by Nick Thomas If you think animated music videos aren't cool, you probably haven't caught Yannick Puig's I lived on the Moon, yet. Blogger's around the world are raving over this ethereal, black and white fantasy video, set to the music of new French band, Kwoon. The video had been viewed some hundreds of thousands of times, according to Puig, a French computer-graphic artist now living in Valencia, Spain (see www.yanim.net). Puig's curious lunar world inhabited by jellyfish, manta rays, flying snakes and three-tailed monkeys is based on the lyrics of Kwoon band leader, Sandy Lavallart, who spins a magical tale about a father teaching his son to pursue his dreams. Puig added his own touch, lifting images from a fantasy comic book he... more

Manhattan Beach, Calif. - Chevron Products Company, a dedicated supporter of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD), recently presented MBUSD with a gift of $70,000. "In these difficult times, we are more fortunate than ever to have corporate partners like Chevron to support the enhancement of science and math programs that directly impact students," said MBUSD Superintendent Bev Rohrer. "With greatly reduced federal and state funding, we wouldn't be able to make these improvements in instruction and curriculum delivery without this generous donation from Chevron." This year, educators throughout California have experienced extensive mid-year cuts to make up for state budget shortfalls. In the midst of this bleak economic... more

'Sister cities' twins Santa Cruz de California with one of the most important cities in the Atlantic. Young Spanish artists from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, located in the Canary Islands, will show their work in three Californian galleries. The art exhibition 'Sister Cities', promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands, in Spain, will visit three of the most important art galleries in Santa Cruz de California: Lulu's@MAH; Porter Faculty Gallery and Felix Kulpa Gallery and will be opened to the public for one month. This multidisciplinary exhibition, which includes sculpture, photography, painting and video, shows how science influences in our view of the world through art and affects personal habits. In excha... more

U.S. EPA fines Long Beach landlord $7,952 over lead-based paint violations Landlord cooperated with the investigation. LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has fined a Long Beach, Calif., property owner $7,952 for allegedly violating federal lead-based paint disclosure requirements at six rental properties located at 1444 Chestnut Ave. During a routine inspection in 2005, the EPA discovered that residential property owner James Williams failed to disclose whether reports about lead-based paint or lead hazards existed for his apartment complex prior to tenants signing lease agreements which was in violation of the federally regulated Toxic Substances Control Act. "This action confirms EPA's commitment to... more

U.S. EPA directs Chevron subsidiary Texaco Inc. to complete cleanup work investigation at Pacific Coast Pipeline Superfund site. LOS ANGELES ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a Unilateral Administrative Order to Texaco Inc. that requires the company to assess soil and groundwater contamination and evaluate additional cleanup options, for the Pacific Coast Pipeline Superfund Site (commonly known as the "Texaco site") in Fillmore, Calif. "With this UAO, EPA looks forward to moving the Site cleanup into its final phase, so the property can be returned to productive reuse by the community," said Keith Takata, Director of the Superfund program in EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. "This cooperative effort builds on pr... more

USC THORNTON OPERA PROGRAM PRESENTS FOUR PERFORMANCES OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN'S COMEDIC OPERA ALBERT HERRING CONDUCTED BY BRENT MCMUNN AND DIRECTED BY KEN CAZAN. Thursday, November 19 - Sunday, November 22, 2009, at USC's Bing Theatre The acclaimed USC Opera Program presents four performances of Benjamin Britten's comedic gem Albert Herring, conducted by Brent McMunn and directed by Ken Cazan, Thursday, November 19 through Sunday, November 22, 2009, at USC's Bing Theatre. The production features members of USC Thornton Opera Program and the USC Thornton Chamber Orchestra. Britten's comedic opera, set in the 1919 post-World War I British countryside, is an affectionate study of what happens when social mores meet post war deprivation... more

LOS ANGELES CHILDREN'S CHORUS, LED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ANNE TOMLINSON, ANNOUNCES 2009-10 SEASON, ENTITLED "BOUNDLESS". Highlights Include Jacaranda Debut, Broad Stage Debut, Participation in LA Phil's "West Coast/Left Coast" Festival and Orchestra's U.S. Premiere of Louis Andriessen's La Commedia, Performance of St. Matthew Passion with LA Master Chorale, and Appearance with Pasadena Pops Orchestra. Choir Also Hosts State-Wide Choral Festival with Famed Venezuelan Choral Conductor Maria Guinand; Launches "Emerging Voices" Choir, Directed by Dr. Steven Kronauer, One of Very Few Choirs for Boys with Changed Voices in the Nation; Expands Children's Vocal Training Programs Outside of Pasadena Area in Partnership with Established Educa... more

Vehicle was found inside of a container bound to Europe. LOS ANGELES — As a result of an outbound operation at the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials seized a 1965 Volkswagen Bus which was reported stolen in Spokane, WA more than 35 years ago. On October 19, CBP officers assigned to the Los Angeles/Long Beach seaport complex while examining a container scheduled to be exported to the Netherlands discovered the vehicle. After running the VIN number on a law enforcement database, CBP officers discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen as per the Spokane Police Department in July 12, 1974. CBP officers contacted state authorities who confirmed that the 1965 Volkswagen Bus... more

GRINCH BEGINS STEALING CHRISTMAS NEXT WEEK AT PANTAGES THEATRE! BROADWAY'S HOLIDAY HIT CELEBRATES LOS ANGELES PREMIERE NOVEMBER 10, 2009 - JANUARY 3, 2010 STARRING JOHN LARROQUETTE AS "OLD MAX" AND STEFAN KARL AS "THE GRINCH" Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical, the critically acclaimed, record-breaking Broadway production, begins performances this Tuesday, November 10 at the Pantages Theatre. The show is celebrating its Los Angeles premiere with a limited holiday engagement through January 3, 2010. These dates include seven lower priced previews. Leading the company for this Los Angeles premiere is five-time Emmy. Winner John Larroquette as "Old Max" and Nickelodeon star Stef.n Karl as "The Grinch". Ticke... more

Saturday, November 14, 2009, 2 P.M., at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica LACC is Only Children's Choir Selected to Participate in Festival. The renowned Los Angeles Children's Chorus (LACC), conducted by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, explores the works of noted California composers John Adams, Paul Gibson, Brian Holmes, David Conte and others in a special matinee concert - which is part of the LA Phil's much-heralded "West Coast, Left Coast" music festival - on Saturday, November 14, 2009, 2:00 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica. LACC holds the distinction of being the only children's choir selected to perform in the orchestra's pioneering festival. Los Angeles Times Architecture Critic and pop culture... more

Debut Single "Fireflies" A Multi-format Smash; Universal Republic Album Ocean Eyes Leaps From #20 To #8 On Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. Minnesota Newcomer Hailed As Grassroots Artist Development Story Of Year. New York, NY - Universal Republic Records' basement launched phenomenon Owl City scored the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart this week, following up his #1 single score on iTunes last week with the smash hit "Fireflies." The song is breaking boundaries at radio as it forges toward the upper tier at Top 40 and Hot AC formats along with impressive showings at Alternative, Triple A, and Rhythm Crossover. Combining this impressive radio story, a #1 song in North America, a sold out tour and huge sales are all parts ... more

Madera, CA ... Dr. Aaron Reitman, a pediatric resident at the UC San Francisco-Fresno program at Children's Hospital Central California, recently won the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) "Best Abstract for Physician in Training Award." His research focused on procalcitonin as a biomarker for bacteremia in pediatric patients with a fever and abnormally low white blood cell count. Results of Dr. Reitman's blind study with about 400 pediatric oncology and Emergency Department patients at Children's Hospital show that procalcitonin is an effective tool to quickly distinguish whether a patient has a viral or more serious, and sometimes life-threatening, bacterial infection. Results also indicate that procalcitonin was superior to the mor... more

Say not-for-profit puts profits over patients, employees. San Francisco ... Hundreds of hospital workers from St. Luke's Hospital ... a campus of one of Sutter Health's most successful medical centers ... picketed to draw attention to Sutter Health's Wall Street mentality and to call for a return to Sutter's guiding principles of patient care and being a responsible employer. In the second quarter of 2009 Sutter reported a net income of $281 million. This was a $100 million increase from the same quarter last year. Additionally, their investment income for the second quarter was $143 million, up $185 million from the same quarter last year. Despite these impressive numbers, Sutter purports to be a not-for-profit organization. ... more

Concert Is Culmination of Week-Long Residency by Rilling, Who also Leads Two Conducting Masterclasses and Conducts USC Choral Artists for First Time in 8 Years: Friday, November 13, 2009, 7:30 P.M., at USC's Bovard Auditorium. Internationally acclaimed conductor and Bach specialist Helmuth Rilling will direct the USC Thornton Choral Artists and the USC Thornton Symphony in one of the unparalleled musical contributions of all time, Bach's B Minor Mass, on Friday, November 13, 2009, 7:30 P.M., at USC's Bovard Auditorium. The concert, which is part of USC Thornton's ongoing 125th Anniversary celebration, is the culmination of a weeklong residency at USC by Rilling, who also leads two conducting masterclasses. This marks the first time R... more

SAG Awards. will be Simulcast on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010. Los Angeles ... The deadline for consideration for nomination for this year's Actors. is fast approaching. Submissions for the 16th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. must be filed by Wednesday Oct. 28, 2009 at 5 p.m. (PT) . Submissions can be accepted online at www.sagawards.org/submissions.htm or downloaded from the SAG Awards Web site and faxed to (323) 549-6706. The Screen Actors Guild Award—The Actor.—is presented for outstanding performances in motion pictures and primetime television. Actors may submit their own performances from 2009 for consideration in categories of the actor's choosing. With the actor... more

Railway to pay $5000, donate $20,700 mercury analyzer. LOS ANGELES ... Under the terms of a settlement between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the GATX Corporation, the railway will pay a $5000 penalty and donate a $20,700 mercury analyzer for failing to immediately notify authorities of the 2008 release of ammonia at their Colton, Calif. rail car repair facility. According to the EPA, based on information received from the San Bernardino Certified Unified Program Agency, the California Emergency Management Agency and the National Response Center, the GATX Corporation delayed reporting the release of 250 pounds of ammonia from a rail car repair facility on Sept. 9, 2008, which was caused when an employee faile... more

NASHVILLE - Wake up with CMA Awards hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood when they perform on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday, Nov. 10 live from Nashville on the ABC Television Network. The "Good Morning America" concert is free and open to the public. The event takes place on the Sommet Center's outside plaza at the corner of Broadway and Fifth Avenue in Nashville and is presented by Chevrolet. ABC's "Good Morning America" will ramp up the excitement leading to "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," airing Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) live from the Sommet Center. "We can't imagine a better way to jump start the excitement leading up to the CMA Awards than to have our hosts Brad and Carrie perform on 'Good Morning America... more

Oak Glen - Rileys at Los Rios Rancho pays tribute to tradition with its 6th annual Apple Butter Festival Thanksgiving weekend, November 27th, 28th, and 29th, 2009. Pioneer families made a custom of gathering in late fall to cook up apple butter from the last of the season's crop. It was a practical way to preserve the apples throughout the year and a pleasurable way to promote community spirit. Families are invited to come up and share in this fine old tradition, which includes a hands-on demonstration of apple butter making the old-time (and slow!) way - outdoors in a big copper kettle. Guests can learn how to "start the snits" and "add the money," plus enjoy pioneer crafts and games, music, carriage rides, and lots more. E... more

Employees at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose reach agreement with higher wages, better benefits. San Jose, CA ... Hospital workers at five Daughters of Charity Hospitals ... including O'Connor Hospital in San Jose ... are voting today and tomorrow on a new contract that improves their wages and benefits and maintains high standards for patient care. The agreement was negotiated by the 34 union members who serve on the union bargaining team. Itwill cover the nearly 2,500 members of the Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers ... West (SEIU-UHW) who work at the five facilities in a variety of positions, including respiratory care practitioners, certified nursing assistants, licensed vocational nurses, radiolog... more

THE $20,000 GRAND PRIZE GOES TO DANIEL RAGUSSIS FOR "FREUD". Los Angeles — The 2009 Screenwriting Expo concluded Sunday October 17th at the Wilshire Grand Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, capping off four days of master classes and Guests of Honor sessions with some of the biggest names in the business including John Cleese and William Goldman, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orsi, Deborah Spera, Shane Black, Mike Medavoy and Anthony Zuiker, amongst others. In addition, the Golden Pitch Fest featured three days of back-to back screenplay pitching in a room full of Hollywood agents, producers and executives. Highlighting the art of the screenplay, Creative Screenwriting contests distributed over $30,000 in cash plus prizes and services to... more

First-Time CMA Award Nominee Randy Houser Joins Brett James, Rivers Rutherford and Victoria Shaw at Limelight. NASHVILLE - The tremendously popular CMA Songwriters Series will pave the way to "Country Music's Biggest NightT" with a show at Nashville's Limelight on Tuesday, Nov. 10 (9:30 PM/CT). The series, which has played to sell-out shows in New York City for the past five years and recently held performances in Los Angeles and Chicago, comes home to Nashville on the night prior to "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards." It features many of Music City's most talented songwriters as well as artist/songwriters. Known for its intimate setting, CMA Songwriters Series allows fans to hear the songs by the people who wrote them. In addition, the ... more

Rancho Santa Fe, CA ... Rick Hyra, 28, has come to Rancho Santa Fe to join Delicias Restaurant as their new Sous Chef. A 2003 graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyra hails most recently as one of Gordon Ramsey's Sous Chefs at The London in West Hollywood. Prior, he spent two and a half years at Santa Monica's La Cachette under French Master Chef Jean Francois Meteigner. Five years in Boston gave him experience with innovative contemporary leader Executive Chef Eric Brennan at Excelsior and Harvest. Working in close proximity to Chino Farms has given Hyra the opportunity to create fresh, seasonal dishes using the abundant variety of vegetables and fruits. Rancho Santa Fe's coastal location also affords him excellent seaf... more

Protests at Reno/Sparks labs Friday, and facilities across nation oppose primate experiments; Abuse could invalidate tests, and cost taxpayers $1 billion. RENO ... A year after it was revealed that 32 monkeys were cooked to death in a laboratory here, a protest targeting that company will be held Friday, part of demonstrations in more than two dozen cities opposing the use of non-human primates in laboratory experiments. Opponents are supported by reports that violence in labs to non-human privates is invalidating research. The demonstration will be held FRIDAY, Oct. 23, at 10 a.m. at Charles River Laboratories (Maestro Dr. & Longley Lane), sponsored by the Northern Nevada Animal Alliance. It was Charles River ... with facilities... more

This fall (now!), three of the most popular bands in metal are co-headlining a 34-city North American tour as critically acclaimed Bay Area power trio HIGH ON FIRE teams up with Atlanta.s Mastodon and Dethklok in one of the most highly-anticipated tours of the year. The Adult Swim Presents tour kicked off on October 2 in Portland, OR. and is bringing mayhem and destruction to local venues throughout the nation. Universally recognized as one of the most potent acts in music today, HIGH ON FIRE creates "bad-ass" modern metal that merges primal fury and aggression, skyscraping riff explosions and hesher bombast with a monolithic heaviness. Described as "a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume and sheer heaviness," HIGH ON FIRE has bur... more

Electrifying hard rock band PRIESTESS has signed to NYC's Tee Pee Records. The Montreal-based group will issue its highly-anticipated sophomore album Prior to the Fire in February, 2010. Recorded in Los Angeles with producer David Schiffman (System of a Down, Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails), Prior to the Fire underlines PRIESTESS' hard-hitting songwriting, memorable hooks and earth-shaking ability to rock. With a sound built upon a resolute sense of purpose and shaped by hundreds of explosive live shows, PRIESTESS' Prior to the Fire is an electric recording, bringing to light a colorful pool of both creativity and innovation. The long-awaited follow up to 2006's critically acclaimed debut Hello Master, Prior to the Fire sees PRIESTESS ... more

DAVIS, CA ... The University of California, Davis is the focus of a major federal complaint charging it and two other nationally known university research centers have killed dozens of primates through traumatic injuries, veterinary negligence and other violations. The others are the University of Michigan and University of Louisiana/New Iberia. A protest will be held today at the UCD Quad (1 Shields Ave.), sponsored by SAEN, an Ohio-based animal research watchdog group. SAEN said UC Davis is responsible for the deaths of at least 14 monkeys over an 11-month period from June of 2008 to April of this year, and that the deaths violated federal law. The primate center at UC Davis has been cited several times after monkeys were killed in ... more

A recent message from Seattle punk/metal monarchs, THE ACCUSED: "The members and crew of THE ACCUSED wish to say, 'Thanks!' to all the loyal, diehard Splatter Heads we got to play for and hang out with during our recent western US tour which began late September and wrapped up October 18th in Santa Cruz, CA. THE ACCUSED would also like to give a special toast to all the new Splatter Heads just joining us! Welcome aboard, folks! You now have Martha Splatterhead on your side, and that's much better than having her as an enemy -- believe us! ALSO: A very important update regarding the Municipal Waste 2009 tour. Due to scheduling conflicts THE ACCUSED were forced to drop off as support act during one leg of the Municipal Waste US/Canadia... more

CARSON CITY, NV -- Personhood Nevada is pleased to announce yesterday's filing of a citizen-led initiative to amend the Constitution of the State of Nevada, the proposed Amendment reads as follows: "In the great state of Nevada, the term 'person' applies to every human being. "Article I Section 8 of the Nevada constitution states, 'No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.'" Currently some Nevadans are deprived of their inalienable civil rights, specifically their fundamental right to live, due to an arbitrary and discriminatory distinction between person and human being. "While the state has no authority to grant inalienable rights, it has the obligation to protect them," stated Ri... more

Santa Monica, Calif. - In support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and to help raise money for Making Strides against Breast Cancer, all Salon Vivace locations will be selling their own line of pink nail polish in various shades. $2 from each bottle sold will be donated to breast cancer research. This nail polish can be purchased now at any of their locations throughout the month of October. The staff at Salon Vivace have been big supporters for the fight against breast cancer. Many of their clients and staff have had a friend or family member who has battled through this disease. Some can proudly proclaim themselves survivors while others are continuously remembered for their fight. At Salon Vivace, the fight against breast ... more

Portland, Ore. — Portland State University's MBA program has been ranked 25th on a list of the Top 100 business schools in the world, according to 2009-2010 edition of Beyond Grey Pinstripes magazine. Along with programs at Stanford, UC Berkley, and Yale, Portland State has demonstrated significant leadership in integrating social, environmental and ethical issues into its MBA program. "The Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes ranking confirms our leadership in providing innovative, sustainability-inspired business education. We continue to support our faculty in their research and teaching and are committed to providing the highest quality, most progressive educational experience to our students," states Scott Marshall, Associ... more

NASHVILLE - The Country Music Association held the annual Board of Directors election meeting in Nashville this week. The new Board year does not begin until Jan. 1, 2010. Taking over as President of the Board is Steve Buchanan, President Grand Ole Opry Group. Buchanan, who is currently President-Elect of the CMA Board, joined the Board in 2003 and has served as a committee chair for several years including his current role as chair of the TV Marketing Strategies Committee. "I hoped that someday I would have the opportunity to serve as President or Chairman of the Board," said Buchanan. "I would say that I only recently understood the overall complexity of that responsibility and the many aspects that go into making this organization... more

NASHVILLE - The star-packed lineup for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards" grows even stronger with the announcement today that Dave Matthews will join previously announced performer Kenny Chesney on "Country Music's Biggest Night(tm)." Other performers already announced include Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Billy Currington, Vince Gill and Daughtry, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, George Strait, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Zac Brown Band. "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," hosted by Paisley and Underwood, airs live from the Sommet Center in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 11 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. Chesney and Matthews will perform "I'm Alive," ... more

Works by Ruscha and Warhol to Highlight Fall Auction of Fine Prints in November. International auctioneers Bonhams & Butterfields is pleased to offer Fine Prints on November 3, 2009. Simulcast between the San Francisco and Los Angeles salesrooms, the auction will feature a diverse selection of old master, modern, contemporary prints and multiples ranging from the Renaissance to the Present and include works by masters of the craft such as John James Audubon, Georges Braque, Winslow Homer, Henri Matisse, Edward Ruscha, Andy Warhol and James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Highlighting the 300 lot fall auction is an important mid-century screen print by American Artist Edward Ruscha. Titled Standard Station (E. 5), 1966, the work depicts a... more

Los Angeles - The Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (LALCV) has endorsed Andre Quintero as the next Mayor of El Monte. Quintero is running for Mayor in the upcoming November 3, 2009 election. "Andre impressed the LALCV board with his knowledge of environmental issues and his commitment to helping the City of El Monte through its current major fiscal crisis," said Mitchell Schwartz, President of the LALCV Board. "We are pleased to be able to support his candidacy." Quintero has served as a Trustee at the Rio Hondo Community College District since 2001. He is also a criminal prosecutor for the City of Los Angeles. For the past eight years, Quintero has been working to increase the number of students transferring from R... more

On October 13th, the 84th birthday of legendary icon Lenny Bruce, there will be an auction of rare memorabilia consisting of more than 25 items from his Estate, overseen by his daughter, Kitty Bruce. The auction is being held to raise funds for Lenny's House, a non-profit recovery house for women healing from drug and alcohol addictions. Among the items going up for auction are Bruce family photos, personal letters, a typewriter from his early years, his bedroom set and one of his trademark trench coats which he was so famous for being arrested in. This is the first time the Estate has ever auctioned off any of its items. Bidding for the internet based auction will start on Tuesday, October 13th and conclude on Wed... more

ST. LOUIS - Anna Zatonskih clinched her second consecutive U.S. Women's Chess championship by defeating Sabina Foisor in round eight of the 2009 event at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. With one round remaining, she has acquired a near-perfect 7.5 out of 8 points and will win the record $15,000 first prize. No other woman has more than 5.5 points so Tuesday's final round will be for posterity, not place. Zatonskih, of Long Island, N.Y., said she will still try hard. "It doesn't feel right to win the championship and lose the last round," she said. Zatonskih also earned an automatic qualification to the 2010 U.S. Women's Chess Championship. She said she was nervous today for the first time all tournament, know... more

Mid-Race Incident Yields Disappointing Finish In ARCA Finale. ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina - Garnishing a lot of attention with his pink No. 60 Buffalo Wings & Rings-Kimmie Cares Toyota Camry at Rockingham Speedway, Patrick Sheltra and his Sheltra Motorsports team had high hopes for Sunday's ARCA RE/MAX American 200 but a mid race incident with another driver forced an early exit and a disappointing 38th place finish in the final event of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. While the first race at Rockingham Speedway this season was by all accounts a success, the second ... well, is one the team would like to forget about. Bringing back a Toyota Camry as its primary manufacturer for the season finale, the veteran Kentuc... more

Los Angeles — Screen Actors Guild members, SAG's National LGBT Actors Committee, and SAG staff marched with thousands of activists from around the country today in Washington D.C. as part of the National Equality March, which coincided with National Coming Out Day. The march served as a call to action for a new generation of activists to join the movement in bringing full equality to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans and their families in all 50 states. Among the federal issues at stake are employment, military and immigration discrimination, as well as the repeal of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. "Screen Actors Guild has been a leader in advocating for equality for all of our members and toda... more

ST. LOUIS - Top-seeded Anna Zatonskih moved one step closer to winning the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship by defeating third-seeded Rusudan Goletiani, of Hartsdale, N.Y., in round seven. The nine-round tournament is being held at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis. Zatonskih, of Long Island, N.Y., remains one point ahead of her nearest rival, Camilla Baginskaite of Sioux Falls, S.D., who kept pace by winning her game. Zatonskih is trying to win the tournament by leading wire to wire. She has six wins and one draw and if she is able to win her final two games she will equal the lofty winning score of 8.5 out of 9, turned in by Irina Krush in 1998. Zatonskih has already beaten Krush, her closest rival, in roun... more

ROCKINGHAM, North Carolina - Even though Patrick Sheltra was only able to maneuver his No. 60 Buffalo Wings & Rings-Kimmie Cares Toyota Camry to the 24th fastest time in the ARCA RE/MAX Series practice session Saturday afternoon, the Sheltra Motorsports team is feeling very confident about their racecar for tomorrow's ARCA RE/MAX American 200, the season finale for the 58-year old tour. For the second time this season, the Whitesville, Kentucky based operation pulled out a Toyota Camry as its primary manufacturer of choice for the second event at "The Rock" this season. Earlier this year, the team purchased the Japanese branded Camry from Germain Racing through its Hattori Racing Enterprises outfit. The team debuted the machine at M... more

Allow us to introduce you to People & Things - the wonderful new opus from Zeep, aka London-based musicians Nina Miranda and Chris Franck. Together they have crafted a fresh, immediate pop album that dips its elegant toes into every musical pool they have previously explored as Smoke City and Da Lata, as well as embark onto exciting new waters. The soaring confidence of a band on peak form is perhaps at its most evident on a daring Brazilian folk rewiring of the Specials' classic "Ghost Town", which retains the British pop and Jamaican reggae influences of the original, but, with words rewritten in Portuguese, reapplies its anger and ominousness to inner city tensions in modern-day Rio. Zeep's "Ghost Town" has already been given the gre... more

NASHVILLE - During Thursday's CMA Board of Directors meetings, the organization's president Steve Moore surprised CMA Board member and former President/Chairman Clarence Spalding by presenting him with the CMA President's Award, which is given annually at the discretion of the President of the Board. Moore praised the leadership, creative thinking and hours of dedication that Spalding has devoted to the Association during his years of volunteer service to the CMA Board of Directors. "Clarence's contributions to CMA have been meaningful, long-lasting, and undeniable" said Moore. "But on a personal level, Clarence has been a treasured colleague, offering me valuable advice and insight into a very challenging job during a turbulent ti... more

. A Lake Elsinore man who lost his hand in an improvised explosion device (IED) is being held in custody today after he went to a hospital emergency room with his hand blown off. His brother and mother have been arrested on suspicion of making explosives and child endangerment, a Riverside county sheriff's sergeant said. The allegations stem from explosives found at the family's home, where the mother ran a licensed daycare facility, said sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez. Benjamin Kuzelka, 23, walked into a hospital and told emergency personnel that he had shot his own hand, said sheriff's Sgt. Gutierrez. An examination of the wound determined it was not consistent with a gunshot, and Kuzelka later told deputies that he had be... more

DIMENTIANON has announced that they have been selected as the opening act for the New York date of Marduk's upcoming US tour! The tour - featuring Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil, in addition to Marduk of course - hits NYC's Grammercy Theater on December 16th, with DIMENTIANON leading of the night's chaos. Additionally, DIMENTIANON's new line-up is complete, joining the remaining members Greg L.(Guitar) and M.(vocals), are Zoltan V. (Lead Guitar), Maureen M.(Bass), and Pete C.(Drums). The band is currently finishing writing the material for the next full-length on a to-be-determined label. Songs set to appear on the album include: A Credit to Dementia, The Forgotten, Undying Bliss, Breathe Deep, A Dirge to the Dea... more

ST. LOUIS - At the dawn of the tournament's only rest day, the fifth round of the 2009 U.S. Women's Championship on Friday at the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, gave every player both added incentive to fight hard and a reason to be nervous. After many careful calculations, all 10 participants found themselves low on time and close to forfeiture, with several women within 10 seconds of losing by not making the required 40 moves in the first two hours. In the end, all boards cleared the time hurdle, and a hectic scramble gave way to a clearer picture of who has the best chance to win. Defending champion and pre-round leader Anna Zatonskih, of Long Island, N.Y., won her fourth match in five rounds (the other was a dra... more

California technical death/grind four-piece EMBRYONIC DEVOURMENT are in the final stages of their next full-length album titled, Vivid Enterpretations Of The Void. The follow-up to their Fear of Reality Exceeds Fantasy 2007 debut, Vivid Enterpretations Of The Void is based the Reptilian Agenda, a theory researched, written and spoken about extensively by British author/reporter/former pro football player David Icke for well over a decade. "This is basically our whole theme and platform for the new release; the theory that a reptillian race controls our world," elaborates bassist/vocalist Austin Spence. "The reptilians need the menstrual blood of a virgin in order to keep their human form. These are the same gods that the Aztecs and Egyptia... more

George Stanley and cousins suspected of scamming and drugging elderly man. SACRAMENTO ... Just eight days after pleading "no contest" to one felony count of grand theft by false pretenses here in California, paving scam suspect George Stanley is behind bars in Pennsylvania. After Stanley.s no contest plea on September 30, 2009, in Tulare County, his bail was reduced to $20,000. His "no bail" arrest warrant from the state of Pennsylvania was reduced to $100,000. Stanley, 29, from Moosup, Connecticut, made both bails and was released from custody last Friday, October 2, 2009. This morning Stanley turned himself in to authorities in Chester County, Pennsylvania, on the Pennsylvania warrant, which alleges: >> Theft by Unlawful... more

KANSAS CITY, Kansas - Patrick Sheltra's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) debut at Kansas Speedway was cut prematurely short in Saturday's Kansas Lottery 300 after contact on the first lap with another competitor resulted in a 37th place finish in the No. 81 Buffalo Wings & Rings-MC2 Energy Drink Dodge Charger. Reuniting with MacDonald Motorsports for the 29th race of the season, Sheltra had hopes of improving on a solid run at Daytona International Speedway in July that was also cut short after Sheltra was gobbled up in a multi-car incident. After finishing 11th in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Kansas Lottery 150 on Thursday afternoon, the Indiantown, Florida native was looking to secure his first top-20 finish in his fourth career... more

An Atheist public policy organization has called for elimination of requirements in Senate legislation which would reimburse faith-based "healers" for their services. The Senate Finance Committee has taken up the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009 which has an amendment titled "Religious Non-discrimination in Healthcare. The provision bans insurance companies from denying patients "benefits for religious or spiritual healthcare. Similar legislation, the Affordable Health Choices Act, has already cleared the U.S. Senate, and has a similar provision. Dr. Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists, warned that the measure amounts to a public subsidy for certain religious groups. "Any adult in the legislative or executive bran... more

Southern California company faces $2500 fine. LOS ANGELES ... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Orange County Ice, doing business as Artesia Ice, $2,500 for releasing 4,500 pounds of ammonia into the air at its former Artesia, Calif., ice production plant in 2007. According to the EPA, on December 18, 2007, Orange County Ice accidentally released approximately 4,500 pounds of ammonia to the air. However, Orange County Ice did not notify the National Response Center until May 27, 2008. The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act requires that releases be immediately reported to the proper authorities to ensure the appropriate response to spills and releases. Soon after ... more