Vivendi Universal Games Mobile Announces Six New Titles
Joyce L Chow & William Hoehne April 15 2006
MBN
www.montebubbles.com for more MBN news
BROADCAST NEWS COMING SOON VIA PODCAST
International news from Asia and Latin news in English and Spanish here now
MONTEBUBBLISM: Sometimes you have to be very grown up and show everyone you can do it without your mommy there.
Editorial on out of control government agencies: Social service agencies in this country were created to help people in time of need, to help those that could not help themselves. Because people had a fear of government intervention into their lives guidelines were created to make certain that was all that they did and that they did not do more then what was needed to help those in need.
Unfortunately over the years they have became so big and powerful that people have came to fear the power that they have. In some states they put the fear of God into the states most powerful on the federal, state and local levels.
The press whom is there to protect those that need such is even afraid of these agencies. They have the most powerful way in the history of man to make the mightiest of all quake in fear.
They can just walk into your home and take your children away for the benefit of the children.
They can destroy and break up families, sell of all their positions, give whatever they wish away, even have the family pets destroyed and nothing is done to stop it because of their power.
At one time social services may have been a great idea but that time has long passed.
Like all good ideas, too much power and not enough limits in place to control the power.
Ultimate power ultimately corrupts
ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
The King is about to go Rambo.
Nearly 100 comedies and dramas are in contention next month
Telestream Introduces GraphicsFactory Workflow Automation Solution
Martha Stewart may be spreading herself too thin for Sears.
AOL needs to get in the game and be more competitive against Google and YahooStudy: Radio Holding Up Against New Media
ESPNRadio.com Sports Programming Attracts Over 72,000 Listeners Online Per Week According to comScore Arbitron Ratings
Current host Craig Ferguson is gaining
Nominated for Five Oscars(R) Including Best Picture Comes the Critically Hailed Suspense Thriller From Director Steven Spielberg Universal Studios Home Entertainment Announces: 'Nanny McPhee' 'Wolfmother' to Land in May ... Tour to Accompany Album Release
You Decide Ticket Price ... After the Movie!: Feature Film, REVOLOUTION, Redefines Hollywood and Gives All Profits to Charity Vivendi Universal Games Mobile Announces Six New Titles Royal Caribbean Charter Carries Christian Crusade to the Bahamas Exclusive Content Extends Brand's Music Ties Beyond Concerts
Blogger rankings. Ad Revenue From Web Operations Become More Important to Publishers
GE: Olympics Generate $40 Million Q1 LossGefen solutions
Bait Man Films Launches The Investor's Screenplay Competition
Erectile Dysfunction Ads Come as Drug Maker Readies New Viagra EffortThirty-eight entries posted for Indianapolis 500 SPORTS & AUTOS
Oakland, Dodger baseball
Land Rover Goes Beyond Media, Direct-To-Consumer Subaru Unleashes Impreza(R) WRX(R) STI(R) Limited for 2007 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid Wins 'World Car of the Year Award' for Greenest Car
Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal is coming to Toys "R" Us!
DOD
DoD Identifies Casualties
Hospitals being rebuilt
Operation Hero miles
Coalition and Iraqi forces killed a wanted extremist
NEWS and NEWS now in Spanish
GSA anti-small business?
New Course Record to Be Established as 8,000 Cyclists Ride From Rosarito Beach to Ensenada
Nuevo Récord de Ruta se Establece mientras 8,000 Ciclistas Van en Bicicleta de Rosarito Beach a Ensenada En Temporada de Impuestos, No Debería Usted Pagar Impuestos Excesivos en Servicios Móviles Spring, the season of new beginnings, is an ideal time to take stock of your health. La primavera, estación de nuevos comienzos, es un momento ideal para tomar tu salud en serio.
CHINA NEWSBeijing orders computers to be sold with legitimate operating system
On the afternoon of April 13, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Jianchao held a regular press conference.
Benedict XVI's Homily at Chrism Mass "The Lord Makes Us Priests His Friends
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ENTERTAINMENT, ART, FASHION, TECHNOLOGY
The King is about to go Rambo.
Burger King and Microsoft are partnering for a first-of-its-kind deal that will build three video games around the restaurant chain's ubiquitous mascot, putting him into shoot'em-ups that will be a cross between "Halo" and "Destroy All Humans." The deal was first reported on gamer Web site Kotaku.com, though details were confirmed independently by Advertising Age.
For the first time, a major consumer marketer has built a video game from the ground up around its advertising icon.
The deal marks the first time any major consumer marketer has had a video game built from the ground up around its advertising icon. The U.S. Army has financed several mainstream video games, including "America's Army" that began as a free download and has been formatted for various consoles as training and recruiting tools, and the marketing community has embraced online advergames. But console games such as the ones Burger King and Microsoft plan to create are novelties.
"That's the sexiest category," said Mike Vorhaus, managing partner, Frank N. Magid & Associates. "This is a pretty unique situation."
Burger King declined to comment. Microsoft executives also declined comment on the program.
The games will be created by Microsoft for its popular Xbox systems and will be distributed through its restaurants during a five-week December promotion. They are designed to sell for $3.99 with the purchase of a value meal, a steal for gamers used to paying upward of $60 for a single title.
In addition to the action game, the King and other unspecified Burger King characters will find themselves in a fighting game that's a little "Street Fighter" and a bit of "Mortal Kombat," and a racing game that borrows elements from "Need for Speed" and "Forza Motorsport."
Burger King expects to sell nearly 7 million games, according to its consumer research. "If they make a triple-A first-class game, it could put them in a whole new class of coolness," Mr. Vorhaus said. "If it's cheesy, it could be disastrous."
For example, earlier this year, the chain dabbled with an in-game advertising gambit by casting its King character as a trainer in an Electronic Arts game called "Fight Night Round 3" for Xbox 360 that one gamer publication panned as a "15-hour advertisement."
The move is the latest to fulfill the No. 2 fast-food chain's yen for nontraditional media aimed at fueling buzz and loyalty among its core market of hungry 16- to 34-year-old men. It has already popularized viral videos, created wacky characters for its menu platforms -- such as its Busby Berkley-style showgirl squad called the Whopperettes -- and broke ground with media buys like the "Have it your way" confessional box in the Fox reality show "Unanimous." Now, Burger King is going for the jugular of its Gen X and Y consumers. The Home of the Whopper also will run a concurrent children's promotion with the musical-game series Dance Dance Revolution that would include dancing music and gaming premiums.
Kotaku.com said that it has refused to take down the information on the games following a letter from the general counsel for Burger King's research firm, Greenfield Online. The site posted the contents of the attorney's letter, which said details of the branded video games had been available only to research subjects, who improperly leaked them to the site.
The information was also leaked before Burger King was able to present the concept to franchisees for their buy-in. The chain has been planning an elaborate Xbox lounge for its upcoming franchisee convention later this month as part of the sell job, according to a knowledgeable executive.
The chain was going to tell franchisees that it needs to purchase 900 units of the game per restaurant for the five-week promotion in order to make its profit of 20% to 25%. They would break even when about 73% of the games were sold.
Nearly 100 comedies and dramas are in contention next month
If the 2006-07 primetime schedule is a puzzle, consider the pilots as the missing pieces.
Nearly 100 comedies and dramas are in contention next month for a dwindling number of time slots on five networks.
But as broadcast executives begin scrutinizing tapes of each project, here's something to keep in mind: Pilots don't get series orders on creative merit alone. A complex web of factors dictates their desirability, and none of them is more important than the scheduling needs of each network for the fall and beyond.
Perhaps the biggest question mark hovering over the 2006-07 schedule is whether ABC will break up its Sunday lineup to help patch potholes on other nights. The network is said to be weighing moving either "Desperate Housewives" or "Grey's Anatomy," which could very well leave the most desirable piece of primetime real estate for a pilot in the Sunday 10 p.m. slot.
"We have three big shows on Sunday, so there will be pressure to spread the wealth," ABC executive vp entertainment Jeff Bader said, noting "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" at 8 p.m.
Because ABC's Sunday series presently have broad appeal, a distinct female skew and touches of comedy and soap opera, the network will likely tap a series with those same qualities.
There are more than a few options, including "Men in Trees," with Anne Heche playing a psychologist looking for love in Alaska; "Brothers & Sisters," a family drama with Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths, or "Women in Law," a workplace dramedy with Regina King and Kelli Williams.
The failure of comedy pair "Jake in Progress" and "Emily's Reasons Why Not" leaves a vacuum at 9 p.m. Monday. With the pressure on to measure up to the absent "Monday Night Football" and ABC's strong female skew on the night with "Wife Swap" at 8 p.m. and "The Bachelor" at 10 p.m., "Housewives" or "Anatomy" could end up there as well. That would leave room for another launch spot at 10 p.m. because "Bachelor" isn't likely to run more than one cycle per season.
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday are other nights where ABC might seek to shore up crumbling comedy lineups with new product. Leading the list of likely candidates for an open slot is "In Case of Emergency," which already has a six-episode commitment.
FOX AT MERCY OF BASEBALL
Fox will come into the fall largely at the mercy of its postseason baseball coverage, which weighed down its fourth-quarter ratings. All the network can do is repeat the strategy it employed in 2005-06: establish its entertainment programs as early in the season as it can and use baseball as a promotional base for male-friendly fare.
That strategy helped first-year standouts "Prison Break" and "Bones," which gives the network more strength to build around. "We plan to stick with our fourth-quarter strategy again this year, but now we have a bigger stable of shows," said Preston Beckman, executive vp strategic program planning at Fox.
That likely will mean new dramas come in as companions for established hours Monday-Wednesday. The sexual tension between the protagonists in "Bones" complements the action in "Primary," which features romantically entangled hostage negotiators; the serialized suspense of "Vanished" seems in the mold of "Break."
"Because we have 'Break,' 'House' and 'Bones,' we have clear targets for our dramas," Beckman said. "Our development was informed by those shows."
A bigger challenge awaits on Thursday and Friday, when Fox will lose some of the few remaining programs it has in "That '70s Show" and "Malcolm in the Middle," which end their runs this season. With Fox struggling on an important night like Thursday, the network might have to make a big move, maybe with its most anticipated comedy pilot: "Raymond" co-star Brad Garrett in "'Til Death." If Fox doesn't get a foothold on Thursday in the fall, the long-rumored switch of "American Idol" just might be in the offing.
CBS SEEKS COMEDIES
"Idol" has been a midseason boon to Fox, but CBS also has made some fortuitous gains in 2006 that will help come fall. Early indications are that new additions "The Unit" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" have the ratings power to stay on the schedule next season, which means CBS may need few pilots to bolster its stable schedule.
"It's been a nice shot in the arm," Kelly Kahl, senior executive vp programming operations, said of the network's midseason successes. "As we continue to build this wall, it's (potentially) two more pieces."
But the wall could require some work. On Monday, a slot could open up in CBS' healthy comedy lineup if the network doesn't run a ninth season of 8 p.m. entry "The King of Queens." That would likely mean "How I Met Your Mother" would move back 30 minutes to provide lead-in support for a new comedy.
CBS also might try again to reload the genre into the difficult Wednesday 8-9 p.m. berth, where "Out of Practice" and "Courting Alex" tanked late in the season. "We'd like to see comedy viable somewhere else on the schedule" besides Monday, Kahl noted.
The surest bet to join CBS next season on the comedy front is "The Class," which got a 13-episode order last year. CBS likely will also go in-house for another comedy or two, perhaps "Play Nice" from "Everybody Loves Raymond" executive producer Phil Rosenthal.
CBS is as solid as they come on the drama front, but there are gaps that could see new hours installed Tuesday at 10 p.m. or Friday at 9 p.m. The perennial speculation that CBS will scrap its two-hour Sunday movie persists as well, which could leave room to launch a pair of dramas on the back of "Cold Case." It's an audacious gambit, but with NBC out of the drama business in the fourth quarter because of football, there might be no better time to try.
The big question for CBS drama is whether it can resist piling yet another procedural onto a schedule teeming with successes in that genre. The network has a few to choose from including a project from "CSI" executive producer Carol Mendelsohn. There also are some hours with high-profile names attached, including James Woods in "Shark," Ray Liotta in "Smith" and John Leguizamo in "Edison."
PERRY BACK ON NBC
Trailing its competitors in the ratings, NBC may be the most in need of new blood but will likely make the fewest additions come fall. It already has committed to two new dramas for next season, "The Black Donnellys" and "Kidnapped," and a third, the Matthew Perry vehicle "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," is virtually assured a spot on the schedule.
"There's a very good chance all three can be used in the fall, but one could be reserved for midseason," said Mitch Metcalf, executive vp program planning and scheduling at NBC.
The midseason emergence of game show "Deal or No Deal" was a godsend for NBC, which was weak at 8 p.m. every night of the week. The game show likely will be pressed into anchor duty on at least two nights -- Monday and Friday are good bets -- but Metcalfe could see a pilot stepping in on Tuesday or Wednesday at 8 p.m.
"We're going to rely on new scripted development in combination with reality at 8," Metcalfe said.
That means a broad-appeal project like "Heroes," a new take on superheroes, could get the nod. That likely won't mean stacking comedies from 8-9 p.m.; don't be surprised to see NBC take all its viable comedies -- "The Office," "My Name Is Earl" and, to some extent, "Scrubs" -- and use their collective strength to block out Thursday from 8-10 p.m., leaving room for just one comedy to join them. Perhaps "Community Service," with Jay Mohr as a big-city jerk seeking redemption in a small town, may be in keeping with the tone of "Earl."
NBC will get some breathing room when the NFL kicks off a new Sunday night game on its air. It also will be a good promotional base for male-skewing programming to launch when the season ends, the most obvious candidate being the football-themed drama "Friday Night Lights."
"When we launch Sunday in January, we will launch midseason product not just for Sunday but for other nights of the week," Metcalfe said.
That leaves the CW, whose schedule will take shape in the combined form of the best assets drawn from the WB and UPN. That will likely leave just one or two projects to be drafted from a field of just seven pilot orders. Strong consideration has to go to the untitled Aquaman project that could be just the companion it needs to keep its momentum going on ThursdaysTelestream Introduces GraphicsFactory Workflow Automation Solution
Company automates new workflow to reduce the cost of branding and repurposing content for today’s evolving “media everywhere” distribution channels
Telestream, the industry leader in solving the challenges of media exchange in today’s multi-format, multi-vendor, IT-centric video environments, today announced its newest workflow automation solution. Built on the company’s core transcoding and workflow automation expertise, GraphicsFactory™ enables content owners, aggregators and distributors to cost-effectively brand and repurpose media for the growing number of new distribution channels.
With traditional television revenues softening, broadcasters realize the need to become more versatile content providers. Post production companies face similar challenges, adapting to the broadening format demands of HD, web and mobile, while providing more hosted services for their 24/7 clients. New media companies and service providers are also rising to meet the “media everywhere” challenges. Telestream's GraphicsFactory is designed to meet these customer needs, while reducing operating costs and increasing profitability.
GraphicsFactory™ is a revolutionary new software solution that automates graphics assembly in file-based workflows. A “build once, apply to many” model offers a faster, more efficient means to personalize media, add promos, brand, and localize media for a variety of high-volume distribution requirements. Layered graphics templates can include text, images and drop shadows, along with fade-ins/fade-outs and QuickTime movies that start and stop on a timeline. Since GraphicsFactory is built on top of Telestream’s world-class transcode engine, the output can be flipped into virtually any file format to meet a range of distribution needs.
The HorseTV Channel, a 24/7 network providing content focused on equestrian sports and lifestyles, was an early GraphicsFactory beta user. According to Patrick Osterman, SVP Broadcast Operations at The HorseTV Channel, “GraphicsFactory represents a tremendous increase in efficiency for us. We uplink content for distribution to cable operators and satellite providers and have strategic plans to expand to IPTV and mobile devices this year. This requires that we tailor and customize a lot of our content for each of these markets. We use GraphicsFactory to assemble our graphical elements, including bugs, banners, snipes and QuickTime overlays. These tasks, as well as pulling, processing, and delivering digital files to various distribution points are completely automated, providing incredible workflow efficiency.”
Another beta customer, Marty Ludwin, Sr. Director of Engineering at World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. adds, “We have invested heavily in Telestream’s FlipFactory, a proven technology for automating high-volume media processing and file transcoding between systems. The need to insert or overlay graphics during the automated process was a real need, and the team at Telestream listened. Now with GraphicsFactory, production for customized markets and insertion of time-specific promotions can be moved away from traditional editing tools to enable greater operational efficiency.”
With GraphicsFactory, an editor builds a graphics template once, and then hands it off to an assistant who applies simple metadata to tailor the template for each video asset. Graphics and source video files are then submitted to GraphicsFactory for automatic processing, transcoding to required formats, and delivery to distribution servers.
This model allows editors to focus on the creative, rather than repetitive graphics assembly tasks. It also eliminates the need to convert media from original “clean” archival formats to editing formats for graphics purposes. Since GraphicsFactory supports a vast array of professional file formats, it will automatically pull original source files from most video archives, perform the graphics overlays and transcode directly to the destination formats – all without having to move media between different formats and systems. Importantly, it provides a cost-effective means for media companies to capitalize on new distribution platforms for web, mobile, cable VOD, and broadcast.
"With the introduction of GraphicsFactory, Telestream continues its tradition of providing industry-leading solutions for file-based workflows," said Craig Thomas, President of Media Technology Consulting. "Extending the power of FlipFactory, GraphicsFactory automates the labor intensive process of overlaying time-based text, still and motion graphics on video files. GraphicsFactory turns FlipFactory into an automated metadata-driven production tool."
GraphicsFactory also offers an XML interface that enables fully automated integration of metadata into the graphics assembly workflow. In these instances, an editor creates a graphics template and then drives the graphics production process using metadata supplied from external systems.
“We’re excited to extend our current successes to this new workflow,” said David Heppe, Telestream President and COO. “Our flagship FlipFactory products are at the heart of broadcast facilities worldwide enabling seamless file exchange, repurposing and automating ingest-to-playout in news and commercial workflows. GraphicsFactory now enables the same productivity and operational efficiency gains for a greater number of users.”
GraphicsFactory is offered as a standalone product providing automated graphics assembly, transcoding and delivery, or as an upgrade to existing FlipFactory systems. GraphicsFactory is a scalable software application that runs on standard Windows 2003 or XP Pro servers. It is slated for release this June.
GraphicsFactory will be featured in Telestream’s “media everywhere” demonstration in Trademarked company and product names are the property of their respective owners.About Telestream (www.telestream.net)
Telestream products have set the standard with the world's leading media and entertainment companies, corporations, and government institutions for the encoding, organizing, and delivery of digital media. Customers rely on Telestream products for convenient, cost-effective, and robust digital media access and exchange over IP networks. The company's core workgroup and enterprise solutions and newer Flip4Mac tools for the Macintosh streamline digital media workflows for content owners, creators, and distributors in any industry segment. Telestream and its team of video experts are located in Nevada City, the “video valley” region of Northern California. The company is privately held. About The HorseTV Channel
The HorseTV Channel is the first and only 24/7 television destination taking viewers inside the fascinating world of horses. From silk hats to Stetsons, The HorseTV Channel features a diverse and fun-filled program lineup for the entire family. Viewers experience the full range of the horse world from world-class English and Western competitions, exotic horse travel destinations and classic movies to informational series, breed documentaries and real-life stories. For more information about The HorseTV Channel visit www.horsetv.com.
Martha Stewart may be spreading herself too thin for Sears.
Sears Holdings Chairman Edward Lampert said yesterday at the Sears is questioning its relationship with Martha Stewart after her company agreed to provide a line of products to Macy's.
company's annual meeting that the diva of style's new deal with Federated Department Stores raises major questions about her future in Kmart and Sears.
Ms. Stewart's Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia agreed to provide Macy's with a line of home accessories starting in fall 2007. The deal is allowed under the terms of the company's Kmart contract.
But Mr. Lambert, while stopping short of saying that Ms. Stewart's days at Kmart were numbered, called her Kmart contract, which lasts another four years, "not that great," mainly because of fees tied to high minimum sales targets. "We've tried to have a bigger relationship with [Martha Stewart Omnimedia] and we haven't been successful," the Chicago Tribune quoted Mr. Lambert as telling reporters. "Maybe they don't like us anymore."
Mr. Lambert also raised doubts about the future of Ms. Stewart's contract. "If we thought it was in our best interest to put Martha Stewart in Sears stores, which contractually we have the right to do, we would do it," the executive was quoted as saying. "If we put a product into Sears, we don't want to have to pull it out in a year, or two years, or three years. We don't want to do that only to have it yanked away."
Until now Kmart stuck with Ms. Stewart through thick and thin -- the thin being her court case and term in prison. According to Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, $1 billion of its company products are sold in Kmart every year.
The company's statement responding to Mr. Lambert's comment said: "We have a contract with Kmart through the end of the decade. We remain committed to working with them to deliver the distinctive products that Kmart customers have come to expect from us."
AOL needs to get in the game and be more competitive against Google and Yahoo
to show that it's not dead, Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons told the National Cable & Telecommunications Association Convention meeting in Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center.
Time Warner chief Richard Parsons said he did not see search-engine distribution of video as an 'imminent' threat to Time-Warner Cable.
Mr. Parsons was one of six top executives on the "View From the Top: Leadership Perspectives" panel who were asked if they viewed Google and Yahoo as significant threats to their content and distribution businesses.
The Time Warner chief said the two search-engine giants are overturning the old realities of advertising and media and are "very good for the content side of our business because they provide new ways to reach more people with more content."
"I think they present an interesting challenge to the distribution side of our business -- the cable side of our business," he said. "But that challenge is not imminent and I see ways that the two can actually work together to provide consumers with an enhanced set of offerings that can cross-promote each other."
Brian Roberts, CEO of Comcast, which competes with Time Warner Cable, said the search engines "are disrupting the advertising business in a way that may have some implications to people on this panel, probably more so than they do for us. We have about 6% of our revenue in advertising, so we're not primarily an advertising company. But I think they are also groundbreakers in showing where advertising wants to go. And where it wants to go is targeted advertising."
Mr. Roberts said search engines were causing "incredible change" to the business and went on to point out that cable companies such as his are the best positioned to deliver one-to-one TV advertising. Study: Radio Holding Up Against New Media
A new study from Arbitron and Edison Media Research finds that while the popularity of Internet and satellite radio, consumers aren't cutting back on time spent listening to terrestrial radio. Called The Infinite Dial: Radio's Digital Platforms, the study found that Daily TSL for AM and FM radio Daily is 2 hours 45 minutes, compared to about 2 hours 48 minutes for those who are regular listeners to digital audio services like Internet radio, satellite radio, or podcasts.
Drilling down among the newer media, the monthly audience for Internet radio among listeners age 12+ has grown from an estimated 37 million last year to 52 million today, with 12% saying they've listened to Internet audio in the past week. The medium reaches about 19% of persons aged 18-34, and 15% of the 25-54 age group. For satellite radio, awareness of the service has reached 61% among those age 12+, with about 20% saying they're "very" or "somewhat" likely to subscribe to one of the two providers within the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 11% of respondents reported ever listening to a podcast.
However, none of this seems to be having a tremendous negative impact on radio, and seventy-seven percent of Americans say they expect to listen to AM and FM radio as much as they do now despite the competition from new technologies.
Edison Media Research President Larry Rosin said, "Our research shows that regardless of the platform consumers see all these options as merely being new forms of 'radio.' This report provides crucial measurement on the development of radio as it is consumed in new and
different ways."
When it comes to HD Radio, over one third of respondents said they're "very" or "somewhat" interested in the burgeoning service. Also, over 40 percent of satellite radio subscribers say they're interested in HD Radio. More than one-third of respondents who were interested in HD Radio said they would be likely purchase a receiver at a $100 price point, while 58 percent were interested in the $50 range.
The study was compiled from the results of telephone surveys conducted between January 13 - February 12, 2006. 1,925 people were interviewed. The study can be downloaded for free at www.arbitron.com and www.edisonresearch.com.
In late March 1996, the average age of an artist on Airplay Monitor’s Mainstream Top 40 chart was 27.1-years-old.
By the same week in 2004, the average age was 25.9-years-old.
And for the same week in 2006, the average age was 26.9.
The difference of a year or so may seem minor, but the stats say a lot about the state of Top 40, the music business, and particularly whether there’s room for adults to make records for adults. And they’re all indices that are again shifting, at least a little.
The stats say a lot about the state of Top 40, the music business, and particularly whether there’s room for adults to make records for adults.
Consider this related stat: In 1996, there were 14 songs on the Mainstream Top 40 chart by artists 30 or over, six of whom were women. In 2004, there were only six over-30 artists and three females. This year, we’re back up to 11 songs by over 30 artists, but only one of them by a female artist known to be over 30.
In 1996 Top 40 as a format was slowly emerging from several years’ hibernation in many markets. The format was more driven by pop/rock bands and singer-songwriters, including acts that had been making records for the better part of a decade (or more).
There were indeed prodigies on the charts in 1996. There was 15-year-old Monica, 17-year-old Brandy, and 21-year-old Alanis Morissette. But there was also 35-year-old Sam Llanas of the BoDeans, 34-year-olds Melissa Etheridge and Jann Arden, and Tracey Thorn, the 33-year-old lead singer of Everything But The Girl.
By the time Everything But The Girl’s “Missing” became an American hit, that group had been having hits in the U.K. for nearly 12 years. The BoDeans had been around for more than a decade. Both acts’ presence on a major label, of course, spoke to a much different time in the music industry when a band was still allowed 10 years on a major label (or two) to finally write their hit song.
But some relatively new acts to the major label world were also led by singers in their late 20s or early 30s, just because that was how long it took many acts to make it. Darius Rucker of Hootie & the Blowfish, Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan, and John Popper of Blues Traveler were all 29. Collective Soul’s Ed Roland was 32. Oasis’ Liam Gallagher was 33.
Even then, the landscape was changing, and not just because the teen pop boom was a year away. Morissette’s wise-beyond-her-years songwriting didn’t go unnoticed by the A&R world. And the following year, after the three members of Hanson, ages 11-to-16, showed the uncanny ability to make records that recalled an era when none of them had been born, a new A&R model started to take shape, in which a younger act with the ability to write or sound older became a particularly prized signing.
It was also around that time that one began to sense a change in A&R guys’ attitudes about age-particularly with female artists. Potential new signings were often dismissed with, “Yeah, but she’s almost 30,” That this would be a problem came as a surprise to somebody who’d gone through adolescence with Linda Ronstadt (28 at the time of “You’re No Good”), Suzi Quatro (28 by “Stumblin’ In”), Pat Benatar (26 when “Heartbreaker” became a hit), Quarterflash’s Rindy Ross (30 for “Harden My Heart”) or Heart. (Nancy Wilson was 22, but Ann was 26 when “Magic Man” broke.)
Then there was Toni Basil. Some biographies at the time put her at 32 when “Mickey” became an American hit in late 1982. Now, most currently available Web sources say she would have been 39. But it hardly mattered. Basil held her own in a cheerleaders’ outfit, even next to a squadron of high schoolers. Her success on MTV--the eventual scourge of less photogenic artists--proved it. And nobody would have said that “Mickey” didn’t appeal to teenagers.
(A word about ages becomes necessary here: they’re usually based on a combination of Internet searches and the Joel Whitburn/Record Research chart books. In a small number of cases, it was necessary to search newspaper databases or hunt down ages through other sources. Because the issue of age is so touchy, I almost always went with the younger age—except in a few cases where I felt there was definitive data for the older choice. And because age was so touchy, there were some cases where the competing info on birthdays differed by as much as 12 years. When the act was a band, I went by the age of the lead singer. If there was no obvious leader, the ages of the members were averaged.)
Fast forward now to the early ‘00s: the teen pop boom of the late ‘90s had already helped thin the hitmaking ranks of Lilith-era singer/songwriters. When teen pop faded and the call went out for acts with “more substance,” it was often met by younger acts who had the sound of older singer/songwriters, but whose lyrics were sometimes about who-liked-who-in-high-school.
And it was around this time two years ago that teen pop had its best year since 1999, with comebacks for Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, and breakthroughs for 16-year-old Hilary Duff (and, a few months later, 13-year-old JoJo). And on the “don’t call it teen pop” front, Avril Lavigne was charting with her second project at 19.
The only 30-plus women on the charts were No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani, Sheryl Crow (then fighting a lengthy battle for acceptance at Top 40 with each new song) and Janet Jackson. And Jackson’s current single, “Just A Little While,” was in the process of mid-charting in the wake of her “wardrobe malfunction,” cynically dismissed by many as a desperate attempt to stay relevant by somebody who was all of 37 at the time.
If you missed a ‘90s artist, chances are there was a younger artist filling the niche, with veteran artists often exiled to the role of co-writer or producer. If you wanted to hear a Goo Goo Dolls record at Mainstream Top 40 that year, Johnny Rzenzik could produce it, but it had to be performed by Ryan Cabrera. Bowling For Soup was filling in for Barenaked Ladies. Even Harry Connick, Jr., and Diana Krall--remarkably young and photogenic at the time of their breakthroughs--were succeeded as neo-standards bearers by Michael Buble and Norah Jones. And the U.K.’s answer to Norah Jones, Katie Melua, was even younger.
You couldn’t blame an A&R person for signing prodigious talent. Who, faced with the vocal ability of a Joss Stone, for instance, would walk away? Anybody who had told a younger act to wait for a few years, as Barry Gordy once did with the Supremes, would have just lost them to another label. Who, for that matter, would have begrudged a Justin Timberlake, Pink, or Usher a chance to mature into the artists they became?
Well, for one thing, Timberlake, Pink, and Usher all had at least a few years of making less ambitious records and allowing their writing to mature. They weren’t expected to fill the slots for records-by-adults-for-adults until they stepped up and showed they could. And even though Hot AC audiences liked Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, and Vanessa Carlton, losing the older singer/songwriters took away a level of adult lyrical relatability. And it also left Hot AC, which had only recently learned to break its own records, dependent on Top 40 again. And while no artist holds on to their hitmaking power forever, it was still galling to think that new acts not only had to be under 30 now—they had to be under 20.
So it’s encouraging, if only for balance reasons, to see the median age rising on the Mainstream Top 40 chart with 34-year-old Mary J. Blige at No. 1. (A few weeks earlier, Gwen Stefani would have been on the chart with her. A few weeks later, she would have been joined by 36-year-old Mariah Carey.) At the other end, there was 16-year-old Chris Brown, 17-year-old Teddy Geiger, and 18-year-old Rihanna.
The most notable breakthrough though was 35-year-old Daniel Powter. His success, along with that of James Blunt (29 or 32, depending on the source), might not have been possible two years ago. Even if their ages hadn’t been an issue, there weren’t many records like “Bad Day” or “You’re Beautiful” doing well at Top 40 two years ago.
Meanwhile, the success of Carey and Blige is proof once again that it’s never impossible to reinvent yourself with the right song. But it would take 30-year-old KT Tunstall crossing from Hot AC to Top 40 to prove that a female newcomer could do what Blunt or Powter did. And as a longtime Tunstall fan, I’d be hesitant to give her age if it hadn’t already appeared in an R&R interview. But as with Pat Benatar in the early ‘80s, much of Tunstall’s appeal for me stems from being an adult -not a teenager.
As with so many other things at Top 40, it comes down to the ability to maintain a balance and take advantage of all the available hit. The success of Powter and Blunt is a positive. A Top 40 chart dominated by AC ballads would not be. Top 40, in particular, has always needed a mix of songs for the ages and reaction records for right now. We know that a 22-year-old can supply the former and a 32-year-old can come up with the latter. But only if those songs get a fair shot in front of programmers in the first placeESPNRadio.com Sports Programming Attracts Over 72,000 Listeners Online Per Week According to comScore Arbitron Ratings
– Arbitron Inc. and comScore Media Metrix, a division of comScore Networks, Inc., released today the online radio ratings for January 2006.
ESPNRadio.com, the live online simulcast of the original sports programming produced for the syndicated ESPNRadio Network, debuted in the published comScore Arbitron Online Radio Ratings with an estimated 72,400 listeners during an average week in January. The number of people tuning in to ESPNRadio online during an average midday quarter hour Monday-Friday 10AM – 3PM for Persons 12+ was 6,800.
The January report of the comScore Arbitron Online Radio Ratings service rated America Online's AOL ® Radio Network; Yahoo! ® Music; Microsoft’s MSN Radio and WindowsMedia.com; Live365; Clear Channel Online Music and Radio; and ESPN Radio during an average broadcast week in the month of January.
The comScore Arbitron Online Radio Ratings service is based on a subset of approximately 200,000 U.S. participants within the comScore global consumer panel. Using proprietary and patent-pending technology, comScore passively and continuously captures the online behavior of these panelists, including online radio listening behavior. Subscribers receive Average Quarter-Hour and Cume audience estimates for 38 demographics and 15 standard broadcast dayparts. Each month, Arbitron publishes the average weekly audience for Persons 12+, Monday-Friday 6AM-7PM and Monday-Sunday 6AM-Midnight on its Web site www.arbitron.com.About Arbitron
Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving radio broadcasters, cable companies, advertisers, advertising agencies and outdoor advertising companies in the United States, Mexico and Europe. Arbitron’s core businesses are measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of local market consumers; and providing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has also developed the Portable People Meter (PPM SM), a new technology for media and marketing research.
Arbitron’s marketing and business units are supported by its research and technology organization, located in Columbia, Maryland. Arbitron has approximately 1,700 employees; its executive offices are located in New York City.
Through its Scarborough Research joint venture with VNU, Inc., Arbitron also provides media and marketing research services to the broadcast television, magazine, newspaper and online industries.About comScore Media Metrix
comScore Media Metrix, a division of comScore Networks, provides industry-leading Internet audience measurement services that report-with unmatched accuracy-details of online media usage, visitor demographics and online buying power for the home, work and university audiences across local U.S. markets and across the globe. comScore Media Metrix continues the tradition of quality and innovation established by its Media Metrix syndicated Internet ratings-long recognized as the currency in online media measurement among financial analysts, advertising agencies, publishers and marketers-while drawing upon comScore's advanced technologies to address important new industry requirements. All comScore Media Metrix syndicated ratings are based on industry-sanctioned sampling methodologies. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.Current host Craig Ferguson is gaining
For CBS, “Late Late Show” has long been a work in progress, as they say, as several hosts cycled through, each trying but failing to clock gains in viewers against NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.”
CBS’s search could very well be over.
Almost exactly a year ago, Media Life reported on the promise of the “Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” which scored what was then the show’s most-watched first quarter ever. Ferguson had just taken over as host that January.
A year later, Ferguson has improved on that performance. Season to date, “Late Late Show" is up 7 percent with 1.94 million total viewers, from last year’s 1.82 million. In comparison, “Late Night” is flat with 2.5 million viewers.
That puts the Ferguson show closer to “Late Night” in households, viewers and adults 25-54 than it's been in more than a decade, according to CBS. And that's been through a slew of hosts before landing Ferguson: Tom Snyder, Craig Kilborn, and guest hosts D.L. Hughley and Michael Ian Black.
For certain, “Late Late Show,” which airs at 12:35 a.m., is not likely to overtake “Late Night” any time soon, but its performance thus far suggests Ferguson is finding his own audience, which is key, rather than serving as a button-jump for the dull interludes on “Late Night.”
In sharp contrast to O’Brien's acerbic style, Ferguson, a former “Drew Carey Show” cast member, is the warm and fuzzy sort, his humor kinder, gentler and often self-deprecating. He's also credited with being an astute interviewer of actors.
“The beauty of his show is that the interviews he conducts with other members of that profession are quite different, and mostly much better, than the other three hosts, because he's one of them,” writes Greg Stepanich of the Palm Beach Post. "The result is interviews that are much more interesting than the usual I'm-here-for-a-plug thing.”
Ferguson is also getting lots of off-camera exposure these days for “Between the Bridge and the River,” his first novel, which was released this Monday. New York Magazine calls it a “messy but highly entertaining hodgepodge of coming-of-age story, Hollywood send-up, and Jungian spirit quest.”
Meanwhile, in other daypart ratings in the week ended April 2:
Among Sunday morning shows, NBC’s “Meet the Press” and ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” were both down 8 percent from the week before, while CBS’s “Face the Nation” and “Fox News Sunday” were up 2 percent. “Press” led with 3.8 million viewers, followed by “Nation” with 3 million, “Week” with 2.4 million and “News” with 1.3 million.
NBC’s “Today” was the only morning show to dip, though by just 1 percent, to 6.1 million viewers. Both ABC’s “Good Morning America” and CBS’s “Early Show” were about flat with 5.1 and 2.9 million viewers, respectively.
In late night, NBC’s “Tonight Show” was up 4 percent with 5.5 million viewers, while CBS’s “Late Show” was down 5 percent, with 4.1 million. ABC’s “Nightline” and NBC’s “Late Night” were both up 4 percent from the previous week, with 3.5 and 2.4 million viewers, respectively.
After a bump the previous week that had NBC tying ABC among women 18-49 in daytime dramas and outperforming it in full day, NBC slid back to third place this week. It was down 21 percent to a 1.5 in daytime dramas and full day.
“Everybody Loves Raymond” was again the No.1 comedy in syndication, up 3 percent to a 6.3 household rating. The show conceded that spot to “Friends” the week before, which dropped back down to a 4.6 from a high of 6.6 fueled by a TBS marathon. Top game show “Wheel of Fortune” and top talk show “Oprah” were both down 6 percent, to a 9.0 and 6.2 rating, respectively.
For the week ended April 9, all evening newscasts again saw declines. “NBC Nightly News” averaged 8.4 million viewers, down 7 percent; “ABC World News Tonight” drew 7.8 million, down 3 percent; and “CBS Evening News” averaged 6.9 million, down 10 percent
Nominated for Five Oscars(R) Including Best Picture Comes the Critically Hailed Suspense Thriller From Director Steven Spielberg "MUNICH"
Available on DVD May 9, 2006 From Universal Studios Home Entertainment
'Tremendously exciting. The film moves like a thriller.' - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
"Munich," the explosive suspense thriller from director Steven Spielberg, comes to DVD May 9, 2006 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Inspired by the real-life events following the murder of 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games, this action-packed film stars Eric Bana ("Black Hawk Down," "Troy"), Daniel Craig ("Casino Royale," "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider") and Academy Award(R) winner Geoffrey Rush ("Shine," "Pirates of the Caribbean") as players in an international campaign to track down and eliminate the 11 Palestinians believed to have planned the massacre. "Munich" combines edge-of-your-seat suspense with a thought-provoking story. Boasting powerhouse performances, plot twists and shadowy alliances, the "Munich" DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP. A Two-Disc Collector's Edition is also available.
"Munich" follows a secret team of five agents in the aftermath of the brutal massacre of 11 members of the Israeli team at the 1972 Olympics. Led by Avner (Eric Bana), the men have been dispatched on a mission to track down those responsible for the attack; a mission that takes a personal toll on the agents and the man who led it.
"MUNICH" GARNERS FIVE ACADEMY AWARD(R) NOMINATIONS AND CRITICAL KUDOS
Steven Spielberg's explosive suspense thriller earned five Academy Award(R) nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Spielberg), Best Film Editing (Michael Kahn), Best Original Score (John Williams) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Tony Kushner, Eric Roth). The film enthralled some of America's most prestigious critics with its outstanding acting ensemble, superbly crafted script and taut direction. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly calls "Munich" "spectacularly gripping," while Peter Travers of Rolling Stone describes it as "tremendously exciting," and CNN's Larry King calls it a "dynamic thriller." Gene Shalit of "The Today Show" says of "Munich," "a bold and passionate thriller."
"MUNICH" DVD FILLED WITH REVEALING BONUS FEATURES
The "Munich" DVD includes an introduction from Academy Award(R)-winning director Steven Spielberg.
The Two-Disc Collector's Edition includes additional in-depth bonus features that expose the viewer further to the film's subject.
* Munich: The Mission, The Team -- Find out how this project came about
and the challenges that were faced by the filmmakers to draw an
accurate portrayal of the controversial mission. The actors share
their experience getting involved portraying the five men who led the
mission.
* Munich: Memories of the Event -- Explore and discover the impact of the
real events in Munich through documentary footage, film clips,
behind-the-scenes moments and interviews with cast and crew, including
Steven Spielberg.
* Munich: Portrait of an Era -- Look at the re-creation of the '70s with
production designer Rick Carter and costume designer Joanna Johnston.
* Munich: The "On Set" Experience -- A moving and intricate exploration
into the art and politics involved with the making of "Munich."
* Munich: Editing, Sound and Music -- A discussion with Steven Spielberg
and his collaborators, composer John Williams and editor Michael Kahn,
on the final touches that were added to "Munich."
* Munich: The International Cast -- A captivating look at the remarkable
group of actors that appear in "Munich." With over 150 speaking parts,
Spielberg and his team discuss the casting of actors from all over the
world.
SYNOPSIS
Inspired by real events, "Munich" reveals the intense story of the secret Israeli squad assigned to track down and eliminate the 11 Palestinians believed to have planned the 1972 Munich massacre of 11 Israeli athletes -- and the personal toll this mission of revenge takes on the team and the man who led it.
For more information, please visit: www.munichmovie.com.
CAST & FILMMAKERS
Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay By: Tony Kushner and Eric Roth
Based on the Book "Vengeance" by: George Jonas
Produced By: Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg, Barry Mendel,
Colin Wilson
Director of Photography: Janusz Kaminski, ASC
Production Designer: Rick Carter
Edited By: Michael Kahn, ACE
Costume Designer: Joanna Johnston
Music By: John Williams
Cast: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Ciaran Hinds, Mathieu Kassovitz,
Hanns Zischler, Ayelet Zurer and Geoffrey Rush
FEATURE TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: May 9, 2006
Copyright: 2006 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Number: 21823 (Widescreen); 21824 (Full Frame)
Running Time: 2 Hours 44 Minutes
Layers: Dual
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen); 1.33:1 (Full Frame)
Rating: R (for strong graphic violence, some sexual content, nudity and
language)
Technical Info: English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround;
English DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English SDH; French and Spanish
Subtitles
COLLECTOR'S EDITION TWO-DISC DVD
Street Date: May 9, 2006
Copyright: 2006 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: NSRP
Selection Number: 29211
Running Time: 2 Hours 44 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: Disc 1: 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen); Disc 2: 1.33:1
(Full Frame)
Rating: Disc 1: R (for strong graphic violence, some sexual content,
nudity and language); Disc 2: Unrated
Technical Info: English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround;
English DVS Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English SDH; French and Spanish
Source: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Web site: http://www.ushepublicity.com/
http://www.munichmovie.com/
http://www.universalstudios.com/
Universal Studios Home Entertainment Announces: The Magical New Family Classic Brimming With Fun, Laughter and Enchantment for Everyone 'Nanny McPhee'
Hailed as 'The New Mary Poppins!' Materializing on DVD on May 9, 2006
Filled with fun, humor and adventure, magic is surely afoot in "Nanny McPhee," hailed as "The new Mary Poppins! A magical adventure for all ages!" by Melanie Moon, WB-TV. Available on DVD on May 9, 2006 from Universal Home Studios Entertainment, "Nanny McPhee" is set in an enchanted world where anything is possible as a mysterious nanny employs her fantastical skills to tame a widower's seven outrageously unruly children. The DVD provides non-stop entertainment for the entire family, with hilarious pranks, mischief and magic, plus a wealth of wild and wonderful bonus features. "Nanny McPhee" stars Oscar(R) winner Emma Thompson ("Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban"), Colin Firth ("Bridget Jones's Diary") and Angela Lansbury ("Murder She Wrote"), and is directed by Kirk Jones ("Waking Ned Devine"). The DVD is priced at $29.98 SRP.
Cedric Brown (Colin Firth) has recently lost his wife and is left with seven incorrigible children. The half-pint troublemakers drive away 17 nannies with their outrageous antics, until "Nanny McPhee" (Emma Thompson), arrives at their door. Armed with a magical walking stick and a bushel of common sense, "Nanny McPhee" takes on the riotous Brown brood with startling results.
LOADS OF ENCHANTING EXTRAS
"Nanny McPhee" abounds with extras that will delight the entire family again and again, including:
* Casting the Children -- A look at the process of casting the children,
exploring their backgrounds and past experiences in acting. Includes
the trials and tribulations of working with children and animals.
* Village Life -- A behind the scenes look at how the Brown house and the
village were created.
* "Nanny McPhee" Makeover -- A look at how Emma Thompson was transformed
into Nanny McPhee and subsequent transition from ugly Nanny to
beautiful Nanny.
* How "Nanny McPhee" Came to Be -- A featurette looking at the life and
work of Christianna Brand and Edward Adrizzone.
* Feature Commentary with Director Kirk Jones and Children
* Feature Commentary with Actor Emma Thompson and Producer Lindsay Doran
* Plus a Hilarious Gag Reel, Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes and an
Alternate Opening!
SYNOPSIS
In this wickedly charming tale, Emma Thompson portrays a mysterious woman with special powers who enters the household of the recently widowed Mr. Brown (Colin Firth) and attempts to tame his seven very naughty children. The children have managed to drive away 17 previous nannies, but as Nanny McPhee takes control, they begin to notice that their misbehaving has magical and startling consequences. "A magical, fantastic and wonderful fable that will capture the heart of the whole family!" (Maria Salas, NBC-TV)
For more information please visit: www.nannymcphee.com.
CAST & FILMMAKERS
Director: Kirk Jones
Screenplay By: Emma Thompson
Based upon the "Nurse Matilda" books by: Christianna Brand
Produced By: Lindsay Doran, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Executive Producers: Debra Hayward, Liza Chasin
Director of Photography: Henry Braham, BSC
Production Designer: Michael Howells
Edited By: Justin Krish, Nick Moore
Costume Designer: Nic Ede
Music By: Patrick Doyle
Cast: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald, Angela Lansbury
FEATURE TECHNICAL INFORMATION
DVD
Street Date: May 9, 2006
Copyright: 2006 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.
Price: $29.98 SRP
Selection Number: 26310 (Full Frame); 26309 (Widescreen)
Running Time: 1 Hour 39 Minutes
Layers: Dual
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Full Frame); 2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)
Rating: PG (Mild Thematic Elements, Some Rude Humor and Brief Language)
Technical Info: English, Spanish and French Dolby Digital 5.1; English
SDH; Spanish and French Subtitles
Source: Universal Home Studios Entertainment
Web site: http://www.universalstudios.com/
http://www.nannymcphee.com/ 'Wolfmother' to Land in May ... Tour to Accompany Album Release
The highly touted debut album by Aussie power trio Wolfmother is now confirmed to land Stateside on May 2 through Modular/Interscope
The fro'dup Sydneysiders will launch this CD with an appearance at the Coachella Festival in California a few days prior to the US release date. Their first truly national tour will follow; taking the band right across the US and Canada through mid-June. Please see below for all the new dates and venues.
Wolfmother's self-titled disc was produced by D. Sardy (Oasis, Dandy Warhols, Helmet, Jet). The heady collection of epic rock is already certified double platinum in Australia and was voted "Album Of The Year" by that country's alternative radio network, Triple J.
The group is currently generating similar bigtime buzz in North America with their song "Woman" ascending rapidly up the airplay charts and Rolling Stone featuring Wolfmother as one of their "Top 10 Artists To Watch in 2006." Entertainment Weekly picked them as THE standout from the 1400+ artists who appeared at this year's South By Southwest music conference in Austin and the Los Angeles Times recently ran a glowing full page feature on the band in their Sunday "Calendar" section.
Wolfmother has also been embraced on the other side of the Atlantic, with UK indie bible NME saying, "if you want to be rocked so hard that your teeth shatter then this is the band for you" and tastemaker Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe regularly featuring "Woman" as his "Best Record In The World." Not surprisingly the group has already been confirmed on major British Festivals like Reading and T in the Park over summer.
To hear Wolfmother for yourself we invite you to visit www.wolfmother.com
To see Wolfmother live then get your tickets now for the following shows
APRIL
Sat 29 Coachella Festival, Empire Polo Grounds, Indio CA
MAY
Sat 6 Gypsy Ballroom, Dallas TX
Sun 7 The Parish (formerly The Mercury), Austin TX
Tue 9 The Clubhouse, Tempe AZ
Tue 16 Opera House, Toronto, ON
Thu 18 Metro -- Smart Bar, Chicago IL
Fri 19 The Rave II, Milwaulkee WI
Sat 20 Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis MN
Mon 22 Bluebird Theatre, Denver CO
Tue 23 Club Sound (formerly Bricks), Salt Lake City UT
Thu 25 Berbati's Pan, Portland OR
Fri 26 Sasquatch Festival, Gorge Amphitheatre, George WA
Sat 27 Richards on Richards, Vancouver BC
Tue 30 Le National, Montreal QC
Wed 31 Paradise Rock Club, Boston MA
JUNE
Fri 2 Theatre of the Living Arts, Philadelphia PA
Sat 3 Webster Hall, New York NY
Tue 6 Black Cat, Washington DC
Wed 7 Cat's Cradle, Carrboro NC
Thu 8 The Loft At Earthlink Live (formerly Vinyl), Atlanta GA
Wed 14 Henry Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles CA
You Decide Ticket Price ... After the Movie!: Feature Film, REVOLOUTION, Redefines Hollywood and Gives All Profits to Charity Movie Tickets Tax Deductible for the First Time in History!
REVOLOUTION is creating a first in cinema history -- the filmmakers of REVOLOUTION are asking for donations only at the box office and then giving all profits to non-profit (501 c3) charity organizations, including The Boys & Girls Club, Child Help, and The Foundation for Conscious Humanity. The Foundation for Conscious Humanity is forming partnerships with local and national non-profits to make this film available and incorporate it in special outreach and after school programs for Youth at Risk, urban communities, and other under-served audiences (*1).
According to Aime and Steve McCrory, Carr's Publicists, the audience receives a ticket voucher that allows them to "donate what the film is worth" after the screening. Throughout April, in observance of Child Abuse Awareness month, the street team is distributing 80,000 free movie vouchers throughout greater Los Angeles and New York City. (*1A)
REVO LOU TION is loosely based on the true story of the director/ lead actor, Bret Carr (*2), and is about a violent, homophobic, street-fighting stutterer who transforms into a compassionate person and advocate for youth at risk. By following the near death psychological awakening of the film's protagonist, LOU, the audience identifies with their own life-defining moment, or whatever story runs their lives and prevents them from achieving their dreams.
Carr says, "I grew up extremely rich, but so devastated by abandonment and depression -- issues resulting from being raised in an alcoholic home -- that having found a way to methodically overcome it, I had to give back. And the question I kept asking myself was: How radically would it change my life if I could stop reliving my childhood dramas in my current relationships, trying to get the love that wasn't there? That is the power of REVOLOUTION. It lets you see that a limited, emotionally handicapped life is a story -- that can be changed. Imagine knowing that before all of our patterns started? Now, through REVOLOUTION, I have the power to share that breakthrough, that knowledge. How can we put a price on that? Admission is free. The audience decides what it is worth!"
Carr, who was the heir to his family fortune (his grandfather was RC Cola corporate raider Victor Posner), walked away from a $250 million inheritance in order to make a film which would unite people to be the REVOLOUTION they want to see in the world and give them the ability to see their calling.
Carr was inspired to start the FOUNDATION FOR CONSCIOUS HUMANITY after Dennis Johnson (*1), the warden of Cincinnati's Teen Felony facility, was so moved by REVOLOUTION that in order to share it with his inmates, he got it approved by State Judge Ripps and the superintendent of schools. FCH screens conscious cinema for non-profit organizations and provides access to filmmakers and facilitators who enable explorations of the movies after the screenings.
REVOLOUTION's Bret Carr recruited his favorite cinema icons with a concept so powerful, they agreed to donate their services. The script was co-written with Quinn K. Redeker, the creator and co-writer of five-time Oscar Winner, THE DEER HUNTER. It has a musical theme from Academy Award Winner, Bill Conti, and the Emmy nominated Ashley Irwin. Appearing are Kumar Pallana ("Gupta" from Steven Spielberg's THE TERMINAL) and Burt Young (Oscar Nominee for ROCKY). The staff of 20 volunteers, including the two former heads of production at Speilberg's SHOAH Foundation, are working on the film because of its "profoundly impactful" (*3) effect on audiences.
REVOLOUTION's co-writer/ director/ star, Bret Carr, funded the film by painting people's dreams on grains of rice on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade. Eventually, during the last of it's 10 year production and its award winning film festival run, the film was supported and endorsed by icons and thought leaders like Jane Fonda, Will Arntz (director of WHAT THE BLEEP), Oprah Winfrey lifestyle guru Colin Cowie, NY Times best seller Gay Hendricks, and Kitty Stewart (Oprah appearing relationship expert), who wrote Carr with letters of support and encouragement.
REVOLOUTION is being released by THE FOUNDATION FOR CONSCIOUS HUMANITY beginning April 28th in Los Angeles (Leammle Sunset 5 -- 8000 Sunset Blvd. West Los Angeles, CA 90046), May 12th in New York (Village East Cinema -- 181 2nd Ave. NYC, NY 10003) and then in the top 20 markets this summer. Bicoastal for nonprofit fundraiser premieres hosted by major celebrities will happen the first Sunday the film hits the theaters.
Web site: http://www.revoloutionmovie.com/
Vivendi Universal Games Mobile Announces Six New Titles Line-up Includes 'SWAT Force,' Recipient of IGN Editor's Choice Award and 'Mobie' Nomination
Vivendi Universal Games Mobile ("VUG Mobile") today announced its second and third quarter mobile game titles for 2006. Among the highly anticipated games will be SWAT(R) Force, Empire Earth(R), After Dark(R): Flying Toaster, Red Baron(R), Navy Challenge(TM) and Black Hawk Down(R): Team Sabre.
"VUG Mobile continues to expand its product line-up of premium titles ranging in appeal from core gamers to casual players and in gameplay from engaging strategy games to one-thumb gaming fun," said VUG Mobile President, Paul Maglione.
The announced titles:
SWAT Force
Based on the critically acclaimed PC tactical-action franchise, which to date has generated more than $50 Million in sales and was named GameSpy's Tactical Game of the Year in 2000, SWAT Force allows gamers to take control of a two-man SWAT squad and lead them through seven crisis situations. SWAT Force allows the player to assume the role of a SWAT squad leader, choose the equipment and tactics for the squad's sharp shooter and explosives experts. Players must use each one at the appropriate moment and defuse the traps that lie in the way.
IGN's Editor's Choice Award review of SWAT Force recognizes VUG Mobile's efforts to translate the best-selling PC franchise to the mobile screen: "SWAT Force is one of the better PC-to-mobile games I have played. The game delivers the tactical mechanics of the PC game, but scales back on the number of talents, tools, and objectives without sacrificing the general essence of the series ... the secret to success is to deliver the proper essence of the traditional video while accurately recreating the universe the game exists in. On these counts, SWAT Force succeeds."
Empire Earth
Based on the popular PC franchise, which to date has generated more than $100 Million in sales and was named GameSpy's PC Game of the Year in 2001, Empire Earth will turn mobile gamers into generals, allowing them to command forces from the past, present and future and build up their own empire ... To succeed, players must conquer all opposition through eight challenging campaigns. Empire Earth features a full combat system combined with strategic resource management, providing players with the means to capture and control an enemy's territory and move forward in time. Each age brings its own challenges, new units and additional strategic issues.
After Dark: Flying Toaster
Based on one of the most recognized electronic entertainment icons, After Dark: Flying Toaster is VUG Mobile's first 2006 entry into the casual gaming arena. Simple to play, fiendishly difficult to master, After Dark: Flying Toaster is an addictive, humorous one-thumb game featuring the Flying Toaster. Players navigate through numerous puzzle levels while catching enough toast to keep the famous Flying Toaster energized. Various level environments present interesting challenges, as the player must avoid running into obstacles, enemies and "slow down" items such as hamburgers.
Red Baron
Based on the renowned classic Sierra flight game, Red Baron offers mobile gamers a chance to go head-to-head with the best fighter pilots of World War I, including Manfred von Richtohoven, AKA the infamous "Red Baron." The game features epic dogfights as the player chase, and are chased by, various enemy pilots, each with a distinctive fighting and flying style. Mission-based levels will offer varied gameplay such as protecting bases and bombing the enemies' buildings. Red Baron will be offered in both 2D and 3D versions across a wide range of J2ME and BREW-enabled handsets.
Navy Challenge
Set in World War II, Navy Challenge is a state-of-the-art mobile take on the classic battleships game genre, enabling the player to assume the persona of a US, British, Japanese or Chinese admiral directing a fleet into battle. Enhanced gameplay options feature a wide array of weaponry and an "active defense" mode, where users can choose between an air strike, torpedo attack, rocket attack or radar sweep to detect and destroy enemy ships. The game is far from static, allowing players to move their ships mid-game to avoid enemy fire. Initially offered in single-player mode, Navy Challenge will also be available later in the year as a turn-based multiplayer game.
Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre
Based on the popular NovaLogic franchise, which to date has sold 4+ million units worldwide with the original game a #1 selling PC title in North America, Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre allows players to lead an elite Delta Force(R) unit on 10 missions through treacherous South American jungles and across remote deserts in the Persian Gulf. Black Hawk Down: Team Sabre is a 2D tactical-action game represented in top down view, featuring superb graphics. Levels alternate between helicopter combat and ground combat, presenting a total of 20 action sequences.
About VUG Mobile
VUG Mobile has current game offerings live across 70 operators in 40 countries. These titles, several of which have been developed in-house at VUG Mobile's Paris studio, include Crash Nitro Kart(R), Crash Twinsanity(TM), and Crash(R) Tag Team Racing (nearly two million Crash Bandicoot(R) mobile games have been sold to date); Spyro Ripto Quest, Spyro the Dragon(R), Leisure Suit Larry(R) Magna Cum Laude, Leisure Suit Larry Sexy Pinball, Empire Earth and SWAT Force. The company, with worldwide headquarters in Paris, North American offices in Los Angeles, and Asia-Pacific offices in Singapore, is a subsidiary of Vivendi Universal Games. For further information, visit www.vugames.com.
About Vivendi Universal Games
Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is a leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO) games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console and handheld games markets, and is an emerging player in mobile and wireless games. Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard Entertainment(R), Radical Entertainment, Sierra(R) Entertainment, Massive Entertainment(R), Swordfish Studios and High Moon Studios. VU Games' library of over 700 titles features owned intellectual properties including Warcraft(R), StarCraft(R), Diablo(R) and World of Warcraft(R) from Blizzard Entertainment; Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Empire Earth, Leisure Suit Larry, and Ground Control(R) from Sierra Entertainment. VU Games also maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and Ludlum Entertainment.
Source: Vivendi Universal Games Mobile
Web site: http://www.vugames.com/ Royal Caribbean Charter Carries Christian Crusade to the Bahamas
PraiseFest Ministries, a volunteer-run evangelistic mission based in Northport, Alabama, has chartered Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas on May 29, 2006 for a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas. Cruise with a Cause has been designed to combine a family vacation experience with a faith-based opportunity allowing guests to participate in a mission effort on Grand Bahama Island.
This unique cruise will feature onboard concerts from well-known contemporary Christian music artists, a variety of popular speakers like wrestler Steve Bordon (aka Sting) and Josh McDowell, workshops catering to various age groups to prepare them for their island adventure, Christian- oriented entertainment shows as well as Royal Caribbean's onboard activities.
The cruise is customized to provide families and churches an opportunity to participate in mission work if they choose while still enjoying all of the amenities a cruise has to offer. "Because this is a chartered cruise designed specifically for a Christian audience, there will be no onboard gambling and no alcoholic beverages served," said PraiseFest Ministries President, Matthew Dunaway.
"When the ship reaches Grand Bahama Island, PraiseFest will host a stadium crusade called Bahama Fest 2006 featuring top Christian musicians and speakers. Bahama Fest 2006 has been sanctioned by the Bahamian Ministry of Tourism and is expected to be the largest event the island has even seen. We will be able to hold organized assemblies in all 33 schools on the island sharing the Gospel with over 14,000 students," adds Dunaway.
The innovative concept of Cruise with a Cause has inspired Trinity Broadcasting Network's JCTV, to film the cruising crusade and to produce the first reality television series with a Christian focus. Trinity Broadcasting Network is the largest religious television network in the world and America's most watched faith channel (appealing to Protestant, Catholic, Messianic & Jewish faiths).
"We are thrilled to be able to offer this cruise to travel agents to sell on a commissionable basis," said Honnie Korngold, President of Christian Travel Finder, the travel agency responsible for marketing the cruise to faith-based travelers and travel agents. "There have been many Christian cruise charters in the past but very few have been available for travel agents to offer their clients. We are receiving such a positive response from agents that have wanted to offer faith-based niche products but haven't been able to previously. This cruise embodies the type of vacation experience that many Christians are hungry for," adds Korngold.
The cruise will depart from Port Canaveral, Florida, and will visit Freeport, Grand Bahama, and Coco Cay (Royal Caribbean's private island).
PraiseFest Ministries is an ongoing evangelistic mission designed to direct people all over the world to Christ by working with local churches to insure large numbers of people worldwide are presented with the Gospel message.
Christian Travel Finder, a division of Travel Network Group LLC, is a travel agency located in Seal Beach, California that specializes in developing group cruise and tour programs for churches and ministry organizations.
For more information on the PraiseFest Ministries Cruise with a Cause, contact:
info@christiantravelfinder.com
http://www.christiantravelfinder.com/
Source: Royal Caribbean
Web site: http://www.christiantravelfinder.com/
Exclusive Content Extends Brand's Music Ties Beyond Concerts
Bacardi is launching an ad-free global radio station to be broadcast 24 hours a day via the Internet and cellphones. The spirits marketer claims the venture is the world's first brand-funded online and mobile radio music offering.
The B-Live music offering will roll out internationally throughout the year.
Called Bacardi B-Live, the initiative is expected to extend the brand's association with music beyond regular events. It will launch in the U.K. next month and roll out internationally throughout the year.
Access to the station is theoretically available only to consumers above the local legal drinking age -- to sign up, consumers must enter their date of birth and country of residence. Bacardi is aiming for 300,000 registered listeners within three months of the launch.
Bacardi B-Live will broadcast exclusive content through the Internet and directly onto third-generation compatible cellphone handsets. Adam Dewhurst, the project's global talent director, has commissioned exclusive mixes from DJs and producers around the world.
John Burke, Bacardi's global brand director, said, "Thanks to developments in mobile and 3G handset technology it is possible for brands to take their music properties beyond clubs and festival fields."
B-Live will be cross-promoted through Bacardi's existing music events, which will be streamed through the new online radio station. There will also be digital and viral advertising.
Bacardi has built up a strong reputation for hosting premium branded events around the world. Mr. Dewhurst said, "Bacardi has always worked with credible people and steered away from the corporate end of dance music."
For the new radio station, Mr. Dewhurst has identified three tiers of DJs and producers to contribute exclusive mixes. The first tier is made up of worldwide big-name DJs like Dmitri from Paris; the second tier is internationally known underground talents such as Sumo from Sweden and the Unabombers; the third is made up of popular local DJs.
The station will initially broadcast only one platform throughout the world. However, Mr. Dewhurst added, "Further down the line there may be other platforms. U.S. music is more focused on hip hop and rock -- some of this is accommodated within the existing platform, but there may be opportunities to create new platforms further down the line." Video content is another route that is being discussed for the future.
Blogger rankings.
Lists like Technorati's can help sort out who's who in the blogosphere.
Listings of the most popular blogs and bloggers on the Web, crafted and divined in a variety of ways from Technorati's Top 100, measured by unique links over six months, to Blogebrity's gag list of A-, B- and C-listers with no science, but plenty of cheek and wit.
True, the lists can tend to be a bit like insider baseball; if you don't play or watch, who cares? But blog listings generate traffic and more importantly can help novices (or time-crunched execs) sort out who's who in the blogging world. Some of the most popular popularity watchers include: the Technorati and Blogebrity lists mentioned above; CNET's News.com Blog 100, a user-inspired, unnumbered, and occasionally updated list; BlogPulse.com's daily ranking of the Top 40 (run by Intelliseek); the Feedster 500 monthly ranking of the "most interesting and important" blogs; Daypop Top 100 with a complex but impressively intelligent-sounding methodology; The Truth Laid Bear's pure traffic ranking up to 5,000 (yes, 5000);and the Top 43 Best Blogs Wiki with its odd number and totally democratic user-changeable list. And that doesn't begin to include smaller lists and more specialized ones ranking top RSS feeds or blogs added to favorites' lists.
WHO'S USING IT?: Bloggers, to be sure, seem the most interested in debating, discussing and linking to the lists. A recent New York Magazine article mused, "Much as in high school, C-listers quickly suspect the deck is stacked against them, and the bitterness flows like cheap wine." Yet get past the internal sniping, and you'll find marketers, and their media buyers also watching. A No. 1 blog may have little in common with a No. 1 "American Idol" TV program, but both can fit into the media plan for the same marketer. For instance, Engadget, a blog about tech gizmos and on most everyone's "top dog" list, is currently running an Ask.com banner (CPMs on Engadget range from $6 to $15), at the same time as polished :30 TV spots air on popular and expensive prime-time shows like ABC's "Lost." Marketers such as Audi, Microsoft, Dreamworks, General Motors and Verizon hit the blog rolls as regularly as the airwaves.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: The lists are good places to begin for ideas about which blogs to read -- although, like The New York Times bestseller list, take them with grain of salt. They can also provide solid leads in the search for hot online advertising spots. Best of all, they make for great, free WOM buzz. If you make the list, that is.
Ad Revenue From Web Operations Become More Important to Publishers
Newspapers made a bit of a grim display this week when they reported their first-quarter earnings, revealing profit declines at The New York Times Co., Tribune Co., McClatchy Co. and powerhouse Gannett Co., but displayed at every turn the rising importance of the
The New York Times Co. reported perhaps the brightest results yesterday, even though first-quarter profit fell 68.5% to $35 million from $111 million a year earlier. That apparent free fall, however, mostly reflected the extra income in last year's first quarter when the company sold its headquarters in Times Square.
The Web played a big role in the company's overall respectable results. Ad revenue rose 3.9% in the first quarter to $554.6 million, up from $533.8 million in the year previous quarter. The Times Co. ad increases were largely delivered by About.com; without that property, ad revenue would have increased just 0.7%.
Earnings per share were 4 cents, a penny higher than the analysts' consensus expectation compiled by Thomson Financial.
"Our results in the first quarter reflect higher advertising and circulation revenues at The New York Times Media Group and the Regional Media Group, in part due to the introduction of innovative new products," said Janet L. Robinson, president-CEO. But The Boston Globe's unit, The New England Media Group, was again hit hard by consolidation among advertisers and a tough competitive environment, she said.
Another heavy-hitter, The Tribune Co., reported yesterday that its first-quarter earnings also fell to the tune of 28%, with flat ad revenue. The Tribune owns newspapers including The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune. Tribune expects online ad revenues to contribute about $350 million in 2006; it counts a stake a CareerBuilder.com among its Web assets.
McClatchy Co., which agreed last month to buy Philadelphia Inquirer parent Knight Ridder, reported a 14.2% decline in first-quarter net income. Ad revenue at McClatchy, which houses newspapers including the Sacramento Bee, grew 1.4% to $237.1 million.
The powerhouse that is Gannett turned in perhaps the most surprising report on April 12, announcing that net income sank 11.5% in the first quarter. Its newspapers' ad revenue grew 5.7% to nearly $1.3 billion, but that factors in acquisitions without which first-quarter ad revenue would actually have fallen 1.8%. At its flagship USA Today, ad revenues declined 4.2%.
GE: Olympics Generate $40 Million Q1 Loss,
IN JANUARY, GE'S CEO JEFF Immelt said the Torino Olympics would "about break even" in the first quarter. They did far worse, losing some $70 million.
Despite the loss, GE executives said yesterday that the Olympics would be "slightly profitable" for the year on the backs of affiliate contributions.
Immelt had predicted the Games would generate $650 million to $750 million in the first quarter--and they came in on the lower end, accounting for $684 million.
"I still like the Olympics," he said. "I think Torino was a tough venue--a tough set of dynamics."
One advantage NBC will have when it carries the Beijing Summer Games in August 2008 is the lack of competition from Fox's "American Idol," which outdrew the Torino coverage.
The Torino results--a disappointment for NBC, which had offered bullish forecasts on ad revenue and profitability--were announced in GE's first-quarter earnings call with analysts.
Beyond the Olympics, NBC continues to struggle, as GE's NBC Universal unit saw first-quarter profits drop 8 percent to $654 million (still more than GE's health care and industrial units). Immelt said: "We continue to turn around NBC prime-time performance." Still, the network remains mired in fourth place with ratings in the key 18-to-49 demo down 8 percent this season.
GE's CFO Keith Sherin said the company is "confident" in NBC's position heading into the upfront. "We have spent a lot of time on development and we feel good about the process, the team, and the shows that we have got lined up," he said.
Erectile Dysfunction Ads Come as Drug Maker Readies New Viagra Effort
Even as it readies a branded campaign for Viagra, Pfizer today introduced a second unbranded ad campaign for erectile dysfunction aimed at boosting sagging sales by motivating men to discuss the condition with their doctor.
In the wake of sagging sales, Pfizer is launching new Viagra marketing campaigns.
Six months after asking men to "Make the Call" in an unbranded ad campaign, Pfizer's new tagline is "Just Ask Today." The campaign is designed to educate men about the causes and varying degrees of erectile dysfunction and is comprised of a Web site, justasktoday.com, a toll-free number and national TV spots featuring sexual health expert and TV and radio host Dr. Drew Pinsky.
A spending figure was not disclosed.
In the new TV ads, from Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann Healthcare, New York, Dr. Pinsky, standing alone outside the 90,000-seat Los Angeles Coliseum, says, "Guys just seem to have a natural aversion to the doctor's office, especially when it comes to a sensitive health issue like erectile dysfunction."
He then goes inside the empty Coliseum and says, "And yet, nearly half of all guys over 40 -- and some even younger -- have ED, a number which could fill this stadium many times over."
Though the TV spot does not mention Viagra, the justasktoday.com Web site has a section in which it asks participants to answer a series of questions. After hitting "submit," the site then takes you to a page that features the phrase "Learn about the most-prescribed ED tablet" and a link that takes you to Viagra's dedicated Web site.
According to pharmaceutical information company IMS Health, Viagra had 62.7% of the ED drug category last year, down from 73.4% in 2004 and 90% in 2003. Cialis, from Eli Lilly and Icos, has a 23.3% share and Levitra, from GlaxoSmithKline and Schering-Plough, has 10.9%.
Research from GSK and Schering-Plough has shown that less than a third of men who have ED are currently being treated. A recent survey conducted by Pfizer showed that only 15% of men have asked their doctor about ED during a routine exam.
"ED is a legitimate medical condition that has a significant impact on both the men who experience it as well as their partners. Misconceptions and stigma associated with the condition prevent them from initiating that important conversation with their doctors," Dr. Pinsky said.
Gefen solutions
Integrating the different, incompatible interfaces found on most analog and digital audio/video sources and displays is a simple matter when using one of two helpful Gefen solutions for the system integrator: The DVI/Digital Audio to HDMI Conversion Box (EXT-DVIAUD-2-HDMI) supplies a plug-and-play method of connecting a HD digital video source, including computers, plus any digital audio device to an HDMI display. High definition resolutions up to 1080p are supported and multichannel digital audio is delivered with no degradation or delay.
The Component/Analog Audio to HDMI Conversion Box (EXT-COMPAUD-2-HDMI) enables component video sources and any accompanying audio devices to feed into an HDMI display. Both video and audio are delivered to the display using the single HDMI interface, allowing for flexibility in connecting disparate components when upgrading to a new HD digital video display. Both of Gefen's Conversion Boxes perform the valuable role of integrating different audio/video components then performing a high-quality conversion capable of developing the highest resolutions possible.
Each comes in a single box, accompanied by the appropriate connector cables and an external power supply that feeds the system conversion. Gefen's HDMI conversion solutions are available for purchase through Gefen's resellers, listed online at Gefen.com. About Gefen: A leader in the high definition digital domain, Gefen delivers advanced technologies with multi-platform extension, switching, distribution and conversion capabilities. Gefen equipment is utilized all over the world in professional AV/IT and consumer electronics/home theater environments. Their add-on hardware maximizes system functionality and enhances operability by enabling AV systems to go beyond their original capabilities. Solutions support an array of connectivity interfaces including HDMI, DVI, dual link DVI, HD-SDI, SDI, VGA, RCA, USB, Firewire and RS-232. A selection of high quality cabling is also available. Additional information may be found at www.gefen.com
Bait Man Films Launches The Investor's Screenplay Competition
Bait Man Films is on a quest to change the way movies are produced in America. The company's innovative campaign urges everyday moviegoers and stock market investors to become more active within an industry constantly turning profit, evolving, and reinventing itself, the entertainment industry. Their newest endeavor to hit the streets is The Investor's Screenplay Competition, a contest for all screenwriters to enter. Even screenwriters who have optioned their work previously may enter.
The goal is film production. Writers submit their feature-length screenplays to The Investor's Screenplay Competition. Monies generated from the contest are used in marketing and/or producing a movie for the winning script. Bait Man Films is not just an investment society fishing for mankind, and The Investor's Screenplay Competition is certainly more than a screenplay competition. It is a hopeful arena for eager screenwriters who normally participate in average screenplay competitions that choose a winner and bid farewell. Instead, Bait Man Films awards the winner with a cash prize, and then proceeds to market the winning script by shooting a preview. Investors, in turn, invest in a film of their choice. "We produce movie previews for the winners, and post the trailers to the company's website, http://www.investinafilm.com.
Investors peruse the site, create an account, and invest in a film. After the film is produced and distributed, investors receive their return before the company makes a dime - upon which, the profits are divided," says Melinda Bateman, CEO and Founder of Bait Man Films. In addition, Bait Man Films offers screenplay coverage, opportunities for talent to become more active in their careers, and community involvement from script to distribution. Studies show Bait Man Films is exactly what Americans want: an opportunity to invest in the products they love the most.
SPORTS & AUTOS
Oakland ,Dodger baseball
Texas 6, Oakland 3 at McAfee Coliseum
Oakland Record: (5-6)
Winning pitcher - Kevin Millwood (1-2)
Losing pitcher - Barry Zito (1-2)
TEX HR - None
OAK HR - M. Bradley (1) F. Thomas (2)
San Francisco 2, Los Angeles 1 at Dodger Stadium
Los Angeles Record: (5-6)
Winning pitcher - Jamey Wright (2-0)
Losing pitcher - Hong-Chih Kuo (0-2)
SV - Tim Worrell (4)
SF HR - R. Winn (1)
LAD HR - J. Kent (1)
Land Rover Goes Beyond Media, Direct-To-Consumer
IN ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A major marketer bypassing established media outlets and utilizing broadband Internet as a means of distributing a channel direct-to-consumers, auto marketer Land Rover has launched a new broadband channel featuring original programming on sports, lifestyles and popular culture aimed at the kind of adventurous consumers that are targets for its brand. The new channel, aptly named the Go Beyond Channel, leverages Land Rover's current brand theme, and features content ranging from extreme sports to extreme pop culture, much of which is supplied by conventional TV networks that Land Rover has relationships with. In an ironic role reversal, the deal, which was created by Land Rover media shop MindShare, transforms TV networks such as CBS, Discovery and the BBC from conduits into content suppliers.
"The media should embrace this. This is very exciting for the agency game. It's exciting for clients. And it's exciting for the consumer," says David Stubley, CEO of MindShare's Performance Worldwide unit in London, which is handling the project.
Stubley acknowledges that the role change represents a fundamental shift in the relationship between advertisers and the media, but he predicts it will grow dramatically over time as broadband becomes faster and more ubiquitous and gains critical mass as a distribution medium. Instead of using traditional media outlets like TV networks to distribute programming with TV commercials embedded in it, Stubley says increasingly broadband will become the source of content for channels that advertisers distribute directly to consumers.
"People will need to adapt for sure," he concedes, adding, "The answer is they should be supplying us with killer content and we should be wrapping ourselves around it."
At launch, the Go Beyond channel has about five hours of programming, and Stubley says it will be refreshed with an additional four to five hours each month of new programming. MindShare's research indicates the average viewer session is "between 20 and 30 minutes," he notes.
One of the key advantages of distributing the channel via broadband is that it is global and easily customizable to specific markets. The channel currently features programming in six languages, and the content changes based on where the user is accessing it. In the U.K., for example, there is a vertical "London TV" channel, whereas a user from Germany might get a channel devoted to Berlin. European users get a lot of programming about soccer, while U.S. users would get more American football.
Stubley says sports is the "low hanging fruit," and that the goal is to broaden the mix of programming to other lifestyle areas ranging from food to fashion. The channel, which is being distributed via Narrowstep's TV-over-the-Internet platform, features a fast-loading media player window with a TV programming grid next to it featuring specific content genres. Stubley estimated that no more than 5 percent of the programming explicitly features the Land Rover brand, but is designed to attract users interested in the brand's proposition and to get them to come back frequently.
Aside from their effectiveness, and ability to target and engage a brand's prospects, MindShare's Stubley says direct-to-consumer channels are "amazingly cost-effective." While he would not comment on the specific costs of the Go Beyond channel, he said it was considerably less than the cost of launching a conventional TV channel, and that it was "highly comparable" to the costs of conventional TV commercials.
Other marketers have been exploiting broadband as a means of distributing direct-to-consumer channels. Anheuser-Busch has used broadband TV provider Maven to create a Budweiser channel, while Audi has created Audi TV and BMW had its short-lived "BMW Films."
What makes Go Beyond different, says Stubley, is that it is much more dynamic and nonlinear than its predecessors. Among other things, the channel exists simultaneously offline in Land Rover dealerships worldwide. It also features occasional live telecasts, such as a program that was launched Wednesday live from the New York Auto Show.
But what really gets Stubley excited is the prospects for user involvement, including consumer-generated content.
"I think that's the next stage," he predicts, adding that the goal is to have consumers interact with Go Beyond's programming, mix their own, and forward it to others in a viral manner.
Stubley describes the Go Beyond channel as being in a "soft launch," but says it ultimately will be backed by an aggressive advertising and promotional campaign to drive traffic.
"I'd see us running online advertising, doing a deal with Google, running dedicated URLs in print and TV communications. I'd see us pushing it in dealerships around the world," he says.
This is not the first time MindShare Performance has been involved in direct-to-consumer broadband television. It recently began creating content for client Nike in a way Stubley says illustrates the advantages the format has over traditional advertising such as the 30-second TV commercial.
In one of the programs, MindShare went to Nou Camp, a soccer team in Barcelona, Spain, that has a sponsorship deal with Nike, and filmed a "guy putting a suitcase in front of them on the soccer pitch." He opened it and took out a pair of Nike soccer shoes, which a team member put on and began doing soccer tricks with.
"The cost was very little. It was shot on a Monday and it was on the Internet the following Monday. So far, it has had 18 million downloads," says Stubley, adding, "Now compare that to the cost and time involved in creating a commercial. Storyboarding, shoot time, polishing time. It would have taken three months."
Subaru Unleashes Impreza(R) WRX(R) STI(R) Limited for 2007
- Less Show, Same Go - Leather Interior, Power Moonroof - Only 800 Numbered Units Available
Subaru of America, Inc. unveiled the 2007 Impreza WRX STI Limited model at the New York International Auto Show. The new edition of the road-conquering Impreza WRX STI packages greater comfort and refinement with subtler exterior styling, but does not sacrifice the performance of this street legend.
The WRX STI Limited will be available in the fall in a limited run of 800 numbered units, 400 in Satin White Pearl and 400 in Urban Gray Metallic.
The 2007 WRX STI Limited delivers all the power and performance of the standard model. This new limited-edition version adds a layer of refinement and design detail enhancements targeted at a new group of driving enthusiasts looking for supercar performance but with an understated demeanor. Designed by Subaru Tecnica International (STI), the high-performance and motorsports subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., the WRX STI Limited is descended from the Subaru WRC Rally car.
"The WRX STI redefined the performance car category when it was introduced in 2004. We know some enthusiasts have resisted the temptation to buy one simply because they want more everyday driving comfort and refinement, along with less aggressive styling," said Fred Adcock, executive vice president, Subaru of America. "Now, with the STI's reputation for pure performance unquestioned, we recognized an opportunity to broaden the car's appeal."
Less Show, Same Go
The 2007 WRX STI Limited stands apart from the standard model with an appearance that's more low-key, and even stealthy. A new trunk-mounted lip spoiler replaces the standard model's large dual-plane rear spoiler, and the black aluminum roof vane spoiler is deleted. A new, deep front lip spoiler further distinguishes the WRX STI Limited from the standard model.
New Enkei wheels with high-luster paint replace the BBS(R) wheels, keeping the same 17 x 8-in. size and 225/45 ZR17 Bridgestone Potenza RE070 directional performance tires. Behind the new wheels, black Brembo(R) brake calipers with white lettering have a more reserved appearance than the gold and red-painted calipers on the standard WRX STI.
All WRX STI Limited models feature distinctive black gloss B-pillar paint and high luster paint for the exterior mirrors, and this special edition model includes standard fog lights.
New Refined Interior Keeps the Focus on Performance
The interior of the 2007 Impreza WRX STI Limited balances the performance- directed design and attitude with a dose of refinement. Most notably, the WRX STI Limited replaces the perforated blue high-grip Alcantara(R) fabric seating surfaces with leather and new dark gray metallic bezels and interior trim.
For the first time in a WRX STI, the performance-design front seats are heated for all-season comfort. Also enhancing all-season driving pleasure, the 2007 WRX STI Limited features the first-ever power glass moonroof on this model. Beyond the changed interior appearance, additional features include new carpeting with improved sound insulation materials, an auto-dimming compass rear view mirror and an audio system input jack for an iPod or other digital music player. Finally, each car in this series gets a sequential number plate.
The standard automatic climate control system integrates cabin air filtration. SIRIUS(TM) Satellite radio availability enhances the versatility of the standard 120-watt AM/FM premium stereo, which includes a 6-disc in-dash CD changer and six speakers.
Rally Tested and Road Ready
All Impreza WRX STI models are powered by a turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter DOHC Boxer engine producing 293 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 290 lb.- ft. of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. The Subaru Active Valve Control System (AVCS) variable valve timing technology helps provide strong torque characteristics throughout the engine's operating range. A manually operated water spray feature helps to bolster intercooler efficiency during spirited driving.
All WRX STI models are exclusively equipped with a 6-speed manual transmission that features carbon-plated double-cone synchronizers on 4th, 5th and 6th gears to help ensure durability.
Driver Controlled Center Differential (DCCD) All-Wheel Drive
From its launch, the WRX STI has been equipped with one of the most advanced and most performance-directed All-Wheel Drive systems on the market, regardless of vehicle segment. The Driver Control Center Differential (DCCD) Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system uses a planetary-type center differential to provide a 41:59 torque split, with automatic and manual differential modes.
Center differential lock-up is controlled by both a mechanical limited-slip type differential and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. The mechanical limited-slip differential activates and operates initially in response to changes in engine torque, improving overall vehicle stability when accelerating or decelerating. In automatic mode, the electronic limited-slip differential controls the differential lock-up by evaluating the amount of lock-up in the mechanical limited-slip. The total amount of lock-up is based on the combination of both differentials. A steering sensor input improves torque transfer response by more accurately relaying the car's cornering situation.
Set in automatic mode, the DCCD system can vary the torque distribution ratio as needed in response to vehicle acceleration, deceleration, steering angle, cornering force and wheel slippage.
In manual mode, DCCD allows the driver to select center differential lock- up to optimize All-Wheel Drive performance for varying driving conditions. The driver first selects manual mode with a console-mounted button and then turns a thumbwheel on the center console to select from among six levels of lock-up. Increasing the locking factor keeps more power at the front wheels (max. 50:50 torque split with 100 percent lock-up selected), which the driver might want in certain driving conditions or on particular road surfaces.
A helical-type limited-slip front differential and Torsen(R) limited-slip rear differential help to optimize power distribution side-to-side, helping to prevent the inside wheels from slipping during cornering.
Competition-Bred Chassis
A super-stiff Ring Frame Reinforced body structure with a hydroformed front subframe provides the foundation for the high-integrity Impreza platform. Compared to the standard WRX models, the WRX STI models are lowered by 0.4-inch to help lower the center of gravity.
The 4-wheel independent suspension inherits its inverted-strut technology from the Impreza WRC competition car. Aluminum front suspension lower control arms and aluminum rear suspension lateral links reduce unsprung vehicle weight. A quick-ratio steering system yields 2.6 turns lock-to-lock, and the steering rack uses a "cannon mount" for greater rigidity that improves on- center response.
The powerful Brembo Performance Brake System employs front discs measuring 12.7 inches in diameter and 1.2-inch thick and utilizing 4-piston, fixed- position calipers. The rear discs are 12.3 inches in diameter and 0.8-inch thick and use 2-piston, fixed-position calipers.
A combination of Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and the Super Sport Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) helps to reduce stopping distances and understeer compared to conventional ABS systems. EBD provides precise control of braking pressure between the front and rear wheels based on the vehicle load to improve stability and stopping distances. Super Sport ABS, using input from a lateral-g sensor, can control the braking forces at each rear wheel independently, optimizing the braking ability during hard cornering to help reduce understeer.
All Impreza, WRX and WRX STI models are equipped as standard with the Subaru Advanced Frontal Air bag system and front seat head/chest side impact air bags (SRS). The driver's side air bag deploys according to the driver's proximity to the steering wheel, as measured by a sensor on the seat track. In the passenger side front seat, a sensor module detects weight on the passenger seat - first determining if it's occupied, and if so by a child or adult - to control air bag deployment.
.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., the company markets and distributes All-Wheel Drive Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of nearly 600 dealers across the United States. Subaru is the only car company that offers Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive as standard equipment on every vehicle in its product line.
Source: Subaru of America, Inc.
Web site: http://www.subaru.com/
2006 Honda Civic Hybrid Wins 'World Car of the Year Award' for Greenest Car
The completely redesigned 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid, the most economical and environmentally responsible gasoline-powered Civic ever, has won the World Car of the Year Award for greenest car, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced. A jury of 46 international automotive journalists selected the 2006 Civic Hybrid, which achieves an EPA estimated city/highway fuel economy of 49/51 miles per gallon, as the winner of the 2006 World Green Car.
"Honda continues to be a leader in producing environmentally responsible vehicles that set the standard for fuel economy and low emissions," said John Mendel, Senior Vice President, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The award-winning 2006 Civic Hybrid is the latest embodiment of Honda's long-term commitment to the development of environmentally friendly technologies that are also fun to drive."
Characterized by advanced new styling, Honda's all-new Civic Hybrid also offers the latest in safety technology, as well an array of standard features, such as multiple audio entertainment choices, that increase content and value.
Equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) as standard equipment for 2006, the Civic Hybrid can now deactivate all four of its cylinders and operate using only the electric motor in certain steady-state cruising situations. Compared to the 2006 Civic Sedan with an automatic transmission, the Civic Hybrid provides a city fuel economy increase of approximately 63 percent and a highway fuel economy increase of 27 percent.
Honda first introduced U.S. consumers to hybrid technology with the Insight in December 1999. It launched its second hybrid vehicle, the Civic Hybrid, in March 2002, followed by the first-ever V6-powered hybrid, the Accord Hybrid, in December 2004.
2007 Honda Element SC Prototype Emphasizes Style and Performance
An all-new urban-oriented counterpart to the Honda Element will debut this fall in the US with an exclusive sport suspension, larger wheels and tires, unique styling and special features like a carpeted interior and a center console, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced at the 2006 New York International Auto Show.
With performance more than skin deep, the Element SC prototype rides 3-inches lower than stock with a sport suspension that delivers sports car-like handling. A front-to-rear aerodynamic body kit further lowers the vehicle’s stance, supplementing the new vehicle’s performance direction with a ground-hugging presence. High on sophistication, the Element SC smoothly stands out with exclusive features such as fully-painted exterior panels and trim pieces, projector-beam headlights and an aero-enhanced black grille. The interior further complements the city performance demeanor with a driver-oriented center console, copper hue instrument panel lighting backlit with LEDs, piano black trim and a carpeted floor.
“The Element SC prototype is the city-dwelling, style-conscious brother of the original Element,” said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda. “Instead of features that accommodate outdoor sports and similar activities, the Element SC injects a new dimension of sophistication into the lineup that can best be characterized as a ‘night performer.’ ”
The exterior styling expresses a sophisticated, performance-oriented attitude with SC-exclusive features that include projector beam headlights, custom front bumper, lowered suspension, large alloy wheels, custom grille and a slightly lowered roofline (trim effect).
To match the outside, the exclusive interior takes on an entirely new personality with a center console that has enclosed storage areas ideal for mobile phones and MP3 players. Additional exclusive features include trim accents that correspond to the copper-colored illumination.
The 2007 Element SC prototype has a 2.4-liter, DOHC, i-VTEC engine that benefits from a 10 horsepower increase over the 2006 Element, bringing the total to 166 horsepower (SAE net revised 8/04). The increase is achieved primarily through the addition of high-flow intake and exhaust systems and high-lift camshafts. Additional enhancements include drive-by-wire throttle control. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, and the available automatic transmission has five forward gears instead of four.
Fulfilling the goals of Honda’s “Safety for Everyone” initiative introduced in 2003, all 2007 Elements will provide a core suite of standard safety equipment that goes beyond existing regulations and includes side curtain airbags, driver’s side impact airbag, front passenger’s side impact airbag, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and ABS.
The 2007 Honda Element also introduces an Integrated Seat Belt System on the front seats that allows rear seat occupants to exit the vehicle without the need for a front occupant to disconnect his or her seatbelt. In place of the existing B-pillar, door-mounted shoulder strap, the new Integrated Seat Belt System shoulder strap originates from the top of the seat and helps to enhance vehicle ingress/egress convenience for rear passengers.
The Element SC prototype features custom 21-inch cast aluminum alloy wheels, 245/35R21 high-performance custom tires, and 4-wheel disc brakes with large brake rotors and custom copper-appearance brake calipers. The combination of the sport-tuned suspension and aggressive wheel and tire package results in an urban utility vehicle that handles like a sports car. A production vehicle based on the Element SC prototype will go on sale this fall in the US
Thirty-eight entries posted for Indianapolis 500
Six winning drivers are among the highlights of the entry list for the 90th Indianapolis 500, scheduled for May 28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The six winners on this year’s list include defending champion Dan Wheldon, Buddy Rice (2004), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Eddie Cheever Jr. (1998), Buddy Lazier (1996) and Al Unser Jr. (1992, 1994). It’s the largest number of past winners on the entry list since 2002, when six previous visitors to Victory Lane also were named to entries for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
A total of 26 drivers have been named to the 38 entries filed this year for the 33 starting spots in the world’s most prestigious auto race. Sixty-six cars are included on those 38 entries, including backup cars.
On-track activity starts May 7 with The Star and CareerBuilder.com Opening Day. Other schedule highlights include WorldPoints Visa Pole Day on May 13, Bump Day on May 21, American Family Insurance 500 Festival Community Day on May 24 and Miller Lite Carb Day on May 26.
The qualifying format that debuted in 2005, with bumping produced on all four days of qualifying, will continue this year. Besides WorldPoints Visa Pole Day and Bump Day, Second Day Qualifying is set for May 14 and Coca-Cola Throwback Day Qualifying set for May 20.
Miller Lite Carb Day also will have a full day of action and entertainment for fans. The final practice for the 90th Indianapolis 500, a driver autograph session, the Freedom 100 for the Indy Pro Series, the Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Competition and Miller Lite Carb Day Concert all are included with a ticket.
Wheldon will attempt to earn his second spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy as a race winner, but he will attempt to make his fourth career Indianapolis 500 start with 2000 “500” winner Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Wheldon, who won last year in an Andretti Green Racing entry, will drive the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone.
Rice will attempt to make his first Indy start since winning in 2004, as he missed last year’s race because of an injury suffered in practice. He will drive the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent Panoz/Honda/Firestone.
Castroneves will attempt to join an elite club by earning his third Indianapolis 500 victory in the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Just eight drivers have won the race three times or more since the inaugural event in 1911.
Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is entering cars for two past Indy winners, Lazier and Unser. Lazier will drive the team’s No. 5 Dallara/Honda/Firestone entry, while Unser also will shoot for his third Indianapolis 500 victory in the No. 31 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Unser’s father, Al, and uncle Bobby have won the race four and three times, respectively, as the race’s most winning family. This will be Unser’s first attempt to qualify at Indianapolis since 2004. He has 17 previous Indianapolis 500 starts, the most of any driver named to an entry.
Another past winner making a comeback is Cheever. He is driving the No. 51 Cheever Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone in his first attempt to make the field since 2002.
A high-profile comeback also is taking center stage at defending race champion Andretti Green Racing. Indy legend Michael Andretti will attempt to race in the “500” for the first time since 2003, driving the No. 1 Jim Beam/Vonage Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Andretti will attempt to earn his long-coveted first Indy 500 victory. He has led 426 laps during his 14 prior Indy starts, the most by any driver without a victory.
The comeback will be sweetened for Andretti by the presence of his 19-year-old son, Marco, in an AGR entry for the race. Marco Andretti will attempt to qualify for his first Indy 500 in the No. 26 NYSE Group Dallara/Honda/Firestone. It will be the third generation of father-and-son Andretti starts at Indianapolis. Mario and Michael Andretti started the race together 10 times from 1984-94, while Mario, Michael and Jeff Andretti were in the same field from 1991-93.
Al Unser and Al Unser Jr. were the first father-son combination to compete in the race, in 1983. Like Mario and Michael Andretti, they took the green flag together in 10 Indianapolis 500-Mile Races.
Marco Andretti is one of two high-profile, second-generation Indy rookies in the field. Arie Luyendyk Jr., son of 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, was named to the No. 61 Panoz/Honda/Firestone entry fielded by his father’s Luyendyk Racing. Marco Andretti, Luyendyk and P.J. Chesson are the three rookies named to cars in this year’s field.
Summary
Race winners (6): Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Eddie Cheever Jr. (1998), Buddy Lazier (1996), Buddy Rice (2004), Al Unser Jr. (1992, 1994), Dan Wheldon (2005).
Pole winners (5): Helio Castroneves (2003), Tony Kanaan (2005), Scott Sharp (2001), Buddy Rice (2004), Al Unser Jr. (1994).
Rookies (3): Marco Andretti, P.J. Chesson, Arie Luyendyk Jr.
U.S. born (15): Marco Andretti, Michael Andretti, Jeff Bucknum, Ed Carpenter, Eddie Cheever Jr., P.J. Chesson, Larry Foyt, Bryan Herta, Sam Hornish Jr., Buddy Lazier, Danica Patrick, Buddy Rice, Scott Sharp, Jeff Simmons, Al Unser Jr.
Foreign born (11): Helio Castroneves, Brazil; Scott Dixon, New Zealand; Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Felipe Giaffone, Brazil; Tony Kanaan, Brazil; Arie Luyendyk Jr., Netherlands; Vitor Meira, Brazil; Marty Roth, Canada; Kosuke Matsuura, Japan; Tomas Scheckter, South Africa; Dan Wheldon, England.
Youngest: Marco Andretti, 19.
Oldest: Eddie Cheever Jr., 48.
Most previous starts: Al Unser Jr., 17.
©2006 Indy Racing League, LLC. all rights reserved. INDY RACING LEAGUE, INDYCAR® & INDY PRO SERIES™ are trademarks of Brickyard Trademarks, Inc. and/or licensed to IRL for use.
Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal is coming to Toys "R" Us!
Saturday, April 22
12 noon - 1:30 p.m.
Toys "R" Us Glendale
2905 Los Feliz Blvd.
Glendale, CA 90039
To attend this rare personal appearance, visit the Major League Baseball™ feature shop at
Toys "R" Us. Simply make a purchase of $30 or more and receive a ticket to meet this
Major League Baseball star!
ACT NOW! Tickets are available now through the event date or while supplies last. Only 225 tickets are available for each event and there is a limit of one ticket and one autograph per purchase, per customer. Players will autograph baseballs and MLB provided photos only. No other memorabilia will be signed.
Please call or visit the designated Toys "R" Us store for more details. For a complete listing of all the upcoming MLB player appearances at Toys "R" Us log on to www.Toysrusinc.com/MLB or call 1-800-TOYSRUS.
Please note: A $30 or more Major League Baseball merchandise purchase from the designated Toys "R" Us store is required to participate in this event. Events are subject to change or cancellation.
DOD
DoD Identifies Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. They died of injuries sustained in Misiab, Iraq on April 12, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their HMMWV during combat operations. The soldiers were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas. Killed were: Spc. Scott M. Bandhold, 37, of North Merrick, N.Y. Pfc. Roland E. Calderonascenio, 21, of Miami, Fla
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Spc. Andrew K. Waits, 23, of Waterford, Mich., died April 13, in Baghdad, Iraq, where an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Waits was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Comabt Team, 101st Airborne Divison (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Marcus S. Glimpse, 22, of Huntington Beach, Calif., died April 12 as the result of an improvised explosive device while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. Lance Cpl. Philip J. Martini, 24, of Lansing, Ill., died April 8, of a gunshot wound while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Martini was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif
DoD Identifies Marine Casualties
The Department of Defense announced today the death of two
Marines
who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Salem Bachar, 20, of Chula Vista, Calif.
Lance Cpl. Stephen J. Perez, 22, of San Antonio, Texas
Both were killed due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq on April 13. Bachar was assigned to Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division,I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif. Perez was assigned to 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine
Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.
Maternity Hospitals being rebuilt
The command surgeon of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan presented the renovated Rabia Balkhi Maternity Hospital to Afghanistan 's minister of public health in a ceremony here April 9. The U.S. Defense and Health and Human Services departments invested a combined $10 million into renovations, Air Force Col. (Dr.) Donald Thompson said.
The renovations and related training programs already have improved the care provided by the Rabia Balkhi, which is Kabul's second-busiest maternity hospital, delivering more than 15,000 babies each year. "When we first started, there were three to four maternal deaths per week. Last year, (Rabia Balkhi) had 18 maternal deaths for the entire year," Thompson said. Those numbers, plus the 50 percent decline in the mortality rate for newborns weighing more than 5.5 pounds, show a positive trend. But there are still too many deaths, and that is what continuing programs will attempt to reduce, Thompson said. Finding ways to deliver adequate health care is important to establishing a stable society, said Mohammad Amin Fatimie, Afghanistan's public health minister.
Americans and Afghans should work together on all issues concerning the future of Afghanistan, Fatimie said. "We have common enemies - terrorists and disease," he said, describing Afghans and Americans as "brothers with the same goal." The Defense Department undertook the renovations of the hospital in 2004, investing about $2 million to upgrade the structure, plumbing and electric systems, said Thompson. DoD also built a well and installed an above-ground water storage tank so the hospital would have a steady supply of water despite the frequent power outages in Kabul. Although work on the facility is done, the Department of Health and Human Services will continue its work on management and training programs along with Cure International and the International Medical Corps, helping to improve salaries, staff coverage and patient care, Thompson said. HHS is also participating in developing obstetrics and gynecology training programs at the hospital, and is beginning to fund Cure International's help with hospital management.
Part of the plan for delivering care includes trips by medical professionals into the communities to identify women early in their pregnancies and encourage prenatal visits. This will allow doctors to set up intensive follow-up care for high-risk mothers, Thompson said. Participating organizations also are developing a regional plan to link community health centers to hospitals to improve referrals and continuity of care, Thompson said. With the officials from the Ministry of Public Health, coalition and other officials are identifying health care needs across Afghanistan, he said.
Operation Hero miles
Officials at the Fisher House Foundation, administrator of Operation Hero miles, have 123 million reasons to smile today. Illinois Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn announced at a news conference yesterday that Illinois-based United Airlines has donated 123 million frequent-flier miles to the operation. Hero Miles took off in 2004, thanks to Maryland U.S. Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland. He had approached and urged U.S. airlines to provide free round-trip tickets to servicemembers on rest-and-recuperation leave.
Then the law changed and the Defense Department took financial responsibility for those tickets. The miles just sat in their accounts, Jim Weiskopf, vice president of communications for the nonprofit Fisher House, told American Forces Press Service. The laws also prevented the miles from being given to another group that needed them: families of injured servicemembers. That changed in the fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization Act, Weiskopf said. Legislation in the act permits the Defense Department to accept frequent flyer miles and permits family members to use them. "It also says that the Department of Defense can partner with a nonprofit to administer the miles," he said. That nonprofit is Fisher House, which has agreements with six major airlines and is in negotiations with a seventh.
The United Airlines donation may seem like a never-ending supply of airline tickets, but Hero Miles can never have too many, Weiskopf said. "We go through between 1.5 (million) and 2.5 million miles a week," he said. Some of those tickets can cost Hero Miles 100,000 miles each. Quinn noted yesterday that 20 Illinois families have received free tickets through the Hero Miles program, and he encouraged Illinois residents to donate miles to the program. "During this Easter and Passover season ... let's thank our wounded heroes for their service by helping to reunite (them) with their families." One recipient is Jeff Ziegel, from Metamora, Ill., who joined the lieutenant governor at the ceremony. Ziegel's son, Marine Cpl. Tyler "Ty" Ziegel, was seriously wounded in Iraq in December 2004 when a suicide bomber detonated a car full of explosives.
Two days after the incident, the Fisher House Foundation flew Jeff, his wife, Becky, their son, Zachary, and Ty's fiancee, Renee Kline, to his bedside at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The Fisher House provided housing for the family while they visited Ty. "Having family around is good for these guys when they are recovering," Jeff Ziegel told a local reporter. "They've made sure that the family is there. If people are looking for a way to support our troops, this one really does it." "United's a biggie," Weiskopf said of the newest partner. The fact that United has the only nonstop service from Dulles International Airport here to Frankfurt, Germany, made the airline a desirable partner, he added. Frankfurt's airport serves the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center area. Landstuhl usually is the first stop for wounded servicemembers evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan. "United is honored to participate in the Hero Miles program," said Ken Feldman, United's vice president for loyalty and E-commerce. "As a global company, United is in a unique position to support Fisher House's mission to provide comfort and hope to military families in need." Airline tickets are available for families of military or Defense Department civilian employees injured as a result of their military service anywhere in the world. These tickets cannot be used for any travel unrelated to a medical condition.
Through Hero Miles, Weiskopf said, Fisher House has provided about 5,200 tickets to the families of injured servicemembers. Those donated tickets represent an averages savings of about $1,300 per ticket to family members. "We've spent about $70,000 of our own money paying the airport security fees and some of the taxes, and we've saved servicemembers and their families about $6.5 million in 26 months," he said. "That's money well spent. Any time you can spend $10 and save someone $1,300, it is." Information on donating frequent flyer miles to Operation Hero Miles can be found on the Fisher House Foundation Web site. The foundation, a member of DoD's America Supports You program, builds homes on and near the grounds of large military and Veterans Affairs medical facilities. The houses are for servicemembers who must stay near a hospital for continuing treatment and families visiting their loved ones there. Guests staying at a Fisher House do so at no charge.
Coalition and Iraqi forces killed a wanted extremist
with high-level terrorism ties during an early morning raid March 27 near Baghdad's Abu Ghraib district, Multinational Force Iraq officials here announced today. Rafid Ibrahim Fattah, also known as Abu Umar al-Kurdi, had ties to Taliban members in Afghanistan, Pakistan-based extremists, and al Qaeda senior leaders including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, officials said. He also had ties with Jaysh al Islami -- "The Islamic Army in Iraq" -- and the Iraqi resistance group Ansar al Sunnah.
Over the past six months, the Kurdi worked as a Jaysh al Islami cell leader in Baqubah, and he allegedly was involved in the kidnapping of an Iraqi woman. He traveled extensively throughout Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq over the past 15 years, and formed a relationship with al Qaeda senior leaders in 1999 while in Afghanistan, officials said. In the 1980s, he formed ties with the Muslim Brotherhood while in Iran and Pakistan, and then he joined the "holy war" in Afghanistan in 1989. Within months, he was given the title of an al Qaeda ambassador and attended military training camps near Jalabad, where Osama bin Laden often visited.
He returned to the Muslim Brotherhood in Peshawar in 1991, and in 1992 moved to Iraq, joining the Islamic Movement of Kurdistan. Throughout the 1990s until his death, Kurdi moved between Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, holding various positions including as a liaison among terrorist networks, as an operations officer responsible for coordinating the activities of the various terrorist groups, and as a security chief for a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan. A detainee who admitted his own affiliation with Jaysh al Islami claimed that Kurdi recruited him into the terrorist organization. The detainee claims he joined in September 2004 when Kurdi introduced him to the JAI leader . The detainee also told officials that Kurdi kidnapped and murdered a woman several months ago. Officials confirmed the hostage-taking, and are investigating the alleged murder.
NEWS and NEWS now in Spanish
GSA anti-small business?
GSA Flooded With Comments From Angry Small Business Owners PETALUMA, Calif., April 14, 2006 -- The General Services Administration has been flooded with comments from angry small business owners across the country in response to its recent notice of proposed rulemaking. Small business owners were alerted that the GSA may be adopting policies, which could be characterized as "anti-small business," that would allow Federal agencies and prime contractors to report billions of dollars in contracts to Fortune 1000 firms as small business awards.
There have now been eleven Federal investigations that have documented fraud, abuse, loopholes, and a dramatic lack of oversight in a variety of small business contracting programs. Lloyd Chapman, President of the American Small Business League, stated today, "The fraud and abuse that we are seeing in Federal small business contracting programs would never have occurred without the knowledge and consent of the General Services Administration. This agency is one of the primary culprits in allowing contracting abuse. It's time for the GSA to address these issues and to adopt policies to clean up the problems that have been found in the eleven Federal investigations." Chapman added, "I am also concerned that the GSA will attempt to disallow any comments they receive that do not agree with their goal of diverting contracts to large businesses.
The ASBL has received hundreds of comments from small business owners nationwide and forwarded these to GSA. We will not accept any attempt by the GSA to dismiss these comments." Business people concerned about GSA policies can submit comments directly to GSA or through the ASBL Web site at http://www.asbl.com. Comments must be submitted on or before Monday, April 17, 2006 in order to be considered during GSA's regulatory review. GSA's Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is at http://www.acqnet.gov/GSAM/GSAR_ANPR_2006_NO1_FR.pdf .
About the ASBL The American Small Business League was formed to promote and advocate policies that provide the greatest opportunity for small businesses - the 98% of U.S. companies with less than 100 employees. The ASBL is founded on the principle that small businesses, the backbone of a vital American economy, should receive the fair treatment promised by the Small Business Act of 1953. Representing small businesses in all fields and industries throughout the United States, the ASBL monitors existing policies and proposed policy changes by the Small Business Administration and other federal agencies that affect its members.
New Course Record to Be Established as 8,000 Cyclists Ride From Rosarito Beach to Ensenada
Thousands of competitive and recreational cyclists from the Southern California / Northern Baja region will be in Rosarito Beach on April 22 for the start of the Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride.
With the introduction of computer timing at this event, the official course record will be established. Although the event is a recreational ride and not a race, the stakes are high among members of the cycling community to have bragging rights to this icon of cycling events. "We're excited to have the record set for the fastest time at Rosarito Ensenada," said event promoter Gary Foster of Bicycling West. "There's been a lot of talk over the years about who's fastest -- now we'll know." The winning time is expected to be just less than two hours.
The event generates over $10 million of tourism revenue for Baja California each year and benefits impoverished youth through Mexico's family relief agency D.I.F. (El Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia) by facilitating the donation of bicycles from event participants.
The event recently won an award for "Best Cycling Event of 2005" and shared an award for "Best International Cycling Event of 2005" with Le Tour de France and Il Giro d'Italia.
The event begins at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Rosarito Beach Hotel in Rosarito Beach and continues south along the old free road to the Finish Line Fiesta in Ensenada. The event features: computer chip timing; self-seeded elite start; aid stations; U.S. medical support; sag support; traffic control; and a Finish Line Fiesta with live rock-n-roll, food, beer, sodas, massage tables, and souvenirs.
Registration is available online through April 17 for $35 and at the event on April 22 for $40.
For more information visit www.RosaritoEnsenada.com, email Bike@RosaritoEnsenada.com, or call 858-483-8777.
About the Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride:
The Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride, celebrating its 27th anniversary, is the southwest's largest and longest running cycling event. The event is held semi-annually in April and September of each year. Bicycling West, Inc. is a San Diego sports marketing company contracted to promote the Rosarito Ensenada bike ride.
Source: Bicycling West, Inc.
Web site: http://www.rosaritoensenada.com/
Nuevo Récord de Ruta se Establece mientras 8,000 Ciclistas Van en Bicicleta de Rosarito Beach a Ensenada
Miles de ciclistas de competencia y de recreación del sur de California y de la región norte de Baja California se reunirán en Rosarito Beach el 22 de abril para la salida del Paseo Rosarito Ensenada, 50 Millas de Paseo en Bicicleta de Diversión (Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride).
Con el lanzamiento del sistema de medición de tiempo por computadora en este evento, se establecerá el récord de ruta oficial. A pesar de que el evento es un paseo de recreación y no una carrera, la competencia es grande entre los miembros de la comunidad ciclista para tener derecho a presumir de este icono de los eventos de ciclismo. "Estamos muy contentos de establecer el récord de tiempo más rápido en Rosarito Ensenada", dijo el promotor del evento Gary Foster de Bicycling West. "Durante todos estos años se ha hablado mucho sobre quién es el más rápido, ahora lo sabremos". Se espera que el tiempo ganador sea justo menos de dos horas.
El evento genera más de US$10 millones de ingresos de turismo para Baja California cada año y beneficia a los jóvenes desaventajados a través de la agencia de alivio familiar de México D.I.F. (El Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), facilitando la donación de bicicletas de los participantes en el evento.
El evento recientemente ganó un premio como el "Mejor Evento de Ciclismo de 2005" y compartió un premio como el "Mejor Evento de Ciclismo Internacional de 2005" con Le Tour de France y Il Giro d'Italia.
El evento comienza a las 10:00 a.m. frente al Rosarito Beach Hotel en Rosarito Beach y continúa hacia el sur junto a la antigua carretera libre hasta la Fiesta en la Meta en Ensenada. El evento presenta: medición de tiempo por chip de computadora; salida elite self-seeded; estaciones de apoyo; asistencia médica de EUA; soporte técnico y equipos; control de tráfico; y una Fiesta en la Meta con música rock-n-roll en vivo, comida, cerveza, sodas, mesas de masaje y souvenirs.
Las inscripciones están disponibles en línea hasta el 17 de abril por US$35 y en el evento el 22 de abril por US$40.
Para mayor información visite, http://www.rosaritoensenada.com/, envíe un email a, Bike@RosaritoEnsenada.com, o llame al 858-483-8777.
Acerca de Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride:
El Rosarito Ensenada 50 Mile Fun Bicycle Ride, celebrando su 27o aniversario, es el evento de ciclismo más grande y de ruta más larga de la región suroeste. El evento se realiza semestralmente en abril y septiembre de cada año. Bicycling West, Inc. es una compañía de marketing de deportes de San Diego contratada para promover el paseo en bicicleta de Rosarito Ensenada.
Source: Bicycling West, Inc.
En Temporada de Impuestos, No Debería Usted Pagar Impuestos Excesivos en Servicios Móviles
Este fin de semana, mientras millones de estadounidenses finalizan sus declaraciones de impuestos con la expectativa de recibir reembolsos estatales y federales, es hora de tomar en cuenta los otros impuestos que usted paga. Los estudios muestran que de 10 a 25 por ciento de la factura mensual de un consumidor móvil es para impuestos municipales, estatales y federales, recargos y disposiciones gubernamentales; y el servicio móvil está sujeto a una tasa mayor de impuestos que la de otros productos y servicios.
Verizon Wireless, propietario y operador de la prestigiosa red móvil de Estados Unidos, se moviliza a favor de los consumidores del país que buscan maneras de eliminar los impuestos discriminatorios al servicio móvil, y para dar a los consumidores la libertad de gastar su dinero en otros menesteres. Por ejemplo:
-- Florida: Los consumidores de la Florida tienen una de las tasas impositivas más altas del país en los servicios móviles. Verizon Wireless hace gestiones para apoyar una ley que reduce a 6 por ciento (en vez del actual 9.17 por ciento) el impuesto a los servicios estatales de comunicación.
-- Oregón: Varias ciudades de este estado están tratando de imponer de manera selectiva impuestos a los servicios móviles, una carga financiera adicional para los consumidores que dependen de su teléfono móvil como la única forma de mantenerse en contacto con su familia, su amigos y los contactos de trabajo. Verizon Wireless se opone a esos nuevos impuestos.
-- Pennsylvania: Durante más de dos años, los servicios móviles de este estado han estado sujetos a un sistema impositivo doble; los servicios móviles pagan 5 por ciento de impuesto sobre los ingresos, encima de 6 por ciento de impuesto sobre las ventas. La Cámara de Representantes estatal ya ha votado para revocar ese impuesto. Actualmente Verizon Wireless colabora con los consumidores para convencer al Senado Estatal y al gobernador a revocarlo.
-- Dakota del Sur: Verizon Wireless sigue trabajando a favor de los consumidores y está promoviendo una iniciativa electoral que permita a los ciudadanos votar para revocar un impuesto (Gross Receipts Tax) de 4 por ciento sobre los ingresos brutos. El Gross Receipts Tax es el impuesto que los servicios móviles pagan además de un impuesto estatal de 4 por ciento sobre las ventas.
-- Impuesto Federal Sobre el Consumo: Recientes fallos de tribunales federales han declarado que el Impuesto Federal Sobre el Consumo (Federal Excise Tax), por primera vez establecido para ayudar a sufragar la Guerra Hispano-Americana, ya carece de validez con respecto a ciertos servicios de telecomunicaciones de "todas la distancias". Pero, el Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda) le ha notificado a las telefónicas, incluso a los proveedores de servicios móviles, que deben seguir cobrando el impuesto de 3 por ciento a los consumidores. Verizon Wireless busca que el Departamento del Tesoro de EE.UU. permita no seguir cargando ese impuesto a nuestros consumidores.
Para más información sobre asuntos impositivos a los servicios móviles, visite http://www.mywireless.org/ .
Acerca de Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless tiene y opera la red móvil más confiable del país y cuenta con 51.3 millones de clientes de sus servicios de voz y datos. La compañía tiene su sede en Bedminster, Nueva Jersey, Verizon Wireless es una sociedad conjunta de Verizon Communications (y Vodafone (NYSE y LSE: VOD) Para más información, sírvase visitar http://www.verizonwireless.com/ . Si desea examinar y solicitar secuencias de video, con resolución apropiada para difusión, y fotos de alta resolución, sobre las operaciones de Verizon Wireless, visite al Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library http://www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia .
Source: Verizon Wireless
Spring, the season of new beginnings, is an ideal time to take stock of your health.
For women, particularly those age 45 and older, a health inventory will likely include menopause. Side effects that may occur during this natural stage of life can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. More important, the physical changes behind those symptoms may leave you at risk of long-term negative health effects.
As you tackle spring cleaning and begin the year's house projects, don't neglect your own "preventive maintenance." Explore the different menopause treatment options that are available today. The information you have and the choices you make can have important effects on current symptoms and future health outcomes.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MENOPAUSE HAS BEGUN?
More than 5,000 women a day enter menopause, according to Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, FAANP, president and CEO, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health. Menopause is a process resulting from the gradual decrease in your body's estrogen production. The entire process may take two or more years and has officially occurred when you haven't had a period for 12 consecutive months. Recognizing changes in your period and the way your body feels are the best indicators that menopause has begun - more accurate than a blood test, since hormone levels can go up and down very often during this process.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Many women have been regaled with tales of others' menopause misfortune. The truth is, every woman is different in the scope of symptoms felt. In many cases hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness and irritability can occur. However,
without taking action to alleviate and take care of your body properly during this time of change, more critical and potential long-term effects of menopause may begin to take hold, including bone loss and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE
To combat the symptoms of menopause and to improve general well being, there are several steps you can take. Together with a group of physicians, Wysocki has developed a medical algorithm, which is a step-by-step methodology to help doctors, nurse practitioners and women to consider treatment of menopause symptoms in a way that meets individual needs.
The algorithm represents the first time that scientists have agreed that, for many women, nutritional supplements like Promensil and changes in lifestyle should be among the first lines of defense in treating the symptoms of menopause. In addition, numerous clinical studies have demonstrated Promensil is safe and effective in not only alleviating the number and severity of menopause symptoms, but also in promoting bone, cardiovascular and even breast health, all critical areas of health at this stage of life.
NUTRITIONAL AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES
-- Supplements: Calcium is essential for healthy bones and preventing osteoporosis. The recommended daily intake is 800 to 1000 mg for women. This equates to 2 to 3 servings of dairy food per day or supplementing with a calcium product. For women over 45, consider taking a supplement like Promensil or Promensil Post-Menopause, both of which contain isoflavones derived from the Red Clover plant.
-- Exercise: Aim for at least 20 minutes of moderate weight-bearing exercise each day. This not only is good for the body - strengthening muscles and improving bone health - but it can be a way to beat stress and uplift your mood. Take advantage of the warmer weather and exercise outdoors.
-- Relax: Make some time for yourself, whether that's enjoying a good book while lying in a hammock, engaging in a hobby or sharing a backyard barbecue with friends.
-- Limit hot flash triggers: Hot flashes are a feeling of intense heat, sweating and a rapid heart beat. Hot flashes may cause a visible blush to the skin, typically on the neck and face. Avoid common triggers such as overheated rooms, spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine. You can also dress in layers to quickly cool down if you feel a hot flash coming on. Also, rely on Promensil to reduce the number and intensity of hot flashes. In studies conducted, 73 percent of women experience a significant benefit within six weeks of use.
Amid the bustle of spring clean up and repair work, make time to also renew your health - now and for the long term. For more information on a menopause treatment program that's right for you, speak with your doctor or nurse practitioner and visit http://www.promensil.com
La primavera, estación de nuevos comienzos, es un momento ideal para tomar tu salud en serio.
En el caso de las mujeres, particularmente las mayores de 45 años, un inventario a fondo del estado de su salud incluye la menopausia. Los efectos colaterales que pueden surgir en esta etapa natural de la vida pueden resultar incómodos y embarazosos. Y un factor más importante aún es que los cambios físicos que traen consigo dichos síntomas pueden hacerte correr riesgos de trastornos de salud a largo plazo.
Mientras realizas la limpieza primaveral, e inicias los proyectos del año para el hogar, no te olvides de tu propio "mantenimiento preventivo". Explora las diferentes opciones de tratamiento disponibles en la actualidad. La información que poseas, y las decisiones que tomes pueden traducirse en importantes efectos con respecto a la sintomatología actual y los resultados futuros en materia de salud.
¿COMO SABER CUANDO SE INICIA LA MENOPAUSIA?
Cada día, más de 5,000 mujeres entran en la fase menopáusica, según afirma Susan Wysocki, RNC, NP, FAANP, Presidenta y Directora Ejecutiva de la Asociación Nacional de Practicantes de Enfermería en la Salud Femenina. La menopausia es un proceso provocado por la disminución gradual de la producción de estrógeno en tu organismo. El mismo puede demorarse dos o más años, y su surgimiento oficial se produce cuando se interrumpe la menstruación por un período de 12 meses consecutivos. El reconocimiento de los cambios en la fase menstrual, y la sintomatología del cuerpo son los mejores indicadores del inicio de la menopausia, los cuales son mucho más exactos que un análisis de sangre, pues los niveles de hormonas pueden aumentar o disminuir con bastante frecuencia durante el proceso.
¿CUALES SON LOS SINTOMAS?
Un gran número de mujeres ha escuchado la narración del infortunio menopáusico ajeno. Lo cierto es que cada mujer es diferente en lo tocante al perfil de su sintomatología. En la mayoría de los casos se sientes accesos de calor, sudoraciones nocturnas, somnolencia e irritabilidad. Sin embargo, si no se toman medidas para aliviar y cuidar el organismo adecuadamente durante ese tiempo de cambio, habrá una mayor posibilidad de efectos potenciales a largo plazo de la menopausia, incluyendo pérdida ósea, y elevados riesgos de enfermedades cardiovasculares.
CAMBIA TU ESTILO DE VIDA
Para combatir los síntomas de la menopausia, y mejorar tu bienestar general, debes tomar varias medidas. En unión de un grupo de médicos, Wysocki ha creado un algoritmo médico, consistente en una metodología paso a paso para ayudar a doctores, practicantes de Enfermería y a las mujeres a considerar el tratamiento de los síntomas de la menopausia de forma que satisfaga las necesidades individuales de las pacientes.
El algoritmo representa la primera vez que los científicos han coincidido en torno al hecho de que, para muchas mujeres, los suplementos de nutrición como el Promensil, y los cambios en el estilo de vida debes estar entre las primeras líneas de defensa en el tratamiento de los síntomas de la menopausia. Además, numerosos estudios clínicos han demostrado que el Promensil es seguro y efectivo, no sólo en el alivio de la cantidad y severidad de los síntomas, sino también en la promoción de la salud ósea, cardiovascular e incluso de los senos, zonas vitales que deben atenderse en esta etapa de la vida.
CAMBIOS DE NUTRICION Y ESTILO DE VIDA
-- Suplementos: El calcio es esencial para la salud de los huesos y la prevención de la osteoporosis. La ingestión diaria recomendada para las mujeres es de 800 a 1000 miligramos (mg). Esto equivale a 2 o 3 raciones de productos lácteos por día, o de un suplemento que contenga calcio. En el caso de las mujeres mayores de 45 años, debe considerarse el consumo de un suplemento como el Promensil o el Promensil Post-Menopause, los cuales contienen isoflavones derivados de la planta conocida como Trébol Rojo.
-- Ejercicios: Es preciso realizar al menos 20 minutos de ejercicios con pesos moderados diariamente. Esto no es solamente beneficioso para el cuerpo-fortalecimiento muscular y perfeccionamiento de la salud ósea-sino también puede ser una forma de eliminar el estrés y mejorar el estado de ánimo. Aprovecha el clima más cálido de esta temporada, y haz ejercicios al aire libre.
-- Relajación: Dedícate un poco de tiempo, ya sea en el disfrute de un buen libro acostada en una hamaca; entregándote a un pasatiempo, o compartiendo un buen asado en el patio con tus amigas.
-- Limitar los agentes desencadenantes de los accesos de calor: Este tipo de accesos consiste en una sensación de calor intenso, sudoración y aumento del ritmo cardiaco (taquicardia). Los accesos de calor pueden provocar un enrojecimiento visible de la piel, generalmente en el cuello y el rostro. Evita los agentes desencadenantes comunes como habitaciones con calefacción extrema, comidas picantes, alcohol y cafeína. También puedes usar varias capas de ropa de las que puedas deshacerte fácilmente si sientes la proximidad de un acceso de calor. También debes utilizar el Promensil para reducir la cantidad e intensidad de esos accesos. Varios estudios científicos han revelado que el 73 por ciento de las mujeres experimenta un beneficio significativo al cabo de seis semanas de utilizar el suplemento.
En medio del fragor de la limpieza primaveral y los trabajos de reparación, debes reservar un espacio para renovar tu salud actual y a largo plazo. Si deseas obtener más información acerca del programa de tratamiento de la menopausia más conveniente, habla con tu médico o enfermera, y visita el sitio Web http://www.promensil.com.
CHINA NEWS
Beijing orders computers to be sold with legitimate operating system
Selling "naked" computers, or computers without operating system, would be banned in Beijing, a senior official with Beijing Copyright Bureau said on April 13.
The ban will take place by the end of this year and is aimed to further protect intellectual property of software, said Wang Yefei, deputy director of the bureau, at a press conference.
Government departments shall not purchase computers without legitimate software, and all domestically-made and imported computers are required to be sold with legitimate software pre-installed, said Wang.
He said all the departments of the Beijing municipal government have been using genuine software.
Beijing will target governments of townships on protection of legitimate software this year, and in late April it will carry out pilot programs to fight pirate software in large-sized state-owned, private and foreign companies.
Some manufacturers have been selling "naked" computers, which are hundreds of yuan (tens of U.S. dollars) cheaper than those equipped with legitimate software. Some customers would install pirate software and infringe legitimate rights and interests of software companies, according to the official.
China has made an effort to fight piracy. Since the year 2000, police have detained about 13,000 people suspected of breaking intellectual property rights (IPR) laws in cases involving 4.8 billion yuan (some 600 million dollars), and 3,370 people had been charged with violating IPR laws and regulations.
On the afternoon of April 13, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Jianchao held a regular press conference.
Liu: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I'll begin with an announcement:
At the invitation of the Egyptian Government, Turkish Vice Prime Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin and Russian President's Assistant Victor Ivanov, State Councilor Hua Jianmin will pay visits to the three countries from April 18th to 25th.
Now, I'm ready to take up questions.
Q: Panchen Lama made a presence at the World Buddhist Forum. What's your comment?
A: The World Buddhist Forum is sponsored by Chinese State Administration for Religious Affairs. Please refer to them for details.
Q: By the end of April, a meeting of the defense ministers of SCO member states will be held in Beijing. Can you brief us on the agenda and the arrangement of the meeting?
A: The SCO member states are still discussing on this issue. Once exact details are available, I will keep you informed promptly.
Q: Today, the DPRK Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan met the press in Tokyo, alleging that the DPRK would possibly move ahead in its nuclear development if the next round of the Six-Party Talks remained elusive. What's China's comment? As the host country, what expectation does China have on the date of the next round of Talks?
A: I have not read the remarks of Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan. The position of China on the denuclearization of Korean Peninsula and the Six-Party Talks is as follows: all parties concerned should unswervingly pursue the goal of the denuclearization of the Peninsula and seek the solution of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula via dialogue and the channel of the Six-Party Talks. We also wish to see more positive and constructive attitude of the parties concerned in this regard. The process of the Six-Party Talks serves the interest of all parties. China hopes that all parties will show their flexibility on the biggest stumbling block in the way to resumption of the Talks-the financial issue, so as to strive for an early resumption. China will continue its active effort to resume talks.
Q: Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said that he would follow Koizumi in his visit to the Yasukuni Shrine if he superseded Koizumi. If he does as true as his words, how do you think China-Japan relations will develop?
A: China has expressed on many occasions its position on the issue of Japanese leader's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine, where class A war criminals in the Second World War are enshrined. We hold a firm and clear position on this issue. The history issue, as a major one of principle between China and Japan, bears on the political foundation of China-Japan relations. It is impossible to sideline this issue. We hope that Japan can show their sincerity and wisdom on the history issue and correctly handle the Yasukuni Shrine by proceeding from the overall interest of China-Japan relations.
Q: It is reported that on 18th of this month, Russia will hold a consultation on the Iranian nuclear issue that involves a number of countries. What's your comment?
A: Recently, there has been some new development on the Iranian nuclear issue. Iran made new talk. We express our concern about the statement of Iran and uneasiness over the possible development of the issue. We call on again the parties concerned to exercise restraint and avoid any move that may further escalate the situation. Only by so doing can the parties help properly resolve the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiation and diplomatic means.
In order to boost the communication between the parties concerned and push for a proper solution of the Iranian nuclear issue, Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai will visit Iran and Russia on April 14th to 18th, to exchange views with the two sides on the Iranian nuclear issue and other international and regional issues of common interest.
China is positively considering attending the multi-national consultation in Russia.
Q: Today, Head of US Delegation to the Six-Party Talks Hill said in Soul that he hoped to see an early return of the DPRK to the Six-Party Talks, which should be focused on the agreement in November, instead of being distracted by other issues. What's China's comment?
A: In fact, all parties to the Six-Party Talks expect the process of the Talks to move on and the Talks to be resumed soon. Now, the US and the DPRK have a financial issue between them, and a solution acceptable to both is yet to be found. China hopes that the parties concerned will show flexibility on the financial issue, so as to help resume the Talks at an early date. We believe that the denuclearization of the Peninsula is more important than the financial issue. Therefore, we expect the parties concerned to remove the obstacle and distractive factors, so as to be fully dedicated to the discussion on the denuclearization of the Peninsula, which bears on the peace and security in Northeast Asia
Benedict XVI's Homily at Chrism Mass "The Lord Makes Us Priests His Friends"
In the course of the Mass, after the renewal of priestly promises, the oil of the catechumens, and of the sick, and the chrism were blessed.
Dear Brothers in the episcopate and priesthood,
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Maundy Thursday is the day in which the Lord gave the Twelve the priestly duty to celebrate, with bread and wine, the sacrament of his Body and Blood until his return. Replacing the paschal lamb and all sacrifices of the Old Covenant with the gift of his Body and Blood, the gift of himself.
Thus the new worship is based on the fact that, above all, God gives us a gift, and we, filled with this gift, become his: Creation turns to the Creator. So the priesthood also became something new: It is no longer a question of descent, but it is an encountering of oneself in the mystery of Jesus Christ. He is always the One who gives and who draws us to himself. Only he can say: "This is my Body -- this is my Blood."
The mystery of the Church's priesthood lies in the fact that we, miserable human beings, in virtue of the sacrament are able to speak with his I: "in persona Christi." He wishes to exercise his priesthood through us. We recall this moving mystery, which touches us again in every celebration of the sacrament, in a very particular way on Maundy Thursday. Because the everyday does not spoil what is great and mysterious, we are in need of a similar specific remembrance, we are in need of a return to that hour in which he placed his hands on us and made us participants of this mystery.
Therefore, let us again reflect on the signs in which the sacrament was given to us. At the center is the very ancient gesture of the imposition of hands, with which he took possession of me saying: "You belong to me." But along with this, he also said: "You are under the protection of my hands. You are under the protection of my heart. You are kept in the palm of my hand and because of this, you find yourself in the vastness of my love. Remain in the space of my hands and give me yours."
Let us remember, then that our hands were anointed with oil which is the sign of the Holy Spirit and of his strength. Why precisely the hands? Man's hand is the instrument of his action, it is the symbol of his capacity to face the world, to the point of "taking it in hand." The Lord has placed his hands on us and he now wants our hands so that they will become his hands in the world. He wants them to no longer be instruments to take things, men, the world for us, to reduce it to our possession, but that, instead, they transmit his divine touch, being at the service of his love.
He wishes them to be instruments of service and therefore expression of the mission of the whole person that makes himself his guarantor and takes him to men. If man's hands represent symbolically his faculties and, in general, technology as power to dispose of the world, now the anointed hands must be a sign of his capacity to give, of creativity in molding the world with love -- and for this we have need, without a doubt, of the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament anointing is the sign of the assumption of service: The king, prophet, priest does and gives more than that which comes from himself. In a certain sense, he is expropriated from himself in the function of a service, in which he places himself at the disposition of someone greater than himself.
If Jesus appears today in the Gospel as the Anointed One of God, the Christ, this means precisely that he acts by the mission of the Father in unity with the Holy Spirit and that, in this way, he gives the world a new royalty, a new priesthood, a new way of being prophet, who does not seek himself, but lives for him, in view of which the world was created. Let us place our hands again today at his disposition and let us ask him to always take us by the hand and guide us again.
In the sacramental gesture of the imposition of hands by the bishop, the Lord himself was imposing his hands on us. This sacramental sign reassume a whole existential course. On one occasion, like the first disciples, we encountered the Lord and heard his word: "Follow me!" Perhaps initially we followed him in a rather uncertain way, drawing back and wondering if it was really our way.
And at some point of the journey perhaps we had Peter's experience after the miraculous catch, we were, that is, struck by his grandeur, the greatness of the task and the insufficiency of our poor person, to the point of wanting to go back: "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" (Luke 5:8). But then he, with great kindness, took us by the hand, drew us to himself and said: "Fear not! I am with you. I do not leave you, do not you leave me!"
And, more than once, the same thing happened to each of us as happened to Peter when, walking on the water, he encountered the Lord, suddenly he remembered that the water did not support him and that he was about to drown. And, like Peter, we cried out: "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:30). Seeing all the raging of the elements, how could we go through the rumbling and foaming waters of the last century and millennium? But then we looked at him ... and he took us by the hand and gave us a new "specific weight": the lightness that comes from faith which attracts us to the on high.
And then he gives us the hand that supports and carries. He holds us up. Let us always fix our gaze on him and extend our hands to him. Let us allow him to take us by the hand, and we will not drown, but will serve life which is stronger than death, and love which is stronger than hatred. Faith in Jesus, Son of the living God, is the means thanks to which he takes us by the hand and guides us. One of my favorite prayers is the prayer that the liturgy places on our lips before Communion: "[N]ever let me be parted from you." Let us pray that we never fall away from communion with his Body, with Christ himself, that we never fall away from the Eucharistic mystery. Let us pray that he will never let go of our hand ...
The Lord has placed his hand on us. He expressed the meaning of such a gesture in the words: "I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father" (John 15:15). I no longer call you servants, but friends: In these words one might even see the institution of the priesthood. The Lord makes us his friends: he entrusts everything to us; he entrusts himself, so that we can speak with his I, "in persona Christi capitis." What trust! He truly delivered himself into our hands.
The essential signs of priestly ordination are all deep down manifestations of that word: the imposition of hands; the handing over of the book -- of his word that he entrusts to us; the handing over of the cup with which he transmits his most profound and personal mystery. Also part of all this is the power to absolve: He also makes us participate in his awareness of the misery of sin and all the darkness of the world and gives us the key in our hands to reopen the door to the Father's House. No longer do I call you servants but friends. This is the profound meaning of being a priest: to become a friend of Jesus Christ. We should commit ourselves again to this friendship every day.
Friendship means to share in thinking and willing. We must exercise ourselves in this communion of thought with Jesus, St. Paul tells us in the Letter to the Philippians (cf. 2:2-5). And this communion of thought is not just something intellectual, but is a sharing of sentiments and will and therefore also of action.
This means that we must know Jesus in an ever more personal way, listening to him, living together with him, spending time with him. To listen to him -- in "lectio divina," that is, in reading Holy Scripture not in an academic but in a spiritual way; thus we learn to encounter Jesus who is present and speaks to us. We should reason and reflect on his words and on his action before him and with him.
The reading of sacred Scripture is prayer, it must be prayer -- it must emerge from prayer and lead to prayer. The evangelists tell us that the Lord repeatedly -- for entire nights -- withdrew to the mountain to pray alone. We also have need of this "mountain": It is the interior height we must scale, the mountain of prayer. Only in this way is friendship developed. Only in this way can we carry out our priestly service, only in this way can we take Christ and his Gospel to men. Simple activism may even be heroic. But external action, in the end, remains without fruit and loses effectiveness, if it is not born from a profound intimate communion with Christ.
The time we dedicate to this is truly time of pastoral activity, of an authentically pastoral activity. A priest must be above all a man of prayer. In its frenetic activism the world often loses its direction. Its action and capacities become destructive, if the strength of prayer fails, from which spring the waters of life capable of making the arid earth fruitful.
No longer do I call you servants, but friends. The essence of the priesthood is to be friend of Jesus Christ. Only in this way can we really speak "in persona Christi," even if our interior withdrawal from Christ cannot compromise the validity of the sacrament. To be a friend of Jesus, to be a priest means to be a man of prayer. So we recognize it and come out of the ignorance of simple servants. So we learn to live, to suffer and to act with him and for him.
Friendship with Jesus is always par excellence friendship with his own. We can be friends of Christ only in communion with the whole Christ, with the head and the body, in the exuberant life of the Church animated by her Lord. Only in her, thanks to the Lord, is sacred Scripture living and timely Word. Without the living subject of the Church that embraces the ages, the Bible breaks up in writings that are often heterogeneous and thus becomes a book of the past. It is eloquent in the present only where the "Presence" is -- where Christ remains permanently contemporaneous to us: in the body of his Church.
To be a priest means to become a friend of Jesus Christ, and this ever more with the whole of our existence. The world has need of God -- not of any god, but of the God of Jesus Christ, of the God who became flesh and blood, who has loved us to the point of dying for us, who rose and has created in himself a space for man. This God must live in us and we in him. This is our priestly call: Only in this way can our action of priests bear fruits.
I would like to end this homily with a word of Andres Santoro, the priest of the Diocese of Rome who was killed in Trebisonda while he was praying; Cardinal Cé communicated it to us during the Spiritual Exercises. The word says: "I am here to dwell in the midst of these people and allow Jesus to do so presenting my flesh. ... One becomes capable of salvation only by offering one's own flesh. The evil of the world is borne and pain is shared, absorbing it in the end in one's own flesh as Jesus did." Jesus assumed our flesh. Let us give him ours, so that in this way he can come into the world and transform it. Amen
