One Christmas gathering can be trying enough for some people, much less four ...so they won't envy Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.
They play a couple forced to visit all the relatives one holiday in "Four Christmases," which has the same problem as many of the other seasonal movies of recent years. They try to be funny, usually in a snarky way, then make a last-ditch attempt to be sincere as they approach the finish line. And it just doesn't ring true.
The main characters have been successful, year after year, at getting out of the family tour by claiming to go overseas to do volunteer work at the holidays -- when they've actually skipped off to Fiji to avoid the familial stress. This time, they're trapped at home by fog, which becomes widely known when they're randomly picked to be interviewed on television about their plight. Having been busted so publicly, they feel they must make the rounds of all the families of their divorced parents.
Each stop is a real chore for them, and all the vignettes demonstrate why they would want to get as far away from their relatives as possible at holiday time. The tales do make for an extremely solid supporting cast that includes Witherspoon's fellow Oscar winners Robert Duvall, Jon Voight and Mary Steenburgen, as well as the always-delightful Kristin Chenoweth. She and Witherspoon play sisters, and given their well-matched energy and their reasonable resemblance, someone in the casting department was really on the ball.
"Four Christmases" has a few chuckles along the way, and Witherspoon does her best to match Vaughn's humor, a tough task since his style is so uniquely his. Mainly, the film lacks the most essential element of such a story -- true heart -- so here's hoping Hollywood remembers to add that to the holiday-movie recipe next time. Gee, that used to seem so easy (and necessary) once upon a time.
By- Jay Bobbin
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Biography for Pam Dawber
Mini Biography
Actress Pam Dawber grew up in a suburb of Detroit. Her career began to take off when a friend who was going to New York suggested that Pam accompany her and bring along her modeling portfolio to show various New York modeling agents. A pretty girl, Pam had done some modeling in Detroit where she was attending Oakland Community College, and she had also worked as a model and singer in several auto trade shows. One of the top modeling agencies in New York signed Pam to an exclusive contract, and she was soon being seen in magazine advertisements and on TV commercials but Pamela was more interested in acting than in modeling. She began studying voice and acting. A leading role in a stock production of a musical comedy called "Sweet Adeline" at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, led to her being auditioned for a major role on a new TV series called "Tabitha" (1977). To her disappointment, Pam did not get the part, but she did get an important role in the Robert Altman film A Wedding (1978) and, shortly after, signed an exclusive contract with ABC-TV. ABC cast Pam as the female lead in "Mork & Mindy" (1978) and her star has been riding high ever since. Pam returned to the stage and appeared in a revival of the musical "My Fair Lady", playing Eliza Doolittle. Her hobbies are canoeing, cooking, horseback riding and swimming.IMDb Mini Biography
Actress Pam Dawber grew up in a suburb of Detroit. Her career began to take off when a friend who was going to New York suggested that Pam accompany her and bring along her modeling portfolio to show various New York modeling agents. A pretty girl, Pam had done some modeling in Detroit where she was attending Oakland Community College, and she had also worked as a model and singer in several auto trade shows. One of the top modeling agencies in New York signed Pam to an exclusive contract, and she was soon being seen in magazine advertisements and on TV commercials but Pamela was more interested in acting than in modeling. She began studying voice and acting. A leading role in a stock production of a musical comedy called "Sweet Adeline" at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut, led to her being auditioned for a major role on a new TV series called "Tabitha" (1977). To her disappointment, Pam did not get the part, but she did get an important role in the Robert Altman film A Wedding (1978) and, shortly after, signed an exclusive contract with ABC-TV. ABC cast Pam as the female lead in "Mork & Mindy" (1978) and her star has been riding high ever since. Pam returned to the stage and appeared in a revival of the musical "My Fair Lady", playing Eliza Doolittle. Her hobbies are canoeing, cooking, horseback riding and swimming.IMDb Mini Biography
Appealing to Voters, Texas Blasts State Rival
AUSTIN, Tex. — In preparation for his team’s Thanksgiving night game against rival Texas A&M, Texas Coach Mack Brown gathered his players earlier this week and read aloud the Bowl Championship Series standings.
He also read the standings of the USA Today coaches poll and the Harris Interactive poll, two components of the B.C.S. Brown then asked for questions, and not a single hand was raised.
“After that, we made a decision as a group that we would not discuss it anymore,” Brown said at his news conference Monday, “because we have a live audience of all the voters for Thursday night to see. That’s the only thing that we could do to affect the B.C.S. at all. Discussion doesn’t help us.”
With its 49-9 romp of hapless Texas A&M here Thursday before a record crowd of 98,621 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas made a final impressive effort to prove that it deserved to jump ahead of Oklahoma in both human polls.
“I felt like they made the statement that they needed to make,” Brown said of his team’s performance.
The Longhorns led by 21-3 at halftime behind quarterback Colt McCoy, who finished the game with 311 passing yards and 2 touchdown passes and 2 rushing touchdowns.
“In many ways, it was probably the most complete game from start to finish,” Greg Davis, the Texas offensive coordinator, said.
Texas’ margin of victory against the Aggies (4-8, 2-6 Big 12) was more than that of Oklahoma (38 points), with whom the Longhorns are battling along with Texas Tech for the Big 12 South division title. But the victory did not resolve the Big 12 South race or make the national championship picture clearer.
Having beaten No. 3 Oklahoma (10-1, 6-1) and lost to No. 7 Texas Tech (10-1, 6-1), Texas (11-1, 7-1) must now wait until Sunday for the jumbled Big 12 South to be shaken out. If Oklahoma and Texas Tech each win Saturday, the two teams will join Texas in a three-way tie for first place.
If that happens, the tie breaker for the division is the B.C.S. standings, which will be released Sunday. The winner will play No. 12 Missouri (9-2, 5-2) on Dec. 6 in the Big 12 championship game.
Texas is 0.0084 ahead of Oklahoma in the B.C.S. standings. If the Sooners win Saturday at No. 11 Oklahoma State (9-2, 5-2), they are expected to move ahead of Texas, said Jerry Palm, an independent B.C.S. analyst.
But should Oklahoma lose at Oklahoma State and should Texas Tech win, the Red Raiders will win the division by virtue of their last-second 39-33 home victory against Texas on Nov. 1.
“The voters have a tough decision, because there’s a lot of really good football teams that are out there,” Brown said.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Texas does not plan to bombard voters in the coaches poll or the Harris poll with a last-minute campaign, said John Bianco, an athletic department spokesman. Instead, it will again send out its weekly e-mail release about its accomplishments, he said.
“This week will focus on where we think we should rank,” Bianco said.
Yet Texas’ fans did plenty of their own campaigning for their beloved Longhorns during Thursday night’s victory. Many had 45-35 signs, the score of Texas’ victory against Oklahoma on Oct. 11 in Dallas.
Some of the 8 ½-by-11-inch signs read, “Remember the Alamo and 45-35,” “Every Sooner prays no one remembers 45-35” and “Settle it on the field? 45-35 It’s Been Settled.” Another used the B.C.S. initials in its message: “Better Consider Scoreboard 45-35.”
Each of the signs was available at www.45-35.com. The 35 on those signs was in crimson, Oklahoma’s primary color.
Asked about the crowd’s 45-35 signs after his team’s victory, Brown quickly remarked that he agreed with them, prompting laughter from members of the news media.
“It cost me a lot of money to make all those signs,” Brown joked. “But I think that’s the deal. We won head-to-head. Again, I don’t want to make a big to-do out of it. Alabama and Florida get to play theirs off and the Big 12 South isn’t going to get to play it off. If that’s the case, the two highest ones have already played it off. That’s why I feel like we deserve to go.”
Matt Parks, creator of 45-35.com, said the Web site had received $7,500 in donations. Of that money, $1,850 was spent to print 20,000 signs that he and others distributed before Thursday night’s game.
Another $2,800 was used to hire a pilot to fly a banner that reads “45-35. Settled on a Neutral Field” over Stillwater, Okla., during ESPN’s live telecast of “College GameDay” on Saturday morning, Parks said. The remaining money will be donated to charity, he said.
“We’re just kind of hoping that it will remind everybody of what happened,” Parks, 21, a Texas senior from Houston who is majoring in government, said in a telephone interview. “It’s got better in the news media, but more and more, it seems that people don’t even remember the game.”
The Daily Texan, Texas’ student newspaper, printed 25,000 editions Wednesday with an orange-and-white insert with the 45-35 score. There is also a Facebook group with more than 17,000 members called, “Texas did beat OU 45-35, lest we forget.”
That certainly will not be forgotten by Brown and his Longhorns in the next three days. And while it may not help in the B.C.S. standings, they will be sure to mention it to any voter who will listen.
“I do think that if we go to the Big 12 championship,” Brown said, “it will probably be because we are a great football team and we did beat Oklahoma on a neutral site.”
By- Thayer Evans
He also read the standings of the USA Today coaches poll and the Harris Interactive poll, two components of the B.C.S. Brown then asked for questions, and not a single hand was raised.
“After that, we made a decision as a group that we would not discuss it anymore,” Brown said at his news conference Monday, “because we have a live audience of all the voters for Thursday night to see. That’s the only thing that we could do to affect the B.C.S. at all. Discussion doesn’t help us.”
With its 49-9 romp of hapless Texas A&M here Thursday before a record crowd of 98,621 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas made a final impressive effort to prove that it deserved to jump ahead of Oklahoma in both human polls.
“I felt like they made the statement that they needed to make,” Brown said of his team’s performance.
The Longhorns led by 21-3 at halftime behind quarterback Colt McCoy, who finished the game with 311 passing yards and 2 touchdown passes and 2 rushing touchdowns.
“In many ways, it was probably the most complete game from start to finish,” Greg Davis, the Texas offensive coordinator, said.
Texas’ margin of victory against the Aggies (4-8, 2-6 Big 12) was more than that of Oklahoma (38 points), with whom the Longhorns are battling along with Texas Tech for the Big 12 South division title. But the victory did not resolve the Big 12 South race or make the national championship picture clearer.
Having beaten No. 3 Oklahoma (10-1, 6-1) and lost to No. 7 Texas Tech (10-1, 6-1), Texas (11-1, 7-1) must now wait until Sunday for the jumbled Big 12 South to be shaken out. If Oklahoma and Texas Tech each win Saturday, the two teams will join Texas in a three-way tie for first place.
If that happens, the tie breaker for the division is the B.C.S. standings, which will be released Sunday. The winner will play No. 12 Missouri (9-2, 5-2) on Dec. 6 in the Big 12 championship game.
Texas is 0.0084 ahead of Oklahoma in the B.C.S. standings. If the Sooners win Saturday at No. 11 Oklahoma State (9-2, 5-2), they are expected to move ahead of Texas, said Jerry Palm, an independent B.C.S. analyst.
But should Oklahoma lose at Oklahoma State and should Texas Tech win, the Red Raiders will win the division by virtue of their last-second 39-33 home victory against Texas on Nov. 1.
“The voters have a tough decision, because there’s a lot of really good football teams that are out there,” Brown said.
Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Texas does not plan to bombard voters in the coaches poll or the Harris poll with a last-minute campaign, said John Bianco, an athletic department spokesman. Instead, it will again send out its weekly e-mail release about its accomplishments, he said.
“This week will focus on where we think we should rank,” Bianco said.
Yet Texas’ fans did plenty of their own campaigning for their beloved Longhorns during Thursday night’s victory. Many had 45-35 signs, the score of Texas’ victory against Oklahoma on Oct. 11 in Dallas.
Some of the 8 ½-by-11-inch signs read, “Remember the Alamo and 45-35,” “Every Sooner prays no one remembers 45-35” and “Settle it on the field? 45-35 It’s Been Settled.” Another used the B.C.S. initials in its message: “Better Consider Scoreboard 45-35.”
Each of the signs was available at www.45-35.com. The 35 on those signs was in crimson, Oklahoma’s primary color.
Asked about the crowd’s 45-35 signs after his team’s victory, Brown quickly remarked that he agreed with them, prompting laughter from members of the news media.
“It cost me a lot of money to make all those signs,” Brown joked. “But I think that’s the deal. We won head-to-head. Again, I don’t want to make a big to-do out of it. Alabama and Florida get to play theirs off and the Big 12 South isn’t going to get to play it off. If that’s the case, the two highest ones have already played it off. That’s why I feel like we deserve to go.”
Matt Parks, creator of 45-35.com, said the Web site had received $7,500 in donations. Of that money, $1,850 was spent to print 20,000 signs that he and others distributed before Thursday night’s game.
Another $2,800 was used to hire a pilot to fly a banner that reads “45-35. Settled on a Neutral Field” over Stillwater, Okla., during ESPN’s live telecast of “College GameDay” on Saturday morning, Parks said. The remaining money will be donated to charity, he said.
“We’re just kind of hoping that it will remind everybody of what happened,” Parks, 21, a Texas senior from Houston who is majoring in government, said in a telephone interview. “It’s got better in the news media, but more and more, it seems that people don’t even remember the game.”
The Daily Texan, Texas’ student newspaper, printed 25,000 editions Wednesday with an orange-and-white insert with the 45-35 score. There is also a Facebook group with more than 17,000 members called, “Texas did beat OU 45-35, lest we forget.”
That certainly will not be forgotten by Brown and his Longhorns in the next three days. And while it may not help in the B.C.S. standings, they will be sure to mention it to any voter who will listen.
“I do think that if we go to the Big 12 championship,” Brown said, “it will probably be because we are a great football team and we did beat Oklahoma on a neutral site.”
By- Thayer Evans
Silicon Valley retailers are worried as holiday shopping season begins
In nearly 30 years as co-owner of Hicklebee's Books for children, Valerie Lewis has never had to slash prices in the weeks before Christmas.
But this year is different. The famous bookstore in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood is planning at least one sale, if not more, in coming weeks.
With the nation gripped in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, retailers like Lewis are having a hard time masking their fear.
"We'll try anything," said Lewis, who warmly greets each young customer like a grandchild. Indeed, her staff recently posted a video on YouTube to attract attention to the storied bookstore, which has been featured on the CBS "Early Show."
Up and down Willow Glen's Lincoln Avenue, dotted with small shops like Hicklebee's, business owners are nervously eyeing the trickle of customers walking through their doors.
"A restaurant owner asked me, 'Where are all the people?' " Lewis said. "No one knows what to expect. Everyone is worried. This is scary."
The holiday shopping season, which officially kicks off today, can be a make-or-break period for stores, representing as much as 40 percent of the year's total sales, according to the National Retail Federation.
"It's our bread and butter," Lewis said.
In recent years, some retailers offer what they hope are door-busting enticements during predawn openings. This year, stores are upping the ante to draw out reluctant shoppers.
The Great Mall in Milpitas, for instance, was to open at midnight Thanksgiving Day. During the first hour, the mall planned to hand out gift cards worth as much as $250 and other goodies, such as an Xbox 360. Stanford Shopping Center will give away Starbucks coffee and reusable shopping bags between 8 and 11:30 a.m. today. Gift cards worth at least $100 each will be awarded to random shoppers.
The holiday shopping season this year arrives as consumers are slamming shut their wallets. Tight credit, massive layoffs, plunging home values and plummeting consumer confidence have redefined the traditional "Black Friday" for retailers, large and small.
"Grieving Friday is what we are calling it," quipped Carmon Nicholls, Hicklebee's bookkeeper.
Earlier this week, the Commerce Department grimly reported that spending by individuals, which represents about two-thirds of the nation's economic activity, fell last quarter by $80 billion, or 3.7 percent, the most precipitous percentage drop in nearly 28 years. In October, consumer spending dropped by 1 percent, signaling that the economy could be even weaker during the fourth quarter.
"You are looking at the single greatest retail free-fall in 50 years," said Britt Beemer, retail industry analyst with America's Research Group. "I'm seeing things I've never seen before in my 29 years" as an analyst. "If you put Americans into survival mode, they can do without everything but food and gasoline. It's going to be tough."
Still, retailers like Hicklebee's could be in a better position to weather this storm than others, Beemer observed. "The guys who have done the best job building customer relations will win," he said.
The bookstore, for sure, sells more than books. In the back of the comfortably cluttered store are doors and walls covered with signatures and sketches of writers and illustrators — including J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" books, and cartoonist Jules Feiffer — who have visited the bookstore.
Employees, some of whom have worked there for decades, are experts in children's literature. The San Jose Unified School District relies on the store to find age-appropriate books. The staff specializes in answering the desperate calls of parents on the way to a child's birthday party. "We pick out a book, wrap it and meet them in the parking lot," Lewis said.
Nonetheless, Lewis scanned her store earlier this week with concern. For this time of year, the foot traffic was light.
The handful of shoppers who poked around Tuesday morning all said they were cutting back on holiday spending. Even those who haven't lost a job are re-evaluating their old shopping habits and embracing less materialistic ways to celebrate the season.
"Buying things just doesn't feel good," said Willow Glen resident Lori Lennox, who brought her 4-year-old son, Luke, to Hicklebee's. Her family is cutting back on gift giving, she added. "It feels far more responsible."
Despite the belt-tightening, Hicklebee's may fare better than some because books and other knickknacks won't break most budgets. And then there is the welcoming ambience that makes people want to hang out in the store.
"I love this store," Lennox said. "This place makes me feel special."
Ginny Ellis, who traveled from Belmont to shop at the bookstore, left with a bag of hand puppets and other gifts for her grandchildren at a total cost of $90.
"I'm happy to spend that in a place like this," she said.
By- John Bordreau
But this year is different. The famous bookstore in San Jose's Willow Glen neighborhood is planning at least one sale, if not more, in coming weeks.
With the nation gripped in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, retailers like Lewis are having a hard time masking their fear.
"We'll try anything," said Lewis, who warmly greets each young customer like a grandchild. Indeed, her staff recently posted a video on YouTube to attract attention to the storied bookstore, which has been featured on the CBS "Early Show."
Up and down Willow Glen's Lincoln Avenue, dotted with small shops like Hicklebee's, business owners are nervously eyeing the trickle of customers walking through their doors.
"A restaurant owner asked me, 'Where are all the people?' " Lewis said. "No one knows what to expect. Everyone is worried. This is scary."
The holiday shopping season, which officially kicks off today, can be a make-or-break period for stores, representing as much as 40 percent of the year's total sales, according to the National Retail Federation.
"It's our bread and butter," Lewis said.
In recent years, some retailers offer what they hope are door-busting enticements during predawn openings. This year, stores are upping the ante to draw out reluctant shoppers.
The Great Mall in Milpitas, for instance, was to open at midnight Thanksgiving Day. During the first hour, the mall planned to hand out gift cards worth as much as $250 and other goodies, such as an Xbox 360. Stanford Shopping Center will give away Starbucks coffee and reusable shopping bags between 8 and 11:30 a.m. today. Gift cards worth at least $100 each will be awarded to random shoppers.
The holiday shopping season this year arrives as consumers are slamming shut their wallets. Tight credit, massive layoffs, plunging home values and plummeting consumer confidence have redefined the traditional "Black Friday" for retailers, large and small.
"Grieving Friday is what we are calling it," quipped Carmon Nicholls, Hicklebee's bookkeeper.
Earlier this week, the Commerce Department grimly reported that spending by individuals, which represents about two-thirds of the nation's economic activity, fell last quarter by $80 billion, or 3.7 percent, the most precipitous percentage drop in nearly 28 years. In October, consumer spending dropped by 1 percent, signaling that the economy could be even weaker during the fourth quarter.
"You are looking at the single greatest retail free-fall in 50 years," said Britt Beemer, retail industry analyst with America's Research Group. "I'm seeing things I've never seen before in my 29 years" as an analyst. "If you put Americans into survival mode, they can do without everything but food and gasoline. It's going to be tough."
Still, retailers like Hicklebee's could be in a better position to weather this storm than others, Beemer observed. "The guys who have done the best job building customer relations will win," he said.
The bookstore, for sure, sells more than books. In the back of the comfortably cluttered store are doors and walls covered with signatures and sketches of writers and illustrators — including J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" books, and cartoonist Jules Feiffer — who have visited the bookstore.
Employees, some of whom have worked there for decades, are experts in children's literature. The San Jose Unified School District relies on the store to find age-appropriate books. The staff specializes in answering the desperate calls of parents on the way to a child's birthday party. "We pick out a book, wrap it and meet them in the parking lot," Lewis said.
Nonetheless, Lewis scanned her store earlier this week with concern. For this time of year, the foot traffic was light.
The handful of shoppers who poked around Tuesday morning all said they were cutting back on holiday spending. Even those who haven't lost a job are re-evaluating their old shopping habits and embracing less materialistic ways to celebrate the season.
"Buying things just doesn't feel good," said Willow Glen resident Lori Lennox, who brought her 4-year-old son, Luke, to Hicklebee's. Her family is cutting back on gift giving, she added. "It feels far more responsible."
Despite the belt-tightening, Hicklebee's may fare better than some because books and other knickknacks won't break most budgets. And then there is the welcoming ambience that makes people want to hang out in the store.
"I love this store," Lennox said. "This place makes me feel special."
Ginny Ellis, who traveled from Belmont to shop at the bookstore, left with a bag of hand puppets and other gifts for her grandchildren at a total cost of $90.
"I'm happy to spend that in a place like this," she said.
By- John Bordreau
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Bush's turkey pardon takes Pumpkin and Pecan off the menu this Thanksgiving
At least two frequent fliers will be getting a good deal on holiday travel and accommodations this Thanksgiving. Pumpkin and Pecan, the lucky turkeys whose lives were spared by the annual Thanksgiving presidential pardon Wednesday, will fly first-class on United Airlines to Los Angeles, where one of them will be grand marshal in Disneyland's Thanksgiving parade today. The pair will then take up residence in a turkey house in the amusement park's Frontierland.
"In recent weeks, I've talked a lot about sprinting to the finish," said President Bush, surrounded by pumpkins and cornstalks in Wednesday's Rose Garden ceremony. "Yet I've assured these turkeys they will not be trotting to their finish."The turkey pardon is a White House tradition that dates to the Truman administration. This year's duo received their names after an online vote on the White House website. Runners-up included Roost and Run and Yam and Jam."This is an election season," Bush said. "So it is fitting that the names of these two birds were chosen through the democratic process."
Pumpkin and the backup bird, Pecan -- whom the president joked was being held in an "undisclosed location" just in case "the main act chickens out" -- hail from Ellsworth, Iowa. They were chosen from more than 4,500 candidates based on their struts, wattles and personalities.In years past, the pardoned turkeys were sent to Frying Pan Farm Park, an animal sanctuary in Virginia, after the White House ceremony. Since Disney requested the birds for its 50th anniversary in 2005, however, they have been sent to the Golden State.
Leaders of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have objected to both locations. This Thanksgiving, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had a stern reminder for Bush. "You might be a lame duck," she wrote to him, "but you still have the power to help lame turkeys."Regardless of their ultimate destination, the birds usually do not roost for long -- bred to be eaten, their life spans are often short. But for the moment, Pumpkin and Pecan are perhaps the luckiest birds alive.
Bush left the ceremony after giving thanks to the troops, the American people and his family -- including his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who is doing well at a Houston hospital after surgery for a perforated ulcer. Bush is expected to spend the long weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. The menu will include cranberry sauce, buttered mashed potatoes and free-range roast turkey."He wasn't pardoning all turkeys; just those two," said White House spokesman Carlton Carroll.Dizikes is a writer in our Washington bureau.cynthia.dizikes@latimes.com
"In recent weeks, I've talked a lot about sprinting to the finish," said President Bush, surrounded by pumpkins and cornstalks in Wednesday's Rose Garden ceremony. "Yet I've assured these turkeys they will not be trotting to their finish."The turkey pardon is a White House tradition that dates to the Truman administration. This year's duo received their names after an online vote on the White House website. Runners-up included Roost and Run and Yam and Jam."This is an election season," Bush said. "So it is fitting that the names of these two birds were chosen through the democratic process."
Pumpkin and the backup bird, Pecan -- whom the president joked was being held in an "undisclosed location" just in case "the main act chickens out" -- hail from Ellsworth, Iowa. They were chosen from more than 4,500 candidates based on their struts, wattles and personalities.In years past, the pardoned turkeys were sent to Frying Pan Farm Park, an animal sanctuary in Virginia, after the White House ceremony. Since Disney requested the birds for its 50th anniversary in 2005, however, they have been sent to the Golden State.
Leaders of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have objected to both locations. This Thanksgiving, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk had a stern reminder for Bush. "You might be a lame duck," she wrote to him, "but you still have the power to help lame turkeys."Regardless of their ultimate destination, the birds usually do not roost for long -- bred to be eaten, their life spans are often short. But for the moment, Pumpkin and Pecan are perhaps the luckiest birds alive.
Bush left the ceremony after giving thanks to the troops, the American people and his family -- including his mother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who is doing well at a Houston hospital after surgery for a perforated ulcer. Bush is expected to spend the long weekend at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. The menu will include cranberry sauce, buttered mashed potatoes and free-range roast turkey."He wasn't pardoning all turkeys; just those two," said White House spokesman Carlton Carroll.Dizikes is a writer in our Washington bureau.cynthia.dizikes@latimes.com
WorldWinner Invites Game Lovers to "Play for Tots" This Holiday Season
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WorldWinner ( www.worldwinner.com), a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Entertainment Group (LMDIA:
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LMDIA 11.29, +0.30, +2.7%) , is a leading provider of online game competitions. It hosts competitions in some of the most popular casual games-including Solitaire, Bejeweled 2, Catch-21, Family Feud, SCRABBLE(R) Cubes, Wheel of Fortune and Cubis-in which players compete against one another for cash and prizes. WorldWinner's broad network of partner sites includes leading global brands, such as AOL Games, EA-Pogo, GSN.com, Lycos, MSN Games and MyPoints. WorldWinner has more than 30 million registered players worldwide.
About Toys for Tots
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 61st year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to economically disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy during the Christmas holiday season. Our gifts offer these children recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts we provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and recreational development of these children. In 2007, Marines distributed gifts to 7.5 million children in over 600 communities nationwide. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation relies on individual donations from the American public as well as support from national and local corporate sponsors.
PRESS RELEASE
WorldWinner Invites
About WorldWinner
WorldWinner ( www.worldwinner.com), a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Entertainment Group (LMDIA:
liberty media corp new ent com ser a
News, chart, profile, more
Last: 11.29+0.30+2.73%4:00pm 11/26/2008Delayed quote data
Add to portfolioAnalyst Create alert
InsiderDiscussFinancials
Sponsored by:
LMDIA 11.29, +0.30, +2.7%) , is a leading provider of online game competitions. It hosts competitions in some of the most popular casual games-including Solitaire, Bejeweled 2, Catch-21, Family Feud, SCRABBLE(R) Cubes, Wheel of Fortune and Cubis-in which players compete against one another for cash and prizes. WorldWinner's broad network of partner sites includes leading global brands, such as AOL Games, EA-Pogo, GSN.com, Lycos, MSN Games and MyPoints. WorldWinner has more than 30 million registered players worldwide.
About Toys for Tots
The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation is a not for profit organization authorized by the U.S. Marine Corps and the Department of Defense to provide fundraising and other necessary support for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. Now in its 61st year, Toys for Tots provides joy and a message of hope to economically disadvantaged children through the gift of a new toy during the Christmas holiday season. Our gifts offer these children recognition and a positive memory they will cherish for a lifetime. Many of the gifts we provide, such as books, games and sports equipment, make a significant contribution to the educational, social and recreational development of these children. In 2007, Marines distributed gifts to 7.5 million children in over 600 communities nationwide. The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation relies on individual donations from the American public as well as support from national and local corporate sponsors.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Mansfield's Comcast Center named nation's No. 1 venue
MANSFIELD - If you think the Comcast Center in Mansfield is the best place to watch an outdoor concert, you're not alone.The 19,900-seat venue off Route 140 won the prestigious honor of Amphitheater of the Year at the Billboard Magazine Touring Conference and Awards in New York. The award recognizes the nation's top-grossing amphitheater for the 2008 season."Driving sales this season were the most sold out shows the Comcast Center has presented in recent memory," Comcast Senior Vice President Dave Marsden said in a statement. "Ticket sales were up 50 percent from last year."Among this year's other highlights were:A higher per-show average attendance.
Dave Matthews performs during Farm Aid 2008, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 in Mansfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)The addition of 10 shows over 2007.Playing host to New England's first-ever Farm Aid concert as well as sold-out shows by Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty and Jimmy Buffett."The Comcast Center is one of the most uniquely beautiful amphitheaters in the country, which makes it an attractive venue for our loyal patrons to return to every summer season," Bruce Montgomery, general manager of the venue for the past 23 years, said in a statement."
As with most summers, we had an exceptional lineup of artists this year as well as our annual events including KISS 108's KISS Concert, WKLB 99.6's Country Fest, JAM'N 94.5's Summerjam which were all sell-outs."We were also very proud to host the first ever New England appearance of Farm Aid," he said.
Dave Matthews performs during Farm Aid 2008, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2008 in Mansfield, Mass. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole)The addition of 10 shows over 2007.Playing host to New England's first-ever Farm Aid concert as well as sold-out shows by Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, Tom Petty and Jimmy Buffett."The Comcast Center is one of the most uniquely beautiful amphitheaters in the country, which makes it an attractive venue for our loyal patrons to return to every summer season," Bruce Montgomery, general manager of the venue for the past 23 years, said in a statement."
As with most summers, we had an exceptional lineup of artists this year as well as our annual events including KISS 108's KISS Concert, WKLB 99.6's Country Fest, JAM'N 94.5's Summerjam which were all sell-outs."We were also very proud to host the first ever New England appearance of Farm Aid," he said.
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