvonne Marceau, which brings ballroom dance into public schools across the country and, now globally, has transformed the lives of more than 300,000 children and inspired the award-winning documentary, “Mad, Hot Ballroom,” and the film, “Take the Lead,” starring Antonio Banderas.

Jeannie Egas-Trouveroy, Pierre Dulaine, John Schultz, Patrice Tanaka, Yvonne Marceau, Todd Grossman (photo credit: Jan Goldstoff)

“I can’t think of a better way to launch my book, which is a memoir/business book about the personal and professional transformation I experienced through ballroom dance, than to use it as a fundraiser for Dancing Classrooms, a program I have long admired for its success in helping to transform young lives one step at a time through ballroom dance,” explains Tanaka.

“I first started taking ballroom dance lessons at Pierre Dulaine’s dance studio in New York City and have witnessed the tireless dedication of Pierre and Yvonne in building this remarkable program from one New York City elementary school in 1994 to more than 500 schools across the country today, including in Jaffa, Israel, where 10-year old Israeli-Jewish and Israeli-Palestinian children were brought together for the first time ever through ballroom dance.” A documentary entitled, “Dancing in Jaffa,” will be released in fall 2012 about Pierre’s visit to his hometown of Jaffa and his efforts to bring children of different faiths together joyfully and peacefully through dance in this war-torn region, Ms. Tanaka said.

According to Pierre Dulaine, research has proven that Dancing Classrooms’ 10-week session of twice-weekly ballroom dance classes have helped to increase social development among children and improve their school attendance and rate of high school graduation. “We can very clearly see the transformative effect of ballroom dance on children and know that dance can transform lives at any age as Ms. Tanaka can attest to in her charmingly candid book, ‘Becoming Ginger Rogers,’ and how it made her, as she says, ‘a happier woman, better partner and smarter CEO.’”

Todd Grossman, vice president of MultiVu, which co-hosted the book party for Ms. Tanaka, announced that proceeds from the sale of books that evening would be donated to Dancing Classrooms.

Ms. Tanaka will also be making a donation to the non-profit organization for every book sold through February 15, 2012, the date of Dancing Classrooms 18th Annual Gala Dinner-Dance at The Pierre Hotel in New York City at which she will be the non-profit organization’s first-ever “corporate honoree.”

To order a copy of “Becoming Ginger Rogers” and, at the same time, make a donation to Dancing Classrooms, please click on either of the following links:

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Ginger-Rogers-Ballroom-Dancing/dp/1936661039

Or

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/becoming-ginger-rogers-patrice-tanaka/1100238005

At the book party, Ms. Tanaka spoke about how she started ballroom dance lessons at age 50 to satisfy a lifelong dream of dancing like Ginger Rogers and, in so doing, found her way to “unimaginable joy.” She recounted how she turned to ballroom dancing to lift herself from a deep depression she fell into post-9/11, the unraveling of a successful business she co-founded, and the prolonged illness and death of her beloved husband.

Ms. Tanaka said that she took up ballroom dancing at a time when she was feeling “totally burnt out and unexcited and uninspired by her own life.” Ballroom dancing, she said, helped her to “reclaim her life.”

In “Becoming Ginger Rogers,” Ms. Tanaka talks about the “lessons she learned from ballroom dancing that have application beyond the dance floor” such as:

The importance of being fully present – mind, body and spirit – in helping you to communicate more effectively, create stronger connections and partner more successfully with others in your personal and professional life.

How “overrated” and inhibiting perfectionism is; more important, she says, is to live full-out and fearlessly even if you make some missteps.
How visualizing your dreams are the first step in manifesting them.
How living every moment of your life in a way that is fulfilling in and of itself, and not dependent on some future you may not have, is the best way to live and to be “good to go” especially if you have little advance warning like the nearly 3,000 people who perished at work in the Twin Towers on 9/11.

Ms. Tanaka concluded her remarks by urging guests to “pursue your joy with a sense of urgency” and not to postpone this critical action by thinking that they had the “luxury of an endless future” in which to do so.

She then introduced a dazzling ballroom dance exhibition by American Rhythm Champions Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and Liana Churilova. Ms. Tanaka said that Pierre-Antoine, her teacher, was the person who “inspired” her to write her book, explaining that, “Emmanuel views dancing as more than just a ‘sport’ or ‘profession,’ he views dance as a way of being fully present in the world and as self-discovery and a way of connecting with the divine both within and beyond yourself.”

The thrilling Cha Cha, Rhumba and Mambo danced by Pierre-Antoine and Churilova were evidence of this to all who were present that evening.

# # #

About Patrice Tanaka
Patrice Tanaka is the co-chair, chief creative officer and whatcanbe ambassador for CRT/tanaka, an award-winning, national PR and marketing agency she co-founded in September 2005. Her agency’s brand vision of whatcanbe is the reason CRT/tanaka has been recognized for its workplace culture and won more than 300 PR and marketing awards for client campaigns.

A widow since 2003, Ms.Tanaka lives in Manhattan and devotes much of her free time to serving on the boards of non-profit organizations dedicated to helping women and children, including the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York, Futures Without Violence (formerly the Family Violence Prevention Fund), the American Friends of Phelophepa (the South African health care train) and Asian Women in Business. She also competes in “pro-am” ballroom dance competitions. You can find her on Facebook @Becoming Ginger Rogers and Twitter @BeGingerRogers.

About Dancing Classrooms
Dancing Classrooms is an arts-in-education program whose mission is to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem in children through the practice of social dance. Dancing Classrooms NYC, a 501©(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1994.

Dancing Classrooms is not about teaching ballroom dancing. Dance is a tool for getting children to break down social barriers, learn about honor and respect, treat others carefully, improve self-confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept others even if they are different.

Dancing Classrooms is a 10-week – 20 session social development program for 5th and 8th grade children that utilizes ballroom dancing as a vehicle to change the lives of not only the children who participate in the program but also the lives of the teachers and parents who support these children.

You can find Dancing Classrooms on Facebook @Dancing Classrooms New York City and Twitter @DancingClassrms.

About PR Newswire
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com) is the premier global provider of multimedia platforms that enable marketers, corporate communicators, sustainability officers, public affairs and investor relations officers to leverage content to engage with all their key audiences. Having pioneered the commercial news distribution industry 57 years ago, PR Newswire today provides end-to-end solutions to produce, optimize and target content — from rich media to online video to multimedia — and then distribute content and measure results across traditional, digital, mobile and social channels. Combining the world’s largest multi-channel, multi-cultural content distribution and optimization network with comprehensive workflow tools and platforms, PR Newswire enables the world’s enterprises to engage opportunity everywhere it exists. PR Newswire serves tens of thousands of clients from offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and is a UBM plc company.

About CommPRO.biz
An acronym for "Communications Professional Resources Online," CommPRO.biz is the destination for the answers marketing communications professionals need to be successful, whether they’re in PR, IR, corporate communications, marketing or advertising. CommPRO.biz reaches 75,000+ MarCom professionals with its "Daily Headlines" and enjoys 20,000+ site visitors per month. Its founders include Bruce Merchant, (Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer), Fay Shapiro (Publisher), Todd Fabacher (Chief Information Architect) and Brian Pittman (Content Director). The team brings together a wealth of experience in publishing and services targeted to the business communications sectors — including advertising, investor relations, public relations and marketing. For further information, visit us online at: www.commpro.biz, Twitter @commprobiz and Facebook www.facebook.com/commPRO.biz.

Brad Pitt: Voted Top Money-Making Star of 2011

2011-12-31T03:18:00.001-08:00

30 Dec 2011 15:30 Africa/Lagos

Career First for Brad Pitt: Top Money-Making Star of 2011

GROTON, Mass., Dec. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Brad Pitt has been voted the Top Money-Making Star of 2011 in Quigley Publishing Company's 80th Annual Poll of Motion Picture Exhibitors. This is Pitt's sixth appearance in the Poll, but his first win. Exhibitors felt Pitt was responsible for more traffic to theatres than any other Hollywood star based on his performances this year in "Moneyball," "The Tree of Life" and "Happy Feet Two." (voice)

The Quigley Poll, conducted each year since 1932, is an annual survey of motion picture theatre owners and film buyers, which asks them to vote for the ten stars that they believe generated the most box-office revenue for their theatres during the year. It has been long regarded as one of the most reliable indicators of a Star's real box-office draw because the selections are made by professionals whose livelihood depends on choosing the films and actors that will bring audiences to their theatres. The Quigley Poll appears annually in Quigley Publishing Company's International Motion Picture Almanac and on our web site: www.quigleypublishing.com. Both list the results of all the Polls since Marie Dressler, Janet Gaynor and Joan Crawford took the top three places in 1932.

George Clooney placed second this year based on "The Ides of March," where he was also the Director, Producer and Co-writer and "The Descendants." Johnny Depp, last year's winner, made it to #3 this year with 2011 roles in "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" and "The Rum Diary." Depp has placed in the poll seven times as has this year's #4, Leonardo DiCaprio, who starred in "J. Edgar." Matt Damon, #5, had a very busy year with "Contagion," "The Adjustment Bureau," "Margaret" and "We Bought a Zoo."

2009's winner, Sandra Bullock, placed #6, which marks her fifth appearance in the Poll. She first placed in the survey in 1995. There were two first-timers this year, Bradley Cooper #7 and Ben Stiller #10. Bradley Cooper was in "The Hangover Part II" and Ben Stiller was in "Tower Heist." Robert Downey, Jr. was #8 on the strength of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" and Meryl Streep was #9 as 'The Iron Lady" and is in the Top Ten for the fourth time.

Tom Cruise has not placed in the Poll since 2006 but he has been in the Top Ten 20 times since 1983, and been voted number one the most of any actor - seven times. Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds and Bing Crosby have all won five times. Clint Eastwood has been in the poll 21 times starting in 1968. Currently, Exhibitors appreciate him more as a Director that brings audiences to their theatres. John Wayne, Doris Day and Shirley Temple each finished first four times, but John Wayne was voted one of the Top Ten Money-Making Stars an astounding 25 times from 1949 to 1974.

Exhibitors were also asked to name the Stars of Tomorrow for 2011: one actor and one actress who they feel will be Top Money-Makers in the years to come. The 2011 winners are Rooney Mara who played Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and Jonah Hill who had a breakthrough performance in "Moneyball" and starred in "The Sitter."

Top Ten Money-Making Stars of 2011

Brad Pitt
George Clooney
Johnny Depp
Leonardo DiCaprio
Matt Damon
Sandra Bullock
Bradley Cooper
Robert Downey, Jr.
Meryl Streep
Ben Stiller

Stars of Tomorrow:

Rooney Mara
Jonah Hill

Quigley Publishing Company was founded in 1915 and has published the International Motion Picture Almanac annually since 1930 and the International Television & Video Almanac since 1955. Historical data, analysis and all of the Top Ten Money-Making Star Polls dating back to 1932 are available in the 2011 edition of the International Motion Picture Almanac and on our web site: www.quigleypublishing.com

SOURCE Quigley Publishing Company

CONTACT: CONTACT: Bill Quigley, +1-978-448-0272, Fax: +1-978-448-9325, bquigley@quigleypublishing.com

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

How Are You Going To Welcome The New Year 2012 With Your Sweetheart?

2011-12-30T07:25:00.000-08:00

How are you going to welcome the New Year with your sweetheart?

1. Go to church with her for the end of the year/New Year watch night service?

2. Go clubbing into the New Year?

3. Dine and wine and make love into the New Year?

4. Simply go to bed and wake up in the New Year.

ULTA Beauty Offers Top 6 Skin Resolutions For 2012

2011-12-29T07:33:00.001-08:00

Welcome a new year with the experts at ULTA Beauty as they present Fresh Start Skin Days offering free skin tips, expert consultations and special offers from January 1 - 21, 2012 at stores nationwide. (PRNewsFoto/ULTA Beauty)

29 Dec 2011 15:00 Africa/Lagos

ULTA Beauty Kicks Off Annual Skin Event With Their Top 6 Skin Resolutions For 2012

BOLINGBROOK, Ill., Dec. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Year is the perfect time to shake up your skin care routine. Swapping out your daily cleanser, toner, spot treatment or moisturizer for products that are targeted for your skin concerns could be the remedy you need to maintain that radiant glow all year long.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111229/NY28076 )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110907/NY63127LOGO-b )

Recharge your spirits (and pores!) with a new regime & tips from the experts at ULTA Beauty as they kick off 2012 with their annual Fresh Start Skin Days event on January 1, 2012, where stores nationwide will focus on the importance of great skincare by offering exclusive tips from experts, as well as one of kind special offers daily through January 21, 2012.

ULTA has tapped into their team of expert brands who will offer exclusive beauty products including Dermalogica, Benefit, Murad, Bliss and, Philosophy, as well as in-store consultations and live demos from top beauty industry experts.

6 Top Skin Resolutions for Beautiful Skin in 2012:

1. Enjoy Your Coffee. Studies show that coffee beans & caffeine can produce elastin (aka tight skin). A quick skin tightening tip that may surprise you! If only spin class could be this easy & sweat free:

Bliss – Like a spinning class for your not-so-skinny cells, bliss's topical treatments FatGirlScrub and FatGirlSlim targets problem areas by energizing lethargic lipids to let loose and go 'lymphatic'.

2. Stay Hydrated. Skin thirsty for some moisture? Staying hydrated through the harsh winter months is key. Stay smooth with these featured products:

Radiant SkinCare by Benefit Set – Dull skin from daily stress? With this 6 step set, skin is guaranteed to be polished, cleansed & hydrated for travelers on the go.
DDF – Their simplifying elixir boosts skin's moisture barrier by 70% with ingredients including ficus leaf, lotus flower and red clover extracts.

3. Thou Shall Not Pick. Spots should only be for the runway or your cute pup! For those with combination or breakout prone skin, ULTA skincare experts offer these suggestions:

StriVectin-EV – Their new Get Even Spot Repair has a concentrated formula that targets stubborn spots at the source. After 4 weeks, excess pigmentation diminishes and after 8 weeks, stubborn spots visibly lighten.
Philosophy – Want amplified results on skin discoloration? Look to the #1 professional protocol for addressing dark spots: a skin brightener + a retinoid. Simply pair Philosophy's revolutionary new Miracle Worker Miraculous All-Over Brightener and Dark Spot Corrector with their best-selling Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Retinoid Pads for fast, clinically-proven results.
Mario Badescu – Did you know that the Whitening Mask isn't only for discoloration? it's a great mask for overall brightening too! This hydrating mask will brighten uneven skin tones and gently minimize the look of old acne scars. Give the Whitening Mask a try!

4. Get 8-10 Hours of Sleep a Night. Research shows cells are most efficient at healing during nighttime sleep. Work on cell renewal and say "hasta la vista" to dark under eye circles with these miracle go-to products:

bareMinerals – With their active cell renewal night serum, accelerate cell turnover and boost moisture levels while you sleep. Wake up to firm, healthy, younger-looking skin.
Hydroxatone – Always apply under eye products with your ring finger! This is your weakest finger and will ensure a gentle product application to the delicate, thin skin under the eyes -- applying too much pressure can break capillaries and even cause bruising!

5. Prepare to Change. Your skin changes as you age and so should your skin care if you want to keep a youthful appearance. Be sure to use products that correspond with your age and skin concerns. The experts at Dermalogica suggest these:

20s: Clean skin is the foundation of healthy skin. Perform the Dermalogica Double cleanse that begins with PreCleanse to lift makeup and oil-based debris, and follow with your favorite Dermalogica Cleanser for super clean skin.
30s: Adding a weekly hydrating masque to your routine can dramatically boost radiance and reduce appearance of fine lines.
40s: Keep up with your water intake to hydrate skin from the inside out.
50s: Menopause can trigger up to a 30% reduction in collagen. Speak with your skin therapist about products that can help boost collagen production to keep skin firm.

6. Glow as you Go. A great skin care regime need not take a long time. It's all about using the right products and keeping up a regular skin care routine. New services like Dermalogica's MicroZone treatments take only 20-minutes at ULTA Salons and can be adapted to individual needs. Try Flash Exfoliation, Lip Renewal or Eye Rescue for targeted solutions for immediate skin care concerns.

ULTA Beauty is the largest beauty retailer that provides one-stop shopping for prestige, mass and salon products and salon services in the United States. ULTA Beauty provides affordable indulgence to its customers by combining the product breadth, value and convenience of a beauty superstore with the distinctive environment and experience of a specialty retailer. ULTA Beauty offers a unique combination of over 20,000 prestige and mass beauty products across the categories of cosmetics, fragrance, haircare, skincare, bath and body products and salon styling tools, as well as salon haircare products. ULTA Beauty also offers a full-service salon in all of its stores. As of October 29, 2011, ULTA operates 442 retail stores across 42 states and also distributes its products through its website: www.ulta.com.

SOURCE ULTA Beauty

CONTACT: CONTACT: Brooke Hudis, DKC, +1-212-981-5249, Brooke_Hudis@dkcnews.com or Lizzie Boswell, DKC, +1-212-981-5273, Lizzie_Boswell@dkcnews.com

We Are Made For Relationships

2011-12-29T06:57:00.000-08:00

I am not talking religion here, before ignorant ones rush to such a conclusion once they see a biblical quotation.

From the Garden of Eden to date, we have been made for relationships and lest we forget there was no marriage ceremony between Adam and Eve and where did Cain get his wife after he committed fratricide by killing his brother Abel?
Cain got his wife from one of his sisters, because the Holy Bible recorded in Genesis 5:4;
“And the days of Adam after he had fathered Seth were eight hundred years. And he fathered sons and daughters.”

Do you know that majority of my fellow so called "Christians", especially the hypocritical legions don't even know this fact.

Marriage was created for the security of the society and not as most people assume for companionship.

You don't need marriage to get a companion to be your life partner.
All you need for companionship is relationship.

"The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"

It goes without saying that God created mankind for relationships from which comes 80 percent of life's satisfaction. To live meaningfully is to be in meaningful relationships, without which life is lonely and leaves us with an empty "love tank" or vacuum in the heart.

If we don't know how to relate in healthy ways, we don't know how to fully live and fully love. As a result we can impair our mental and physical health.

~ http://www.actsweb.org/daily.php?id=908

It is really an ordeal to have conversation with ignorant people who are neither well educated nor well informed since what they know is not more than what they have been taught by equally ignorant tutors who were also in turn taught by ignorant tutors and their vicious circle of ignorance continues perpetually until they even die. But thank God the master is here to bring them out of their darkness into the marvelous light of the love that surpasses all knowledge which only those who drink from the rivers of living water can fetch and give to the thirsty pilgrims and wanderers in the journey of life in a mysterious universe.

So, let no one misinform you under the guise of any religion or tradition of any society that is not based on the Truth that our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said will set you free once you know it.
So, know it now.
Jesus Christ did not marry and I could guess what the family, friends and the rest of ignorant people of His time would have said about him.
Did He marry?
But among his closest companions were women.

How many of the apostles and prophets of God married?
Yet they had female companions.

Why am I making biblical references?
I am doing so, because of the passionate proponents of marriage are dogmatic adherents of biblical marriage and will jump to the conclusion of labeling me an iconoclast.
If I would ever be an iconoclast, it must be the one who destroys all falsehoods and other ambiguous and erroneous beliefs and practices of this human society ruled more by fear, ignorance and hypocrisy than love and truth.

~ By Orikinla Osinachi

The Biggest Transformers Movie Yet - Transformers: Dark of the Moon

2011-12-28T02:36:00.000-08:00

'Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon' Movie Review... by ClevverMovies

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Hasbro, Paramount Pictures' global smash hit Transformers: Dark of the Moon returns to Earth January 31, 2012 in a four-disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack with UltraViolet™ and a Digital Copy. A must-own film for every home media collection, Transformers: Dark of the Moon features "jaw-droppingly amazing 3D" (Harry Knowles, AintItCool.com) and fan-favorite characters OPTIMUS PRIME, BUMBLEBEE and Sam Witwicky amidst bigger and more spectacular action in an adventure that surpassed its predecessors to earn over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office and become the #4 biggest movie of all time at the global box office.

Bursting with nearly four hours of sensational behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews and more, the Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack delivers blockbuster entertainment.

"This Blu-ray 3D of Dark of the Moon will blow you away. If you've been waiting for the right time to get a 3D television, this is it," said director Michael Bay. "For fans who've been waiting patiently to bring Dark of the Moon home, this Ultimate Edition release delivers the goods."

And, for a limited time, all three eye-popping films in the Transformers franchise will be available in a 7-Disc Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray Trilogy featuring each film in high definition, Transformers: Dark of the Moon in high definition 3D, more than 10 hours of special features and a plaque of movie images signed by Bay.

The ongoing epic story of the mighty AUTOBOTS continues in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the four-disc Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD combo pack takes fans behind-the-scenes, across the U.S. and into the far reaches of space for a fully immersive entertainment experience. The set includes a nearly two-hour documentary about the making of the film, which follows the cast and crew around the world, reveals the secrets behind the breathtaking stunts, including more footage of the amazing "birdmen," and documents the film's progress all the way through its triumphant release. Plus, additional features show how Chicago was transformed into the movie's biggest action set, offer a look inside NASA, unveil artists' renderings of the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS and much, much more. The combo pack will also be enabled with UltraViolet, a new way to collect, access and enjoy movies. With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them – safely and securely – to a variety of devices.

Four-Disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray & DVD

The Transformers: Dark of the Moon Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray are presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1 Discrete Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Discrete Surround Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The English 5.1 and English 2.0 tracks were each individually mastered to ensure optimal sound for the home entertainment experience.

The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Discrete Surround, French 5.1 Surround, Spanish 5.1 Surround and English Audio Description and English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The disc breakdown is as follows:

Disc 1 (Blu-ray):

Feature film in high definition

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

Above and Beyond: Exploring Dark of the Moon
Rising from the Fallen: Development and Design
Ready for Prime Time: Filming Across America
Battle in the Heartland: Shooting in Chicago
Attack of the Birdmen: Aerial Stunts
Shadow of the Sentinel: Post-Production and Release
Uncharted Territory: NASA's Future Then and Now
Deconstructing Chicago: Multi-Angle Sequences
Previsualizations with optional commentary by director Michael Bay and previsualization supervisor Steve Yamamoto
Previsualizations/Final Shot Comparison with optional commentary by director Michael Bay and previsualization supervisor Steve Yamamoto
Visual Effects with optional commentary by visual effects supervisors Scott Farrar and Matthew Butler
Visual Effects/Final Shot Comparison with optional commentary by visual effects supervisors Scott Farrar and Matthew Butler
The Art of CYBERTRON
AUTOBOTS
DECEPTICONS
Environments
Weapons and Gear
Ships
The Dark of the Moon Archive
3D: A Transforming Visual Art
Moscow World Premiere
Birdmen Featurette
Cody's iPad
The Sound of Transformers: Dark of the Moon
The Matrix of Marketing
Trailers
Marketing Gallery

Disc 3 (Blu-ray 3D):

Feature film in high definition 3D

Disc 4 (DVD):

Feature film in standard definition
Digital Copy—Compatible with iTunes® and Windows Media

7-Disc Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray Trilogy

The 7-Disc Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray Trilogy includes all three films in high definition, Transformers: Dark of the Moon in high definition 3D, more than 10 hours of bonus material, as well as a plaque of movie images signed by director Michael Bay. Disc specifications are as follows:

Two-disc Special Edition Blu-ray of Transformers presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Two-disc Special Edition Blu-ray of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.
Three-disc Combo Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray of Transformers: Dark of the Moon presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1 Discrete Dolby Digital, English 2.0 Discrete Surround Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

Synopsis

A mysterious event from Earth's past threatens to ignite a war so big that the TRANSFORMERS alone will not be able to save the planet. Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and the AUTOBOTS must fight against the darkness to defend our world from the DECEPTICONS' all-consuming evil in the smash hit from director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg.

About Hasbro, Inc.

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a branded play company providing children and families around the world with a wide-range of immersive entertainment offerings based on the Company's world class brand portfolio. From toys and games, to television programming, motion pictures, video games and a comprehensive licensing program, Hasbro strives to delight its customers through the strategic leveraging of well-known and beloved brands such as TRANSFORMERS, LITTLEST PET SHOP, NERF, PLAYSKOOL, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, MAGIC: THE GATHERING and MONOPOLY. The Hub, Hasbro's multi-platform joint venture with Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) launched on October 10, 2010. The online home of The Hub is www.hubworld.com. The Hub logo and name are trademarks of Hub Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2011 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Paramount Home Entertainment

Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products on behalf of various parties including: Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, Paramount Famous Productions, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS and PBS and for providing home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks Animation Home Entertainment.

TRANSFORMERS: Dark of the Moon

Street date:

January 31, 2012

Runtime:

154 minutes

SRP:

$39.99 (Ultimate Edition Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray & DVD combo pack)

SOURCE Paramount Home Entertainment

Kim Kardashian Gets Paid $600,000 Just To Host New Year's Eve Party

2011-12-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

Wow! Even Oprah Winfrey would gasp at this!
Kim Kardashian gets paid $600,000 just to host a New Year's Eve party for the Tao Nightclub in Vegas.

The Trials Of Love: How Do You Share The Burden Of Your Girlfriend Or Boyfriend?

2011-12-24T11:06:00.000-08:00

Man comforting a woman. Photo Credit: Madame Noire

The Trials Of Love: How Do You Share The Burden Of Your Girlfriend Or Boyfriend?
« on: Today at 08:02:31 PM »

Most of the topics on romance often focus more on intimate relationships than the other important aspects of love between a man and a woman.

Apart from the joys of intimate intercourse, what other courses do you have to experience in romance?

Do you share in the challenges and trials of your girlfriend or boyfriend?
How do you bear with him or her.?

Have you shown enough care and concern when your sweetheart is ill or when she has a heavy burden in her family?

How much have you shared in the welfare of her/his family?
Or have you been found wanting when he or she needs you most?
To comfort and support her or him?

Or do you give excuses to escape from the challenges and expenses of bearing the responsibilities with your girlfriend or boyfriend?

Would you review this year and nod your head in approval or shake your head in disapproval of your girlfriend or boyfriend?
Did your sweetheart disappoint you?
Did he let you down?
Or did he or she make you proud and worthy of your love?

~ By Orikinla Osinachi.

Who Owns Christmas? Jesus Christ or Santa Claus?

2011-12-24T09:38:00.000-08:00

Illustration of Jesus and Santa. Photo Credit: Jason Berggren.

Who owns Christmas? Jesus Christ or Santa Claus?
This is the thought-;provoking subject of David Frum's article on the Huffington Post: Santa vs. Jesus and it is one of the most engaging articles on the debate of how the "religion" of Santa Claus is misappropriating the religion of Christianity for which Christmas is being celebrated in commemoration of the birth of the founder Jesus Christ our Lord and Messiah.

This is really How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Of course How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is an allegory of how Santa Claus has stolen the birthday of Jesus Christ written by Dr. Seuss on the commercialization of Christmas and satirizes those who profit from exploiting the holiday.

As we speak, Santa Claus has just left the North Pole for his Christmas Eve journey around the world, his reindeer-powered sleigh loaded with gifts for boys and girls. ...

As much we should appreciate the goodwill and love in the sharing and exchange of Christmas gifts and greetings, we must stop the abuse and misuse of the Christian festival by greedy capitalists and legions of hypocrites whose idolatry is the antithesis of the charity of Jesus Christ.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, aka Orikinla Osinachi.

Ghanaian Actresses Are Hotter Than Nigerian Actresses

2011-12-24T05:40:00.000-08:00

Yvonne Nelson, Ghollywood Sex Symbol.

When you compare Nigerian actresses with Ghanaian actresses, you will see that the Ghanaian Actresses Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari and Yvonne Nelson are hotter than Nigeria's Genevieve Nnaji, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Rita Dominic, Mercy Johnson, Ini Edo and Tonto Dike on and off screen.

Especially my favourite Yvonne Nelson is just too hot!

Genevieve Nnaji, Nollywood Sex Symbol

TouchTunes Interactive and Razor & Tie Join Forces To Promote Vanessa Carlton

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Vanessa Carlton with TouchTunes Interactive Networks' Virtuo. (PRNewsFoto/TouchTunes Interactive Networks)

23 Dec 2011 14:00 Africa/Lagos

TouchTunes Interactive Networks Partners With Razor & Tie for a Nationwide Promotion of Vanessa Carlton's New EP Hear The Bells

Digital EP Includes Two Holiday Songs and First-Ever Re-Record of Her Smash Hit "A Thousand Miles"
Vanessa Carlton Performance at Holiday Release Party in NYC Sponsored by TouchTunes

NEW YORK, Dec. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- To support the release of Vanessa Carlton's new digital EP, Hear the Bells, TouchTunes Interactive Networks today announced a first-time partnership with the leading independent record label Razor & Tie for a wide-reaching digital and mobile promotion of the EP across its nationwide network. During the month of December, Hear the Bells will be promoted across TouchTunes' network of over 50,000 digital jukeboxes and TouchTunesTV screens, and will also be available to fans on the myTouchTunes mobile app.

TouchTunes Interactive Networks Partners With Razor & Tie for a Nationwide Promotion of Vanessa Carlton's New EP Hear The Bells. (PRNewsFoto/TouchTunes Interactive Networks)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111223/NY27178-a )

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111223/NY27178-b )

Officially released on November 21st, the four song digital EP features the holiday classic "Do You Hear What I Hear" and John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," as well as an acoustic rendition of "Hear The Bells" (from Carlton's 2011 studio album, Rabbits on the Run.) Vanessa Carlton fans are also treated to the first-ever acoustic re-recording of her mega-hit, "A Thousand Miles."

In addition, on Friday December 16th, TouchTunes celebrated Carlton's EP release by hosting an invitation-only event at Dominion NY in New York City. Music industry executives, VIPs, and a select group of fans were treated to a special acoustic performance by Carlton.

"It's fantastic to be partnering with TouchTunes to help promote Vanessa's 'Hear the Bells' EP," said Matthew Amoroso, Product Manager, Razor & Tie. "In the ever-changing musical landscape, TouchTunes presents a new and unique marketing channel to expose our artists to a huge number of fresh eyes and ears. It's exciting and refreshing."

Vanessa recently wrapped up a national tour with Matt Nathanson in support of her critically acclaimed album, Rabbits on the Run (Razor & Tie). The album was released this past summer to rave reviews and Carlton appeared on a number of television programs including The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Conan, and Chelsea Lately and was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition .

"The holidays are a busy, busy time for our locations and music is especially key to creating a festive atmosphere during the season," said Vicki Saunders, TouchTunes VP, Digital Media and Music Marketing. "We are thrilled to be working with Vanessa Carlton and her team to promote Hear the Bells, a perfect addition to our holiday catalog."

About TouchTunes Interactive Networks

TouchTunes Interactive Networks is the largest interactive out-of-home entertainment network in North America. TouchTunes provides entertainment and marketing solutions to 50,000 bars and restaurants. Since TouchTunes introduced the world's first digital downloading, pay-per-play jukebox, the network has become the largest of its kind with close to 2 million songs played, on average, across the network every day. TouchTunes has a growing music library of more than three million licensed tracks, and delivered more than 900 million songs in 2011 alone. The company also provides TouchTunesTV, a unique, screen-within-a-screen interactive television experience that provides custom advertising capabilities, venue promotions and social networking opportunities. TouchTunes is a privately held U.S. corporation with offices in New York City, Arlington Heights, Illinois and Montreal, Canada. For further information please visit us at: touchtunes.com, mytouchtunes.com, facebook.com/touchtunes, twitter.com/touchtunes

About Razor & Tie

The New York City-based Razor & Tie is one of the largest independently-owned music companies in the United States. Founded in 1990 and co-owned since inception by entrepreneurs Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam, the company is comprised of a record label with major distribution through SONY and independent distribution through RED, a music publishing business, a media buying company, a full service recording studio, and visual / post production house. Having garnered many gold and platinum sales awards and Grammy awards in its 20-year history, Razor & Tie continues to expand its diverse and acclaimed roster that includes such artists as Vanessa Carlton, Foreigner, Dave Stewart, Richard Ashcroft, Nicole Atkins, Angelique Kidjo, Saves The Day, Kevin Devine, Dave Barnes, All That Remains, P.O.D., Dweezil Zappa, Dar Williams, Chelsea Grin, For Today, Hit The Lights, The Summer Set and a children's roster that includes Laurie Berkner and The Wiggles. The label also supplies physical and digital distribution to the Broadway Cast Recording label Ghostlight/Sh-K-Boom, the re-issue label Real Gone Records, and is a partner in the metal label Artery Recordings, a successful joint venture with Artery Management. The company provides distribution and marketing services for artists such as Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega, Corey Smith and The Cowboy Junkies. The owners of the company are also the creators of the hugely successful brand Kidz Bop, which includes the multi-platinum Kidz Bop music series.

www.vanessacarlton.com
Vanessa Carlton Press Assets: http://www.razorandtiepublicity.com/artistpage.php?artist=232
www.razorandtie.com

SOURCE TouchTunes Interactive Networks

CONTACT:
Contact For TouchTunes Interactive Networks: Liz Anklow, liz_anklow@dkcnews.com, Courtney Greenberg, courtney_greenberg@dkcnews.com, or Jade Clark, jade_clark@dkcnews.com, all of Dan Klores Communications, +1-212-685-4300; Contact For Razor & Tie and Vanessa Carlton, Kerri Brusca, +1-212.598.2255, kbrusca@razorandtie.com

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

Thank God is Friday Christmas Shopping Post

2011-12-23T02:33:00.000-08:00

Nigerian Times is wishing everyone who visited the site a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012 and to share the joys of the season, I am offering the lucky SHEKNOWS a special Thank God is Friday Free Advert and the Zesty Orange Shoes are worth getting for yourself or your sweethearts!

:1: Via Spiga Digby

These shiny shoes have a patent leather upper in a dress slingback style, featuring a pointed toe and cute cutout detail.

Get it: Via Spiga Digby

:2: Athena Alexander Arc Sandal

With its strap with geometric leather overlays and high heel, you will think style. But with the cushioned footbed, you'll get to feel comfort, too.

Get it: Athena Alexander Arc Sandal

:3: Sam Edelman Ionia Slingback

A cute, classic slingback shoe, with an adjustable ankle strap featuring a buckle closure.

Get it: Sam Edelman Ionia Slingback

:4: Zanotti by Giuseppe for Christopher Kane

These fabulous orange leather shoes offer a unique laced vamp and a 4-1/2" heel -- pretty much a guarantee you won't find them everywhere!

Get it: Zanotti by Giuseppe for Christopher Kane

:5: Diego Di Lucca Livia Slingback Wedge

You can dress these shoes up or down, knowing that these glossy patent shoes give you a leg-lengthening boost with a wedge heel, peep toe and adjustable slingback.

Get it: Diego Di Lucca Livia Slingback Wedge

:6: Martinez Valero Cimmy Sandal

Satiny fabric cascades down this pump from ankle to toe, plus you'll get a lift from the hot caged heel.

Get it: Martinez Valero Cimmy Sandal

Britney Spears Celebrates Engagement at Planet Hollywood

2011-12-22T11:42:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears Celebrates Engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas
Pop princess debuts her 3.5-carat Neil Lane sparkler from longtime love Jason Trawick

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears celebrate their engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Dec. 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 19, 2011) /PRNewswire/ — Britney Spears celebrated her engagement to longtime love Jason Trawick at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino the evening of Friday, Dec. 16. The pop icon debuted her 3.5-carat Neil Lane ring at the famed Las Vegas resort, which Trawick presented to her the previous evening in Los Angeles.

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears celebrate their engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Dec. 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

Spears and her fiancé checked into one of the resort’s 3,100-square-foot mega-suites designed by famed designer Jonathon Adler. The two-bedroom suite features a stunning red Murano glass chandelier in the entry way as well as a full dining room, living room and Jacuzzi tub, and has breathtaking views of Paris Hotel’s Eiffel Tower.

Jason Trawick and Britney Spears celebrate their engagement at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on Dec. 16, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Denise Truscello/WireImage)

After settling in, the couple went down to Planet Hollywood’s Strip House Steakhouse, where they celebrated with a custom-made cake created especially for them by the resort’s pastry chef. Spears and Trawick then headed over to Paris Las Vegas, where they dined at Sugar Factory American Brasserie, and ended the evening celebrating Trawick’s 40th birthday at Chateau Nightclub.

PLANET HOLLYWOOD RESORT & CASINO
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino is the newest member of the Caesars Entertainment family and is a full partner in Total Rewards™. The hottest property on the Las Vegas Strip with 2,500 beautifully designed guest rooms and suites showcasing the best views in town, Planet Hollywood encompasses more than 100,000 square-feet of gaming, several lounges, nine restaurants including KOI, Strip House, the award-winning Spice Market Buffet and LA’s Pink’s Hot Dogs, and the Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara. The mega resort is also home to PEEPSHOW, the sexy burlesque revue starring bombshell Holly Madison. The property is encircled by Miracle Mile Shops with more 170 specialty stores and restaurants. For more information, please visit www.planethollywoodresort.com or caesars.thedigitalcenter.com to access media materials and request high-resolution images. Find Planet Hollywood on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

Planet Hollywood, along with all Caesars Entertainment Las Vegas resorts, including Caesars Palace, Paris Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas, Harrah’s, Bally’s, Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, Imperial Palace and Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, proudly prohibit adding hidden resort fees to hotel guest room rates. For information on No Resort Fees visit www.caesars.com/vegasnoresortfees.

###

Media Contact:

Kelly Frey
Public Relations Manager
Caesars Entertainment
Las Vegas Region
kfrey@caesars.com
(702) 794-3170

Beyonce is Looking Like Lady Gaga on Cover of Jones Magazine

2011-12-22T07:07:00.000-08:00

I nearly mistook Beyoncé for Lady Gaga when I saw her looking like the Pop Drama Queen on the cover of Jones Magazine's 1st Annual Winter 2011 Arts & Entertainment Issue. Beyoncé is a great entertainer on stage, but off stage she is a happily married and "pregnant" woman. Mrs. Jay-Z is not looking even a day pregnant in this cover photograph. Or she posed for it before she got pregnant?

The following is the press release.

Beyonce Knowles covers Jones Magazine's Arts & Entertainment Winter Issue, as the fashion and beauty glossy rises to a new level and grows its audience

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones magazine (jonesmagazine.com) -- Jones magazine is honored to feature the incomparable Beyonce on the cover of its arts and entertainment issue -- recognizing the contributions that Mrs. Knowles-Carter has made to music, film, fashion and beyond. For her first Jones cover, Beyonce presents iconic fashion images from the terrace of the Maurice in Paris, photographed by Greg Gex. In "B loved" (p. 72), written by Kim Osorio, Jones magazine examines Beyonce's current status as one of the most celebrated artists of our time.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111221/NY26348 )

"I believe that parents prepare their kids for the moment that they're on their own: at this point, I am taking everything my dad and my mother have taught me, and I'm able to do things my way," says Beyonce.

"We're thrilled to have Beyonce grace the cover of Jones, as we expand and grow our audience," says L. Londell McMillan, Publisher.

On newsstands now, the magazine also features an exclusive interview with ballet's Misty Copeland, "Indomitable Beauty" (p. 80)—a stylish siren of the stage. She's not only the first African-American soloist in decades for a leading ballet company, but she's creating a new dancewear line for "real" bodies. For the first Jones "Inaugural Best-Dressed List" (p. 46), Jones curated 30 of their favorite, most consistently stylish leading ladies, from celebrities to socialites to professional personalities. Get to know them, and see why they're tops and so Jones. Lastly, in the spirit of holiday giving, Jones brings to you "Hey, Big Spender" (p. 88), a look at how some of the biggest celebrities give back through charities.

Jones invites readers to follow them on twitter (@jonesmag) and join the ranks of fans on Facebook (facebook.com/jonesmag). The new issue of Jones Magazine is on newsstands now, nationwide.

About Jones Magazine
Jones magazine (www.jonesmagazine.com) is the lifestyle shopping guide glossy targeting multi-cultural women and catering to fashion enthusiasts who share a penchant for what's hot, new and yet-to-be discovered. Jones Magazine is a division of The NorthStar Group, and distributed nationally on newsstands.

CONTACT:
Dana Storm Santiago
The NorthStar Group
Phone: (646) 559-8314
Email: press@jonesmag.com
www.jonesmagazine.com

SOURCE Jones Magazine

Spielberg's War Horse To Be Released on Christmas Day

2011-12-22T04:02:00.000-08:00

The most awaited movie premiere of the year is Steven Spielberg’s War Horse opening on Christmas Day December 25 in the US and on January 13, 2012 in the UK.

War Horse is an adaptation of British author Michael Morpurgo’s children's novel set during World War I. The novel was first published in 1982 and had a successful stage adaptation in 2007.

Spielberg said he had challenges in reworking “a beloved Broadway play into a big screen moment to remember”.

Jeremy Irvine plays the role of Albert Narracott in the war thriller. He was Luke in the television series Life Bites and has remarkable stage experience with the Royal Shakespeare Company and was in Dunsinane in 2010.

The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse—an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure. “War Horse” is one of the great stories of friendship and war— a successful book, it was turned into a hugely successful international theatrical hit that is arriving on Broadway next year. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the great directors in film history.

Cast

Jeremy Irvine as Albert Narracott
Emily Watson as Mum, Rose Narracott
Peter Mullan as Dad, Ted Narracott
Tom Hiddleston as Captain Nicholls
David Thewlis as Lyons
Benedict Cumberbatch as Major Stewart
Toby Kebbell as Geordie
Eddie Marsan as Sgt. Fry
Geoff Bell as Sgt. Sam Perkins
Patrick Kennedy as Lieutenant Waverly
Niels Arestrup as Grandfather
Celine Buckens as Emilie
David Kross as Gunther
Rainer Bock as Brandt
Nicolas Bro as Friedrich
Leonard Carow as Michael
Robert Emms as David Lyons
Liam Cunningham as Army Doctor
David Dencik as Base Camp Officer

PG-13, 2 hr. 26 min.
Drama, Action & Adventure
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
In Theaters: Dec 25, 2011 Wide
Walt Disney Pictures

War Horse is the second Steven Spielberg film opening this December in the US. The first The Adventures of Tintin was released yesterday Wednesday . December 21, 2011 in Digital 3D and IMAX.

The Adventures of Tintin is Spielberg's first foray into motion-capture filmmaking as well as 3-D. "Tintin," is the famous comic hero created by the Belgian artist named Hergé in the late 1920s. Tintin is a young daring investigative reporter whose travels around the world exposes him to fantastic adventures as he covers big stories and uncovers even larger mysteries accompanied by his dog, Snowy.

~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima

"Sorry mate, you're off my Christmas list!"

2011-12-21T11:58:00.001-08:00

NEWPORT, Wales, December 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Friends miss out as a third of Brits trim their Christmas present list

Work friends and old school friends most likely to miss out
5 per cent of brothers are off the list as are 7 per cent of in-laws
Brits set to spend average of £528 on Christmas presents
One in five will go overdrawn or rely on credit card debt

A third of Brits have reduced the number of people they plan to buy presents for this year, crossing off an average three people from their Christmas list. Friends are top of the list of those most likely to be dropped, as hard-pressed consumers look at ways of trimming their festive budgets, while Granddad's and Grandma's presents look the most secure.

The new research into Christmas spending plans, commissioned by price comparison website Gocompare.com, found that on average we will spend £528 buying gifts for 10 people. While 70 per cent expect to spend the same amount or more as last year, 30 per cent were looking to reduce the amount they paid out for presents and trimming the number of people on the list was one way to save money.

Over half (56 per cent) of those looking to cut back would drop friends from their list, while only 31 per cent would remove family members. When it comes to family, the in-laws are the most likely to get crossed off the lists (7 per cent), followed by brothers (5 per cent) and sisters (3 per cent), nephews and cousins (both 3 per cent) and nieces (2 per cent). However, less than 1 per cent said they would leave Granddad or Grandma without a present.

Affordability (61 per cent) was the main reason given for reducing the number of people on gifts lists, 16 per cent weren't planning to buy presents for people who no longer bought them one, while 14 per cent had removed people from their shopping list because they had either fallen out or had lost contact with them.

When asked how they expect to pay for Christmas this year, half of those surveyed will meet the cost from their everyday income or savings, 26 per cent have saved up a specific 'Christmas fund', while one in five people will either go overdrawn or put the cost of Christmas on a store or credit card.

Jeremy Cryer, Gocompare.com's head of credit cards commented, "Christmas is traditionally a time of year when friends and family gather together to celebrate and exchange gifts. However, the festive season can add a significant burden on those who are already struggling to make ends meet. Worryingly, our survey reveals that 20 per cent of us will either go overdrawn or run up credit or store card debts simply to pay for Christmas presents.

"Much of the money owed on plastic cards is made up of the interest charged on the debt, so a good way to reduce the post Christmas financial hangover is to switch credit and store card debts to a 0% balance transfer deal. Consider transferring your debt balance to a card with an extended interest free period - these usually charge a small balance transfer fee of around 3% which will initially be added to the debt but it is still worth it if you can get 0% interest for 22 months*."

Jeremy continued, "Another option is to switch your balance to a card with a low interest rate for the lifetime of the balance transferred. This will immediately reduce the interest rate until the debt is completely paid off. This may be a better option if you're unlikely to pay off a significant part of your debt during a 0% interest free period.

"In the majority of cases any new purchases made using a credit card will be charged at the card issuer's standard interest rate until it is paid off so once you've switched your balance, it is a good idea to keep that card purely for the benefits of the 0% or low rate deal.

"Finally, don't forget that the longer you take to repay the debt, the more money you will owe as card issuers add interest to any outstanding balance. So, try to pay more than the minimum repayment each month and you will be debt-free sooner rather than later."

http://www.gocompare.com/credit-cards/

Notes to Editors:

Research commissioned by Gocompare.com. Carried out with 3,000 UK adults at the end of November 2011 by OnePoll Research.

*Based on the Barclaycard Platinum Visa Card which currently offers 0% for 22 months for balance transfers subject to a 2.9% handling fee.

Gocompare.com launched in November 2006 to help people find the right insurance cover at the right price. It was founded by Hayley Parsons who has worked her entire career in the insurance broking and aggregator markets and was the first comparison site to focus on displaying product features rather than just listing prices. It was this philosophy that led to Gocompare.com becoming the first price comparison site to be invited to join the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) in May 2008 and helped force older comparison sites to change their 'quick quote' ways and stop using assumptions to calculate estimated figures.

Today, Gocompare.com provides one of the most comprehensive online car insurance comparison services in the UK as well as comparing home, pet, motorbike, van insurance and breakdown cover.

Gocompare.com is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

SOURCE Gocompare.com

Are Your Toys Safe?

2011-12-19T08:12:00.000-08:00

Brussels, 19 December 2011/PRNewswire/ — Christmas is a very busy time of year for Santa Claus! He has to get the sleigh ready, feed his reindeers, check his list to be sure he hasn't forgotten any good girls and boys… and make sure that the toys the elves have purchased are not only fun, but also safe!

This is the goal of the European Toy Safety Campaign that the European Commission has launched this month; it intends to show how to get the safest toys, and how to use them safely!

The campaign includes a video clip with toy safety tips, and introduces the ' CE marking' little robot who tests the toys in a vast toy shop to make sure they are safe for children to use, after the guard has done his last night round. Cards with toy safety tips reinforce this message in hundreds of toy stores all over the EU.

This video clip was disseminated with a large success on Internet and it is now available for TV broadcasts as a public service message.

Please find the 45-seconds video clip on various formats (H264 HD and H264 SD), the MP3 sound file and the B-roll, by clicking on the following links: http://www.emakina-eu.net/share/safety_toys
Video Material

FTP DETAILS:
Host: emakina-eu.net
Login: safety_toys
Password: gap3cR2f
Web: http://www.emakina-eu.net/share/safety_toys
For more information on the video:
Fiona Chevalier
+32 400 40 39
fch@emakina.eu

Diddy and Friends Take Vegas by Storm With New "Luck Be a Lady" Ad Campaign

2011-12-19T05:18:00.000-08:00

NEW YORK, Dec. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka and Sean "Diddy" Combs roll big and hit the jackpot with a fresh new ad campaign that takes audiences on a first-person journey into a special night out in 'Sin City' to the tune of Frank Sinatra's iconic 'Luck Be a Lady.'

The new ad campaign – also titled "Luck Be a Lady" – is directed by world-renowned commercial visionary, Anthony Mandler, and will debut on December 14th. The spot features Sean "Diddy" Combs and a cast of up and coming artists representing the future of Hollywood. Together, they will bring to life the art of celebration -- the dapper lifestyle of the Rat Pack -- that CIROC embodies in a contemporary, yet classic way. The commercial will run on stations such as ESPN, E!, Bravo, TBS, VH1, and Comedy Central.

"Frank Sinatra made some of the most iconic records of our time; it is truly an honor to use his music again for this campaign," said Combs. "The Rat Pack defined the art of celebrating in style. I cannot imagine a Spirit more suitable for commemorating life with family and friends than CIROC; a brand that has become synonymous with celebratory occasions."

Shot in Las Vegas in late October, the ad also stars Chad Michael Murray of One Tree Hill, Michael K. Williams of Boardwalk Empire, Jesse Williams of Grey's Anatomy, Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul, Vegas headliner Matt Goss, super model Lisa Seiffert, and other notable stars. Beginning this week, fans are invited to view an extended version of the commercial, youtube.com/ciroc, and experience celebrating in style with Diddy's modern day Rat Pack.

During the holiday season, a new 30 second version of the campaign will be released which focuses on one of the most important components of celebration – safety. In addition, CIROC will partner with a handful of reality television's favorite housewives, further igniting the brand's social responsibility platform with the execution of the fourth annual CIROC Safe Rides Program. Pre-paid debit and metro cards will be distributed to consumers across the country on New Year's Eve, ensuring consumers enjoy a safe ending to their holiday celebrations.

ABOUT CIROC ULTRA PREMIUM

CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka is made using French Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc grapes, which are distilled five times, providing a crisp, clean taste and citrus nose. CIROC launched nationwide in September 2003. In October 2007, DIAGEO - the world's largest spirits, wine and beer company - made spirits history by entering into a strategic alliance with entertainment entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs, in which Mr. Combs and Combs Enterprises assumed the lead on all brand management activities for CIROC. The makers of CIROC Vodka launched two new flavors - CIROC RED BERRY and CIROC COCONUT - in February 2010 and CIROC Peach in October 2011. All three are also made with vodka distilled from fine French grapes, and infused with natural coconut, wild berry, peach and other tropical/fruit flavors. In September 2011 Market Watch Leaders recognized CIROC as 'Spirits Brand of the Year' for its outstanding performance and unprecedented growth during the 2010 fiscal year. © 2011 Imported from France by DIAGEO, Norwalk, CT.

Contacts:

Ben Russo

Tammy Thompson

EMC|BOWERY

Diageo

323.656.2030

203.229.4876

Ben@emcbowery.com

Tammy.thompson@diageo.com

Jackie Gonzalez

EMC|BOWERY

323.656.2030

Jackie@emcbowery.com

SOURCE CIROC Ultra Premium Vodka