Dame Judi Dench honoured in Japan's Nobel awards - The Guardian

Dame Judi Dench and Anish Kapoor at the Praemium Imperiale awards in honour of Japan's Prince Takamatsu at Claridge's hotel on Monday. Photograph: Felix Kunze/Getty Images

Winning Japan's equivalent of the Nobel prize, the £155,000 Praemium Imperiale, has come as a great relief to Dame Judi Dench: one of the world's best-known and loved actors is out of work again and panicking.

The fear never goes away, she said after receiving the award honouring actors, artists, musicians and architects by the Japan Art Association, sponsored by the Japanese imperial family. "Trevor Nunn always said I was in floods of tears on all my first nights because I didn't know where the next job was coming from," Dench said. "I've been bumming around. I haven't worked since February, so this is very nice."

Since her professional debut, as Ophelia in 1957, Dench has seldom been out of work. Her career has been weighed down with awards including an Oscar, Tonys, Oliviers and Baftas for innumerable stage and screen roles, notably for the films Mrs Brown and Shakespeare In Love.

She is not likely to be bumming around for long this time. She returned to Britain in February from filming with Clint Eastwood, and in November starts again as M in the new James Bond movie. The film is shrouded in secrecy. "I can't say anything, I really can't," she said, before revealing the script was recently delivered to her London home by a man dressed all in black. "It was quite extraordinary. We were all standing around on the grass – there had been a family funeral – and this man all in black raced up the path, pushed something through the door, and ran away again, and it was the script."

She also revealed that the Oscar she won for her ferocious Elizabeth I, in the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, has a slightly dodgy legal status. She was heading off, inevitably, to another job and gave it to her late husband Michael and daughter Finty to bring home to London. Later she was horrified to learn she should have returned the ceremonial Oscar to be replaced with one with her name. The following year the Oscars were stolen before the 72nd ceremony, and when they were eventually recovered dumped behind a launderette, just a week before the event, three were missing. One, she admits guiltily, was already missing. Never returned, or publicly admitted before today, it still has pride of place among the awards in her study.

The sculpture prize went to another UK-based artist, Anish Kapoor, and the prize for young artists was divided for the first time between two UK organisations – £18,000 each will go to the Royal Court's young writers' programme and the Southbank Sinfonia, which provides a bridge for young musicians between music school and a professional career.

Previous UK winners of the awards established in 1989 have included the architects Zaha Hadid, Richard Rogers, Norman Foster and James Stirling, artists David Hockney and Bridget Riley, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and playwright Tom Stoppard.

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Billboard Bits: Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley Reteam for CMA Awards - Billboard

Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip.

Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley Co-Hosting CMA Awards for Fourth Time
Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will be back together again in November. They've been picked to host the Country Music Association Awards for a fourth straight year. The 45th annual awards will be aired live Nov. 9 from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC. Paisley is the reigning CMA entertainer of the year. Paisley and Underwood have won 19 CMA awards between them. ( Associated Press)

The Black Eyed Peas Taking Extended Break?
The Black Eyed Peas are ready to take some time off: frontman Will.i.am posted on Twitter last week, "The @Bep will take a break after the beginning...just like we did from monkey business to the e.n.d...but it doesn't mean we stop creating." The group reportedly told a crowd in Staffordshire, U.K. earlier this week that the show marked the "last time we're going to be in England for a long time." ( The Huffington Post) 

Portishead Announces North American Tour Dates
Portishead has announced plans to tour North America for the first time in 13 years. After making their triumphant live return at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival on Oct. 1 and 2, the trip-hop group will play 12 dates in North America, beginning on Oct. 4 at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

Yoko Ono Threatens John Lennon-Themed Pub with Lawsuit
Yoko Ono has reportedly threatened to file a lawsuit against Lennon's Bar, a pub in Scotland dedicated to her late husband, John Lennon. A letter from the singer's lawyers allegedly asks the owners of the bar to remove all memorabilia and change the bar's name within 14 days. (NME)

Morrissey Attacked by Dog in England
Morrissey was hospitalized with hand and arm injuries after being attacked by a dog in England. The former Smiths frontman has not postponed any upcoming shows due to the incident. (Pitchfork)

(Reporting by Jason Lipshutz and Asssociated Press)

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DOE Awards 30.64 Million Barrels Of Crude In Oil Sale - NASDAQ

(Updates fifth paragraph to show potential volume of July deliveries)

--Energy Department awards contracts to 15 companies to buy 30.64 million barrels of oil

--Value of oil sold from emergency stockpiles is $3.3 billion

--Valero Energy was the biggest buyer, with 6.9 million barrels

By David Bird and Tennille Tracy

Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Fifteen companies, ranging from major refiners to trading companies and banks, were awarded contracts to buy all 30.64 million barrels of sweet crude oil offered in the U.S. government's emergency sale, the Energy Department said Monday.

Valero Energy Corp. (VLO), with 6.9 million barrels, or 22.5% of the volume on offer, was the biggest buyer.

The average price of bids for the oil was $107.19 a barrel. Winning bids ranged from $104.98 to $109.76 a barrel. Final prices will be set based on the value of Light Louisiana Sweet crude oil over a five-day period around the time that oil is delivered.

Based on bids accepted Monday, the value of the oil sold from the emergency stockpile is $3.284 billion, Energy Department data show.

The Energy Department said that it is working with other agencies to streamline deliveries and that some companies had requested early delivery of the oil, in July, rather than in August, as had been planned. About 7 million barrels of crude could be delivered in July, with the remainder in August, a source said, adding that companies are still finalizing arrangements.

Energy Department rules forbid the crude oil to be exported, except with specific approval and the importation of a similar volume of petroleum products.

The U.S. sale was disclosed June 23, in conjunction with an International Energy Agency plan to release about 60 million barrels of oil from global stockpiles held in consumer countries to cover, in part, the loss of Libyan crude oil due to the ongoing civil war in Libya. IEA said Monday that Germany's release would be 34% less than previously planned, cutting the total volume placed in the market to 59.83 million barrels.

The oil-sale move came as a surprise to the market, as it followed a commitment by Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and its Gulf neighbors, to boost oil supplies. The oil market has been abuzz with concerns that the move by the IEA may cause producer countries to limit the size of their expected output increases, which many analysts said will be needed when demand increases later this year.

The Energy Department has conducted this type of sale before, but buyers haven't always purchased the full amount of oil that was available. The willingness of refiners, trading companies and banks to buy all of the oil this time around signals a concern about future supplies, one expert said.

"I think the number of bidders was one of the things...that shows there are concerns in the marketplace over just how much oil is going to be out there," said David Pumphrey, deputy director of energy and national security for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Energy Department's previous sales differed from its most recent offering in that they involved both sweet and sour crude oil, as opposed to just sweet crude oil.

The administration will have to determine whether the release of 30 million barrels was enough to placate supply concerns and control prices or whether it will have to sell additional stocks, Pumphrey said.

Both the Energy Department and IEA had said they will study the impact of the sale and decide whether to take further action.

Cash-market prices of Light Louisiana Sweet crude oil, reported by Dow Jones Newswires, showed that, in the 11 trading days between sale's disclosure sale and Friday, LLS averaged $109.08 a barrel, or $5.84 less than in the 11 days before the sale was revealed. The high-low range of prices before and after the sale's announcement was more than $15 a barrel, as LLS hit $118.73 on June 9 and dropped to $103.61 a barrel on June 27.

Data from the Energy Department, which previously described the offering as " substantially oversubscribed," show bids for some 26.495 million barrels of crude oil were rejected as being too low. That volume included another 4.875 million barrels from Valero.

The average price of rejected bids was $100.30 a barrel, with rejected bids ranging from $91.958 to $104.88 a barrel.

Other major winning bidders included Vitol Holding BV's U.S. unit, Vitol Inc., which will receive four million barrels.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu had said in May 2009 that any possible department dealings with Vitol will have to undergo a "hard review," after lawmakers expressed concern about the company's trade in providing petroleum products to Iran. Chu's comment came after Vitol was awarded an Energy Department contract to supply one million barrels of crude oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

A spokesman for Vitol, one of the world's largest oil-trading firms, said prior to the submission of bids it is in full compliance with U.S. laws that bar trading with Iran. The comments come after the government amended its rules for the sale from the nation's SPR to require bidders to certify they aren't trading with Iran.

Shell Trading (US) Co., a division of Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSA, RDSA.LN), was awarded 3.65 million barrels, and Trafigura AG, which calls itself the third-largest independent oil trader in the world, won 1.1 million barrels. Barclays PLC (BCS, BARC.LN) won 200,000 barrels of oil, while J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s (JPM) J.P. Morgan Ventures Energy Corp. received 1.5 million barrels.

Trading giant Glencore Ltd. was among losing bidders, along with Morgan Stanley (MS), PetroChina Co.'s (PTR, 0857.HK) PetroChina International (America) Inc., and several refiners.

-By David Bird, Dow Jones Newswires; 1-212-416-2141; david.bird@dowjones.com

--Tennille Tracy contributed to this report.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires 07-11-111818ET Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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Midseason Awards - Patch.com

Welcome back, Patch readers!

Now that half of the baseball season is in the books, we're going to change things up for the week as we hand out our midseason grades and awards.  We'll also announce the winner of last week's Phillies ticket giveaway.

It's been a historically great half for the Phillies, in which they tied their record for most first-half wins.  They're sitting pretty with a 3.5 game lead over Atlanta, and the All-Star Break should serve the team well, giving the walking wounded a chance to heal and rest.

Put on your hindsight goggles!

PITCHING:  A+

The Phillies enter the break with the best pitching staff in baseball, having an overall team ERA of 3.02 through 91 games.  While that's an impressive statistic, a closer look at the numbers reveals some other amazing accomplishments.

As of last night, the Phillies lead the entire league in ERA (3.02), WHIP (1.16), BB/9 (2.4), and save percentage (.89).  They also lead the league in complete games thrown (11), and shutouts (13). 

While those numbers would put any seamhead on cloud nine, we'll give you what we believe to be the most startling statistic of the first half.

The Phillies pitching staff currently has a 3.21 strikeout-to-walk ratio, which easily leads the league.  In fact, only 23 pitchers in the entire league can lay claim to a better number. 

When you factor in the revolving door at the fourth and fifth starting positions, as well as the rash of injuries in the bullpen, it makes these numbers all the more special. 

Hamels is having the best season of his career, and Halladay and Lee continue to live up to their reputations.  The emergence of names like Bastardo, Stutes, and Worley have played a vital role in the team's success, admirably filling in for spot-starts and closer duties.

With Blanton and Madson eyeing their returns after the break, it's safe to say the staff will only improve over the second half.

Question:  What grade would you give the Phillies pitching staff?

OFFENSE:  C+

The Phillies offense has been the subject of much discussion, as the team shifted focus from hitting to pitching.  Still, a quick look at the stats shows that the Fightin's rank just about middle of the road in every offensive category.

Compared to last season, the offense is eerily similar.  Batting average, slugging percentage, and on base percentage are all on par, though the one noticeable difference is the lack of extra-base hits this season.

Ryan Howard's numbers continue to go down season by season, along with his formerly famed power.  On the bright side, Howard is tied for first in the NL in RBIs and he's a notorious second-half player, but on the downside, a .257 batting average and 18 homeruns leave much to be desired from the former MVP.

Ibanez and Rollins are shells of their former selves, but Utley is back and Brown seems to be rebounding nicely since his miserable spring. 

The lack of power on the team is troubling, but Charlie Manuel has countered the abundance of singles with a strong running game.  Manufacturing a few runs a game is all that is needed when your pitching is as strong as it is.

Question:  What grade would you give the Phillies offense?

FIELDING:  A-

There's not a whole lot to be said here.  The Phillies are typically a league leader in fielding percentage, and that rings true again this season as they find themselves tied for first with .987 FPCT.

There was a two week hiccup in May that saw an abnormal amount of errors, but that's not the norm, nor should it be cause for concern.

Question:  What grade would you give the Phillies fielding percentage?

MIDSEASON AWARDS

National League MVP

Matt Kemp, CF Los Angeles Dodgers. Runner-up: Jose Reyes, SS New York Mets.

Kemp is having a monstrous season for a team in such disrepair that it was taken over by the league, thanks to owner Frank McCourt's divorce proceedings and poor judgement.

The Dodgers center-fielder is in the top six in HR, RBI, and BA.  Additionally, he's third in stolen bases behind only Michael Bourn and Jose Reyes.

American League MVP

Jose Bautista, RF Toronto Blue Jays. Runner-up: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B Boston Red Sox.

This is a "benefit of the doubt" choice, since there's something suspicious about a player who plays four full seasons as a borderline big-leaguer (13HR in 2009), only to see huge power surge the following season (54HR in 2010).  This season, Bautista is on pace to increase on last year's total.

Still, the guy is batting .334 with 31 homeruns and 65 runs batted in.  Add in a couple stolen bases and a plus-arm, and you end up with back-to-back MVP's for the slugger.

National League Cy Young Award

Cole Hamels, SP Philadelphia Phillies. Runner-up: Jair Jurrjens, SP Atlanta Braves.

It's been a remarkable year for the young lefty, as he's the best pitcher on a staff that features multiple Cy Young Award winners.  Looking back to the second half of last season, Hamels has simply been the most dominant pitcher in all of baseball.

Hamels is second in the NL with a 2.32 ERA, and he beats out Jurrjens in opposing batting average, strikeouts, and WHIP.

It's hard to believe that he is only one win short of tying last season's total of 12.

American League Cy Young Award

Justin Verlander, SP Detroit Tigers.  Runner-up: Jared Weaver, SP Los Angeles Angels.

Verlander and Weaver are neck and neck in ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, complete games, and shutouts, but Verlander has a minor edge in a few important categories.

It's a tough call, but Verlander gets the nod.

National League Rookie of the Year

Danny Espinosa, 2B Washington Nationals.  Runner-up: Freddie Freeman, 1B Atlanta Braves

Second base is always a tough position to get offensive production from, so when a rookie comes along who can switch-hit, bat for power, run, and field, they're as unique as they come.

Espinosa is on pace for a .250 / 30 / 100 season with 25 stolen bases thrown in for good measure.  That's fantastic production for any second baseman, let alone a rookie who can switch-hit.

His batting average leaves a bit to be desired, but that'll raise as he gains experience.

American League Rookie of the Year

Michael Pineda, SP Seattle Mariners.  Runner-up: Mark Trumbo, 1B Los Angeles Angels

The 22-year-old right hander from the Dominican Republic is quickly making a name for himself, serving as the understudy to the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, Felix Hernandez.

The rookie pitcher is 8 - 6 with a 3.03 ERA and a 9.0 K/9. 

Playing for such a bad team in the American League, Pineda is frequently pitching when his team is behind in the game, and he also has to face the designated hitter. 

King Felix may have to make some room on the throne.

TRADE DEADLINE

The trade deadline will be July 31st, and despite widespread rumors stating that the Phillies aren't looking to make any moves, you can expect something as the deadline approaches.  An available outfielder with power would be a welcomed addition, though Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro says otherwise.

At the very least, they'll make a move to strengthen their bench, and possibly pick up a Matt Stairs type to ride into the playoffs.

The return of Jim Thome, anyone?

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Imagine how great this would have sounded had Harry Kalas been around.  Safe and secure, New York Life. 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=16780933&topic_id=11493214&c_id=mlb

LAST WEEK'S WINNER

No one correctly predicted that Ibanez would only strikeout twice, so we picked the person who was closest.  Congratulations Victoria Towne!

You've won two tickets to see the Phillies at a game of your choosing.  We'll be in touch within the next 24 hours, so in the meantime, go ahead a figure out which game you'd like to attend.

LOOKING FORWARD

Due to the All-Star Break, the Phillies won't play until Friday, which begins a road series against the Mets.  Until then, watch the five representatives from the Phillies dominate the American League in the Midsummer Classic.

The Union will head to New England to face the Revolution at Gillette Stadium.

Here's your Philadelphia sports schedule for the week.

Monday:

All-Star Home Run Derby  8 p.m. on ESPN

Tuesday:

All-Star Game  8 p.m. on FOX

Wednesday:

no games

Thursday:

no games

Friday:

Phillies at Mets  7:10 p.m. on CSN

Saturday

Phillies at Mets  4:10 p.m. on Fox

Sunday:

Phillies at Mets  1:10 p.m. on PHL 17 and TBS

Union at New England  7 p.m. on CSN

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FinancialForce.com Voted Best Cloud Offering in the EuroCloud UK Awards - MarketWatch (press release)

SAN MATEO, CA, Jul 11, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- FinancialForce.com, the cloud applications company, today announced that it has won the category of Best Cloud Offering for its FinancialForce Accounting application, delivered on Force.com, the world's leading cloud computing platform from salesforce.com.

The purpose of the Awards is to highlight best practices, innovation and customer success achieved by providers of cloud services and products in the UK. FinancialForce Accounting was recognised by the judges, drawn from the EuroCloud Board, as the cloud product that is most distinctive in its features and market appeal. The judges considered factors such as innovation, business impact and value of the capabilities offered, while also looking for leadership in best practices across technology, operations and go-to-market.

"This is the first time we have run this awards programme and we were impressed by the overall standard of entry," said Phil Wainewright, industry analyst and vice-president of EuroCloud. "There is much innovation happening in the cloud industry, and Europe and the UK in particular, are building momentum. The recent EuroCloud Congress in Luxembourg showcased some of the finest examples of cloud computing, and the growing maturity of cloud computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is empowering European businesses to seize the opportunities that this technology can deliver. It's also great to see a European organisation like FinancialForce.com doing so well in the US market. A deserving winner of this accolade."

EuroCloud is the first pan-European network of SaaS and cloud computing vendors and industry experts, with a presence today in 27 European countries. EuroCloud UK brings together companies engaged in cloud computing or SaaS-related business activity to network together, share best practice and build the profile of the industry. The EuroCloud UK Board includes members from C Infinity, CohesiveFT, D2C, Fujitsu EST, Mimecast, RightNow, Salesforce.com, SAP, Webroot, Zylog Systems and Procullux Ventures.

FinancialForce.com launched in September 2009, backed by UNIT4 (amx:UNIT4) and salesforce.com. This industry recognition comes on the back of a period of growth and success for FinancialForce.com, including being named in the Red Herring Top 100 North America in June and achieving finalist at the coveted CODiE Awards in Business Software.

FinancialForce.com's solutions, including FinancialForce Accounting and FinancialForce PSA, are used by organisations across 23 countries and continue to be particularly popular with those using Salesforce CRM, who want seamless connectivity between sales, billing, professional service and finance processes on a single cloud platform.

About FinancialForce.com FinancialForce.com is the cloud applications company. We focus 100% on building business applications for Force.com, the world's leading cloud computing platform from salesforce.com. Our applications include Accounting, Billing, Professional Services Automation (PSA) and Services Resource Planning (SRP). We serve fast-growing organizations and dynamic enterprises, helping them to align Finance, Sales and Service in a way that enables profitable growth. We are backed by two of the biggest and best players in the business, UNIT4 and salesforce.com.

To learn more please visit www.FinancialForce.com .

Media Contact: Maria Bradley Reidy Communications for FinancialForce.com Email: maria@reidycommunications.com (415) 704-5012

SOURCE: FinancialForce.com

mailto:maria@reidycommunications.com

Copyright 2011 Marketwire, Inc., All rights reserved.

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James Franco on Oscar flap, gay rapist rumors - msnbc.com

The Oscars may have taken place all the way back in February, but that hasn't stopped anyone with a talk show, magazine or platform of any kind from bringing up the televised debacle to James Franco every chance they get.

And this week, it was Playboy's turn as they once again queried the actor-turned-professional student on his hosting stint--and this time around, he appears to be completely over toeing any party lines.

But hey, at least he didn't call Anne Hathaway a Tasmanian devil again ... though from the sounds of it, she got away the easiest of all his Oscar cohorts.

MORE: Is Oprah Winfrey next in line to host the Oscars?!

"It's hard to talk about because it's like assigning blame — not a fun thing to do," Franco told the mag. "For three or four weeks we shot the promos and the little film that played in the opening. In the last week, when we really started focusing on the script for the live show and did a run-through, I said to the producer, 'I don't know why you hired me, because you haven't given me anything. I just don't think this stuff's going to be good.' "

Failing to help matters was the producers' insistence that Franco come onstage dressed as a poor man's (a very, very poor man's) Marilyn Monroe, a bit James didn't think worked and which was an unfunny substitute, in his eyes, to the bit he really wanted to perform.

"I was so pissed about that I was deliberately going to fall onstage and hopefully my dress would fall off or something — they couldn't blame that one me; I was in high heels. The plan had been that I was going to sing as Cher and then Cher was going to come out onstage; that got axed when Cher and the song from Burlesque weren't nominated. I told them, 'Look, this is the thing people are going to talk about, the images they will take away from the show.' "

MORE: Find out which stars just scored invites to the Academy!

Franco said that his protests fell on deaf ears, so eventually he caved and went with the flow--albeit somewhat apathetically.

"I just didn't want to fight anymore," he explained, noting that, "Me in drag is not funny."

"I was going with their program; I wanted to do the material they gave me, not be one of the many cooks doing the writing. There were a lot of cooks who shouldn't have been cooking, but were allowed to. There were some cooks my manager tried to bring in, like Judd Apatow, who wrote some very funny stuff that wasn't used."

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MORE: Was James Franco really stoned during Oscars?

Still, for all the subsequent fallout and criticism, immediately following the show, Franco said that the feedback was nothing but great, with the telecast's producer even giving him a hug and informing him, "Steve Spielberg just told me it was the best Oscars ever!"

This despite his seemingly low-energy performance, which Franco explained was all part of his master plan and most definitely not his way of showing that he "wasn't into it or was too cool for it."

"I thought, 'OK, Anne is going the enthusiastic route. I've been trained as an actor to respond to circumstances, to the people I'm working with, and not force anything.' So I thought I would be the straight man and she could be the other, and that's how I was trying to do those lines. I felt kind of trapped in that material. I felt, 'This is not my boat. I'm just a passenger, but I'm going down and there's no way out.' "

MORE: Who's James Franco F-bombing — and why?

So for all those wondering, yes, Franco is his own worst critic. And that's saying something, considering just how crowded that particular field was a few months back.

Still, the sting of the Oscars criticism doesn't hold a candle to a violent and otherwise troubling blind item that Franco unwittingly got embroiled in a few years ago.

Back in 2008, the New York Post infamously ran a blind item alleging that an unnamed closeted actor snuck into his ex-boyfriend's apartment and raped him in such a brutal, violent manner that the man was hospitalized. The paper also claimed that said actor paid his victim $500,000 to keep the situation quiet.

Enter Gawker, which reran the item on its site, broke down the possible contenders for the despicable title (complete with morality-eschewing poll), and then followed those up with an item declaring Franco as their readers' best guess.

MORE: At least James Franco has this to fall back on

Franco was disgusted, to say the least.

"Then Gawker picked that up and did this 'Gay Rapist' story that was so f--king offensive, because I have friends who have been raped. They did a very classy online reader's poll asking which actor who had a big movie out that summer had beaten up and raped his boyfriend and then paid him off so it wouldn't go to court.

"My lawyer called them and said that it was completely untrue and to take it down. They said, 'Well, we're just reporting what the New York Post told us. If James wants to make a comment on our blog, we're happy to report it.' It was a choice. Either let this thing build and become bigger and bigger, or just let it go and let them be the petty scumbags that they are."

Well, if he's going to insist on taking such high roads, we can certainly excuse his participation in a couple ill-conceived drag jokes, right?

PHOTOS: 2011 Academy Awards: Twitpics!

© 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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CIO Magazine Lists ABF Among Its 2011 Information Technology Innovators - PR Newswire (press release)

 

FORT SMITH, Ark., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ABF® has been named a recipient of a 2011 CIO 100 award. In announcing the winners in its 24th annual program, CIO magazine said the organizations chosen "exemplify the highest level of operation and strategic excellence in information technology (IT) and use IT in innovative ways to create business value."

ABF earned a spot on the distinguished listing for its use of IT in leveraging supply chain services. "ABF is always striving to improve supply-chain management by integrating quality processes and leading-edge technology. It's very gratifying to have those efforts recognized with this prestigious award," said Dave Cogswell, president of Data-Tronics Corp., ABF's IT sibling.

"Our model provides for a single point of contact for all of our customers' supply chain needs, including order fulfillment, packaging and light assembly, labeling, and product inspection and testing," says Stephen Young, director of ABF Supply Chain Services. "Our web-based management tools give customers a seamless connection to inventory, shipping and receiving, order status and warehouse documentation, enabling them to take control of their product distribution across multiple warehouse locations on a single system."

The recipients of this year's CIO 100 awards were selected through a three-step process. First, companies completed an online application detailing their innovative IT and business initiatives. Next, a team of judges reviewed the applications in depth, looking for unique practices and substantial results. Finally, CIO editors reviewed the judges' recommendations and voted on the final 100. "This year's CIO 100 awards draw well-deserved attention to companies that are not only innovating with IT but creating genuine business value as well," said Maryfran Johnson, editor-in-chief of CIO magazine. "These winning companies and their IT organizations are an inspiration to businesses everywhere."

The 2011 CIO 100 awards will be presented at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., on August 16 at the conclusion of the 16th Annual CIO 100 Symposium and Awards Ceremony. Complete coverage of the 2011 CIO 100 awards will be online at www.cio.com on August 1, 2011, and in the August issue of CIO magazine. This is the third time ABF has been recognized as an IT innovator by CIO.

Established in 1923, ABF is best-in-class for safety, security, technology and freight-handling. InformationWeek, CIO, InfoWorld, and BtoB magazines have cited ABF's strategic use of information technology as exemplary. ABF is the only six-time winner of the American Trucking Associations President's Trophy for Safety, the only five-time winner of the Excellence in Security Award, and the only four-time winner of the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award. ABF also is the only carrier to earn both the Excellence in Claims/Loss Prevention Award and the Excellence in Security Award in the same year, which ABF has accomplished twice.

ABF provides guaranteed service for expedited or time-definite shipments via its TimeKeeper® service. Regional shipping is handled via the carrier's RPM® Network, providing next-day and second-day shipping. The ABF system stretches throughout North America, with local service centers serving all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Guam and Puerto Rico. Globally, the carrier serves 250 ports in more than 130 countries.

ABF is the largest subsidiary of Arkansas Best Corporation (Nasdaq: ABFS).

Contact: Mr. Russ Aikman, director of marketing & public relations
Telephone: (479) 785-8913
Website: abf.com
Facebook: facebook.com/ABFtoday
Twitter: twitter.com/ABFtoday

SOURCE ABF Freight System, Inc.

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PCCD Presents Governor's Awards for Outstanding Citizen Crime Prevention - PR Newswire (press release)

LANCASTER, Pa., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency today recognized nine individuals for their work to keep their communities safe and crime-free.

Seven of the individuals were recognized with the Governor's Citizen Crime Prevention Award. Two special awards were also given to law enforcement officers who have demonstrated outstanding dedication to crime-prevention efforts.

"One of the best and most effective ways to combat crime is to forge partnerships with law enforcement and the community – including schools, businesses and community members. These partnerships help to reduce and eliminate crime, enforce the law and restore safety, security and community pride," said PCCD Chairman Mark Zimmer.

"Crime-prevention programs encourage people from all walks of life and backgrounds to work together, with the common goal of creating and maintaining a safe and viable community for all of its residents," Zimmer said.

The 2011 Governor's citizen award recipients are:

Dennis Biancuzzo, Harrisburg, serves as president of the Susquehanna Township's First Ward Crime Watch. Biancuzzo was honored for his crime prevention efforts, including hosting and organizing the annual Children's Flashlight Walk, the National Night Out Program and a "Crime Watch Welcome Wagon" for new residents, supplying them with information on the crime watch program and crime prevention safety tips.Paul Costello, Philadelphia, has been involved in crime watch programs since 2007, working closely with businesses and residents in the Tacony and the Holmesburg/Upper Mayfair areas to develop strategies and solutions to crime issues. He has also worked with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office and the Philadelphia Police Department to close problem/nuisance bars.Denise Freeman, Lancaster, created "Neighbors United," organizing residents to reduce crime in their neighborhood. The group, under her leadership, has worked with the Lancaster Community Safety Coalition to install additional security cameras in the city and educate residents about crime prevention. Christa McConaghy, Yardley, has been an active member of the Lower Makefield Township Neighborhood Watch Association for 10 years. She helped launch a new Neighborhood Watch website last year, which includes a detailed "crime mapping" system to help police track crime trends. Danyiell Newman, York, serves on the city's Community Police Partnership and organizes monthly clean-up projects to help revitalize city streets and alleyways. She also volunteers with the city's Kid ID Program, the Summer Bowling Program and has donated supplies to the city's youth outreach program.Jack Ritter, Mechanicsburg, has served as the coordinator of the Mechanicsburg Crime Watch since 1998 and keeps residents informed on various topics, including cyber-bulling and social services for seniors, as well working on ways to curb nuisance crimes in the community. Benjamin Wilson, Harrisburg, organized Lower Paxton Township's Neighborhood Watch Program last year. After working closely with police to inform residents of crime trends and prevention methods, the number of property crimes in Wilson's neighborhood decreased significantly.

Police Chief Robert Palmer from the Alburtis Police Department, Lehigh County, was awarded PCCD's Chief of Police Crime Prevention Award.

Police Officer John Stoner from the Lower Paxton Township Police Department, Dauphin County, received the Crime Prevention Officer of the Year award.

The awards were given during the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association's Annual Education and Training Conference in Lancaster.

PCCD is the state's leading agency for criminal justice policy issues, distributing state and federal funding to programs designed to prevent crime and strengthen communities. PCCD also provides essential support services to law enforcement agencies and offers financial support to victims of crime.

For more information, visit www.pccd.state.pa.us or call 717-705-0888.

Media contact: Tara Mead, 717-265-8470

Editor's Note: For additional information on the citizen award winners, visit http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/1091789/2011_gov%27s_awards_final_pdf

SOURCE Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency

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Is 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' snubbing the Emmys? - Los Angeles Times

Is 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' snubbing the Emmys? - latimes.comp.content-nav { margin:-15px 0px 0px 0px; }#commentsArchive { display: none; visibility: hidden; }#archiveShow, #fbShow { cursor:pointer; } LAT Home   | Entertainment HOME NEWS & BLOGS Awards Tracker Ministry of Gossip 24 Frames Show Tracker Big Picture Pop & Hiss 24 Frames Buzzmeter AWARDS SHOWS Oscars Golden Globes Grammys Emmys SAG Awards Independent Spirit Awards Guild Awards Critics Awards Tonys FACTS & DATES Awards Calendar Online Resources Buzzmeter Hollywood Star Walk GALLERIES Red Carpet Photos Panoramic Photos Hollywood Backlot Celebrity Portraits Archive Photos FORUMS Oscars Music Awards Emmys Polls Insider Weekly Ad#inTheNews {min-height:20px;} Advanced Search Advanced Search X include all of these words: include any of these words: include this exact phrase: exclude: Select a date range this week past 30 days past 3 months past year Create a custom date range From: To: Awards TrackerAll things Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tonys« Previous Post |Awards Tracker Home

Is 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' snubbing the Emmys?July 11, 2011 | 12:30pm

There's something odd about "Curb Your Enthusiasm" debuting its eighth season now – just weeks after the close of the Emmy eligibility period. It looks like Larry David's show deliberately chose to dodge the race. Why? Maybe it's because Emmy voters haven't displayed much, well, enthusiasm toward "Curb" in the past.

The HBO laffer has received 34 nominations from 2002 to 2010, but it has won only one prize: best direction for Robert B. Weide's helming of the 2002 episode "Krazee-Eyez-Killa."

"Curb" is a fictionalized version of David's life as a mega-wealthy producer and writer of the acclaimed NBC laffer "Seinfeld" (for which he won two Emmy Awards in 1993). In the series, he has been married many years to Cheryl (played by Cheryl Hines), but is in the process of a divorce as the current season starts. David's character is a good-intentioned curmudgeon who focuses on petty things and constantly gets into spats with anybody and everybody, often coming across as unintentionally mean. Much of this season will move from Los Angeles to David's native New York City for the first time and will feature regulars Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, Bob Einstein, Richard Lewis, J.B. Smoove and Wanda Sykes plus guest stars Gary Cole, Michael J. Fox, Rosie O'Donnell, Ana Gasteyer, Ricky Gervais, Michael Gross and Harry Hamlin.

"Curb's" best year at the Emmys was 2003, scoring 10 nominations and Weide's win. It's been nominated for best comedy series six times. David himself has been nominated four times in the lead actor category (2003, 2004, 2006, 2010). Other major mentions have been for Hines (supporting actress in 2003, 2006) and Shelley Berman (playing David's father as a guest star in 2008). Its last season, airing in the fall of 2009, featured a "Seinfeld" reunion, which sparked lots of media hype but modest Emmy love. It garnered only four nominations, and none for guest stars Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" has scored other awards: It won best comedy series at the Golden Globes in 2002 and best comedy ensemble at the SAG Awards in 2004. It won two prizes from the Producers Guild (2002, 2004), one from the Writers Guild (2005) and one from the Directors Guild (2002).

Whatever happens next, don't expect any Emmy Award nominations for "Curb Your Enthusiasm" when they are announced Thursday. The show did not air any new episodes during the 2010-2011 season.

RELATED:

Neil Patrick Harris on Emmys, Tonys and 'How I Met Your Mother' [Video]

The actors' Emmy episode submissions: What we know so far

-- Tom O'Neil

Photo: Larry David in "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)

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Star Is Now an 'Officier' in the Legion of Honor - New York Times (blog)

PARIS – Liza Minnelli has three Tonys, two Golden Globes, an Oscar, an Emmy and a Grammy legend award. Now the 65-year-old singer and actress also has the rank of “officier” in the Legion of Honor, the award for service to the French state created by Napoleon in 1802. In the grand salon of his ministry on Monday, Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand pinned an enameled vermeil medal affixed to a red grosgrain ribbon onto Ms. Minnelli’s black silk brocade jacket.

Julien M. Hekimian/Getty ImagesLiza Minnelli with Culture Minister Frédéric Mitterrand.

“Priestess of the music-hall, you are the contemporary incarnation of talented versatility à l’américaine!” he said in honoring her. He called her “a tiger — with the heart of a lamb.” He praised her charitable work in the struggle against AIDS and her celebration of life and liberty in her songs that has “made her an icon in every community, and notably the gay community.”

In an unscripted and breathless reply Ms. Minnelli exclaimed: “I’m here! I’m honored! I’m totally in love with all of you! To stand in this room in front of all of you, my God! This is my dream come true!”

It was the second time this dream had come true for her, although the last time it happened was 24 years ago. In 1987 Ms. Minnelli was made chevalier of the Legion of Honor, the first of several ranks of the award. Vincente Minnelli, her father and the director who made Paris-themed films like “Gigi” and “An American in Paris,” rose to the third rank of “commandeur” only weeks before his death the previous year.

The French government tends to hand out Legion of Honor medals like bonbons. About 2,200 civilians and 600 military personnel – most of them Frenchmen — are awarded the Legion each year.

Some potential French honorees have rejected the honor, saying that they want to keep a distance from the French state. (Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus considered it ridiculous and said no. So did Marie and Pierre Curie. Brigitte Bardot never came to claim her medal.) Others never wear the tiny lapel insignias that announce their achievement to the world, saying that to do so would seem like self-promotion. A recent documentary on the award charged that the principles of the Legion are often violated, and that the awards are sometimes given as political and personal favors to people in unworthy professions, like journalism.

For foreigners, the award tends to be a big deal, and it has often been given to recognize Americans in the arts. The chef and cookbook author Julia Child won it in 2000 for spreading knowledge of French cuisine around the world. Robert Redford was made chevalier, Steven Spielberg officier and Clint Eastwood commandeur for their cinematic careers. The British actor Michael Caine thanked France for giving him the Legion of Honor – only to find out to his embarrassment that he had been given the less prestigious Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters.

(Full disclosure: I was made “chevalier” of the Legion of Honor last month. I have worn the slim red grosgrain barrette twice, even though its “pin” is more like a nail.)

Only French citizens can be received as official members of the Legion of Honor “community” in the service of the French nation. Foreigners have a sort of adjunct status. The advantage is that foreigners do not have to pay for their medals. If Ms. Minnelli were French, her medal would have cost her $270. (Mine would have cost $230.)

The awards ceremony on Monday was witnessed by more photographers than guests. One special guest was Line Renaud, one of France’s most celebrated actresses and performers. Ms. Renaud herself has been decorated with various ranks of the Legion of Honor and other awards that come with medals, in the presence of three presidents, François Mitterrand, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy. Half a century ago she played Hollywood and Las Vegas with Ms. Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland.

As Ms. Minnelli said goodbye to Mr. Mitterrand, kissing him tenderly on both cheeks a final time, she whispered, “You’ve got my love to keep you warm.”
“I need it sometime,” he replied.
“You have it always,” she said. He kissed her hand.
On Monday night, Ms. Minnelli performed solo for nearly two hours at the Olympia in Paris, the fabled theater where she first performed 41 years ago. Her voice was not what it once was, she said, and she asked for forgiveness. “You’re too good,” she told the audience, as it gave her one standing ovation after another. “I gotta be better.”

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MMA Awards, First Half of 2011 - Best Fighter - Bloody Elbow

by Tim Burke on Jul 11, 2011 9:00 PM EDT

Over the next few days, Bloody Elbow is going to ask for your opinion on some of the best things that have happened in the MMA world over the first half of 2011. There will be a total of eight different categories you'll be asked to vote on. For simplicity's sake we're going to stick with high-level and relevant MMA stuff in these posts. While I'm sure there was a ludicrous knockout in an unscheduled MMA event at The Lumberyard strip club in Des Moines, or an insane pancreas lock submission on an obscure ZST! card in Japan, let's just stick to stuff a lot of us have seen, okay? And yes, we'll count UFC 132 in this despite it being on July 2nd, since I'm getting a late start on it.

It's pretty simple. I'll post 10 options in a category, you vote for what you think was the best. If you think I left something really important off my list, post it in the comments and we can add it to the poll if it's deemed worthy. I can almost guarantee you won't like all my suggestions, but narrowing down these lists to 10 is tough. 

Now that we've got that out of the way, let's get onto the third poll - the best fighter of the first half of 2011. Some guys went out and delivered in the biggest fights of their careers. Some were given late opportunities and made the most of them. And a whole bunch of others lost, which is why they won't be making this list. 

Here we go, in no particular order:

Clay Guida - Guida started off 2011 with a decisive submission win over former Pride lightweight champion Takanori Gomi at UFC 125. When the UFC lightweight title situation was kept in limbo after the Edgar/Maynard draw on the same card, Anthony Pettis was given a fight with Guida to prove he belonged in the title picture. "The Carpenter" grinded Pettis out in very impressive fashion, taking a unanimous decision win and putting himself into the elite of the division instead.

Nick Diaz - Diaz defended his Strikeforce welterweight twice in the first half of 2011, defeated Evangelista "Cyborg" Santos by submission in January, then finishing Paul Daley with three seconds left in the first round in a thrilling fight in April. Diaz then vacated his title to go to the UFC and will face champion Georges St. Pierre at UFC 137. Fighting your way right into a title fight in a different organization is pretty impressive.

Melvin Guillard - Some kid named Evan was on the fast track to the top, despite a (terrible) decision loss to Sean Sherk. Guillard stopped Dunham in his tracks though, hurting him with the first punch of the fight and derailing that particular hype train a few minutes later. He returned against Shane Roller and totally dominated him, eventually turning out his lights in under three minutes. Melvin is no prospect any more, but he might be the fastest-rising star at lightweight right now.

Patricio Freire - Pitbull had an excellent spring, defeating three opponents in two months to claim Bellator's season four featherweight tournament. Bellator guys might not get much love, but Freire has to be commended for rolling though some tough competition in a short amount of time. And he looked extremely impressive doing it.

Mark Munoz -Munoz was matched up with C.B. Dollaway at UFC on Versus 3, but the battle between wrestlers was over quickly when Munoz knocked out his opponent in just 54 seconds. This earned him a shot at consensus top 5 fighter Demian Maia at UFC 131. It was a close affair, but Munoz pulled out the biggest victory of his career and has entered the discussion of who might fight for the middleweight title in the near future. His friendship with Anderson Silvawill make that an interesting situation.

There are five more options after the jump, plus the poll.

Jon Jones - Jones handed Ryan Bader his first career defeat at UFC 126, and made it look easy. And just six weeks later, after teammate (at the time) Rashad Evans had been forced out with an injury, Jones completely dominated UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua and took his belt. The phenom had finally arrived at the top.

Brian Stann - Stann started his year off by upsetting Chris Leben in dramatic fashion, handing Leben just the second TKO loss of his career. He followed that up with the destruction of top-10-ranked Jorge Santiago. Stann's rise into the middleweight elite has been swift and somewhat surprising. He'll face Chael Sonnen at UFC 136.

Jordan Mein - Who? I know you're all going to savage me for this, but there are too many UFC guys on here. Mein was the only guy I can think of offhand that went 4-0 over the course of the last six months, and he defeated two UFC veterans (Josh Burkman, Joe Riggs) and the Dream welterweight champion (Marius Zaromskis) along the way. Not bad for a 21-year-old. Come on, give him a shot. Think outside the box guys! No, we're not related.

Dennis Siver - The German kickboxer kicked off his 2011 campaign with one of the biggest upsets of the year when he defeated George Sotiropoulos at UFC 127 by decision. Siver rejuvenated his title hopes even more with a close decision win over Matt Wiman in a very good fight at UFC 132. Suddenly lightweights are calling him out from all over the place, which means he's definitely arrived.

Demetrious Johnson - Mighty Mouse made his UFC debut against former pound-for-pound great Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto and made Kid look pretty bad with his superior wrestling, taking a one-sided decision at UFC 126. He returned to face former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres at UFC 130, and despite fracturing his leg in the fight pulled out a very close decision win to possibly get the next shot at bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

You can vote on previous polls at the following links:

Best Submission
Best Post-Fight Celebration
Best Feud
Best Comeback
Biggest Upset

Poll Read More: Jon Jones (MMA), Melvin Guillard (MMA), Nick Diaz (MMA), Demetrious Johnson (MMA), Dennis Siver (MMA), Mark Munoz (MMA), Clay Guida (MMA), Brian Stann (MMA), Patricio Freire (MMA), Jordan Mein (MMA), UFC 125: Resolution, UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort, UFC 127: Penn vs. Fitch, UFC on Versus 3: Sanchez vs. Kampmann, UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill, UFC 131: Carwin vs. dos Santos, UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2, UFC 137: St. Pierre vs. Diaz, UFC 136

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Three Tide DBs pace Thorpe Award watch list - msnbc.com

Posted by John Taylor on July 11, 2011, 3:11 PM EDT

The Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s top defensive back, joined Monday the ever-growing list of awards that have released their preseason watch lists for 2011.

This year’s group for the Thorpe consists of 37 players, including a conference-leading 10 players from the SEC.  The ACC is next with seven, followed by the Big 12's six and four apiece for the Big Ten and Pac-12.

Alabama led all individual schools with three players on the list — strong safety Mark Barron, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and free safety Robert Lester.  Oklahoma and Florida State with two apiece were the only other schools with more than one player to make the list.

Position-wise, there were 18 cornerbacks, 12 free safeties and seven strong safeties.

Last year’s winner was LSU’s Patrick Peterson, who left school a year early for the NFL draft.

For those curious as to the history of the Thorpe Award and the man with his name on it, here’s a portion of the release, followed by the complete 2011 preseason watch list:

The Thorpe Award, one of the most coveted awards in college football, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2011. The Award, established in 1986, is named after history’s greatest all-around athlete, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled as a running back, passer and kicker on the offensive side of the ball, but also stood out as a defensive back. In addition to his legendary performance on the football field, Thorpe played professional baseball and won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon.

2011 Jim Thorpe Award Watch List

Ray Ray Armstrong, Miami (FL), SS
Mark Barron, Alabama, SS
John Boyett, Oregon, FS
Brandon Boykin, Georgia, CB
Morris Claiborne, LSU, CB
Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska, CB
Tony Dye, UCLA, CB
Matt Elam, Florida, SS
Antonio Fenelus, Wisconsin, CB
Jamell Fleming, Oklahoma, CB
Donnie Fletcher, Boston College, CB
Blake Gideon, Texas, FS
Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina, CB
Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt, CB
Jayron Hosley, Virginia Tech, CB
Delano Howell, Stanford, SS
Duke Ihenacho, San Jose State, SS
George Iloka, Boise State, FS
Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma, FS
Leonard Johnson, Iowa State, CB
Coryell Judie, Texas A&M, CB
Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, CB
Robert Lester, Alabama, FS
Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State, SS
TJ McDonald, USC, FS
Chase Minnifield, Virginia, CB
Marco Nelson, Tulsa, FS
Brian Peters, Northwestern, FS
Greg Reid, Florida State, CB
Xavier Rhodes Florida State, CB
Josh Robinson, UCF, CB
Trenton Robinson, Michigan State, FS
Harrison Smith, Notre Dame, FS
Keith Tandy, West Virginia, CB
Kenny Tate, Maryland, FS
Tramain Thomas, Arkansas, FS
Prentiss Waggner, Tennessee, S

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Hari family celebrate more than a century of farming - Calgary Herald

CALGARY — It’s been over a century since Harnam Singh Hari left the Punjab region and discovered a spread of prime farm land in Calgary.

The harsh winters and isolation proved challenging, but Singh Hari persevered.

Those first few acres have now grown into the massive Haralta Ranches Ltd., just northwest of High River.

Five generations later, the Hari family is poised to carry on the tradition.

“Farming has changed so much. You have to keep up,” said Singh Hari’s grandson Harnet, now 82.

Harnet, the first Sikh born in Alberta, brought his bride Gik from India after an arranged marriage. Neighbours taught the 21-year-old how to cook Alberta beef and potatoes.

The Hari family is one of 18 southern Alberta farming and ranching families honoured Monday at the BMO Farm Family Awards.

Each year, families are selected by the Alberta Agricultural Service Board based on innovative work in the agriculture industry and commitment to traditional western values.

So where will the Hari family’s fifth generation take them?

“We want our children to have an education,” said Sarah Hari, mother of Savannah, 18, and twins Arjun and Ethan, 15.

Her husband Jesse says although his great-grandfather Singh Hari endured great challenges homesteading in the Foothills, his children could face difficulties of their own.

“There’s a tremendous amount of urban pressure,” said Jesse.

This year’s other Farm Family winners included: Jay and Lenora Davis of Acme; Clayton and Senta Gast of Magrath,; Ken and Kim Kultgen of Foremost; Eugene Wauters of Lethbridge; Bruce and Jodi Niznik of Brooks; Keith and Lynne Palmer of Raymond; Hilton and Alta Pharis of Lundbreck; John and Donna Keeley of Nanton; Stan and Arlene Lamb of Claresholm; Larry and Grace Mullen of Didsbury; Harley Walsh of Madden; Tom Osadczuk of Jenner; Bruce and Karen Peacock of Cereal; Kenneth and Vivian Webb and Winston and Darlene Webb of Veteran; John and Nadine Duncalf of Rosedale; Mark Lindstedt of Lomond; and Dwayne and Mary Marshman of Rockyford.

At Monday’s award ceremony at the BMO Centre, Agriculture Minister Jack Hayden praised the families for their outstanding contributions to the agricultural sector: “You are what Alberta is all about. You’re good agricultural people, but the other part is you’re good community people.”

Families were chosen by the Alberta Agricultural Service Board based on their contributions to the farming community. The awards highlight innovations in business and environmental practices of Alberta farmers and ranchers.

“These families are outstanding examples of how far farm management has come and the tremendous contributions they make to the Alberta economy,” said BMO vice-president Bill Hogg.

szickefoose@calgaryherald.com

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Should Oprah host the Oscars? - The Week Magazine

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Oracle confers 2011 Retail Excellence Awards - Retail Customer Experience

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Omni, Rosewood rank on World's Best list - Bizjournals.com

Two of Omni Hotels & Resorts hotels were named to Travel + Leisure’s 2011 World’s Best Awards list.

The Irving-based hospitality company announced that the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa in Pennsylvania and Mokara Hotel & Spa in San Antonio were recognized six times altogether.

The Omni Bedford Springs ranked No. 8 on the list of Top 100 Hotels in the U.S. and Canada, No. 2 on the Top U.S. Hotel Spas, No. 5 on the Top Hotel Spas Worldwide, and on the list of the Top 100 Hotels Worldwide. Mokara ranked No. 14 on Top Small City Hotels (less than 100 rooms) and No. 25 on the Top U.S. Spas list.

Omni Hotels & Resorts has 50 properties across North America.

Travel + Leisure’s list is available online and hits newsstands July 22. The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek ranked No. 99 on the list of Top 100 Hotels and No. 5 on the Top Large City Hotels.

sthompson@bizjournals.com

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McClatchy wins National Press Club award for Afghan series - Bellingham Herald

WASHINGTON — McClatchy’s series on the woes of U.S. contracting in Afghanistan has won the National Press Club’s award for diplomatic coverage.

The Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence will be awarded to McClatchy on Aug. 10 at the National Press Club’s annual dinner.

The series, reported by Jonathan S. Landay, Marisa Taylor, Warren P. Strobel and Dion Nissenbaum, detailed how corruption and mismanagement marred U.S. efforts to rebuild Afghanistan.

McClatchy’s reporting revealed that oversight was so flawed that companies responsible for shoddy work continued to be paid and to receive new U.S. contracts.

The series identified nearly $200 million in Army Corps of Engineers projects that have failed, face serious delays or resulted in subpar work, hindering the Obama administration’s hopes of improving the lives of Afghans and succeeding in the fight against the Taliban.

McClatchy also detailed political influence by the Afghan elite that led to the development of two major national assets in Afghanistan: a coal mine and cement factory.

Landay and Nissenbaum reported from Afghanistan. Strobel and Taylor reported from McClatchy’s Washington bureau, where more than 30 editors and reporters are based.

Other winners of the 2011 National Press Club awards include PBS, The Washington Post and The Seattle Times.

“We are proud to associate ourselves with outstanding journalism, and to remind the public why journalism matters,” National Press Club President Mark Hamrick said. “Despite tremendous technological change and continued tumult in our industry, our awards are a celebration of triumph over these challenges.”

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Six finalists return to 2011 Walter Payton Award Watch List - Los Angeles Times

The race for the 2011 Walter Payton Award, sponsored by Fathead.com, kicked off Monday with The Sports Network's announcement that six returning finalists from last season headline a stellar 20-player Watch List for the Football Championship Subdivision's top individual honor.

The Payton Award will celebrate its 25th anniversary this season and be presented to the FCS' outstanding player at the national awards banquet Thursday night, Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas.

This season's winner will join a list of Payton Award greats such as Steve McNair, John Friesz, Brian Westbrook, Tony Romo, Brian Finneran, Armanti Edwards and 2010 winner Jeremy Moses of Stephen F. Austin.

Appalachian State quarterback DeAndre Presley joined Moses at the national awards banquet as the third-place finalist and returns to the Watch List as a senior. Also returning, presumably headed to banner seasons again, are Colgate senior running back Nate Eachus, who was sixth; Montana State sophomore quarterback DeNarius McGhee, who was seventh; Jackson State senior quarterback Casey Therriault, who was ninth; Liberty senior quarterback Mike Brown, who was 11th; and Wofford junior fullback Eric Breitenstein, who was 19th.

The 2011 Watch List includes 11 quarterbacks. The other seven are seniors B.J. Coleman of Chattanooga, Thomas DeMarco of Old Dominion, Josh McGregor of Jacksonville, Bo Levi Mitchell of reigning FCS champion Eastern Washington and Tirrell Rennie of Northern Iowa, and juniors Casey Brockman of Murray State and Brad Sorensen of Southern Utah.

Joining Eachus and Breitenstein in the backfield are senior running backs Jonathan Grimes of William & Mary, Mike Mayhew of North Carolina A&T and D.J. McNorton of North Dakota State, as well as junior Jamaine Cook of Youngstown State and sophomore Andrew Pierce of Delaware.

The Watch List also includes two wide receivers, Liberty senior Chris Summers and Eastern Washington junior Brandon Kaufman.

Among the returning finalists, Presley is coming off a junior season in which he threw for 2,631 yards and 21 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,039 yards and 13 touchdowns. Eachus led the FCS in carries (317) and rushing yards (1,871) and tied for the national high with 22 touchdowns. McGhee, who was the only freshman to be a Payton Award finalist last season, completed nearly 63 percent of his passes for 3,163 yards and 23 touchdowns with only six interceptions.

Therriault accounted for 41 touchdowns (31 passing, 10 rushing) and was third in the FCS in passing yards per game (312.4) and total offense (327.8 ypg). Brown led the FCS in total offense with 346.4 yards per game (2,956 passing, 854 rushing) and was seventh in passer efficiency (149.6). Breitenstein paced the FCS' No. 1-ranked rushing offense with a Wofford-record 1,639 yards and 22 touchdowns.

The Payton Award Watch List will undergo revision during the 2011 season. Ballots will be sent to a panel of about 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 21. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 1 and invited to The Sports Network/Fathead FCS Awards Presentation.

The Sports Network also presents the Buck Buchanan, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson awards which are sponsored by Fathead.com. The Buchanan Award honors the FCS defensive player of the year, the new Rice Award goes to the FCS freshman of the year and the Robinson Award, which also is celebrating its 25th anniversary, honors the FCS coach of the year. Those three winners will join the top three Payton finalists at the national awards banquet.

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The Emmy Awards: Biggest drama/comedy snubs - Washington Post (blog)

The elusive Emmy. Well, elusive for some shows that should have been nominated for best drama or best comedy. (David McNew - Getty Images) The Emmy Awards are supposed to honor the finest television shows responsible for consuming our free time and preventing us from conversing with loved ones. And for the most part, they do. But when the nominees are announced — as they will be early Thursday morning — they often elicit outrage from fans who feel their favorite shows have been unfairly snubbed.

Indeed, the unjust snub is now as much an Emmy tradition as the rambling acceptance speech and a victory by “The Daily Show” for outstanding variety, music or comedy series. To prove that point — and to give the inevitable outrage a preemptive shove in the enraged direction — here’s a list of acclaimed shows, and some entire genres, that have not won suitable Emmy love in the best drama or comedy categories. After reading the list, vote in the poll (after the jump) for the oversight that still makes your blood boil at the highest temperature. And, as always, feel free to weigh in with a comment.

(Paul Shiraldi - HBO)

“The Wire”

The HBO series about crime and politics in Baltimore may have been more critically acclaimed than “Citizen Kane” and the complete literary works of Charles Dickens. But during its five-season run, it never earned a nomination for best drama.

(Khampha Bouaphanh - AP) “Friday Night Lights”

Another critical favorite that never found ratings success, the Dillon, Tex., football drama — which ends its NBC run this week — has been recognized for the work of stars Connie Britton and Kyle Chandler as well as its writing and directing, but never for the series as a whole. Devoted fans have their fingers crossed that Thursday’s announcement might change that.

(WB)

Sci-fi/supernatural shows

Genre shows generally don’t resonate with Emmy voters. Yes, there are exceptions: “The X-Files” and “True Blood” landed best drama nods, and “Lost,” whose plots veered into sci-fi territory, even won the Emmy in that category in 2005. But consider the many revered sci-fi series that have been overlooked: every incarnation of “Star Trek”; “Battlestar Galactica”; “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”; and the short-lived “Firefly.” Does this mean that AMC’s “Walking Dead” is a dead issue as far as nominations this year are concerned?

(AP)

“The Simpsons”

The longest-running series in prime-time history has been nominated 20 times for best animated series and won it 10 times. But it has never been recognized in the best comedy category. Instead, in 2009, “Family Guy” — which never would have existed without “The Simpsons” — became the first animated series since “The Flintstones” to cross over into that category. Ay caramba, indeed.

(NBC)

Teen-centric shows

Networks love shows for young people. But even the finest ones have a hard time winning a spot on the Emmy best drama or comedy lists. Among the snubbed over the years: “My So-Called Life”; “Freaks and Geeks”; “Party of Five”; “Felicity”; and, to the eternal disappointment of Lorelai lovers everywhere, “Gilmore Girls.”

(FX)

FX series

All right, so “Damages” managed to score best drama nods in 2008 and 2009. But several of the network’s other revered shows have never been honored in the category, including “Nip/Tuck,” “The Shield,” “Justified” and “Sons of Anarchy.” “Anarchy’s” oversight last year yielded some especially loud shouts of the “Snubbed!” variety. A motorcycle gang and the people who love them? These strike me as the last individuals on Earth that Emmy should mess with.

(Fred Prouser - Reuters)

“Roseanne”

Whether you like the mouthy star of this salt-of-the-earth sitcom or not, you have to admit that “Roseanne” was a watershed moment for TV comedy. Several members of the cast, including Roseanne, John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, were nominated several times for their work, but the show never earned a single nomination as best comedy during its nine seasons on the air. Definitely qualifies as a major snub, if you ask me.

But now I’m asking you: which of the aforementioned snubs was the most unforgivable? Vote below or weigh in with a comment.

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Carl Marks Lands In Global M&A Network's Turnaround Atlas Awards Winners ... - PR Newswire (press release)

NEW YORK, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC, the investment banking and corporate revitalization firm headquartered in New York, was honored for its outstanding achievement for middle-market Chapter 11 reorganization by Global M&A Network.  The firm was acknowledged for its financial advisory services in the case of FX Luxury Las Vegas I LLC, owner of approximately 18 acres of property with substantial retail operations on the Las Vegas Strip, with the "Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year – Middle Markets" award.  Carl Marks, along with transaction partner Haynes and Boone LLP, received the honor during the 2011 Turnaround Atlas Awards Gala last month in Chicago.

The gold standard of performance, the annual Turnaround Atlas Awards exclusively honors excellence in assignments and deals completed from the restructuring, reorganization and turnaround communities worldwide. This year, 184 finalists were eligible competitors in 30 categories of transactional awards. Winners are selected on the basis of "performance" criteria by an independent awards advisory group.

For its winning assignment, Carl Marks was retained to act as exclusive financial advisor by Haynes and Boone and Herrick, Feinstein, in their respective capacities as counsel to a group of second lien debt holders, including Five Mile Capital Pooling International LLC, Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Spectrum Investment Partners LLC, and The Huff Alternative Fund LP, for FX Luxury Las Vegas I after the company filed for voluntary Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in April 2010.

Carl Marks assisted FX Luxury Las Vegas I in successfully emerging from Chapter 11 via a plan of reorganization that involved a unique and creative financing structure that was a "win-win for all parties."

"Our investment banking team possesses astute knowledge of how to navigate the dynamic reorganization process, which ultimately yields value and success for our clients," said Christopher K. Wu, partner of Carl Marks Advisory Group. "Additionally, we couldn't have had this success without the strategic advice and leadership of our transaction partner, Haynes and Boone, with whom we are honored to share this recognition."

About Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC and Carl Marks Securities LLC

Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC, with offices in New York, Vienna, Va., Bedminster, N.J., and Charlotte, N.C., provides a wide array of investment banking and financial, operational and real estate advisory services to the middle market, including mergers and acquisitions advice, sourcing of capital, financial restructuring plans, strategic business assessments, improvement plans and interim management.  Carl Marks is the recipient of the 2010 Turnaround Management Association's Turnaround of the Year Award in the Large Company category, the 2011 M&A Advisor's Debt Financing Deal of the Year, and the 2011 Turnaround Atlas Awards Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Year – Middle Markets.

Carl Marks Securities LLC, based in New York, assists its clients in executing private placements of debt and equity. The firm is a member of FINRA and SIPC. Additional information about Carl Marks Advisory Group LLC and Carl Marks Securities LLC is available at www.carlmarks.com.

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