Entravision Communications Corporation Schedules Second Quarter 2010 Earnings Release and Teleconference

July 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE: EVC) announced today that it will release second quarter 2010 financial results after market hours on Thursday, August 5, 2010.

The company will also host a teleconference to discuss its second quarter 2010 financial results on Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the teleconference, please dial (412) 858-4600 ten minutes prior to the start time. The teleconference will also be available via live webcast on the investor relations portion of the Company’s Web site located at www.entravision.com.

If you cannot listen to the teleconference at its scheduled time, there will be a replay available through Thursday, August 19, 2010, which can be accessed by dialing (877) 344-7529 (U.S.) or (412) 317-0088 (Int’l), passcode 442613. The webcast will also be archived on the Company’s Web site for 30 days.

Entravision Communications Corporation is a diversified Spanish-language media company utilizing a combination of television and radio operations to reach Hispanic consumers across the United States, as well as the border markets of Mexico. Entravision is the largest affiliate group of both the top-ranked Univision television network and Univision’s TeleFutura network, with television stations in 20 of the nation’s top 50 Hispanic markets. The company also operates one of the nation’s largest groups of primarily Spanish-language radio stations, consisting of 48 owned and operated radio stations. Entravision shares of Class A Common Stock are traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol: EVC.

SOURCE Entravision Communications Corporation

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Mel Gibson denies affair with porn star when ex-wife was pregnant

May 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, May 10 (ANI): Mel Gibson, who is said to be the latest addition to the cheaters club, has emphatically denied having a secret affair with a porn star during his ex-wife’s pregnancy.

Polish porn star Violet Kowal has told the National Enquirer that she had sex with Gibson while his ex-partner, Oksana Grigorieva, was pregnant with their daughter Lucia, now five months old.

“Mel”s break-up with Oksana doesn”t surprise me at all,” The Daily Telegraph quoted Kowal as saying.

“Clearly, Mel can”t commit to just one woman,” she added.

Kowal claimed that she had sex with Gibson eight times at his compound in Malibu and at his Icon Entertainment office in Santa Monica last year.

“Mel”s great in bed. It was the best sex I”ve ever had,” she said.

Kowal also took a polygraph test, with the results showing she was telling the truth, but Gibson”s rep called the story an “absurd fabrication”. (ANI)

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FreeAppADay.com Introduces Application Usage Optimizer for iPhone Developers, Helps Commodore 64, Babel Rising and Slap Game Top App Store Rankings

April 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
Leading iPhone Application Discovery Portal, FreeAppADay.com is pursuing its
relentless drive boosting Commodore 64, Babel Rising and Slap Game among others
all the way to the top of the App Store rankings. Today, the site unveiled its
new application usage optimizer entitled Faad-Feed, which is composed of the
site’s featured free application icon and iTunes link. The feed’s content is
pushed automatically towards the host iPhone application on a daily basis,
making it easier for end-users to download the latest high profile free app
directly from their favorite applications.

FreeAppADay.com is already recognized in the iPhone developer community as a
solid instrument to increase both visibility and revenues. Following a careful
dissection of months of data, studies have revealed that an increase in
application usage can dramatically improve revenue streams for developers
following the freemium (free+in-apps) or ad-funded business model.

iPhone Developers previously used various methods to reignite usage, some opted
for the “push notification” as a means to remind users to play or use an
application; however, this method has revealed itself to be somewhat intrusive
causing some end-users to delete applications altogether. Others used the
regular application update approach which has shown some effectiveness; however,
the process is often time consuming for developers and can ultimately generate a
nuisance for end-users since the process requires constant application updates.

“We noticed that the large volume of new applications entering the App Store
market contributed to diminish iPhone owners’ attention spans towards individual
applications,” says Joe Bayen, CEO at FreeAppADay.com. “In the long run, the
observed trend can have a detrimental impact for developers focusing on the
ad-funded or freemium business model, therefore, adding the Faad-Feed in the
discovery arsenal will provide some much needed stickiness.”

The Feed reveals itself to be an adequate alternative since it gives users a
non-intrusive and positive incentive to use the host application on a daily
basis while simultaneously allowing developers to generate more revenue from
in-apps and advertisement.

About FreeAppADay.com

FreeAppADay.com is a social networking website built to facilitate iPhone
application discovery as well as offer a centralized location for iPhone
enthusiasts and developers of polished iPhone applications.

ICS Mobile
Jennifer Collins, 1-310-598-5199
Press@icsmobile.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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FreeAppADay.com to Launch Free iPad Titles on Day One Through www.FreeiPadAppADay.com

April 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
Leading Application Discovery Portal FreeAppADay.com is scheduled to promote
several iPad titles during the iPad Launch weekend through its newly acquired
www.FreeiPadAppADay.com website. The site will reveal the name of the titles on
Saturday April 3rd at 12.00am.

“We are very excited to be involved with the launch of the iPad,” says Joe
Bayen, CEO at www.FreeAppADay.com. “The new device is set to have a major impact
in the mobile industry and we are positioning the new iPad site as a location
where iPad developers can showcase their titles and iPad owners can discover
great paid apps free for a single day.”

The iPad site will initially be merged with www.FreeAppADay.com, however
www.FreeiPadAppADay.com is set to evolve as a standalone website once more
titles become available on the iPad.

About FreeAppADay.com

FreeAppADay.com is a social networking website built to facilitate iPhone
application discovery as well as offer a centralized location for iPhone
enthusiasts and developers of polished iPhone applications.

ICS Mobile
Jennifer Collins, 1-310-598-5199
Press@icsmobile.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Whale sushi restaurant closes for good

March 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A California restaurant facing criminal charges for serving endangered whale meat as sushi has announced it will close permanently as a “self-imposed punishment”.

The Hump restaurant in Santa Monica and chef Kiyoshiro Yamamoto face charges over “the illegal sale of a marine mammal product” after the Oscar-winning documentary makers of The Cove filmed them serving sei whale sushi.

“The Hump hopes that by closing its doors, it will help bring awareness to the detrimental effect that illegal whaling has on the preservation of our ocean ecosystems and species,” a statement on the restaurant’s website said.

“Closing the restaurant is a self-imposed punishment on top of the fine that will be meted out by the court. The owner of The Hump also will be taking additional action to save endangered species.

“One such action will be to make a substantial contribution to one or more responsible organisations dedicated to the preservation of whales and other endangered species.

“The Hump apologises to our loyal customers, the community of Santa Monica, and the public at large for our illegal actions.”

The restaurant owners face up to a year in prison and a $US200,000 ($218,000) fine, while Yamamoto faces a maximum fine of $US100,000.

Authorities were alerted to the sale of whale meat at the restaurant by the film crew that made The Cove, a documentary about the slaughter of dolphins in Japan that won this year’s Best Documentary Oscar.

Director Louie Psihoyos had for months been attempting to gather evidence that the restaurant was selling the meat, and launched several “commando” operations, sending crew members to pose as customers.

They filmed the meals they were served with miniature cameras and managed to sneak samples of the whale sushi out of the restaurant, taking it to a lab where tests revealed it was sei whale meat.

- AFP

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US sushi chef charged with serving whale

March 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A California sushi chef and the restaurant in which he worked have been charged with illegally serving meat from an endangered sei whale, the US Justice Department said.

Kiyoshiro Yamamoto, 45, and the parent company of the popular restaurant The Hump in Santa Monica were charged with violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it illegal to sell any kind of whale meat.

The case stemmed from informants who ordered whale meat at the restaurant in October 2009.

It then evolved into a sting operation by US wildlife and customs officials, who observed whale meat being served at the restaurant last week.

“Someone should not be able to walk into a restaurant and order a plate of an endangered species,” US Attorney Andre Birotte Jr said in a statement.

According to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint, two confidential informants last week ordered whale meat during a sting operation while wildlife and customs officers sat at the sushi bar observing.

The sushi chef went to a car in the parking lot and brought a package of meat back into the restaurant where he opened it at the sushi bar and sliced the meat to serve, according to the document.

After initially ignoring questions from a customer at the sushi bar about the meat, “a customer to the right of the (official) then asked the sushi chef about the meat product, and the sushi chef quietly said that it was whale,’” the affidavit said.

The plate of whale meat was then delivered to the two informants’ table.

A lawyer for the restaurant and chef was not immediately available for comment.

The charge carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and fines of up to $US100,000 for individuals and $US200,000 for organisations.

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SharesPost Announces the Industry`s First Value Index for Venture-Back Companies

March 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

SharesPost Index to Track Value of “Blue Chip” Private Companies and Become a
Barometer for Measuring the Performance of Private Equity Investments
SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
SharesPost today launched the first index to track the performance of “blue
chip” venture-backed, pre-IPO companies. The SharesPost Index serves as the
industry`s first benchmark for the valuation of private companies and includes
Facebook, Linden Lab, LinkedIn, Tesla Motors, Serious Materials, Twitter and
Zynga.

Prior to the launch of the SharesPost Index, there was no benchmark that
reflected real-time market input on the value of venture-backed companies. By
integrating the most relevant available data surrounding company value,
including real-time transactions in the company`s shares, current posted
indications of interest for future transactions, research report estimates and
venture capital financing valuations, the SharesPost Index strengthens
SharesPost`s leadership position as the source of valuation data and transaction
information for venture-backed private companies.

“Since our launch just a few months ago, we`ve connected buyers and sellers
directly in the negotiations of more than $229MM worth of transactions and seen
more than $300MM worth of posts to buy and sell. Part of our job is to support
those discussions by surfacing as much data and analysis as possible-the
SharesPost Index is the next logical step in those efforts,” said Greg Brogger,
founder and CEO of SharesPost.

“Given the rapidly growing size and importance of the private equity asset
class, everyone recognizes that the industry needs to move toward greater
transparency,” said Michael Moe, former head of global growth research at
Merrill Lynch, CEO of ThinkEquity Partners and founder of NeXt Up Research. “As
the first market index of its kind for venture-backed companies, the SharesPost
Index is a key milestone in creating that transparency and enabling liquidity in
the private equity market.”

“SharesPost is the only platform connecting buyers and sellers of private
company shares directly, and helping companies manage those transactions,” said
Investor Allen Morgan. “Now they`ve packaged the unique data their platform
generates into an index that allows investors to see, in real-time, the changes
in the value of leading private companies. It`s a much needed innovation within
the venture industry.”

The SharesPost Index is available now at www.SharesPost.com. Institutional
investors, venture capitalists and other members of the venture and financial
services community may view the index at no cost with a free SharesPost
membership.

About SharesPost

SharesPost makes private equity liquid by connecting buyers and sellers directly
and facilitating easy, automated transactions. SharesPost is the first web-based
platform to greatly reduce the cost, time and complexity of private equity
transactions. SharesPost combines pricing and valuation data, and analysis with
automated contracting, to bring transparency and efficiency to private equity
and so encourage a new era of liquidity. SharesPost was developed by those it
was designed to serve-entrepreneurs, angel investors and venture capitalists.

SharesPost is not a registered broker-dealer or registered securities exchange.
SharesPost is not registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.

For more information, please visit www.sharespost.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available:

http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6200681〈=en

Schwartz Communications
Jason Morris or Allison Bedard, 415-512-0770
sharespost@schwartz-pr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Becks’ sporty tourism ad on California beach

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, September 1 (ANI): David Beckham showed off some tricks as he shot for a tourism ad promoting California.

The footie ace was seen displaying his skills as he kicked footballs into the ocean wearing a blue tee, casual shirt, and cargo shorts.

The 34-year-old later signed autographs and posed for some snaps with fans in Santa Monica, reports The Sun.

Beckham was reportedly requested to make an appearance by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who will star in the campaign.

West Wing’s Rob Lowe and Ugly Betty actress Vanessa Williams will also feature in the commercial. (ANI)

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US footballer claims being Farrah Fawcett’s first and last love

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Aug 31 (ANI): A former US footballer claims that he was the first and last love of late actress Farrah Fawcett.

Greg Lott, who says he first met Fawcett in the 60s, also claims that actor Ryan O’Neal’s heart-wrenching return to her side and his support during her dying days was nothing more than an act for the camera.

According to The Mail, Lott dismissed the image of Fawcett and O’Neal’s tragic rapprochement as nothing but Hollywood fantasy, and says that for the last 11 years of her life, she was involved in a very private romance with him.

“We were blind, crazy, in love,” the Daily Telegraph quoted him as saying.

“Farrah was my best friend and my inspiration.

“We fell in love with each other all those years ago and we never really stopped loving each other. Our lives took us in very different directions but, in the end, her heart always came home to me and Texas,” he said.

Lott also claimed that O’Neal froze him out of Fawcett’s life against her will, and that she referred to O’Neal as the “Fat F*** from the beach”.

O’Neal’s spokesman has dismissed Lott’s claims as “categorically false”, but the actor’s son Griffin has stated otherwise.

“I have to thank Greg Lott for one thing: For loving Farrah the way she deserved to be loved. Ryan was just there for the acclaim,” he said.

Lott revealed the last time he spoke to Fawcett was a couple of months before she passed away.

“I last spoke to Farrah late on the night of April 9 – two-and-a-half months before she died. She was preparing to come home from a bout of treatment at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica,” he said.

“She told me: ‘I’m coming home tomorrow. I love you and I will call you’,” he revealed.

When he did not hear from her, Lott flew to California in desperation, to her home in LA, but he claims O’Neal refused him entry.

“I never got to say goodbye to Farrah. Ryan shut me out of her life,” he said.

Lott, who dated Fawcett from when they were students at Texas University until 1970, got his second chance when her romance with O’Neal came unstuck in 1996 thanks to his volatile temper and infidelity.

“She called and we arranged to meet in Texas,” Lott said.

“She was doing a fundraiser for battered women and invited me to the event at a hotel. She walked into the room and the electricity was there between us,” he recalled.

Fawcett then invited him to visit her at her home in Bel Air, Los Angeles.

“She flew me out to Los Angeles and we fell into each other’s arms,” he said.

“Farrah was always a very sensual woman. She never wore make-up at home and would shop at cheap stores like Walmart for her sweatpants. She had no airs and graces. That’s what I loved about her. She looked a million dollars without doing anything.

“I would look at her sleeping in the early morning and she looked like an angel. I thought I was the luckiest man in the world. She told me, ‘I’ve had the Hollywood men but you’re a real man. You get me.

“She loved to cook and would make me Texan dishes like fried chicken. We didn’t go out much. We’d stay home and watch movies and make love,” he added. (ANI)

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Andrew Luster | Andrew Stuart Luster | Andrew | Luster | Andrew Luster Max Factor | Max Factor | Cosmetics Giant Max Factor | Max Factor Cosmetics Fortune | Bounty Hunters

August 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Andrew Luster | Andrew Stuart Luster | Andrew | Luster | Andrew Luster Max Factor | Max Factor | Cosmetics Giant Max Factor | Max Factor Cosmetics Fortune | Bounty Hunters

Andrew Stuart Luster born on 15 December, 1963, is the great-grandson of cosmetics giant Max Factor, Sr. and an heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune. He grew up in Malibu, California and attended Windward School in Santa Monica. Convicted of a series of rapes in 2003, Luster had been supported by a $3.1 million trust fund as he traveled and surfed at various beaches.

In 1996, 1997 and 2000 Luster was accused of giving three women GHB, a known date rape drug, and raping them while they were unconscious. Luster was brought to trial in 2002. Soon afterward, police officers found videotapes of Luster raping the women in question, including one tape labeled “Shauna GHBing.”

In January, 2003, while on trial for rape, Luster left the country and was declared a fugitive from justice by the judge. Although his attorneys attempted to halt proceedings until he could be located, the judge ruled that Luster would be tried in absentia.

The trial went ahead without him and on January 22, after two days of deliberations, the jury found Luster guilty on 86 of 87 charges against him and deadlocked on a single poisoning charge.

Luster was convicted of 20 counts of drug-induced rape, 17 counts of raping an unconscious victim, and multiple counts of sodomy and oral copulation by use of drugs. Luster was sentenced to six years for each of the 20 counts of rape and another four years for poisoning, for a total of 124 years in prison. Luster was also ordered to pay a $1 million fine.

The California Court of Appeal refused the appeal his attorneys filed on his behalf, ruling that as a fugitive from justice, Luster had forfeit his right to appeal. The California Supreme Court and the United States Supreme Court later refused to overturn this ruling.

Andrew Luster was later famously caught by bounty hunters, including Duane “Dog” Chapman, in Mexico.

During his flight, Luster found his way to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where he lived under the assumed name David Carrera, surfing and partying. He was captured by bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman, his son Leland Chapman, Tim Chapman, and two TV crewmen in a noisy scuffle on June 18, 2003 and was then taken into custody by Mexican authorities. The next day, Luster was returned to the U.S., and imprisoned. Chapman was subsequently arrested for deprivation of liberty because bounty-hunting is prohibited by Mexican law, a charge that was ultimately dropped in August 2007.

Luster is currently serving his 124 year prison sentence in Mule Creek State Prison in California. Because the crimes harmed other persons, Luster must serve 85 percent of his sentence before being eligible for release with time off for good behaviour, making him not eligible for release until October 2108. Luster has filed a federal habeas corpus suit as the final possibility of getting his case reviewed by another Court on appeal, which was rejected in late 2007. Soon after, his attorney in the case Stephen Yagman, began his own three year prison term for tax evasion.

Two of the victims won civil lawsuits against Luster, who was ordered to pay a total of $39 million. The women’s attorneys have been busy ever since trying to untangle the Luster/Factor family investments. Luster subsequently sold most of his property and declared bankruptcy. It remains unclear how much the victims will actually receive.

After he vanished, a movie called A Date with Darkness : The Trial and Capture of Andrew Luster was made based on him and his victims. The film was supposed to end with a picture of the real Andrew Luster, asking the audience to notify authorities if they should see him. When Luster was finally captured, the film was still shooting. The ending was re-written to incorporate his capture.

-wiki.

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Megan Fox hates watching herself on screen

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 14(ANI): Actress Megan Fox has admitted that she doesn’t like watching her own performances in films.

“I usually don’t watch myself. I don’t watch playback. I don’t look at still photos. I have a phobia of it,” the Sun quoted her as saying.

However, the bombshell added that she watched her latest movie ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’.

She said: “But I forced myself to sit down for Transformers 2.”

Fox was spotted househunting in Santa Monica with her on/off boyfriend Brian Austen Green last weekend. (ANI)

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Megan Fox hates watching herself on screen

July 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

London, July 14(ANI): Actress Megan Fox has admitted that she doesn’t like watching her own performances in films.

“I usually don’t watch myself. I don’t watch playback. I don’t look at still photos. I have a phobia of it,” the Sun quoted her as saying.

However, the bombshell added that she watched her latest movie ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’.

She said: “But I forced myself to sit down for Transformers 2.”

Fox was spotted househunting in Santa Monica with her on/off boyfriend Brian Austen Green last weekend. (ANI)

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Michael Jackson was killed by the stress of his $400m debts says his friend Lou ‘The Incredible Hulk’ Ferrigno

July 5, 2009 By Leave a Comment

INCREDIBLE Hulk star Lou Ferrigno yesterday claimed that  Michael Jackson was killed by the weight of his massive debts.

The actor and bodybuilder had been training his pal Jacko for his gruelling 50-date London tour.

And he said the only reason the singer was going back on stage was to clear his $400million debts.

Ferrigno, 50, revealed: “He was under tremendous stress, so much I think it killed him. He was $400million in debt. In the past, he had backed out of doing live shows but this time he was under the gun. The debts put a huge strain on him.”

The pair first met through a mutual pal in 1995 and Ferrigno recalled: “Our friend had a bunch of guests over. Michael was there and I was introduced to him.

“The friend had a gym and I walked over to it and Michael kept staring at me. He was acting really shy. Eventually we got talking. Michael needed to get ready for his HIStory world tour, so I told him to train with me.

“He came to my house in Santa Monica and that’s how I became a close friend. He was great, a nice guy, really sweet. He was self-conscious about people staring at him, people touching him, wanting a piece of him.

“But he let his guard down when he was with me. There was no show.”

The pair met several times over the following years and in April Jackson asked Ferrigno to help him prepare for his London comeback concerts.

The actor would visit his rented Bel Air mansion three times a week to put Jacko through his paces.

“He had undergone a five-hour medical in February and had passed with flying colours, but he wanted to be fitter,” said Ferrigno.

“So I would go to his house with an inflatable exercise ball and 3lb dumbbells. He did not like the dumbbells. He said he didn’t want big shoulders and big muscles like me.

“I laughed and said, ‘Michael, there’s no way you will get big shoulders from 3lb dumbbells.’”

Stick-thin Jackson was unlikely to get them through his measly eating habits either.

Ferrigno said: “He ate only one meal a day, always in the evening. He’d wake up and not have anything for the whole day, and when he did eat it was always vegetarian.”

The singer also had a bizarre dress code for their sessions.

“He wore whatever he put on first thing,” said Ferrigno. “So if he put pyjamas on he would wear pyjamas for the rest of the day. But it was always with a suit jacket, that was the Michael Jackson signature.

“Sometimes when we worked out he would take his jacket off and he looked lean and motivated.”

Ferrigno said the 50-year-old’s fitness was improving all the time.

“I was with him until the end of May and he was fine,” he said. “There was no sign of drug use and his flexibility was improving. That was important as he was a little tight in certain areas. He hadn’t danced for so long.”

Jacko always liked to work out while listening to music –  The Beatles and the Mamas & the Papas were particular favourites – and Ferrigno revealed the legendary dancer even taught him the Moonwalk during breaks. “We talked, had conversations about life and different things,” he said. “There was no security, no bodyguards, nobody around. He didn’t want anyone around when he worked out. We took regular breaks and he would show me his dance moves. They were awesome.

“He was doing part of his routine. He was still in great shape dance-wise. He was still as good as 15 years ago.

“Michael taught me the Moonwalk. I’m sworn to secrecy though, I can’t give the secrets away.”

Despite his financial problems, Jacko seemed in good spirits, according to his friend.

“He was very happy,” said Ferrigno. “He used to be lonely when I first saw him but he was very happy because he had his children.

“I made him laugh a lot and he was a real prankster. He was always playing jokes on me.

“He used to call me and pretend he was someone called Omar. He would pretend to be my stalker.

“He would talk on the phone in a disguised voice, real deep, saying things like, ‘I know where you live’ or, ‘I know what you’re doing’.

“I said, ‘Michael, I think this is you’ but he kept denying it.

“One time he came to an action-hero convention I was doing and he was dressed as some kind of monster.

“He had a full monster-style face mask on and nobody knew it was Michael. He came up to the table and was making weird noises. I just figured it was some guy who was into Star Trek, but afterwards I found out it was Michael Jackson.

“He wanted to disguise himself so that he could walk around and not be recognised. He was a child that never grew up.”

Ferrigno, who shot to fame as the rage-filled Incredible Hulk, claimed that he and Jacko had similar, angry childhoods.

“We had similar fathers,” he said. “When we were growing up, we had a lot of pain and anger. He did not have a chance to make friends and became very self-conscious.

“He eventually overcame that. His escape was music, mine was to become a body-building champion.

“That’s why we were so good together, he got to be a kid again.

“That’s also why he created Neverland. It was not just for children to visit, he wanted his own Disneyland.

“He wanted to have fun, but wanted to do it away from the cameras.”

Ferrigno said he last saw Jackson three weeks before his death.

“I saw him at the end of May when I was doing some shows on the East Coast,” he said. “We were meant to get together a few more times before he went to England but then I heard on the news that he had passed on.

“I felt terrible, I was shocked. I thought it was a joke. It felt like a tremendous loss. It almost felt to me like 9/11. It shook the whole world, Michael Jackson just dropping dead.”

Ferrigno will be at the Staples Center in LA tomorrow when the world remembers Jackson. “The memorial is going to be huge,” he said. “Maybe bigger than Princess Di’s.”

Source Link – http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/07/05/michael-jackson-was-killed-by-the-stress-of-his-400m-debts-says-his-friend-lou-the-incredible-hulk-ferrigno-115875-21497414/

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‘Charlie’s Angels’ co-stars mourn Farrah Fawcett’s death

June 27, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, June 26 (ANI): Farrah Fawcett’s former Charlie’s Angels co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith are remembering the actress after she lost her battle to cancer last night (June 25).

Fawcett, who rose to fame as sporty undercover detective Jill Munroe in the 1970s series, passed away at the age of 62 at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer.

Kate mourned the death of her loved co-star in a statement.

“I will miss Farrah everyday. She was a selfless person who loved her family and friends with all her heart, and what a big heart it was.

Farrah showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness and was an inspiration to those around her. When I think of Farrah, I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and of course her beautiful smile. Today when you think of Farrah, remember her smiling because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered … smiling,” Us magazine quoted her as saying.

Smith, the other member of the original Charlie’s Angels trio, reminisced about her friend as well.

“Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels,” she said in a statement.

At the time of her death, Fawcett had Alana Stewart, her longtime partner Ryan O’Neal and her doctor Lawrence Piro by her side. (ANI)

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Farah Fawcett dies – Farrah Fawcett Last Rites – Farah Fawcett dead – Farah Fawcett death – Farah Fawcett dies of cancer at 62

June 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Farah Fawcett dies – Farrah Fawcett Last Rites – Farah Fawcett dead – Farah Fawcett death – Farah Fawcett dies of cancer at 62

Actress Farrah Fawcett, the pinup girl of the 70s, who skyrocketed to fame as private investigator Jill Munroe on the 1970s television hit Charlie’s Angels, has died. She was 62.

The actress passed away Thursday at 9:28 a.m. PST at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer. She was with longtime partner Ryan O’Neal, friend Alana Stewart and her doctor Lawrence Piro.

Fawcett’s death was confirmed by Paul Bloch, one of her representatives at Rogers and Cowan, an entertainment public relations firm.

Fawcett, who checked into a hospital in early April, had been battling anal cancer on and off for three years.

Fawcett was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, and it spread to her liver two years ago. The film includes footage of Fawcett shaving her own hair late last year when it began to fall out after chemotherapy.

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Tom Brady blasts reports of Gisele Bundchen’s pregnancy

May 29, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 29 (ANI): Tom Brady has dismissed rumors suggesting that wife Gisele Bundchen is pregnant.

When the New England Patriots quarterback was asked about the pregnancy reports, Brady shook his head and said, “No,” reports Us magazine.

Brady, who has son John, 21 months, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan, added: “One is enough.”

The couple, who first wed in Santa Monica, celebrated their second nuptials with an additional ceremony in Costa Rica in April. (ANI)

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Snoop Dogg lands in court for assault

May 2, 2009 By Leave a Comment

p
London, April 27 (ANI): Snoop Dogg has landed in a Californian court to face a civil lawsuit filed by a man who claims he was assaulted by the rapper during a concert in 2005./pp
Richard Monroe, Jr. alleged that the hip-hop star had struck him with a microphone after he jumped on stage of the White River Amphitheater on the outskirts of Seattle, Washington. /pp
Monroe claimed during the opening hearing, in Santa Monica on April 24, the singer’s security guards later gave him a brutal beating./pp
I was getting punched, kicked, kicked, punched. It was brutal. I was really in shock. I couldn’t believe it, the Daily Star quoted Monroe as saying./pp
The star’s legal team, on the other hand, snubbed the claims, saying their client believed he was being attacked when Monroe jumped on stage out of nowhere./pp
The attorney further insisted that Monroe’s alleged injuries were not evidence of someone who was savagely beaten./pp
Monroe is seeking 22 million dollars in damages and punitive penalties from Snoop Dogg who is expected to testify during the trial that will last a week. (ANI)/p

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Lowered HRT use may have led to fewer heart attacks in women

April 25, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Washington, Apr 25 (ANI): With decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopause symptoms, the rate of myocardial infarctions, or heart attacks, has also dropped, a new study has found.

However, there has been no decrease in the rate of strokes, the study published in the May issue of the journal Medical Care noted.

The study looked at whether the decreased use of HRT has affected the rate of cardiovascular health outcomes.

Before 2002, physicians believed HRT reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by up to 50 percent in menopausal women. As a result, physicians prescribed it broadly to treat many of the symptoms of menopause, as well as to protect women against cardiovascular disease.

However, a report by the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002 revealed that HRT actually had the opposite effect – it increased the risk of heart attack in these women.

“After the 2002 report, the use of HRT in women aged 50 to 69 declined from more than 30 percent to less than 15 percent,” said lead study author Kanaka Shetty, M.D

Shetty, at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, and colleagues evaluated data from 1990 to 2005 for women between the ages of 40 and 79.

The researchers used U.S. death records, hospital discharge data and national surveys of medication usage. They found that the decreased use of HRT did not reduce the number of hospitalizations or deaths from stroke. However, it was, linked to a decrease in acute myocardial infarction among women.

The study found that for every 10,000 additional HRT users in one year, there will be 25 more heart attacks. By comparison, the Women’s Health Initiative found seven more heart attacks per 10,000 women on HRT in one year.

As for the non-effect on stroke figures, “We were surprised that HRT had such divergent effects on stroke and acute myocardial infarction in the overall population,” Shetty said. (ANI)

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Scratch DJ Game LLC Sues Activision and 7 Studios for Intentional Interference with Contract, Breach of Contract, Conversion and Misappropriation of Trade Secrets

April 16, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Company Seeks an Immediate Temporary Restraining Order, Order to Show Cause and
Expedited Discovery Order

Suit Filed to Protect the Intellectual Property and Proprietary Technology to
Ensure the Launch of Scratch: The Ultimate DJ in fall 2009

SANTA MONICA, Calif.–(Business Wire)–
Scratch DJ Game LLC, a joint venture between Genius Products, LLC (“Genius”) and
Numark Industries LLC (“Numark”), announced today that it has filed legal action
against Activision Publishing, Inc., a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc.
(NASDAQ:ATVI) (“Activision”), and California 7 Studios (“7 Studios”) and its
Chief Executive Officer, Lewis Peterson, in the State Court of California
seeking injunctive relief. The suit alleges that Activision has engaged in
intentional interference with contract, breach of contract, conversion and
misappropriation of trade secrets obtained from Genius to purchase 7 Studios,
which is under contract to develop the much anticipated new Hip Hop video game,
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ (“Scratch”). The suit alleges that Activision and 7
Studios have conspired to withhold the current version of Scratch in an effort
to delay the development and release of Scratch and to gain access to
proprietary technology. In addition to substantial damages, Scratch DJ Game
LLCis asking the court to order the game`s immediate return, and other
injunctive relief.

Prior to undertaking these wrongful actions, Activision approached Genius with
an offer to acquire Scratch. The offer was rejected. It is alleged that
Activision then commenced the process of acquiring Genius` contract developer, 7
Studios, while under a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement with Genius.
It is also alleged that after Activision acquired 7 Studios, the two companies
began conspiring to prevent Scratch from getting to market on a timely basis by
withholding work product, code and the proprietary game controller.

“We believe that Activision realizes the tremendous opportunity that our game,
Scratch, represents to the video game industry, the retail marketplace and the
consumer. After demonstrating our game, pursuant to the confidentiality
agreement with Activision, we believe Activision concluded that Scratch: The
Ultimate DJ is a superior offering to their prospective game, DJ Hero,” stated
Mr. Trevor Drinkwater, President and CEO of Genius Products, Inc. “We believe
that Activision and 7 Studios have improperly used confidential information
obtained from Genius and 7 Studios to interfere with our efforts to complete the
game. In short, we believe that Activision is attempting to sabotage the release
of our much anticipated game and prevent it from getting to market prior to the
release of DJ Hero.”

Jack O`Donnell, Chief Executive Officer of Numark, added, “We also firmly
believe the recent actions by 7 Studios are an obvious breach of the development
agreement and we look forward to receiving our work product and property back,
and completing and successfully launching our game on schedule.”

Scratch combines DJ tricks with great free-form game play. Scheduled to arrive
in stores during the fall of 2009, Scratch is set in distinctive urban
environments and features songs from the biggest names in Hip Hop such as Kanye
West, Lil` Wayne and Black Eyed Peas. Players can choose from a diverse array of
DJ personalities to make their way from bedroom DJ to headlining DJ at the
hottest nightclubs. Scratch players use a realistic turntable controller to
manipulate music tracks in real-time. Called the Scratch Deck, the controller
features a touch-sensitive turntable and authentic Akai Professional MPC-style
drum pads, and puts the iconic tools of the DJ and Hip Hop music producer in the
hands of the player. The Scratch Deck was developed by Numark, the world`s
leading manufacturer of DJ equipment.

Genius chose to work with Numark on the development of the controller for
Scratch based on Numark`s unmatched innovation and position in the world of DJ
products. DJs have been using Numark gear to produce scratches, breaks, and
beats for more than 30 years, and the company has developed a number of products
that have changed the landscape of the DJ world. Numark`s expertise with
hardware controllers for digital DJ software made them the perfect partner on
Scratch.

Mr. O`Donnell stated, “By leveraging our 30 years of world leading expertise in
DJ equipment design we are able to provide gamers with an extremely realistic
turntable controller, Scratch Deck, which will be sold in conjunction with
Genius` video game, Scratch: The Ultimate DJ. The industry feedback on our
controller and the video game has been very positive and we are excited about
this growth opportunity. Our goal is to provide a realistic controller for the
game where the player can actually learn how to be a DJ. The controller, unlike
our competitors` offerings, simulates real gear used by professional DJs.”

About Genius Products

Genius Products, Inc. (GNPR.PK) is the owner of Genius Products, LLC, a leading
independent home-entertainment distribution company that produces, licenses and
distributes a valuable library of motion pictures, television programming,
family, lifestyle and trend entertainment on DVD and other emerging platforms
through its expansive network of retailers throughout the U.S.

About Numark Industries

Numark Industries is the global leader of professional DJ and audio equipment,
and is known for providing progressive breakthrough technology. Since 1971,
Numark has designed and delivered hundreds of innovative DJ products, resulting
in numerous music industry “firsts”. Today, the company is at the forefront of
the digital DJ revolution, and is recognized for creating the best hardware
controllers for professional and semi-professional DJ software in the industry.
The team at Numark, under its Ion Audio division, has also enjoyed success in
developing music gaming peripherals, having produced and distributed the
award-winning Drum Rocker, the Premium Drum Set Controller for the Rock Band
music game franchise. For more information, visit www.numark.com; images are
available at http://www.numark.com/media.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historical matters contained herein, the matters discussed in this
press release are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements
reflect assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Genius
Products’ business, forecasts, projections and prospects, and cause actual
results to differ materially from those in these forward-looking statements.
These forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, the
anticipated outcome of the litigation described herein and the anticipated
release and/or success of the Scratch videogame. Other such risks and
uncertainties include the matters described in Genius Products’ filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. Genius Products assumes no obligation to
update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date of this press release.

GNPI-Investor Relations
John Mills or Anne Rakunas, 310-954-1100
or
Bender/Helper Impact
Dana Henry, 310-694-3130
Dana_henry@bhimpact.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

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Election observers enjoy state-sponsored boat cruise, dinner

April 10, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Panaji, April 9 (IANS) Three election observers, deputed by the Election Commission to ensure free and impartial polls in Goa, were treated to a complimentary boat cruise and dinner by state tourism department last weekend, sources said Thursday, though one observer said he knew nothing about it while another denied being on the junket.

The trip, on board the state-run cruise boat Santa Monica, for the three observers Chanchal Tewari (Indian Administrative Service), Masood Hassan (Indian Administrative Service) and T.C. Jose (Indian Revenue Service) and their liaison officer M. Olwatt April 4, has kicked off a storm with terse noting being exchanged between the state tourism department, which initiated the junket, and the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) which is now dithering from footing the bill.

When contacted, Tewari said that he ‘does not know anything about this’. Hassan, on the other hand, denied being a part of the junket. ‘You better clarify this with the tourism department,’ he said.

Tourism department sources told IANS that the request for the junket for the three officials came from deputy director in the tourism department Pamela Mascarenhas, who called up the assistant manager at Santa Monica booking counter asking him to arrange a complimentary dinner and cruise.

‘We do not give such complimentary tickets until the managing director of GTDC Benjamin Braganza clears it. But being a weekend he could not be contacted. So complimentary passes were given to the observers and their liaison officer,’ a source said.

On Monday, however, the managing director in his noting said that the GTDC would not foot the bill and it would have to be paid by the tourism department.

‘The act is highly objectionable and inappropriate, more so because the officials are attached to the Election Commission in Goa to conduct free and impartial polls,’ the managing director’s note reads. IANS has a copy of the note.

A copy of the note has also been forwarded to the Election Commission.

Deputy Election Officer P.S. Meena, who wrote the letter to the GTDC chief seeking the complimentary passes, has been relieved of election duties, though a senior official said this was because he had some ‘urgent family work’.

The three observers were appointed to Goa by the Election Commission from a pool of senior bureaucrats to oversee the election process and ensure that the poll exercise is fair and impartial.

In the past, the apex court has taken serious view of state government funds being used for the entertainment of election observers, as it ‘would have serious impact on the impartiality of such observers’.

‘This should be taken care of by the Election Commission and strict instructions should be given to observers not to accept undue hospitality of states because that would unnecessarily compromise their objectivity and transparency,’ the Supreme court had said in a 2005 ruling.

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