Tag Archives: talk

Warren Sapp Gives a Shout Out to US Veterans

[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLufjtWyMy0&w=500&h=310]Bookmark and Share
Warren Sapp Superbowl Champion and Runner Up on Dancing With the Stars, Salutes the US Veteran

after his speech at the 2012 Gravity Summit UCLA Warren Sapp gave it up for the US Veterans

Warren Sapp seemed to have a lot of fun bustin my chops and messing with me, but he was the nicest guy and was up for whatever I needed when I interviewed him about his huge Twitter following. 

When I asked him to give a shout out for the vets he was all over it and I thank Warren for his kindness and great sense of humor – JW

Warren SappWarren Sapp

From Wikopedia / Facebook

Warren Carlos Sapp (born December 19, 1972) is a former American college and professional football player who was defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes, was recognized as a consensus All-American and won multiple awards. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1995 NFL Draft as the 12th overall pick, and played professionally for the Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. He spent nine seasons with the Buccaneers where he earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl ring in 2002. He moved to the Raiders in 2004.

His 96.5 career sacks (100 counting the playoffs) are the second-highest career total sacks for a defensive tackle and the 28th highest overall for a defensive lineman. His 77 sacks with the Buccaneers is second in the team’s history.

In 2002, Sapp helped lead a resurgent Tampa Bay team to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders. Sapp had five tackles and two sacks during the 2002-2003 postseason, and was an instrumental staple in the league leading Buccaneers defense.

On the seventh season of Dancing With the Stars, Warren and Kym Johnson were runners up to the winner Brooke Burke who now co-hosts the show

Warren Sapp’s Twitter address: http://twitter.com/qbkilla

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Gravity Summit

logo gravity summitGravity Summit, Inc. is a real-time social business company dedicated to educating, informing, and empowering executives and professionals on the power of real-time social media.  We host premiere events, design and conduct corporate education, and offer strategic consulting services to both large Fortune 500 brands as well as rising companies.

We help bridge the gap between real-time social tools and the business community.   Executives and decision makers, marketing professionals, small business owners, advertisers, PR professionals, and others, learn how to leverage social platforms to amplify their message and successfully engage with consumers.

www.GravitySummit.com

Eric Balfour Shows Support for Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gigq3P2BoU&w=500&h=310]
Eric Balfour from the hit show Haven speaks out for Dolphins at Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project Party

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.

The stars came out to the private home of animal rights activist James Costa somewhere in the Hollywood Hills on a wonderfully fair weather evening overlooking the bright lights of Hollywood below, to support Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.

Stars in attendance were: Sophia Bush, Jillian Michaels, Michelle Rodriguez, Maggie Grace, Ed Begley Jr., Q’orianka Kilcher, Leilani Münter, Joanna Cassidy, Eric Balfour, Lina Esco, Lasse Larsen, Abigail Spencer, Ashley Scott & Steve Hart.  

Mia Maestro kept the place hopping with her band and Michele Rodriquez DJ’d the event.

I went and checked out Eric’s band Born As Ghosts… You can listen to the tracks on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/bornasghostsmusic. Solid stuff..

Eric took his time with the press, but I believe I rushed him. He was my first interview and I didn’t have all my equipment set up. I should have asked more about Haven and the bruise above his eye. Thanks Eric, hope to catch you again. – JW

Eric BalfourEric Balfour

IMDB
@EricBalfour

From Wikipedia

Eric Salter Balfour (born April 24, 1977) is an American singer and actor of film and television. He is the lead singer of Born As Ghosts, formerly known as Fredalba. His best known roles include Milo Pressman on the action-thriller TV series 24 and Duke Crocker in the supernatural series Haven.

ric obarry dolphin projectDolphin Project

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.  This work has been chronicled in films such as A Fall From Freedom, the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, and in the Animal Planet mini-series Blood Dolphin$.

Campaigns for dolphin protection are currently underway in a variety of locations around the globe, including the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Egypt, and Singapore.

Earth Island Institute

The Dolphin Project is a proud part of the Earth Island Institute, a non-profit, tax deductible organization founded in 1982. The Earth Island Institute has a long and active history in dolphin-related causes. In 1986, through the International Marine Mammal Project, EII organized a campaign to urge U.S. tuna companies to end the practice of intentionally chasing and netting dolphins with purse seine nets, and to adopt “Dolphin Safe” fishing practices to prevent the drowning of dolphins in tuna nets. This campaign included a consumer pressure, litigation, and revisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.  In 1990 a major breakthrough was achieved and the first companies pledged to become dolphin-safe.  Today 100% of American tuna have become verifiably dolphin safe. Through the International Monitoring Program, the Earth Island Institute regularly inspects tuna companies to insure consumers that the tuna they buy is truly “dolphin safe.”
Earth Island Institute is an umbrella organization with has more than 60 projects working for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the Earth. For more information, please visit: www.earthisland.org

To Find Out More Go To: www.DolphinProject.org

ric obarryRic O’Barry

Richard O’Barry has worked on both sides of the captive dolphin issue, making him an invaluable asset in the efforts to end exploitation. He worked for 10 years within the dolphin captivity industry, and has spent the past 40 working against it.In the 1960s, O’Barry was employed by the Miami Seaquarium, where he captured and trained dolphins, including the five dolphins who played the role of Flipper in the popular American TV-series of the same name.  He also trained Hugo, the first orca kept in captivity east of the Mississippi.  When Kathy, the dolphin who played Flipper most of the time, died in his arms, O’Barry realized that capturing dolphins and training them to perform silly tricks is simply wrong.

From that moment on, O’Barry knew what he must do with his life. On the first Earth Day, 1970, he launched a searing campaign against the multi-billion dollar dolphin captivity industry and has been going at it ever since.
Over the past 40 years, Ric O’Barry has rescued and rehabilitated dolphins in many countries around the world, including Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Bahamas Islands and the United States. He is a leading voice in the fight to end brutal dolphin hunts in Japan, the Solomon Islands, the Faroe Islands, and wherever else they occur.

O’Barry has been recognized by many national and international entities for his dedicated efforts, such as being voted Huffington Post’s 2010 Most Influential Green Game Changer, and being listed on O Magazine’s 2010 Power List – Men We Admire for his “Power of Passion.” O’Barry received an Environmental Achievement Award, presented by the United States Committee for the United Nations Environmental Program.  He has done countless interviews with such prestigious news programs as Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, the Mike Huckabee Show, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

His book Behind the Dolphin Smile was published in 1989; a second book, To Free A Dolphin was published in September 2000. Both of them are about his work and dedication.  He is the star of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove and the Animal Planet television series Blood Dolphin$.
In January 2006, O’Barry became Marine Mammal Specialist for Earth Island Institute, where he is also the Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project.

You can find Ric at his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RichardOBarry

Pictures from the event:

Lincoln O'Barry, Sophia Bush, our host James Costa, and Ed Begley Jr.

Michelle Rodriquez DJ’s at Party to Support Saving Dolphins

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MCqDi15U9k&w=500&h=310]
Actress Michelle Rodriquez Spins Records at Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project Party

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.

The stars came out to the private home of animal rights activist James Costa somewhere in the Hollywood Hills on a wonderfully fair weather evening overlooking the bright lights of Hollywood below, to support Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.

Stars in attendance were: Sophia Bush, Jillian Michaels, Michelle Rodriguez, Maggie Grace, Ed Begley Jr., Q’orianka Kilcher, Leilani Münter, Joanna Cassidy, Eric Balfour, Lina Esco, Lasse Larsen, Abigail Spencer, Ashley Scott & Steve Hart.  

Mia Maestro kept the place hopping with her band and Michele Rodriquez DJ’d the event.

Michelle was fun and talked to us about saving dolphins, the movie The Cove and a little about doing another Resident Evil, Fast and Furious and whether she might be in Avatar 2?? – JW

Michelle RodriquezMichelle Rodriquez

www.michelle-rodriguez.com
@MRodOfficial

A cross between beauty and brawn, Texas-born Michelle Rodriguez has come a long way from humble beginnings shaped by time spent growing up in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Jersey City. It was from such sometimes rough yet diverse surroundings that Rodriguez began to build a personal persona as a street-smart “tough girl,” which, when combined with raw talent and unmatched screen presence, helped her beat out 350 other girls to land her first speaking role as the lead in 2000’s critically-acclaimed independent film Girlfight. The award-winning performance quickly helped Rodriguez garner the attention of Hollywood, leading to major roles in blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious and S.W.A.T. as well as a role in ABC’s hit television series Lost.

Rodriguez later appeared in Battle in Seattle with Charlize Theron, The Fast and the Furious with Vin Diesel, and Avatar, the highest grossing movie of all time, as well as Robert Rodriguez’s Machete. She can next be seen in Battle: Los Angeles alongside Aaron Eckhart. Always seeking opportunities to branch out and reveal her multifaceted layers, Rodriguez is currently developing her own projects as a writer and producer. She speaks on topics surrounding diversity and being a woman in Hollywood.

ric obarry dolphin projectDolphin Project

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.  This work has been chronicled in films such as A Fall From Freedom, the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, and in the Animal Planet mini-series Blood Dolphin$.

Campaigns for dolphin protection are currently underway in a variety of locations around the globe, including the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Egypt, and Singapore.

Earth Island Institute

The Dolphin Project is a proud part of the Earth Island Institute, a non-profit, tax deductible organization founded in 1982. The Earth Island Institute has a long and active history in dolphin-related causes. In 1986, through the International Marine Mammal Project, EII organized a campaign to urge U.S. tuna companies to end the practice of intentionally chasing and netting dolphins with purse seine nets, and to adopt “Dolphin Safe” fishing practices to prevent the drowning of dolphins in tuna nets. This campaign included a consumer pressure, litigation, and revisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.  In 1990 a major breakthrough was achieved and the first companies pledged to become dolphin-safe.  Today 100% of American tuna have become verifiably dolphin safe. Through the International Monitoring Program, the Earth Island Institute regularly inspects tuna companies to insure consumers that the tuna they buy is truly “dolphin safe.”
Earth Island Institute is an umbrella organization with has more than 60 projects working for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the Earth. For more information, please visit: www.earthisland.org

To Find Out More Go To: www.DolphinProject.org

ric obarryRic O’Barry

Richard O’Barry has worked on both sides of the captive dolphin issue, making him an invaluable asset in the efforts to end exploitation. He worked for 10 years within the dolphin captivity industry, and has spent the past 40 working against it.In the 1960s, O’Barry was employed by the Miami Seaquarium, where he captured and trained dolphins, including the five dolphins who played the role of Flipper in the popular American TV-series of the same name.  He also trained Hugo, the first orca kept in captivity east of the Mississippi.  When Kathy, the dolphin who played Flipper most of the time, died in his arms, O’Barry realized that capturing dolphins and training them to perform silly tricks is simply wrong.

From that moment on, O’Barry knew what he must do with his life. On the first Earth Day, 1970, he launched a searing campaign against the multi-billion dollar dolphin captivity industry and has been going at it ever since.
Over the past 40 years, Ric O’Barry has rescued and rehabilitated dolphins in many countries around the world, including Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Bahamas Islands and the United States. He is a leading voice in the fight to end brutal dolphin hunts in Japan, the Solomon Islands, the Faroe Islands, and wherever else they occur.

O’Barry has been recognized by many national and international entities for his dedicated efforts, such as being voted Huffington Post’s 2010 Most Influential Green Game Changer, and being listed on O Magazine’s 2010 Power List – Men We Admire for his “Power of Passion.” O’Barry received an Environmental Achievement Award, presented by the United States Committee for the United Nations Environmental Program.  He has done countless interviews with such prestigious news programs as Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, the Mike Huckabee Show, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

His book Behind the Dolphin Smile was published in 1989; a second book, To Free A Dolphin was published in September 2000. Both of them are about his work and dedication.  He is the star of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove and the Animal Planet television series Blood Dolphin$.
In January 2006, O’Barry became Marine Mammal Specialist for Earth Island Institute, where he is also the Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project.

You can find Ric at his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RichardOBarry

Pictures from the event:

Lincoln O'Barry, Sophia Bush, our host James Costa, and Ed Begley Jr.

Sophia Bush at Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project Party

Sophia BushSophia Bush at Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project Party

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/C9wSqAvDFkk]
The stars came out to the private home of animal rights activist James Costa somewhere in the Hollywood Hills on a wonderfully fair weather evening overlooking the bright lights of Hollywood below, to support Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.

Stars in attendance were: Sophia Bush, Jillian Michaels, Michele Rodriguez, Maggie Grace, Ed Begley Jr., Q’orianka Kilcher, Leilani Münter, Joanna Cassidy, Eric Balfour, Lina Esco, Lasse Larsen, Abigail Spencer, Ashley Scott & Steve Hart.  

Mia Maestro kept the place hopping with her band and Michele Rodriquez DJ’d the event.

Sophia was stunning and spent a lot of time with the media to talk about the Dolphin Project, One Tree Hill ending and her new show Partners – JW

Sophia BushSophia Bush

@SophiaBush

Actress Sophia Bush has captured film and television audiences alike with her range of roles and diverse characters. Now in its 7th season, Bush portrays ’Brooke Davis’ on The CW’s hit drama “One Tree Hill.” Her character has evolved from a trouble-making vixen to a fiercely loyal friend, and is a huge fan favorite.

Currently, she stars in Serenade Films’ “The Narrows,” a movie based on Tim McLoughlin’s novel Heart of the Old Country. Bush plays “Kathy Popovich,” an NYU student who attracts the attention of Mike Manadoro (Keven Zegers), a fellow student with some shady connections. “The Narrows” was directed by Francois Velle. Bush can simultaneously be seen in “Table for Three,” an independent comedy that takes a look at the tangled relationships between couples and roommates. The film co-stars Brandon Routh and Jesse Bradford.

Sophia has also starred opposite Sean Bean in the remake of the classic horror film, “The Hitcher,” produced by Michael Bay for Focus Features. In July 2006, Bush starred in 20th Century Fox’s hit comedy “John Tucker Must Die” co-starring Jesse Metcalfe and Brittany Snow. She also starred in Buena Vista Pictures’ thriller “Stay Alive” opposite Frankie Muniz and Adam Goldberg. She landed her first movie role in the comedy “Van Wilder,” with Ryan Reynolds. She was also featured in a three-episode arc on the provocative FX drama, “Nip/Tuck.”

Bush garnered the most individual Teen Choice Awards in 2007 taking home awards in the categories of “Choice Movie Actress: Comedy,” “Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller” and “Choice Movie: Breakout Female.” In addition, she was a recipient of the “Rising Star” Award at the 2007 Vail Film Festival as well as the “New Hollywood Style Icon” Award at the 2008 Hollywood Style Awards.

Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Sophia developed a passion for performing while in high school. When she is not in front of the camera, Sophia is a passionate philanthropist whose causes focus on the celebration of arts as well as the environment. Bush is an advocate of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, a foundation committed to the preservation of biodiversity within the Maasai tribal lands of East Africa. Funds support conservation, education and health services within the Maasai community as well as a host of programs designed to conserve Africa’s legendary wildlife. She also contributes her time and talents to the Art of Elysium, a non profit that enriches the lives of children battling serious medical conditions by bringing together artists to share their time and talent.

Sophia is currently starring on the new show Chicago P.D. which follows District 21 of the Chicago Police Department, which is made up of two distinctly different groups: the uniformed cops and the Intelligence Unit.. She plays Erin Lindsey and has also played that part on Chicago Fire and CSI Special Victims Unit. Bush enjoys reading, photography, and spending time with her friends.

ric obarry dolphin projectDolphin Project

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.  This work has been chronicled in films such as A Fall From Freedom, the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, and in the Animal Planet mini-series Blood Dolphin$.

Campaigns for dolphin protection are currently underway in a variety of locations around the globe, including the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Egypt, and Singapore.

Earth Island Institute

The Dolphin Project is a proud part of the Earth Island Institute, a non-profit, tax deductible organization founded in 1982. The Earth Island Institute has a long and active history in dolphin-related causes. In 1986, through the International Marine Mammal Project, EII organized a campaign to urge U.S. tuna companies to end the practice of intentionally chasing and netting dolphins with purse seine nets, and to adopt “Dolphin Safe” fishing practices to prevent the drowning of dolphins in tuna nets. This campaign included a consumer pressure, litigation, and revisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.  In 1990 a major breakthrough was achieved and the first companies pledged to become dolphin-safe.  Today 100% of American tuna have become verifiably dolphin safe. Through the International Monitoring Program, the Earth Island Institute regularly inspects tuna companies to insure consumers that the tuna they buy is truly “dolphin safe.”
Earth Island Institute is an umbrella organization with has more than 60 projects working for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the Earth. For more information, please visit: www.earthisland.org

To Find Out More Go To: www.DolphinProject.org

ric obarryRic O’Barry

Richard O’Barry has worked on both sides of the captive dolphin issue, making him an invaluable asset in the efforts to end exploitation. He worked for 10 years within the dolphin captivity industry, and has spent the past 40 working against it.In the 1960s, O’Barry was employed by the Miami Seaquarium, where he captured and trained dolphins, including the five dolphins who played the role of Flipper in the popular American TV-series of the same name.  He also trained Hugo, the first orca kept in captivity east of the Mississippi.  When Kathy, the dolphin who played Flipper most of the time, died in his arms, O’Barry realized that capturing dolphins and training them to perform silly tricks is simply wrong.

From that moment on, O’Barry knew what he must do with his life. On the first Earth Day, 1970, he launched a searing campaign against the multi-billion dollar dolphin captivity industry and has been going at it ever since.
Over the past 40 years, Ric O’Barry has rescued and rehabilitated dolphins in many countries around the world, including Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Bahamas Islands and the United States. He is a leading voice in the fight to end brutal dolphin hunts in Japan, the Solomon Islands, the Faroe Islands, and wherever else they occur.

O’Barry has been recognized by many national and international entities for his dedicated efforts, such as being voted Huffington Post’s 2010 Most Influential Green Game Changer, and being listed on O Magazine’s 2010 Power List – Men We Admire for his “Power of Passion.” O’Barry received an Environmental Achievement Award, presented by the United States Committee for the United Nations Environmental Program.  He has done countless interviews with such prestigious news programs as Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, the Mike Huckabee Show, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

His book Behind the Dolphin Smile was published in 1989; a second book, To Free A Dolphin was published in September 2000. Both of them are about his work and dedication.  He is the star of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove and the Animal Planet television series Blood Dolphin$.
In January 2006, O’Barry became Marine Mammal Specialist for Earth Island Institute, where he is also the Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project.

You can find Ric at his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RichardOBarry

Pictures from the event:

Lincoln O'Barry, Sophia Bush, our host James Costa, and Ed Begley Jr.

The Dolphin Project with Ed Begley Jr and Ric O’Barry

[youtube=http://youtu.be/1Zc7XPfxeIY&w=500&h=310]Bookmark and Share
Ric O’Barry and Ed Begley Jr. on Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.

The stars came out to the private home of animal rights activist James Costa somewhere in the Hollywood Hills on a wonderfully fair weather evening overlooking the bright lights of Hollywood below, to support Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project.

Stars in attendance were: Sophia Bush, Jillian Michaels, Michele Rodriguez, Maggie Grace, Ed Begley Jr., Q’orianka Kilcher, Leilani Münter, Joanna Cassidy, Eric Balfour, Lina Esco, Lasse Larsen, Abigail Spencer, Ashley Scott & Steve Hart.  

Mia Maestro kept the place hopping with her band and Michele Rodriquez DJ’d the event. – JW

ric obarry dolphin projectDolphin Project

Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project is a campaign under the International Marine Mammal Project at the non-profit Earth Island Institute. The Dolphin Project aims to stop dolphin slaughter and exploitation around the world.  This work has been chronicled in films such as A Fall From Freedom, the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, and in the Animal Planet mini-series Blood Dolphin$.

Campaigns for dolphin protection are currently underway in a variety of locations around the globe, including the Solomon Islands, Indonesia, Egypt, and Singapore.

Earth Island Institute

The Dolphin Project is a proud part of the Earth Island Institute, a non-profit, tax deductible organization founded in 1982. The Earth Island Institute has a long and active history in dolphin-related causes. In 1986, through the International Marine Mammal Project, EII organized a campaign to urge U.S. tuna companies to end the practice of intentionally chasing and netting dolphins with purse seine nets, and to adopt “Dolphin Safe” fishing practices to prevent the drowning of dolphins in tuna nets. This campaign included a consumer pressure, litigation, and revisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.  In 1990 a major breakthrough was achieved and the first companies pledged to become dolphin-safe.  Today 100% of American tuna have become verifiably dolphin safe. Through the International Monitoring Program, the Earth Island Institute regularly inspects tuna companies to insure consumers that the tuna they buy is truly “dolphin safe.”
Earth Island Institute is an umbrella organization with has more than 60 projects working for the conservation, preservation, and restoration of the Earth. For more information, please visit: www.earthisland.org

To Find Out More Go To: www.DolphinProject.org

ric obarryRic O’Barry

Richard O’Barry has worked on both sides of the captive dolphin issue, making him an invaluable asset in the efforts to end exploitation. He worked for 10 years within the dolphin captivity industry, and has spent the past 40 working against it.In the 1960s, O’Barry was employed by the Miami Seaquarium, where he captured and trained dolphins, including the five dolphins who played the role of Flipper in the popular American TV-series of the same name.  He also trained Hugo, the first orca kept in captivity east of the Mississippi.  When Kathy, the dolphin who played Flipper most of the time, died in his arms, O’Barry realized that capturing dolphins and training them to perform silly tricks is simply wrong.

From that moment on, O’Barry knew what he must do with his life. On the first Earth Day, 1970, he launched a searing campaign against the multi-billion dollar dolphin captivity industry and has been going at it ever since.
Over the past 40 years, Ric O’Barry has rescued and rehabilitated dolphins in many countries around the world, including Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Brazil, the Bahamas Islands and the United States. He is a leading voice in the fight to end brutal dolphin hunts in Japan, the Solomon Islands, the Faroe Islands, and wherever else they occur.

O’Barry has been recognized by many national and international entities for his dedicated efforts, such as being voted Huffington Post’s 2010 Most Influential Green Game Changer, and being listed on O Magazine’s 2010 Power List – Men We Admire for his “Power of Passion.” O’Barry received an Environmental Achievement Award, presented by the United States Committee for the United Nations Environmental Program.  He has done countless interviews with such prestigious news programs as Larry King Live, Anderson Cooper 360, the Mike Huckabee Show, and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

His book Behind the Dolphin Smile was published in 1989; a second book, To Free A Dolphin was published in September 2000. Both of them are about his work and dedication.  He is the star of the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove and the Animal Planet television series Blood Dolphin$.
In January 2006, O’Barry became Marine Mammal Specialist for Earth Island Institute, where he is also the Director of Earth Island Institute’s Dolphin Project.

You can find Ric at his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/RichardOBarry

Ed Begley JrEd Begley Jr

Inspired by the works of his Academy Award-winning father, Ed Begley, Jr. became an actor. He first came to audiences’ attention for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running hit television series, “St. Elsewhere,” for which he received six Emmy nominations. Since then Begley has moved easily between feature, television and theatre projects.

Ed can currently be seen in the hit Seth Rogan/Judd Apatow film, “Pineapple Express”, as well as many Christopher Guest films, including “A Mighty Wind”, “Best In Show,” and For Your Consideration”.

Other feature film credits include “Batman Forever”, “The Accidental Tourist” and “The In-Laws.”

On television, Begley is appearing in the new CBS comedy on Wednesday night called “Gary Unmarried” He has also been seen recently in “Recount” with Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson and Laura Dern, as well as recurring roles on “Six Feet Under”, “Arrested Development”, and “Boston Legal.”

Begley also starred in the West Coast premiere of David Mamet’s “Cryptogram,” at the Geffen Playhouse, in the role that he first performed in Boston and then in New York. He also starred in Mr. Mamet’s production of “Romance” last fall at the Mark Taper Forum.

Ed has directed several episodes of the hit show “NYPD Blue” as well as a play that he wrote called “Cesar and Ruben” that won a Nos Otros Award and four Valley Theater League Awards.

Environmental lawyer and long-time friend, Bobby Kennedy, Jr. has said “Ed has a greater sense of social obligation than anyone I know. He’s like a West

Turning up at Hollywood events on his bicycle, Ed has been considered an environmental leader in the Hollywood community for many years. He has served as chairman of the Environmental Media Association, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He still serves on those boards, as well as the Thoreau Institute, the Earth Communications
Office, Tree People and Friends of the Earth, among many others.

His work in the environmental community has earned him a number of awards from some of the most prestigious environmental groups in the nation, including the California League of Conservation Voters, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Coalition for Clean Air, Heal the Bay and the Santa Monica Baykeeper.

He currently lives near Los Angeles in a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy.

For More on Ed Begley Jr. Go To www.EdBegley.com

Pictures from the event:

Lincoln O'Barry, Sophia Bush, our host James Costa, and Ed Begley Jr.

The Roxy Owner Nic Alder Receives an Excellance Award for Social Media Marketing

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFuKwue0vfc&w=500&h=310]
The Gravity Summit at UCLA awarded Nic Adler an award at for Excellence in Social Media Marketing.

The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood, CA, has been an icon of rock and roll since it’s Neil Young Opening in 1973 till today. Great bands and not so great bands appear there nightly celebrating The Roxy’s long prestigious Rock Hall of Fame Status.

Nic Adler, son of the Roxy’s founder and famous  producer Lou Adler, is now owner and manager of the famed venue and is using new social technologies to keep true to the history, but also use building of community in the rock marketplace to make sure the Roxy continues to thrive for the next 40 years.

Nic took minute after his acceptance speech to tell us about how he felt as this was his first, hopefully of many, awards.

Nic also a little to me about which social media platforms he is using and why.

Nic held an after party at the famed “On the Rox” bar after the event and it was a fun evening with great people and an incredible blues singer award-winning Alligator recording artist Janiva Magness. Incredible entertainment in a bar steeped in Rock History. A great evening thanks to Beverly Macy and Nic – Thanks. – JW

Nic Adler

Sunset Strip / Social / Vegan / iPhotographerNic Adler

After years as a band manager, promoter, and restauranteur, Nic took the helm at The Roxy in 1998. An entrepreneur and community builder, Nic was drawn to the cutting edge concepts he found in the burgeoning field of social media.

In 2007 he launched a blog that went on to win The VH-1 Rock Honors Award for Best Music Venue Website. Always an early adaptor Nic began tweeting in 2008 and is now the #1 Music Venue on Twitter and Facebook in the world. As his social media program grew, Nic began to see the importance of being a part of the larger community of the Sunset Strip and the City of West Hollywood.

Nic AdlerNic is co-producer of the Sunset Strip Music Festival, which draws over 30,000 music fans to the city every August and celebrates the Strip’s legacy as it highlights some of music’s newest talent.

He is Vice President of the Sunset Strip Business Association and a regular at City Council meetings where he is leading efforts to bring the community together. Featured in the New York Times, Mashable, TechCrunch, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, and cover stories in LABJVenues Today and Nightclub and Bar Magazine, Nic is reinventing his club, his street and eventually his city using the fundamental concepts of community building inherent in social media.

@nicadler

Social.Vegan — @theroxy @theroxyLOT @ontherox @SSMF @LAVeganBeerFest http://www.pinterest.com/nicadler

Sunset Strip, CA · http://about.me/nicadler

The Roxy SignThe Roxy

From TheRoxyOnSunset.com

Fans and performers alike will readily tell the tales of their more memorable Roxy experiences. Such is the influence of one of the country’s most legendary and influential music venues.

From the Roxy’s 1973 opener featuring Neil Young, to Bruce Springsteen’s now-classic 1975 performances, the history of The Roxy Theatre is paved with icons, whether it was Guns N’ Roses’ pre-stardom shows, Miles Davis, Jane’s Addiction, Pearl Jam, or others. Three decades on, the club has also been a popular performance Mecca for other entertainment, including stage productions, comedy shows, and performance art.

Among the club’s unique features are comfortable booth seating, full-service and draft bar, and a menu that features a modest array of dishes to keep appetites satisfied. The Roxy’s open dance floor and superb sound facilities offer fans one of the most intimate entertainment experiences around. There’s also “On The Rox,” an on-site, after-hours facility that has been the setting for some of Hollywood’s hottest parties.

Located above The Roxy and overlooking Sunset Blvd., “On The Rox” features its own full-service bar and DJ booth with proprietary sound system. Always in touch with its past, The Roxy lets fans glimpse at the legacy when they enter the club, thanks to an extensive collection of artist performance photos that adorn the club’s walls.

This is from the article about the Roxy in Wikipedia:

The roxy bmarleyThe Roxy Theatre (often just The Roxy) is the lengendary nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. It was opened on September 23, 1973 by Elmer Valentine and Lou Adler along with original partners David Geffen, Elliot Roberts and Peter Asher. They took over building previously occupied by a strip club owned by Chuck Landis called the Largo. (Adler was actually responsible for bringing the stage play Rocky Horror Show to the United States, and it opened its first American run at The Roxy Theatre in 1974, before it was made into the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show the next year.)

Hundreds of famous and yet-to-be-famous acts such as Nirvana (band), Tori Amos, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Al Stewart, Jane’s Addiction and David Bowie have played this highly prestigious venue. The small On The Rox bar above the club has hosted a wide variety of debauchery in its history; it was a regular hangout for John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper and Keith Moon during Lennon’s “lost weekend” in 1975, and in the 1980s hosted parties arranged by “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss.

According to LA.com, On The Rox “may be forever known as the club where John Belushi partied before fatally ODing. That may sound like a sordid reason for the club’s fame, but it only underscores the hard-partying reputation that befits a room equipped with two stripper poles. Recently, it has hosted private DJ nights as well as after-parties following the shows downstairs; on a Tuesday night not long ago, all three members of buzz band Kings of Leon were spotted heading upstairs to rock out with the Mooney Suzuki after their Roxy show.”

http://theroxyonsunset.com/

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Gravity Summit

logo gravity summitGravity Summit, Inc. is a real-time social business company dedicated to educating, informing, and empowering executives and professionals on the power of real-time social media.  We host premiere events, design and conduct corporate education, and offer strategic consulting services to both large Fortune 500 brands as well as rising companies.

We help bridge the gap between real-time social tools and the business community.   Executives and decision makers, marketing professionals, small business owners, advertisers, PR professionals, and others, learn how to leverage social platforms to amplify their message and successfully engage with consumers.

www.GravitySummit.com

Warren Sapp Honored at Gravity Summit for Excellence in Social Media

[youtube=http://youtu.be/siy9_r9QIL8&w=500&h=310]Bookmark and Share
Warren Sapp Superbowl Champion and Runner Up on Dancing With the Stars,

talks to us after his speech at the 2012 Gravity Summit UCLA where he spoke mainly about how he uses Twitter to stay in touch with fans.
Warren has over 780,000 followers on Twitter and he is very active answering questions and talking to his fan base.

Warren Sapp received the Gravity Summit Award for Excellence in Social Media as he is one of the sports industries leaders in how he uses social media to keep in touch with fans and to market his projects and products.

Other winners of this award were Janina Gavankar, who plays Luna on “True Blood” and Nic Alder, owner and manager of the famed Roxy Nightclub in Hollywood, California.

Warren kept the crowd laughing with his great stories and signature smile as he accepted the award and then he spent the evening saying hello, taking pictures with his fans and watching the plethora of professionals in entertainment and sports social media give panel discussions on the state of social media, how they use it now and how they will be expanding this new media in all aspects of building fan community and marketing channels for their projects and products.

It was a fun interview, mainly because Warren is fun and a real warm a real hearted guy, though, I am sure there are some quarterbacks out there that would disagree. – JW

Warren SappWarren Sapp

From Wikopedia / Facebook

Warren Carlos Sapp (born December 19, 1972) is a former American college and professional football player who was defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes, was recognized as a consensus All-American and won multiple awards. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1995 NFL Draft as the 12th overall pick, and played professionally for the Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders of the NFL. He spent nine seasons with the Buccaneers where he earned seven trips to the Pro Bowl and a Super Bowl ring in 2002. He moved to the Raiders in 2004.

His 96.5 career sacks (100 counting the playoffs) are the second-highest career total sacks for a defensive tackle and the 28th highest overall for a defensive lineman. His 77 sacks with the Buccaneers is second in the team’s history.

In 2002, Sapp helped lead a resurgent Tampa Bay team to victory in Super Bowl XXXVII over the Oakland Raiders. Sapp had five tackles and two sacks during the 2002-2003 postseason, and was an instrumental staple in the league leading Buccaneers defense.

On the seventh season of Dancing With the Stars, Warren and Kym Johnson were runners up to the winner Brooke Burke who now co-hosts the show

Warren Sapp’s Twitter address: http://twitter.com/qbkilla

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Gravity Summit

logo gravity summitGravity Summit, Inc. is a real-time social business company dedicated to educating, informing, and empowering executives and professionals on the power of real-time social media.  We host premiere events, design and conduct corporate education, and offer strategic consulting services to both large Fortune 500 brands as well as rising companies.

We help bridge the gap between real-time social tools and the business community.   Executives and decision makers, marketing professionals, small business owners, advertisers, PR professionals, and others, learn how to leverage social platforms to amplify their message and successfully engage with consumers.

www.GravitySummit.com

Tears for Fears’ Curt Smith on Creating Sales, Marketing and Community Using Social Media

Curt Smith Tears for FearsCurt Smith, co-founder of  the multi-platinum British music group Tears For Fears,, with which he continues to tour worldwide, as well as an acclaimed solo musician.

talks to us after his speech at the 2012 Gravity Summit UCLA where he spoke mainly about how music recording, production, distribution, sales, marketing and building fan base community more has changed drastically in the last 20 years.

[SCROLL DOWN TO SEE CURT’S GRAVITY SUMMIT PRESENTATION]
[youtube=http://youtu.be/mzbo-dsOgSM]
Curt also went into some detail about how he builds community in order to build sales using social media in very creative ways.

Curt has recently started projects using social media to gather musicians directly without having to go through studio management and by finding them through the unique ability of many artists to share their wares using services like Sound Cloud and others

Curt’s talk was brilliant and his music is prominant in my music collection. It was great to get to meet Curt and even a greater experience to be able spend some time with him at this wonderful summit. So thank you to Beverly Macy for putting on this event and to Curt for graciously giving his time. – JW

tears for fears Songs from the big chairTears For Fears

From Wikopedia / Facebook

Tears for Fears are an English pop/rock band formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.

Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into mainstream rock and pop, which led to international chart success.

Their platinum-selling debut album, The Hurting, reached number one on the UK Album Chart, while their second album, Songs from the Big Chair, reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, achieving multi-platinum status in both the UK and the United States. Following the release of their third platinum-selling album, The Seeds of Love (1989), Smith and Orzabal parted company in 1991, though Orzabal retained the Tears for Fears name throughout the remainder of the 1990s. The duo re-formed in 2000, and released an album of new material, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, in 2004. To date, Tears for Fears have sold over 25 million albums worldwide, including more than 8 million in the U.S.

curt smith tears for fearsCurt Smith

Curt Smith is co-founder of  the multi-platinum British music group Tears For Fears, with which he continues to tour worldwide, as well as an acclaimed solo musician. He recently re-released his long out-of-print album Mayfield, adding a bonus version of “Trees” (feat. Janice Whaley) to the album’s original tracklist.

Smith also writes music for film, television and the web, most recently scoring the independent feature Meth Head,. He is a regular speaker at creative, media and technology events including TEDxHollywood, TEDxSan Francisco, the Billboard Film & TV Music Conference, the USC Annenberg Online Communities program, and the UCLA Gravity Summit.

BONUS:

Curt Smith’s Gravity Summit Presentation: [youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=n49aipQYsk8&w=500&h=310]

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Gravity Summit

logo gravity summitGravity Summit, Inc. is a real-time social business company dedicated to educating, informing, and empowering executives and professionals on the power of real-time social media.  We host premiere events, design and conduct corporate education, and offer strategic consulting services to both large Fortune 500 brands as well as rising companies.

We help bridge the gap between real-time social tools and the business community.   Executives and decision makers, marketing professionals, small business owners, advertisers, PR professionals, and others, learn how to leverage social platforms to amplify their message and successfully engage with consumers.

www.GravitySummit.com

Thomas Suarez 12 Year Old Tech Wunderkind Speaks at 2012 Gravity Summit

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Thomas Suarez at 12 years old has written two apps for the iphone and has spoken at TED and CES. Thomas Gives us his point of view of SOPA and PIPA and the use of the term “Smart” when it comes to gadgets.

Thomas Suarez wowed the audience at TEDx Manhattan Beach and the YouTube Video TED put out got, an astonishing 1.8Million hits.

Thomas was an immediate sensation and has been asked to speak at many events, but he has stayed humble and true to what he wants to do and that is to not be in the limelight, but to speak at relevant technical summits and conferences.

Thomas and I got a chance to talk after the his talk and he comes off as just a normal kid, but with the confidence and knowledge of someone much older.

It was a pleasure watching him speak and getting to interview him afterwards. Thanks ThomasJW

Thomas SuarezThomas Suarez

Thomas Suarez is a 6th grade student at a middle school in the South Bay of Los Angeles. When Apple released the Software Development Kit (SDK), he began to create and sell his own applications. “My parents, my friends and even the people at the Apple store all supported me,” he says, “and Steve Jobs inspired me”. Thomas points out that it’s hard to learn how to make an app. “For soccer you could go to a soccer team … but what if you want to make an app?”
 
He’s started a club for fellow students at school, where he shares his knowledge of programming. Thomas articulates his vision that students are a valuable new technology resource to teachers, and should be empowered to offer assistance in developing the technology curriculum and also assist in delivering the lessons.Thomas has been fascinated by computers and technology since before kindergarten. Recently, he’s been focused on the development of applications for the iPhone, and has established his own company, CarrotCorp http://www.carrotcorp.com/. His most successful application is one he terms “an anti-Justin-Bieber game” called “Bustin Jieber”. “It’s is a variation on the Whac-a-Mole theme,” he explains. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bustin-jieber/id404956571?mt=8
 

BONUS:

Thomas Suarez gives us an interview after his Gravity Summit Talk

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhPC7QNke2A&w=480&h=335]

 
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Gravity Summit

logo gravity summitGravity Summit, Inc. is a real-time social business company dedicated to educating, informing, and empowering executives and professionals on the power of real-time social media.  We host premiere events, design and conduct corporate education, and offer strategic consulting services to both large Fortune 500 brands as well as rising companies.

We help bridge the gap between real-time social tools and the business community.   Executives and decision makers, marketing professionals, small business owners, advertisers, PR professionals, and others, learn how to leverage social platforms to amplify their message and successfully engage with consumers.

www.GravitySummit.com