BayScribe announced the successful deployment of the BayScribe Clinical Documentation System (CDS) with SOAP Transcription in Wayland, MI to service Hospitals and clinics with superior clinical documentation tools, including creating Structured Data for Meaningful Use.

SOAP Transcription is a leading U.S. medical transcription services provider and BayScribe, the industry?s first comprehensive Clinical Documentation Solution that includes generating Structured Data. Through the partnership, SOAP customers receive state-of-the-art dictation technology, more flexible physician documentation capture options and an easy migration path to EHR-based template reporting. Furthermore, by implementing the BayScribe platform SOAP customers reduce system costs and virtually eliminate the need for technology support for dictation devices. The announcement was made by Mary Ann LeBoeuf, Vice President of SOAP.

?We are committed to finding and deploying technology tools that make it easier for our customers to support their physicians while also moving forward into EHR environments,? mentions LeBoeuf. The BayScribe platform offers mobility, efficiency and a practical bridge to EHR adoption including the ability for physicians to dictate on mobile devices and utilize digital ink pens at the point-of-care. Physician feedback regarding the use of iPhones in conjunction with the BayScribe platform has been outstanding.

?Physicians don?t transition from dictating and writing everything for decades to typing, pointing and clicking in the EHR, as evidenced by the EHR adoption rates,? mentions Steven Bonney, Vice President of Business Development & Strategy for BayScribe. Instead, moving physicians into template-based documentation should be a slow, well-planned migration process focused on the physician?s experience and natural workflow.

SOAP agrees and works closely with clients to eliminate EHR adoption obstacles and enable physician documentation practices to include traditional dictation and transcription and handwriting without sacrificing the Structured Data required for Meaningful Use and Collaborative Care.

About BayScribe:

Established in 1999, BayScribe provides Clinical Documentation Solutions ? Dictation, Digital Ink, Speech Recognition, Transcription, Structured/Encoded Data extraction & Document Distribution ? for anywhere, anytime access of Clinical Reports with unparalleled performance and reliability. Every month, more than one hundred thousand clinicians in over 400 healthcare facilities rely on the BayScribe platform. BayScribe recently entered into a partnership with Verizon to deliver the entire Structured Data product suite.

For more information visit the company website at: http://www.BayScribe.com. BayScribe, Inc. | 10800 Sikes Place, Suite 300 | Charlotte, NC 28277 T: 704-847-0501 ? info(at)BayScribe(dot)com .

About SOAP Transcription:

SOAP has over 22 years of medical documentation experience and is known for quality, flexibility, tailored Turnaround Times (TATs), and cost-effective improvements in workflow for clinicians and non-clinicians alike through integration and custom offerings. SOAP?s effectiveness with clinical documentation has impacted quality of care, competitiveness, and revenue cycles. SOAP?s services enable: Meaningful Use; ICD-10 transitioning; Clinical Documentation Improvement; Case Management; and Coordination of Care while leveraging existing EMRs and processes. With expanding services to address and implement PACS integration, alert notifications throughout the continuum of care, and EMR systems, SOAP is positioned to help healthcare providers and payers regardless the size of their organization.

For more information, please contact Mary Ann LeBoeuf, VP, at SOAP Transcription Services, Inc., 888-792-6363 ext 101 ? maryann(at)soaptranscription(dot)com.

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Commonweal, the prominent journal of opinion edited by lay Catholics, today published an editorial strongly critical of Catholic bishops? inflexible tone and ?tendentious? reactions to the Obama Administration?s proposed compromise on insurance coverage for contraception at Catholic institutions.

In their editorial ?Bad Reaction,? currently on the Commonweal Web site, the editors warn that the bishops? heated rhetoric and single-minded focus on contraception may undermine the church?s ongoing campaign opposing abortion, and reduce their credibility even further among Catholics. They also note that many Catholic institutions already offer contraception coverage under their health plans, making the bishops? sudden focus on the issue surprising.

?The bishops? reactions have already been seized upon by Republicans who are happy to use them as a wedge in the presidential race,? said Paul Baumann, Commonweal?s editor. ?This will turn out to be good neither for the church nor for the country.?

The editorial notes that many younger Americans see churches as politically divisive and overly judgmental, especially on questions of sexual morality, and that this is a perception the bishops? reactions on this issue will only strengthen. ?One-third of adult Catholics have already left the church,? notes the editorial. ?Isn?t that sobering fact more deserving of a national campaign than this self-defeating battle over contraception coverage??

The editorial appears online at http://www.commonwealmagazine.org/bad-reaction.

Commonweal is a biweekly journal of opinion published by lay Catholics since 1924, offering commentary on religion, politics, culture, media, and the arts. The magazine?s Web site is at http://www.commonwealmagazine.org.

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Bernard DiFiore, BenefitMall?s President and Chief Executive Officer, has been named as one of the new members of the board of directors of the Business Council for the Arts, along with Phil Samson, a Dallas-based principal at PwC LLP, the U.S. firm of the worldwide PricewaterhouseCoopers organization.

?These new board members will further diversify the experience and talents that our leaders bring to the Business Council for the Arts,? said Katherine Wagner, CEO of Business Council for the Arts. ?Both are widely respected business leaders that will provide our board and management team with new insight and perspectives into connecting business and culture here in North Texas.?

?I am pleased to join such a great organization and look forward to collaborating with the board members to strengthen and improve the involvement of the business community in the arts,? commented DiFiore.

The Business Council for the Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to merging art and economic development in the DFW region. With about 100 members, the council busies itself in organizing research and awareness projects like an economic impact study, Public ArtWalk Dallas, and the Leadership Art Institute.

About BenefitMall

BenefitMall, the leader of integrated employee benefit solutions, provides industry leading technology and a national network of local offices that support the Broker distribution channel. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas and in business for more than 30 years, BenefitMall is the nation?s largest general agency offering sales support in 32 U.S. markets serving 11 states. Selling more than $ 1 billion in insurance premiums annually through a national network of more than 20,000 independent registered Brokers, BenefitMall offers thousands of plans from more than 125 leading insurance carriers. Service offerings include small group, large group, individual, senior and stop-loss. Additionally, BenefitMall has more than 25 years of experience providing TPA services in the Mid-Atlantic region and integrating benefits administration with FSA, HRA, HSA, COBRA and payroll services. With more than 175,000 in-force groups, BenefitMall supports nearly two million employees and their dependents. For more information, please visit http://www.benefitmall.com.

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Online neck and bow tie retailer Bow-n-Ties.com today named the best dressed cities in the United States. The men?s accessories stalwart, which recently published a list of worst dressed American cities, has now turned its attention, to the cities that do it right.

?While in many American towns it seems people are attempting to look like a floral-print sofa when they dress, there are pockets of America where people actually know what they?re doing fashion-wise,? said Europe-born Bows-n-Ties.com founder Hendrik Pohl.

Number five on Bows-n-Ties.com?s list of best dressed American cities is Dallas, Texas. From the moment one arrives at the Dallas airport, he is greeted by cowboy hats, well-fitting jeans and some spectacular belt buckles. This is outlaw country, after all, and the fashion reflects that. For doing it their own way, Bows-n-Ties.com salutes Dallasites.

Taking the number four spot is a city known for its art deco architecture, brilliant nightlife and excellent Cuban food–Miami, Florida. In this always hot seaside town, men tend to go for a cool, breezy look ? la Miami Vice. Don a crisp white suit and one of Bows-n-Ties.com?s turquoise blue neck ties and do the Cuban mambo to fit in with the locals.

Charleston, South Carolina is Bows-n-Ties unlikely choice for third best dressed American city. Charleston is full of dapper southern gentlemen. There?s an element of old-fashioned class and men take great pride in their appearances. Get the patriotic Charleston look with one of Bows-n-Ties.com?s red, white and blue ties.

Los Angeles, California, named the second best dressed town in America, is all about camera-ready celebs who can and do spend a fortune to look good for the paparazzi. While not every man in America can afford a personal stylist, they all can afford some of Bows-n-Ties.com?s fabulous men?s accessories. Finishing touch items like men’s ties, cuff links, ascots and tie bars start at prices as low as $ 19.90.

As in most departments, Los Angeles plays second fiddle to the city so nice, they named it twice. New York, New York is undoubtedly the fashion capital of America and Bows-n-Ties.com?s choice for number one best dressed city. High fashion meets low in the Big Apple. A veritable who?s who of American style icons got their start in New York, including Calvin Klein, Donna Karan, Halston, Tommy Hilfiger, Betsy Johnson, Patricia Field and up-and-comers like Proenza Schouler. Whether the look is 70s East Village punk rocker, 80s SoHo yuppie, 90s downtown Bohemian, dot-com era uptown extravagance or today?s Brooklyn cool, New Yorkers are always puttin? on the ritz.

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Amerejuve MedSpa, Houston?s #1 Laser Hair Removal Center will be giving away a gift certificate worth over $ 1,500 in services to the lucky couple! Tune in Tuesday morning around 7:30am to Dana and Marc of SUNNY 99.1 to hear the Valentine?s Day couple exchange their vows.

Each Amerejuve location is staffed by a team of licensed healthcare and aesthetic professionals, all centers offer clients non-invasive, non-surgical treatments incorporating the latest technologies for laser hair removal as well as procedures which reduce frown lines and wrinkles, sculpt lips and restore a smoother, improved appearance to the face. Amerejuve also goes the extra mile in offering its client rewards with its Laser Hair Removal Buddy Program and After Hour Deals.

Houston?s number one Laser Hair Removal Center, Amerejuve Medspa provides a variety of state-of-the-art non-surgical, cosmetic and skin rejuvenation services for men and women. Amerejuve has four locations in the Greater Houston Area: Amerejuve Galleria ( 2800 Sage Road, Suite A-200, Houston, TX ), Amerejuve Sugar Land ( 2507 Williams Trace Blvd., Suite 102, Sugar Land, TX ), Amerejuve Katy ( LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, Katy, TX ) and Amerejuve Clear Lake ( 711 West Bay Area Blvd., Webster, TX ). The phone number for all locations is (713) 960-6262.

Staffed by teams of licensed healthcare and aesthetic professionals, each Amerejuve Medspa center offers clients non-invasive, non-surgical treatments incorporating the latest technologies for laser hair removal as well as procedures which reduce frown lines and wrinkles, shape facial contours, sculpt lips and restore a smoother appearance to the face.

Each Amerejuve Medspa also offers VelaShape?, the only FDA-approved device that effectively and safely contours, shapes and slims the body by reducing cellulite and firming problem areas in as few as four treatments. Other non-surgical Medspa treatments offered at Amerejuve produce younger, healthier-looking skin or rid skin of acne scars, fine wrinkles and sunspots. Clients also can choose from several facial treatment options to cleanse, exfoliate and nourish one?s skin.

Amerejuve Medspa has partnered with RedCircle http://www.myredcircle.com, the only personalized weight management program in Houston to offer discounted services to Amerejuve clients. RedCircle is tailored toward one?s unique metabolism, genetic make-up and cardiometabolic profile. More than a diet program, RedCircle is a wellness plan designed to boost metabolism and energy while allowing the individual to lose weight and improve cardiovascular health.

Buy 3 Laser Hair Removal Packages for the Price of 1! To schedule a free consultation at any of the four Amerejuve locations in the Greater Houston area, call (713) 960-6262. For a complete list of services, visit http://www.amerejuve.com.

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After nearly seven years as an Urban Planner with AECOM and Glatting Jackson Kercher Anglin, George M. Kramer has left the company to form the new land planning firm of Kramer & Little.

Kramer & Little will focus on public sector economic development and private sector representation of entitlement efforts such as Comprehensive Plan Amendments and rezonings for large master-planned communities, as well as smaller, urban infill projects.

The Viera Company (a subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons, Inc.) has retained the new firm of Kramer & Little to assist in the detailed sketch plan submittal for a proposed 1,800-acre mixed-use village in the New Town of Viera (Brevard County, Florida.) This effort is a continuation of the successful comprehensive planning effort for the 11,567-acre western expansion of Viera, which George Kramer led as Project Manager from 2006-2010.

The new firm?s name, Kramer & Little is derived from George Kramer and his late grandfather, Malcolm G. Little, who commenced a family legacy in the planning profession as a Professor and Program Director of the Graduate City Planning Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1953 through 1984. Malcolm?s daughter Dianne Kramer is the Director of Development Services for the City of Eustis.

Kramer & Little is a full-service land planning consulting firm specializing in entitlements, strategic planning, economic development, implementation and project leadership for both public and private sector clients.

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The LightRoom, a Bay Area company that offers fine art printing to photographers and artists, features the work of its many talented clients. From Feb. 6 to March 9, The LightRoom will showcase watercolors and pigment inkjet prints by local artist Brian Stannard. A reception for the artist will be held on Feb. 11 from 2 to 5 p.m. at The LightRoom Gallery.

Stannard’s work is easily recognized by the vibrant colors and broad strokes of his brush, and the identifiable caricatures of the subjects he paints. The people are often musicians–blues singers, jazz players, country and western icons–and the locals, the dives, the half-hidden night clubs where they can be found. A flower vendor, a crowded scene from a historic labor strike decades ago, Lenny Bruce behind bars–these, too, are people and incidents Stannard draws inspiration from for his art.

?I?m a city slicker and draw just as much inspiration from a city?s inhabitants as other visual arts. People are the individual bits of stained glass that make up the larger window of a city, and I try to piece this all together,? Stannard said.

For more information about any of The LightRoom?s products or services, call 510-649-8111, view the company on the web at http://www.lightroom.com or visit 2263 Fifth St. in Berkeley.

About The LightRoom

The Bay Area?s, The LightRoom has been providing photographers and other Bay Area artists with the best photography services since 1975. It has been offering fine art printing since the end of the last century and specializes in pigment inkjet (gicl?e) printing for Berkeley area clients. From film scanning to the preparation of any digital file to simply working with their own printer-ready files, The LightRoom helps clients get the most out of their work. If needed, the company also outputs digital files for printing on traditional photographic paper through its LightJet printer. The LightRoom also showcases the work of its many talented clients at its studio gallery.

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The 28th anniversary of the L. Ron Hubbard Awards for winners of the internationally-acclaimed Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests will be held in Los Angeles at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Sunday, April 15th, it was announced today by contest organizers.

Celebrities and luminaries from around the world of science, science fiction and fantasy are expected to attend the gala event.

The theme of the evening will be ?Celebrating 28 Years of Helping New Writers and Artists? to honor the 24 winners of the 2011-12 annual contest traveling from as far away as Australia for one of the writer winners and Sweden for one of the illustrator winners. Other winners this year are from Canada and across the United States.

?Cash prizes of $ 10,000.00 for the grand prize winners alone and inclusion in the 28th annual ?L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future? anthology (Galaxy Press, 2012) make this a very special night,? Joni Labaqui, director of the contest said. Presentation of the Gold Awards for the year?s best story and illustration will culminate the evening.

The Writers of the Future Contest and the companion anthology were created by L. Ron Hubbard 28 years ago to help discover new, aspiring writers of speculative fiction and give their best work a high-profile publishing showcase.

To date, the Contests have given rise to dozens of flourishing careers, including New York Times bestsellers Dave Wolverton (On My Way to Paradise) , Sean Williams (Star Wars – The Force Unleashed), Karen Joy Fowler (Jane Austin Book Club), Patrick Rothfuss (The Wise Man’s Fear), Nancy Farmer (The Ear, the Eye and the Arm), Jo Beverley (A Lady?s Secret), Lisa Smedman (Extinction) and Tim Myers (Basho and the Fox).

Also, bestsellers such as Dean Wesley Smith (Men In Black), contest winner turned judge, after pumping out over 100 novels, are part of the contests stream of success stories.

Winning authors from past years of the Writers of the Future Contest have sold over 700 novels and over 3,000 short stories in science fiction and fantasy genres. Several past winners have gone on to write in other genres, for the theatre, as well as for TV and movies. Winning illustrators have created artwork for 31 major motion pictures, numerous TV shows, over 500 book covers, covers and story illustrations in magazines, and industrial design. One winner won the Academy Award last year for his animated short film, The Lost Thing.

The winners are chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, famous authors in speculative fiction including; Robert Silverberg, Tim Powers, Kevin J. Anderson, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, Orson Scott Card, Robert J. Sawyer, Sean Williams, Dave Wolverton, Brian Herbert, K.D. Wentworth, Rebecca Moesta, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Gregory Benford, Doug Beason, Eric Kotani, Mike Resnick, Eric Flint, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith and Todd McCaffrey.

The just as impressive illustrator judge roster has included in its history: Frank Frazetta, Frank Kelly Freas, Jack Kirby, Dave Dorman, Cliff Nielsen, Vincent Di Fate, Bob Eggleton, Stephen Hickman, Stephan Martiniere, Diane and Leo Dillon, Ron Lindahn, Val Lakey Lindahn, Judith Miller, Stephen Youll, H.R.Van Dongen, Laura Brodian Freas and Sergey Poyarkov.

?The Contests? successes ? most prominently defined by those writers who have ?made it? ? have left a significant and meaningful mark on the speculative fiction genre and on other aspects of contemporary fiction and the arts,? Labaqui added. “People have called it ‘the American Idol for writers’, even though it is international.”

For information and seat reservations, please call Joni Labaqui at 323-466-3310. For more information on the contest please visit http://www.writersofthefuture.com.

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Related Art Press Releases

Five top-tier U.S. higher education institutions have joined the IES Abroad Academic Consortium as associate members: American University in Washington, D.C.; Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; Stetson University in Florida; University of California-Berkeley; and University of Maryland in College Park.

The IES Abroad Consortium is comprised of more than 200 top-tier American public and private colleges and universities. Consortium schools accept full transfer of credit from IES Abroad programs to their home institution transcripts.

As members of the IES Abroad Consortium, the new associate member schools will be actively involved in the mission, direction, and academic program development and review of IES Abroad?s programs across the globe. Students at the five schools will enroll in IES Abroad international programs that are academically rigorous and will have the opportunity to participate in international internships and field service opportunities. They will also be eligible for all IES Abroad financial aid programs and scholarships, will participate in pre-departure and on-site advising, and will be protected by IES Abroad health and safety protocols.

More information on the IES Abroad Consortium and the benefits of membership and associate membership is available at http://www.IESAbroad.org

IES Abroad, which celebrates its 62nd anniversary in 2012, is a global, not-for-profit academic consortium of more than 200 top-tier American colleges and universities. IES Abroad offers 100 programs at 35 international locations in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and South America. More than 5,500 students enroll in IES Abroad programs each year. For more information, please visit http://www.IESAbroad.org

IES Abroad has received the prestigious Quality Improvement Program (QUIP) designation from The Forum on Education Abroad for meeting the highest standards for study abroad programming and evaluation in the nation.

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Related Art Press Releases

Mr. Elsen has been with the company for 9 years with positions of increasing responsibility. His focus has been the Medical Market until last year when he became VP of Sales. ?Rich has always been an asset to the company, and in recent years his dedication and leadership have made my decision to make him CSO an easy one,? said Riach. As an officer of the company, he will now be responsible for the profitability of all market segments and the establishment of an enhanced global sales organization. Jeff Riach went on to say, ?Rich?s combination of high personal ethical standards and commitment to our customers combined with his excellent sales and leadership style will help Oakworks not only grow significantly in all of our current markets, but also in new market segments that we are preparing to enter.?

About Oakworks: Since Oakworks’ inception, they have maintained a strong commitment to environmental wellness and manufacturing products in the US. Oakworks’ business model relies on ensuring sustainable resources – both natural and workforce-related; their proactive plan addresses both aspects of sustainability to ensure they are doing their part to preserve the health of the planet, while at the same time ensuring the well-being of their employees. Learn more about Oakworks’ Sustainability Statement.

Oakworks, Inc. is the premier manufacturer of medical, massage, wellness, and spa equipment in the U.S. with over thirty years design and manufacturing. With a 91,000 square foot state of the art facility located in Southern Pennsylvania, Oakworks is known for design innovation, sophisticated engineering, and quick turnaround time. Offering a unique commitment to U.S. manufacturing and environmental wellness, Oakworks is setting the global standard for medical, spa, and massage tables and accessories. For more information, please visit http://www.oakworks.com.

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Plant Delights Nursery (http://www.plantdelights.com), an international mail order nursery specializing in rare and unusual perennials has released their 110 page, full color encyclopedic catalog, featuring over 100 new perennial plants for Spring 2012. For 2012, Plant Delights Nursery introduces 6 new epimediums (the active ingredient in the male enhancement product, Extenze). Epimedium ‘Pretty in Pink’ is a 2012 PDN introduction with bicolored leaves and pink flowers, while the new cinnamon-leaved Epimedium wushanense ‘Sandy Claws’ has colorful foliage as well as flowers. New York plantswoman Ellen Hornig has allowed Plant Delights to release her new Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema consanguineum ‘Wild Blue Yonder’ which features silver-striped rippled leaves. Buddleia ‘Ice Chip’, from the breeding program of NC State professor Dr. Dennis Werner sets a new standard in dwarf, sterile, white-flowered butterfly bushes. The bright yellow flowers of the new Clinopodium coccineum ‘Amber Blush’ is an amazing variant of this native mint-scented plant. Hibiscus moscheutos var. incanus is a little known southeast native plants that features very large white and maroon flowers with unusual velvety silver leaves. The price of the 630 item printed catalog is 10 stamps or a box of chocolates. (The catalog is sent regardless of payment, but the chocolates are truly appreciated). The website http://www.plantdelights.com includes over 1000 additional items not included in the printed catalog.

Plant Delights Nursery was named one of the Top 7 mail order nurseries in the country by Garden Design Magazine in their December 2010 issue. http://www.gardendesign.com/brown/best-mail-order-plant-sources?pnid=117161#gallery-content Plant Delights Nursery was also awarded the Retailer of the Year for 2011 by the Perennial Plant Association. In 2011, Plant Delights Nursery also supplied the perennials for a living wall art project in Charlotte, North Carolina designed by renowned French botanist Patrick Blanc and sponsored by the non-profit group Foundation for the Carolinas. http://www.fftc.org/

About Plant Delights Nursery

Plant Delights Nursery is a mail-order/ internet plant nursery and botanical garden that has been in business since 1988. Plant Delights holds four public open houses per year: two weekends each in winter, spring, summer, and fall. Plant Delights Nursery sells rare and unusual perennials from around the world. Many of their plants were discovered by co-owner, Tony Avent, during his more than 66 plant hunting expeditions to exotic places such as Argentina, China, Crete, and South Africa, as well as over 40 botanizing trips in the US. Plant Delights Nursery and owner Tony Avent are frequently profiled on television (including The Martha Stewart Show and Almanac Gardener), in magazines (including Southern Living, Horticulture, and Fine Gardening) and in newspapers (including the New York Times, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, and News & Observer). Proceeds from Plant Delights Nursery support the Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, a six acre research and genetic preservation garden with over 18,000 different plants.

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Telos’ combination of digital programming and availability of focused programming will continue their expansion this month by airing in eight major markets in the United States, including, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Sacremento, Baton Rouge, Philadelphia, and Portland, ME. Telos is a venture which has gathered world-renown, top-notch experts in the fields of nutrition, consciousness, exercise, cooking and medicine to create the first network featuring content centered around healthy mind, body and spirit.

?This is the first network of its kind to offer the increasing health-conscious public exactly what they want?and need,? said Wes Boatman, Telos Executive Vice President of Programming and Production. ?By bringing all these experts together on one network, we are creating a base of state-of-the-art information and technology that will be used by millions of people. We are thrilled to be launching this network.?

One of the greatest aspects of the Telos Digital Television Network is the fact that it will be shown on over-the-air channels “free TV.” Telos will also be available on traditonal channels, over-the-air, along with cable, sattellite and digital. Additionally, Telos streaming allows veiwers to watch on their iPads, iPods and home and office computers. With the government push to switch from analog to digital, it provided local channels additional bandwidth and the ability to run multiple programming choices from each station.

The Telos Digital Television Network is honing in on the 67% of the general population which states that they are more concerned about their health (up a whopping 45% since 2000) than the were five years ago. Telos is the way to educate and entertain at the same time. Telos expanded markets will provide 24-7 programming.

With a line-up of doctors, educators, speakers, cooking shows, exercise gurus and talk show formats, the offering is lively and entertaining. Viewers have the ability to tune in to regular programs centered around their specific needs and desires. Telos is a comprehensive, incredible collaboration of information.

For more information about the Telos Digital Television Network, contact:

Wes Boatman

Executive Vice President of Programming and Production

818-231-0506

wboatman(at)telostv(dot)com

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Mr. Raines was named Chief Executive Officer earlier this month. Since 1995, Steve has built Internet and Intranet applications, electronic commerce systems, scalable enterprise-wide infrastructures, order entry systems and production analysis software using Microsoft technologies. Prior to co-founding Algonquin Studios in 1998, Steve was a Senior Programmer/Analyst at SOFTBANK Services Group (now Client Logic). While there, he worked extensively on delivering web-enabled applications that integrated sales, order collection and fulfillment systems.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, with Honors, from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Mr. Kiernan has been named Algonquin?s President after serving as the company?s Director of Sales and Marketing since 2007. Stephen has been designing and building business solutions for clients for more than a decade and has extensive knowledge of many web-based technologies. Before joining Algonquin Studios, Stephen worked as a multimedia consultant in Boston, Massachusetts, with clients including Bentley Motors, Houghton Mifflin, and Marriott International.

Stephen sits on the Board of Directors at Buffalo Niagara Enterprise. He earned his Masters of Business Administration at the State University of New York at Buffalo and holds a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Multimedia from the State University of New York College at Fredonia.

About Algonquin Studios – Algonquin Studios is a professional services firm providing software development, web content management, web design and business consulting since 1998. Our business and technology solutions solve problems for companies from many industries including legal, health care, financial services, and not-for-profit. Algonquin Studios has offices in Buffalo, NY and New York City.

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Milletech Systems today announced that ReARTS Version 11.1 Grants Management solution has achieved Oracle Exadata Ready status through Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN).

Today?s announcement demonstrates that Milletech Systems has fully tested and supports ReARTS Version 11.1 Grants Management solution on Oracle Exadata Database Machine. Milletech Systems is a Platinum level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork.

The Oracle Exastack Ready Program allows partners, such as Milletech Systems, to be recognized by Oracle for developing, testing and tuning their applications on the latest component products of Oracle Exadata Database Machine or Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud engineered systems. The Oracle Exadata Database Machine is the only database machine that provides extreme performance for both data warehousing and online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads, making it the ideal platform for consolidating onto private clouds. It is a complete package of servers, storage, networking, and software that is massively scalable, secure, and redundant.

The Oracle Exastack Ready program recognizes Milletech Systems as having applications that leverage the latest Oracle technology to better support joint customers. Milletech?s ReARTS is a comprehensive Grants Management and Compliance solution that has been implemented across the enterprise at its clients in North America. ?By ReARTS achieving Oracle Exadata Ready status, we are seeing a huge interest from higher education institutions, healthcare organizations, the transportation sector and federal organizations wanting to leverage ReARTS as their Grants Management and Compliance solution,? said Nasir Mujawar, CTO, Milletech Systems.

With Oracle Exadata Ready status, Milletech Systems will receive access to corresponding Oracle branding, logos and related benefits to effectively differentiate their offerings.

?When partners such as Milletech Systems leverage the latest component products of Oracle Exadata Database Machine as the foundation for their applications, they benefit from a complete, integrated and cloud-ready infrastructure that will help them utilize new features and functionality and drive innovation,? said Chris Baker, Senior Vice President, Worldwide ISV and OEM Sales. ?We are pleased to see Milletch Systems achieve Oracle Exadata Ready status as this significant milestone helps equip them to deliver superior value to customers.?

?Milletech has made major new investments in its products and frameworks portfolio, people, and infrastructure, and is aggressively looking to expand its client base, having made major wins this year,? added Nasir Mujawar, CTO, Milletech Systems. He further said, ?Milletech is geared up for a major expansion in 2012 and our deep skills in Oracle technologies will be the key to our success in 2012 and beyond.?

About the Oracle Exastack Program

The Oracle Exastack program helps enable Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and other members of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) to rapidly build and deliver faster, more reliable applications. Leveraging the Oracle Exastack Program, qualifying OPN members have access to Oracle performance experts and dedicated labs for testing and tuning their applications on Oracle Exadata Database Machine and Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud. Customers can be confident when selecting Oracle Exastack Optimized applications that they have been tested and tuned to achieve optimal performance, scalability and reliability. Also part of the program, Oracle Exastack Ready is dedicated to helping ISVs run their solutions on the latest major release of Oracle Exadata Database Machine, Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud and their component products, including Oracle Database, Oracle WebLogic Server, Oracle Solaris, Oracle Linux and Oracle VM. These products provide partners with a lower cost and high performance infrastructure for database and application workloads across on-premise and cloud based environments. To find out more, visit http://www.oracle.com/partners/goto/exastack

About Oracle PartnerNetwork

Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) Specialized is the latest version of Oracle’s partner program that provides partners with tools to better develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN Specialized offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle’s growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to differentiate through Specializations. Specializations are achieved through competency development, business results, expertise and proven success. To find out more, visit http://www.oracle.com/partners.

About Milletech

Milletech is a Platinum level member in Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) servicing Oracle customers for over a decade. Milletech provides end to end consulting services to its customers, by delivering key industry focused products and services including Application Development, Integration, Implementation, Migration, Upgrades, and Managed Services for Oracle tools and technologies. Its areas of focus include the Oracle E-Business Suite, Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, Oracle Fusion Middleware, Oracle SOA Suite, Oracle WebCenter, Oracle Exadata Database Machine, and Oracle?s PeopleSoft. Milletech has world class functional and technical teams that help improve business processes and reduce implementation and upgrade costs for its customers, by leveraging its onsite and offshore facilities. Milletech is an ideal partner given its functional and technical depth, marquee client referrals, local presence and an overall low cost base. Milletech has world-class products for the Higher Education, Healthcare, Transportation and the Federal sector for Grants Management, Compliance and Auditing. These products are under implementation at prestigious institutions in North America. To find out more, visit http://www.milletechinc.com


Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

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Central Valley’s flower shop, The Thoughtful Flower recently relocated to a bigger and better space at 500 Scenic Drive in Modesto, allowing it to better serve its customers.

“This facility is centrally located in an iconic building in the Modesto Area. The spacious store with its vast window displays catches the eye of the passersby,” Alicia Largent of The Thoughtful Flower said. ?Our new location helps us better serve our communities floral needs.”

Conveniently located near the picturesque St. John’s Chapel of the Valley, The Thoughtful Flower is now closer to Salas Brother’s Funeral Home, and downtown, the hub of activity in the Modesto area.

The space also features a separate garden area with plants, garden decor and art, baskets, yard stakes, gazing balls, bird feeders, and other goodies to adorn the garden, as well as practical items like gardener’s gloves and bird seed.

Creating floral arrangements since 1974, The Thoughtful Flower has dazzled local residents and beyond with its spectacular custom floral creations, wonderful plants, balloon arrangements, gifts for any occasions and distinctive designs, particularly with wedding flowers and centerpieces.

Weddings are a strong part of The Thoughtful Flower?s business, and its unique rental program allows brides to choose from a huge selection of glass, containers, pillars, arches, screens and other goodies. The program is designed to help a couple receive all the pizazz they want, while staying within budget. The Thoughtful Flower recently expanded this area with the relocation, and more than ever, the flower shop can help a bride make all her “floral dreams come true.”

Over the years, The Thoughtful Flower has made large and small weddings tremendous successes. It prides itself on creating appealing, one-of-a-kind pieces of floral art for every event. Enjoy wedding flower arrangements with bridal bouquets and boutonnieres and a full range of wedding flowers, including wedding centerpieces and ceremony flowers.

The Thoughtful Flower also teaches design classes through the Community Education Program at Modesto Junior College. The new facility allows the shop to accommodate a larger class size in a more spacious, user-friendly area.

The florist is a sponsor and exclusive florist for The Gallo Center for the Arts and The Modesto Symphony Orchestra, as well as a sponsor of the Stanislaus Arts Council and the Center for Human Services.

For more information about any of The Thoughtful Flower?s products or services, call 209-214-7668, view the florist on the web at http://www.thoughtfulflower.com or visit 500 Scenic Drive in Modesto.

About The Thoughtful Flower

As one of the established flower shops in the Central Valley, The Thoughtful Flower offers distinct and unique floral arrangements and gifts to ensure that every memorable occasion is unforgettable.

The florist shop specializes in creating unique floral arrangements, wedding flowers, centerpieces and custom floral art. Recently relocated in Modesto, The Thoughtful Flower also carries plants, gifts, balloon arrangements, garden art and more.

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Regional tanning salon chain At The Beach is excited to announce its expansion into California. At The Beach currently has four Orange County locations in the cities of Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, and Ladera Ranch and expects to open even more locations throughout California in 2012. At The Beach locations will offer patrons a way to get a great tan even after sunset through use of six levels of state-of-the- art tanning, including UV-free options, plus it?s a great way for California residents to get a base tan so they won?t be as likely to burn once swimsuit season begins.

?I can?t think of any better way to start off the new year,? said Candi Chappell, At The Beach?s chief operating officer, referring to the expansion of At The Beach into the California market. The expansion of At The Beach into Orange County, California is just one more example of the steady growth of At The Beach, a brand that prides itself on delivering a phenomenal customer experience and keeping up-to-date with technology trends. ?It?s hard to believe that At The Beach began with just a few stores in Oklahoma and now has grown into such a recognizable name throughout four states. This is an exciting time and it?s a great opportunity to really shine in Orange County,? said Chappell.

At The Beach is a regional tanning salon chain with over 60 stores located throughout Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas and now California. At The Beach is involved in multiple charities and causes, such as the National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Project Angel Heart and the Colorado AIDS Project. Additionally, they foster support through their blog, atthebeachcares.com, and provide information at At The Beach locations. For more information on locations, special offers or At The Beach?s state-of-the-art tanning technology, please check out http://atbtanning.com.

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San Francisco Botanical Garden Society (SFBGS) invites the community to the 13th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Flower Market. The event will be a celebration of the Year of the Dragon with an exciting day filled with food, festivities, and flowers. The celebration takes place from 10 am ? 4 pm on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at the San Francisco County Fair Building (9th and Lincoln Way in Golden Gate Park). Admission is free. SFBG will hold a preview and photo op for print, broadcast, and online media on Thursday, January 19th at 10:00 AM.

Eleanor Lew, SFBGS volunteer and community organizer, says, ?This celebration is so important for our families every year. It?s a time to unite together and share the good fortune of the coming year.?

This year?s program includes classical stringed instruments and cultural dance performances by Alice Fong Yu School and West Coast Lion dancers; magician Jaden Huang; a puppet show from Chinese Historical Society of America; a talk by Chinatown historian Lyle Jan; a Tea Room and Tea Tastings by Vital Tea Leaf; story time; educational activities; and an Asian Art Museum Children?s Art Center for the kids; plus, 826 Valencia will be on hand with learning activities.

A wonderful array of Asian foods will be provided by: Pacific Coast Farmer?s Market, Tru Gourmet Organic Dim Sum, Sugar Bliss cake pops, Little Vietnam Caf?, and Simply Mochi.

Attractions include chop carving, scroll painting, International School of Ikebana, docent-led tours of San Francisco Botanical Garden, traditional Lunar New Year plants and flowers, and much more.

San Francisco Botanical Garden preserves many rare and endangered plants from all over Asia, providing a tangible connection to Asian culture. Associate Curator David Kruse-Pickler says, ?We provide an immersive experience in four of our garden sections for those that might want to take a botanical journey from Burma to China and Thailand to Indonesia, Japan and even New Guinea.?

Ernie Ng, long-time Garden volunteer and a key organizer of the Lunar New Year celebration, adds, ?Bilingual signs for some of the trees and plants in the Garden are put out during the LNY Event.?

The gardens at SFBG featuring Asian plants include Temperate Asia (Burma to China, south to Thailand), Moon Viewing Garden (Japan), Southeast Asian Cloud Forest (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia), and Rhododendron Garden (China, Japan, New Guinea, Indonesia).

Lunar New Year is a great cultural activity for the whole family at beautiful San Francisco Botanical Garden, which features more than 8,000 varieties of the world?s most spectacular plants in twenty-six exquisitely designed gardens.

For more information and a complete vendors list, visit http://www.sfbg.org. To RSVP for the media preview, please contact Heidi Wohlwend at (415) 666-2211 x.304 or Heidi(at)sfbg.(dot)org.

About San Francisco Botanical Garden Society

San Francisco Botanical Garden Society works in partnership with the City of San Francisco/Recreation and Park Department to support San Francisco Botanical Garden, whose 55 acres in Golden Gate Park includes more than 8,000 different kinds of plants native to California and from throughout the world. This tremendous plant diversity, with almost 30 percent of the species wild-collected and many rare and endangered, is displayed in 26 geographic and thematic gardens. The Botanical Garden Society?s mission is to build communities of support for the Botanical Garden and to cultivate the bond between people and plants. With the help of its members, donors and volunteers, the Botanical Garden Society funds Garden improvements, provides curatorial and plant collections management services, propagates plants for the Botanical Garden and for sale to the public, maintains the Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture, offers year-round educational and community programming, operates the Garden Bookstore and welcomes visitors from San Francisco, the Bay Area and around the world.

San Francisco Botanical Garden is situated in the heart of San Francisco?s Golden Gate Park, near famous attractions and museums for kids including the California Academy of Sciences and the de Young Museum. With SFBG?s 26 distinct gardens and collections, which include rarities from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, and South Africa, plus SFBG?s award-winning California Native Plant Garden, complete with a century-old redwood forest, a trip to SFBG is one of the best things to do in San Francisco.

SFBG has daily docent-led San Francisco day tours, and can arrange private tours. Their daily and monthly plants sales are a unique opportunity to acquire plants seldom found in commercial nurseries or garden centers. SFBG?s Youth Education Program serves 10,000 children each year with guided walks, children?s garden programs, treasure hunts and other kids? activities for San Francisco children.

For information about how to become a Society member, or any of San Francisco Botanical Garden Society?s products and services, please call (415) 666-2211 or visit http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org.

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Complimentary education matching service, College Complete (http://collegecomplete.com), is proud to be presenting the sold out Second Annual Justin Lofton Charity Golf Tournament January 6th and 7th to benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Imperial Valley (http://www.bgcbrawley.org).

CollegeComplete.com, formed in 2010, was the primary sponsor of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Justin Lofton for a good part of the 2011 season, and recently announced that they would continue their sponsorship of the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado for the upcoming 2012 season.

Dan Haim, College Complete Co-Founder said, ?We are pleased to be able to help the Boys and Girls Club as they help young people with a safe place to go, and learn skills necessary to succeed.?

“I am so excited about this year’s event. We knew it was going to be bigger than last year because we got a lot of support from other teams and drivers with their donations for the auction. It just kept growing from there,” Lofton said.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley, near Lofton’s hometown of Westmoreland, California.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley has a lineup of tested and proven nationally recognized programs that address today’s most pressing youth issues, teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life.

National programs are available in the areas of education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, alcohol/drug and pregnancy prevention, gang prevention, leadership development and athletics.

Programs overlap and work together so each participant grows and develops self-confidence and self-esteem, along with skills in leadership, teamwork, and responsibility. Self-expression is encouraged and is often the key to engaging members and helping them achieve their potential.

“The Boys & Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley is extremely excited to partner with Justin Lofton for his second annual charity golf tournament. It is great that Justin gives back to his community with such an outstanding event and we are honored to be a part of it.” said Sara Sanders of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley.

Additional sponsors for the event include CollegeComplete.com as well as its corporate partners and industry friends Advanced Payment Services (http://www.joinaps.com), Accudata Corp, BackToLearn.com, Consuasor Insurance Advisors, Accelerex, VHM Network, AdMax, and Higher Ed Growth.

About College Complete

CollegeComplete.com helps the public navigate the ever-changing and highly complex landscape of higher education, connecting students with the institutions whose offerings maximizes the likelihood of success. Partnered with hundreds of educational institutions and across all types of education goals, including traditional college degrees, trade and vocational certifications, and professional licensure, College Complete helps students assess all of the information that exists in the public domain, allowing them to understand and make sense of their educational opportunities. College Complete has an initiative to assist those in the US Armed Forces and their families and is able to assist in identifying schools that will not only provide the educational requirements of the soldier, veteran or family member but will do so in a cost effective manner. CollegeComplete.com is the student facing subsidiary of ed ideas, inc. (http://edideas.com).

You can contact a College Complete advisor, at no cost, by calling 877-543-2655 or going to CollegeComplete.com

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The independent authority on search vendors, topseos.com, has released the list of the 50 best search engine optimization service providers in the online marketing industry for the month of January 2012. The rankings are developed through the use of a meticulous evaluation process which identifies the services which offer the most complete SEO experience in order to create a list of the best SEO companies. The list is used by businesses looking for a solid SEO company which will assist them through improved organic search results through both off page and on page optimization. Each company has been thoroughly tested using an evaluation process which focuses on the five most important criteria, customer references, and other resources.

topseos.com, the independent authority on Search vendors, has released the list of the best search engine optimization companies in the online marketing industry for January 2012. The SEO rankings are created through the use of a meticulous and in-depth evaluation process which identifies the services which offer the most comprehensive SEO experience in order to create a list of the top performing SEO companies. The list is used by businesses which are looking for a solid SEO company to assist them with their organic optimization endeavors.

The Managing Partner of topseos.com (http://www.topseos.com/), JeevTrika, has stated that the ?evaluation process for both agencies and software tools is meticulous. We review strengths, weaknesses, and competitive advantages.?

The Top 50 SEO Companies for January 2012 are:

1) Netmark.com

2) Customer Magnetism

3) SEOP

4) Bruce Clay Inc.

5) ArteWorks SEO

6) Intrapromote LLC.

7) Magic Logix

8) SEO Image Inc.

9) OneIMS ? Integrated Marketing Solutions

10) WebMetro

11) MediaWhiz

12) Mannix Marketing

13) HigherVisibility

14) 1st on the List Promotions Inc.

15) 180Fusion

16) Peak Positions, LLC

17) Web Talent Marketing

18) Crexendo, Inc.

19)HighPoint Search Marketing

20) Hudson Horizons

21) SEO Inc

22) Pro Web Consulting

23) WebpageFX

24) PageTraffic

25) Submit Express

26) BlueGlass Interactive, Inc.

27) Outrider

28) 1SEO.com

29) Stone Interactive Group

30) eVisibility, Inc.

31)LeapFrog Interactive

32) SEO.com

33) Conductor

34) iProspect

35) The Search Agency

36) Spark Inbound Marketing

37) Qualified Impressions, LLC.

38) SEER Interactive

39) Exclusive Concepts, Inc.

40) ymarketing, LLC

41) Connelly Digital

42) WebRanking

43) evolveALOUD

44) Best Rank Inc.

45) ProspectMX

46) Position Research

47) ATAK Interactive Inc.

48) Organic Rankings Inc.

49) Orange Soda

50) National Positions

The process which topseos.com uses to evaluate each SEO agency identifies which companies are able to achieve results and meet the expectations of their clients based on their promises and past performance. The end result is a list of the top vendors in the industry who have a history of achievements and results for their customers with each company providing a unique SEO service. For each company reviewed, at least three clients were contacted and actual performance and effectiveness of each SEO agency was determined. Different general and specific questions were asked of the SEO companies:

????What type of needs analysis was conducted before work initiated?
????What type of ROI were you anticipating, what was achieved and in what time frame?
????What would be three things you would change about your experience?
????What was your total investment?
????Rate your overall experience (one through ten; ten being the highest).
????What are the most competitive keywords you have been able to rank on the major search engines and how long did it take you to achieve those rankings?
????Did the agency modify the way they achieved higher rankings for you based on the Universal Search model introduced by Google? How?
????How comprehensive, specific, and useful are the reports that are offered to the client? What metrics do they cover?
????Do the reports inform you what the next set of steps should be to achieve higher rankings and when you can expect to achieve the next set of goals by?
????How many of your top industry keywords rank in the top 10? Which ones?

ABOUT topseos.com

topseos.com is a well-known independent authority on search vendors. Established in 2002, the goal of topseos.com is to recognize and rank those individuals or companies providing the best online marketing services all over the world. A specialized team of researchers examine thousands of applicants each month who are seeking to be ranked as a top internet marketing service provider by the independent authority. This website is being visited daily by thousands of visitors all over the world looking for the best services available. The website also provides various types of facilities other than the independent rankings which provide useful information to customers and providers of online marketing services.

Search Engine Optimization companies interested in applying for the evaluation and rankings service can visit:

http://www.topseos.com/rankings/search-engine-marketing-agencies/apply-for-ranking

To learn more about the Best SEO Companies for January 2012 visit:

http://www.topseos.com/rankings-of-best-seo-companies

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Sneaker Fest Live, brought to you by the brains behind InkFest Live, is dropping at the Carole A Hoefner Center in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 29 for an action-packed day of DJ scratch battles, B-boy dance-offs, graffiti demos, and the latest in urban clothing, art and sneaker trends.

Admission is $ 15 for the all-day event which runs from 10am to 6pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring up to two pairs of kicks for sale or trade.

SneakerFest Live is the newest creation by entrepreneur Jose A. Martinez, the innovative mind behind the history-making, urban-themed traveling tattoo expo, InkFest Live. ?SneakerFest Live is the only sneaker expo with an urban landscape. It combines the rarest kicks with graffiti demonstrations, DJ battles, and the latest trends from the concrete jungle,? says Martinez. ?Now is the time to see the future of sneaker expos, SneakerFest Live.?

The Carole A Hoefner Center, which is hosting the event, is located in the heart of Charlotte and will provide the massive square-footage needed to bring all of these special entities under a single roof. Vendors will be providing first-hand demos and sales of their hottest merch and sneaker lines, and during the whole event, attendees will be able to trade, swap and sell the sneakers everyone is dying to own.

Entertainment will be provided by emcee Justin Aswell of Mr. Invisible, an authentic, all-vinyl DJ scratch battle, and a B-Boy battle with a $ 500 grand prize.

Martinez adds, ?At SneakerFest Live, you will mingle with top industry manufacturers, vendors and sneaker heads, all while listening to the best entertainment. SneakerFest live captures the lifestyle side of Urban Arts? not just the sneakers.?

SneakerFest Live will be taking place from 10am to 6pm on October 29 for an all-day event at the Carole A Hoefner Center in Charlotte, NC which will feature the latest in urban art and clothing, DJ and B-boy battles, and the hottest sneakers in and outside of the market. Tickets are $ 15, and they?re going fast.

TICKETS: Available at SneakerFestLive.com (http://www.sneakerfestlive.com) or at the door (Saturday $ 15). Attendees can bring up to two pairs of sneakers for sale or trade. Carole A Hoefner Center

610 E. Seventh St.

Charlotte, NC, 28202

Follow SneakerFest Live on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sneakerfest. For more information, e-mail info(at)sneakerfestlive(dot)com or call 888.215.8939.

Contact:

SneakerFest Live

Jose Martinez

888.215.8939 x704

jmar(at)sneakerfestlive(dot)com

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KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central California, is pleased to present Departures: Highland Park, the latest installment in kcet.org?s award-winning web-documentary series. Launching Monday October 10, Departures: Highland Park will feature an intimate collection of interactive panoramas, first-person interviews, mapping tools and archival imagery that explores one of the oldest and most intriguing neighborhoods in Southern California.

Seven weekly chapters in this distinctive Departures series will delve deep into the history and current relevance of one of L.A.?s most historic and diverse neighborhoods. Its environment and proximity to the Arroyo has attracted a constant stream of settlers – from the Native-Americans to rancheros to East Coast eccentrics. The dynamic series will explore the people, the places, and the ideas that have made Highland Park a magnet for innovation, resistance and pride.

?Departures is an all-encompassing, community-driven experience,? said Juan Devis, director of Production & Program Development at KCET. ?We?re excited to debut this latest installment which explores and defines the significant cultural and historical shifts of Highland Park, a neighborhood city that has left an indelible mark on the landscape of Los Angeles.?

KCET Departures collaborated with various individuals and organizations to produce the Highland Park installment including: Jeffrey Chapman, Director of the Audubon Center in Debs Park; Nicole Possert, Highland Park Heritage Trust; Outpost for Contemporary Art; Occidental College and Avenue 50 Gallery, among others. Historical images on the website appear courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library, University of Southern California Digital Library, The Autry and California Department of Transportation.

A new chapter will launch each week starting October 10. Chapter highlights are as follows:

Chapter 1: The Highlands

From Native-Americans, to rancheros, to the beginning of the arts and crafts movement, ?The Highlands? chapter explores the numerous factors that allowed the area to mature as one of the preeminent cultural and social centers of Los Angeles.

Chapter 2: The Arts and Crafts Movement

Community leaders, artistic eccentrics, and those who were influenced by life ?on the arroyo? pioneered perhaps the first artistic and cultural movement that emerged from Los Angeles. This chapter will explore the philosophy, practice and ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement until its ultimate demise.

Chapter 3: The Arroyo Sector Parkway

One of the nation?s first and finest freeways was the cause of celebration for the city of Los Angeles. However, after the scenic thruway was built, Highland Park began its gradual decline, and split between two distinct geographies and political powers: Pasadena and Los Angeles. This began the area?s transition from natural suburban Eden to an inner city enclave.

Chapter 4: Brown and Proud

During the 1950s, the pre-civil rights era where school segregation, manifestations and community organizing began to take shape on the east side, an articulate vocabulary of resistance and pride developed within the Latino and Mexican community that immigrated to Highland Park.

Chapter 5: Painting the Walls

From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Highland Park was home to influential Chicana/o artist collectives. The work of these collectives on the Eastside housing projects of Ramona Gardens, Estrada Courts, and numerous other public spaces across the city ignited an explosion of Chicana/o muralism in Los Angeles, turning L.A. into the mural capital of the country.

Chapter 6: The Rise of the Inner City

The failed promises of the civil rights era coupled with the economic disparities of the 1980s created a dual deterioration in Highland Park and the concept of ?inner city,? which gave rise to one of L.A.?s most notorious gangs, the Avenues. Gang culture in Highland Park generated a post-Chicano visual language, as graffiti culture, low-riders and gangster hip-hop took over the streets.

Chapter 7: Reinterpreting Highland Park

At the turn of the Millennium, Highland Park seems to embrace all the contradictions that history has presented to the neighborhood ? a new Gold metro line traverses through the streets of the area; a master plan to revitalize and return the Arroyo back to its natural state is in place; a new and improved Audubon park takes nature back to basics; and a slew of artists, galleries and coffee shops together are making Highland Park regain its status as one of the city?s most cherish neighborhoods..

About KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET currently produces the Emmy?, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 47-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children’s programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. More than half of the funds raised to support KCET’s operating budget come from individual support. For additional information about KCET productions, Web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

About KCET Departures

KCET Departures provides a 360? people-centric experience; is participatory in nature; and serves as a central nexus in people sharing, commenting, collaborating, and finding ways to be involved in their communities. These relationships are fostered offline and on by engaging community residents, non-profit organizations, schools and students, in the creation and procurement of relevant and relatable content. From development to production, the neighborhood and its community (the stake holders) are involved in the process of production, resulting in a tight knit between the aspirations of the local community and the station. Departures is a participatory platform, a series, and a network where people can convene information and ideas about our city and its people, and engage in the interpretation of the city that we live in. Departures is funded by The Boeing Company, California Council for the Humanities and the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

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With the glitz of the Las Vegas strip lined with tinsel and wreaths, it may be easy to forget the grim reality: according to Clark County Homeless Youth Count, on any given day nearly 400 unaccompanied minors live on the streets in Clark County, 150 of whom are students at Rancho High School. Local business owner Ward Peterson of Trio Healthy Vending ? distributor of HUMAN Healthy Vending machines ? and the charitable Project 150, however, have not forgotten. Instead, they have joined together to ensure that homeless students in Clark County have their basic needs met while school lets out for winter break. Project 150 and Trio Healthy Vending?s mission is to aid the homeless students in the valley, particularly in the ?homeless corridor,? where the poverty rate is 26.8% — more than double the rate of Las Vegas, according to 2009 city data.

Project 150 is a 501 (c) (3) Charitable Trust set up by Patrick Spargur, who works with Bally Technologies Inc., and Don Purdue, a project manager with Harmony Homes, which is the company that is underwriting the charity. When Spargur heard from Purdue about the situation at Rancho High School, he could not believe it. ?I thought: this is not possible; if you?re homeless, you don?t go to school. I dug in and found out that these students were sleeping in cars and couch surfing. There are five thousand kids in the valley that are homeless and we knew we had to do something about it now ? so we started Project 150,? said Spargur.

After a few Facebook posts exchanged between Spargur, Purdue and Peterson, they had started an online campaign that went viral. Within a week, alumni from Ed. W. Clark High School, Las Vegas (Spargur and Purdue?s alma mater) were coming out of the woodwork to donate. Donations have been valued at more than $ 10,000.

Because Rancho High School is located in a food desert ? an area where there is little access to any food other than fast food ? its homeless students are reliant on the cafeteria to provide healthful options. While school is let out for winter break, however, these students would have to fend for themselves. Peterson made it his personal mission to ensure students had access to healthful foods until school resumed, so he reached out to healthy-food companies who have partnerships with HUMAN Healthy Vending and received generous donations from Clif Bar, Mix 1, That?s It Fruit Bars and WAT-AAH.

?With the recession, Clark County has seen a drastic increase in its homeless population, so many of whom are minors. We wanted to make sure they had some healthy food options to tide them over until school starts up again,? said Peterson, CEO of Trio Healthy Vending. ?And this is just the beginning for Project 150 ? we?re going to do a lot more in the new year.?

Those interested in making donations to Project 150 or to Rancho High School?s homeless students directly, may contact Patrick Spargur at pspargur(at)ballytech(dot)com or Don Purdue at dpurdue(at)harmonyhomes(dot)com.

About Trio Healthy Vending

Trio Healthy Vending is a Las Vegas distributor HUMAN Healthy Vending machines ? the world?s first and only high-tech and eco-friendly vending machines that vend nutritious foods while simultaneously educating the consumer on nutrition via 23? LCD screens attached to the machines. In Las Vegas alone, HUMAN machines are currently operational at DeVry University in Las Vegas, Paul Mitchell School of Las Vegas, YMCA of Southern Nevada and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. HUMAN Healthy Vending machines may be found in 800 locations across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

In 2011, HUMAN Healthy Vending was named in Entrepreneur Magazine?s list of ?100 Brilliant Companies? and Forbes Magazine?s list of ?America?s Most Promising Companies.?

HUMAN is proud to donate 10% of its proceeds to charitable causes that fight childhood obesity and malnutrition. To learn more, go to: http://www.healthyvending.com

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It?s no secret that diamonds make a woman feel glamorous and elegant but, surprisingly, a recent survey sponsored by Tru-Diamonds Limited showed that seventy-three percent of women surveyed cannot tell the difference between a mined diamond and a convincing man-made gem.

?That?s not surprising,? says Len Gullan, the creator of the Tru-Diamonds simulated diamond jewellery brand, ?even a jeweler won?t be sure by just looking at our jewellery. A professional gemologist needs to undertake a scientific test to be sure that Tru-Diamonds gems are not genuine, mined diamonds.?

The survey, sponsored by Tru-Diamonds, also revealed that more than fifty-eight percent of women don?t care whether a gem is mined or manufactured so long as it looks like the real thing.

?It?s not just the massive price difference that draws people to our products,? Mr Gullan says, ?nowadays many people prefer manufactured gemstones because they are friendlier to the environment. To produce just one carat of fine quality mined diamonds, tons of earth must be excavated but Tru-Diamonds are manufactured under state-of-the-art conditions that cause minimal damage to the environment.?

?Celebrities and socialites often wear simulated diamonds and nobody knows the difference.? he says, ?this way they don?t worry about losing their jewellery in jostling crowds and they save a fortune on insurance.? He thinks Tru-Diamonds jewellery may be high society?s best kept secret and, with a two carat Tru-Diamonds trilogy ring costing only $ 120 when the exact same ring with similar mined diamonds will cost around $ 15,000.

Sales of Tru-Diamonds in the United Kingdom are up by forty-five percent over last year as Britain?s cash conscious women are splashing out on this affordable and fashionable jewellery, confident that no one will ever know the difference.

Tru-Diamonds are not yet available in North America but Mr Gullan says that there are plans for their introduction in the US in 2012.

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The specialist equipment was installed by experts in a newly-purchased warehouse (the third owned by ReAgent) over a period of about one month. The main piece of machinery, a Veolia Strata Plus deionization plant, didn?t take very long to install but the company also fitted an array of after-market modifications plus a new ring main which pipes the water around the entire manufacturing plant.

ReAgent manufactures deionized water which is used in many of the chemicals they supply. The new system can produce exceptionally high quality water with a conductivity of less than 0.05 microsiemens per cm at its source. And it can do this at a rate of more than 10,000 litres per hour. ReAgent says the plant can theoretically produce more than this ? probably close to double the amount ? but the pressure of the mains water supply limits the flow so they don?t actually know what the plant is truly capable of.

However, although purifying 10,000 litres of water in an hour is impressive, it’s not the size of the plant which makes it interesting. What makes it unique is the way ReAgent has set up the machine with a lot of additional pieces of equipment.

Mains water enters the building where it initially gets treated with a Softener to remove Calcium Carbonate. The softened water is then pre-filtered twice before it enters the deionization plant, firstly at 5 microns, then again at 1 micron. After this the water is then deionized (where all the Anions and Cations are removed such as calcium, magnesium, chloride and fluoride) then it gets sent through a UV filter to remove any bacteria. The recently deionized water is then filtered again, through a 0.2 micron filter to remove any dead bacteria, and finally stored in a holding tank where it is continually circulated back through the UV treatment and 0.2 micron filter so the treated water is kept moving until it is required. The water is also tested routinely for Total Viable Count (of bacteria) which is measured in Colony Forming Units per ml, the results of which are normally zero. The water produced is of a pharmaceutical standard.

Water is a key ingredient in many of the chemical solutions manufactured by ReAgent, which highlights the importance of this new piece of machinery. ?For ReAgent, the quality of our products is of upmost importance? says Richard Hudson, Managing Director. ?We supply a wide range of chemical solutions and deionized water is a key component across many of our product lines ? such as buffer solutions, standard solutions, conductivity standards and many other chemical products?.

?We have a routine maintenance programme where the quality of water is checked daily, as well as being recorded for every batch we manufacture. We also monitor the pressure before and after all filters, as fluctuations indicate blockages (and thus new filters), along with salt levels in the softener and the chemical level which are used in the resins. Basically we check as much as we can as often as we can because the quality of the water produced goes hand in hand with the quality of our products.?

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With tens of millions of fans worldwide, SpongeBob SquarePants has become an icon unparalleled in the realm of children?s entertainment – And his superstar status continues to grow. That?s why Nouveau Eyewear has introduced three all new SpongeBob frames, designed to appeal to a customer-base as large and diverse as SpongeBob?s viewership.

The OB02 is the perfect frame for the slightly older SpongeBob fan. A more mature, rectangular eyeshape makes this metal frame ideal for the eight to ten year old boy who is beginning to look to older brothers and fathers for fashion inspiration. Also, graffiti stylized temple graphics feature SpongeBob?s initials rather than his image, making this frame perfect for the slightly more mature cartoon-lover. Double action spring hinges, and lightweight metal provide the utmost durability and comfort. Available in shiny black, gun, dark brown, and brown.

The first thing you?ll notice about the OB14 is its rich, vivid colors. This rectangular metal frame has a glossy finish that brings the vibrant colors of SpongeBob?s world to life. Available in shiny blue, brown, and gun, the OB14 is an excellent unisex frame that is sure to draw attention on the playground. Much like the OB02, the OB14 does not feature SpongeBob?s face on the temples, making it more appealing for the slightly older fans. In his place we see a bright, eye-catching bubble pattern along the temples in a rich yellow.

Unlike the OB14 and OB02, the new OB05 is jam-packed with graphics, including SpongeBob?s face. This fun-loving frame is the embodiment of SpongeBob?s over-the-top appeal. With its bright, glossy finish, and SpongeBob temple designs, this unisex frame is ideal for any of the character?s innumerable fans. Stainless steel and double action spring hinges provide comfort and durability ? making this frame ready for the classroom and playground alike. Available in shiny blue, purple, and brown.

The number one animated show for the past ten years, SpongeBob SquarePants? popularity only seems to be growing. And with frames as fun as these, it is easier than ever to convince children to wear corrective eyewear. Still, according to the American Foundation for Vision Awareness, eight to twelve million children are at risk from undetected vision impairments. So, it?s up to parents to make sure that their children undergo regular eye exams. But after that, just leave it up to SpongeBob and Nouveau Eyewear! To learn more about the Nickelodeon collection by Nouveau Eyewear, please visit http://www.NouveauEyewear.com.

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With a variety of easy to use functions, this Zanussi cooker helps make even the simplest meal a masterpiece. Specifically designed to make life easy, the cooker includes two extra large ovens, ceramic cooking zones, full width grilling options and simple, easily accessible controls. State of the art Thermaflow technology stops the transference of smells or flavour between shelves; this means you can cook pizza and chocolate cake at the same time without the sponge ending up tasting like pepperoni.

Available from Appliances Online, this A-rated Zanussi Cooker has stay clean liners which help reduce the build up of dirt and grease, as well as fully removable glass panes in both doors which make it not only easy to use but also extremely easy to clean.

Zanussi Easy To Use ZCV662MXC Electric Cooker

Price – ?450

Warranty ? 1 year

Dimensions (cm) ? H90 x W60 x D60

Energy Rating ? A

Stockist ? http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk

Features:

ThermaFlow technology ? Uses a fan at the back of the oven which spreads hot air evenly around the cavity meaning shorter cooking times and lower temperatures

Stay clean liners ? Found at the back, sides and top of the oven. They are coated with a lining which will absorb any grease at 220 and evaporating any excess residue.

Extra capacity ? Zanussi cookers provide extra capacity within the main oven which is perfect for a large family.

Expert opinion:

Nick Hancill, Appliance Specialist at Appliances Online said; ?I love how easy to use these Zanussi cookers are. All the extra elbow room inside makes it much easier to cook for lots of people. Plus, the ThermaFlow cooking can even save you money in the long run. All this from one cooker? Fantastic.?

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After meeting a graffiti artist with Lou Gehrig?s Disease named Tempt, business owner, executive producer and humanitarian, Mick Ebeling made a conscious decision that has changed the lives of those affected by paralysis. A leader in forward thinking who is active in developing and discovering world-renowned design and directing collectives including the Not Impossible Foundation (NIF) and the Ebeling Group (TEG), Ebeling has accessed his creative task forces to design a unique device called the EyeWriter, a practical solution that anyone has access to create, using a YouTube tutorial video, a pair of eyeglasses and a digital camera. The Eyewriter allows people suffering from neuromuscular diseases and paralysis to draw, design, and create, but most of all – communicate by using their eyes.

Raised in a family of entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Ebeling?s first non-profit organization was an LA Unified School System backed venture that exposed inner city kids to latest technologies and paired them with elite Hollywood post-production mentors, called Digital Groove. Recognizing the importance of social responsibility, with his EyeWriter project, Ebeling more recently launched the Not Impossible Foundation (NIF) ? an emerging non-profit organization devoted to making the impossible become possible, when the right people are connected and empowered. NIF is comprised of thinkers, dreamers, and doers fusing imagination and technology to develop creative solutions for real-world problems.

Ebeling?s career began in the production and animation industry with one of the first ever Mac-based design companies. Five years later, he launched his own commercial film, design and animation production company, The Ebeling Group (TEG). With locations in both New York and Los Angeles, TEG has been recognized for their Grammy nominated music videos, Sundance feature films, and award-winning branded content for the gaming arena as well as for Fortune 100 brands such as Diesel, Coca-Cola, and Nike. Made up of artists in their own right, TEG is well connected to the graffiti community ? a creativity and art they respect and admire.

After befriending an ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis also referred to as Lou Gehrig?s Disease) patient and renown street artist named Tempt, Ebeling embarked on one of the most rewarding chapters in his career with the creation of the EyeWriter. When he learned of his story of paralysis, Ebeling and his team felt compelled to assist and sponsor Tempt. Ebeling?s NIF partners defined Tempt?s situation, brainstormed solutions and established a clear direction: create a lightweight, low-cost, portable device for art and communication ? and make it available to anyone who needs it. The EyeWriter was conceived.

NIF?s long-term goal is to create a global professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists, and ALS patients from around the world who will use local materials and open-source research to creatively connect and make eye art. Some of the international initiatives financed by NIF have lead to the creation of ongoing projects such as in Mumbai and the MumbaiWriter, where they have blogged their progress haggling prices and building the EyeWriter from local materials.

With its creation and success, Mick Ebeling and the EyeWriter have achieved noteworthy press and several appearances including TED: Ideas Worth Spreading. Ebeling and the EyeWriter project have also been honored at Advertising Age and Creativity?s 2010 as well as recognition in Time Magazine?s ?The 50 Best Inventions of 2010?.

Ebeling continues his creative achievements with The Ebeling Group as well as spreading the word about the EyeWriter and message of the Not Impossible Foundation; all the while raising the very important questions: If not now, then when? If not me, then who?

?That was the first time I?ve drawn anything in seven years. I feel like I had been held under water, and someone finally reached down, and pulled my head up so I could take a breath.? ? Tempt

Additional Links:????

Eyewriter/NotImpossibleFoundation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84H-xLrLvvk

EyeWriter/Tempt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84H-xLrLvvk

TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/mick_ebeling_the_invention_that_unlocked_a_locked_in_artist.html

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The Fourth Annual Bel-Air Film Festival was held in from October 12th-17th, and included screening 36 Feature, Documentary, Short, and Student Films in addition to showcasing an array of red carpet premieres and after parties. Screenings were held at the Skirball Cultural Center, UCLA James Bridges Theater, and Sunset Luxe Hotel. This year?s opening night gala was held at the Skirball Cultural Center celebrating and awarding honorees Bob Yari (Crash and the Illusionist) with their, ?Best Producer Award,? Babaloo Mandel and Lowell Ganz (Splash, League of Their Own, Parenthood), ?Legendary Screenwriting Duo Awards,? and Victor Alfieri (My Father?s Will, Angels and Demons, Southland) with their, ?Best Actor Award.?

The festival also included a highly anticipated film panel with the topic, “Film Distribution in 2011 and Beyond.” The panel was hosted by entertainment Attorney Mitra Ahouraian. Panelists included Palak Patel (President of Roth Films), Howard Rosenman (Producer of Father of the Bride), Bianca Goodloe (Goodloe Anderson LLP), Ken Markman (KKM Global Bran Strategies), Robert Cain (Screenwriter and motion picture film consultant), and Demian Lichtenstein (producer, director, CEO of Equilibrium Entertainment).

“The 2011 Bel-Air Film Festival is proud to have showcased the work of filmmakers that have expressed their creativity and innovative spirits, and we are pleased to announce this year?s winners.? ?Melody Storm, President of Bel-Air Film Festival.

2011 Bel-Air Film Festival Winning Film Line-Up Inlcudes:

Best Audience Feature Film Award: My Father?s Will

Written, directed, and produced by Fraydun Manocherian and starring actors Victor Alfieri and Ione Skye. The film is a story about a wealthy and successful businessman, Ferro Olivetti, enjoys the privileges and perks of his social stature, but on his father’s deathbed he promises to obey “his father’s will” and spend one month away from his identity and money.

Best Audience Jury Documentary Award: Once I Was a Champion

Written and directed by Gerard Roxburgh. The film debuts the story of Evan Tanner. Tanner was an adventure seeker, fighter, philosopher, writer and alcoholic died on September 8th, 2008 in the desert north of Brawley, California.

Best Audience Short Film Award: Women

Directed by Ashley Scott and George Mays and written by Ashley Scott. The film stars Kevin Scott Allen, Lena Biggerstaff, and Evyh Cerhus. ?Women,? depicts the age-old dilemma of the feminine role is society. Set in a beautiful nether-France, two exquisite young ladies argue the merits of conforming to society’s idea of femininity versus what women might do if they made their own rules.

Best Jury Feature Film Award and Best Feature Film Directing Award: Wedding Party

Directed by Amanda Jane and written by Christine Bartlett. The film stars Josh Lawson, Isabel Lucas, and Steve Bisley. The Wedding party is a modern day love story taking place in Australia. The storyline reviews the struggles between a groom and his bride is a family of misfits and the love of his life

Best Jury Screenwriting Award: Face to Face

Written, directed, and produced by Michael Rymer and starring Vince Colosimo, Luke Ford, and Matthew Newton. The feature film is about a group of Australians from diverse backgrounds gather to decide the fate of a violent young man. An Australian ’12 Angry Men’, only there’s ten men, and four women.

Best Jury Documentary Film Award and Best Jury Film Documentary Award: Beatboxing: The Fifth Element of Hip Hop

Written and directed by Klaus Schneyder featuring artists Adam Matta, Archangel, Baba Israel, Morganics, Bee Low, Bellatrix and the Boxettes, Butterscotch, Click88, David Eaton, and DJ Shark. The documentary reviews how the late 70s youth culture evolved in the poorer parts of New York which combined several disciplines under the name of Hip Hop. Apart from the four classic elements of Graffiti writing, DJing, Breakdancing, and Rapping, the musical side of this culture was enhanced by a fifth element called, ?Beatboxing.?

Mission statement:

The Bel-Air Film Festival promotes the appreciation and knowledge of film, and seeks to recognize the most creative films and individuals in the film industry each year. The Festival?s goal is to inspire filmmakers and help provide them with the resources needed to further their knowledge.

Sponsors: Jet Blue, Gridlock Denim, Luxe Sunset Hotel, Open Air Productions, TVoop, Real TV Films.

For more information please visit http://www.belairfilmfestival.com.

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Intelligent Entertainment Solutions, (IES) a company that brings the creative into the corporate world, today announced their official launch. IES has sourced the most creative, intelligent, and diverse talent from around the country to teach professionals how to use their ?right-brain? creativity, to build better client relationships and sell more effectively. The IES team includes performers who have appeared on national television shows, such as Sex and the City, received Emmy nominations and artists with art in major collections around the world. IES infuses creativity through workshops, story-telling, stand-up and comedy training.

Creative thinking, performing and artistry are talents that can be learned and honed. In a corporate environment, creative skills give professionals a competitive advantage to solve problems, market their skills, improve teamwork, client relations and productivity. In Daniel Pink?s book, A Whole New Mind, Pink gives examples of CEOs at major corporations, like Unilever, U.K., who employ painters and comic book creators to inspire their staff. Another example can be seen with General Motors who focused on the ?art, entertainment and mobile sculpture? part of the transportation business to help turn the company around.

IES has a growing pool of talented performers and consultants who perform and teach executives, like lawyers, accountants and other professional service executives, how to be more creative with selling techniques, solving problems or managing client and internal relationships. Each performance or workshop is tailored to the specific audience and their respective professionals. A team, or an individual, can be hired for client events, management retreats, recruitment, Women?s or diversity events and practice area workshops.

Linda Orton, founder of IES, is also a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Intelligent Video Solutions, a company that produces corporate videos. Linda states, ?With corporate videos we get the best results when we use the professional vocabulary of the people we interview. IES will use this experience and create workshops that are relevant for specific industries. We have worked and consulted for leading firms, like Clifford Chance and Bernstein Wealth Management, so we understand the professional mindset.?

The IES recipe is to educate and entertain through a show, and then offer a workshop, where employees can deconstruct that which makes humor funny, stories compelling and art memorable. IES can teach the communication skills such as humor or story-telling to allow the professionals to learn new techniques to help sell, motivate or develop better relationships. You can read more about IES by visiting the site at the bottom of the release.

Biographies of a Selection of the IES Talent Pool:

Beth Lapides has appeared as a performance artist on Sex and the City. The Wall Street Journal said her current show, ?100% Happy, 88% of the Time?, ?looks for laughs in brainy places.? She is a gifted comedian and story-telling teacher. Beth has appeared on Politically Incorrect and NPR’s “All Things Considered”, and her articles have appeared in the Huffington Post, LA Weekly and The Utne Reader.

Susanna Rich received an Emmy Nomination for one of her works, is a poet, a performer and a professor at Kean University. Her brilliant, original and interactive content moves her audiences to think big by pulling from culture, literature, politics, the human condition and physical movement. Her performances of The Long Drive Home, Television Daddy and Ashes, Ashes have appeared on numerous stages.

Tony Martignetti is a lawyer, a former captain in the U.S. Air Force and an expert in planned giving and state charity registration. Tony has mentored, advised and coached major foundation and annual gift officers. He has trained and motivated volunteers on boards of trustees, campaign committees and advisory boards such as St John?s, Symphony Space in NY and NY-Presbyterian Hospital.

Jonathan Fritz has paintings in major, private collections around the world. His work is for sale by contacting IES. He established his unique combination of cartoon graffiti, tribal art and pop images in N.Y. in the mid 1990?s. He is a successful mural painter, having completed commissions for private residences and businesses across the New York City area. He is also a gifted and experienced teacher and his painting and mural workshops can help unleash the creativity that most of us have hidden.

About Intelligent Entertainment Solutions:

Founded by Linda Orton, Intelligent Entertainment Solutions is changing how professional service firms and companies infuse and teach creativity to their employees. In the workplace, creative minds are better at problem solving, selling and team building. Intelligent Entertainment Solutions is expanding on the work of Daniel H. Pink, author of ?A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers will Rule the Future,? and Michael Michalko, author of ?Thinkertoys.? The company teaches cerebral professionals how to be creative through workshops in theater, comedy, story-telling, dance, poetry and music. Members of the IES team include Emmy nominated performers, actors who have appeared in national television shows such as Sex and the City and artists who have pieces in major collections around the world.

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Trilogy at Monarch Dunes by Shea Homes is announcing today that it is one of six local winners recognized with a Green Award from The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce this year. The San Luis Obispo Chamber annually recognizes businesses, organizations and individuals that ?reduce pollution, improve resource conservation and sustainability and improve air and water quality? with its Green Awards.

Trilogy at Monarch Dunes was recognized because of its Shea Green Certified? Homes Program that combines the most critical and cost-effective standards for green residential building set by LEED, the National Association of Home Builders and Environments for Living. This program allows homes at Trilogy to deliver an average of 59 percent savings in overall energy use compared to older homes. Trilogy incorporates photo-voltaic solar panel systems and many other green building features, which have reduced the carbon footprint of new Trilogy homes by up to 48 percent per household. This means that for every year homeowners live in their home,; they will reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 8,388 pounds over those that live in conventional, non-green certified homes. This equates to saving 1.3 tons of waste from being sent to the landfill.

Shea Green Certified homes include Environments for Living (EFL) Gold Certification that includes an energy usage and comfort guarantee, roof-top solar power systems, solar-powered attic fans, Energy Star? high performance Jenn-Air? appliances, electric vehicle charging stations, blown-in recycled cellulose insulation and Andersen? Silverline? dual pane low-e vinyl windows. Shea also cuts overall water usage by including innovative features like WeatherTRAK?, a satellite-controlled irrigation system and low-flow faucets. With these features, the builder helps to conserve a precious natural resource and reduce urban runoff that pollutes wildlife habitats. The satellite system alone saves the community 67.5 million gallons of water over the life of the homes.

In an effort to improve the air quality within Trilogy homes, homeowners receive a fresh air ventilation system, Merv 8 air filters, carbon monoxide detectors and low VOC washable paint. All of the homes have an energy use guarantee and are tested by a third party for air tightness and the efficiency of the HVAC system, examining the ducts and room temperatures.

Trilogy homes also include wood from sustainable forests, and the builder employs Optimum Value Engineering while framing the homes. As a result, these homes use 10-15 percent less wood, saving 5.5 trees per home. This is equivalent to 137 trees saved over the life of the homes that were purchased this year alone.

?We are honored at Trilogy at Monarch Dunes to be recognized for our green building practices,? said Preston Holdner, General Manager at Shea Homes. ?At Trilogy, we build with the next generation in mind, believing that everyone, including ourselves, has a responsibility to protect the environment and to leave a healthy planet for generations to come. We encourage our trade partners and people we do business with to be equally green in their respective spaces. With our energy-saving homes, homeowners can live a greener, more sustainable life, while saving money.?

ABOUT TRILOGY AT MONARCH DUNES

Trilogy at Monarch Dunes is a community for all ages with new homes for sale. Surrounded by eucalyptus groves, just 15 minutes from Pismo Beach and situated amidst the award-winning Monarch Dunes Golf Course and the newly opened 12-hole Challenge Course. It offers the only all-inclusive resort on the Central Coast, The Monarch Club.

ABOUT TRILOGY BY SHEA HOMES ACTIVE LIFESTYLE COMMUNITIES

Trilogy communities are high-end resort communities offering a new choice in living to those looking for an exciting lifestyle that revolves around wellness, exploration, continued learning and close personal connections. Architecturally superior new home design and resort amenities reflect the changing needs of the baby boom generation, including business services, world-class clubs, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and a diverse range of recreation and education opportunities. Trilogy is committed to addressing boomers? growing concern about the environment and energy usage, and now offers Shea Green Certified? homes across its portfolio, while reducing each home owners energy costs by up to 71 percent. More information is available by visiting http://www.TrilogyLife.com or calling (800) 685-6494.

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The most decadent lane in the city returns for the 21st year to the lobby of Hyatt Regency Vancouver from now thru December 27, 2011. Previously recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for having the tallest gingerbread man, Gingerbread Lane welcomes more than 20,000 visitors each year. Recognized as much more than a holiday attraction, Gingerbread Lane has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation over the years. “We are proud to be associated with Hyatt and Gingerbread Lane again this year. It?s a fun event for the entire family,” says Ross Hetherington, Executive Director of Make-A-Wish Foundation of BC & Yukon.

Kids of all ages have enjoyed the meticulously designed masterpieces on display for the past twenty one years and have supported the partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation by making a donation when voting for their favourite gingerbread house. “We are ecstatic to again participate in this iconic Vancouver tradition and support a great cause,” says Ulrich Samietz, General Manager of the Hyatt Regency Vancouver hotel. “As in the past, we look forward to again contribute in granting a wish that will have a positive impact in the life of a very special child.”

The centrepiece is again the Vancouver hotel?s Executive Sous Chef Hans Lutz’s gigantic gingerbread house measuring 11 feet tall and 16 feet wide. Ingredients include 500 pounds of gingerbread dough, 400 pounds of confection sugar and 1,400 egg whites, plus a few secret ingredients and a little help from Hyatt’s engineering department. Four foot tall cut outs of gingerbread families are also available for picture taking. More than 40 individually crafted gingerbread creations from culinary professionals and amateurs, corporations and secondary schools round out the sweet smelling lavish display.

About Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Hyatt Regency Vancouver, a 644-room hotel, is located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It features the city’s most spacious guestrooms, all completely renovated with LCD TV’s and gentle-rain showers, award winning Mosaic Bar & Grille and 45,000 square feet of function space including the state-of-the-art Regency Ballroom. Reservations for Hyatt Regency Vancouver may be made by calling 604-683-1234 or visiting http://www.hyattregencyvancouver.com.

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With the new school year well underway, mean girls have no doubt started to emerge in classrooms, hallways, and change rooms. October is National Bullying Prevention Month, the time of year when teachers and administrators have no doubt already been dealing with bullying and cyberbullying. National attention was brought to the issue this week when Lady Gaga met with President Obama to discuss the need for anti-bullying legislation. Along with Gaga, a number of schools across North America and Australia are facing this issue head on by providing their girls lessons in GirlPower ? a friendship program for Tween girls.

The subtle, sneaky behaviors associated with relational aggression (female bullying) are gaining recognition by teachers and administrators. In the past, bullying was associated with overt, aggressive behaviors ? kids getting pushed into lockers, threatening fist pumps, and demeaning name-calling or graffiti. Now, bullying has taken on a whole new look – Along with eye-rolling and alliance-building, female bullying manifests in nasty text messages, rumor-spreading through social media, embarrassing photos tagged on Facebook, unfriending ? all forms of cyberbullying. The reality is that mean girls, today, are hard to escape. To create an anti-bullying climate within a classroom and ensure girls are achieving their potential, teachers may need to step in to educate girls about healthy friendships and provide tools to help girls put out Friendship Fires (a term used in GirlPower).

GirlPower believes that the root cause of female bullying is girls not having the skills to comfortably manage conflict. ?Girls have a natural tendency to avoid conflict at all costs. This fear of confrontation forces girls to manage Friendship Fires through patterns of behavior associated with the ?mean girl? persona,? says Dana Kerford, Founder of GirlPower. GirlPower has joined the anti-bullying movement and aims to teach young girls how to create and maintain healthy friendships before entering into the temperamental, unpredictable teen years. Girls learn that conflict is an inevitable part of a friendship, but that there are healthy ways of managing their unpleasant feelings towards a friend. GirlPower teaches girls how to stand up to a friend (a three-step process and tips for extinguishing the Fire) and how to stand up to a bully (Quick Comebacks and coping mechanisms). Girls are taught to surround themselves with friends who treat them with respect because they are worth it.

About GirlPower

GirlPower is a friendship program that inspires “Tween” girls to feel empowered, develop a strong sense of self, and love themselves while learning to manage the most important thing to them?their friendships. GirlPower was founded by an elementary school teacher, Dana Kerford, who runs workshops for girls and parents across Calgary, AB. Dana will be presenting at this year?s We Are Girls Conference in Austin, Texas in November. The GirlPower Six-Week Program and Two-hour Workshops are available for Educators to download and teach to their own girls. GirlPower gives Educators and parents a new language for talking about female friendships.

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Distributed via Lux News Group

Stephanie McBee, motivational speaker, author, and entrepreneur, is now offering a wide variety of leadership and training programs to suit every organization and individual in need of “purpose.”

If more motivation is needed, McBee is excited to introduce her book, “Unfulfilled Purpose,” a guide to finding purpose professionally, spiritually, and emotionally.

Through comedic satire, interactive dramatizations, and wisdom drenched in humor, Stephanie McBee captivates her audiences and sends them through a phenomenal empowering journey. Stephanie has gained the reputation of bringing high energy, excitement, humor, and essential information on perfecting and seizing potential for greatness. Stephanie uses humor, real life experiences, and quick tips with each presentation to provide audiences with the ever so desired excitement they want and the intellectual stimulation audiences need.

The youngest of two children from the Midwest?s Toledo, OH, Stephanie McBee has been taught and has since embraced focusing her life around using her gifts and talents to not only enhance her life, but the lives of those around her. From playing the drums at the by the age of 7, saxophone by 10, leading and directing the choir by 16, and publishing her first book, Unfulfilled Purpose, by 21, Stephanie has been continuously using the gifts that God has given her as her connection to relate to diverse populations in order to be a social change agent for her community. Stephanie is a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Toledo, OH, Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication focusing in Organizational Communication, and Barry University with a Dual Master?s degree in Family & Marriage Therapy and Mental Health Counseling.

Stephanie served as the Graduate Assistant Coordinator for Leadership Development, where God confirmed and reaffirmed her passion for public and motivational speaking. The opportunities and experiences granted to Stephanie of developing the university?s comprehensive leadership program exposed her to teaching, training, mentoring, and engaging youth and young adults in Miami, FL to the strategies and advances of embracing the leader within. Stephanie has gained the reputation of bringing high energy, excitement, humor, and essential information on perfecting and seizing your potential for greatness.

Stephanie is currently pursuing her career as a motivational speaker; speaking to youth groups, universities, churches, and nonprofit agencies across the world. Nationally published author, Co-Founder and CEO of her own Nonprofit organization, The Heart of Our World Foundation, Inc., & Co-Founder & Corporate Executive of B.I.D. (Bacheler?s Ideas & Designs), Stephanie is striving to simply live as a testimony of God?s grace, undying love, and compassion to encourage others to live a life of excellence and Social consciousness to promote Social Responsibility.

A few of Stephanie McBee’s Programs Include (but are not limited to):

L.I.V.E. The Dream (Leveraging Invaluable Visions in Excellence) – [60 ? 90 min. Keynote/Workshop]

Revealing the Beauty of a Woman (Concealer of Secrets, Foundation of Love, Mascara of Truth, Outlined with Strength, and blushed with Faith) [60 - 90 min. Keynote/Workshop]

How to Advocate for your Success [60 ? 90 min. Keynote/Workshop]

Carpe Diem! (Seize the moment; embrace the experience) [45 ? 75min. Conference Keynote/Workshop]

To purchase a copy of Unfulfilled Purpose and to learn more about Stephanie McBee, log on to

http://stephaniemcbee.tumblr.com/ now!

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InkFest Live (IFL), one of America’s largest tattoo expos, will be partying at the nation’s capitol this November 18-20 for the first ever tattoo expo in D.C., and the entire event will be filmed in 3D for a tattoo documentary project. The event will provide the hyper-visual, dynamic backdrop for the first tattoo-themed documentary ever to be filmed in 3D.

Since the beginning of 2011, the IFL tour, which makes stops in Charlotte, Chicago, Raleigh and Washington D.C., has brought the loudest and most innovative tattoo and graffiti artists, DJs, custom cars and bikes, and A-list celebrities into an authentic urban environment for a weekend of non-stop art, tattooing and entertainment.

The D.C. stop marks the end of the tour and promises to be the biggest event yet, and the addition of the 3D-documentary that promises to etch the event in stone. As the first tattoo-themed work filmed.

In addition to the documentary team, other features of the event will include:

Earth-shaking DJ scratch and B-Boy battles.
A giant graffiti wall getting bombed by world-famous street-art pros.
Non-stop human suspension shows.
Rows of custom cars and bikes.
Tons of live tattoo artists, Vendor booths and Apparel.

“InkFest Live is the undisputed future of tattoo expos, and the future is now,” said Jose A. Martinez, creator and visionary for InkFest Live. “Typical tattoo events throughout the years have all been the same: a few tattoo artists and no clients. We’ve changed that: we have the best artists matched up with clients who are passionate about tattoos and the culture.

”We added amazing music and mind-blowing visuals like our graffiti wall, and the result is this perfect one-of-a-kind mix of adrenaline and artistic beauty. It’s what tattoo expos are meant to be.”

InkFest Live will be landing in Washington D.C. November 18-20 in 3D.

InkFest Live is only tattoo expo with an urban landscape, with the leading tattoo artists from around the world combined with graffiti demonstrations, live musical performances by today?s hottest recording artists, DJ battles, custom cars, custom bikes and the latest trends from the concrete jungle.

TICKETS:

Available at InkFestLive.com (http://www.inkfestlive.com) or at the door

(Friday $ 15 || Saturday $ 20 || Sunday $ 15 || Weekend Pass $ 35).

Raffle tickets to win free tattoos and piercings accompany paid admission.

VENUE:

Nationals Park

1500 South Capitol Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

Follow InkFest Live on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/inkfestlivetour. For more information, e-mail info(at)inkfestlive(dot)com or call 888.249.0364.

Contact:

InkFest Live

Jose Martinez

888.249.0364 x 704

jmar(at)inkfestlive(dot)com

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Related Graffiti Press Releases

Exigent Technologies, a New Jersey Managed IT Services company, today announced it has been selected as the ?Official IT Services Provider for Carlo?s Bakery.?

Carlo?s Bakery is a famous family-owned and operated bakery that started out in Hoboken, NJ, and recently expanded into a 30,000 square foot, state-of-the art location at ?Lackawanna Center? in Jersey City, NJ. For more than 100 years the bakery used pen and paper to run the operations, but with its explosive growth and national success, the need to introduce technology into the business to help build and manage the Valastro empire became a priority.

?We were definitely ?old school? with the day-to-day back-office operations,? says Bartolo Jr. ?Buddy? Valastro, Carlo?s Bakery master baker and national reality show celebrity. ?But that?s all about to change thanks to the expertise of the Exigent Technologies team.?

As part of the new engagement with Exigent Technologies, Carlo?s Bakery is undergoing a complete technology makeover at both locations. This includes a state-of-the-art virtualized network infrastructure equipped with PCs, Macs, laptops, printers, security software, servers, and a storage area network (SAN).

To keep the Valastro family?s focus on what they do best, Carlo?s Bakery is leveraging Exigent?s fixed-fee ASSURANCE? managed IT service plans and PREVENT? managed backup and disaster recovery for small business. These comprehensive, outsourced IT services include 24/7 remote monitoring and management of Carlo?s Bakery?s entire IT infrastructure, as well as business continuity services that ensure that all data is safe, secure and readily recoverable in case of an emergency or natural disaster.

?Investing in IT and selecting a local IT service provider wasn?t a decision we took lightly,? said Leo Minervini, vice president, technology, Carlo?s Bakery. ?Exigent Technologies earned our business every step of the way. From the very first call, the team at Exigent Technologies was clearly a cut above the rest and possessed the genuine enthusiasm, values and proven technology expertise we were looking for in an IT services provider.?????

With offices in New Jersey and New York City, Exigent Technologies has earned a long-standing reputation for providing local small businesses with the day-to-day outsourced IT services and support required to manage and grow their organizations with greater efficiency and profit potential.

?For nearly 15 years, Exigent Technologies has helped local businesses use technology to generate even greater value in the eyes of their customers and build a stronger, more productive operation,? said Daniel Haurey, president of Exigent Technologies. ?We?re honored to be selected as Carlo?s Bakery?s IT service provider of choice and look forward to unveiling its new tech-savvy operations in the weeks ahead.?

For more information about Exigent Technologies fixed-fee ASSURANCE? managed IT service plans and PREVENT? managed backup and disaster recovery for small business, visit http://www.Exigent.net; call 1.877.EXIGENT (1.877.394.4368); or email contact(at)exigent(dot)net. New York and New Jersey businesses that contact Exigent Technologies and reference ?Carlo?s Bakery? will receive a complimentary, no strings attached IT business assessment valued at $ 1,500. Offer valid until Dec. 31, 2011.

About Exigent Technologies

Exigent Technologies LLC, (Exigent.net), is a full-service information technology-consulting firm that implements and maintains high-performance information technology systems for small and medium-sized organizations in a wide range of industries. Established in 1997, Exigent brings proven experience and expertise to every engagement. They differentiate themselves through a consistent emphasis on integrity, responsiveness and value-added service.

Press Contact:

Exigent Technologies PR

(973) 770-0500, ext. 206

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Digital Media Wire is pleased to announce the final agenda and speakers for the upcoming Future of Television East (http://www.televisionconference.com/east) to be held at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City on Thursday, November 17 and Friday, November 18, 2011.

The two-day event includes six series of presentations and panels focused on opportunities across Content, Distribution, Advertising, Out-of-Home and Social Media (the Buzz), including:

-Unbundling: What Happens To Programming When TV Channels Fade Away?

-How to Make It Good: Branded Content and the Internet

-10 things I learned From Doing Cross Media

-Engagement: The New Metric for Successful TV Storytelling?

-Grokking ‘Two-Way TV’: Lessons From the YouTube Gold Rush

-The Changing TV Landscape

-TV Everywhere: When TV Takes to the Cloud

-The ABCs of Television Unleashed

-Brand Funded Content: How Marketers are Becoming the Programming Execs of the Future

-The Role for Digital Out-of-Home in A Convergent World

-Why Context Matters

-How To Reach, Engage and Impact Hard-To-Reach Consumers

-The Connected Consumer: Understanding the Consumer Who Connects TV to the Internet, and the Internet to TV

-Social TV and The Glee Project – A Case Study

-Internet Enhanced TV: Building TV apps that complement viewing

-The State of the Television Industry

-Creating Compelling and Engaging Video Content for Multiple Platforms

-Digital Distribution Models: How Technology is Changing the Way Audiences Access TV & Video Content

-Monetization: Predictions & Provocations — How to Build Sustainable Business Models around Television & Video Content

-What are the biggest potential growth areas for the digital out-of-home (DOOH) industry in 2012 and beyond?

-Is Being Discovered the Biggest Challenge in the New Television Ecosystem?

Attendees are key decision-makers from digital start-ups, content creators, cable, broadcasters, studios, networks, producers and distributors, technology companies, wireless companies, rights organizations, industry bodies, advertising, law firms, investment and venture capital firms.

The list of confirmed speakers for this year?s event includes:

Avner Ronen, Founder & CEO, Boxee

Matthew Diamond, CEO & Founder, Alloy Media + Marketing

David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation

Jason Oxman, SVP of Industry Affairs, Consumer Electronics Association

Peter Stern, Chief Strategy Officer, Time Warner Cable

Eric Elia, Vice President of TV Solutions, Brightcove

Warren Lee, General Partner, Canaan Partners

Robert Tercek, President, General Creativity

Spencer Griffin, Executive Producer, CollegeHumor (IAC)

Daniel Ravner, Creative Director, Screenz

Frank Rose, Contributing Editor, Wired, Author, The Art of Immersion

Michael Hirschorn, Founder & Writer, Ish Entertainment

Ned Sherman, CEO, Digital Media Wire, Co-Chair/Founder, Future of Television

Al Lieberman, Executive Director, EMT Program, NYU Stern School of Business

Jay Baage, Event Director, Future of Television

Eric Mortensen, Senior Director, Network Programming, blip.tv

Tavin Marin Titus, Producer, “RCVR” at Science2Fiction Transmedia

Adam Dubov, Executive Producer/Creative Director, HBO.com

Terence Gray, Founder and Executive Director, New York Television Festival

Tina Hoover, Vice President, Social Media & Interactivity, Endemol USA

Georg Szalai, NY Bureau Chief & Business Editor, The Hollywood Reporter

Shanna Preve, Media Content P’ships, Google Video Services & Google TV

Jim Funk, VP, Business Development, Roku

Ian Blaine, CEO, thePlatform

Todd Spangler, Technology Editor, Multichannel News

Tim Connolly, VP, Digital Video Distribution, Disney and ESPN Media Networks

Gabe Sauerhoff, VP, Digital Distribution, Discovery

Ariel Fischer, Director, Business Development, Logitech Digital Home Group

Ronen Mizrahi, CEO & Founder, TVersity

Mike Kelley, SVP Business Dev.- Programming and Advertising, Ensequence

Bernard Gershon, President, Gershon Media

Charles Kennedy, SVP, Research, ABC Television Network

Chet Fenster, Managing Partner, MEC Entertainment (Mediaedge:cia)

Diane deCordova, Video Specialist Sales Lead, Youtube / Google

Marc DeBevoise, SVP & GM, Entertainment, CBS Interactive

Richard Bullwinkle, Chief Evangelist, Rovi Corporation

Dan Goodman, Co-Founder, Believe Entertainment Group

Jack Myers, Chairman, Media Advisory Group

David Del Beccaro, CEO, Music Choice

Paul Kontonis, VP, Group Dir. of Brand Content, The Third Act, Digitas

Nigel Morris, CEO, Aegis Media North America

David Leider, CEO, Gas Station TV

Judy Kenny, President, Zoom Media & Marketing

Jeremy Lockhorn, VP, Emerging Media, Razorfish

Paul Lindstrom, SVP, Nielsen OnLocation

Jesse London, VP & GM Sales, CBS Outernet

Marci Ryvicker, MD, Equity Research: Media & Cable, Wells Fargo Securities

Stephen Freitas, CMO, Outdoor Advertising Association of America

Angela Bianco, Sr. Manager, Media, comScore

Jennifer Kavanagh, SVP, Digital, Oxygen Media, NBC Universal

Scott Lincke, Senior Director of Products, Yahoo! Connected TV

Emily Christner, Vice President, Marketing, TV Guide Digital

Greg Scholl, President, NBC Owned Television Stations

Jesse Redniss, Vice President, USA Network Digital

Dori Gurwitz, VP of Partnership & Business Development, Watchitoo

Mark Ghuneim, Chief Executive Officer, Wiredset

Jeff Harris, Sr. Product Manager, Video Services, Verizon

Event sponsors and media partners include CEA, NYU Stern, Brightcove, Rovi, comScore, thePlatform, TVersity, Ensequence, Music Choice, Wachitoo, Jakprints, AFTRA, TAG Strategic, OAAA, Fusicology, New York ? Tokyo, Parks Associates, PRWeb, Social Radius, Terpin PR, NY:MIEG, Boogar Lists, and littlebigGirl + co.

For complete agenda, registration and event details please visit: http://www.televisionconference.com/east.

About Digital Media Wire, Inc:

Digital Media Wire is an events, news, and publishing company serving the digital entertainment & media industry since May 2000. Digital Media Wire produces executive forums featuring the leading executives in digital media and entertainment. Digital Media Wire also publishes an authoritative daily email newsletter and industry directory. For more information, please visit: http://www.dmwmedia.com.

Contact:

Duan Li

Digital Media Wire, Inc.

310-855-0033

duan(at)digitalmediawire(dot)com

###

Total knee replacement has become one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed on older persons. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, there are about 270,000 knee replacement operations performed each year in the United States, about 70% of them on people over the age of 65. From 1979–2002, the rate of knee replacement procedures in that age group increased eightfold. A growing number of knee replacements are being done on younger patients as well. Changing attitudes toward aging and expectations of an active life after retirement have made more people unwilling to endure years of discomfort or resign themselves to a restricted level of activity. ?For people with severe knee damage, total knee replacement can relieve debilitating pain and allow them to be more active,? says Dr. Douglas Fauser of Somers Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Group. ?Advances in surgical techniques and improvement in the prostheses we use have improved outcomes and reduced recovery time. In fact, among patients with two damaged knees, many are now electing simultaneous total knee replacement, avoiding a second surgery, hospital stay and rehabilitation.?

A significant number of patients with degenerative joint disease have severe symptoms in both knees and need bilateral total knee replacement. The surgical options available for these patients include a staged procedure with a time interval (generally several months) between two surgeries and a simultaneous replacement of both knees in a single surgery. ?The advantages of simultaneous bilateral total knee replacement are well known,? says Dr. Fauser. ?The patient undergoes a single surgery and anesthesia, a single hospital stay and a single rehabilitation period. Studies have also shown that simultaneous replacement is associated with a lower risk of post-operative infection and mechanical malfunction compared to two separate procedures.?

These advantages make simultaneous replacement an attractive option for patients. In one study, 95% of those who had undergone simultaneous replacement would elect to do so again. However, simultaneous replacement may not be appropriate for all patients. In most studies, the rates of cardiac, pulmonary, and neurological complications have been reported to be greater for simultaneous bilateral replacement, particularly in patients over 80 years old. ?Advances in surgical technique, anesthesia and recovery management have made total knee replacement a safe and effective option for more elderly patients than ever before,? says Dr. Fauser. ?But those patients who are older are also likely to be sicker and at higher risk for cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Clearly, every patient, along with his or her doctor, must carefully weigh all the factors and risks in deciding between simultaneous and staged knee replacement.?

Normal knee function is required to perform most everyday activities. The knee, the largest joint in the body, acts as a hinge to provide motion where the thigh meets the lower leg. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large bone of the lower leg (tibia) at the knee joint, protected in the front by the kneecap (patella). The joint surfaces where these three bones touch are covered with cartilage, a smooth substance that cushions the bones and enables them to move easily. All remaining surfaces of the knee are covered by a thin, smooth tissue liner called the synovial membrane that releases synovial fluid that lubricates the knee, reducing friction to nearly zero in a healthy knee. Normally, all of these components work in harmony. But disease or injury can disrupt this harmony, resulting in pain, muscle weakness, and reduced function.

The most common cause of chronic knee pain and disability is arthritis, usually osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or traumatic arthritis:

Osteoarthritis usually occurs as we age and the cartilage that cushions the bones of the knee softens and wears away. The bones then rub against one another, causing knee pain and stiffness. A study published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that nearly half (46%) of American adults and 2/3 of obese adults will develop painful knee osteoarthritis at some point.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the synovial membrane becomes chronically inflamed, eventually causing cartilage loss, pain, and stiffness.

Traumatic arthritis can follow a serious knee injury such as a fracture or severe tears of the ligaments that may damage the cartilage over time, causing knee pain and limiting knee function.

When the surface of the joint is worn away, walking and daily activities become very difficult. Standardized treatment such as weight loss, anti-inflammatory medication, braces, orthotics, steroid injections, and physical therapy are generally tried and may be effective. In many cases, however, non-surgical treatments fail to correct functional limitations and relieve progressive pain, leading people to consider knee replacement.

?When we perform a total knee replacement, we remove damaged cartilage and bone from the surface of the knee joint and replace it with a man-made surface of metal and plastic,? says Dr. Fauser. ?Resurfacing the damaged and worn surfaces of the knee can relieve pain, correct leg deformity and help the patient resume normal activities.?

?We encourage patients to talk with their doctors to weigh the factors and risks to decide whether to have staged knee replacement or to fix two knees at once,? Dr. Fauser concludes. ?The good news is that the technology is providing increasing relief to more and more patients each year and there are more options available for individual circumstances.?

Somers Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Group, founded in 1988, is one of the most comprehensive and specialized practices in the region. Highly trained physicians specialize in diagnosing and treating all orthopaedic, rheumatological, and pain management problems in adults and children. All surgeons are board certified and experienced, having completed rigorous training at the finest medical institutions in the country. The staff includes fifteen physicians, five physicians’ assistants, three physical therapists and a supporting staff of over 100. The group’s physicians perform all types of arthroscopic surgery, ACL reconstruction, minimally invasive joint replacement, computer navigation, revision joint replacement, sports care, spine surgery, fracture care, hand, ankle, and foot surgery. State-of-the-art facilities include digital radiology, MRI and ultrasound. http://www.somersortho.com

Douglas J. Fauser, M.D., F.A.A.O.S., F.A.C.S., a founding partner of Somers Orthopaedic, received board certification in 1990. He is on staff at Northern Westchester Hospital Center in Mount Kisco, the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City, and Putnam Hospital Center in Carmel, where he is co-director at the Orthopaedic Institute. He is also a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the New York University School of Medicine/Hospital for Joint Disease Orthopaedic Institute. Dr. Fauser is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and a member of the American Board of Orthopaedic Professional Surgeons, as well as a member of the American College of Surgeons. He received his medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine and completed a residency in general surgery at Wilmington Medical Center, Delaware and a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Hospital for Joint Diseases.

# # #

More Art Press Releases

The Collins Perley Sports & Fitness Center in St. Albans, VT, is owned by the local public high school and was built in the mid 1980s as their primary athletic and physical education facility. It is run as both a school and community facility with more than 25 high school sports teams, 12 daily physical education classes and a semi-pro soccer team. In the past few months, the center has been renovating its locker room and restroom facilities, where the traditional metal was taking some abuse.

Most of the center?s public use is fee-based and is critical to the center?s financial stability, though keeping costs low is also important to its community image. According to Dave Kimel, facility manager, the center has been slowly renovating a few rooms at a time, as funds have allowed. ?We shopped hard for our locker and restroom products, comparing quality, price and reputation for service and Scranton Products stood out above the rest,? said Kimel. ?They were the most highly recommended by the best installation company we could find in the state of Vermont.? He went with the Hunter Green color to match the fitness center?s color scheme.

The center gets about 600,000 user visits to its facility each year, about 400,000 of which are unrelated to school functions. ?That’s a lot of swinging and banging on toilet stall doors and slamming of locker room doors, said Kimel, ?so wear and tear is important.? He said most of the old metal lockers still worked but they looked old and got absolutely no respect from the school kids. ?We had constant problems with scratching and graffiti,? said Kimel. ?Since we put these new Tufftec? lockers in we have not had a single incident of damage.?

Considering the traffic Collins Perley endures, the lockers and stalls needed to be high quality and extremely durable. ?One of the key reasons for choosing Scranton Products? shower partition and locker products was the overall value,? said Kimel. ?We’re a public high school and money is tight but a good product is not the cheapest, it?s the best value and performance over time,? he said. ?The facility amenities also have to look great–the better they look the more memberships we’ll sell and the more our kids will respect and take care of our facility.?

Kimel said another important feature for the locker rooms is sanitation, with one locker having three or four different users per day. ?In a public facility there is nothing more important that cleanliness,? he explained. ?These HDPE lockers and partitions have no cracks, crevices, or edges to catch cleaning cloths or trap mold, mildew, and other bacteria and they?re easy to clean.? He also finds they pay off from a lifecycle perspective and after three years for some of the shower and locker products, they all look as good as the day they were installed. ?Every hinge, every latch, every hanger works as well today as it did three years ago,? he said, ?so we?ll continue to have more installed.?

He noted that back in the 80s, gang showers were fine for most high school gym classes. But with the multi-use facility, Kimel has seen that change with more demands for privacy. ?Scranton Products came up with a simple, clean, great looking, and inexpensive way to convert one side of our gang showers to individual showers at very low cost,? he said. ?And my crew finds them very easy to clean.”

Along with serving as the home for numerous sports teams, the center has seen a significant increase in paid memberships over the past three years. ?We attribute that in large part to the way our locker rooms now look and feel?they are the customers’ first and last impression of their visits here.? According to Kimel, if you compare a sports and health facility to a house tour, the locker room is as important as a kitchen or bathroom–the two most important rooms when appraising value. ?I can get by with an older model treadmill but I better not have rusted lockers,” he said.

About Scranton Products:

For more than 25 years our premium brands have led the plastic partitions market setting new benchmarks for the industry in quality and delivery. In fact, Scranton Products is the only manufacturer of plastic partitions that ships in as little as five days. Our well-known brands, including Comtec Industries, Santana Products/Hiny Hiders and Capitol Partitions, feature the most durable, low maintenance and best looking partitions, lockers and industrial sheet products in the industry. They won?t dent, rust or need painting, and because they have color throughout, delamination is not a factor. For more information, visit http://www.scrantonproducts.com

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More Graffiti Press Releases

Follow us on LinkedIn – The worldwide laminate flooring market registered a phenomenal change over the last few years, led by developments in printing technology, high resolution scanning and finishes that are mirror images of real wood/timber. The market has made significant inroads into the global floor coverings market worldwide over the last decade or so, taking over from other hard surface flooring varieties. The floor coverings industry is witnessing a continuous shift away from vinyl, hardwood and ceramic flooring to laminate flooring. Performance of laminate floorings was instrumental in underpinning strong growth in the overall market for hard surface floorings in the recent years. Increasing concern for environmental protection among consumers and rising preferences for high-end products are the main contributors to the above-average growth in the market. Laminates with close resemblance to wood, and advantageous features of durability, beauty and novel designs capable of replicating granite and stone, are creating myriad decorating possibilities for residential and commercial interiors. Residential replacements (including DIY.) and new housing starts constitute two of the largest end-use segments for laminate flooring. Laminate flooring usage in the DIY installation sector expanded appreciably in the recent past, and is likely to continue in the future. Accelerated growth is projected from the transportation sector, comprising of floor covering applications in operator compartments of industrial equipment.

Realistic finishes and designs have helped in keeping laminate flooring one step ahead of other conventional flooring options including timber and carpet. In addition, technological advancements, resistant surfaces, quick fixing and wide variety of designs have lent a big hand in popularizing laminate flooring. Laminate flooring designers are rolling out unique designs ranging from floral motifs to graffiti to logos and even maps. Handscraped and distressed design laminates are currently the most popular designs in the global laminates industry. The pored structure concrete look is another emerging laminate design, which is finding increasing number of takers. Akin to several other industries that embraced the ?Green? concept, the laminate floorings industry has also been investing in R&D for greener products, anticipating that the green movement might have a positive impact on consumers? flooring choices.

Laminate floorings market was severely challenged by the recent global financial crisis, resulting in decelerated growth and low sales. Since the laminate industry echoes the construction sector, a steep decline in commercial and residential construction sharply slowed down the laminate flooring industry during 2008 and 2009. In the milieu, product innovations and robust brand performance gained high credence, with a host of laminate producers investing heavily in the direction. The trend also cascaded down to the retailers, particularly in Europe, as was seen through their efforts for making the best of the slowdown period by remodeling stores and investing in brand promotions. Despite gradual market recovery, unit sales rebounded faster while laminate revenues remained flat in 2010, compared to the previous year(s). The lackluster performance was mainly on account of the drastic fall in wood prices and increasing popularity of luxury vinyl tiles.

Europe is the largest worldwide market for laminate floorings, with Western European markets of Germany, UK, France and Netherlands dominating the production scenario, as stated by the new research report on Laminate Floorings. Some of emerging markets in Eastern Europe that gained considerable traction in the last few years include Romania, Russia and Poland, among others. The Asian market, driven by rapidly developing markets of China and India, is forecast to surge ahead at a robust CAGR of over 12% through 2017. The Asian market is expected to tremendously benefit from China?s increasing strength as the world?s largest market for floor coverings (in terms of area). The region is also expected to gain from rapid development in some of the low cost, high volume markets of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and others.

Key market participants profiled in the report include, Abet, Inc, Alsafloor SA, Armstrong World Industries, Inc, Balterio Laminate Flooring, Beaulieu International Group, BHK of America, Inc, Bruce Flooring, Egger Retail Products GmbH, Formica Corporation, Kaindl Flooring GmbH, Kronotex GmbH & Co KG, Mohawk Industries, Inc, Pfleiderer AG, Pergo AB, Roysol SA, Shaw Industries, Inc., Skema Srl., among several others.

The research report titled ?Laminate Flooring: A Global Strategic Business Report? announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of industry overview, trends and issues, growth drivers, competitive scenario, product overview, product launches, recent industry activity and profiles of market players worldwide. Analysis and overview is provided for major geographic markets such as US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan), Middle East, and Latin America. Market analytics are provided in unit (square meters) terms. Key end-use segments analyzed in the report include, New Housing Starts, Residential Replacement (including DIY Inst.) and Commercial Markets. The study also provides historic data for an insight into market evolution over the period 2003 through 2008.

For more details about this comprehensive market research report, please visit ?

http://www.strategyr.com/Laminate_Flooring_Market_Report.asp

About Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Global Industry Analysts, Inc., (GIA) is a leading publisher of off-the-shelf market research. Founded in 1987, the company currently employs over 800 people worldwide. Annually, GIA publishes more than 1300 full-scale research reports and analyzes 40,000+ market and technology trends while monitoring more than 126,000 Companies worldwide. Serving over 9500 clients in 27 countries, GIA is recognized today, as one of the world’s largest and reputed market research firms.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Global Industry Analysts, Inc.

Telephone: 408-528-9966

Fax: 408-528-9977

Email: press(at)StrategyR(dot)com

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

###

A partnership between Exhibitor Invites and MarketArt was announced recently. The joint solution is an integration of the Exhibitor Invites core product into the MarketArt Exhibitor Dashboard which enables exhibitors to easily execute email marketing campaigns targeted to their own prospects and customers. The Exhibitor Dashboard joint solution also serves as a complete event marketing platform that exhibitors use to coordinate all of their pre-show, on-site and post-show marketing. Exhibitors can see the results of those efforts and keep track of activities they have completed and those tasks they still need to do.

Event organizers are already enthusiastic about this new partnership. ?We?ve been long-time customers of both MarketArt and Exhibitor Invites,? said Mark Bogdansky, Senior Director, Exhibit Services at National Retail Federation. ?We love both companies, and we agree that the integration will offer even more benefits to our exhibitors than the two stand-alone solutions. We?re excited to offer this integrated solution to exhibitors at our January 2012 event.?

MarketArt?s You Are Here solution enhances the attendee experience, creates ROI for exhibitors, and generates revenues for event managers by creating interactive maps and directories as well as targeted digital media sponsorships and advertising opportunities. MarketArt solutions help build floor plans, manage booth sales, schedule sessions, create maps, and build directories and advertising solutions ? all in one system. These tools can be accessed online, on the show floor, or on your favorite mobile device.

Exhibitor Invites provides an easy ? and confidential – way for exhibitors to invite their customers and prospects to the show. By making it easy to invite their own customers and prospects to the show, Exhibitor Invites has proven to be one of the most cost effective ways for event organizers to leverage that broad outreach to increase event attendance. Here are the key benefits:

????Exposure to huge numbers of brand-new attendee prospects (tens of thousands);
????Significant numbers of first-time registrants (hundreds – often thousands);
????Value-added benefit to exhibitors that boosts their own event ROI;
????Personalized telephone outreach to exhibitors offering top-notch customer service and assistance in using the system successfully.

?We?ve always experienced high usage on our map and directory solutions, and our clients are very interested in ways to leverage that participation to add even greater value for both attendees and exhibitors,? said Rob Hamlin, President of MarketArt. ?Exhibitor Invites is proven to increase event attendance and increase ROI for exhibitors, and when more exhibitors participate, these benefits grow. The two systems are an outstanding fit and powerful combination.?

Both solutions have separately been proven to significantly impact a show?s success, and the combination of the two represents the best available option for taking a show to the next level, in terms of increasing attendance, improving the attendee experience, increasing exhibitor ROI, and increasing the overall ?buzz? before, during and after the event.

?We have always been impressed by MarketArt?s products and their positive impact on the show experience for exhibitors, attendees, and show owners,? said Evan Shubin, President of Exhibitor Invites. ?This partnership will result in an increase in the positive impact and results that each of our companies has delivered to our customers.?

Exhibitor Invites and MarketArt products will still be offered separately, as well.

Exhibitor Invites and MarketArt will have side-by-side booths at IAEE?s Expo! Expo! in Las Vegas in December and show managers will be able to see demos of each product line, as well as the new integrated solution.

About MarketArt

MarketArt?s You Are Here solutions enhance the attendee experience, create ROI for exhibitors in the form of new leads and sales opportunities, and generate revenues for event managers through targeted digital media sponsorships and advertising. MarketArt solutions help build floor plans, manage booth sales, schedule sessions, create maps, and build directories and advertising solutions ? all in one system. These tools can be accessed online, on the show floor, or on your favorite mobile device. The system can replace traditional printed materials and is significantly important to environmentally green shows. Get insight into industry issues at MarketArt?s blog and follow @X_Youarehere on Twitter.

About Exhibitor Invites

Exhibitor Invites? is a proven system for increasing attendance at trade shows. It makes it free and easy for exhibitors to upload their lists with a third-party bonded email distribution service, and send out up to three nicely designed, customized invitations to their customers and prospects. The Exhibitor Invites program is being offered by nearly 70 different shows in 2011.

For more information, contact:

Rob Hamlin????????????????????????????????????

President????????????????????????????????????

MarketArt, Inc.????????????????????????????

703 299 9151????????????????????????????????

rob(at)marketart(dot)com????????????????????????

Booth # 922 at Expo! Expo!????

Evan Shubin

President

Exhibitor Invites LLC

301 983 1200

eshubin(at)exhibitorinvitesteam(dot)com

Booth # 928 at Expo! Expo!

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The newly launched ?free? gaming community has very unique features that allow gamers to rank themselves against one another, communicate with each others, establish teams and clans; create strategies in order to win tournaments and competitions . In order to ensure better response time, better interaction and quality of game play, ?Gamers Platoon? is facilitating and hosting the online gaming servers in America, Asia, Africa and Europe. All of this is fully backed with 24×7 online community administrators.

Amir Omar, Chief Community Officer , GamersPlatoon.com, said: ?PC Gaming is an increasing worldwide phenomenon that is swiftly gaining popularity among not only the youth but entire families of different older age groups are sharing online gaming activities and competitions , we believe that our experience and free services will serve to enable gamers to reach out and extend themselves.? Gamersplatoon.com is designed to be an attractive and youthful online destination, and the addition of competitive tournaments and events will only complement the existing range of features.”

Karim Farok, Chief Operating Officer , Gamersplatoon, said: ?GP is an icon of creativity, style and passion when it comes to online gaming, as we take gaming seriously. Gamersplatoon.com provides to local gamers in America Europe and Asia, local game servers, tons of content, community features and gamer tools; and stands out for its state-of-art gaming awards.?

GamersPlatoon.com Gaming Platform will enable smaller gaming communities and clans to join with GP. to use its platform to enter the lucrative and fun-filled online gaming environment and the opportunity to expand and deliver strong feedback of opinions to the gaming industry worldwide.

For more information on the GamersPlatoon, visit http://www.gamesplatoon.com

GP Media Desk

Annie Larson

mediadesk(at)gamersplatoon(dot)com

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The newly launched ?free? gaming community has very unique features that allow gamers to rank themselves against one another, communicate with each others, establish teams and clans; create strategies in order to win tournaments and competitions . In order to ensure better response time, better interaction and quality of game play, ?Gamers Platoon? is facilitating and hosting the online gaming servers in America, Asia, Africa and Europe. All of this is fully backed with 24×7 online community administrators.

Amir Omar, Chief Community Officer , GamersPlatoon.com, said: ?PC Gaming is an increasing worldwide phenomenon that is swiftly gaining popularity among not only the youth but entire families of different older age groups are sharing online gaming activities and competitions , we believe that our experience and free services will serve to enable gamers to reach out and extend themselves.? Gamersplatoon.com is designed to be an attractive and youthful online destination, and the addition of competitive tournaments and events will only complement the existing range of features.”

Karim Farok, Chief Operating Officer , Gamersplatoon, said: ?GP is an icon of creativity, style and passion when it comes to online gaming, as we take gaming seriously. Gamersplatoon.com provides to local gamers in America Europe and Asia, local game servers, tons of content, community features and gamer tools; and stands out for its state-of-art gaming awards.?

GamersPlatoon.com Gaming Platform will enable smaller gaming communities and clans to join with GP. to use its platform to enter the lucrative and fun-filled online gaming environment and the opportunity to expand and deliver strong feedback of opinions to the gaming industry worldwide.

For more information on the GamersPlatoon, visit http://www.gamesplatoon.com

GP Media Desk

Annie Larson

mediadesk(at)gamersplatoon(dot)com

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Michael Jeffery, an interesting Artist from Australia, is the winner of the ShowArtists.com 1st ArtCurated Prize. Judges from North and South America collaborated to select 10 finalists and Michael Jeffery as the winner of the 1st ArtCurated Prize.

ShowArtists is unique in that it was designed by high end Galleries and Artists working together to create access to prestigious, live art venues and international art exposure that many of today’s artists want. This kind of prime access to the world stage of art is so difficult to find for artists in many countries around the world. ShowArtists has created an amazing opportunity for all artists that should be cheered by artists and art collectors alike.

Competitions are currently open to win international PR packages and even LIVE art exhibition at prestigious art venues in London, UK and Santiago, Chile. Artists out there…Discover ShowArtists and you might get discovered yourself!

The World class, Artist finalists for the 1st ArtCurated Prize are:

Giuseppe Mariotti, Italy, Hung Wong, Australia, Dan McCormack, United States, Izumi Sajiki, Japan, Jure Cekuta, Slovenia, Richard A. Moore, III, United States, Anne Skrede, Norway, Shanli Chen, New Zealand, Cony Welcker, Germany, Susan Ash, United Kingdom, and Ulla Gmeiner, Germany.????

The talented 1st winner, Michael Jeffery, reinvented himself and triumphed over a back injury to become a world class artist.

According to Michael,?My style originated from photographing segments of old graffiti from the walls of some huge concrete tanks and I?ve since been influenced by the aesthetic of torn street posters, road signs, old building walls, graffiti, etc.?

The evolution of street art has been growing and collectors are seeking ways to access this new art language. Beginning as a free expression available to everyone, at first street art existed outside the art institutions. Yet now, no one can deny the influence and crossover street artists are having on the more mainstream arts communities. Michael Jeffery, of Adelaide, Australia, is a prime example of how street art is evolving into a prominent language in many types of art making today. His graphic and colorful collages on canvas made from paint skins, spray paint, and stencils are gaining the attention of international art collectors and galleries. Recently, at a gallery opening in Sydney, his paintings sold out before the opening night even began!

?I was a keen artist as a child, but only dabbled in it later in life until I injured my back while working with horses in Perth, Western Australia. It was this that motivated me to choose a new (easy on the back) lifestyle, studying visual arts.?

Michael Jeffery has a reputation for being soft spoken and a bit shy. But his bold and powerful paintings illustrates that he lives in a rich inner world full of creativity and imagination where he integrates the signs and symbols that we see in our daily lives. This talented artist returned his attention to art after a spinal injury had made it impossible for him to continue working on a ranch in the west of Australia. ?I was a keen artist as a child, but only dabbled in it later in life until I injured my back while working with horses in Perth, Western Australia. It was this that motivated me to choose a new (easy on the back) lifestyle, studying visual arts.?, he explains. He returned home to Adelaide where he completed an honors degree in Fine Art at the University of South Australia and now makes his dynamic paintings with a technique called ?paint skins? where many layers of paint are placed on sheets of plastic and after drying are used in making collage on canvas. He explains, ?The use of paint skins has allowed me to create a different surface texture and depth than that of traditional painting and I can imitate the effects of age, activity and weathering. The stenciled text originates from photographs of road signs, identification numbers, and other text within the urban landscape.?

When asked how his art has changed since he started he said, ?My paintings have become more complex than earlier in my career, and I now often create animalistic-type forms that reference the hybridization of technology and nature. He describes his works as ?abstract urban landscapes, saying ?My style originated from photographing segments of old graffiti from the walls of some huge concrete tanks and I?ve since been influenced by the aesthetic of torn street posters, road signs, old building walls, graffiti, etc.? He?s careful to credit his mentor in how he developed his process, saying; ?As far as technique goes, the person who has influenced me most would be my painting teacher from university, Paul Hoban. He invented a basic method for making paint skins of which, with his blessing, I began to experiment with using my own formulas and applications.?

Jeffery says he incorporates dreams from within his subconscious world and explores his ideas through his art making. He continually refines his process of collage and photographic transfer to develop the rich compositions and textures found in his works. Through trial and error he uses his intuition, art education, and sometimes even accidents to juxtapose his dialog about our urban and natural life in these times. When asked if he holds a concept or intention in his work he replied, ? My paintings allude to urban or industrial environments in a busy, technological world. Pictorial imitations of age and weathering reference a state of change and evolution. The fragmentation and manipulation of text gives importance to the formal properties of language, and often appear as coded messages or appendages of hungry robot-like creatures. Remnants of text and various other marks signify a human presence and influence upon the world.

Michael Jeffery?s work is a prime example of how a new generation of artists are integrating the influences of our fast paced changing world into their art. This grounding in social conscience informs the work and the life of many of today?s artists and Jeffery?s works speak to this new and fresh view expressed in today?s arts scene. Recently even the Tate Modern of London housed in a former power plant on the Thames, brought six street artists together from around the world to spray-paint giant murals on the museum?s river facade, kicking off the first major public museum display of street art in London.

Graffiti is a major influence in the present art culture. Reputed Dutch collector, Henk Pijnenburg, puts high value on this art form saying,

?This is the most culturally significant art movement of the second half of the 20th century, since Cubism and Surrealism. This art is very powerful, engaged and direct.”

Michael Jeffery?s work speaks to this passion found in the streets as it crosses over into today?s contemporary art making.

His colorful works stimulates a conversation about today?s urban landscape and provokes questions about what?s next. We look forward to seeing more art exhibitions from Michael Jeffery as his increased global recognition extends beyond where he started in the Outback of Australia.

Learn more about Michael Jeffery’s colorful paintings at his website and contact him directly:

http://www.michaeljeffery.com.au

michaeldjeffery2(at)yahoo(dot)com.au.

ShowArtists.com has calls for artists that are open to ALL artists on the planet. Gender, color, religion, name or who you know, have no bearing on winning international exposure for art and art competitions with this group. It’s all about the talent and the art!

There is something for everyone who loves art at ShowArtists.com. Great Artists from anywhere on the planet can enter ShowArtists.com international art competitions and win. Art Collectors can go on ShowArtists.com and discover new talent to collect. Fine art galleries from around the world can even look here to locate new artists.

Read all about Micheal Jeffery and the other finalists in the ShowArt Magazine at http://www.ShowArtists.com

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Elite Gudz, creative leaders in designing content for multi-media mobile, tablet and personal-use consoles, announces massive upgrades to Graffiti Spray Can, the best selling graffiti art app on iTunes that has had almost 5 million downloads since its initial release. The free upgrades include a full-length Concrete Immortalz comic book, access to the Wall of Immortalz global graffiti art sharing community, new graphics and an advertisement removal option.

?This update lays the groundwork for Graffiti Spray Can Pro and Graffiti Spray Can HD, which releases on May 24th. These apps will be the portal to the Wall of Immortalz online community.? said Brian Ferrara, Creative director for Elite Gudz. ?We?re proud to be the only graffiti art app endorsed and used by real graffiti artists, who can now share what they create on the Wall of Immortalz.?

Graffiti Spray Can will now allow users to upload their best works to the ?Wall of Immortalz?, vote on the work of others and share it all via Facebook, Twitter and email. Designed by graffiti artists at Elite Gudz, the ?Wall of Immortalz? allows users to upload their creations to the online Wall of Immortalz, where other users can view and vote on them. The feature will be viewable from within Graffiti Spray Can Pro, as well as on the app’s official website, http://www.GraffitiSprayCan.com.

The Wall of Immortalz was inspired by the Concere Immortalz comic series, which features famous writers and elements from graffiti culture. The comic series explores the role of art in society and graffiti as a medium for social change through the eyes of The Wall Lord, an artist who writes messages of rebellion against a totalitarian regime.

The popular original Graffiti Spray Can application is currently available for free at the iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/graffiti-spray-can/id372003395?mt=8, and Android Market at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.msi. Graffiti Spray Can Pro will be available on iPhone, iPod touch, Android and Facebook on May 24. Graffiti Spray Can 2 is now available for free on iPad and will update to Graffiti Spray Can HD to include ?Wall of Immortalz? and other upgraded features on May 24. For more information, visit http://www.graffitispraycan.com.

About Elite Gudz

Elite Gudz is a creative studio founded by artists and creators from the worlds of graffiti, comics, designer toys and technology. Their first mobile application, Graffiti Spray Can, climbed to the #1 spot in Entertainment and Free Applications charts around the world within days of its release. Elite Gudz has since become leaders in designing creative content for mobile, tablet and consoles with designer platform production and new media for mass markets. For more information, please visit http://www.elitegudz.com.

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Related Graffiti Press Releases

Amanti Art has announced the expansion of its art offering and improved usability of subject and collections functions on its custom framing website AmantiArt.com. The company has also been working on new search and keyword technology.

Amanti Art has increased its art poster and print offering to include many of the industry?s best-known publishers and art distribution companies. The company announced expanded offerings from Bentley Publishing, Bruce McGaw Graphics, Bruce Teleky, Canadian Art Prints, Image Conscious, New York Graphics, Poems Art Publishing and Pyramid America, as well as others. These publishers represent the vast majority of today?s most popular artists, as well as a wealth of images from the whole history of art. Amanti Art now offers over 20,000 unique prints and posters.

Amanti Art also announced a new agreement with photographer Andy Magee. Mr. Magee?s photographs are now available for online custom framing exclusively at http://www.AmantiArt.com. Mr. Magee has a Masters Degree in Fine Art from SIUE and has had his work exhibited in numerous galleries and museums.

In addition to continuing to expand the library of prints and posters available for framing on the site, Amanti Art has also been working on improving the classification and search functions. Customers can now easily navigate through subject collections to browse in categories that interest them, like Beach and Ocean, Cityscapes or Vintage.

Amanti Art has also improved keyword and search technology on the site, making it easier for customers to search for specific subject matter, artists, or works of art.

The improvements to the website continue to show Amanti Art?s commitment to the customer?s experience and their desire to be the best frame shop on the internet. The company?s combination of art and framing experts, a top notch technology staff and experienced production workers make Amanti Art a force in the online framed art market.

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Today Elite Gudz announced the immediate availability of their top downloaded Graffiti Spray Can and Goons & Bots Clock applications on the Android Market. Graffiti Spray Can and Goons and Bots Clock are Elite Gudz’ first apps to be released on Android.

Graffiti Spray Can is a fun, free, easy to use graffiti painting program. Within days of its initial launch on iTunes, the app reached #1 in Entertainment and Free Apps. To date, Graffiti Spray Can has had over 4 million total downloads. It is the only graffiti painting application developed by true graffiti writers who have been working since the beginning of the art movement and are still active today.

Goons & Bots Clock is a designer utility application that can be used as an alarm, clock, or displayed in a charging dock to turn your mobile device into a piece of art. The app features original characters created by New York graffiti artist Phetus, who also helped develop the Graffiti Spray Can app.

Graffiti Spray Can features:

*Realistic Shake Animations and Rattle Sounds

*Multiple Spray Can Skins and Colors

*Touch-Screen Spray Action

*HD Backgrounds and

*Save or share your creations through Facebook, Twitter or Email

*Frequent updates including new backgrounds, colors and can skins

Goons & Bots Clock features:

Animated Daytime Goon & Nighttime Bot * Original Built-in Musical Alarms * Use Music & Sounds from your iTunes library
Multiple Alarms for setting appointments throughout the day * Alarm Push Notifications notify you even when the app is closed * Snooze * Share with Twitter, Facebook and Email

“We’re proud to bring Graffiti Spray Can to the Android Market. It was because of this app’s success that we began to focus on app and game development.” says Elite Gudz’ Brian Ferrara. “Goons & Bots Clock is important to us as well, as it is our first to combine art and utility in a designer application.” Recently at Toy Fair 2011, Elite Gudz exhibited its line of mobile and tablet docks that combine the creative content of the application with accessories for the mobile device.

Graffiti Spray Can is free and available for Android at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.msi&feature=search_result

Goons & Bots Clock is free and available for Android at https://market.android.com/details?id=com.clock&feature=search_result

About Elite Gudz

Elite Gudz is a creative studio founded by artists and creators from the worlds of Graffiti, Comics, Designer Toys and Technology. Their first Mobile Application, Graffiti Spray Can, climbed to the #1 spot in Entertainment and Free apps around the world within days of its release. The success of Graffiti Spray Can created a focus on app and game development for the studio. Elite Gudz has since become leaders in bridging creative content for mobile, tablet and consoles with designer platform productization and new media for mass markets.

For more information, photos and videos, go to http://www.EliteGudz.com.

Follow us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/EliteGudz

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Related Graffiti Press Releases

ArtByUs.com (http://www.artbyus.com), the online marketplace for contemporary, fine art by independent artists, artisans, and fine art galleries celebrates their one-year anniversary with the launch of a new ArtByUs.com Art Blog.

The new ArtByUs.com Art Blog is designed to provide its readers and participants the latest art news and personal posts from the artists on ArtByUs.com. Users will be able to contribute to this new art blog to announce their art news, shows, call for artists, and art marketing tips.

“When we opened ArtByUs.com in March of 2004, our main objective was to create an affordable art marketplace, that is easy to use and that avoids being a selling platform for mass produced artwork”, says Conni Tögel, CEO and founder of the ArtByUs LLC.

Tögel adds: “With over 1500 registered artists, ArtByUs.com creates the bridge between nationally and internationally recognized artists, artisans, photographers, fine art galleries, architects, interior designers, and art collectors. While other auction sites charge the artist community high listing and commission fees, ArtByUs.com offers a free distribution model to the artists.”

To kick off the ArtByUs.com Art Blog, Conni Tögel will give away autographed Signature Fine Art Prints of her own work to ten lucky winners. For a chance to win, users just need to submit art news to the ArtByUs.com Art Blog.

ArtByUs.com can be reached at http://www.artbyus.com

About ArtByUs.com

Founded in March of 2004, ArtByUs.com is the online auction market that sells exclusively real art by real artists. ArtByUs LLC created this site to offer a positive platform where art collectors can buy art of the highest quality, and know that whatever they purchase will be real art, by a real artist, and a real signature, and not a third-party reproduction or print. ArtByUs.com strives to create an atmosphere where both artists and art collectors can feel at home, knowing the site was founded with both support and respect for artists to have a professional venue to show and sell their work to discerning buyers.

Press Contact:

ArtByUs LLC

Peter Tögel, Public Relations

Phone: (719) 271-6422

Fax: (719) 272-6421

E-Mail: peter@artbyus.com

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Soul Graffiti LLC announces the publication of its first book, titled “Soul Graffiti: Stories That Inspire Action.”

“Soul Graffiti: Stories That Inspire Action” is a compilation of inspirational stories of conscious acts of kindness from around the world, by Soul Graffiti Founder, Dr. Joe Powers. ?The authenticity of each and every story contained in this book has been personally verified, however, each story is more than just true; it is a representation of a mark left upon the heart and soul of each contributing author,? writes Powers. ?Unlike many of the other inspirational books and stories, Soul Graffiti stories are about more than emotion, they are about action. These stories are infused with a sense of growth and were shared in an effort to motivate others to appreciate, and more importantly, to perform, even the smallest act of kindness, which will surely leave an eternal mark on the life of another.?

“Soul Graffiti: Stories That Inspire Action” is divided into seven chapters, each focusing on specific areas of kindness. For example, chapters include acts of kindness with strangers, children, and at the workplace. In addition, stories of kindness through an illness, at death, and even on the road are shared and explored, leaving the reader with a sense of mindfulness towards the ripe opportunities of kindness that present themselves to us each and every day.

Thousands of visitors log on to soulgraffiti.com every day to learn more about performing acts of kindness. This new book hopes to further spread the message of kindness through inspirational stories from the hearts of many. Autographed copies of “Soul Graffiti: Stories That Inspire Action” can be purchased for a limited time at http://www.soulgraffiti.com.

About Soul Graffiti LLC

Soul Graffiti LLC, based in Wickatunk, NJ is a motivational company created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Its Web site, http://www.soulgraffiti.com, which receives thousands of hits daily, offers a variety of inspirational life.

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ArtAuctionsHub.com, a leader in online art auctions, announced their newest website featuring discounted wall art available to the public for purchase. This website will feature art prints from Dali, Picasso and Chagall along with paintings, sculptures and more available to novice and experienced art collectors.

These discounted wall art paintings, prints and more are held up for auction online through this unique website. ArtAuctionsHub.com allows individuals to register and sign up for free and doesn?t force the bidder to be present during the auction. They have included a feature that allows customers to set their bidding and will be notified if they win.

?Many people marvel at the idea of owning art from Dali or Picasso, and through this online art auction they can. Some of these pieces will fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars, while others could go for only several hundred and that?s the beauty of art,? said Paul Sabesky. ?Each live art auction online will feature steeply discounted wall art, from paintings, prints, sculptures and more that have been repossessed or confiscated through bankruptcies, IRS and estate sales.?

About ArtAuctionsHub.com

The Company was founded as a general resource to buying seized wall art and other high end items throughout the United States. Many of these confiscated wall paintings are passed on to us for immediate liquidation which is then passed on to the consumer through our online art auctions. Some examples of how we acquire art and high end items are from bankruptcies, IRS, repos, estate sales, trusts, and impounds. For more information visit http://www.ArtAuctionsHub.com.

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Arts organizations and creative enterprises across the nation have taken fiscal hits threatening their sustainability, but a physical hit the likes of a hurricane, earthquake, computer system failure, or unexpected loss of a leader could take an additional and potentially catastrophic toll on their sustainability. ArtsReady, a national initiative of South Arts, is a new readiness, response, and recovery Web-based platform designed to help ensure post-crisis business continuity for arts organizations. The online tool will be unveiled to the arts community nationwide via a free webcast on Thursday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

After over two years of research and development led by South Arts, and in collaboration with the University of California/Berkeley, and New York-based, Fractured Atlas, the Web-based, emergency preparedness tool is available to arts organizations intent on protecting their valuable assets. Arts assets addressed by the ArtsReady tool range from actual physical properties, props and artwork, to donor and patron databases and other critical data.

Nationwide, creative industries including visual arts and crafts, performing arts, film and media, heritage and museums and more have been estimated to contribute $ 270 billion to the GDP. The creative economy also contributes to overall employment, tourism, sustainable placemaking, economic development, education, and entrepreneurship. ArtsReady will help to bolster sustainability for non-profit arts organizations and for-profit arts ventures with features including risk assessment, a self-paced action plan, cloud-based critical data storage, a Battle Buddy Network for proxy support from other arts organizations and more.

?We know that unexpected crises can threaten arts assets, whether they are natural disasters, tech disruptions, or emergencies caused by a human being, such as crime,? said Mollie Lakin-Hayes, deputy director of South Arts. ?ArtsReady was developed to help arts organizations keep their doors open, no matter what.?

About ArtsReady

Premiering Fall 2011, ArtsReady is a web based emergency preparedness platform designed to provide arts organizations with customized business continuity plans for post crisis sustainability. A national initiative of South Arts, the ArtsReady readiness, response and recovery tool was developed in partnership with the University of California/Berkeley and Fractured Atlas with support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, Mississippi Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit http://www.artsready.org.

About South Arts

South Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization, was founded in 1975 to build on the South?s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts? work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to address the role of the arts in impacting the issues important to our region, and to link the South with the nation and the world through the arts. For more information, visit http://www.southarts.org.

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Graffiti costs communities, schools, businesses, and individuals more and more each year, but the “Graffiti Doctor” is teaching communities how to reverse that trend.

Thanks to nanotechnology, it is now possible to clean graffiti from virtually any surface, then treat that surface so future efforts to create new graffiti will not stick.

“Taggers take pride in their graffiti, and if their paint congeals on a surface and looks bad they will stop and move on,” explained Robert Lysne of Seal America, Inc. (http://www.SealAmerica.com).

Sandblasting, painting over with unmatched paint, and other forms of “scrubbing” often causes “scars” that are almost as unattractive as graffiti itself. Over painting also leaves a tempting canvas that invites more graffiti.

“Our highly trained technicians can quickly and completely remove graffiti from almost any substrate. They can also treat the surfaces to resist future graffiti attacks, making subsequent graffiti removal a light task,” explained Lysne.

“One of our many unique products, Bullet Proof Graffiti Armor, goes a giant step farther than anything on the market. Bullet Proof will actually serve as a permanent deterrent to further “tagging.” Bullet Proof’s ability to cause most paints to congeal on many surfaces renders the message or “art” to be instantly illegible. With no message being left behind, most taggers will move on to a more receptive surface,” he added.

Lysne teaches communities that there are three essential elements to a zero tolerance anti-graffiti effort.

“First, response time is critical. Taggers want their work to be on display for a long time. If it is gone within days that is discouraging to them and they look for another place to tag.

“Second, if you paint over graffiti that just plain looks bad, and it is a major invitation for the taggers to return. Wall-to-wall identical color matching is proven to reduce the odds of recurrence by as much as 900 percent.

“Third is economics. The way your community decides to clean graffiti determines your abatement costs. Cleaning graffiti from the same spot over and over again is costly. Using Seal America’s new technological advances provide the only graffiti deterrent on the market today. Taggers will go away if their paint and markers congeal on a surface,” explained Lysne.

Graffiti is often the first indication that gang activity is present in a community. It is the newspaper of gangs and serves to mark the gang’s power and status. Graffiti warns intruders that they are not welcome. It is also be an advertisement for the sale of drugs. It is no wonder that there are many new laws that require owners to remove graffiti from their property.

Individuals and businesses face large penalties for allowing graffiti to stay in place. Seal America’s removal, deterrent and maintenance programs are designed to keep surfaces “graffiti free.”

The products are non-toxic and have no negative effects on human health or the environment.

About Seal America, Inc.

Seal America, Inc, is establishing a national team of licensed distributors and applicators who can offer permanent protection for almost any surface. The treatment can prevent the ravages of salt, freeze and thaw cycles, oil spills, general aging, moisture, and graffiti. The company provides detailed information on a web site at http://SealAmerica.com.

Press Contact:

Robert Lysne

319-366-7000

Press release services provided by http://www.ThatPRGuy.com.

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? Soul Graffiti?LLC relaunched its website today with enhanced features and functionality. The revised website includes two new sections aimed at expanding the scope of the site by offering celebrity columns and interviews. The site?s new sections include ?Guest Graffiti,? a monthly column on topics ranging from love, to kindness and compassion, and ?Graffiti Interviews? a forum for celebrity interviews highlighting a variety content and a forum for exchange and discussion. Through its original content, professional services, and media, Soul Graffiti LLC is poised to become a leader in motivating and educating people to better understand their purpose in of topics related to kindness. Soul Graffiti also announced plans to offer in the coming months, daily inspirational emails, a searchable Q&A page, message boards, and a chat room.

“With the ever-increasing traffic to SoulGraffiti.com, we hope that our newly expanded site will offer visitors a more user friendly experience with enhanced functionality and features,” explained Joe Powers, CEO and Founder of Soul Graffiti. “We hope that these expanded features will only further Soul Graffiti?s mission of raising consciousness towards kindness and we look forward to the continued growth of our Soul Graffiti community.”

Soul Graffiti LLC, was created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Soul graffiti is the conscious act of performing kindness to another soul, resulting in leaving an everlasting imprint on another?s life.

Thousands of visitors log on to soulgraffiti.com every day to learn more about performing acts of kindness. In addition to the new site features, visitors can also browse the site?s original library of inspirational stories, submit a story, become a free member, purchase products and subscribe to the Soul Graffiti newsletter.

About Soul Graffiti LLC

Soul Graffiti LLC, based in Wickatunk, NJ is a motivational company created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Its Web site, http://www.soulgraffiti.com, which receives thousands of hits daily, offers a variety of inspirational life.

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Soul Graffiti?LLC celebrated today the one year anniversary of its web site http://www.soulgraffiti.com. Since its launch on June 22, 2003, SoulGraffiti.com has registered more than 500,000 hits from nearly 70 countries around the globe including Australia, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Israel, Italy, Hungary, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.

The web site, a crucial component to spreading Soul Graffiti?s message, seeks to bring people together committed to performing conscious acts of kindness. Hundreds of visitors have shared stories, quotes, articles, and poems, aimed at raising an awareness of kindness. In the past year, Soul Graffiti has grown in cyberspace into a respected international voice of kindness, where people of all backgrounds and ideological perspectives are embraced.

“Today Soul Graffiti celebrates the message of kindness, which we have been so honored to carry this past year,” explained Dr. Joe Powers, Founder of Soul Graffiti, LLC. “Soul Graffiti?s impact can only be attributed to the thousands of people worldwide who have embraced kindness and it is to those people ? our ?Soul Graffiti Family? – that we toast to in celebration today.?

Soul Graffiti LLC, was created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Soul graffiti is the conscious act of performing kindness to another soul, resulting in leaving an everlasting imprint on another?s life. Visitors to soulgraffiti.com can learn more about performing acts of kindness and browse the site?s original library of inspirational stories, articles, and interviews.

About Soul Graffiti LLC

Soul Graffiti LLC, based in Wickatunk, NJ is a motivational company created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Its Web site, http://www.soulgraffiti.com, launched in June 2003, offers a variety of inspirational content and a forum for exchange and discussion. Through its original content, professional and educational services, and multimedia, Soul Graffiti LLC is poised to become a leader in motivating and educating people to better understand their purpose in life.

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The Graffiti Collection announces the re-release on December 5, 2008, of a recently found limited collectors’ edition of four vintage graffiti art posters, representing historical old school graffiti masterworks from the 1980′s by new York graffiti artists CRASH, BILL BLAST, NOC167 and QUIK. The collectibles posters were made in 1988 under the courtesy a famous graffiti art collector in The Netherlands. The posters were printed in a limited edition of 2.500 per poster under contracts with the artists. Most of them were sold during the big ‘Coming From The Subway’ graffiti exhibition in The Groninger Museum, The Netherlands in 1992. Twenty years after their release – at the 40th anniversary of the graffiti art movement – the remaining posters will be re-released on December 5, 2008, at http://www.thegraffiticollection.com.

The re-release takes place at a time when the first dedicated graffiti art auctions take place in famous European auction houses like Sotheby’s and Art Curial.

A Short History of Graffiti Art:

1968 – The Graffiti Art Movement came into existence in the late 1960′s, at the time of the famous Martin Luther King march. After his brute assassination in 1968, young kids started to bomb trains with their graffiti tags (autographs in trains). It was their claim for becoming recognized as a free individual after new hope and the opportunity for change had been taken away once more. After that, the exteriors of trains offered new opportunities and soon the beautiful sprayed graffiti trains ran through New York City like propaganda trains for the new desire for identity and recognition as an artist. Because graffiti was strictly forbidden, being a crime from 1972 onwards, it now had to take place in the middle of the night. The graffiti artist had to work at a frenzied pace, since the trains had to be up and running before dawn. During those early days the major graffiti styles developed.

1988 – “Dark Continent of Kings Continue The Battle Above Ground”

This is the title of a historical graffiti painting by Dondi White. It expressed the important emergence of graffiti street art into the art galleries and the museums during the eighties. Starting a.o. with the big show at the New York Fashion Moda Gallery in 1980, graffiti art came under the attention of galleries and museums resulting in various historical shows (mainly in the big European museums). Graffiti had become an accepted art movement.

The New York Graffiti movement was like a bomb thrown into the art world. Few genres have managed to attract so much media attention and the discussions surrounding the movement persisted. Various films, books, newspaper articles and items in the official art reviews have concerned themselves with the debate whether graffiti was art or crime. In the television film “Wild Style” (1981), graffiti is portrayed as a kind of total art, with train spray can art, break dancing, Hip Hop – and rap music constituting an invisible whole.

But despite the vast successes, graffiti gave rise to discussions. The progressives and the conservatives attacked each other with gusto in publications.

After 1985 the art worlds’ interest gradually came down with a real bottom reached in 1988. There are various explanations for this drop in interest. On one hand the American art world has always been very mistrustful towards ‘black’ graffiti art. Even if at the start of the 1980′s famous galleries like Club’57, Mudd Club, Fashion Moda, Fun Gallery and Sydney Janis promoted the graffiti genre.

2008 – In 1988 the graffiti art movement of the 1980′s was documented with the release of the four limited edition graffiti posters. In 2008, graffiti art is rebuilding it’s position in the art world with dedicated graffiti art auctions take place in famous European auction houses. After a record sale at Paris auction house Art Curial last February (with all time high prices for graffiti artists like CRASH, QUIK, BLADE and FUTURA 2000), new graffiti art auctions will be held at Sotheby’s Amsterdam on December 3rd and Art Curial Paris on December 15.

It is in 2008, the year that the first black man was to be elected president of the U.S. – and at the 40th anniversary of the graffiti movement – that the remaining few hundred posters are to be re-launched in remembrance of the first real black 20th century modern art movement.

Collectors can pre-registrate on a priority notification list at http://www.thegraffiticollection.com to obtain this unique limited collectors’ edition.

About The Graffiti Collection:

The Graffiti Collection gives information to the public about the history of graffiti art. The company is based in the Netherlands. For additional information on this release contact Frank Essink.

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? Soul Graffiti?LLC, announced the launch of its online motivational community. The web site, located at http://www.soulgraffiti.com seeks to create a community committed to performing conscious acts of kindness.

“SoulGraffiti.com is the first of many steps towards building our Soul Graffiti family,” explained Joe Powers, CEO and Founder of Soul Graffiti. “Soul graffiti is not about inspiration or philosophy, but rather about action and through our new web site we hope to encourage others to commit to performing conscious acts of kindness.”

Soul Graffiti LLC, was created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Soul graffiti is the conscious act of performing kindness to another soul, resulting in leaving an everlasting imprint on another?s life.

Visitors to soulgraffiti.com can learn more about performing acts of kindness, browse the site?s original library of inspirational stories, submit a story, become a member, purchase products and subscribe to the Soul Graffiti newsletter.

About Soul Graffiti LLC

Soul Graffiti LLC, based in Wickatunk, NJ is a motivation company created with the single mission of building a community aimed at shifting consciousness away from “material graffiti” to that of “soul graffiti.” Its Web site, http://www.soulgraffiti.com, launched in June 2003, offers a variety of inspirational content and a forum for exchange and discussion. Through its original content, professional services, and media, Soul Graffiti LLC is poised to become a leader in motivating and educating people to better understand their purpose in life.

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