Monday 23 June 2008

Wolfram Spyra and Chris Lang

Wolfram Spyra and Chris Lang   
Artist: Wolfram Spyra and Chris Lang

   Genre(s): 
Ambient
   



Discography:


Achtundsechzig 24: Live At Toskana-Therme   
 Achtundsechzig 24: Live At Toskana-Therme

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 2




 






Monday 16 June 2008

Newman's friend confirms cancer rumours

Actor Paul Newman told friends as far back as 18 months ago that he was battling cancer but has remained energetic and active in charity work, a friend and business associate said.

Writer AE Hotchner, who co-founded Newman's Own food products with the actor, told Reuters that Newman, 83, was doing fine as of two weeks ago. Asked if Newman had cancer, Hotchner said "he made it known to a lot of his friends".

Hotchner, who lives near Newman and his wife, actress Joanne Woodward, in Westport, Connecticut, said he did not know what type of cancer Newman had because "I don't believe it's any of my business, and I don't want to get into it."

The widely acclaimed actor of films such as The Color of Money and The Sting responded to a flurry of unconfirmed media reports that he was gravely ill with cancer by issuing a terse statement saying he was "doing nicely".

His Los Angeles-based spokesman Jeff Sanderson declined to elaborate and was not immediately available to comment.

According to numerous reports, Newman has been diagnosed with lung cancer and was undergoing outpatient treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. A spokeswoman for Sloan-Kettering has said she had no information about whether Newman was a patient there.

Last month, Newman stepped down as director of a stage play of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men at the Westport Country Playhouse in Connecticut, citing unspecified health issues. The blue-eyed star announced just over a year ago he was retiring from a half-century career in acting because of his age.

STILL 'ENERGETIC'

Hotchner said Newman remains involved in his charitable Hole In the Wall Gang Camp for children with cancer. Two weeks ago Newman auctioned off items at an event in Connecticut to raise money for the camps.

"He was there and energetic," Hotchner said, adding that he sees Newman about every two weeks.

"He's an automobile racer, he's always willing to get out there and hit the pack," Hotchner said. "He has all kinds of projects. He's busy with the camp."

The actor used profits from Newman's Own to found the camps, which are named after a gang of outlaws in his 1969 movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Since its creation in 1982, Newman's Own, which makes salad dressings, sauces and other food products, has donated more than $US200 million to charity.

Newman, who appeared in some 60 movies, first made his name portraying brooding characters in films like Cat On a Hot Tin Roof and Hud.

But he enhanced his superstar status later by playing winking rogues and anti-heroes - such as the title character in "Cool Hand Luke," a bankrobber in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and a suave con man in The Sting.

He has earned nine Academy Award nominations but his only Oscar win was for best actor in the 1986 film The Color of Money, portraying the same pool shark, Fast Eddie Felson, he had played when he was nominated in 1961 for The Hustler.

His last movie part was a voice-over role in the 2006 animated film Cars.





See Also

Friday 6 June 2008

Universal Music Group (UMG) and PluggedIn Partner to Bring Fans HD Music Videos Via New Entertainment Site

Site to Feature Videos by Such Chart-Topping Artists as Kanye West, Gwen
Stefani, Eminem, Rihanna, Feist and Lifehouse, among others

LOS ANGELES, and NEW YORK, April 16 -- Universal Music
Group (UMG), the world's leading music company, and PluggedIn
(http://www.pluggedin.com), announced today an agreement whereby PluggedIn
users will have access to thousands of high-definition quality videos from
UMG's extensive roster of chart-topping artists covering every genre of
music.

PluggedIn is powered by an innovative new media player that supports
high-definition full-screen video playback with no buffering and DVD like
controls, a multimedia search engine and fan centric social networking
applications. PluggedIn's Media Player delivers a smooth, uninterrupted,
full screen viewing experience and enables fans to watch stunning, HD
quality music videos from their favorite artists. Videos are encoded for
multiple bandwidths (dial-up, wireless and broadband) and DVD type controls
allow for instant playback and skipping around. At PluggedIn.com, music
lovers can discover new music, get recommendations to artists, videos, and
to other fans, and click into the PluggedIn Media Stream -- a real-time,
voyeur's view of the activity of tastemakers and fans. On PluggedIn, the
community drives all the ranking and presentation of videos, artists,
playlists and fans.

"With more and more consumers discovering and enjoying music videos
online, we are confident that fans and artists will embrace the engaging
product the PluggedIn team has put together," stated Rio Caraeff, Executive
Vice President of Universal Music Group's eLabs. "This is the first time
customers will be able to view our videos online at such high quality, and
the difference is remarkable."

"There is no question that music remains a large part of our everyday
lives and a key element to the online community experience," commented Jeff
Somers, CEO of PluggedIn. "This strategic partnership is an ideal fit as it
provides us and our customers with access to the resources of Universal
Music, the world's largest producer of music programming."

About Universal Music Group

Universal Music Group is the world's leading music company with wholly
owned record operations or licensees in 77 countries. Its businesses also
include Universal Music Publishing Group, the industry's largest global
music publishing operation.

Universal Music Group consists of record labels Decca, Deutsche
Grammophon, Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Geffen Records, Island Def Jam
Music Group, Lost Highway Records, MCA Nashville, Mercury Nashville,
Mercury Records, Philips, Polydor Records, Universal Music Latino,
Universal Motown Records Group, and Verve Music Group as well as a
multitude of record labels owned or distributed by its record company
subsidiaries around the world. The Universal Music Group owns the most
extensive catalog of music in the industry, which is marketed through two
distinct divisions, Universal Music Enterprises (in the U.S.) and Universal
Strategic Marketing (outside the U.S.). Universal Music Group also includes
eLabs, its new media and technologies division, Bravado, its merchandising
company, and Twenty-First Artists, its full service management division.

Universal Music Group is a unit of Vivendi, a global media and
communications company.

About PluggedIn

PluggedIn launched its beta service in April 2008, with the goal of
changing the way consumers interact with and view premium entertainment
content on the web. PluggedIn is an internet media company that offers
streaming, free to consumer, HD and broadcast quality videos to fans
everywhere. The entertainment site features over 10,000 HD and broadcast
quality music videos and more than one million Artist Profiles, and is
powered by an innovative new media player that supports high-definition
full-screen video playback with no buffering and DVD like controls, a
multimedia search engine and fan-centric community features. PluggedIn is
based in Santa Monica, CA. The company was founded and is managed as a rare
partnership between proven Internet entrepreneurs and successful music
industry executives. The company's team includes Brett O'Brien, founder of
Xdrive, which was sold to America Online (AOL)in 2005; Kevin Welk, CEO of
Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records; Jeff Somers, former executive with Amazon
and Zillow; JJ Aguhob, previously with Xdrive and AOL, and an early team
member at MySpace; John Gaa, previously with Xdrive and Sony; and Nicola
Marzolla, from Yahoo Music.


For More Information Please Contact:

Peter LoFrumento
Universal Music Group
212-331-2585
peter.lofrumento@umusic.com

Lucy Zepp
Murphy O'Brien for PluggedIn
310-586-7161
lzepp@murphyobrien.com