World Surfing Reserves

Santa Cruz, California & Ericeira, Portugal Approved as World Surfing Reserves

Storied surf zones in Northern California and Portugal join Malibu, California, and Australia’s Manly Beach as sites to be formally dedicated

World Surfing Reserves has announced that two nominated surf zones – Santa Cruz in Northern California and Ericeira in Portugal – have been formally approved and will be dedicated as World Surfing Reserves (WSRs). The two iconic surf regions will join Malibu, California, which was dedicated as the first World Surfing Reserve in October 2010, and Manly Beach, Australia, which was approved in 2010 and is awaiting dedication sometime in 2011, as the first sites to receive the prestigious WSR designation.

The Santa Cruz zone, approximately 7 miles of coast extending from Natural Bridges on the western end to Opal Cliffs just east of Pleasure Point, is made up of a dense collection of cold-water dream waves and is steeped in surfing tradition. The zone is best known for the iconic spots at Steamer Lane and Pleasure Point, both world-renowned righthand pointbreaks.

The Ericeira area of Portugal is a surf mecca for Portuguese and international surfers alike. The approved Ericeira surf zone consists of 4 km (2.5 miles) of coastline that contains a highly concentrated group of quality surf breaks, several of them world-class, including the popular Ribeira d’Ilhas and other world-renowned breaks.

World Surfing Reserves seeks to designate and protect the most important and cherished surf areas around the world, in partnership with local surf communities. WSR sites are nominated and selected based on four major criteria: quality and consistency of waves, importance to surf culture and history, environmental characteristics, and community support. So far over a hundred sites have been submitted for consideration for WSR status from 34 different countries.

Beyond its cultural and aesthetic significance, each WSR is a meeting of land and sea selected for the unique and salutary nature of its waves and natural setting. The dedication of each WSR seeks the protection of this coastal zone of waves and habitat from inappropriate development, through international and local partnership that builds community around conservation, to improve and dictate stewardship of the area.


About World Surfing Reserves (WSR) proactively identifies, designates, and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and their surrounding environments, around the world. WSR is an initiative launched by Save The Waves Coalition in 2009 in conjunction with National Surfing Reserves - Australia, and through additional partnerships with the International Surfing Association (ISA) and Stanford University’s Center for Responsible Travel (CREST).

Contact:

USA contact: Dean LaTourrette, WSR Executive Committee, Executive Director – Save The Waves:  +1-415-596-7873 • Portugal contact: João De Macedo, WSR Ambassador: +351 913 718 921 • joaodemacedo7@gmail.com
Australia contact: Brad Farmer, WSR Executive Committee, Founder – National Surfing Reserves Australia   +61-413 031 870 •

Mel B Helps Children's Hospital Los Angeles

MEL B DESIGNS “SOFT & DARING” PUMP FOR SHOEDAZZLE

 Proceeds to Benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Mel B

ShoeDazzle^® has announced the release of Melanie Brown’s “Mel B” shoe. The limited-edition, blinged-out pump will be sold exclusively to ShoeDazzle members, with 100% of profits donated to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Mel B, best known as a Spice Girl and “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, was inspired by the patients of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles who attended her ShoeDazzle design session. The finished product, available on March 14, 2011 at ShoeDazzle.com, is a pump with a stunningly bejeweled high-heel and a leopard print inside.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is L.A.'s first and largest hospital dedicated to treating children.

About ShoeDazzle® ShoeDazzle is the leading online styling service delivering personalized monthly shoe, handbag and jewelry recommendations to members from its team of top celebrity stylists. Each recommendation speaks to au courant fashion trends and is selected based on each member’s own distinctive sense of style. The company, which was founded by Brian Lee, Robert Shapiro, MJ Eng, and Kim Kardashian, who serves as the site’s Chief Fashion Stylist, was launched in March 2009 and now boasts over 600,000 Facebook fans.

About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals serving more than 97,000 patients each year with physicians specializing in more than 100 subspecialties. Children’s Hospital is one of only eight children’s hospitals in the nation – and the only one in the western United States – named to the national “Honor Roll” of children’s hospitals in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings for clinical excellence.  Children’s Hospital is preparing to open a $636 million, 317-bed state-of-the-art facility in July 2011 that will further expand services and capabilities at its main campus on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, Calif., as well as increase the ability to provide family-centered care to residents throughout the region.

Contacts

Hayley Scheck                                                              Kristina Levsky

B|W|R Public Relations                                                  ShoeDazzle

310.550.7776                                                                 213.389.8889

hscheck@bwr-la.com                                                    klevsky@shoedazzle.com

Samara Swanston Appears In "Gasland"

Samara Swanston

Noted environmentalist Samara Swanston, counsel for the New York City Council Committee on  Environmental Protection, appears in 'Gasland,' the HBO documentary on hydraulic fracturing.  Ms. Swanston appears in a scene with James Gennaro, Chairman of the New York City Council Committee on Environmental Protection.

Film Description From Its Website: "The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."

GASLAND will be broadcast on HBO through 2012.

Ed Begley, Jr to Speak at 7th Annual Lake Home & Cabin Show

Ed Begley, Jr.

Ed Begley, Jr., co-star of the television series Living With Ed, will be a guest speaker on behalf of Envirolet  at this year’s annual Lake Home & Cabin Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minn. set to take place on February 11-13.

Begley, who is known as an environmental leader in the Hollywood community, will speak on the main stage at noon and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 12, and will be at the Envirolet booth directly after both speaking engagements. Begley will reach audiences through his moving talk, “Live Simply So That Others Can Simply Live.” Begley is constantly raising awareness about green products and technology, and he will also discuss the premium eco-friendly line of composting toilet systems by Envirolet.

Before the Lake Home & Cabin Show, Begley will be talking to Minneapolis media about his involvement with the show and his well-known green lifestyle. Begley will have appearances on the 92 KQRS Morning Show with the KQ Morning Crew, Cities 97 FM Morning Show with BT & Lee, and KARE 11 News Morning Show.

Begley has a long history of initiating change and serving in several major roles including chairman of the Environmental Media Association and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. He is also involved in other environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth and Tree People. Because of his strong involvement and dedication, he has won a number of awards from several prestigious environmental groups including the California League of Conservation Voters and the Natural Resources Defense Council, among others.

Begley doesn’t just promote green living and technology, he actually lives it. He currently resides in a self-sufficient home powered by solar energy just outside of Los Angeles.

The Lake Home & Cabin Show, now in its seventh year, is a unique three-day event brining more than 250 exhibitors from across the country to showcase everything related to the lake home and cabin lifestyle, including the latest trends in interior design, décor, furniture, architecture, building, remodeling and landscaping. The show is a great one-stop resource for anyone decorating, remodeling, building or buying a second home. Learn more about the show.

About Sancor Industries Ltd: Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, Sancor Industries Ltd. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of advanced environmental composting toilet systems under the brands Envirolet and Santerra Green. Envirolet has been sold factory direct to consumers worldwide since 1977. Santerra Green is sold through select retailers and dealers in the United States and Canada. Sancor continues to manufacture in North America and offers the longest warranty in the composting toilet industry. The newly introduced FlushSmart Series has revolutionized the industry by changing the perception of what a composting toilet looks like. For more information, visit Envirolet or Santerragreen.

Esperanza Spaulding Sings and Plays Upright Fretless Bass

Esperanza Spaulding

"Terra Nova" - "Little House on the Prairie" With Dinosaurs

"Terra Nova," an adventure series about a family from the year 2149 which travels back 85 million years in an attempt to "restart" humanity.  It might be the most expensive broadcast television series ever made.  The first two hours of the show cost about $16 million.  The per-episode cost is expected to be more than $4 million. A typical hospital or lawyer drama is more on the order of $2.5 million per episode

Production in Australia includes hundreds of extras and towering sets that took nearly 15 weeks to build.  The Terra Nova "colony" is the size of a football field inside 18-foot walls, complete with a market, hospital and residences. An 8-foot animatronic velociraptor makes a cameo in the second hour.

Terra Nova" tells the story of the Shannon family in the year 2149, when the Earth is overcrowded and the majority of plant and animal life is extinct. A portal into primeval history gives the Shannons and thousands of other families a chance to travel back to pristine, prehistoric times. At first the Terra Nova settlement seems idyllic, but the Shannons quickly encounter man-eating dinosaurs; the colonists become disenchanted and restive.  The show is "Little House on the Prairie with dinosaurs.

Steven Spielberg and Peter Chernin are the executive producers of the show. (WSJ, 1/21/2011)

Attendees at The White House State Dinner for Hu Jintao

The White House

Office of the First Lady
For Immediate Release

January 19, 2011

State Visit and Dinner Program

THE PRESIDENT and MRS. OBAMA

HIS EXCELLENCY HU JINTAO

      The Honorable Madeleine Albright, Washington, D.C.
      Ms. Alice Albright
      Ms. Christiane Amanpour, ABC News, New York, NY
      Mr. James Rubin
      The Honorable David Axelrod, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
      Mrs. Susan Axelrod
      Mr. Jeffrey Bader, National Security Council
      Ms. Rohini Talalla
      The Honorable Elizabeth Bagley, Washington, D.C.
      Mr. Kevin Frawley
      Mr. Steven Ballmer, Microsoft, Redmond, WA
      Mrs. Connie Ballmer
      Ms. Bette Bao Lord, New York, NY
      The Honorable Winston Lord
      Mrs. Denise Bauer, Belvedere Tiburon, CA
      The Honorable Howard Berman, Representative from California
      Mrs. Janis Berman
      Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
      Dr. Jill Biden
      The Honorable Joseph Beau Biden, III, Attorney General of Delaware, Wilmington, DE
      Mrs. Hallie Biden
      His Excellency Zheng Bijian, Chairman, CIIDS
      His Excellency Dai Bingguo, State Councilor
      Mr. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs, New York, NY
      Mrs. Laura Blankfein
      The Honorable Antony Blinken, Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor, Office of the Vice President
      The Honorable Stephen Breyer, United States Supreme Court
      Dr. Johanna Breyer
      Mr. Greg Brown, Motorola, Schaumburg, IL
      Mrs. Anna-Louise Brown
      The Honorable Dr. Zbigniew Brezezinski, McLean, VA
      Mrs. Emilie A. Brzezinski
      The Honorable Kurt M. Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs
      The Honorable Lael Brainard, Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs
      The Honorable James E. Carter, former President of the United States
      Mrs. Rosalynn Carter
      Mr. Jackie Chan, Beverly Hills, CA
      Mr. Phillip Button
      The Honorable Elaine Chao, Washington, D.C.
      Dr. James Chao
      His Excellency Wang Chao, Vice Minister for Commerce
      His Excellency Tung Chee Hwa, Vice Chairman, CPPCC, former Hong Kong Chief Executive
      Mr. John A. Chen, Chairman, Committee of 100, New York, NY
      Mrs. Sherrie Chen
      The Honorable Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ
      Mrs. Mary Pat Christie
      The Honorable Judy Chu, Representative from California
      Ms. Chiling Tong
      The Honorable Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy
      Mrs. Jean Chu
      The Honorable Hillary R. Clinton, Secretary of State
      The Honorable William J. Clinton, former President of the United States
      The Honorable James E. Clyburn, Representative from South Carolina
      Mr. John Clyburn
      The Honorable Richard Daley, Mayor of Chicago, Chicago, IL
      Mrs. Maggie Daley
      The Honorable William Daley, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
      Ms. Bernadette Keller
      His Excellency Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce
      Mr. Jamie Dimon, JP Morgan Chase & Co., New York, NY
      Mrs. Judith Dimon
      The Honorable Thomas Donilon, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor
      Ms. Cathy Russell, Chief of Staff to Dr. Jill Biden
      The Honorable Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education
      Mrs. Karen Duncan
      Mr. James Fallows, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.
      Mrs. Deborah Fallows
      Mr. Xie Feng, Director General, MFA
      Mr. Thomas Friedman, The New York Times, Washington, D.C.
      Mrs. Ann Friedman
      The Honorable Michael B. Froman, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs
      Ms. Nancy Goodman
      His Excellency Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology
      The Honorable Robert M. Gates, Secretary of Defense
      Mrs. Becky Gates
      The Honorable Timothy F. Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
      Mrs. Carole Geithner
      Mr. Mark Gilbert, Boca Raton, FL
      Mrs. Nancy Gilbert
      The Honorable Chris Gregoire, Governor of Washington, Olympia, WA
      Ms. Courtney Gregoire
      His Excellency Zhu Guangyao, Vice Minister for Finance
      His Excellency Zhang Guobao, Vice Minister for NDRC
      Mr. Herbie Hancock, Los Angeles, CA
      Mrs. GiGi Hancock
      The Honorable Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Science and Technology
      The Honorable Robert Hormats, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs
      The Honorable Steny Hoyer, Representative from Maryland, Democratic WHIP
      His Excellency Wang Huning, Director of the Policy Research Office of CCCPC
      The Honorable Jon Huntsman, U.S. Ambassador to China
      Mrs. Mary Kaye Huntsman
      Mr. Robert Iger, The Walt Disney Company, Burbank, CA
      Ms. Willow Bay
      Mr. David Ignatius, The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.
      Dr. Eve Ignatius
      Mr. Jeff Immelt, General Electric, Fairfield, CT
      Mrs. Andrea Immelt
      The Honorable Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement
      His Excellency Li Jiaxiang, Vice Minister for Transportation
      His Excellency Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs
      His Excellency Ling Jihua, Director of the General Office of CCCPC
      Mr. Robert Kagan, McLean, VA
      Ms. Victoria Nuland
      Mr. Michael Kempner, East Rutherford, NJ
      Mrs. Jacqueline Kempner
      Mr. Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola, Atlanta, GA
      The Honorable John F. Kerry, Senator from Massachusetts
      Mrs. Teresa Heinz Kerry
      Mr. Robert King, UAW, Detroit, MI
      Ms. Julie Kushner
      The Honorable Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative
      Mrs. Matrice Ellis-Kirk
      The Honorable Henry Kissinger, New York, NY
      Mrs. Nancy Kissinger
      Mr. Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times, Scarsdale, NY
      Ms. Sheryl WuDunn
      Ms. Ellen Kullman, DuPont, Wilmington, DE
      Mr. Michael Kullman
      Dr. Zhang Kunsheng, Director-General, Protocol Department
      Ms. Michelle Kwan, Torrance, CA
      Mr. Lang Lang, New York, NY
      Mrs. Zhou Xiulan
      The Honorable Jacob Lew, Director, Office of Management and Budget
      Ms. Maya Lin, New York, NY
      Mr. Daniel Wolf
      Ms. Limin Liu, Reno, NV
      Dr. Hugh Shapiro
      Mr. Andrew N. Liveris, The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI
      Mrs. Paula Liveris
      The Honorable Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce
      Mrs. Mona Locke
      The Honorable Christopher Lu, Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary
      Ms. Kathryn Thomson
      The Honorable Richard Lugar, Senator from Indiana
      Mrs. Charlene Lugar
      Mr. Yo Yo Ma, Burbank, CA
      Ms. Jill Hornor
      The Honorable Capricia Marshall, Chief of Protocol, Department of State
      Mr. W. James McNerney, The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL
      Mrs. Haity McNerney
      Mr. Evan Medeiros, Director for Asian Affairs, NSS
      His Excellency Jiang Mianheng, Vice Chairman, CAS
      Mr. Mel Monzack, Wilmington, DE
      Mrs. Ann Monzack
      Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
      Mrs. Wendi Deng Murdoch, New York, NY
      Mr. James Murren, Las Vegas, NV
      Mrs. Heather Murren
      The Honorable Thomas Nides, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources
      Ms. Virginia Moseley
      Mr. Paul Otellini, Intel, Santa Clara, CA
      Mrs. Sandy Otellini
      The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Representative from California, Democratic Leader
      Mr. Paul Pelosi
      His Excellency Zhang Ping, Minister of NDRC
      The Honorable David Plouffe, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
      Ms. Olivia Morgan
      Mr. Tom Pritzker, Pritzker Organization, Chicago, IL
      Mrs. Margot Pritzker
      His Excellency Wang Qishan, Vice Premier of the State Council
      Ms. Jean Quan, Mayor of Oakland, CA
      The Honorable Edwin M. Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, CA
      Ms. Azita Raji, JP Morgan Securities, Inc., Belvedere, CA
      Mr. Gary Syman
      The Honorable Ben Rhodes, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting
      Ms. Ann Norris
      The Honorable Susan Rice, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, New York, NY
      Mr. Ian Cameron
      Mr. Robert Roche, Shanghai, CN
      Mr. Kenneth Roth, The Human Rights Watch, Washington, D.C.
      Ms. Annie Sparrow
      The Honorable Pete Rouse, Counselor to the President
      Ms. Courtney Chapin
      Mr. David M. Rubenstein, The Carlyle Group, Washington, D.C.
      Mrs. Alice Rubenstein
      Mr. Kirk Rudy, Austin, TX
      Mrs. Amy Rudy
      The Honorable Brent Scowcroft, The Forum for International Policy, Washington, D.C.
      The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services
      The Honorable Gary Sebelius
      The Honorable Susan Sher, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady
      The Honorable Neil Cohen
      Mr. Robert Sherman, Boston, MA
      Ms. Kim S. Sawyer
      His Excellency Chen Shiju, Chief of the President’s Office
      The Honorable George Shultz, Stanford, CA
      Mrs. Charlotte Shultz
      Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, Culver City, CA
      The Honorable Phil Gordon, Mayor of Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ
      The Honorable Gene Sperling, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy & Director of the National Economic Council
      Ms. Allison Abner
      The Honorable Jim Steinberg, Deputy Secretary of State
      Ms. Sherburne B. Abbott
      Ms. Barbra Streisand, Malibu, CA
      Mr. James Brolin
      The Honorable Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement
      Mr. John Thornton, The Brookings Institution, HSBC North America, Palm Beach, FL
      Mrs. Margaret Thornton
      His Excellency Cui Tiankai, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
      Dr. Stanley Toy, Jr., Pasadena, CA
      Ms. Lana Toy
      Mr. Luis Ubinas, The Ford Foundation, New York, NY
      Dr. Deborah Tolman
      Mr. Jose Villarreal, Commissioner General, Shanghai Expo, San Antonio, TX
      Ms. Sara Villarreal
      Ms. Vera Wang, New York, NY
      Mr. Arthur Becker
      Mr. Steve Westly, Menlo Park, CA
      Ms. Anita Yu
      Ms. Anna Wintour, Vogue Magazine, New York, NY
      Mr. Shelby Bryan
      Ms. Patricia A. Woertz, Archer Daniels Midland, Decatur, IL
      Mr. Kelvin R. Westbrook
      Mr. B.D. Wong, New York, NY
      Mrs. Roberta Wong
      Mr. Charles Woo, Mega Toys, Los Angeles, CA
      Mrs. Ying Woo
      The Honorable David Wu, Representative from Oregon
      Ms. Anna Kopperud
      His Excellency Xie Xuren, Minister of Finance
      His Excellency Zhang Yesui, Chinese Ambassador to the United States
      Madam Chen Naiqing
      His Excellency Sun Yibiao, Vice Minister for Customs

Chinese state dinner seating chart

FCC & Justice Approve Comcast Merger With NBC Universal

The Justice Department, along with the Federal Communications Commissionon, approved Comcast's $30 billion acquisition of NBC Universal on Tuesday.  The deal merges the nation's biggest cable and Internet service provider with NBC Universal's library of entertainment.

Most of the conditions for the merger apply for seven years. In addition, Comcast made several voluntary commitments to the FCC to ensure that the deal would be in the public interest. It will offer more children's programming and local news. It will also offer low-income households Internet service for $9.99 a month and stand-alone broadband Internet subscriptions for $49.99.

Comcast promised that it would not retaliate against broadcast networks or cable programmers for licensing their shows to competing firms such as Time Warner Cable or DirecTV. Comcast volunteered to treat all Internet content fairly - with similar speeds - even if the FCC's net neutrality rules are overturned by a court.

The FCC and Justice also demanded that Comcast relinquish its management stake in Hulu, the online joint venture NBC has with News Corp. and Walt Disney. But Comcast would be able to keep its financial stake in the Web site.

The FCC approved the deal on a vote of 4-to-1 (Michael J. Copps opposing).  (Wash Post, 1/18/2010)

Carlos Santana Marries Cindy Blackman



Cindy Blackman & Carlos Santana

Guitar legend Carlos Santana and former Lenny Kravitz drummer Cindy Blackman married at the Ritz-Carlton in Mauiin, Hawaii on December 19, 2010.  Blackman wore a custom-made silk dress from the Zurich boutique Zoro for the ceremony.
The couple washed their hands in a bowl of rainwater and "We absolved ourselves of all things past and all things future except the two of us. It felt so clearing to do that."  They released doves "to release our purity and love into the cosmos."

The wedding and reception included 180 guests, including comedian George Lopez and musician pals Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, who performed at the reception.

After honeymooning in Hawaii over the holidays, the guitarist went back to work at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. (People, 1/5/2010)


Cindy Blackman

Sly Stone and The Family Stone

James Brown may have invented funk, but Sly Stone perfected it; his alchemical fusion of soul, rock, gospel, and psychedelia rejected stylistic boundaries as much as his explosive backing band the Family Stone ignored racial and gender restrictions, creating a series of euphoric yet politically charged records that proved a massive influence on artists of all musical and cultural backgrounds.

In 1966, Stewart formed the group Sly & the Stoners, while his younger brother Freddie led his own band, Freddie & the Stone Souls; soon the siblings merged the two acts, and with bassist Larry Graham, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and drummer Greg Errico, Sly & the Family Stone were born.

As the group's chief vocalist, songwriter, and producer, Stone pushed the envelope further with each successive release; and with the 1970 chart-topper "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin," he essentially created the sonic blueprint for the funk and disco that dominated the decade to follow via a percussive groove propelled by Graham's pop-and-slap bassline.
However, as the utopian ideals of the 1960s gave way to the paranoia and corruption of the 1970s, the celebratory sound that once epitomized Sly & the Family Stone gave way to the bleakly unsettling There's a Riot Goin' On, a dark, militant masterpiece that yielded the hits "Family Affair" and "Running Away."

Released in 1973, Fresh was Sly & the Family Stone's last truly great album, and after issuing Small Talk the band unraveled, with 1975's High on You credited to Stone alone.

Sly & the Family Stone were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

(Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide)

Daft Punk: "Tron Legacy" Soundtrack

Daft Punk, the French duo, provides the classical electronic jazzy soundtrack for the fil "Tron Legacy."  Daft Punk is the sleek, futuristic, robot-mask-wearing Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter.

Then, a universal sigh. The orchestral soundtrack album arrived 11 days before "Tron: Legacy" hit theaters December 17.  Critics suggest listening to music in a theater because the music is so intimately tied to the film. where torrents of 3-D goodness can wash over your eyeballs while you pay very close attention to your They suggest tuning your ears to the cool synthesizer bubbling beneath the conversations. Focus on the digital pulse coursing through this movie.

The duo makes a cameo in a nightclub scene that seems to have been written into the script just so they could play "Derezzed," a high-gloss speaker-thumper in the Daft Punk tradition. Almost everywhere else, Bangalter and de Homem-Christo don't sound nearly as Daft Punky. Instead, they conduct an 85-piece orchestra through the drifts and swells practically necessary to give the film's various fight scenes, chase scenes and fight-slash-chase scenes the requisite va-voom. But even when the timpanis reach peak rumble, Daft Punk's electric cool never wanes. (Wash Post, 12/25/2010)

Schwarzenegger To Be White House "Energy Czar?"

Outgoing Republican Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated that he would accept a position as an "energy czar" in President Obama's Democratic administration. Governor Schwarzenegger suggested he would like to go to Washington and influence national policy on clean energy use, and promote environmentalism. Should Carol Browner be looking over her shoulder?  She is the current energy czar in the Obama administration, but it is rumored that she might move to Deputy White House Chief of Staff.  Maybe he told her "I'll be back," the last time he was at the White House.

Schwarzenegger is also suggesting people would be more likely to listen to him about the need for reform because he would not be seen as a radical, adding: "People are very receptive when I talk about these things because I'm a Hummer driver not a tree-hugger."   The governator is planning a visit to Washington with George Shultz, former Secretary of State in the Reagan administration. They will call for a bipartisan approach on energy policy and focus on the need to reduce US dependence on foreign oil supplies. (The Telegraph, 12/24/2010)

Stephen Baldwin Sues Kevin Costner Over Oil/Water Separator

Stephen Baldwin, left, has filed a federal lawsuit against Kevin Costner, right, in New Orleans over the actors' investments in a centrifuge device that BP used in its efforts to clean up the company's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawsuit filed by Baldwin and a friend, Spyridon Contogouris, claims that Costner and a business partner duped them out of their shares in an $18 million deal in which BP purchased oil-separating centrifuges from a company they formed after the April 20, 2010 spill.

Baldwin and friend owned shares in Ocean Therapy Solutions, the company that marketed the centrifuges to BP. The two say they were deliberately excluded from a June 8, 2010 meeting between Costner, business partner Patrick Smith and BP executive Doug Suttles at which Suttles agreed to make an $18 million deposit on a $52 million order for 32 of the devices. Baldwin and Contogouris say they did not know about the deal when they agreed to sell their shares of the company. They claim Costner and Smith "schemed" to use the BP deposit money to buy them out. (Wash Post, 12/24/2010)

Kennedy Center Honors

By Holly Wood

Honorees:

Oprah Winfrey, Paul McCartney, Merle Haggard, Jerry Herman & Bill T. Jones

CBS will air its annual telecast of the ceremonies on December 28, 2010.

The Kennedy Center held its annual Honors, which started in 1978, on Sunday night.  Three of the honorees are pretty well known and Jerry Herman is being recognized as a composer-lyricist and Bill T. Jones is an avant-garde choreographer. Kennedy Center honorees get escorted through a weekend of events, from a State Department brunch to a White House visit to the evening's honoree gala.

Prominents participating in the event or attending included: Willie Nelson, Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury  Alec Baldwin, Steven Tyler, Norah Jones, Dave Grohl, Gwen Stefani and No Doubt (providing the Beatles covers), Julia Roberts, Claire Danes, playwright Edward Albee (speaking on behalf of honoree Bill T. Jones), Jennifer Hudson, Barbara Walters, Vince Gill, Sheryl Crow, James Taylor, Mavis Staples, John Lithgow, Gayle King, Oprah, Nancy Pelosi, Kris Kristofferson, Diana Ross, Smokey Robinson and Mary-Louise Parker, among others.

Tickets prices ranged from $350 to $5,000. (Wash Post, 12/6/2010)

Billie Joe Armstrong on Broadway in "American Idiot"

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong is headed back to Broadway. The singer will take the stage for 50 performances of "American Idiot" between Jan. 1 and Feb. 27.  "American Idiot" is based on the Green Day album of the same name.

Mr. Armstrong had previously joined the production, a Tony Award nominee this year for Best Musical, during a one-week engagement from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3. During that week, the show's attendance spiked to 93% capacity, and its gross hit $1.09 million, according to weekly statistics complied by the Broadway League. (WSJ, 12/1/2010)

Bjorn Lomborg's Book and Movie "Cool It"

Ondi Timoner teams up with author of 'The Skeptical Environmentalist' Bjorn Lomborg to discuss what's really at stake with climate change, and what's actually necessary to make true advances in the fight.

Bjorn Lomborg believes that many of the elaborate and expensive actions now being considered to stop global warming will cost hundreds of billions of dollars, are often based on emotional rather than strictly scientific assumptions, and may very well have little impact on the world's temperature for hundreds of years. Rather than starting with the most radical procedures, Lomborg argues that we should first focus our resources on more immediate concerns, such as fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS and assuring and maintaining a safe, fresh water supply-which can be addressed at a fraction of the cost and save millions of lives within our lifetime. He asks why the debate over climate change has stifled rational dialogue and killed meaningful dissent.

Lomborg presents us with a second generation of thinking on global warming that believes panic is neither warranted nor a constructive place from which to deal with any of humanity's problems, not just global warming. Cool It promises to be one of the most talked about and influential books of our time.

Center's

25th

Anniversary

Today

President's Statement

Welcome to the Center's New Hollywood Site

By Environment Man

Hollywood is to entertainment what politics is to Washington, D.C.  Politicians are entertainers too.  And entertainers want to make public policy.  So we will cover both and mix them up.  Cause they are mixed up sometimes.  Entertainment is also big business. Very big business.  We will also cover the business of Hollywood and the business of Capitol Hill, The White House and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Viacom, Fox, NBC Universal, Time Warner, Sony and Disney run most of planet Earth's entertainment ventures.  The Center, though a small outlet, is on the cutting edge of delivering political entertainment content.  The big might be big, but we can move faster than them.  Plus we have Alan Smithee on our side.

So sit back and enjoy our ride. And visit often.

Kid Rock: Born Free

By Holly Wood

Kid Rock kick off his "Born Free" tour in support of the album of the same name which hit stores this week.

Kid Rock   More CMT Music   More CMT Music Videos

The tour comes in the form of a 40th birthday party Kid Rock is throwing for himself with 60,000 of his closest friends, at Detroit's Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions football team. Kid Rock will be backed by his Twisted Brown Trucker Band. The nationwide tour ends March 12th in Memphis, Tennessee.

Kid Rock recently appeared at the European Music Awards in Madrid last week and the CMA Awards on November 10th. Kid Rock will appear on the live broadcast of the American Music Awards on Sunday, November 21st. A documentary titled "Kid Rock: Born Free" will start airing across MTV, Vh1, and CMT on November 16th.

Kid Rock's "Born Free Tour" 2011
w/ Very Special Guest Jamey Johnson

SAT 1/15/11 Detroit, MI Ford Field ( B-Day Show)
FRI 1/21/11 Saginaw, MI Dow Events Center
TUE 1/25/11 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel
WED 1/26/11 Toledo, OH Huntington Center
FRI 1/28/11 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
SAT 1/29/11 Dayton, OH Nutter Center
TUE 2/1/11 Wichita, KS Intrust Arena
TUE 2/8/11 Bossier City, LA CenturyTel Center
WED 2/9/11 Little Rock, AR Verizon Wireless Arena
FRI 2/11/10 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
SAT 2/12/11 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center
MON 2/14/11 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center
WED 2/16/11 N. Charleston, SC N. Charleston Coliseum
FRI 2/18/11 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
SAT 2/19/11 Birmingham, AL BJCC
TUE 2/22/11 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum
WED 2/23/11 Huntington, WV Big Sandy's
FRI 2/25/11 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
SAT 2/26/11 Chicago, IL United Center
MON 2/28/11 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic
TUE 3/1/11 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium
FRI 3/4/11 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center
SAT 3/5/11 Orlando, FL UCF Arena
TUE 3/8/11 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock
WED 3/9/11 Jacksonville, FL Veterans Memorial Arena
FRI 3/11/11 Jackson, MS Mississippi Coliseum
SAT 3/12/11 Memphis, TN FedEx Forum

(AntiMusic, 11/17/2010)

Keri Hilson: Don't Hate Me Cause I'm Beautiful (Pretty Girl Rock)

By Susie Centsativ

Keri is interesting.  She calls herself tall and yellow in interviews.  And is proud of it.  She seems to be a combination of many singers.  Hmmmm.  Who comes to mind?  Katy Perry, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyounce, among others. No Boys Allowed” is slated for a December 2010 release and a video for the song was shot in Atlanta in September. The song is about that breaking point that every woman gets to when the excuses given by boys are no longer accepted.

Keri comments:

“ If you’re not man enough to step to the plate, then keep it moving.”

Dennis Miller: "The Big Speech"

By Korben Dallas

The Big Speech is Dennis Miller's first HBO standup special in four years.  It was great.  Classic Dennis.  Taped live at the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California, Miller riffed on everything and everybody from President Obama to Monday Night Football.

He had Bill Maher's timeslot on Friday night at 10 p.m.  Miller is conservative to Maher's liberal.  Conservative gets bigger numbers than liberal on cable and radio.  Maybe HBO noticed.

Philippine Congressman Manny (Pac Man) Pacquaio

Manny (Pac Man) Pacquaio is the dominant fighter of his generation. He has won eight different titles in eight different weight classes, including his recent defeat of Antonio Margarito, who was five inches taller and 17 pounds heavier. Mr. Pacquiao's only unrealized goal is a date with the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

The boxing world waits in anticipation of his signing a contract to fight against Mayweather, in what has been seen as the fight of the generation, between the world's two leading prize fighters. It is thought the super-fight could gross over $200 million, the most lucrative fight of all time.

Mr. Pacquiao is also serving as a Congressman in the Philippines. He took the oath of office in the capital of Sarangani province after winning by a landslide vote in the May 10 national elections. Mr Pacquiano was elected three years after failing to win a seat.

The 31-year-old fighter says he is committed to improving infrastructure, medical services and security during his three-year term in parliament. On the eve of the ceremony, Pacquiao defected to the Liberal Party of incoming President Benigno Aquino. (WSJ, 11/19/2010, The Telegraph, 6/28/2010)

NetCoalition

NetCoalition serves as the public policy voice for some of the world's most innovative Internet companies on the key legislative and administrative proposals affecting the online world. NetCoalition provides creative and effective solutions to the critical legal and technological issues facing the Internet.  By enabling industry leaders, policymakers, and the public to engage directly.  NetCoalition  has helped insure the integrity, usefulness, and continued expansion of this dynamic new medium.