Tag Archives: video

RevitaLash Announces New FineLine Primer

RevitaLash announced it’s newest product FineLine Primer at the GBK Gifting Suites for the MTV Movie Awards 2012

Bree Maxwell of Athena Cosmetics talks to me about the Revitalash FineLine Primer
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhS-DECFBU0]

Bree Anne Maxwell of Athena Cosmetics and I see each other at many of the celebrity gifting suits in Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

Revitalash Eyelash conditioner. I have not used these products but they are a favorite of many celebrities.

This time we got to talk about the new FineLine Primer product from RevitaLash.

Great to see you again Bree Anne. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FineLine Primer

FineLine Primer is specifically formulated to create a silky, smooth texture that conforms to the contours of your skin. Fine lines and wrinkles on the skin’s surface will appear softened and less visible, while leaving your skin feeling smooth and supple. $60.00(USD) 15 mL. / 0.50 Oz.

Revitalash productsRevitaLash®

The Story

It all began when a Doctor wanted to give his wife a very special gift.

RevitaLash® was developed by Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D. as a special gift for his wife, Gayle, while she was recovering from metastatic breast cancer treatments. Intensive chemotherapy had damaged Gayle’s once-beautiful eyelashes, leaving them fragile, sparse and thin. Based upon his knowledge and experience as a practicing ophthalmologist for over 25 years, Dr. Brinkenhoff believed that he could develop a formula that would give Gayle’s eyelashes the look of renewed health, strength and beauty.

After extensive research, Dr. Brinkenhoff, together with a talented team of cosmetic chemists, created a product that truly gave the beautiful look of renewed vitality to Gayle’s eyelashes. RevitaLash® was the perfect name for this amazing product!

Thus, an entirely new and unique cosmetic product was born; and a formula created originally for just one special lady has become a product available to men and women everywhere who want to have attractive, beautiful-looking eyelashes.

Often we feel helpless when someone we love is suffering. I am very fortunate, in my own small way, to have been able to help Gayle through her recovery. Watching her be excited about her beautiful looking eyelashes has been a real joy.

— Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D.

RevitaLash®

Products

RevitaLash® ADVANCED contains a proprietary blend of proven functional cosmetic ingredients pioneered by Athena Cosmetic Inc., including an infusion of powerful peptides and soothing botanicals, designed to both beautify and nourish the eyelashes. RevitaLash® ADVANCED is both dermatologist and ophthalmologist reviewed, non-allergenic and in a clinical study over 97% of users saw an improved appearance of their eyelashes in only 3 weeks!

Inspired by America’s #1 Eyelash Conditioner, Hair ADVANCED by RevitaLash® is a unique hair conditioner that fortifies and strengthens the hair so it appears thicker, fuller and healthier.  This remarkable hair bulking product enhances the appearance of fine, thin, fragile-looking hair in a matter of weeks. Packed with conditioning agents like Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng Root, Swertia Japonica Extract, fruit extracts and wheat proteins, Hair ADVANCED by RevitaLash® is revitalizing and very easy to use. All you need is one or two pumps massaged into areas where you want your hair to appear thicker and fuller.

Beautifully shaped eyebrows are now easier to achieve than ever before with RevitaBrow®.  Utilizing the power of peptides and botanicals to strengthen, condition and nourish the eyebrows along with advanced technology, RevitaBrow® will help you achieve a more polished look by creating thicker and fuller appearing eyebrows.  When applied daily on a clean brow, you should start to see healthier looking brows within weeks!

Athena Cosmetics

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is committed to the belief that it’s continuing business success is built upon the manufacture and sale of safe, reliable, quality products, combined with uncompromising integrity and the spirit of philanthropy. As a company, we embrace and pass these values on to our customers, employees and partners.

Integrity

Our goal is to succeed in the marketplace by having the integrity to produce safe, top quality products that deliver a real benefit to our customers. Athena Cosmetics, Inc. has always taken great care to comply with all laws, and to uphold the values and principles that have been the hallmark of its company from its inception. We are devoted to the solid ethical business principles of honesty and hard work.

Quality

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. seeks the highest quality in research, information, business partners and people. We produce excellent products that are safe for the public  and which deliver high quality and reliability to our valued customers. We accept nothing less.

Philanthropy

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. has made philanthropy a cornerstone of its business profile. We believe in giving back to the community, as it is this care belief which inspired the creation of our company. All of our employees and staff are dedicated examples of this philosophy. Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is proud and honored to devote time, energy and resources to the goal of fighting breast cancer both by public education programs and by the contribution of time, energy and financial resources to the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this epidemic disease. Our philanthropic activities have focused on several organizations dedicated to breast cancer community across the country. Click Here to find out more information and to see how you can help!!!

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is proud to be a part of the cosmetic business community and will continually strive to achieve the highest goals in all our endeavors.

If you are looking to try some of the RevitaLash products you can find them at RevitaLash®

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

Can We Reverse Aging?

Can We Reverse Aging? New Innovations Bring Us Closer Than Ever.

If you are over 30 or have health issues or know anyone that does you need to watch this video now![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zex9nqtxP_w]

A very good friend sent me this video and I just had to check this out. Watch it for yourself, You decide. – JW

Go to the Protandim Website [CLICK HERE]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why Do We Age?

Aging is a term used to describe the deterioration of any entity. In a human’s case it is the process of deterioration of our bodily systems over time.

The truth is that everything in the Universe ages and we do not have specific knowledge on why that is. In the human there is no consensus as to why we age. We do, however know how it can be sped along.

What is Anti-Aging?

The health community and other groups have come up with many meanings for what Anti-Aging means. And the words are used very freely especially when talking about products.

I will define it here as slowing the aging process. Many would say that you can add preventing and reversing here, but since we all die at some point, I hope we can agree, for now, that we cannot stop aging, but we may be able to slow it down.

NOTE 2/4/2014

As it turns out there are several species of jellyfish who live forever! They go from being old to changing back into being young! To read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/12/common-myths-not-true_n_983785.html#s375832&title=Can_anything_live

What is Reverse Aging?

Reversing aging to me, is just what it says. We can turn back the hands of time. So far this is an impossible feat, but read ahead, because recent studies show that we may be able to reverse some bodily processes which will make create great changes in how we approach anti-aging.

If you have not watched the video, now would be a great time to do so, but if you would rather read….

What are Free Radicals

Without going into the full breakdown of the atom lets just say that atoms have a nucleus which determines the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) surrounding the atom. Stability of the atom depends on an even number of electrons orbit the nucleus. Often atoms will bond with other atoms by sharing electrons in outer orbits.

Free Radicals are formed when weak bonds split in a way that leaves an odd unpaired electron. This is called a Free Radical. The atom can be left with an odd number of electrons turning into a Free Radical itself, thus a chain reaction is set off causing the disruption of a living cell.

Free Radicals production is normal, but if it becomes excessive than cell damage can occur.

The cell does produce Antioxidants Glutathione, Catalase, Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), and some others which work to gobble up unwanted Free Radicals naturally in the cell, but due to Oxidative Stress, the body may not be able to produce enough of these enzymes, especially as we age.

What are Antioxidants

Antioxidants are capable of counteracting the damage caused by Free Radicals oxidation in the cells.

We see this very well when we cut into an apple or avocado. Oxidation starts to turn the fruit dark as it breaks down the cells, but if you add a bit of lemon juice just after you cut into the fruit will retard the Free Radical growth and allow the fruit to stay light in color much longer, because lemons contain flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant properties. Rust on metals is also caused by oxidation.

Can the body make enough antioxidants to stop oxidative stress? Yes, absolutely the body is capable of protecting itself. As our environment becomes more toxic and as we age, our bodies may have a harder time making the needed amounts of the enzymes needed by the body to counteract the assault of free radicals on the cells.

Oxidative stress is when Free Radicals are produced at a rate the cell cannot counteract. Oxidative Stress can be triggered by diet, excessive exercise, emotional stress, smoke, alcohol, sun exposure, drugs (illegal an prescription) and many other environmental issues.

A diet of antioxidant rich foods may help reduce Oxidative Stress, by giving our cells extra antioxidants to help counteract Free Radicals and the harmful oxidation they can cause.

Many conditions, diseases  and illnesses are linked, in some way, to oxidative stress. Search on the web and check it out for yourself.

As We Age Oxidative Stress Increases

In the journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (that’s a mouthful!) there is a paper that shows their study on the increase of oxidative stress and age http://www.fasebj.org/content/19/3/419.full

The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, in a recent article said: http://www.pnas.org/content/98/18/10469.long

“The oxidative stress hypothesis of aging (or the free radical hypothesis as it was first proposed) is currently one of the most popular explanations for how aging occurs at the biochemical level. The basic tenet of the oxidative stress hypothesis is that the age-related loss of physiological function and aging are because of the progressive and irreversible accumulation of oxidative damage (1).

Over the past decade, the oxidative stress hypothesis of aging has gained wide acceptance because numerous studies have shown a strong correlation between increasing age and the accumulation of oxidative damage to cellular macromolecules (2, 3) and because the increased survival observed with dietary restriction has been correlated to reduced oxidative damage (3, 4)**.

It also appears that certain types of pathological lesions that arise with age are associated with increased levels of oxidative damage to cellular macromolecules (5, 6).”

** This hypothesis has been questioned in a 2002 MIT study, but does not make other finding irrelevant.

And thus derived, in summary:

“In summary, our data clearly demonstrate that oxidative damage to DNA increases significantly with age in rodents. [science lingo left out]~ Thus, although the steady-state levels of oxo8dG are relatively small in the genome of rodent cells, the de novo formation of oxo8dG lesions is considerable, suggesting that oxidative damages to DNA that arise from normal cellular metabolism could be highly relevant in aging and diseases associated with age.”

Alkaline vs Acidic

Many of you may have questions about your body being in the proper Ph level as to also help slow down the aging process. I will not go into detail about the process, but you should know that the Ph scale goes from 1 to 10. 10 being highly alkaline and 1 being battery acid. A neutral ph level is considered a 7.

The body preforms best at a slightly higher alkaline level and not as well in the acidic realm. The ph of the blood in the healthy human varies from 7.35 to 7.45.

Most of the things including just breaking down nutrients for use in the cell, tend to make the cell more acidic and the body tends to break down if overly acidic. It is believed that by increasing the alkaline level of the body, increases oxygenation of the cells which is good for the cells, but also sets them up for oxidative stress. So what is more important having an alkaline body or reducing free radicals?

It turns out that both would seem to be important here. To increase alkalinity in the body, you need to eat more green vegetables and stay away from heavily acidic foods. I say a balance slightly toward alkaline makes the best sense.

At that point controlling free radicals as we age becomes more and more important to keep ourselves at top levels of health.

A note on SIR2 which is the age inhibitor gene that is found in the body. It was reported by MIT studies in 2002 that the gene was turned on when we reduced our caloric intake overall.

Since then the same scientist believes, that based on 20 year studies on rhesus monkeys and caloric reduction, that by reducing calories alone, we cannot extend the lifespan, but we can heavily reduce, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other life threatening diseases.

So in conclusion, eat right, eat less, take Protandim and you may not reverse aging, but you will have a much high quality of life going forward.

Can you Increase the Amounts of Antioxidants Your Body Makes Naturally?

Watch This Video for More Info

This is where the reverse aging thing I mentioned earlier comes into play.

Although I do not believe we can turn back the clock, studies show that there is a supplement formula that is showing great promise in reversing the increase in the oxidative stress with age. This supplement can reduce oxidative stress by an average of 40%.*

Protandim

Protandim offers you a better way to fight the free radicals that cause aging!

PROTANDIM is the only supplement clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress by an average 40%, slowing down the cell aging process to the level of a 20-year-old.* Protandim is not a conventional antioxidant supplement. Each Protandim caplet contains a unique combination of phytonutrients that signal the body’s genes to produce its own antioxidant enzymes, which provides thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional antioxidant supplement.*

Protandim is patented and has 11 peer reviewed studies on its use and effectiveness.

  • To view current peer reviewed published clinical studies go to the US National Library of Medicine website: www.pubmed.gov (search: Protandim)
  • Protandim is approved by the Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) for use in all sports including the US Olympics
  • Protandim is protected by: US patent # 7,241,461 US patent # 7,384,655 & US patent # 7,579,076

Your Body’s Ability to Battle Aging Decreases As You Age

The aging process is nature’s way of limiting the population of every species. It’s good for the species, but not so good for the individual. When you’re young, your body fights free radicals effectively by producing its own antioxidants. But as you grow older, your body produces fewer antioxidants to fight the battles of aging and disease.

Antioxidant-rich Foods & Supplements Can’t Keep Up With Free Radicals

Protandim provides you with thousands of times more antioxidant power than any food or conventional supplement.* In fact, you would need to consume the antioxidants found in 375 oranges, 87 glasses of red wine or about 120 vitamin C tablets (500mg) a day to neutralize the amount of free radicals your body produces every single day.

fruitsHere’s why:

Not all antioxidants are equal. Conventional antioxidant supplements (such as vitamins A, C and E) are known as “consumable” antioxidants because they are used up as they neutralize free radicals on a one-to-one basis.

The unique blend of phytonutrients in Protandim signal your body’s genes to produce special antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) that work together as the body’s first line of defense against free radicals.*

These enzymes are “catalytic,” which means that SOD and CAT are not used up when they neutralize free radicals. A single daily caplet of Protandim creates a cascade of your body’s natural catalytic antioxidants that are able to destroy millions of free radicals per second on a continuous basis–24/7.*

OK… Now might be a great time to watch the video if you haven’t yet….

It is said that Protandim could alleviate the need to eat antioxidants since it allows the cells to counteract oxidative stress naturally, but I believe that you still should eat your fruits and vegetables. You still need to get the extra antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber and more, that fruits and vegetables offer you.

I am taking Protandim once a day as well as my antioxidant drink and with all the stress I am under daily, I feel secure that I am giving my cells exactly what they need to stay healthier longer. I believe this Protandim offers so much more than any of the traditional oxidative stress preventative programs out there now.

This is a smart product that to me is a NO Brainer, but what I love even more is that there is science, not pseudo science, but real science behind this product. Protandim has peer reviewed clinical studies that show that this product does more than empty your wallet.

I see so many products come across my desk to check out and so many of them are health related supplements. I am not big on testimonials because so many product experiences are not valid science and the placebo effect can be as high as 30+%

Want More Information? Watch the Video Above or go to the website and check out this amazing product there.

Go to the Protandim Website [CLICK HERE]

“OK JW Looks like you are Selling This Stuff… Yes I Am, I think Protandim is amazing and when I find something I like I want to share it.

I like this product so much I have become a distributor and if you would like to work personally with me to start your own business promoting this product, I would love to talk to you further. If you only want to buy this product that is wonderful and I wish you Good Health.

BTW – You do not have to join my team to get a discount. Just mark your purchase Wholesale and that will put you in autoship which charges you less per bottle. – Cheers!

Related Stories:

http://onpurposemagazine.com/2012/09/28/christian-drapeau-increasing-your-bodies-natural-release-of-adult-stem-cells/

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Worldteam Foundation Works to Abolish Slavery in the U.S. and Abroad

Worldteam Foundation is Fighting to Abolish Slavery Which Enslaves Annually over 27 Million, With Over Half of Those Children

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HddYVBVF68]

I love GBK Events because they are so supportive of local and global causes.

At their recent gifting suite for the Oscars, they promoted several charities and causes and it gave me a chance to meet Worldteam Foundation who is fighting slavery her in the U.S. and abroad.

I wish it were not even a topic, because it is so hard to believe the things that one human can do to another. I want to thank Worldteam and GBK for all they are doing and for giving me the chance to help support their cause. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Worldteam foundation

WORLDTEAM was formed in 2008 as the social justice arm of TEAM International to focus on bringing solutions to societies of poverty in Thailand that will promote health and wholeness for children, youth and women caught in the cycles of poverty that lead to prostitution and human trafficking.

Leaders Rick and Sue Clark have established relationships with programs in northern and southern Thailand that are rescuing, nurturing and restoring children and women in order to provide additional support, funding and networking.

Worldteam chooses to be a part of the solution not only in Thailand but in the U.S. as well.

WORLDTEAM’s mission is to fight human trafficking and sexual slavery by partnering with existing organizations to rescue at-risk and exploited children and women.

They  focus on funding and creating support structures that provide a  holistic nurturing environment, education and vocational training that will in turn produce transformed lives and societies.

Worldteam’s primary target field has been Thailand because of the Clark family’s work in Thailand since 1985.

www.WorldteamFoundation.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Literary Agent Bruce Barbour on Submitting Your Book to Publish

Long Time Literary Agent Bruce Barbour Talks About How To Submit Your Book or Story

Literary veteran Bruce Barbour talks to OPM about how to submit your book to him.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRmatbYQQ6c]
I met Bruce at the incredible Author 101 Event in Los Angeles. This interview is well overdue since I recorded in in 2011, but the information has not changed.

Bruce is a veteran literary agent and he tells it like it is, about getting your book to him. What he wants to see, how he wants to see it and many more tips and suggestions to make sure you get your stuff read and taken seriously. JW

Bruce Barbour Literary AgentBruce Barbour

Excellence in Literary Management

Bruce R Barbour has been active in book publishing for thirty years.

Known to friends and colleagues as “BRB”, Bruce is the fourth generation of a publishing family that has served authors and publishers for nearly 140 years.

In 1870, his great-grand uncles, Fleming H. Revell and Dwight Moody, started publishing Christian books. Following in the footsteps of his great-grand uncles, grandfather, and father, Bruce joined the Fleming H. Revell Company in 1975 after graduating with honors from Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA.

He has held executive positions at several publishing houses including Fleming H Revell Company (family owned-business sold in 1979), Barbour and Company (co-founded and Exec VP in 1983-1986), Thomas Nelson (VP, Publisher, 1986-1993), and Random House (VP, Publisher 1994-1996).

In 1997, Bruce founded Literary Management Group, Inc., a full service literary agency and publishing consulting firm that has represented best-selling authors and properties including Zig Ziglar, Sandra Felton and The Beginner’s Bible and consulted with publishing houses including Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Gospel Light, Pneuma Life, Legacy, New Hope, White Stone Books and others.

Literary Management Group

Literary Management Group is committed to providing excellent support and counsel to authors and publishers of a variety of resources (print, multi-media, and electronic).

We represent adult fiction and non-fiction and recommend that authors of children’s, gift, poetry, illustrated and academic books seek out literary firms which specialize in these genres. A great source for seeking out agencies is at www.michaelhyatt.com.

Although we specialize in the area of Christian publishing from an Evangelical perspective, we have editorial contacts and experience in general interest books as well.

Services include:

Literary Representation

  • Preparation of proposals based on a proven template that presents features, advantages and benefits so editors can review and quickly determine if book concept fits their editorial strategy and publishing needs.
  • Development of publisher submission strategy that identifies the list of publishers and editors most likely to be interested in reviewing and publishing the book.
  • Negotiation of optimum terms in publishing contract; terms that are fair for author, and reasonable for publisher, so everyone wins when the book is successfully published.
  • Project management and facilitation with publisher to ensure author’s experience, from editorial through marketing and publication, is smooth and understandable.
  • Review of publisher’s royalty reporting so author is clear on what the statements mean and confident in their accuracy.

Publishing Consultant and Executive Coach

  • Needs Assessment of all phases of publishing process including: strategic planning; budgeting; acquisition; editorial; design; production; sales and marketing; fulfillment; customer service; and, financial systems
  • Management mentoring and training.
  • Turn-arounds
  • Acquisitions and Sales of Assets
  • Strategic Planning facilitation

Packaging

  • Development of content from manuscript through delivery of bound books to customer including edit, design, production, and fulfillment
  • Sales and Marketing guidance and counsel

For Editorial Guidelines and Proposal Templates, please visit: http://literarymanagementgroup.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rick Frishman’s Author 101

Are you curious about what publishers like Harper Collins, Morgan James, Adams Media, Wiley, Random House, and Simon & Schuster are looking for? What is the best way to get your manuscript read when you’re an unpublished author? Want to know the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing book proposals? You’ll be engaged as these top pros share their expertise, reveal the inner workings of the publishing industry, and discuss various approaches to common marketing and publishing challenges.

Author 101 University Event Website: www.author101university.com

Raising Money and Getting Sponsorship for your Project, Book or Speaking Engagement

Roberto CandelariaRobert Candelaria Master Fund Raiser Talks to OPM on Sponsorships and Raising Money

Roberto Candelaria author of “Relationships Raise Money” Talks to us about how he does it and about his new book.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97rpIJsobkw]
Roberto met me at the Los Angeles Author 101 Conference to talk with me about his new book and about how authors and anyone can find sponsorship to raise money for their publishing and marketing efforts.JW

Roberto Candelaria

Roberto Candelaria, author of the definitive fundraising guide, Cash for Your Cause: How to Raise Five Figures in 30 Days, is President of Calidad Marketing, a boutique consulting firm helping non profit organizations across the globe accomplish their mission.

A long-time non-profit veteran, Roberto has learned the non-profit world from the ground up. After seeing first hand, the impact a well-run organization can have on the community around them, Roberto dedicated his life to teaching non-profit organizations profitability, growth, and long-term sustainability.

Roberto has also worked getting funding for for-profit organizations, projects, authors and more and has written a new book “Relationships Raise Money: A Guide to Corporate Sponsorship”

book relationships raise money roberto candelariaRelationships Raise Money

From Amazon

You’ve waited long enough to learn the secrets to securing corporate sponsorship. Relationships Raise Money: A Guide to Corporate Sponsorshipwill help you:

  • Create effective campaigns
  • Understand what can be sponsored
  • Create sponsorship campaigns that get results
  • Measure the effectiveness of your sponsorships
  • Persuade your sponsors to renew.

In the words of Barry Spilchuk (Founder, You’re My Hero books): “[Relationships Raise Money] … is a step-by-step guidebook to unravel the mystery of how sponsorships work – AND – a manual that will give you the confidence to approach any sponsor with integrity and a Win-Win attitude.”

Other Reviews: 

“I’ve been waiting for someone to write this book for years. Finally, a step by step guide for small businesses and non-profits to acquire corporate sponsorship dollars. Brilliant! On behalf of event planners everywhere, thank you, thank you, thank you!” Shelly Rice, Founder, Chocolate Blues and Busines

“The days of a donor ‘signing the check’ just to get your organization off their back are over. The donor is looking for a win, too! Relationships Raise Money will help every organization who is seeking sponsorship to develop lasting relationships with their donors, resulting in long- term viable organizations.” Leslie Knight, Founder, Knight Performance Management – Author, Powerful Women: They’re Not Men in Drag

“Roberto Candelaria is one of the most genuine, gifted and caring people I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and his extensive knowledge and understanding of both corporate sponsorships, the non-profit world as well as for profit are only exceeded by his generosity and service to others.” Patty Farmer, Winner, Best Business Connector in Dallas (2010) – Author, Make Your Connections Count

“As festival designers, we are always looking to develop new relationships with local and regional sponsors. The guidance within Roberto’s book provides us with the tools to strengthen our existing sponsor programs and to develop new, professional relationships with corporate sponsors.” Kathi Danielson, President, Performance & Event Management, LLC

Twitter ID: @humanreturns
Book Site: Human Returns
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HumanReturns

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rick Frishman’s Author 101

Are you curious about what publishers like Harper Collins, Morgan James, Adams Media, Wiley, Random House, and Simon & Schuster are looking for? What is the best way to get your manuscript read when you’re an unpublished author? Want to know the biggest mistakes to avoid when writing book proposals? You’ll be engaged as these top pros share their expertise, reveal the inner workings of the publishing industry, and discuss various approaches to common marketing and publishing challenges.

Author 101 University Event Website: www.author101university.com

Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust – The Story of Legendary Studio Engineer and Producer Ken Scott

Ken Scott was the Studio Recording Engineer and Producer for groups like The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, Supertramp and so many more…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE5EC1xpmV0]

Ken Scott, in his new book Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust tells the behind the scenes stories of what went on in the studio. The personal stories, the politics and for all you audio techs and engineers, Ken talks about the process and gives specifics including equipment lists.

I met Ken Scott at a recent talk he gave at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood, CA.

It was an incredible night of storytelling by the legendary recording engineer and producer.

Ken told humorous stories of the behind the scenes and he played, never before heard, clips of Beatles and David Bowie sessions.

I was transfixed as Ken is an excellent story teller and makes even the technical sound wonderfully interesting.

I was blessed later, to receive a pre release copy of the book… (no pictures) and I read it cover to cover as Ken seems to have worked with most of my more favorite bands of the 60’s and 70’s. His discography is a who’s who of famous albums, artists and singles.

I finally got to sit down with Ken at the corporate offices of Alfred Music Publishers, the publishers of Ken’s book, for an hour of talking about writing the book to Ken’s thoughts on current recording processes, record label politics and much more… It was truely an honor to hang out with Ken and I took the time to pummel him with questions. I had so many I did not get to them all, but luckily the book is very thorough.

I would like to thank Devon Blaine of the Blaine Group, Alfred Music Publishing and Ken Scott for setting this up and for taking the time to make this a great interview. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ken ScottKen Scott

From Wikipedia

Scott started at the age of 16 working in the tape library at Abbey Road Studios. He became a recording engineer working with such acts as The Beatles, Jeff Beck, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones and Procol Harum.[1]

Scott moved to Trident Studios where he worked with such artists as Elton John, Harry Nilsson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, America and with George Harrison on the 6x platinum selling album All Things Must Pass.[2]

Scott went on to co-produce David Bowie‘s albums Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972), Aladdin Sane (1973) and Pin Ups (1973) before producing Supertramp, The Tubes, Dixie Dregs, Devo, Missing Persons, Kansas, Happy The Man and Level 42.[3][4]

More recently Scott has recorded a number of legendary drummers for a VST instrument called EpiK Drums – A Ken Scott Collection.[5]

Abbey Road to Ziggy StardustAbbey Road to Ziggy Stardust

Ken Scott is releasing his first book co-written with Bobby Owsinski, Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust for the 50th Anniversary of the Abbey Roads recordings with The Beatles and the 40th Anniversary of Ziggy Stardust.

From Amazon

Ken Scott holds a unique place in music history as one of only five engineers to have recorded The Beatles, but his experiences as a producer may be just as profound. Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust shares the intimate memories of Ken Scott s days working with some of the most important artists of the 20th century while crafting a sound that has influenced several generations of music makers.

The Beatles Sitting on Abbey Road Steps While Filming Famous Walk Across the Abbey Road

Ken’s work has left an indelible mark on hundreds of millions of fans with his skilled contributions to Magical Mystery Tour and The White Album, and as a producer and/or engineer of six David Bowie albums (including the groundbreaking Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars), as well as other timeless classics from a who’s-who of classic rock and jazz acts, including Elton John, Pink Floyd, Jeff Beck, Duran Duran, The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, America, Devo, Kansas, The Tubes, Missing Persons, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Billy Cobham, Dixie Dregs, and Stanley Clarke.

Funny, poignant, and oh, so honest, Ken pulls no punches as he tells it as he saw it, as corroborated by a host of famous and not-so famous guests who were there as well. Plus, you’ll be privy to several exclusive stories, facts, and technical details only available in Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust.

National press campaign planned around 40th anniversary of Ziggy Stardust release on June 6, 2012 Includes never-before-told stories of The Beatles, David Bowie and Elton John Many never-before-seen photographs.

Epik Drums / EDU

Epik Drums

DRUM KITS AND GROOVES

epikdrumsboxEpiK DrumS – A Ken Scott Collection

“EpiK DrumS – A Ken Scott Collection” is a Sonic Reality virtual instrument/plug-in for drum kits and grooves with the authentic sound and feel of timeless classic albums. Expanding the Drum Masters series with high resolution vintage drum sounds, EpiK DrumS features drum kits and grooves of 5 of the world’s best drummers all recorded and mixed by legendary producer/engineer Ken Scott.

In this first massive volume from the Ken Scott Collection, Ken has recreated the drum sounds in the style of multi-track studio sessions he recorded with David Bowie, Supertramp, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs, Missing Persons, Elton John and The Beatles.

These authentic classic sounds were achieved by using the same rare recording equipment, drum kits, percussion and expert technical assistance from Ross Garfield “The Drum Doctor”, advanced programming by Sonic Reality and collaboration with the original legendary drummers Bill Cobham, Terry Bozzio, Woody Woodmansey, Bob Siebenberg and Rod Morgenstein.

All together it is one the most EPIK productions ever done for a software drum and groove instrument.

Listen to these EpiK DrumS Audio Demos : Bozzio Dimi, Cobham Existence is Monopoly, Cobham Meters Hence, Cobham_Fowl A Flame, Morgenstein Adventure, Morgenstein Frozen Pastries, Morgenstein Manic Habits, Siebenberg Did i mention it, Woodmansey Little Curious Friend

Epik Drums EDUEpiK DrumS EDU– Ken Scott Mentoring Sessions

EpiK DrumS EDU is the best tool for anyone interested in learning how to record and mix real drum kits.

With today’s technology, sampled drums are used more and more, but every engineer and producer needs to know how to record and mix a real drum kit.

This package contains everything you need to learn from the masters.

You get grooves played by five of the most iconic drummers of all time:

  • Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Missing Persons),
  • Billy Cobham (Mahavishnu Orchestra),
  • Rod Morgenstein (Winger, Dixie Dregs),
  • Bob Siebenberg (Super Tramp), and
  • Woody Woodmansey (David Bowie).

Every groove is included as a full multitrack session for both ProTools and Logic in addition to .wav files for each track.

A video is included with words of wisdom from legendary producer and engineer Ken Scott, who has worked with The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, and many other top artists.

Ken explains how he recorded and mixed these grooves, and there is also behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the drummers that provide intimate insight into the sessions.

And last but not least, for those who wish to delve further, additional sessions will be available online for easy download.
“Scott’s excellent DVD should be of great interest to anybody involved in recording drums, at any level.
5 Stars!”
–Drummer Magazine
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJwrKiW-bsM]

Ken Scott’s Discography

Engineered:

America
America

The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour
White Album
Abbey Road

Jeff Beck
Truth

David Bowie
Man Of Words, Man of Music (Space Oddity)
The Man Who Sold The World

Duran Duran
Thank You
Pop Trash

George Harrison
All Things Must Pass

Elton John
Madman Across The Water
Honky Chateau
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player [Grammy Nominated]

Lou Reed
Transformer

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Birds Of Fire

Harry Nilsson
Son Of Schmilsson [Grammy Nominated]

Rick Wakeman
The Six Wives of Henry th VIII

Pink Floyd  
Apples and Oranges
Corporal Clegg

John Lennon
Give Peache a Chance
Cold Turkey

Ringo Starr  
It Don’t Come Easy

The Rolling Stones  
Sticky Fingers

All Kooper
New York City (You’re a Women)

Joan Armatrading  
Whatever’s For Us

The New Seekers
I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing ( Coke Ad )

Lindisfarne  

Procol Harum
A Salty Dog

Produced and Engineered:

Jeff Beck
There And Back

David Bowie
Hunky Dory
Ziggy Stardust
Aladdin Sane
Pinups

Billy Cobham
Spectrum
Crosswinds
Total Eclipse
Shabazz

dada
Puzzle

Dixie Dregs
What If
Night Of The Living Dregs

Stanley Clarke
Clarke
Journey To Love [Grammy Nominated]
Schooldays

Kansas
Vinyl Confessions

Level 42
True Colours

Devo
Duty Now For The Future

Patrick Swayze & Larry Gatlin
Brothers

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Emerald Visions Of The Pure Beyond [Grammy Nominated]
The Lost Trident Sessions

Supertramp
Crime Of The Century [Grammy Nominated]
Crisis, What Crisis?

The Tubes
Young And Rich

Jeff Beck
There and Back

Hellion

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You to Alfred Music Publishing

ALFRED Music

Kristi Lauren “I Hate My Teenage Daughter” Loves to Give Back

Kristi Lauren gives back with Support for Aids Research, Clean Water Initiatives and Especially a Cervical Cancer Cure

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmlxp20FKv0]

The site was the rooftop pool at the famous L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. 

Kristi Lauren was posing for pictures for various non profits and and other businesses that are working hard to get their products to market with a little hand from celebrity endorsements.

Kristi was having a great time and although she did not have a single or particular cause she was supporting, she wanted to share with others her concerns and her belief that it is important to give back.

Kristi and her mom were so fun and and Kristi is a really down to earth kind of person. It was fun interviewing her and we wish her the best of luck with the new show. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kristi LaurenKristi Lauren

From Wikipedia

Kristi Lauren (born January 19, 1994) is an American actress. She currently co-stars as Sophie Watson on the Fox sitcom I Hate My Teenage Daughter.

Lauren began acting professionally in 2004 in the short film Save Virgil. In 2006, she had small role in the film Living the Dream starring Sean Young. In 2009, she co-starred in Melora Hardin‘s directorial debut film You. She also guest starred in the series Wizards of Waverly Place and Working Class in 2009 and 2011, respectively.[1]

Twitter: @KristiiLauren

Facebook: www.Facebook.com

Water, Aids and Cervical Cancer

The following organizations are not necesarily endorsed by Kristi Lauren and are placed here just for reference. They were chosen because they were rated the tops in their niches by Charity Navigator.

Water.org

The water and sanitation problem in the developing world is far too big for charity alone. We are driving the water sector for new solutions, new financing models, greater transparency, and real partnerships to create lasting change. Our vision: the day when everyone in the world can take a safe drink of water.

Co-founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, Water.org is a nonprofit organization that has transformed hundreds of communities in Africa, South Asia, and Central America by providing access to safe water and sanitation.

Water.org traces its roots back to the founding of WaterPartners in 1990. In July 2009, WaterPartners merged with H2O Africa, resulting in the launch of Water.org. Water.org works with local partners to deliver innovative solutions for long-term success. Its microfinance-based WaterCredit Initiative is pioneering sustainable giving in the sector.

The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center

The Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center (ADARC) was established in 1991 to focus on the basic science of AIDS and HIV in a research environment that fosters the highest scientific creativity. ADARC is the world’s largest independent research center devoted solely to HIV/AIDS Research.

We are fully committed to our mission to find solutions that will ultimately end the AIDS pandemic. We have adopted a multidisciplinary approach – virology, immunology, molecular biology, and clinical medicine – to pursue a number of projects in AIDS research.

In addition to basic research, ADARC also runs a Clinical Program that translates research into Clinical Trials that can affect millions of people living with HIV.

Prevent Cancer Foundation

The mission of the Prevent Cancer Foundation is the to save lives through cancer prevention and early detection.

The Foundation focuses its energies and resources on those cancers – including breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, oral, prostate, skin, and testicular – that can be prevented through lifestyle changes or detection and treatment in their early stages.

Since our inception 25 years ago, we have provided more than $125 million in support of cancer prevention and early detection research, education, advocacy, and community outreach programs nationwide and have played a pivotal role in developing a body of knowledge that is the basis for important prevention and early detection strategies.

We have funded over 400 scientists at over 150 leading medical institutions across the country. Our public education programs have applied this scientific knowledge to teach the public on ways they can reduce their cancer risks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Reno Wilson of Mike and Molly Supports ThinkCure Cancer Community

Reno WilsonReno Wilson plays Mike’s partner Officer Carl McMillan on CBS’s Mike and Molly

Reno, now living in Los Angeles via the Brooklyn, has played many parts and is now gaining recognition on CBS’s hit show Mike and Molly, but Reno also supports many causes including ThinkCure who’s mission is to fight cancer.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My1Vc0StFMk]

My wife and I love the show Mike and Molly and so I was very pleased to see and meet Reno at the GBK Gifting Suites for the Golden Globes.

Reno was having fun cracking up all the vendors with his easy and friendly sense of humor.

Reno is the kind of guy who looks you in the eye and is interested in your name and who you are. It made this interview very friendly and fun.

I need to take you up on that spin class…. Thanks Reno – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reno WilsonReno Wilson

Actor / Voice Artist / Producer

From Wikipedia

Reno Wilson (born Roy Wilson; January 20, 1970) is an American actor and voice artist who has appeared in a number of television programs and films. His first television role was on the NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, where (on a recurring basis) he portrayed Theo Huxtable’s college friend Howard during Seasons 5 and 6 of the series. His most recent film roles were that of Orlando in the 2009 film Crank: High Voltage, reprising his role from Crank, and as the voices of Frenzy, Mudflap and Brains in the Transformers film series. He is also the voice of Sazh Katzroy in Final Fantasy XIII. He is currently in the TV show Mike and Molly on CBS, has also acted in Prison Break and the current voice of the character Killer Bee in the anime Naruto Shippuden.

That is the Wikipedia bio, but you really need to check out Reno’s IMDB page as he has played in so many more great movies and shows… To name a few..

Scrubs, Heist, Blind Justice, Sliders, NYPD Blue, The Sentinel, Sgt. Bilko, Coach, The Fresh Prince and many more….

ThinkCureThinkCure!

ThinkCure! is an innovative, community-based non-profit that raises funds to accelerate collaborative research to cure cancers.

Our vision is to bring Southern Californians together to work towards a common cause to cure children and adults with cancer.

We aim to find cures for cancers by funding innovative research projects at City of Hope and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. An objective, peer-based panel of expert doctors reviews two-year grant applications once a year and funds are awarded to the most promising collaborative and cutting edge cancer research projects that can involve other top cancer research hospitals.

At ThinkCure!, we rely on community support, calling on everyone in our community to get involved and make a difference in the fight against cancer. Your support in any amount is essential to our programs, please donate to help us work to find cures for cancers.

Read more about our Mission and History. Or learn about our partner hospitals City of Hope and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Looking for our most recent 990?  Get the PDF here.

ThinkCure Spin Event Yas-A-Thon at YAS Studios on 06/03/12.

If you live in Los Angeles you can visit any one of the several YAS (Yoga and Spinning) Studios for this event: More Info Here……

ThinkCure! Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Samantha Harris of DWTS and ET on Feeding America’s Hungry Children

Samantha Harris Works with Feeding America.Org to Help Stop Childhood Hunger in America

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMPgbMXDTpA]

We caught Samantha Harris, formally co-host of Dancing With The Stars and Entertainment Tonight, and recently on Stars Earn Strips, at the GBK Gifting Suites for the 2012 Oscars. Stars come out to support great charities and businesses that often support their own charities.

I really love this charity as past Los Angeles Coordinator of Feed333 which for 3 years running, was the nations #1 largest one day food giveaway, I am familiar with the hunger issue in America and it is not just about the homeless. We are talking about the working poor in this country. Below you will find statistics that should make us all a bit embarrassed.

What a great honor it was to get to interview such a well known interviewer. I did not ask her how I did, but I can tell you how cool Samantha was.

I left a little leader on this interview to show you what I mean. She was in a hurry and we had camera issues. She just dealt and came back when we fixed it.

She told me that she was not new to technical difficulties. Even though she has interviewed some of the most important or well known people of our time she made me feel so comfortable… Thanks Samantha. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Samantha HarrisSamantha Harris

A seasoned entertainment news journalist and two-time Emmy-nominated TV personality, Samantha Harris was recently seen co-hosting Stars Earn Strips  with General Wesley Clark four-star general as NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander on NBC. She commentated the action for a plethora of celebrities as they competed on special forces missions. Samantha is also well known for her work on the world’s #1 entertainment news program, Entertainment Tonight, as correspondent.  In just her first months with the show, she covered the Cannes Film Festival, traveled to two film sets in Hawaii (for interviews with Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman), and also interviewed stars such as Jake Gyllenhaal, Russell Crowe, Sting, Cate Blanchett, Michael Douglas and more!

Samantha is best-known for her eight seasons co-hosting the live ABC hit Dancing With The Stars, which averaged more than 30 million viewers weekly and was the #2 most-watched show in the U.S. in each of those years.  In Season 2, she even kicked up her heals on the ballroom floor to perform a Jive routine with World Smooth Champion and DWTS professional dancer Jonathan Roberts.

Simultaneously with her time on DWTS, Samantha pulled double hosting duty as she passionately shared her opinion nightly as a panelist and correspondent on the entertainment news program CBS Television Distribution’s The Insider.

In her first year with the program, she covered President Obama’s inauguration in Washington, D.C.; surfed the North Coast of Oahu during an interview with 19-year-old surfing champion Bethany Hamilton – who lost her arm to a shark attack at age 13; interviewed Oprah in Chicago and Olympic skater Nancy Kerrigan in LA, in the days following her father’s death; as well as interviewed Hollywood’s A-list on the red carpet at the Emmys, SAG Awards, Golden Globes and Oscars.

Additionally, Samantha made her Broadway debut in summer 2009 in New York City, singing and dancing for sold-out audiences playing the iconic role of “Roxie Hart” in the long-running musical CHICAGO.

Samantha has been seen on a myriad of TV shows, including: filling in for Meredith Vieira as a guest host for a week on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire; multiple times as a guest host on ABC’s The View; contributing as a special correspondent on ABC’s Good Morning America.

One of her greatest honors was hosting, alongside Regis Philbin, the live official red carpet pre-show for ABC’s 80th Annual Academy Awards: Road To the Red Carpet, which garnered nearly one billion viewers worldwide.

samantha harrisBeginning in January 2005 and continuing for four years, Harris was seen in over 130 countries in 600 million homes on E! Entertainment Television.  In addition to writing, producing and reporting daily for E! News, she co-hosted the network’s live award-show coverage for the Oscars, Golden Globes and Emmys.  Samantha has also found herself reporting from inside San Quentin Penitentiary as host for E!’s THS Investigates, a spin-off series from the producers of E! True Hollywood Story.

Prior to her work on The Insider and E!, Samantha served as the weekend co-host and full-time correspondent for the nationally syndicated entertainment news magazine Extra which she joined in 2003.  As a correspondent who sought out unique stories, Samantha took to the stage performing with Cirque du Soleil, sang a duet with Wayne Newton during his live show in Las Vegas, as well as dancing her way into the arms of the late beloved Patrick Swayze backstage, while he was starring in the LA tour-stop of Chicago.

Samantha’s other hosting credits include FOX’s The Next Joe Millionaire, AMC Access (a show produced by NBC’s Access Hollywood forthe AMC network).

Harris’ triple-threat talents were noticed within her first years living in Los Angeles.  Hot off the North American musical tour Eric Idle Exploits Monty Python (where Samantha’s comedic, vocal, and dance performance electrified audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and other prestigious venues), CBS cast her as America’s sweetheart, “Dawn Wells aka Mary Ann”, in its made-for-TV movie Surviving Gilligan’s Island.  Samantha’s other acting credits include the multi-award winning Reefer Madness!: The New “Hit” Musical(original cast) as well as multiple feature films and television shows.

In addition to gracing the cover of Muscle & Fitness HERS magazine a record four times,Samantha has also been seen on the covers of a variety of other magazine including USA Today magazine, FIRST, Fit Parent.  She has been featured inmany magazines including SHAPE, People, Health, Self, and others.  As a fitness enthusiast, she loves dancing, cardio-sculpting, Bikram yoga but will also confess… she’s a dessert fanatic!

Samantha is actively involved in various charities. She is on the Entertainment Council of Feeding America and has actively supported the Revlon Run/Walk and What A Pair for cancer research, Operation Smile, P.S. Arts, the Crohns and Colitis Foundation of America and others.

In 2009, Samantha was given the honor of making her Wall Street debut by ‘Ringing The Bell’ to open trading at the New York Stock Exchange in front of a television audience of more than 120 million.

Born and raised in Hopkins, MN by a rock concert promoter father and dancer mother – who together created and produced one of the country’s first Renaissance festivals, King Richard’s Faire– Samantha went on to graduate with honors from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Evanston, IL.  She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters, Josselyn and Hillary.

So now that Samantha is not with Dancing with The Stars and E! Entertainment, what is she up to? Samantha has teamed up with the charity Feeding America and its partner Nestle’s Juicy Juice as the spokesperson for this summer’s Fruit For All Project, which will donate 35 million pieces of fresh fruit to children and families in need.”

For more info and photos of Samantha Harris, go to www.samantha-harris.com

Feeding America

In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 people in the United States, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.

Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger.  These are often hard-working adults, children and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and are forced to go without food for several meals, or even days.

It’s time to educate ourselves about the causes of hunger in America.

Feeding America is the nation’s leading hunger-relief charity. Through its network of more than 200 food banks, Feeding America provides assistance to more than 25 million low-income people facing hunger in the United States each year.

Take the Hunger Quiz

Hunger & Poverty Statistics

Although related, food insecurity and poverty are not the same.  Unemployment rather than poverty is a stronger predictor of food insecurity.

Poverty [1]

  • In 2009, 43.6 million people (14.3 percent) were in poverty.
  • In 2009, 8.8 million (11.1% percent) families were in poverty.
  • In 2009, 24.7 million (12.9 percent) of people ages 18-64 were in poverty.
  • In 2009, 15.5 million (20.7 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
  • In 2009, 3.4 million (8.9 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.

Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security[2]

  • In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children.
  • In 2010, 14.5 percent of households (17.2 million households) were food insecure.
  • In 2010, 5.4 percent of households (6.4 million households) experienced very low food security.
  • In 2010, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.2 percent compared to 11.7 percent.
  • In 2010, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.2 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (35.1 percent) or single men (25.4 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (25.1 percent) and Hispanic households (26.2 percent).
  • In 2009, 8.0 percent of seniors living alone (925,000 households) were food insecure.
  • Food insecurity exists in every county in America, ranging from a low of 5 percent in Steele County, ND to a high of 38 percent in Wilcox County, AL.[3]

Nine states exhibited statistically significant higher household food insecurity rates than the U.S. national average 2008-2010:1

 United States                    14.6%
 Mississippi                      19.4%
 Texas                            18.8%
 Arkansas                         18.6%
 Alabama                          17.3%
 Georgia                          16.9%
 Ohio                             16.4%
 Florida                          16.1%
 California                       15.9%
 North Carolina                   15.7%

Use of Emergency Food Assistance and Federal Food Assistance Programs

  • In 2010, 4.8 percent of all U.S. households (5.6 million households) accessed emergency food from a food pantry one or more times.2
  • In 2010, 59.2 percent of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the three major Federal food assistance programs –Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamp Program), The National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.2
  • Feeding America provides emergency food assistance to an estimated 37 million low-income people annually, a 46 percent increase from 25 million since Hunger in America 2010.[4]
  • Among members of Feeding America, 74 percent of pantries, 65 percent of kitchens, and 54 percent of shelters reported that there had been an increase since 2006 in the number of clients who come to their emergency food program sites.4

[1] U.S. Census Bureau. Carmen  DeNavas-Walt, B. Proctor, C. Lee.  Income, Poverty, and Heath Insurance Coverage in the United States:  2009.

[2] USDA. Coleman-Jensen, A., Nord, M., Andrews, M., & Carlson, S.  Household Food Security in the United States in 2010.

[3] Feeding America. Gundersen, G., Waxman, E., Engelhard, E., & Brown, J. Map the Meal Gap, 2011.

[4]Rhoda Cohen, J., Mabli, F., Potter, Z., Zhao. Mathematica Policy Research, Feeding America.  Hunger in America 2010.  February 2010.


[i] U.S. Department of Labor.Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2010 Annual Average Unemployment Rates.

Feeding America Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Events – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Related Posts:
Samantha Harris from Dancing with the Stars and Entertainment Tonight has Revealed her Cancer has Spread.

Karina Smirnoff of Dancing with The Stars on Helping Kids Learn the Arts

Karina Smirnoff of Dancing with The Stars Gives Back Helping Kids Get Affordable Arts Education

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDDM5se76Es]

Things were pretty crazy as a bunch of celebrities came, all at the same time, into the tent around the pool on the roof of the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills. 

Karina was busy visiting vendors and non-profit booths to help them promote their projects and products, when she stopped for a minute to talk to me about her passion AIM.

Karina was so fun and so cool and she was happy to talk about the cause she has been supporting.

So Karina thank you very much for taking the time and being so gracious. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karina SmirnoffKarina Smirnoff

Season 13 Mirror Ball Champion Karina Smirnoff has made her mark for the past six years as one of the featured dancers on ABC’s hit reality series Dancing with the Stars. Her success on Dancing with the Stars, the #1 rated show in its category averaging 36+ million viewers per week, has made Karina a household name and a sought after beauty, health, fitness, and fashion icon. In 2011 she was the most Googled professional dancer on the show.

What most people don’t know about the Ukrainian beauty is that her skills are not merely physical. She studied diligently at Fordham University in New York and earned two degrees – a B.A. in Economics and in Information Systems Programming. Karina is also a talented fashion designer and choreographer. She choreographs all of her own partnered routines on Dancing with the Stars and has been designing all of the costumes for both her and her current partner for the season since day one.

Karina started competing in ballroom dancing competitions at the age of 11. She is a five-time U.S. National Champion, World Trophy Champion, and Asian Open Champion. She has won the title at the UK Open, is a three-time champion at the US Open, two-time champion at the Asian Open, five-time champion at the Dutch Open, and five-time US National Professional Champion. She has taken second at the British Open Blackpool Dance Festival and she is the first woman to also ever make the “British Professional Final” with three different partners. Karina has also been ranked #2 in the world for Latin Dance.

She is considered “one of the most stylish and fit stars in Hollywood” and has been featured in numerous publications: FHM, Fitness Magazine, LA Confidential, Muscle & Fitness, TV Guide, and Woman’s World. She is a regular on the pages of People Magazine, Life & Style, US Weekly, OK! Magazine, and In Touch.

In 2011, Karina released two new designs from her Bearpaw Boots KS Collection – the Alyeska and the Capulet. She also joined forces with Girlactik Beauty to create Karina’s Hurry Up & Get Ready Look – a quick solution to look party perfect in minutes. She released her first successful dance fitness DVD called Shape Up with Karina and will be releasing a series of workout DVD’s called DanceFITNESS. She also opened a successful dance studio in Woodland Hills, CA called Karina Smirnoff Dance. The studio incorporates competitive, social dance classes, and fitness dance classes, as well as a scholarship program for at-risk youth directly related to her charity Dance Intervention – a division of Alternative Intervention Models.

Karina has a passion for environmental causes and her dance studio is the first eco-friendly LEED certified studio of its kind. In addition, Karina has led a celebrity consortium to activate the Wildlife Champions initiative with Procter & Gamble. She is also a PETA spokeswoman for the “I’d rather dance naked than wear fur” billboard and print campaign.

Karina recently launched her successful DanceFIT – KS program. DanceFIT – KS is a customized, unique fitness experience for hotel, resort, and cruise ship guests with a celebrity dance instructor that they will not get elsewhere. It is also gaining momentum at large, medium and small corporations as a way to keep workers motivated in the workplace, build company morale, and help workers achieve their health and wellness goals. Karina is touring internationally with the program.

Her past accomplishments include a starring role in Broadway’s hit record breaking sold out show Burn the Floor and a performance at the 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Karina has hosted segments for E! News, TV Guide, EXTRA, and has appeared in specials on Bravo, ABC, and Lifetime. She has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Hannah Montana, among others. She has also appeared in the film Shall We Dance.

Karina is a versatile and dynamic talent and a force to be reckoned with. She continues to captivate fans and audiences worldwide with her charismatic personality, unparalleled performance capabilities, beauty, and grace.

Alternative Intervention Models

Alternative Intervention Model’s goal it to enrich lives through the arts.

Our mission is to transform and develop hearts and minds of at-risk youth using the arts to inspire critical self-reflection and self-improvement.

video

Alternative Intervention Models envisions an educational system transformed at its core to recognize the value of “heART Education”: educating the hearts of youth and instilling emotional literacy through training in the arts. Education is a journey of self exploration as well as an exploration of our relationship to the world around us.

Through the process of heART education we help youth examine their purpose and relevance in life. We believe that the most powerful and most effective way to positively effect the minds of youth is to first reach them via the heart with art being the most effective tool. In a time of tremendous pain and struggle globally, it is through the study of arts and the artist that we learn our humanity and develop the skills necessary to heal our diverse communities emotionally while uniting them around shared experiences and values.

Leila on radio

Our Core Values

Education – a lifelong process of developing individuals technically, emotionally, physically, spiritually and otherwise to reach their full
potential.

Love – the most powerful force in life, the catalyst of all of our work
and art.

Creativity – a character trait with which we are all born; we believe we are all called to express our unique creativity.

Respect – being aware of and valuing the diversity of other individuals, other cultures, other ways of life.

Empathy – the arts are a tool that help us understand and relate to each other; heART education teaches greater empathy.

Community – it takes a village to raise a child; we live in a global village and are responsible for modeling the best examples for the youth.

Accountability – through difficult and controversial conversations using the arts, we help each other become accountable for ourselves and each other.

SKIM performs

1) Artist Intervention – in our Artist intervention programs we hold assemblies at elementary schools, high school, and colleges designed for the specific audiences at these various locations based on the issues that they need to address in their communities. We also operate Mic Sessions workshops at juvenile facilities, community centers, prisons, group homes, and other locations. Artist educators, a diverse selection of music artists perform at assemblies and at Mic Sessions workshops, and focus on unifying members of these various communities using music to breakdown barriers and open lines of communication and freedom of self-expression.

2) Dance Intervention – Karina Smirnoff heads up our Dance Intervention program, working with youth who find dance and movement as their chosen form of artistic self-expression. This program teaches consistency, dedication, attention to detail, and healthy physical and emotional lifestyle.

3) Athletic Intervention – AIM’s Athletic Intervention programs currently include basketball, yoga, and fitness training. Ahmad Clayton directs our Athletic Intervention program, bringing a unique form of basketball training to at-risk youth that focuses on providing a high quality alternative option to high cost athletic after school programs.

AIM’s Athletic Intervention programs help youth grow technically, emotionally, and physically while instilling values such as teamwork, strength, healthy-diet, non-violence, positive work ethic, and good sportsmanship.

4) Acting Intervention – AIM’s Acting Intervention program features guest lectures and workshops from highly experienced film industry professionals that train actors/actresses as artists in every facet of the film entertainment business. Focused mostly on aspiring teenage and young adult actors/actresses, the Acting Intervention program provides mentors, skill training, and career guidance. One of the major goals is to engage these youth and help them learn to tell their narrative and their communities narrative through their work.

5) Media Intervention – AIM’s Media Intervention program provides education in traditional media and new media technology, teaching youth about the resources that are accessible to them within and outside of their communities. We show youth how to effectively communicate on a local and global level using new media and a host of collaborative methods made available via the internet and related technologies.

AIM Website

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Michael Lindell’s MyPillow and The Lindell Foundation

Michael J. Lindell Inventor of My Pillow and Founder of the Lindell Foundation

Talks to us about his special pillow and about his foundation program to help CRACk and meth addicts kick the habit

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoyjHb1esqo]

At the GBK Gifting Suites for the American Music Awards I met the lovely Lisa Hill who does marketing, PR and co-founded the Lindell Foundation for MyPillow inventor Michael Lindell.

You may know Michael Lindell from his late night infomercials for his MyPillow product which he states is the best pillow you will ever own.

I was given a pillow to try out at the event and have been sleeping on it ever since. I did not like it straight out of the package.. I like slim no support pillows and MyPillow is thick and actually when you first get it, it is lumpy. I has a bunch of different sizes of foam in it and you can feel them.

I was convinced I would not like this at all. The first night I slept with it I did not wake up through the night and even though it was different than any other pillow I was using, I did not have a crick in my neck either, upon waking.

MyPillow Michael Lindell and JW NajarianI have since really taken to this pillow and now own two of them.

At the GBK Oscar event Micheal was there and I got a chance to interview him about the pillow and about his well known addiction to crack and meth (speed).

This is an addiction that is known to be very rough on a person and very very hard to beat, but Michael did and is now building the fastest growing company in America.

Michael is also giving back. He is using monies from the sales of MyPillow to fund his foundation that will, at no charge, reach the addicts that before, were considered unreachable and help them not only beat their addiction, but will help them recover and in many cases give them jobs so they can move back up in society.

MyPillow is built in the USA and is not sold in stores… Michael wants to control the quality of the product and give the best possible customer service available to the owners of this pillow.

Michael is serious about helping people and the pillow….

Micheal it was wonderful meeting and talking to you. I look forward to the programs you are talking about creating and I love the pillow. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Pillow

Founded in 2004 by Michael J. Lindell, MyPillow is one of the top 10 fastest growing companies in the USA. An advocate for American Made product and ambassador for creating jobs in America, the company manufacture “the worlds most comfortable pillow’. Promoting health, comfort and durability, MyPillow is renowned for owning the only US paten in the category. A philanthropist at heart, Michael J. Lindell recently founded The Lindell Foundation to ‘reach the unreachable’ and continue his thrive towards an addiction free society. For more information please visit: www.mypillow.com

Michael J. Lindell

Over the past several years, Michael J. Lindellhas become a household name, and now with a newly launched infomercial, he is one of the most watched persons in America. Born and raised in Minnesota, Michael has been an entrepreneur all of his life. His creativity and driving passion to find success helped him conquer addictions, bankruptcy and several near death experiences to develop the life-changing product that became MyPillow. His extraordinary life story of recovery and perseverance inspires everyone who hears it and has attracted the attention of movie producers and writers from Hollywood. He has also started work on a memoir to share is story and inspire others for success.

Mike recently created his own television show called “The Mike Lindell Show”. Mike’s goal for the show is to help people change their lives by sharing personal, inspirational experiences from the heart and bringing on guests from around the country to do the same. His honesty and candor is refreshing at a time when the population is seeking authenticity.

Mike began his quest to create “the world’s most comfortable pillow” eight years ago when he was having difficulties in his life including not being able to sleep. He recalled the comfort he found in his pillow in his youth and set out to find this same comfort in his adult life. After years of research of both pillows and sleep disorders and experimentation with fill and fabrics, he combined health, comfort and durability to create one of the only patented pillows made here in the USA. He shared it with two of our country’s top neurologists who specialized in sleep disorders. They tested it and found that MyPillow properly supported the vertebrae which led to greater amounts of REM sleep and significantly better overall rest for the body. MyPillow now has thousands of personal and medical/professional testimonials and endorsements.

Since the first pillow was made in Carver Minnesota, MyPillow has been invited to be part of the gift basket programs at the Academy Awards (Oscars), the ESPY Awards and the American Music Awards, making MyPillow “The Pillow to the Stars”.

The Lindell Foundation

Being a “life changer” at heart, Mr. Lindell is using his success to help change the lives of others.

His charitable contributions have included MyPillows for our Military as well as The Imus Ranch, a working cattle ranch for kids with cancer. Mike has also partnered with “Breaking Free” which helps victims of human trafficking by offering employment and assistance in returning to society.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDLVz8btXEU]

At the heart of Mike’s passion is The Lindell Foundation, recently created to ‘reach the unreachable’, starting with those who are suffering with crack addition of the worst kind. He plans to open ‘free’ centers nationwide to support addicts both with recovery and mainstreaming into society and create an environment of hope in the lives of those seeking a better life free from addiction.

Mike’s commitment to create jobs here in the USA with an All American made product has become a reality in a overall unstable economy. The dream of owning your own business with a worthwhile product is alive and well here in homegrown Minnesota.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

RevitaLash Showcases Eyelash Conditioner

RevitaLash products were showcased at the GBK Gifting Suites for the AMA’s Golden Globes and Oscars

Bree Maxwell of Athena Cosmetics talks to me about the incredible Revitalash product line

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYpjNc62BAo]
I got a chance to talk to Bree Maxwell of Athena Cosmetics about Revitalash Eyelash conditioner.

Bree claims that RevitaLash is the fastest working product on the market and that you can see real results in as little as 3 weeks.

I have seen Bree at several awards gifting suites and RevitaLash is always a big favorite with the celebrities.

If you are looking to try some of the RevitaLash products you can find them at RevitaLash®

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Revitalash productsRevitaLash®

The Story

It all began when a Doctor wanted to give his wife a very special gift.

RevitaLash® was developed by Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D. as a special gift for his wife, Gayle, while she was recovering from metastatic breast cancer treatments. Intensive chemotherapy had damaged Gayle’s once-beautiful eyelashes, leaving them fragile, sparse and thin. Based upon his knowledge and experience as a practicing ophthalmologist for over 25 years, Dr. Brinkenhoff believed that he could develop a formula that would give Gayle’s eyelashes the look of renewed health, strength and beauty.

After extensive research, Dr. Brinkenhoff, together with a talented team of cosmetic chemists, created a product that truly gave the beautiful look of renewed vitality to Gayle’s eyelashes. RevitaLash® was the perfect name for this amazing product!

Thus, an entirely new and unique cosmetic product was born; and a formula created originally for just one special lady has become a product available to men and women everywhere who want to have attractive, beautiful-looking eyelashes.

Often we feel helpless when someone we love is suffering. I am very fortunate, in my own small way, to have been able to help Gayle through her recovery. Watching her be excited about her beautiful looking eyelashes has been a real joy.

— Michael Brinkenhoff, M.D.

RevitaLash®

Products

RevitaLash® ADVANCED contains a proprietary blend of proven functional cosmetic ingredients pioneered by Athena Cosmetic Inc., including an infusion of powerful peptides and soothing botanicals, designed to both beautify and nourish the eyelashes. RevitaLash® ADVANCED is both dermatologist and ophthalmologist reviewed, non-allergenic and in a clinical study over 97% of users saw an improved appearance of their eyelashes in only 3 weeks!

Inspired by America’s #1 Eyelash Conditioner, Hair ADVANCED by RevitaLash® is a unique hair conditioner that fortifies and strengthens the hair so it appears thicker, fuller and healthier.  This remarkable hair bulking product enhances the appearance of fine, thin, fragile-looking hair in a matter of weeks. Packed with conditioning agents like Ginkgo Biloba, Ginseng Root, Swertia Japonica Extract, fruit extracts and wheat proteins, Hair ADVANCED by RevitaLash® is revitalizing and very easy to use. All you need is one or two pumps massaged into areas where you want your hair to appear thicker and fuller.

Beautifully shaped eyebrows are now easier to achieve than ever before with RevitaBrow®.  Utilizing the power of peptides and botanicals to strengthen, condition and nourish the eyebrows along with advanced technology, RevitaBrow® will help you achieve a more polished look by creating thicker and fuller appearing eyebrows.  When applied daily on a clean brow, you should start to see healthier looking brows within weeks!

Athena Cosmetics

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is committed to the belief that it’s continuing business success is built upon the manufacture and sale of safe, reliable, quality products, combined with uncompromising integrity and the spirit of philanthropy. As a company, we embrace and pass these values on to our customers, employees and partners.

Integrity

Our goal is to succeed in the marketplace by having the integrity to produce safe, top quality products that deliver a real benefit to our customers. Athena Cosmetics, Inc. has always taken great care to comply with all laws, and to uphold the values and principles that have been the hallmark of its company from its inception. We are devoted to the solid ethical business principles of honesty and hard work.

Quality

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. seeks the highest quality in research, information, business partners and people. We produce excellent products that are safe for the public  and which deliver high quality and reliability to our valued customers. We accept nothing less.

Philanthropy

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. has made philanthropy a cornerstone of its business profile. We believe in giving back to the community, as it is this care belief which inspired the creation of our company. All of our employees and staff are dedicated examples of this philosophy. Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is proud and honored to devote time, energy and resources to the goal of fighting breast cancer both by public education programs and by the contribution of time, energy and financial resources to the ultimate goal of finding a cure for this epidemic disease. Our philanthropic activities have focused on several organizations dedicated to breast cancer community across the country. Click Here to find out more information and to see how you can help!!!

Athena Cosmetics, Inc. is proud to be a part of the cosmetic business community and will continually strive to achieve the highest goals in all our endeavors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

Sugar Ray Leonard Helps Knock Out Juvenile Diabetes

Sugar Ray Leonard talks to us about his new SRL Foundation to help and find a cure for children who suffer from diabetes.

The Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation to help find a cure for juvenile diabetes, set up a booth at GBK Gifting suites for the Oscars 2012 and Sugar Ray came by with his family to check it all out.
[youtube=www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HILdg3KDtc]

We visited his booth and then interviewed Sugar Ray. I used to work for a Medtronic Minimed who make portable insulin pump for people with Type I diabetes and so I know that diabetes is already become an epidemic that needs our attention and kids are getting it at alarming rates.

Type II diabetes can often be taken care of with proper diet, exercise and sometimes, medicine, but Type I is a lifelong chronic disease, that is lethal if not treated and though treatment is effective for most it is not a cure.

Visit Sugar Ray Leonard’s website. I looks like he spends most of his time giving back to many great causes. Sugar Ray, thank you for your time and for all you do to help. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sugar Ray Leonard Sugar Ray Leonard

From Wikipedia

Sugar Ray Leonard (born May 17, 1956) is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother’s favorite singer, Ray Charles. Leonard was the first boxer to earn more than $100 million in purses, won world titles in five weight divisions and defeated future fellow International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees Wilfred Benítez, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and Marvin Hagler.[1][2] Leonard was named “Boxer of the Decade” for the 1980s.[3]

You can see samples of my work at http://www.DavidIlan.com.

logo sugar ray leonard foundation shSugar Ray Leonard Foundation

Sugar Ray Leonard has been the International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Walk for a Cure, for many years.

Sugar Ray and his wife Bernadette have founded the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation to help raise awareness, fund research and help find a cure to Juvenile Diabetes and child obesity.

Sugar Ray hosts a yearly Fight Night in Los Angeles to help Knock Out Diabetes. This year it will be held at the Santa Monica Pier on May 22nd, 2012.

It will be a star studded evening to raise funds and awareness of this awful disease that is harming our children.

book sugar-ray-leonard-the-big-fight 3dThe Big Fight

Sugar Ray Leonard’s Book The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring is Sugar Ray Leonard’s brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer.

The Olympic hero, multi-championship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed.

In this unflinching and inspiring autobiography, the boxing legend faces his single greatest competitor: himself.

Coming from a tumultuous, impoverished household and a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, Sugar Ray Leonard rose swiftly and skillfully through the ranks of amateur boxing-and eventually went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. With an extremely ill father and no endorsement deals, Leonard decided to go pro.

The Big Fight takes readers behind the scenes of a notoriously corrupt sport and chronicles the evolution of a champion, as Leonard prepares for the greatest fights of his life-against Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, and Wilfred Benitez. At the same time Leonard fearlessly reveals his own contradictions and compulsions, his infidelity, and alcohol and cocaine abuse.

With honesty, humor, and hard-won perspective, Leonard comes to terms with both triumph and struggle-and presents a gripping portrait of remarkable strength, courage, and resilience, both in and out of the ring.

Daisy Rock Girl Guitars Supports Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation

LOS ANGELES, CA – March 27, 2012
Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, the original girl guitar company, proudly supports the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation with the donation of a Wildwood Artist Acoustic-Electric Pink Burst guitar, featured at the 2012 Academy Awards Nominees and Presenters Celebrity Gift Lounge, hosted by GBK Productions. The guitar, sought by request of the George Lopez family, was signed by a wide variety of celebrities and will be auctioned to benefit the foundation’s research and awareness towards finding a cure for juvenile diabetes.

GBK Productions, the luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company, hosted the Annual Celebrity Gift Lounge late-February, honoring the 2012 Academy Awards Nominees and Presenters. Notable Hollywood celebrities were present and took part in signing the Daisy Rock guitar, including Emmy® Award-winning actor Hector Elizondo, Sasha Pieterse (Heroes, Pretty Little Liars), Iqbal Theba (Principal Figgins, Glee), Kate Flannery (Meredith Palmer, The Office), comedian Kevin Nealon, and many others.

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard shares his heart for those stricken by juvenile diabetes: “My wife Bernadette and I put [the foundation] together about two years ago because we were so touched by so many lives that diabetes has affected—especially the kids. We’re looking forward to the day that we eradicate diabetes, juvenile diabetes, from our innocent kids . . . just being of service is a wonderful feeling.” Of the donations, Leonard commented: “The memorabilia that we have gathered – gloves, an amazing guitar with names of superstars – and we’re just looking forward to raising a lot of money for a wonderful cause.”

Tish Ciravolo, President and Founder of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars commented: “Daisy Rock is so happy to be able to donate the Wildwood Artist Acoustic-Electric Pink Burst guitar to the Sugar Ray Leonard foundation which was requested by George Lopez and his family.  It is such an honor to see these awesome and entertaining celebrities taking a moment out of their very busy schedule at the Academy Awards to stop and sign our guitar.  Just look at who signed and how many signatures we got—SWEET!”

www.SugarRayLeonard.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Events – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Filter 2Go Green Personal Portable Water Filter With Heart

Filter 2Go, Is Ultra Green Conscious, Personal, Portable Water Filter that can last for 400 bottles of water

Or approximately 3 months of normal use.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r8HtxJUOS0]

Bottled water is expensive and not always available. Filter 2Go may be the solution for you.

Biodegradible and BPA free plastic bottles with a replaceable filter that filters out chlorine, bad tastes and odors from the water and they have one that you can use with salt water and river or lake water too.

Filter 2Go also works with charities that help third world countries with water issues.

You can custom brand your bottles, they have shower heads that get rid of chlorine.

If you want more information get in touch with Mark Firestone at 310-203-8280. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filter 2GOFilter 2Go

Filter 2GO is dedicated to cleaner, better-tasting water utilizing individual water purification products.

There environment-friendly personal water filter bottles, shower head filters, and other products are designed to purify water as it is used and to protect our environment from the billions of disposable water bottles that end up in our landfills.

There products are made from recycled plastic water bottles and are bio-degradable, BPA and contaminant free.

Filter 2GO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

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.

Steve Farber Radical Leap Re-Energized

[youtube=http://youtu.be/65qqciGnrN4&w=480&h=335]
Author, Speaker Steve Farber sits down to tell us about his new 2 book compilation and how he plans to help schools by teaching leadership skills to teachers.

It was my delight to see Liz Strauss walk into the Green Room at Blogworld 2011. I had the pleasure of picking her up at the airport for here visit to the event, but had not seen her since leaving her at her hotel.

She is always pretty busy. Liz gave me a Liz moment and then introduced me to Steve Farber. I had heard of Steve, but was not that familiar with his work. Liz told me straight away that not only did I need to read his book, but I really needed to interview him.

I don’t know if it is possible to say no to Liz as I have never tried, but this was not the time I was going to test anything out. I met Steve and we started talking. I immediately realized this was someone I needed to talk to.

Not my best interview since I did not know the subject matter that well, but Steve was more that delightful. He was sharp and to the point, fun and entertaining and at the same time very serious about his message.

I have since started reading Steve’s book and it is definitely going to reside on the important shelf in my library.

I have to thank Liz for the introduction and Steve for giving such a great interview without the brightest interviewer to work off of…. – JW

Steve Farber Steve Farber

A subject-matter expert in business leadership and a frequent guest on news-talk shows around the country, Farber is a senior-level leadership coach and consultant who has worked with and spoken to a wide variety of public and private organizations in virtually every arena, from the tech sector to financial services, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, entertainment, retail, and even the US government.

Leading from experience.

In 1989, after having run his own financial services company, Farber devoted his professional life to the field of leadership development and has been at it ever since.

Steve was director of service programs at TMI, an international training consultancy, and then worked for 6 years as Vice President and Official Mouthpiece (that’s what it said on his business card) of The Tom Peters Company where he met several of his mentors including author/gurus Tom Peters, Jim Kouzes, and Terry Pearce.

In 2000, Farber established his own company, Extreme Leadership, Inc, where he is president and CEO. He is also the co-founder of The Center for Social Profit Leadership, a non-profit organization formed to serve the leadership development needs of social entrepreneurs, and served as Vice Chairman on the Board of Directors of the world-renown, Up With People, a global leadership program for students from 18 to 29 years old.

A Universal Message.

“Approach the act of leadership as you’d approach an extreme sport: learn to love the fear and exhilaration that naturally comes with the territory.”

Steve Farber is the president of Extreme Leadership, Incorporated, and the founder of The Extreme Leadership Institute, organizations devoted to the cultivation and development of Extreme Leaders in the business community, non-profits and education.

His third book, Greater Than Yourself: The Ultimate Lesson In Leadership, was a Wall Street Journal® and USA Today® bestseller.

His second book, The Radical Edge: Stoke Your Business, Amp Your Life, and Change the World, was hailed as “a playbook for harnessing the power of the human spirit.”

And his first book, The Radical Leap: A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership, is already considered a classic in the leadership field. It received Fast Company magazine’s Readers’ Choice Award and was recently named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time. His newest edition, The Radical Leap Re-Energized: Doing What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do, is in bookstores now.

Steve’s Books

book radical leap re-energized Steve Farber

The Radical Leap Re-Energized

is an expansion and revitalization of The Radical Leap, which was named as one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time by Covert and Sattersten.

It’s a novel told in Steve Farber’s humorous, poignant, and original voice that takes the reader on a deep exploration of the qualities and practices of real, or Extreme Leadership, and how to apply them in daily life. Part One, The Radical Leap, explores the leadership elements of Love, Energy, Audacity, and Proof;

Part Two, The Radical Edge, takes the discussion deeper into innovation, personal clarity and guidelines for changing the world. It sets a new standard for what it means to really lead in today’s business world and beyond.

Steve Farber’s masterwork, The Radical Leap Re-Energized, is an inspired opus on what it means to be a leader of substance and significance. You’ll find yourself coming back to it again and again.” –Michael E. Ventling, Global CFO, Ernst & Young
Steve Farber leaps again. I was into it the first time. This time, I’m leaping with him!” –Chris Brogan, President Human Business Works

book greater than yourself steve farber

Greater Than Yourself

Too many people assume the timeless principles of true leadership—of helping others achieve their full potential—don’t apply Monday through Friday during work hours or in any circumstance where a paycheck is involved.

In GREATER THAN YOURSELF, Steve Farber proves them wrong: in this powerful and inspiring story, Farber shows that the goal of a genuine leader is to help others—teammates, employees, and colleagues—become more capable, confident, and accomplished than they are themselves. Through the actions of a forward-thinking and extraordinarily successful CEO, Farber reveals the three keys to achieving this: Expand Yourself, Give Yourself, and Replicate Yourself.

Filled with actionable principles and innovative ideas, GREATER THAN YOURSELF is perhaps the most powerful message today’s business leaders can learn.

Steve Farber Keynote Speaker

Leadership speaker and author, Steve Farber, has worked with a wide variety of public and private organizations in virtually every arena, from the tech sector to financial services, manufacturing, health care, hospitality, entertainment, retail, government agencies and more.

And whatever the audience, Steve’s speeches are always deeply thought-provoking and eminently practical, as well as inspiring and entertaining—a combination of qualities that are a must for any successful conference or meeting.

These are just a few of the great programs Steve presents to different organizations.

The Radical Leap

Extreme Leadership at Work and Beyond

Based on the book named as one of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time

In this chaotic and extreme age, business leaders must demonstrate an unprecedented level of passion, determination, foresight, dedication, and fearlessness. In this wildly popular speech, leadership speaker, Steve Farber, shows you how to use the LEAP framework – Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof to radically improve your organization and your life.

Greater Than Yourself

3 Steps to Attaining the New Gold Standard of Leadership

The truly great leaders in life and work become so by causing others to be greater than themselves. In this program—based on his new book, Greater Than Yourself—leadership speaker, Steve Farber, shows that dedicating yourself to bringing others along so that they can achieve more than you is the ultimate way to boost talent, ramp productivity and create truly significant current and future leaders.

Radical Accountability

Making the Leap From Individual Contributor to Extreme Leader

Whatever the challenge at your company—improving customer service, coping with change, inspiring transformation, improving corporate culture, recruiting and retaining great talent, building teamwork, fostering innovation—it all comes down to this: someone has to do something significant and enlist others to help. Someone, in other words, has to take accountability. Someone has to lead. And it doesn’t have to be the boss. Leadership, ultimately, has nothing to do with the title on your business card or your position on the organizational chart. It’s about who you are and what you do to change things for the better—regardless of your “place” in the company.

Steve Farber can be Found At:
http://www.SteveFarber.com
http://twitter.com/SteveFarber
http://www.FaceBook.com/SteveFarber
http://www.LinkedIn.com/in/SteveFarber

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blogworld expoBlogworld & new media expo

The World’s Largest Social Media Event 275+ Speakers, 3 Days of Cutting-edge Sessions & Workshops, a Tradeshow Exploding with New Media Resources…plus great Networking Events day and night!

Learn how to create better content, grow your brand, audience and revenue online from the world’s most successful New Media experts & Social Media innovators.

www.blogworldexpo.com

Positively Positive Founders Eric and Julie Handler at BlogWorld 2011

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0pX4PjY42M&w=480&h=335]
Over 1.1Million LIKES on Facebook
Gary W. Goldstein Interviews the Founders of Positively Positive.

Blogworld is visited by some of the most influential people on the web and in business, media, publishing and writing so it was not strange to see my dear friend Gary W. Goldstein and Eric and Julie Handler at this event.

Gary W Goldstein a long time friend introduced me to Eric and Julie at the Blogworld Conference. I had not heard of them up to that point. I must have been hiding under a rock or something!

Gary is a friend of Eric’s and he wanted me to interview him about Positively Positive. Gary started to give me a list of questions he thought I might ask and I immediately saw from his enthusiasm, that he might be the better person to do the interview. Gary is best know for being the producer of such movies like “Pretty Woman” and “Underseige” but I have seen him interview others and knew this would be great, and it is.

So thank you Eric and Julie and especially Gary for this incredible interview about how people are getting involved in a community to inspire, support, educate, entertain and help one another. – JW

Eric Handler Positively PositiveEric Handler

From TEDx La Jolla

Named by Fade In Magazine as one of Hollywood’s Top 100, Eric Handler was a highly respected entertainment professional for 11 years, working as a development executive at Dreamworks and as an agent at the William Morris agency. All of that was not enough and eventually Eric was led to some soul searching, which sparked the idea of Positively Positive.

His Positively Positive Facebook page has garnered over a million fans in its first year, and is in the process of becoming an immersive website with uplifting messages from all walks of life, from Olympic Gold Medalists, to kids fighting for their lives, to everyday people wanting to make a difference in the world.

Eric lives in Los Angeles with wife and business partner, Julie, two daughters, and two dogs. He is a successful real estate entrepreneur, a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher, and an active board member with Y.O.G.A. for Youth, a nonprofit organization that provides urban youth with tools for self-discovery. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga, traveling, and spending time with his family.

logo positively positivePositively Positive

“Your Attitude + Your Choices = Your Life”

The Positively Positive Facebook page has garnered over 1 MILLION FANS in its first year.

Positivelypositive.com launched October 2011 and has already become the go-to destination and multi-media platform for inspiration online.

Fresh content is added daily to the growing library of blog posts, articles, interviews, quotes and videos which are designed to remind us that there is good in every situation.

The contributors and guests hail from every conceivable walk of life, from celebrities, to Olympic Gold Medalists, to kids fighting for their lives, to every day people wanting to make a difference in the world.

Positively Positive can also be found at:
http://twitter.com/PosPositive
http://www.youtube.com/PositivelyPositive
info@PositivelyPositive.com
http://www.PositivelyPositive.com

Eric Handler at TEDx La Jolla

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOmSTIInQ1g]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

gary w goldsteinGary W. Goldstein

GaryWGoldstein.com

Gary W. Goldstein has produced some of Hollywood’s biggest box office hits, generating well over a billion dollars in worldwide revenue, receiving multiple Academy Award nominations, People’s Choice Awards, a Golden Globe and various other awards. But that really doesn’t tell the whole story. Gary Goldstein would tell you that the story behind those films (which include Pretty Woman, Under Siege and a long list of other acclaimed works) is the people. It’s the cast of hundreds that come together and produce a work so compelling that millions of people choose to participate once the curtain is pulled back.

The world at large, however, would say that the story behind those successes is the leader. The guy who pulls it all together with grace and a keen talent for the golden thread that connects projects, people and success. That is Gary W. Goldstein.

Gary’s experience, strategies and powerful collaborations, developed over three decades of success stories in entertainment and in the business world, have empowered him to consistently and successfully reinvent and energize other people’s messages, offerings, businesses and their bottom line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blogworld expoBlogworld & new media expo

The World’s Largest Social Media Event 275+ Speakers, 3 Days of Cutting-edge Sessions & Workshops, a Tradeshow Exploding with New Media Resources…plus great Networking Events day and night!

Learn how to create better content, grow your brand, audience and revenue online from the world’s most successful New Media experts & Social Media innovators.

www.blogworldexpo.com

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/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Thousands of Raped and Abused Become Beautiful Points With Purpose

Celebrity Artist David Ilad Helps Survivors of Rape, Sexual Abuse and Incest

While at the GBK Gifting suites for the American Music Awards we met celebrity artist David Ilad who uses dots to draw wonderful portraits and he has decided to make each dot of his current work stand for each victim that he meets or that signs up on his site “Points with Purpose“, anonymously, as survivors of rape, sexual abuse and Incest.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOvcZ0jyQ8M]

As a survivor of sexual abuse myself, I can tell you first hand, how powerful it is to see David’s beautiful portrait, made of thousands of dots, when you realize that each dot is representing men and women who suffered some type of sexual abuse.

I am proud to have one of those dots represent me and as I read some of the stories on David’s website all I could think of was how great it was to have a place, an event that brings so many together to finally talk about and sometimes, for the first time, share their feelings of guilt, grief and growth.

I thank David for taking a moment to talk with us about his project and especially for the gift he is giving with his work. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

david ilan David Ilan

David’s celebrity drawing career started over 10 years ago when Jerry Seinfeld saw some of his drawings.

Until that point he had been drawing mostly models and didn’t have much of a portfolio.

Life took a major turn when David was commissioned to draw the entire cast of Seinfeld since at the time it was one of the hottest shows on television. From then on it was like life was put into high speed.

David Ilan has been fortunate to have some of the biggest celebrities pose for him throughout the years. Most of the David’s drawings have been for the celebrities’ private use but some have been created for other reasons. For example, one was made for an auction benefiting the American Cancer Society.

In 2007, David created the concept of “1 Dot = 1 Person” to bring more meaning to his art. Every dot he places on his canvas now represents a real person, and every David Ilan project has a charitable wing. He called his first project (which is still running) Points With Purpose. This project gives a voice to the survivors of rape or sexual abuse.

David has created several portraits using the “1 Dot = 1 Person” concept. People from more than 180 countries have dots placed in their honor in his portraits, including many A-list celebrities. For example, in the portrait he is creating for Special Olympics Southern California, David has placed dots for Scarlett Johansson, Danny DeVito, David Beckham, and Vanessa Williams, just to name a few.

In 2008, David embarked on the Presidential Portrait of Barack Obama, a project that was approved by Obama’s Visual Arts Committee. The Obama Portrait was sponsored by American Airlines and attracted the attention of the Smithsonian museum. It was organized in collaboration with Ken Kragen (who was responsible for “We Are The World” and “Hands Across America”).

Recently David was commissioned by the Jackson Family to do the Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait where 1 Dot – 1 Fan.

You can see samples of my work at http://www.DavidIlan.com.

Points With Purpose

david ilan portrait

From thousands of tragic events, a beautiful drawing is born. My name is David Ilan and I am a celebrity artist. When celebrities pose for me, I create a drawings of them using only dots, a technique called pointillism. For the first time in 10 years I am creating a non-celebrity drawing for a project that is very close to my heart. This project, named Points with Purpose, gives my dots a greater meaning by associating each dot with a real person who has been raped or sexually abused.

If you have been raped or sexually abused you can join the project here (It’s free), giving your real name or an alias, and have the option of sharing your story. There is also a place in the drawing for people who want to support survivors. I add one dot for every person who joins until the drawing is complete. The final drawing will be of a woman looking confident, proud and beautiful. By joining the project, thousands of people with a shared tragic experience will work together to form a work of art meant to show others who go through similar experiences that they too can feel confident, proud and beautiful again.

Every person involved will have a dot drawn to honor them.
Up close we see individuals with a story.
From far we see a woman who has overcome and grown.

www.PointsWithPurpose.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Thomas Jane – Star of “Hung” Supports Children of the Night

Thomas Jane Who Plays a Male Escort on the HBO Hit Show “Hung”

Talks to us about his support of Children of the Night. A program that helps teenage prostitutes get off the street.

Thomas Jane talks about support of Children of the Night.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Um6v8PX2-o]

Thomas was at the GBK Gifting Suites for the Golden Globes and took a minute to talk to us about Children of the Night, which he supports and helps out.

Thomas was there with his daughter who was having a great time putting lotion on her dad’s face during the whole interview. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas JaneThomas Jane

From IMDB

Thomas Jane (born Thomas Elliott III;[1] February 22, 1969) is an American actor known for his roles in the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the 2001 TV film 61*, the 2004 film The Punisher and the 2007 Stephen King adaptation The Mist. He also starred in the HBO comedy-drama series Hung.

Early life

Jane was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Cynthia, an antiques dealer, and Michael Elliott, a biogenetic engineer.[1][2] In 1987, he graduated from Thomas Sprigg Wootton High School in Montgomery County, Maryland.

At age 18, Jane relocated to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. He was initially homeless and lived out of his car.[3] Regarding his time as a busker, Jane has noted “I had two songs in my repertoire that I hammered to death — ‘Hey Joe‘ and ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door‘….People used to pelt me with change just to shut me up.”[4]

Career

Jane began his acting career with the Telugu film Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1986), directed by Jandhyala, a renowned filmmaker in Telugu Cinema. His early roles included Zeph in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). He had supporting roles in several high profile films, including The Crow: City of Angels (1996), Boogie Nights (1997), The Thin Red Line (1998), Thursday (1998) and Magnolia (1999). After receiving critical acclaim as baseball player Mickey Mantle in 61*, Jane began receiving leading roles such as that of Andre Stander in the 2003 South African film, Stander for which he gained further critical acclaim.

pic thomas jane hungJane, director Jonathan Hensleigh and Avi Arad have said in many interviews that Jane was the first and only actor to be asked to play the title role in the 2004 movie The Punisher. Jane initially turned down the role twice, as he did not have much interest in the superhero genre. Jane said that when they asked him the second time to play the Punisher it was Tim Bradstreet‘s artwork of the Punisher that piqued his interest. After finding out that the character was not a traditional superhero, but more of an anti-hero and a vigilante crime fighter, he accepted.[5][6] He read as many Punisher comics as he could find and quickly became a fan. Jane trained for 6 or 7 months with Navy SEALs and gained more than twenty pounds of muscle for the part.[7]

In addition to starring in the movie he contributed his voice to The Punisher and the Gun video games. He also co-owns RAW, an entertainment company he runs along with Steve Niles and Tim Bradstreet. RAW Studios, the company’s comic book division, has released Bad Planet (written by Jane) through Image Comics. Jane would become a spokesperson for Steve Niles and in became the cover model for comic book character Cal McDonald in 2006, as depicted by their partner Bradstreet.

In addition to his screen work, Jane has appeared several times on stage, and received strong critical reviews as Tom in Tennessee WilliamsThe Glass Menagerie, and as Chris in Arthur Miller‘s All My Sons. He has also portrayed a fictionalized version himself in the Fox television show Arrested Development in which the show’s characters have not heard of him, and do not recognize him as the star actor that he is. In 2005, Marvel released The Punisher video game. The video game’s storyline is compiled with different situations and enemies from the Punisher comics, and a character based upon Jigsaw also appeared in the 2005 Punisher video game but with an origin that ties directly into the 2004 Punisher film.

Children of the Night

Mission Statement

Children of the Night is a privately funded non-profit organization established in 1979 and dedicated to rescuing America’s children from the ravages of prostitution.

Children of the Night

Its program has proven so effective that Children of the Night is in demand to assist other agencies across the country and around the world to develop similar programs.

Program Description

The Children of the Night home is open to child prostitutes throughout the United States, and the Children of the Night hotline is ready and able to rescue these children 24 hours a day. We provide taxi/airline transportation nationwide for America’s child prostitutes who wish to escape prostitution and live in our home.

Our hotline staff works closely with law enforcement to rescue children from vile, dominating pimps.

Our home features an on-site school and college placement program. After youngsters complete our rigorous and comprehensive program of academic and life-skills education, caseworkers are available to provide ongoing case management to hundreds of graduates.

In 2011, Dr. Lois Lee, Founder & President of Children of the Night, created “Children of the Night With Out Walls” (WOW) introducing programs from the Children of the Night shelter/home to underfunded and undeveloped shelters and their clients throughout America. WOW is a cost effective means of providing resources to America’s teens who are forced to live on the streets.

WOW will leave a permanent and indelible mark on the standard of care for adolescents who are forced to live outside of their natural homes.

Children of the Night trained, skilled, expert staff provides shelters across the nation sophisticated case management, educational programs, legal services, professional volunteers, fundraising expertise and in-kind donations.

WOW offers youth living on the streets of our cities access to birth certificates, school records, social security cards, government issued photo identification, transportation to critical social services, case management, résumé preparation, job placement, parenting support, educational services including academic assessments, preparation, tutoring and support services to test for the GED (General Education Degree). Children of the Night offers innovative math and reading programs, a patented keyboarding program (Keyboarders Gone Ballistic), life skills curriculum, a parenting class designed specifically for teen moms and dads, access to college and funding for college books and school supplies.

Children and young people NO LONGER have to be under 18 years of age
to receive our comprehensive social services.

We are Children of the Night WOW!

Children of the Night continues to lead the revolution of real life changing
services for teens forced to live outside of their homes.

To access “WOW” or any of our services
Contact our 24 hour nationwide toll free hotline at 1-800-551-1300.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Rico Rodriquez – Manny From Modern Family Supports Head Start

Rico Rodriquez Who Plays Manny on the Hit Show “Modern Family” Supports Head Start Program

Rico and his sister Raini have started the Raini and Rico Foundation to help support the Head Start Program. Rico was a Head Start Kid and really wants to make sure that program does not loose funding.

Rico rodriquez talks to us about the fun he has on his hit show and how he want to support the Head Start Program.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxAoGgSe-PE]

Rico who plays Manny on “Modern Family” was so fun to talk to. He is a neat kid who loves what he does and really cares about helping others.

Rico and his sister Raini, also an actress in “Paul Blart Mall Cop” and “Austin and Ally” TV Series, have supported many causes and are constantly helping when and where they can.

Thanks for the cool handshake Rico.- JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rico RodriquezRico rodriquez

Rico Rodriguez was born in College Station, Texas, and from birth through his young boyhood was extremely shy. Little did he know how drastically his life would change.

In 2005, at the age of six, Rico made the move from Texas to Los Angeles, California with his mom and sister to support his sister’s dream of becoming an actress. After one year of watching his sister having fun and success, Rico enrolled in acting classes and soon started making a name for himself.

Rico booked his first role in the video How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Next came the role of Chanchito in the film Epic Movie, a super fun role as the kid janitor in the soon to be released Opposite Day, and another great part — including flying cake — in the upcoming The No-Sit List. His television credits include co-starring as Young Guillermo in Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cory in the House, ER, ‘Til Death, iCarly, Nip/Tuck, Surviving Suburbia and NCIS. He has also has been seen in commercials for Roundtable Pizza, Time Warner Cable, Dodge, Walmart, BlueCross, Chrysler and AT&T.

Rico is grateful to be living his dream and has a very bright future.

Head Start

The Head Start Program is a program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.

Launched in 1965[1] by its creator and first director Jule Sugarman, Head Start was originally conceived as a catch-up summer school program that would teach low-income children in a few weeks what they needed to know to start kindergarten. Experience showed that six weeks of preschool couldn’t make up for five years of poverty. The Head Start Act of 1981[2] expanded the program.[3] The program was further revised when it was reauthorized in December, 2007. Head Start is one of the longest-running programs to address systemic poverty in the United States. As of late 2005, more than 22 million pre-school aged children had participated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

AquaHydrate9 a New Mineral, Electrolytes and Alkaline Balanced Water

AquaHydrate9 a New Mineral, Electrolytes and Alkaline Balanced Water

Mark Wahlberg and Sean Combs are on the board of this company that produces high grade bottled water that contains everything you need and nothing you don’t.

AquaHydrate9 shows off their new water product at GBK Gifting Suite for the Golden Globes.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIRRnRQhjPE]

One of the most popular tables at the GBK Gifting Suite was the AquaHydrate9 table where celebrities got a chance to sample the taste of this great tasting water.

Looks like the product has almost everything you want and none of the things you don’t for a reasonable price.

I only drink bottled water and I believe there is a difference and AquaHydrate tasted great and will go to the top of one of my favorites. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

aquahydrate bottle

AquaHydrate 9

AquaHydrate is made through a proprietary, multi-step process in which water is purified to rigorous standards, raised

to an alkaline pH of 9+, and then supplemented with electrolytes and minerals. AquaHydrate is the only bottled water on the market with this unique combination of purity, electrolytes, minerals and alkalinity.

Elite athletes such as Brian MacKenzie, Ironman contender and creator of Crossfit Endurance training, and Robbie Davis, trainer of NBA and Olympic champions, believe that AquaHydrate is important to their rigorous training regimens. Likewise, the USA Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Teams have chosen AquaHydrate as their sports beverage of choice as they train for the 2012 Summer Olympics, where they are expected to be leading medal contenders.

Professional athletes also rely on AquaHydrate. Among them: New England Patriot and NFL Pro-Bowler Vince Wilfork, professional women’s basketball player and two-time Olympic gold medalist, Delisha Milton-Jones, and golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Actor/producer Mark Wahlberg relied on AquaHydrate to stay super-fit for physically demanding roles such as boxer Micky Ward in the award-winning movie, “The Fighter.”

AQUAHYDRATE’S PURITY

aquahydrate JW Najarian and BJ StewartWhile many brands meet minimal industry standards, AquaHydrate exceeds all industry standards through its use of reverse osmosis plus its additional proprietary filtration process.

AQUAHYDRATE’S MINERALS

Every human being loses minerals through sweat, tears, body secretions, and literally from the act of breathing. But highly intense athletes have special dietary needs. They are literally sweating out minerals that need to be replaced.

AquaHydrate provides trace minerals from Trace Minerals Research® – a renowned leader in the natural foods market for over 35 years. AquaHydrate is the only commercially available bottled water with minerals from Trace Minerals Research®.

AQUAHYDRATE’S ALKALINE PH

The pH of AquaHydrate is raised to 9+, putting it squarely in the alkaline range. The better water tastes, the more of it you are likely to drink. Many people find that they can drink more AquaHydrate because of its smooth feel to the palette.

Athletes are challenged to drink enough water to stay hydrated because many simply don’t like the taste of most water. And hydration may be the single most critical factor in sports performance. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, “The simple truth is that no other nutritional intervention comes close to providing the performance-enhancing effects of staying well hydrated.”

AquaHydrate’s Site
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

GWear All-American, Recycled Couture Embodies Fabulous Fashion

GWear, Is Ultra Green Conscious, Very Hip, Super Stylish and Made in America.

GWear showcases their unique products at GBK Gifting Suite for the Golden Globes.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRQ6vhgecuo]

So much talk about the environment, jobs, America loosing manufacturing to cheaper overseas markets. GWear proves all that wrong.

GWear is manufactured in America, is environmentally super conscious and is a great product that is growing fast. GWear is also cause minded and is working to prosper while helping give back to those in need.

Check out their site as the clothes are very cute… I love the scarves too. GWear thank you for doing it with passion, flair and feeling – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GWear

Logo G WearG Wear was created in 2008 by a local Ft. Worth, Texas designer, Stanley Jackson. The inspiration for G Wear began when Stanley’s daughter, Malerie, then only 4 years old, gave him a tee shirt onto which she had sewn a flowered heart appliqué. Stanley, being a proud father, impressed with his daughter’s creative design at such a young age, decided to wear the shirt out and about to showcase his daughter’s talent.

GWear Clothing

After receiving compliments on the shirt and questions about where he got it, Stanley decided he would design and create tee shirts with appliqués, similar to what Malerie had created. Hence, G Wear was born! In an effort to move forward with his vision, Stanley converted part of his daughter’s bedroom into a sewing room and designed a few prototype tee shirts with fabric appliqués.

Anxious to get his first designs completed, and out to the public, Stanley met with his long time friend, Eddie, who offered to display his shirts at the athletic store that he owned in Ft. Worth. The shirts flew off the shelf with questions coming daily as to when there would be more available. With Eddie’s help to initially fund the company, Stanley began to produce more designs and soon began marketing them to high-end specialty clothing stores and boutiques. The shirts were an instant hit, and thus “G Wear by Stanley” (the original G Wear line), was successfully launched.

The name “G Wear” came from Stanley’s strong commitment to the environment and desire to produce a “green” product. Thus, all G Wear shirts are 100% cotton and incorporate appliqués cut from recycled tee shirts purchased at local thrift stores. All G Wear shirts are cut, glued and sewn by hand making each shirt truly unique and one-of-a-kind. The G Wear “trademark” is the three stripes on the sleeves of all our shirts and other products we produce. Only authentic G Wear products bear this trademark three stripe symbol.

Gwear Mike Wilson Crystal JW Najarian The company has grown tremendously over the past several years. Additional capital was added in 2011 allowing the G Wear brand to expand nationally. Thanks for all your support and we look forward to serving you always with great new G Wear designs!

NOTE: Mike Wilson of GWear was an Olympian on the 1980 gymnastics team with Bart Conner.

GWear Site
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

A 40 Proof Milk Mustache with Adult Chocolate Milk?

Adult Chocolate Milk is 40 Proof Good Tasting Fun

Got a chance to taste Adult Chocolate Milk at GBK Gifting Suite for the Golden Globes. This adult beverage is good. Please Drink your milk responsibly.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLMVAw747vE]

There are so many great products to see at the GBK Gifting Suites for the Golden Globes, but Adult Chocolate Milk is crazy good. Tastes great and I can think of hundreds of ways to use it.

Adult Chocolate Milk comes in this great bottle that harkens you back to the good old days of when milk was delivered to your door from the local dairy, but don’t let the bottle fool you. Although, you will want to gulp it down, getting a milk chocolate mustache.. you have to take it easy as this stuff is a serious 40 proof liqueur – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

adult chocolate milkAdult Chocolate Milk

Invented by adults who don’t want to grow up.

Just like mom, the original formulas for these drinks were discovered in the home kitchen of Tracy – one of the company’s founders.

After updating her Facebook status to “Tracy is enjoying some Adult Chocolate Milk”, friends began inquiring about the recipe and where they could get it.

adult chocolate milk

Among the many thirsty inquirers was Nikki, who reunited with Tracy on Facebook after 18 years. When Nikki tasted Tracy’s recipe, she turned to her and said, “You need to bottle this stuff!” With Nikki’s experience in management and manufacturing and Tracy’s connections, that’s exactly what they did.

Check out this drink recipe:

Chocomintini

• 1 oz Adult Chocolate Milk
• 1/4 oz Peppermint Schnapps
• 1/4 oz Dark Creme de Menthe
• 1 oz Vanilla Vodka.Mix ingredients.

Serve in a chocolate syrup-lined martini glass with crushed candy cane rim or with a peppermint patty garnish. For a nice twist, you can also serve it as a frozen drink with ice, heavy cream and chocolate syrup.

Adult Chocolate Milk Site
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Some Photos by Stacia Gates

Christopher McDonald – Helping Victims of Child Abuse

Christopher McDonald of Harry’s Law and Boardwalk Empire talks about Helping Kids and Cancer Research

Christopher McDonald talks with us about his current projects and about the causes he supports helping children
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFBD03iWm4o]

Veteran Actor Christopher McDonald takes a minute out of working with vendors at the GBK Gifting Suites to talk to us about his new shows and especially the two great causes he supports.

We first met Christopher at the Night of 100 Stars at the Beverly Hills Hotel for Oscars 2011. Christopher was fun, warm, witty and just a real nice guy. Thank you again Chris for your time and for all you do to help.- JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christopher McDonaldChristopher McDonald

Christopher McDonald, has acted in 85 films and numerous television and theater productions. He was born in New York City, one of seven children.
He actually grew up in Romulus, a small town in upstate New York, where his father was the high school principal and musical director.
He first attended undergraduate school at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory in New York.
Chris has appeared in such films as Grease 2 (1982), Dutch (1991), Thelma & Louise (1991) and Quiz Show (1994). He is often recognized as golf pro Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore (1996). “Harry’s Law” (2011)

I wanted to list the over 159 Titles Chris has on his IMDB page, you should check it out for yourself. Christopher’s resume and career in entertainment is simply incredible.

Christopher did not mention the particular causes by name so I choose a couple of great organizations to share with you – JW

Cheryl Ladd & John O’Hurley Golf Classic

For more information on the event, please visit www.childhelp.org/iwgolf.

Childhelp has brought the light of hope and healing into the lives of countless children for over 50 years. CEO and Co-Founder Sara O’Meara and President and Co-Founder Yvonne Fedderson started Childhelp in 1959, establishing it as a leading national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children. Childhelp’s approach focuses on advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach.

The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Guam. Childhelp’s programs and services also include residential treatment services; children’s advocacy centers; therapeutic foster care; group homes and child abuse prevention, education and training. Childhelp also created the Childhelp National Day of Hope®, held each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month that mobilizes people across America to join the fight against child abuse.

American Association for cancer research

The mission of the AACR is to prevent and cure cancer through research, education, communication, and collaboration. Through its programs and services, the AACR fosters research in cancer and related biomedical science; accelerates the dissemination of new research findings among scientists and others dedicated to the conquest of cancer; promotes science education and training; and advances the understanding of cancer etiology, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment throughout the world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Tom Sizemore Recovering by Coaching At Risk Youth Football

Tom Sizemore at the Suzanne DeLaurentiis Oscar Gift Suite at Paramount Studios Backlot

Tom talks openly about his struggles and how he is recovering by helping at risk youth.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaithWn4Y3Y]

Tom Sizemore has recently gone through a very public destruction and reconstruction.

Tom, sporting a Mo-Hawk, talked very seriously with us about his breakdown and addiction to drugs and his recovery.

Tom is coaching football at the Hollenbeck Youth Center. It is part of his community service, but Tom says he wants to stay on and continue to help the team after his service is finished.
We thank Tom for his cander and for what he is doing to help veterans and at risk youth. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tom SizemoreTom Sizemore

From Wikipedia

Tom Sizemore was born in Detroit, Michigan. His mother, Judith (née Schannault), was a member of the city of Detroit ombudsman staff, and his father, Thomas Edward Sizemore, Sr., now retired, was a lawyer and philosophy professor.[2][3] His family has paternal Welsh and maternal French ancestry. He has three brothers, Charlie, Aaron and Paul, who is also an actor.[4] Sizemore attended Michigan State University for one year, as well as Wayne State University. He earned a Master’s degree in theatre from Temple University in 1986. He subsequently moved to New York City to pursue an acting career.

Acting career

One of Sizemore’s earliest film appearances occurred in Oliver Stone‘s Born on the Fourth of July in 1989, followed by roles in Lock Up (1989), Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991), True Romance (1993), Natural Born Killers (1994), and Strange Days (1995). Sizemore also starred in the independent drama film Love Is Like That (1993) with actress and model Pamela Gidley. He had a supporting role in Kevin Costner’s Wyatt Earp as Bat Masterson.

A succession of well-received supporting parts followed, perhaps the most well known being his portrayal of Michael Cheritto as an armed robber in the heist film Heat (1995). His first major leading role was as Vincent D’Agosta in 1997’s The Relic. Sizemore had a recurring role on the television series China Beach (1988 to 1991) as an enlisted man named Vinnie who was in love with Dana Delany‘s character. Sizemore continued to play leading and character parts in many films, notably Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Saving Private Ryan (1998), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), and Witness Protection (1999).

At the start of the 21st century, he appeared in actions films such as Pearl Harbor (2001), starring Ben Affleck, and Ridley Scott‘s Black Hawk Down (2002). He had a voice part as Sonny Forelli in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. In 2001, Sizemore starred in Ticker, an action film directed by Albert Pyun, with Steven Seagal and Dennis Hopper. In 2002, Sizemore starred in the well-reviewed but short-lived television drama series Robbery Homicide Division. It was cancelled mid-way through its first season. He also played an undercover cop in the film Swindle opposite Sherilyn Fenn. In 2004, he starred in Paparazzi.

In 2006, he starred in The Genius Club, playing a terrorist who taunts seven geniuses into solving the world’s problems in one night. Also that year, he had a leading role in action/thriller film Splinter with Edward James Olmos. In 2007, the television network VH1 aired a six episode reality TV series called Shooting Sizemore, which depicted the life of the actor as he struggled to regain his career in the midst of a continuing battle with addiction. The series also covered an ongoing legal appeal on his conviction for an assault of former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.[5] In this year, the actor also starred in the Indie drama film Oranges with Tom Arnold and Jill Hennessy, which was directed by Sirian director and producer Joseph Merhi.

Recently, Sizemore has worked in films that include Red and American Son, both of which were screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. In 2008, Sizemore starred in The Last Lullaby, playing a killer, and appeared also in The Flyboys with Stephen Baldwin, action film Stiletto with Tom Berenger and Michael Biehn, drama film Toxic with Costas Mandylor, and is the star in the Canadian drama A Broken Life with Ving Rhames.

In 2009 he appeared in the comedy film Super Capers. In addition, Sizemore also appeared in five episodes of the TV series Crash with Dennis Hopper. In 2010, Sizemore starred in the indie horror film C.L.A.S.S. which is written by Sheldon Robins, and co-starred with Kyra Sedgwick and Vincent D’Onofrio in drama/comedy film Chlorine.[6] He also starred alongside martial arts actor Mark Dacascos in the action movie Shadows in Paradise. He also appeared in an episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Recently Tom has appeared in episodes of Hawaii Five-O.

Hollenbeck Youth Center

When riots tore through the East Los Angeles barrios in the 1970s, they reflected the despair and frustration of many young people in the area. Poverty, the lack of opportunity, and the need for respect and acceptance led many down the path of gangs and drugs.

A group of business people from the East Los Angeles community, however, wanted things to change for the better. They joined forces with the Hollenbeck Division LAPD to form the Hollenbeck Police Business Council, with a specific mission to help at-risk kids.Since incorporating in March 1972, the Hollenbeck Police Business Council and Hollenbeck Youth Center have remained committed to the primary goal of preventing violence by deterring kids from gang and criminal activities.

The Youth Center reaches thousands of children annually through innovative recreation, education and entrepreneur programs designed to decrease crime by instilling a strong sense of value and purpose in young people.

The Hollenbeck Youth Center was built in 1976 entirely from private contributions (15,000 sq. feet area). At that time, the officers of the Los Angeles Police Department directed the Center, giving their time as coaches and role models. But in 1978, Proposition 13 passed and funding for police staffing ceased suddenly, for years. The local businesses came together in hopes of finding a solution to re-open the facility, putting their resources together they raised enough funds to hire one individual.

In 1981, Daniel L. Hernandez was hired to lead the Center. Hernandez’s first initiative was to create a strong relationship with the community, which he did successfully.

Twenty-six years later, under the direction of Mr. Hernandez, the center has flourished into a nationally recognized organization. In 1998, under Hernandez’s direction, the Center completed a 15,000 square-foot addition, allowing it to house educational and counseling programs, as well as to provide essential office space for permanent and volunteer personnel.

Since its creation, Hollenbeck has bettered the lives of thousands of our children, many of which have gone on to become exceptional athletes, students, professionals and citizens. These inspired acts of commitment and dedication continues to live on as we serve today’s youth and work to better their future.

Tom Sizemore IMDB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank You Suzanne DeLaurentis Productions – For Honoring and Helping our troops and veterans

Peter Weller Education Is Key at GBK Productions Gift Suite for the Oscars 2011

Peter Weller Actor / Director / Writer / Lecturer

Peter Weller (Robo Cop) Talks to us about the importance of education for our nation.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDGyXajsQRs]

It was a great treat to see Peter at this event. I am a big fan of Robo Cop, Odyssey and Dexter.  I also hear Peter is up for a part in a new Star Trek Adventure? Very Nice….

When I saw Peter I said “Great to see your still alive… ” and Peter looked at me like I had just lost my mind. I was talking about him being killed on Dexter and I believe he thought I was talking about his real demise…

Sorry Peter, my wife told me I was not funny. Great interview, however and Peter tells it like it is about childhood education. It really is the cornerstone and key to this nations survival nationally and globally.

Thanks Peter. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peter WellerPeter Weller

From Wikipedia

Peter Frederick Weller (born June 24, 1947) is an American film and stage actor, director and lecturer.

He is best known for his roles as the title character in the first two RoboCop films and Buckaroo Banzai in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. He received an Academy Award nomination for his direction for the 1993 short Partners, in which he also acted. He also hosted the show Engineering an Empire on the History Channel. He played Stan Liddy in the 5th season of the Showtime original series Dexter.

Weller’s stage career began in the 1970s with appearances on Broadway in Full Circle, directed by Otto Preminger, and Summer Brave, William Inge‘s rewrite of his play Picnic. About this time, he became a member of the famed Actors Studio.[4]

On the set of Firstborn, Corey Haim‘s first day of shooting was with Weller, and he went up to compliment the older actor on his performance. Weller collared Haim, throwing him up against a wall viciously warning him not to speak to him after a take, and it took three assistants to separate them. Haim later admitted that he was terrified by the experience.[5]

He has appeared in more than 50 films and television series, including turns as the title characters in the cult classic The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, and blockbuster hits RoboCop and RoboCop 2.[6] He has also appeared in such critically acclaimed films as Woody Allen‘s Mighty Aphrodite, the Oliver Stone-produced The New Age and Naked Lunch. In a 1977 episode of the television series Lou Grant, he plays Oberster SA-Führer Donald Sterner/Stryker, a tragically disillusioned Jewish-American Neo-Nazi leader who later committed suicide off-screen with his Colt 45 near the end of the episode when his heritage was discovered.

In 1995, he appeared in Screamers, a science-fiction film based on the short story “Second Variety” by Philip K. Dick and directed by Christian Duguay. Duguay would later direct Weller in the 2005–2007 television series Engineering an Empire for the History Channel, which Weller hosted.

On television, he played the shuttle captain in the short-lived series Odyssey 5 and made guest appearances as Terran supremacist John Frederick Paxton in the Star Trek: Enterprise episodes “Demons“, “Terra Prime” and in Fringe as the character Alistair Peck.

Weller has also directed various projects for television, including episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, Monk and three episodes of the aforementioned Odyssey 5. He directed a 1997 adaptation of Elmore Leonard‘s Gold Coast starring David Caruso and Marg Helgenberger after previously starring in a version of Leonard’s thriller Cat Chaser. He directed Episode 3 of Season 4, titled “Dorylus” (air date 9/20/11), of the series Sons of Anarchy.

Weller is a contributor to the History Channel in several productions, credited as “Peter Weller, Syracuse University“, where he is an adjunct faculty member. He is a graduate student in art history at UCLA, focusing on the Italian Renaissance. Weller also hosts the series Engineering an Empire for the network.

In 2005, Weller co-starred as the Captain in a made-for-television remake of The Poseidon Adventure.

In 2006, Weller joined the cast of 24 as terrorist collaborator Christopher Henderson.[7] Weller received a “cheer” in TV Guides “Cheers & Jeers” section for his performance. In December 2006, Weller starred as architect Frank Lloyd Wright at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in Frank’s Home, a new play by Richard Nelson.

On January 15, 2010, Weller was seen in a teaser trailer for the companion documentary God of War: Unearthing the Legend that was featured in the game God of War III which Weller also hosted.[8]

On April 15, 2010, Weller guest-starred in an episode of the science fiction drama Fringe. Weller stars in a guest role on the Showtime original series Dexter.[9] Weller also had a guest appearance in the December 22, 2010 episode of Psych; where he played villain “Yin”[10]

Peter Weller IMDB Page

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Stefano Langone Working On His Album

Stefano Langone talks to us about his new album and his support for cancer research at GBK Gifting Suite for the American Music Awards

Stefano Langone talks to us about his new album and his support for cancer research.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fT-LqkaqM6g]

Listen to Stefano Langone’s New Single “I’m On A Roll

I caught Stefano Langone at the GBK Celebrity Gifting Suite for the American Music Awards. Stefano was a wonderful interview, mainly because I forgot to turn on RECORD for our interview and though he was really busy, he re-recorded the whole interview for me.

Stefano talks about working on his album set to release sometime in May of 2012 and about his support of the environment and cancer research.

Stefano thanks for everything. Can’t wait to hear the new album. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stefano LangoneStefano Langone

From Wikipedia

Langone was born on February 27, 1989 in Bellevue, Washington to Carrie and Ernie Langone.[1] He is half Spanish and half Italian.[2] His father works as a career advisor at The Art Institute of Seattle and is also a singer and musician.[1][3] Langone has been singing and playing the piano since childhood. He attended Emerald Park Elementary School, Meridian Junior High, and Kentwood High School, as well as Bellevue College, where he was given a full ride scholarship.[4] He performed with Bellevue College’s ‘Celebration!’ vocal jazz ensemble while he was a student there.[5]

On May 28, 2009, he was involved in a near-fatal accident after being hit by a drunk driver.[6] The accident resulted in two broken arms, a fractured pelvis, and other serious injuries. In addition, Langone had to re-learn to walk and has extensive scarring as a result of the accident.[7]

Post Idol

Following his elimination, Langone appeared on several talk shows. He appeared on Live with Regis and Kelly on April 25, 2011, as well as The Today Show on April 26, 2011. In addition, Langone appeared on The Rachael Ray Show along with Paul McDonald and Pia Toscano on May 25, 2011.[10]

The following summer, Langone toured with the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011, which began in West Valley City, Utah on July 6, 2011 and ended in Manila, Philippines on September 21, 2011.

On September 24, 2011, Langone sang the National Anthem at the Western Hockey League game opener between the Seattle Thunderbirds and Portland Winterhawks. On September 26, 2011, Langone and James Durbin appeared on Dr. Drew‘s “Lifechangers” TV Talk show.

As of October 9, 2011, Langone has officially moved to Los Angeles to begin a music career. Langone is currently being managed by 19 Entertainment.[11]

While recording for his upcoming debut album, Langone has performed at several events. On October 15, 2011, Langone performed at Eva Longoria’s Charity Padres El Cancer in Las Vegas.[12] On November 24, 2011, Langone performed at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. On December 4, 2011, Langone performed at Trevor Live, an event benefiting The Trevor Project.

album stefano yes to loveStefano’s New Song

button amazon buy from 02button buy from itunesYes To Love

Check out Stefano’s newest song on Amazon or Itunes or go to Vevo to watch the video or…..

 

 

logo stand up to cancer su2cStand Up To Cancer

Since our launch in 2008, we’ve been amazed by the outpouring of generosity and hope from the ever-growing SU2C community. You’ve shared your stories. You’ve launched stars in honor of loved ones. You’ve sent letters to Congress. You’ve spread the word to friends and family. You joined us for our second, commercial-free telecast on September 10, 2010 and, most importantly, pledged over $80 million to accelerate ground-breaking research and bring new treatments to patients as quickly as possible.

We’ve all come together — from patients to clinicians, from advocates to lawmakers, from children to teenagers to parents and parents of parents — in support of one cause: finding a cure for cancer. We can’t thank you enough for making Stand Up To Cancer what it is today. This is where the end of cancer begins

To learn more about the people behind SU2C, visit the links below.

  • Co-Founders
  • Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)
  • SU2C Team
  • Why We’re Different
  • The Science

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Gavin Keilly GBK Productions Gift Suite for the American Music Awards

Gavin Keilly CEO of GBK Productions Hosts a Gifting Suite for the American Music Awards

Gavin Keilly talks with us about GBK Productions, Gifting Suites and Celebrity Product Promotions.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ5ZN-EJRFc]

Celebrity Gifting Suites. You may have heard about them. Celebrities get to go to them to collect bags full of cool gifts from companies who want celebs and stars to use and promote their stuff.  The vendors and stars, plus some great charities really benefit.

GBK is one of the biggest and best; come and meet the guy that makes it all happen.

I have been covering gifting suites for a very short time, but have learned that they are a great way for companies with products 0r services to promote, get many celebrities to stand with their product, get pictures, press and incredible media exposure.

My first gifting suite was GBK and though I have done a few others now, I will fondly remember Gavin’s as my first.

Gavin is a gracious, warm and caring guy that puts on some of the best events in Hollywood. Check out www.GBKProductions.com and check out the events his company has produced. Very impressive.

The best part is that Gavin and GBK work hard to honor many wonderful non-profit causes at his events.

Gavin I thank you for inviting me to cover your events and I wish you a wonderful new year. – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GBK Productions

GBK Productions is a Marketing, Public Relations, Fundraising and Special Events company dedicated to providing high quality, tailor-made service to its individual clients. GBK is known for integrating the Entertainment, Luxury Consumer Products and Non-Profit industries to create unique and memorable high-profile experiences that maximize its clients’ brand-building efforts.

Formed in 2000 by Gavin Keilly, the company’s Founder and CEO, GBK consists of five divisions: GBK Celebrity Gifting, GBK Event Production, GBK Weddings, GBK Charitable Consulting and GBK Marketing/Public Relations. Though separate, each entity is interconnected allowing clients/brands a full range of marketing services and benefits.

Gavin Keilly GBK ProductionsGavin Keilly

Gavin Keilly is the CEO and founder of GBK Productions, (www.GBKProductions.com), and parent companies GBK Weddings and GBK Public Relations.  Gavin, a Southern California native, organizes special events for the entertainment industry, the non-profit sector and is renowned for his celebrity gift suites.

The ultimate specialist, Gavin’s superlative skills are vital to ensure the success of an event. Personally involved in each function, he utilizes a holistic method to discern and design each unique client’s vision.  Stunning and imaginative affairs are Gavin’s forte with the added value of savvy vendor negotiating with caterers, sound engineers, venue reps, rental companies and printers.

Past clients include: ABC Studios, City of Hope, Elton John AIDS Foundation, EXTRA TV, Global Peace Initiative at the United Nations, Hollywood Jazz Festival, Jurlique Spa, MTV Studios, Paramount Pictures, So the World May Hear, Showtime, Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation, Steve Harvey Show, Tribute to Jerry Lewis, Telepicture and more.

GBK has won multiple awards from Biz Bash for the Best Gift Suite, and Gavin was honored as Humanitarian-of-the-Year for his ongoing philanthropic efforts.

GBK Productions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Richard Dreyfuss at Night of 100 Stars on Education

Richard Dreyfuss at the Night of 100 Stars for the Oscars, talks to us about the his support of Civics Education for Children.

Richard talks to us about his initiative to bring civics education back to elementary school students.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgA0gIaFbok]

Richard Dreyfuss, and a hundred or so other amazing actors, watched the Oscars from the ballroom at the Beverly Hills Hotel for what is called the Night of 100 Stars.

Richard talked with us about his foundation that supports bringing civics education back to pre-high school students to help teach them about politics as Richard believes it is important to educate the children of the future on how to lead this country since they are mandated to do so, one way or another.

We thank Richard for this very candid interview.  – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Richard DreyfussRichard Dreyfuss

From Wikipedia

and IMDB

Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (born October 29, 1947) is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About Bob?, Poseidon, and Mr. Holland’s Opus.

Dreyfuss won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1977 for The Goodbye Girl, and was nominated in 1995 for Mr. Holland’s Opus. He has also won a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award, and was nominated in 2002 for Screen Actors Guild Awards in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries categories.

The Dreyfuss Intiative

The Mission: To teach our kids how to run our country with common sense and realism, before it’s time for them to run the country. If we don’t, someone else will run this country nation and the experiment of government by, for, and of the people will have failed.

This site is a living thing, like the nation, which is its subject. Some things on this site are working fine, and some are still beginning, some are still and being Worked.

We start with no apologies, devoted to the country that declared war on the curse that the world thought eternal:

“You and yours will never rise. You are a serf, you will always be serfs and our heel will always be on your neck.”

Until America said, “Wait a minute. If you can get here, if you are strong and lucky willing to work and can take what life throws at you, you might rise.”

That is the most important political message in the history of civilization. The whole world heard it. That is why they came here, why they come here and why they will always come here. America is a miracle, and only Americans don’t know that anymore, because we don’t teach it.

The country doesn’t happen by itself.. It takes patience, respect, and creativity. We’ve abandoned that for too long, and its time to get serious about learning to understand and maintain this nation, or it will continue this inescapable decay.

The story of making and keeping America is the most noble of stories. Let’s start telling our story with candor and honesty to ourselves again. Who we are and why we are who we are, will go far to regain our devotion to the true gifts we have given mankind.

We are a rare light in an overwhelming darkness of cruelty and oppression. The only ones who can beat us, is us. The only ones who can teach us, is us.

Richard Dreyfull Homepage Page
The Dreyfuss Initiative

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night of 100 Stars 2011 JW NajarianThanks to Night of 100 Stars, Norby Walters and the great staff for a wonderful night full of stars… Hollywood’s #1 Awards Night Gala.

On one night each year, Hollywood’s most prestigious movie industry awards show is televised to the world. It’s a night when constellations of stars come out of their Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Bel Aire estates to support their peers and participate in the spectacle.

Anyone who is someone is out to see and be seen, a stellar mix of TV and movie actors, moguls and media, producers, paparazzi and assorted glitterati. It’s also
a night where, under the spotlights of the exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel, hundreds of Hollywood’s brightest converge in limousines, wave at the cameras, walk the red carpet, and enter the most exclusive, high-profile awards night gala event of the year – Night of 100 Stars — hosted by legendary agent Norby Walters.

Noah Wyle at Night of 100 Stars on Causes He Supports

Noah Wyle at the Night of 100 Stars for the Oscars, talks to us about the causes and others he supports.

Noah talks to us about the foundations and the causes he supports.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfhfNconMlU]

Noah Wyle, like so many other amazing actors, watched the Oscars from the ballroom at the Beverly Hills Hotel for what is called the Night of 100 Stars.

We talked to Noah about some of the great causes he supports and he made some a fun crack about others he supports.

Noah thanks for your time and sense of humor.  – JW

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noah WyleNoah Wyle

From Wikipedia

and IMDB

Born in Hollywood, California, as one of six children of an electrical engineer and an orthopedic head nurse. Participated in a theater arts program at Northwestern University during high school and appeared in high school plays. After graduation he learned from acting teacher Larry Moss while living in a small apartment on Hollywood Boulevard. His first parts were a mini-series and featuring in the movie Crooked Hearts (1991) in 1990..

Film

Wyle was first seen in the Paul Bartel film Lust in the Dust (a western exploitation/parody which starred Tab Hunter, Lainie Kazan and Divine) as an extra in the local gang running the small town of Chile’ Verde.

His later parts were a mini-series and featuring in the movie Crooked Hearts (1991) in 1990. In 1993 he worked in another feature, There Goes My Baby. After appearing in several local plays in Los Angeles, he was cast in the box-office hit A Few Good Men, in which he played a Marine jeep driver who testified in court. He also appeared in the feature Swing Kids as a leader in the Hitler Youth, and in the independent movie The Myth of Fingerprints with Roy Scheider, Blythe Danner and Julianne Moore. Additionally, he starred as Lancelot opposite Sheryl Lee in the Television movie Guinevere. Recently, Wyle starred in the original film, The Librarian: Quest for the Spear with Sonya Walger and in its sequel The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines opposite Gabrielle Anwar and in the third part of the series The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice alongside Stana Katic. His other work has included a critically acclaimed turn as Steve Jobs in the Emmy nominated Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999). He has also appeared in several feature films including: White Oleander opposite Renée Zellweger, Enough opposite Jennifer Lopez, the independent feature Donnie Darko, as the President’s interpreter in the 2000 live-television production of Fail Safe, and in the independent film, The Californians.

ER

Wyle’s big break came when he was given the pilot script for ER and was cast as medical student John Carter. Wyle was the only major cast member of ER to have been with the show since its inception (1994) when he left after its eleventh season (2005). His performances on the show earned him Emmy Award nominations in each of its first five seasons. As part of an ensemble he was nominated several times for the Screen Actors Guild Award, he was recognized with three Golden Globe nominations as Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television and won the 2001 TV Guide Award for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Wyle left the series at the end of the eleventh season, although he returned in guest appearances for a four-episode arc during the twelfth season. He stated that he left because he wanted to spend more time with his family and friends and to make room for the upcoming generation.[citation needed] However, in 2009, Wyle returned to ER during its 15th and final season for five episodes, including the series finale. According to the Guinness World Records 2005 Special 50th Anniversary Edition, Wyle became the holder of a “Highest paid TV drama actor per episode” record during the 2003/04 season, earning approximately $400,000 per episode. While on ER, Wyle’s estimated salary was $9 million a year[citation needed]. Wyle has also appeared in the most episodes of ER, 255, 4 more than Laura Innes.*[6]

Stage

Along with his film and television career, Wyle has also appeared on stage appearing in a 1995 Los Angeles stage production of The 24th Day with Peter Berg. With The Blank Theatre Company, he performed in The Who, and more recently in Lobster Alice, with Nicholas Brendon, where he played the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí. For his work as one of the producers of The Wild Party at the Blank Theare, he won an NAACP Theatre Award.[7] Wyle has also produced Missouri Waltz at the theatre.

Falling Skies

Wyle is the lead in TNT‘s new sci-fi series from Steven Spielberg titled Falling Skies. Wyle plays the leader of a group of soldiers and civilians that battle against an alien force, according to the network.[8]Wyle plays Tom Mason, a history professor turned fighter after an alien invasion. He plays the father of three boys, one of whom is captured by the aliens, referred to as “skitters”, named Ben. After 10 episodes, the first season ended drawing a large audience. The series has been picked up for the second season (10 episodes) that will be aired in the summer of 2012

Appearances, interests, and philanthrophy

In 1999, Wyle made an appearance during the beginning of Steve JobsMacworld Expo keynote presentation, initially pretending to be Jobs. When the audience caught on, Jobs himself appeared and began to banter with Wyle.[10][11] It was a practical joke by Jobs and Wyle in light of the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.

Wyle devotes much of his free time to the international non-profit organization Doctors of the World and to his work as a member of the Human Rights Watch Council. Wyle also serves as the voluntary artistic producer of the Blank Theatre Company in Hollywood, which stages annual young playwrights festival and whose alumni include Ed Asner, Sarah Michelle Gellar, D. B. Sweeney, James Kerwin, Amber Benson, Megan Henning, Travis Schuldt, Warren Davis, Grant Show, and Nicholas Brendon. He also recently acquired Second Stage Theater (Los Angeles) in Hollywood, where the company has mounted numerous successful productions.

Wyle was the spokesperson for The Cover the Uninsured campaign in 2004, which had as Honorary Co-Chairs former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter. The Cover the Uninsured Week is annually held in the United States of America and focuses attention on the nearly 44 million Americans who go without health care coverage. The campaign includes several events among different communities, health and enrollment fairs, press conferences and business seminars all over the U.S. Additionally, Wyle is also a vegetarian and a supporter of animal rights, having started a farm intended as sanctuary for abused and rescued animals. Wyle has also become a spokesman for the World Wildlife Fund, dedicated to protecting and conserving wildlife for future generations.[12]

In 2009, Noah Wyle became a spokesperson for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), claiming that polar bears are “hanging on by a thread” and “may be extinct in our children’s lifetime, due to the effects of climate change.”[13]

Noah Wyle Homepage Page
Human Rights Watch
People Helping People Santa Ynez Valley

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceM2Ol1-uls]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Night of 100 Stars 2011 JW NajarianThanks to Night of 100 Stars, Norby Walters and the great staff for a wonderful night full of stars… Hollywood’s #1 Awards Night Gala.

On one night each year, Hollywood’s most prestigious movie industry awards show is televised to the world. It’s a night when constellations of stars come out of their Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Bel Aire estates to support their peers and participate in the spectacle.

Anyone who is someone is out to see and be seen, a stellar mix of TV and movie actors, moguls and media, producers, paparazzi and assorted glitterati. It’s also
a night where, under the spotlights of the exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel, hundreds of Hollywood’s brightest converge in limousines, wave at the cameras, walk the red carpet, and enter the most exclusive, high-profile awards night gala event of the year – Night of 100 Stars — hosted by legendary agent Norby Walters.

 

Mari Smith on Her New Book “The New Relationship Marketing”

Mari Smith
Author, Speaker, Marketing Expert

Continue reading

Bestselling Experts Interview of JW Najarian on Building Organic SEO

Bestselling Experts Bob Bare Interviews JW Najarian on building organic SEO with content

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTzv0vPNFI8]

I got a chance to be interviewed by Bob Bare of Bestselling Experts about building organic SEO. I have built many sites and have proven that I can get traffic to the site. I am now working on proving that valuable, inspiring, educational content will get you there faster than content for the sake of content.
What I see many doing is finding interesting stories and linking to them for content. This can work and has done well for many, like AllTop and a few others, but I believe people really are looking for something they cannot find somewhere else.
I just started JW On Purpose and hope that this will prove my point.
Just remember that there is no free lunch and / or instant gratification and it takes time to grow. – JW

JW Najarian

JW Najarian was born in Sacramento California in 1958 and grew up in beautiful Lake Tahoe California.

Growing up in Lake Tahoe gave JW appreciation for nature and at one time he contemplated becoming a naturalist with the forest service. After spending two years with the Youth Conservation Corps, as a student and then teacher he joined the Navy.

Wanting to get training in electronics, he failed the color blind test and was sent to Yeoman school where he learned about military office management. Before his school JW volunteered as a human research subject for the Navy and spent three years stationed in New Orleans at the George C. Marshall Space Center as a test subject for acceleration, deacceleration research. With his office located in the Saturn V test cell, he worked as a research assistant to Dr Robert S. Kennedy and also as an operator of the main computer system that ran and collected data for all the testing.

After the military JW enrolled himself in electronics classes at ITT and got a degree in electronics. He had not forgot his dream of learning electronics and wanted to use that knowledge to hopefully work in music production.

That never happened as the economy tanked in the late 80’s electronics jobs became scarce and JW relied on his knowledge of computers to support himself.

JW worked in the field of computers, electronics and networks till around 2006 when he got the bug to change careers and choose commercial real estate as his new direction.

Again the economy turned sour and commercial real estate got hit hard so JW decided to try marrying his knowledge of businesss, marketing, social media and computers with his new found knowledge of commercial real estate and started the Commercial Real Estate Professional Investors Group (CREPIG) in a quest to help the ailing industry recover by finding may lost funding resources and deals.

CREPIG now has around 12,000 members worldwide and has led to JW co-founding The Commercial Real Estate Distressed Assets Association (CREDAA) which is helping educate CRE professionals in underwriting and learning more about how to handle deals in this distressed market.

JW On Purpose came out of the fact that JW was doing many interviews of CRE industry leaders for his sites and wanted to expand to other markets outside of finance. JW now does interviews with authors, speakers, thought leaders and sometimes celebrities about various subjects, focusing on cause and purpose.

Many of the movers and shakers out there are interviewed about what they do to make money and we want to know that, but we also want to know what causes they support. The world can only shift if we do our part and JW On Purpose wants to focus on helping businesses and leaders with their efforts to help support their philanthropic projects and concerns by spotlighting what they do and who they help, both in business and the community.

JW does many interviews of authors, especially on books with cause and purpose, great story and ones that are educational about the world, finance, business and self development.

Javier Colon 2011 Winner of “The Voice” at GBK Gifting Suite for the AMAs

Javier Colon Talks to Us About His New Album and What Causes He Supports

Javier Colon talks about his newly released album Come Though for You and about his support of cancer awareness and research.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKI5EXVMHVo]

Javier Colon fresh off his video shoot spoke with me at the GBK Gifting Suites at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
Javier was recently the winner of the new hit show “The Voice“, which I really loved watching. In my mind Javier was the easy winner.
I also took a minute to check out the new album and it is really good. One person on iTunes commented, it is not for everybody and I agree. It is for great music lovers. If you are not one, then you can forget this gem.
OK, Here’s The Truth (Pun Intended), I liked all the songs. Not often I can say that.
All the celebrities are rushed through the interviews by their handlers very quickly so I really appreciate that Javier took his time and answered my questions thoroughly and thoughtfully – JW

Javier ColonJavier ColoN

Javier Colon has a lot of heart.

In fact, that heart is precisely why he captivated America as winner of the inaugural season of NBC’s hit television show, The Voice. It’s why he never gave up on his dream of a career in music even in the face of numerous setbacks and what seemed like endless adversity. It’s why every time he writes a song, it strikes a chord. It’s also why when the world hears his forthcoming 2011 debut album, Come Through For You, on Universal Republic Records, they will feel it.

Colon is no stranger to the music business. After touring with The Derek Trucks Band for two years, he released two major label albums via Capital Records—Javier in 2003 and Left of Center in 2006. Both releases illustrated a daring creativity that expanded beyond the confines of pop music, while still retaining an undeniable sense of melody. He already began to stand out as he carved the foundation for his self-dubbed, “acoustic soul” style.

Colon eventually split with Capitol and released The Truth – Acoustic EP on his own label, Javier Colon Music, in 2010. After a decade, he’d already experienced the road, dealt with the struggles of trying to excel on a competitive and crowded major label roster, and faced the challenges of promoting his music independently. In a sense, he’d seen it all and could’ve thrown in the towel. He wasn’t going to stop though.

Notified of the chance to audition for The Voice in early 2011, Colon took the opportunity. He’d been fighting for another record deal for five years to no avail and wasn’t sure about what the next step would be. Almost canceling the audition due to other show commitments, he decided to go anyway.

“I’m glad I went because The Voice was the best thing that’s happened up to this point in my career,” smiles Colon. “I really try to put everything I am into my songs and performances. I never expect anything, and winning was a shock. I was one-hundred percent happy that I’d simply gotten to the final four contestants. When Carson Daly announced I was the winner, I was elated and I couldn’t believe it. I’m very thankful.”

Original song and debut single “Stitch By Stitch” not only clenched the top prize on The Voice for Colon, but it also became something of a phenomenon. During the first week of its digital release, the song exceeded sales of 145,000 and peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Colon even performed “Stitch By Stitch” on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. With its lilting acoustic guitar and Colon’s palpable, powerful delivery, it’s an honest and heartfelt ballad.

“Stitch By Stitch” is only one thread of Colon’s debut. He began writing songs for the record in July 2011, and he dove deep inside himself. The next single, “As Long As We Got Love” featuring Natasha Bedingfield, sees Colon expanding even further as a songwriter. On this irresistible duet, the singers’ voices intertwine in a hypnotic harmony that’s simply unforgettable.

Colon’s been up for it since he first discovered music as a kid growing up in Connecticut. His father was a DJ at a local radio station, so there was always music playing at home. “From an early age, I’d start mimicking the singers I’d hear on the radio,” he recalls. “With encouragement from my mom and a few teachers, I started performing at school. After that, I wanted to be all over anything that had to do with music.”

In addition, Colon writes his own music, constantly keeping himself open to inspiration. A family man, he keeps his wife and daughters close to his heart at all times often writing about them. He continues, “I connect emotionally to the songs I write, especially if they have anything to do with my wife or my little girls. As a result, music can happen at any time. I’ve had instances where I’ll wake up in the middle of the night with two full verses of lyrics that I hardly even have to think about. I hope people connect to that.

“When they get a chance to hear Come Through For You, they’ll undoubtedly connect. Colon isn’t simply following anyone else’s path either; he’s making his own way. “My influences range from James Taylor to James Brown,” Colon adds. “I approach pop from a singer-songwriter’s perspective, and I try to infuse soul into that style.

“With a fresh take on pop, soul, and acoustic music, Javier’s journey starts with the release of Come Through For You. He concludes, “I hope the album takes people on my journey through all of the trials and tribulations we’ve made it through together. It’s definitely important that the songs move people.”

Javier Colon’s Homepage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.

Skylar Grey at GBK Gifting Suite for the AMAs

Skylar Grey Talks to Us About What Causes She Supports

Skylar Grey tells about her tattoo, supporting saving whales and her support of Elton John’s Aids Foundation and Stand Up to Cancer.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7mFsuBekwA]

I got a minute to talk with Skylar Grey at the GBK Gifting Suites at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA.
I so wish I would have had more time. I love Skylar’s music. I first Googled her after hearing the Eminem, Dr Dre tune I Need a Doctor and so wanted to find out who sung that part. Though I like a lot of it, I am not the biggest Hip-Hop or Rap fan, but I did love the singing in that song.
I also love her rendition of I Love The Way You Lie, much better than Rhianna’s. No dis to Rhianna, love her too.
I understand that Eminem did fight for her to sing the vocal on I need a doctor and if you want to hear more great music from Skylar you need to listen to her single Invisible (spelled weird meaning invincible). Sade pronounces her name “Shar-Day” so why not.
Skylar, hopefully I will get another chance to do an interview with more meaning and depth, but I really loved meeting you – JW

Skyler GreySkyler Grey

Skylar Grey, who just signed with Interscope Records, following a production deal with producer/songwriter Alex Da Kid for his Wonderland Music imprint is currently in the studio with Alex Da Kid writing and recording her debut album for Wonderland Music/Interscope Records, for which she intends to release the lead-off single this spring.

Most recently, Grey earned two 2011 Grammy Award nominations including “Song of the Year” for her collaboration to “Love the Way You Lie” and performed “I Need A Doctor” alongside Eminem and Dr. Dre at this year’s GRAMMY Award ceremony.  Initially, Grey made a name for herself as a songwriter with such  high-profile collaborations as “Love The Way You Lie” (Eminem), “I Need A Doctor” (Dr. Dre), “Words I Never Said” (Lupe Fiasco), and “Castle Walls” (T.I.), Grey was also featured as a vocalist on “Love the Way You Lie,” “Doctor,” and “Words.”

“Getting to perform on television with Eminem and Dr. Dre still doesn’t feel real to me and now to perform with Diddy-Dirty Money in the course of a month is unreal,” said Grey.  “I’m really excited about the opportunity to perform on Idol.  It’s incredible to have all of this leading into my album coming this year – I am so fortunate.”

For Full Bio Go to Wikipedia

Skylar Grey (born February 23, 1986 as Holly Brook Hafermann) is a Grammy-nominated American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Grey was signed to Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. She released her debut album as Holly Brook, Like Blood Like Honey, in 2006. She co-wrote the three versions of “Love the Way You Lie” with Alex da Kid, who signed her to his Wonderland Music label. She was featured as a guest vocalist on Fort Minor‘s “Where’d You Go” and “Be Somebody”, Diddy-Dirty Money‘s “Coming Home“, Dr. Dre‘s “I Need a Doctor” and Lupe Fiasco‘s “Words I Never Said“.

Invisible Video
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVVrT_wNw_Y]

I Like the Way You Lie
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGVGove7IsI]

I Need a Doctor Video [Explicit Lyrics]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA770wpLX-Q]

Skylar Grey’s Homepage
Skylar Grey’s Blog

Skylar Grey Love Fansite

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to GBK Productions – Gavin and his great staff. As always you host the best.