Christabel Momodu and Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009

African Beauty Christabel Momodu

Yes, I am proud to blog about Christabel Momodu, the Naomi Campbell of Nigeria and as you can see above, she is indeed an African beauty. She was on the cover of the glossy ALLURE magazine in Nigeria twice in a month.

The following, is the latest news report on the personification of beauty and sex in womanhood, Madonna, the most hard working female recording artist and entertainer and other hot topics to read and view the EXCLUSIVE NEWS videos on Kisses 'n' Roses TV.

30 Jan 2009 09:00 Africa/Lagos



Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009

Special Guest Paul Oakenfold To Open All Shows.

MOST SUCCESSFUL CONCERT TOUR OF 2008 VISITS 22 MARKETS

BEGINNING JULY 4 IN LONDON

Tour To Thrill Audiences In 13 First Time Stops for Material Girl

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Madonna's phenomenally successful 'Sticky & Sweet Tour', already the #1 Biggest Grossing Tour in history for a solo artist, will embark on another series of shows beginning July 4th in London. (Schedule follows this release). Stops will include appearances in never before played markets such as Werchter Belgium, Marseille France, Hamburg Germany, Oslo Norway, Helsinki Finland, Tallinn Estonia, Ljubljana Slovenia as well as stops in Romania, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria it was confirmed today by Live Nation. Additional appearances by Madonna will include return visits after more than 15 years to Madrid, Gothenburg and Munich.


"This is a first for me. I've never extended a tour before. I'm excited to be going back on the road, visiting places I've never been and returning to places I love" commented Madonna about the new run of dates.


Raves around the globe for the tour include the London Times which remarked, "In the premiere league of song-and-dance spectaculars, the queen of pop remains unrivaled and undefeated." "The choreography, visuals and live talent were world class and mind-blowingly well executed, intelligent and witty," glowed The Independent (UK).


In 2008, the 'Sticky & Sweet Tour was seen by 2,350,285 fans in 58 cities. With record breaking ticket sales everywhere, including 650,000 tickets sold in her series of South American dates, 72,000 tickets at Zurich's Dubendorf Airfield - the largest audience ever assembled for a show in Switzerland, 75,000 tickets in London and four sell outs in New York's Madison Square Garden (60,364 tickets).


"This new run of dates will further solidify Madonna's position as one of the top selling touring artists of all time," said Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's Chairman of Global Music and CEO of Global Touring/Artist Nation.


Special Guest for Sticky & Sweet 2009, Paul Oakenfold has long been one of the most important--if not the most important--name in modern club culture. He has remixed The Rolling Stones U2, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, Muse New Order, The Cure, Massive Attack and even Elvis Presley and produced The Happy Mondays. The two time Grammy nominee is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the biggest DJ in the world. His new artist album, 'Pop Killer' is due out later this year.


Madonna's multi-Grammy-nominated CD 'Hard Candy' debuted at Number One in over 37 countries.


For further Madonna news, visit www.madonna.com


MADONNA
2009 'STICKY & SWEET TOUR' SCHEDULE

4-July London, United Kingdom The 02 London On sale Feb. 06
7-July Manchester, United Kingdom MEN Arena On sale Feb. 06
11-July Werchter, Belgium Festivalpark On sale Feb. 07
14-July Milan, Italy San Siro On sale Feb. 06
21-July Barcelona, Spain Olympic Stadium
23-July Madrid, Spain Vicente Calderon
28-July Hamburg, Germany Trab-Arena Hamburg Bahrenfeld
30-July Oslo, Norwary Vallehovin On sale Feb. 09
04-Aug Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn Song Festival Ground
06-Aug Helsinki, Finland West Harbour On sale Feb. 09
09-Aug Gothenburg, Sweden Ullevi On sale Feb. 09
11-Aug Copenhagen, Denmark Parken On sale Feb. 09
13-Aug Prague, Czech Republic Chodov Natural Amphitheatre
15-Aug Warsaw, Poland Bemowo Airport
18-Aug Munich, Germany Olympic Stadium
20-Aug Ljubljana, Slovenia Hippodrome


In 2009, Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour will also visit Marseille
in addition to performances in Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia,
Romania, and Serbia.

For complete Tour and Ticket Information, Fan Club Memberships,
VIP Packages, Merchandise and more visit: WWW.MADONNA.COM


ABOUT LIVE NATION:

Live Nation's mission is to maximize the live concert experience. Our core business is producing, marketing and selling live concerts for artists via our global concert pipe. Live Nation is the largest producer of live concerts in the world, annually producing over 16,000 concerts for 1,500 artists in 57 countries. The company sells over 45 million concert tickets a year and expects to drive over 60 million unique visitors to LiveNation.com in 2008. Live Nation is transforming the concert business by expanding its concert platform into ticketing and building the industry's first artist-to-fan vertically integrated concert platform. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Live Nation is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading under the symbol "LYV." Additional information about the company can be found at www.livenation.com/investors.


Source: Live Nation

CONTACT: Madonna Press Contact, Liz Rosenberg of Warner Bros. Records,
+1-212-707-3256, liz.rosenberg@wbr.com, for Live Nation; or Live Nation Press
Contact, John Vlautin of Live Nation, +1-310-867-7127,
johnvlautin@livenation.com


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


Entertainment Highlights
Houston Rockets Seeking New Court to Host Direct Energy Driveway Challenge
HBO and Comcast Cable in Partnership with the National Civil Rights Museum to Host the Tennessee Premiere of Academy Award(R)-nominated Documentary 'THE WITNESS: FROM THE BALCONY OF ROOM 306' on Tuesday, February 3 at the Peabody Memphis
VIZIO 'America's HDTV Company' Announces High Definition Sponsorship of NBC's Broadcast of Super Bowl XLIII
Dr. Maya Angelou, Sigourney Weaver & Judy Reyes to Headline 'Straight for Equality' Awards Gala in New York City
Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' Goes Back on the Road Summer 2009
Super Bowl
Black History Month

Memories of Yesterday

Yesterday was my birthday and Linda Ikeji and her associate came to celebrate with me and we chose the Mr. Biggs near my office to eat and drink before she left for her own office.
I appreciated the quality time we spent discussing celebrity blogging and the efforts to make blogging popular in the most populous nation in Africa where the majority are still ignorant of what a blog is. Bella Naija, Linda Ikeji and Calabar Girl are the most popular Nigerian bloggers in the global village. There is no need to drop my name here, because I am a totally different kind of blogger. Blogging to me is not for Personality Popularity Contest (PPC). Most of my over 30 blogs are for news, business or educational subjects. I also have a blog on The Des Moines Register and other major news websites. Blogging to me is not a pastime, but a medium for news and information for the advancement of human development. I advised Linda to take blogging as serious as her FM&B magazine.

I am glad and grateful to the Almighty God Jehovah for giving me a beautiful, wonderful and great life and I love to do my best for as many people as possible.

My First Lady QMC woke me up with her sweetest wishes and she made my day.

Annie Lennox Releases Her First-Ever Retrospective on Sale February 17, 2009

Annie Lennox Collection. (PRNewsFoto/J Records/19 ENTERTAINMENT) LOS ANGELAS, CA UNITED STATES 01/28/2009

28 Jan 2009 14:00 Africa/Lagos

Annie Lennox Releases Her First-Ever Retrospective on Sale February 17, 2009
**MOVED FROM FEBRUARY 10 RELEASE DATE**

TWO NEW SONGS AND LIMITED DELUXE CD/DVD EDITION AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY WITH THIS COLLECTION

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- The Annie Lennox Collection paints a vivid portrait in song of the most successful female British artist in pop music history. Available on February 17 from Arista Records, this 14-song retrospective brings together the acclaimed artist's finest solo work on a single disc for the first time, and includes a pair of new songs recorded exclusively for this release.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090128/NY63707 )

Spanning 15 years, The Annie Lennox Collection also available in a limited deluxe CD/DVD edition includes hits from her four top-selling solo albums Diva (1992), Medusa (1995), Bare (2003) and last year's highly praised Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). The timeless music selected for this collection uniquely reflects the essence of the singer's instantly recognizable brand of soul music on tracks like "Why," "Walking on Broken Glass" and "No More 'I Love You's'" -- a song that earned Lennox one of her four Grammys.

"It seems like the time has come to release the Collection," Lennox says of her first best-of set. "I'm very proud of these songs. They are timeless and have become 'classics' in their own right."

The two new songs that Lennox recorded specially for this collection include "Pattern of My Life," written by Tom Chaplin of Keane. The second is a cover of Shining Light, a song originally recorded in 2001 by Ash. "I first discovered this song by Ash about six years ago, and I simply couldn't stop listening to it. It's so exultant that it virtually shimmers," Lennox says. "Shining Light" is the retrospective's first single and hitting the airwaves of Adult Top 40 and hot AC formats February 9. Look for the video to premiere exclusively on AOL Music this week.

On February 10, Annie Lennox will perform songs from her new collection and interview with New York Times chief pop music critic, Jon Pareles at The New York Times Talk Live - An Evening with Annie Lennox. Her promotional tour continues with performances on Good Morning America (ABC) February 10 and Live With Regis & Kelly (ABC) February 11. On February 13, Lennox will perform on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC) and the GRAMMY Museum at LA Live will host An Evening with Annie Lennox. The night will include an Audience Q&A session and special performance. A one hour 5-song performance and interview A&E Television Private Sessions will air March 8.
During The 2008 American Music Awards, Justin Timberlake presented Lennox with the Award of Merit. In years past this award has been given to some of the industry's most influential artists. Previous honorees include Prince, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and Gloria Estefan. During the show, Lennox give a special performance of Why which was her first appearance since having back surgery in August 2008.
"There are certain musicians that other musicians love, and she is one of those special artists, held in the highest regard by her peers," Timberlake said of Lennox. "I love that she's always been on the cutting edge of fashion, she's always looked so so cool and taught us how to look cool. Then there's her humanitarian work. She's been an activist for just causes all over the world, mostly in silent ways that you've never even heard about. She does this from her heart, motivated purely by love."

Among the many highlights on The Annie Lennox Collection is "Sing," a song that references The SING Campaign, a humanitarian organization Lennox founded to raise awareness and support for the AIDS/HIV pandemic in Africa. "We're still in the early stages, but this is a lifelong commitment on my part," Lennox says. "I'm coming out from behind my singing voice to express myself in broader terms and help give a voice to those who don't have the same opportunities as I do."

A dynamic activist, Lennox recently received the Red Cross Services to Humanity Award, the YouthAids outstanding achievement award, was named the 2008 Glamour Inspirational Woman of the Year and sang for Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebration this summer in London.

In her 26-year career, both as a member of the groundbreaking Eurythmics and as a solo artist, Lennox has amassed sales of more than 78 million albums worldwide. Her towering achievements also include 34 hit singles, four Grammy Awards, 11 Brit Awards and five Ivor Novello Awards. The superstar has also won an Academy Award and Golden Globe.

To Listen to the retrospective please click the following: The Annie Lennox Collection
CD/DELUXE CD Track Listing
1. "Little Bird"
2. "Walking on Broken Glass"
3. "Why"
4. "No More I Love You's"
5. "Precious"
6. "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
7. "A Thousand Beautiful Things"
8. "Sing"
9. "Pavement Cracks"
10. "Love Song for a Vampire"
11. "Cold"
12. "Dark Road"
13. "Pattern of My Life"
14. "Shining Light"

LIMITED EDITION DELUXE DVD
1. "Little Bird"
2. "Walking on Broken Glass"
3. "Why"
4. "No More I Love You's"
5. "Precious"
6. "A Whiter Shade of Pale"
7. "A Thousand Beautiful Things"
8. "Sing"
9. "Pavement Cracks"
10. "Cold"
11. "Dark Road"

Website:
http://www.annielennox.com/

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090128/NY63707
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN6
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: J Records
CONTACT: Roger Widynowski, 19 ENTERTAINMENT/ VP of Music / TV
Publicity, +1-310-461-1788, rogerw@19entertainment.com; or Tom Muzquiz of RCA
Music Group, +1-310-449-2638, Tom.Muzquiz@sonybmg.com
Web Site: http://www.annielennox.com/

The Sound That Changed America: Motown Celebrates Its 50th Anniversary

The Supremes

THE SOUND THAT CHANGED AMERICA: MOTOWN CELEBRATES ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY



SANTA MONICA, CA January 28, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — As an irresistible force of social and cultural change, Berry Gordy's legendary Motown Records made its mark not just on the music industry, but society at large, with a sound that that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. Diana Ross & The Supremes, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations,, the The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson & The Jackson 5, Lionel Richie & The Commodores,, The Contours, and Martha and the Vandellas., Gladys Knight & the Pips, their music communicated and brought together a racially divided country and segregated society, around the world, touching all people of all ages and race. No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. With more than 180 No. 1 hit songs worldwide and counting, that influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop, Motown celebrates the 50th anniversary of the company's founding.



Motown, of course, stands for more than just the historic music. The label and its remarkable legacy is a reflection of the hard work of dedicated individuals overcoming incredible obstacles to achieve great success. Nearly a half-century ago, on January 12, 1959, to be exact, a young African-American songwriter named Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records with a loan of $800 from his family, marking the birth of the "Motown Records Corporation." A man of vision, drive, talent and determination, Berry Gordy was also a producer, innovative entrepreneur, and teacher. The phenomenal success of Motown Records is a tribute to all that he embodies and all the talent that he brought out in others. Under his leadership, and through determination and support of the Motown family of artists, Gordy forged new grounds for minorities and made the "Motown Sound" a worldwide phenomenon beloved by millions.

Berry Gordy always learned from all his experiences and applied them to his business. He put the tedious time he spent working on the assembly line at Detroit's Lincoln-Mercury automobile plant to good use: "Every day I watched how a bare metal frame, rolling down the line would come off the other end, a spanking brand new car. What a great idea! Maybe, I could do the same thing with my music. Create a place where a kid off the street could walk in one door, an unknown, go through a process, and come out another door, a star." That little thought that came to him while running up and down that assembly line became a reality we now know as "Motown."
When Motown was housed in its famed "Hitsville U.S.A." offices at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, it was not just a location; history would be made there. In fact, Berry Gordy created a twenty-four hour hit-making and artist development factory, nurturing the artistic talent of the singers, writers, producers, as well as, corporate executives. Today, Motown is not only the greatest pop music hit factory ever heard, but an institution, a state of mind, a way of life, a style, the "Sound of Young America." The distinctive, upbeat and uplifting music brought together pop and soul, white and black, old and young, like never before and continues to this day. Regardless of race or social background, teenage girls admired Diana Ross and teenage boys pretended to be Smokey Robinson. Motown became the heartbeat of American pop music. With multi-platinum artists ranging from the Miracles, Temptations, Four Tops and Supremes to Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Jackson 5, the House That Gordy Built had and has no rival. Motown defined the term "crossover" not only on record and stage, but also behind the scenes. After breaking down barriers and having pop radio embrace Motown artists, Berry Gordy set his sights on television. He booked his artists on popular shows such as American Bandstand and the Ed Sullivan Show, making history as the first African-American artists on these shows. After captivating national audiences with repeat performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Supremes were the first R&B act to play the country's most prestigious night club, New York's Copacabana, which paved the way for other R&B acts into the top cabaret circuits around the world.
Motown was the first African-American-owned record label to reach widespread national acclaim, Motown broke down racial prejudice by becoming the most successful independent record company in history and the most successful African-American owned business in America.

After Gordy purchased that first Detroit property, he converted the garage into a small recording studio and the kitchen into the control room. The company's first signing was the Miracles, led by Smokey Robinson, and its first release was Marv Johnson's "Come to Me," January 21, 1959. But its first major hit was Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)," a song co-written by Gordy himself, which reached #2 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1960. A year later, the Miracles would score the company's first million seller with "Shop Around." That same year, teen girl group the Marvelettes landed the company's first pop No. 1, "Please Mr. Postman," while the label signed two young groups, the Supremes and the Temptations. Within three years, those two groups would lead Motown into the mainstream, when the Supremes launched an unprecedented string of five consecutive No. 1 hits, starting with "Where Did Our Love Go," while the Temptations released the eternal Motown classic, "My Girl." In 1968 the company had five records out of the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart and accomplished another unprecedented feat by seizing the top three spots for a full month.

Upon his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, Motown's founder was given the following tribute: "Gordy endeavored to reach across the racial divide with music that could touch all people, regardless of the color of their skin. Under his tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism, pride and self-expression and a repository for some of the greatest talent ever assembled at one company… Motown's stable of singers, songwriters, producers and musicians took the concept of simple, catchy pop songs to a whole new level of sophistication and, thanks to the music's roots in gospel and blues, visceral intensity… After Motown, black popular music would never again be dismissed as a minority taste… Aesthetically no less than commercially, Motown's achievements will likely remain unrivaled and untoppable."
Today, the label is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe). The timeless songs from Motown between 1959 and 1985 are represented by EMI Music Publishing.
From late 2008 to the end of 2009, Universal Music Group and EMI Music Publishing will mark the historic Detroit label's musical achievements with a series of initiatives. Notably, Universal Music Enterprises will issue monthly music releases in both physical and digital formats, with bonus tracks enhancing these packages. Details will be announced as each new package approaches.

Also upcoming throughout the celebration are releases of classic Motown Television specials in a series of DVD collections and INSIDE MOTOWN, a multi-part documentary on how the company was built.

Press Contacts:
Sujata Murthy
UMe
sujata.murthy@umusic.com
310-865-7812
Jonathan Wolfson
Wolfson PR
wolfsonpr@hotmail.com
818-615-0499

Katie Stam Wins Miss America 2009

Miss Indiana - Katie Stam was crowned Miss America 2009, last Saturday night in Las Vegas. She is a communications major at the University of Indianapolis.

Goodbye, Granny! Utilovation Introduces Utilo, the First Ultra-Chic Shopping Trolley for Stylish Women (and the Men Who Love Them)

The Utilo Trolley with Italian Linen bag. (PRNewsFoto/Utilovation, Inc.) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 01/23/2009

23 Jan 2009 17:52 Africa/Lagos

Goodbye, Granny! Utilovation Introduces Utilo, the First Ultra-Chic Shopping Trolley for Stylish Women (and the Men Who Love Them)

NEW YORK, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- For the style conscious in cosmopolitan environs, shopping for a week's groceries is a choice among evils. Do I fire up the car and burn dino fuels hunting for parking? Grab a cab and award all my shopping discounts to the taxi-driver? Or worse yet, lug out a "metal cage on wheels," that rusty old granny cart that does no justice to my well-chosen ensemble?


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090123/LA62026)


Fashionistas, the green-friendly, and health-aware urban dwellers now can all agree. Utilovation has just introduced the Utilo(R) Trolley system, the first ultra-chic, collapsible shopping trolley. Handcrafted in the United States, the Utilo(R) Trolley is the first personal cart that you can tote along to boutiques and a local cafe, and won't be embarrassed to be seen with.


In a world of cheap wire granny carts, the Utilo(R) Trolley - and luxe price-tag - is a revolution. Made of high-grade aluminum tubes and featuring independently turning front wheels and a cup-holder attachment, the Utilo's light, sturdy frame is a curvy work of art.


But the real bliss is in the bag. Utilo's frame is there to support finely-worked, American-made leather and canvas or linen bags, with Italian nickel-plated hardware, multiple zippered pockets, and a lidded "privacy top".


The Utilo Trolley was designed by Colleen Garot, a devotee of "everyday health" with a passion for walking and shopping around her Brentwood LA neighborhood. "I searched stores and the Internet for a trolley that looked good, was big enough for shopping and errands, and was tough enough to do it all," Garot says. "I kept thinking I would find one. But I never did."


The can-do daughter of an LA fireman, Garot spent two years with engineer Richard Hudgins prototyping several forms of trolleys, even those that folded into tiny boxes. "They all came out just plain ugly," Garot admits. "It turned out, what my girlfriends and I wanted was not a new architecture to the trolley, but a chic-looking alternative to the trolleys that existed."


Trolleys currently are offered in four colors - chocolate, gunmetal, charcoal, and lime sorbet - and two sizes, the Utilo Original and Utilo Mini. For her Spring-Summer line, Garot is offering several unique bag styles for each trolley size. Each bag is hand-stitched, and serial-numbered.


The Utilo Trolley will have its coming-out party at the New York International Gift Fair Show, January 25 to 29, 2009, at New York's Newest, Pier 90, Booth #23026. Consumers or the trade may purchase at www.UtiloTrolley.com. Press kits are available at the Show, or online at www.UtiloTrolley.com/press.


Utilovation, Inc. is the manufacturer and marketer of the Utilo(R) Trolley, the first ultra-chic collapsible personal shopping trolley. Founded in 2006 in Los Angeles, the company is based in San Marcos, CA.


For information: www.UtiloTrolley.com
Contact: Doug@Utilovation.com
Phone: 760/560/7044

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090123/LA62026
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN7
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Utilovation, Inc.

CONTACT: Doug DuMont, VP Marketing of Utilovation, Inc.,
+1-760-560-7044, Doug@Utilovation.com


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

See Hollywood's Longest Relationships

"I wake up every day knowing I can walk out at any moment," Goldie Hawn has said about her longtime beau Kurt Russell. "That keeps things fresh."
Photo Credit: US Magazine

See Hollywood's Longest Relationships

I always tell lovers that only time will tell how true or how fake you are and not by your lip service or eye service.

Here are great couples in Hollywood whose long lasting relationships are good lessons to learn.

Will your love pass the test of time?
Like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.


See which long-lasting star couples defy the odds.
Click here to view Photo Gallery from Hollywood

Love Message for the Valentine

As we get closer to the Valentine's Day, it is only natural to cherish your sweetheart if you have one or look for one if you are lonely. You should wait until February 14. Every day is meant for love.

It is better to be loved even once than not to be loved at all.It is better late to fall in love than never.

It took me so long to fall in love and I am now happier than when I was not in love.

Fall in love with the one who will also love you, because it is foolish to fall in love with someone who does not love you back.

Remember that Teddy Pendergrass' classic love song of 1978, When Somebody Loves You Back?

81st Academy Awards® Nominations Announced

January 22, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Teni Melidonian - (310) 247-3090
tmelidonian@oscars.org
Toni Thompson – (310) 247-3090
tthompson@oscars.org

81st Academy Awards® Nominations Announced

Beverly Hills, CA — Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards were announced today (Thursday, January 22) by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar® winner Forest Whitaker.

Ganis and Whitaker, who won an Academy Award® for his lead performance in “The Last King of Scotland” (2006), announced the nominees in 10 of the 24 categories at a 5:38 a.m. PT live news conference attended by more than 400 international media representatives. Lists of nominations in all categories then were distributed to the news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

Academy members from each of the branches vote to determine the nominees in their respective categories – actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, etc. In the Animated Feature Film and Foreign Language Film categories, nominations are selected by vote of multi-branch screening committees. All voting members are eligible to select the Best Picture nominees.

Nominations ballots were mailed to the 5,810 voting members in late December and were returned directly to Pricewaterhouse-Coopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Official screenings of all motion pictures with one or more nominations will begin for members this weekend at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Screenings also will be held at the Academy's Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood and in London, New York and San Francisco.

All active and life members of the Academy are eligible to select the winners in all categories, although in five of them – Animated Short Film, Live Action Short Film, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short Subject and Foreign Language Film members can vote only if they have seen all of the nominated films in those categories.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

________________________________________

Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards

Performance by an actor in a leading role
• Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
• Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
• Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
• Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
• Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
• Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role
• Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
• Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
• Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
• Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
• Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
• Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
• Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year
• “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
• “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction
• “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography
• “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design
• “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
• “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
• “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Achievement in directing
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best documentary feature
• “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
• “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
• “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
• “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
• “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject
• “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
• “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
• “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
• “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year
• “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
• “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
• “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
• “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
• “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
• “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
• “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
• “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
• “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
• “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best motion picture of the year
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
• “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Best animated short film
• “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
• “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
• “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
• “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
• “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film
• “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
• “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
• “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
• “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
• “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
• “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
• “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
• “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
• “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay
• “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
• “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
• “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
• “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
• “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay
• “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
• “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
• “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
• “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
• “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

###
©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org

Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar® Nominations

Forest Whitaker

January 20, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Toni Thompson – (310) 247-3090

Forest Whitaker to Join Academy President Sid Ganis for Oscar® Nominations

Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards ® will be announced on Thursday, January 22, by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis and Oscar-winning actor and Academy member Forest Whitaker.

Ganis and Whitaker will unveil the nominations in 10 of the 24 award categories at a 5:30 a.m. news conference at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater Beverly Hills, California, USA, where hundreds of media representatives from around the world will be gathered. Nominations information for all categories will be distributed simultaneously to news media in attendance and via the Internet on the official Academy Awards Web site, www.oscar.com.

In 2006 Whitaker took home the Leading Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland”. He recently completed work on “My Own Love Song” and will be seen next in “Hurricane Season.” Whitaker is not only an accomplished actor, he is also director of several films, including “First Daughter,” “Hope Floats” and “Waiting to Exhale.” His other acting credits include “Vantage Point,” “The Great Debaters,” “Phenomenon,” “Smoke,” “The Crying Game,” “Bird,” “Good Morning, Vietnam” and “Platoon.”

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

# # #

About the Academy

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

©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 www.oscars.org publicity@oscars.org

Dreams Do Come True

17 Jan 2009 00:10 Africa/Lagos

Dreams Do Come True

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Benjamin Ola. Akande, Dean of Webster University School of Business & Technology:


As a child growing up in Nigeria, I was a dreamer. My parents never dismissed my dreams. They were always encouraging. No matter how outright unbelievable my dreams were, they would assure me that dreams do come true. Dreams provide a glimpse of what the future will look like. I wish I could have recorded all those dreams.


Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream was recorded. It was a dream that was played out in front of thousands of people and like most dreams, no one really knew how it would play out. As the dream was recalled over the years, it became clear that this was a significant and compelling vision of the future. Martin's dream was in the form of a remarkable prose on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Most of us can hear him recite this dream in our subconscious. "I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made straight and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." It is a dream that visualizes a future where all those things that seemed impossible and improbable will happen despite overwhelming obstacles.


Barack Obama

The election of Barack Obama was a manifestation of Martin's dream. I would like to believe that Martin Luther King's dream highlighted how difficult it is to make change happen. Martin spoke about how mountains and hills (obstacles) shall be made lower and rough places (institutional changes) will be made straight. The recognition was that monumental changes of this magnitude take considerable time. Indeed, it takes the force of nature to break through the harsh reality of status quo and history.


Dreaming enables us to transcend the present and position us on the balcony for a better view of the future. And, because dreaming offers no restrictions, the greatest dreamers are often characterized as crazy and out of touch with reality. What history has shown us is that you may vilify them, you can criticize them, and you may even assassinate them. But, you can't kill a dreamer's dream. MLK's dream took a long time to come to fruition, with small significant steps and some big setbacks along the way. But on Nov. 4, 2008, the full realization of the great civil rights leader's dream came to pass with the election of a junior senator from Illinois as the first African American President of The United States of America..


Martin Luther King taught us that adversity is a lot easier to overcome than success. And that is the power of dreams. He knew it would happen. He even foresaw that his own demise may keep him from seeing his dream come true. "I've seen the promised land," he said. "I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land." Forty-five years later, his vision is still unfolding. But one thing is crystal clear. Dreams do come true.


Source: Webster University School of Business and Technology

CONTACT: Susan Kerth of Webster University, +1-314-246-8232


Web Site: http://www.webster.edu/

The Genevieve Nnaji You Do Not Know

Genevieve Nnaji

The Genevieve Nnaji You Do Not Know

I loved to hear or receive new information on celebrities and it is good you should know what Emeka, a Nollywood cameraman told me about the Queen of Nollywood, Genevieve Nnaji, yesterday afternoon, after I finished directing a short documentary video for the international promotion of Scientists Discover Hell: As Astronauts Find Heaven in the office of the author/Editor of the metaphysical book, A.G. Olisaemeka on the 17th Floor of The Nigerian Stock Exchange building on Customs Street, off the Broad Street in Lagos, Nigeria.

“There is a Genevieve Nnaji most people do not know and that is the real Genevieve Nnaji behind the cameras. She is one of the most humble and most generous actors in Nollywood. She is down to earth and does not even care what the rumour mongers say about her. She says that they spread these rumours to provoke her into reacting to them, but she would rather ignore them. She is the best actress. I mean she is better than Omotola Jalade Ekeinde and Ini Edo. She is number one,” the cameraman enthused whilst we were in the car on our way back to Supple magazine office.
The publisher said he had been misinformed in the past to believe all the rumours on Genevieve Nnaji and the former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar. I laughed as I waved off that particular lie in dismissal. Emeka told us that whilst they were shooting a movie in Abuja, she laughed at the joke and they were all amused.
“That rumour was based on falsehood,” said Emeka and I concurred, because her friend Chichi dismissed the rumour when my younger sister Stella asked her in the Nigeria LNG RA 1 on Bonny Island in Rivers State. Three of the top Nollywood actresses live in the Nigeria LNG RA1, where I once hosted the leading Nollywood director, Chika Onu of Living in Bondage and Glamour Girls fame. Chika himself has known Genevieve since her earliest days in Nollywood.

I told Emeka that it would be fair and square to make his observations of the true Genevieve Nnaji known to the rest of the world and correct all the erroneous and ambiguous things circulated on her from the gossip tabloids or grapevine.
Of course Genevieve Nnaji is the most popular Nollywood actress and my article on her has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of readers of my Kisses “n’ Roses blogzine.
The Publisher was so impressed that he asked me to contact her for a special interview to be published in the fourth edition of Supple magazine.

Genevieve Nnaji is very pretty and very sexy and has provoked countless stiff erections in-between the loins of thousands of her make admirers.

Personally, I believe that we are yet to see the best of the first Nollywood sex symbol and she is smarter than Marilyn Monroe, the soc alled "quintessential American sex symbol".
Nkiruka! The future is greater for Genevieve Nnaji!

Meet the Oscars®, Chicago

January 14, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Tarrah Curtis – (310) 247-3090
tcurtis@oscars.org

Meet the Oscars®, Chicago

Beverly Hills, CA — For the first time, Oscar® fans in Chicago will be able to hold an actual Oscar statuette and have their photo taken at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ “Meet the Oscars, Chicago.” The one-of-a-kind exhibition will open Friday, February 13, at The Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue, and run through Sunday, February 22, the night of the 81st Academy Awards® presentation. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Chicago is the only city to host a “Meet the Oscars” exhibition this year.

“Meet the Oscars, Chicago” features a display of Oscars in various stages of completion, as they undergo their intricate, weeks-long manufacturing process. Chicago’s own R.S. Owens & Company has manufactured the statuettes each year since 1982. Six of the Oscars on display will be presented at next year’s Academy Awards ceremony.

Also on display will be the historic statuette that actor Clark Gable won for his performance in “It Happened One Night” (1934). In 1996 an anonymous buyer purchased this Oscar at auction for $607,500. Later that year, the Oscar was returned to the Academy, and the buyer was revealed to be Steven Spielberg.
Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.
# # #

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


©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org

Celebrity News - Soma Celebrity News: Oprah Likes Kate's Boobs 01/14/09

Celebrity News - Soma Celebrity News: Oprah Likes Kate's Boobs 01/14/09
January 14, 2009



Obama Daughters Hire Jonas Brothers, Jennifer Hudson Performs At Super Bowl, Britney Moves, Estelle Denies Love For Kanye, Amy Winehouse Acts, Victoria Beckham Shed Clothes, Hayden Gets Booted.

Supermodel Kim Alexis Joins Forces with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

Supermodel Kim Alexis Joins Forces with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists in a National PSA to Raise Awareness About Thyroid Problems


WASHINGTON, DC, January 15, 2009 — Kim Alexis is a supermodel, athlete, mother-of-five and host of TV Land's hit show "She's Got the Look," where women compete to be the world's next supermodel at 35 and older.

The fashion world of a supermodel (and the life of a mother) is non-stop. So when Kim noticed that she was running out of energy for no apparent reason, she grew concerned. That's when she saw an endocrinologist and discovered that she had a thyroid problem.

As many as 25 million Americans, most of them women, suffer from an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), and nearly half are still undiagnosed. For many people, signs and symptoms of an underactive thyroid can sometimes be overlooked. Things such as unexplained fatigue, forgetfulness, weight gain, and dry, itchy skin can all be features of hypothyroidism. For many thyroid patients, the solution can be as simple as a thyroid hormone replacement pill. That was the case with Kim.

That's why she is joining forces with the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE); to educate Americans about thyroid dysfunction. Within a few months of beginning her treatment, Kim felt better and noticed the fatigue and other symptoms she had been experiencing had gone away.
About AACE

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,000 members in the United States and 84 other countries. Founded in 1991, AACE is dedicated to the optimal care of patients with endocrine problems. AACE initiatives inform the public about endocrine disorders. AACE also conducts continuing education programs for clinical endocrinologists, physicians whose advanced, specialized training enables them to be experts in the care of endocrine diseases, such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, growth hormone deficiency, osteoporosis, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity.

For more information, contact Bryan Campbell of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists at 904-353-7878, or bcampbell@aace.com

Jennifer Hudson to Sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIII on NBC

Jennifer Hudson is an actress and singer who has won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and a SAG Award.

14 Jan 2009 15:00 Africa/Lagos


Jennifer Hudson to Sing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XLIII on NBC

NEW YORK, Jan. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Multi-Grammy nominated sensation JENNIFER HUDSON will sing the National Anthem as part of Super Bowl XLIII pregame festivities at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on Sunday, February 1, the NFL and NBC announced today.


Academy Award winner Hudson and her RIAA-certified Gold self-titled debut album received four Grammy Award nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.. Hudson's eponymous debut album entered at #2 on Billboard's Top 200 and marked the biggest first week sales for a debut R&B female since 2004. Her smash hit single "Spotlight" is now being followed by the beautiful mid-tempo "If This Isn't Love."


More than 148 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year's Super Bowl, the most-watched television program in history. The pregame show and Super Bowl XLIII will be broadcast worldwide in more than 230 countries and territories.


Hudson is among many great performers who have been honored with singing the Super Bowl National Anthem including: Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston (Super Bowl XXV in Tampa Bay), Harry Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Jewel, Cher, Faith Hill, the Backstreet Boys, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks, Beyonce Knowles and many more.


It was previously announced that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform in the Bridgestone Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show.


The pregame and halftime shows are an NFL NETWORK PRODUCTION and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of WHITE CHERRY ENTERTAINMENT and by DON MISCHER PRODUCTIONS.


Source: National Football League (NFL).

CONTACT: Brian McCarthy, NFL, +1-212-450-2069

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in 2008 Oscar® Race

January 13, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Teni Melidonian – (310) 247-3090
tmelidonian@oscars.org

9 Foreign Language Films Advance in 2008 Oscar® Race

Beverly Hills, CA — Nine films will advance to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category for the 81st Academy Awards®. Sixty-five films had originally qualified in the category.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by country, are:

Austria, “Revanche,” Gotz Spielmann, director;
Canada, “The Necessities of Life,” Benoit Pilon, director;
France, “The Class,” Laurent Cantet, director;
Germany, “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Uli Edel, director;
Israel, “Waltz with Bashir,” Ari Folman, director;
Japan, “Departures,” Yojiro Takita, director;
Mexico, “Tear This Heart Out,” Roberto Sneider, director;
Sweden, “Everlasting Moments,” Jan Troell, director;
Turkey, “3 Monkeys,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan, director.

Foreign Language Film nominations for 2008 are being determined in two phases.

The Phase I committee, consisting of several hundred Los Angeles-based members, screened the 65 eligible films between mid-October and January 10. That group’s top six choices, augmented by three additional selections voted by the Academy’s Foreign Language Film Award Executive Committee, constitute the shortlist.

The shortlist will be winnowed down to the five 2008 nominees by specially selected committees in New York and Los Angeles. The committee members will spend this Friday, Saturday and Sunday viewing three of the films each day.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

# # #

About the Academy

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

©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org

Suzanne Wenger Joins the Immortals

Suzanne Wenger

Suzanne Wenger, 94, the legendary Austrian artist popularly known as "Adunni Olorisa", the White Priestess of the Ọsùn deity in the Osogbo, south-western Nigeria has been buried in her sacred shrine in Ọsùn Sacred Grove. She passed away at about 2.00 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2009.

Ms. Wenger spent over half a century of her life to preserve the cultural heritage of the Yoruba goddess Ọsùn of the sacred Ọsùn river in Ọsùn state. She and her ex-husband Uli Bier inspired the Osogbo Art School, famous for the discovery of such successful artists as Twins SEVEN-SEVEN, Jimoh BURAIMOH, Nike OLANIYI DAVIES and other in the late 1950s. She would be remembered for making Ọsùn Sacred Grove Unesco World Heritage Centre.


A part of the Ọsùn Sacred Grove

She has been immortalized in many writings such as the poem Who Will Dare To Love A Witch published in Scarlet Tears of London and in the short story Boy Adam Floats Headless in The Thames and other publications.

Here is an extract from one of the publications with references on the legendary White Priestess of Osun Oshobgo in Nigeria.

Baba Orogbo was waiting for her as she descended from the wings of Agbe.
Susan Wenger was sitting in her lotus pose before the kérégbe calabash bowl of salt water. Baba Orogbo gazed at the white witch as she sat with her eyes closed. But he knew she was seeing everything before her.
“Kabo Òmó mi, my enchanted child,” Susan Wenger said as the toes of Òmó Iya Osùn touched the earth.
Òmó Iya Osùn bowed to salute her mother.
“Kabo, Òmó Iya Osùn Òrìsà.,” Baba Orogbo welcomed her.
“Baba mi, peace be with you my father,” Òmó Iya Osùn said.
“Gba, here is your èko tutu,”Iya Osùn said, giving her a calabash of cooked pap.
Then Baba Orogbo brought out some Ibùje leaves , ìjòkùn leaves, èlú leaves and osùn- cam wood. “Òmó dúdú, Òmó Iya Osùn, Aláse igbá kejì òrìsà, listen. I have a message for you,” Baba Orogbo said as he put the different leaves and camwood before the feet of Òmó Iya Osùn. Then he started chanting.

Eni sojú se mú
òrìsà ni máa sìn
Adá ni bó ti rí
Òrìsà ni maa sin”
Ó-s-enìkan-soso digba ènìyàn
So mí di rún
So mí digba
So mí di òtà-lé-légbèje ènìyàn
Òrìsà ni maa sin”
Olójú kára bíi ajere
Òrìsà ni maa sin”

Òjó kúrè, Alágada ogun
Òjó ò sí nílé, omo adìe dàgbà
Òjó wà nílé omo adìe kò kù kan
Òjó ún wè lódò
Gbogbo omoge yo wóse

Baba Orogbo swallowed two lumps of saliva and continued.

Ó mú’lé t’ará ojà
Ó so àgàn di alábiyamo,
àgàn tí ò rí’bí, ti ró sòó leyìn olúwa wà

She is Black and Beautiful

I never heard of her until I came to Lagos last August and saw her photographs in the new Supple magazine and I was impressed. But when she came to say hello to the Publisher and Managing Editor, I did not pay attention to her, because I was very busy. Then when she came around again, I had time to talk to her.

Christabel is tall, dark and lovely and a beauty queen in Lagos. She understands English, French and Yoruba and some Igbo and Hausa.
She has been the only female I welcome to sit and chat with me in the office and seeing her on the cover of Allure magazine of The Vanguard newspaper in Nigeria was cool as she came yesterday looking like she just stepped out of the cover of Vogue, in long wavy black har and tight fitting black skirt. She interrupted my work, but I did not mind.
I gave her my popular love book before she left and I am looking forward to seeing her again.
Christabel is an epitome of beauty with dignity.

L'Oreal Paris and Carelle Proudly Present the 2009 Golden Globes Compact to Hollywood's Leading Ladies

L'Oreal Paris and Carelle proudly present the 2009 Red Carpet Golden Globes Compact to Hollywood's Leading Ladies. Designed by Carelle, a fine jewelry company, the L'Oreal Paris 2009 Red Carpet Golden Globes Compact will be presented to top female nominees in the Best Actress Drama and Best Actress Comedy categories. One compact will be auctioned at www.ebay.com/lorealparis beginning January 11, 2009 with all proceeds benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. (PRNewsFoto/L'Oreal Paris, David Barowowsky) LOS ANGELES, CA UNITED STATES 01/09/2009

9 Jan 2009 14:15 Africa/Lagos

L'Oreal Paris and Carelle Proudly Present the 2009 Golden Globes Compact to Hollywood's Leading Ladies

Inspired "Good Luck" Charm to be Auctioned For Charity

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of the 2009 awards season, L'Oreal Paris continues its tradition of honoring Hollywood's most talented women in film and television with a unique "good luck charm"-mirrored compact imbedded with bold, colorful gemstones chosen for their special meanings and powers. Designed by Carelle, a fine jewelry company, the 2009 Golden Globes Compact will be presented to top female nominees in the Best Actress Drama and Best Actress Comedy categories. One compact will be auctioned on www.ebay.com/lorealparis with all proceeds benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090109/NY57190 )


The L'Oreal Paris 2009 Golden Globes Compact Designed by Carelle provides the stars with an "antidote" to the exciting and often hectic energy surrounding the award season and festival circuit. The compact's stones were chosen based on their unique properties such as balance, strength and confidence -- the honorees that carry the compact are sure to have a secret weapon for success in their customized good luck charm.


The compact, entitled "Harmony," is a shimmering combination of lemon citrine and pale green quartz stones set in sterling silver plated in 18K yellow gold with diamond details in honor of the Golden Globes. The compact evokes a calming, balanced aura with yellow citrines that symbolize optimism, positive energy and enhanced creativity. The yellow is a perfect compliment to green as it represents harmony and "attracts success".


This stunning compact is not just for the stars -- one limited edition compact will be listed for sale with eBay Giving Works, a special part of the eBay marketplace that connects people to the causes they care about by offering them easy, convenient, and trusted ways to give. All funds generated will benefit the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF). The compact is valued at $3650 and will be auctioned on www.ebay.com/lorealparis. The auction has an opening bid of $500 and will run from January 11th through January 18th. The charity auction is being managed on eBay by Auction Cause, a premiere auction management company.


L'Oreal Paris


The L'Oreal Paris Brand Division of L'Oreal USA, Inc. is a total beauty care company that combines the latest in technology with the highest in quality for the ultimate in luxury beauty at mass. The L'Oreal Paris product family includes Preference, Excellence, Natural Match, Feria, and Couleur Experte haircolors; VIVE Pro, Studio Line, and L'Oreal Kids hair care; Dermo-Expertise skin care, including Advanced Revitalift, Skin Genesis, Age Perfect, Men's Expert, Sublime Slim and Sublime Bronze; and L'Oreal Paris Cosmetics, including the Colour Riche, True Match, Bare Naturale, Infallible and Wear Infinite collections, Voluminous, Double Extend, Lash Out, Volume Shocking and Telescopic mascaras, among many others, and the HIP High Intensity Pigments line.


Carelle


Following an enormously successful private label business with the most prestigious jewelers and fashion houses in the world, Carelle is excited to announce the launch of its own line of big, bold, and deliciously fun fine diamond and color gemstone jewelry. Inspired by the exquisite organic beauty of plant shapes and colors, each piece of jewelry is set in 18-karat Gold and features Carelle's signature leaf motif azure that invites light to shine through and capture the brilliant color of our beautifully cut stones. Led by highly regarded designer Chana Regev, whose worldly upbringing included stops in Switzerland, Italy, Israel, and New York, the Carelle team brings vibrancy, creativity, and ingenuity to their handcrafted jewelry. Even in its name, Carelle offers a clever philosophy: "Because of her", a playful French translation that celebrates the confidence of women and the drive behind each design. Carelle adorns women of all ages with its soothing stones, soft gold, and sense of fun and pleasure intertwined in its handcrafted style.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090109/NY57190
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN4
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: L'Oreal Paris

CONTACT: Vijay Lalwani, Brand Building Communications, +1-786-543-3815,


vlalwani@brandbuildingla.com, for L'Oreal Paris


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


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Nominations Ballots Due January 12 for 2009 Oscars®

January 8 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Teni Melidonian – (310) 247-3090
tmelidonian@oscars.org

Nominations Ballots Due January 12 for 2009 Oscars®

Beverly Hills, CA — The 5,810 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences must return their completed Oscar® nominations ballots to PricewaterhouseCoopers no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, January 12.

Ballots received after that deadline will not be counted.

PricewaterhouseCoopers will tabulate the ballots using the preferential voting system.

The 81st Academy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, January 22, 2009, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Academy Awards® for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

# # #

About the Academy

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

©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org

4 Scientific and Technical Achievements to Be Honored with Academy Awards®

January 8 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Teni Melidonian – (310) 247-3090
tmelidonian@oscars.org

4 Scientific and Technical Achievements to Be Honored with Academy Awards®

Beverly Hills, CA — The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced four winners of Scientific and Technical Awards, which will be presented at the Beverly Wilshire on Saturday, February 7, 2009.

Unlike other Academy Awards to be presented this year, achievements receiving Scientific and Technical Awards need not have been developed and introduced during 2008. Rather, the achievements must demonstrate a proven record of contributing significant value to the process of making motion pictures.

In addition, two Scientific and Technical Special Award recipients will be recognized at the black-tie awards dinner: Ed Catmull, who will receive the Gordon E. Sawyer Award (an Oscar® statuette), and Mark Kimball, who will receive the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation (a medallion).

The Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievements are:

Technical Achievement Award (Academy Certificate)

To Steve Hylén for the concept and his continued leadership in the further development of the Hylén Lens System for motion picture effects photography.

When attached to a film or digital production camera, this versatile aerial image device can produce a wide variety of optical effects interactively, on set and in real time without post-production image manipulation.

Scientific and Engineering Awards (Academy Plaque)

To Erwin Melzner for the overall concept including the optical and cooling systems, Volker Schumacher for the optical design, and Timo Müller for the mechanical design, of the Arrimax 18/12 lighting fixture for use in motion picture production.

With its choice of vari-focus and specular reflectors, the superior optical and mechanical design of this lighting fixture allows it to operate at 18,000 watts, producing unsurpassed light quality while its innovative cooling system keeps the housing safe to touch.

To Jacques Delacoux for the concept and electronic design, and Alexandre Leuchter for the software and electronic design, of the Transvideo-video assist monitors for the motion picture industry.

Using color LCD screens, the Transvideo monitors provide flicker-free video assist bright enough for use in sunlight and have become a ubiquitous tool in both spherical and anamorphic cinematography.

To Bruno Coumert and Jacques Debize for the optical design, and Dominique Chervin and Christophe Reboulet for the mechanical design, of the compact and lightweight Angenieux 15-40 and 28-76 zoom lenses for handheld motion picture photography.

With focus and zoom functions that can be easily controlled by either the operator or focus puller while filming handheld, these lightweight zoom lenses demonstrate a very high degree of engineering, supporting both ease of use and quick interchange.

Portions of the Scientific and Technical Awards Presentations will be incorporated into the Oscar ceremony.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2008 will be presented on Sunday, February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®, and televised live by the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

# # #

About the Academy

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

©A.M.P.A.S.®
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
8949 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
(310) 247-3000 | www.oscars.org | publicity@oscars.org