NEW YORK, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 18, 2009, The New York Post ran an editorial cartoon comparing the author of the federal stimulus bill to a crazed chimpanzee shot and killed by police earlier in the week after attacking a woman in Stamford, Connecticut. John Legend responded to the cartoon with the following open letter to the Post:
Dear Editor:
I'm trying to understand what possible motivation you may have had for publishing that vile cartoon depicting the shooting of the chimpanzee that went crazy. I guess you thought it would be funny to suggest that whomever was responsible for writing the Economic Recovery legislation must have the intelligence and judgment of a deranged, violent chimpanzee, and should be shot to protect the larger community. Really? Did it occur to you that this suggestion would imply a connection between President Barack Obama and the deranged chimpanzee? Did it occur to you that our president has been receiving death threats since early in his candidacy? Did it occur to you that blacks have historically been compared to various apes as a way of racist insult and mockery? Did you intend to invoke these painful themes when you printed the cartoon?
If that's not what you intended, then it was stupid and willfully ignorant of you not to connect these easily connectable dots. If it is what you intended, then you obviously wanted to be grossly provocative, racist and offensive to the sensibilities of most reasonable Americans. Either way, you should not have printed this cartoon, and the fact that you did is truly reprehensible. I can't imagine what possible justification you have for this. I've read your lame statement in response to the outrage you provoked. Shame on you for dodging the real issue and then using the letter as an opportunity to attack Rev. Sharpton. This is not about Rev. Sharpton. It's about the cartoon being blatantly racist and offensive.
I believe in freedom of speech, and you have every right to print what you want. But freedom of speech still comes with responsibilities and consequences. You are responsible for printing this cartoon, and I hope you experience some real consequences for it. I'm personally boycotting your paper and won't do any interviews with any of your reporters, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the entertainment business to do so as well. I implore your advertisers to seriously reconsider their business relationships with you as well.
You should print an apology in your paper acknowledging that this cartoon was ignorant, offensive and racist and should not have been printed.
I'm well aware of our country's history of racism and violence, but I truly believe we are better than this filth. As we attempt to rise above our difficult past and look toward a better future, we don't need the New York Post to resurrect the images of Jim Crow to deride the new administration and put black folks in our place. Please feel free to criticize and honestly evaluate our new president, but do so without the incendiary images and rhetoric.
FRIANT, Calif., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The "In The Present Tour,"
featuring YES' Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White is cancelling the
remaining scheduled shows. Founding YES member, Chris Squire, underwent
surgery on his leg on February 11, 2009. The operation was successful and
Chris is on his way to a full recovery. However, Chris has been advised by his
physician that he needs a one-month rest period, hence the reason for the
cancellation of the rest of the tour dates. As previously stated, Chris and
the rest of the band wishes to apologize for any inconvenience that this might
have caused to their fans and hopes to see them again soon.
John Mayewski, President and CEO of Table Mountain Casino stated, "It is
regrettable that the band was forced to cancel their remaining shows on this
current tour, including the performance scheduled for Tuesday, March 3rd at
Table Mountain Casino. All of the guests and employees of Table Mountain
Casino wish Chris a speedy, complete recovery, and hope that YES is able to
resume their tour in the very near future."
All YES ticketholders for the concert performance that was scheduled in
the Table Mountain Casino Event Center for Tuesday, March 3rd should contact
the Casino directly at (559) 822-7777 or via email at events@tmcasino.com for
information regarding refunds.
About Table Mountain:
Table Mountain Casino is owned and operated by the Table Mountain
Rancheria Band of Indians who actively support many community-based agencies
and non-profit organizations serving residents of the Greater Fresno area and
the regional San Joaquin Valley community.
To learn more about Table Mountain Casino, its community service programs
and current promotions, please visit tmcasino.com.
Swedish pop queen to debut exclusively on the HDNet Concert Series,
Sunday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET
DALLAS, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ --
WHAT: Swedish dance-pop songstress, Robyn, performs at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on the HDNet Concert Series, Sunday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
A best-selling singer/songwriter in her homeland since the age of thirteen, Swedish sensation Robyn gets the crowd moving at the very last show of her 2008 US Tour at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Robyn, once best known for her late nineties dance-pop hits "Show Me Love" and "Do You Know," recently broke into the mainstream worldwide with an infectious new sound that's got the undivided attention of bloggers, hipsters and first-class DJs alike.
WHEN: "Robyn - Live from the Wiltern, Los Angeles" premieres exclusively on HDNet, Sunday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
About HDNet
HDNet (www.hd.net) is a network that is original, thinks independently and delivers unique content and provocative, authentic programming that appeals to men of all ages, delivered in true high definition.
HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence.
HDNet presents championship sports coverage featuring the best of Mixed Martial Arts through HDNet Fights. HDNet Fights partners with leading MMA promoters including Affliction, DREAM, StrikeForce, M1, K-1, K-1 Max, MFC, Adrenaline and more. HDNet produces more live Mixed Martial Arts events than any other network and HDNet's "Inside MMA" is the hottest Mixed Martial Arts program on television, giving MMA fans their weekly fix for everything MMA.
HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Vegas Confessions," "Deadline" and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.
Only HDNet Movies delivers exclusive Sneak Previews of new movies before they hit theaters. The HDNet Movies Sneak Preview series features top Hollywood stars in critically acclaimed performances including Gwyneth Paltrow, Joaquin Phoenix, Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Tom Hanks, Vera Farmiga, Parker Posey, Brian Cox, Matthew Broderick, Brittany Snow and Eric Bana.
Upcoming Sneak Previews include "The Great Buck Howard," starring Colin Hanks, John Malkovich and Tom Hanks, and "Harlem Aria," starring Damon Wayans.
In addition to being the exclusive home of Sneak Previews, HDNet Movies presents viewers with over one hundred films and an average of twenty-five "HD Premieres" each month. HDNet Movies viewers enjoy the best films from the classics of the 1950s-1970s, to favorite films from the 1980s and 1990s, to recently released theatrical films.
HDNet Movies offers subscribers a premium movie viewing experience in true HD, and more original movies shot entirely in HD than any other network.
Launched in 2001 by Mark Cuban and General Manager Philip Garvin, the HDNet networks are available on AT&T, Bright House Networks, Charter Communications, Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and more than 40 NCTC cable affiliate companies. For more information visit www.hd.net.
60% knew their 'first dance' song before engagement
REDDING, Conn., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- With 25% engagements having just occurred between Thanksgiving and New Years, many brides and grooms-to-be will start making wedding plans this winter. A survey of 190 recently married GigMasters.com customers found that 34% of couples spend more than 10% on entertainment, with most couples spending 6-10% on entertainment. Almost 30% found entertainment to be "one of the most important aspects" of their weddings. Survey recipients used GigMasters.com to find and book their wedding entertainment. GigMasters boasts a nationwide database of over 5,500 top-quality, rated entertainment acts, all of which can be sorted by location, category and price range to facilitate entertainment matches for any type of event.
Of the most interesting findings was the discrepancy of who played a larger part in the booking of wedding entertainment, 51% replied the bride did more, and 14% said the groom did. However, according to GigMasters.com data, 34% of grooms actually booked the entertainment! 35% responded that neither played a larger role because the work was shared equally.
When asked which was the "most important music" of their wedding, 30% of couples deemed their first dance song to be it. 14% thought that the ceremony prelude was the most important music of their event, and all others (55%) felt that the different music was all equally special.
More first dance findings include:
25% of respondents said they'd be upset if their best friend chose the same wedding song.
Only 4% of respondents said that in retrospect, they would change the song they picked for their first dance, but 15% revealed that they'd consider it.
When asked how they came to choose their first dance song, almost 60% had known it before even being engaged. 5% welcomed recommendations from friends and family, 10% looked online and 18% found it completely randomly.
The majority (38%) of respondents said that upon engagement, the type of wedding entertainment they'd book was the first wedding detail to be discussed. The second most popular detail to be discussed first was the menu (32%), followed by the honeymoon (26%) and lastly, the first dance song (4%).
Though most couples booked only one act for their wedding (42%), almost as many (40%) booked two. 10% of respondents booked three separate acts and 6% booked four! Of the entertainment booked, over 1/3 of the respondents picked a soloist and another 1/3 used a DJ. 16% also or otherwise booked a quartet and 26% went with a live band. On the more unique side, some couples booked magicians (1%) and impersonators (3%).
Other 2008 GigMasters wedding entertainment statistics:
Couples spent on average $825 on wedding entertainment. The lowest being $100 for a singer; the highest being $11,000 for a 10-piece jazz band.
38% of couples had DJ's; 26% had live bands.
Cover bands, tribute acts and variety performers are on the rise.
Couples typically book wedding entertainment 5 months before the big day.
GigMasters.com(C) is the #1 online entertainment booking service, guiding party planners and hosts to the right entertainment for every event. With the Internet's largest nationwide database of client-rated performers for live music and variety entertainment, this Redding, CT-based business boasts a database of over 5,500 performers including live bands, wedding musicians, party DJs, impersonators, hypnotists, stand-up comedians, jazz trios, bagpipes, string quartets, soloists and more. GigMasters.com has helped facilitate more than 50,000 bookings since its inception in 1997, including over 20,000 in 2008 alone. The site, which was founded by Kevin Kinyon and Michael Caldwell, attracts 20,000 daily visits*, throughout North America. GigMasters.com is a proud member of the Better Business Bureau, TRUSTe, and is also a VeriSign Secured website. For more information, please visit www.gigmasters.com.
"You and Me with B.B. King" will launch February 20, 2009 on B.B. King's Bluesville channel
NEW YORK, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SIRIUS XM Radio (Nasdaq: SIRI) today announced the launch of You and Me with B.B. King, a new hour-long music show to be hosted each week by 2009 Grammy Award(R)-winning bluesman, B.B. King. You and Me with B.B. King will air each week exclusively on SIRIUS XM's B.B. King's Bluesville channel on SIRIUS and XM channels 74. The show will debut, with a new episode each week, on Friday, February 20 at 6 pm ET with encore broadcasts airing on Saturday, February 21 at 2 pm ET; Monday, February 23 at 12 am ET; and Wednesday, February 25 at 12 pm ET.
"I'll be coming to B.B. King's Bluesville channel every week to tell you stories and answer your questions," said B.B. King. "I'm the mayor of Bluesville and my official proclamation: you're welcome anytime!"
"We're thrilled to give our listeners one of the few places where iconic artists like B.B. King and the blues can still be heard on the radio," said Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS XM Radio's President and Chief Content Officer. "This highlights SIRIUS XM Radio's ongoing commitment to bring unique music experiences to our subscribers with their favorite artists."
Each week, B.B. King will personally select a broad range of blues music featuring his favorite songs by peers from the past and today's artists. The blues legend will also share personal anecdotes and stories about the artists who inspire him as well as offer commentary on music that has made him a musical inspiration for generations of musicians. SIRIUS XM listeners will also hear from special guests including Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, Albert Cummings and Keb' Mo who have worked with and have been influenced by King. King will also answer email questions from fans in a weekly "B.B. King's Mailbag" feature.
B.B. King, along with legendary recording artists and musicians including Jimmy Buffett, Bob Dylan, Eminem, Grateful Dead, David Johansen, Wynton Marsalis, Willie Nelson, Mojo Nixon, Elvis Presley, Tom Petty, Marky Ramone, Lou Reed, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and "Little Steven" Van Zandt represent the diverse and creative artist-driven music programming currently being broadcast by SIRIUS XM.
You and Me with B.B. King will air each week on Friday at 6 pm, with encore presentations broadcast on Saturday at 2 pm ET, Monday at 12 am ET and Wednesday at 12 pm ET.
B.B. King's Bluesville channel broadcasts more than 80 years of music for all lovers of the blues. Listeners will hear favorite artists from the roots of blues music to the best of today, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Robert Cray, Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker. Please visit www.sirius.com or www.xmradio.com for more information.
Since B.B. King started recording in the 1940s, he has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. King has released over 50 albums and has won 15 Grammy Awards(R), including his 2009 win for "Best Traditional Blues Album" for One Kind Favor. King has also been inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Additionally, he has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of the Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award(R) and the NARM (National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Chairman's Award, among many other awards. In a special ceremony at the Library of Congress, Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington presented King with a "Living Legend" medal in honor of his achievements as a musician and ambassador for the blues. After 10,000 concerts, B.B. King continues to bring his music to audiences around the globe spending the better part of each year on the road with his beloved guitar, "Lucille."
About SIRIUS XM Radio
SIRIUS XM Radio is America's satellite radio company delivering commercial-free music channels, premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic and weather, to more than 18.9 million subscribers.
SIRIUS XM Radio has content relationships with an array of personalities and artists, including Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, Jimmy Buffett, Jamie Foxx, Barbara Walters, Opie & Anthony, Bubba the Love Sponge(R), The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bob Edwards. SIRIUS XM Radio is the leader in sports programming as the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the NFL, Major League Baseball(R), NASCAR(R), NBA, NHL(R), and PGA TOUR(R), and broadcasts major college sports.
SIRIUS XM Radio has arrangements with every major automaker. SIRIUS XM Radio products are available at shop.sirius.com and shop.xmradio.com, and at retail locations nationwide, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, Sam's Club, and Wal-Mart.
SIRIUS XM Radio also offers SIRIUS Backseat TV, the first ever live in-vehicle rear seat entertainment featuring Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network; XM NavTraffic(R) service for GPS navigation systems delivers real-time traffic information, including accidents and road construction, for more than 80 North American markets.
This communication contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the business combination transaction involving SIRIUS and XM, including potential synergies and cost savings and the timing thereof, future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services; and other statements identified by words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "will," "should," "may," or words of similar meaning. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of SIRIUS' and XM's management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of SIRIUS and XM. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements.
The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement: general business and economic conditions; the performance of financial markets and interest rates; the failure to realize synergies and cost-savings from the merger or delay in realization thereof; the businesses of SIRIUS and XM may not be combined successfully, or such combination may take longer, be more difficult, time-consuming or costly to accomplish than expected. Additional factors that could cause SIRIUS' and XM's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in SIRIUS' and XM's Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and their respective Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2008, which are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov). The information set forth herein speaks only as of the date hereof, and SIRIUS and XM disclaim any intention or obligation to update any forward looking statements as a result of developments occurring after the date of this communication.
P-SIRI
Contacts for SIRIUS XM Radio:
Sal Resendez
SIRIUS XM Radio
sresendez@siriusradio.com
646 313 2405
LA JOLLA, Calif., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Fluid Music Canada's Trusonic, Inc. (TSX: FMN) the largest provider of Internet delivered music and messaging services for retailers, today announced that it has expanded its relationship with Anytime Fitness to become its preferred provider of Internet-delivered messaging as well as music to its clubs. Anytime Fitness, the leading co-ed fitness club chain in the world, has over 1,000 franchised clubs across 46 states, Canada and Australia, and serves nearly 600,000 members.
"The Trusonic service goes well beyond music - we view it as an essential marketing tool. The platform allows us to centrally manage and vary messaging on a club-by-club basis, a clear differentiator for us as we evaluated music & messaging platforms. Pinpoint control over the audio environment means that we are better positioned to help our franchisees realize our common goals," said Mark Daly, National Media Director of Anytime Fitness. "Moreover, the depth of music programming choices Trusonic offers makes for a richer, more memorable club experience."
Lorne Abony, Chief Executive Officer of Fluid Music Canada, corporate parent of Trusonic, said: "We are pleased to be partnering with as dynamic a business as Anytime Fitness - the fastest growing, fitness club franchise in the world. This announcement underscores the strong appeal of Trusonic's service to major, international brands and the ability of the platform to well serve the needs of franchisee-owned businesses."
About Trusonic
As the leading provider of internet delivered business audio services, Trusonic provides custom music and messaging to retail, hospitality and general business environments in over 100 countries. Many of the largest chains and boutique brands in the world trust Trusonic to enhance their brand image at their locations. Trusonic has the largest library of Major Label and Independent Artist music from which to create custom music programming for its clients. Trusonic delivers and validates through reports the delivery of over 1 billion in-store and on-hold messages annually, and installs complete audio solutions including the Trusonic Media Player through its national network of sales and service locations.
Overview: "Eminem wins by a knockout!" raves Rolling Stone, as the Grammy Award-winning phenomenon makes his feature film debut in this gripping story about the boundaries that hold us back - and the courage that can set us free. For Jimmy Smith, Jr. (Eminem), life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. From Academy Award(R) -winning director Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential) and Academy Award(R) -winning producer Brian Grazer (A Beautiful Mind), 8 Mile is the triumphant film Time Magazine hails as "Powerful!" and Entertainment Weekly applauds as "Electrifying" and "Mesmerizing!"
BONUS FEATURES:
THE MAKING OF 8 MILE
EXCLUSIVE RAP BATTLES - UNCENSORED
"SUPERMAN" MUSIC VIDEO - UNCENSORED
SYNOPSIS: For Jimmy Smith, Jr. (Eminem), life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in the city's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in the world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment...is another chance.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION:
Street Date: April 7, 2009
Copyright: 2008 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved
Selection Number: 61107458
Price: $29.98 SRP
Running Time: 1 Hour 51 Minutes
Layers: BD-25
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Rating: R for strong language, sexuality, some violence and drug use
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Sound: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Spanish DTS Surround 5.1, French DTS Surround 5.1
CAST & FILMMAKERS:
Director: Curtis Hanson
Screenwriter: Scott Silver
Producers: Brian Grazer, Curtis Hanson, Jimmy Iovine
Executive Producers: Carol Fenelon, James Whitaker, Gregory Goodman, Paul Rosenberg
Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com) . Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.
CONTACTS: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Lea Porteneuve
Vice President, Communications and Publicity
(818) 777-1391
Lea.Porteneuve@nbcuni.com
Cathy Scott
Publicist on Behalf of Universal Studios Home Entertainment
(818) 777-0546
Cathy.Scott@nbcuni.com
