Posts made in January 2018

SUR

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Northern California bred musician/producer Zack Arnett of SUR releases “MAKE IT TO MORNING” today, January 29^th, via all digital retailers. The track was written Arnett and produced by Arnett and Kris Kovacs. Listen to “MAKE IT TO MORNING” HERE.

SUR will perform at The Roxy in Los Angeles on February 8^th supporting Grandson and will have several performances set for SXSW.

SUR is the brainchild of musician/producer Zack Arnett, who also adds to his credentials visual artist, poet, medicinal farmer and apothecarian. Frustrated by the confines of Los Angeles, Arnett built a makeshift studio in the back of an RV and set out on a journey through the desert, national parks and Big Sur. While out on the road, Arnett began creating a sound both gritty and melodic, nuanced and volatile, reflective and deeply life-affirming. The lifelong musician will release a debut EP later this year that fully embodies the forces at the heart of SUR: love, violence, and nature.

SUR – “MAKE IT TO MORNING” eSingle

Retail: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING

Amazon: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING/amazonmusicbuy

Apple Music: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING/applemusic

Google: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING/googleplay

iTunes: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING/itunes

Spotify: http://smarturl.it/MAKEITTOMORNING/spotify

St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland

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Ireland is the Place to Be for St. Patrick’s Day,

Vagabond Small Group Tours Connects Five Days
Of Celebration in Dublin with a Choice of
Two Multi-Day Adventure Tours

Departure dates of two early spring 2018 adventures in Ireland are thoughtfully scheduled immediately after St. Patricks’ Day celebrations in Dublin on March 17.

This means that before joining a tour, guests of Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland (http://vagabondtoursofireland.com/) can have the best of all worlds Irish. On their own they can partake of St. Patrick’s Day events March 15-19 in Dublin, the gateway city for both of these week-long tours. Then filled with bonhomie and by-now most certainly desperate to find a leprechaun – or at least a luck-filled four-leaf clover – their journey of Ireland’s south and south west begins.

Last year just over 100,000 North Americans visited Ireland over the St. Patrick’s Day period. The relatively warm waters of the Gulf Stream, and the prevailing southwesterly winds help make March’s climate moderate and usually pleasant. Here is a link to the official festival website http://www.stpatricksfestival.ie/events. This celebration honors Ireland’s patron saint who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century and whose influence brought about Ireland’s Golden Era.

On all Vagabond tours a bounty of live music is a given, but fiddles become even more intense over this holiday that’s celebrated worldwide with the wearin’ o’ the green.

Also given on these tours are excellent meals in some of Ireland’s best pubs and restaurants and accommodation in carefully vetted guest houses and small hotels that reflect their communities. The two March departures coinciding with St. Patrick’s Day journey roundtrip from Dublin to Ireland’s southwest Wild Atlantic Way, with photo-op stops aplenty and visits to breweries, whisky distilleries, shops and galleries.

But first guests have to decide just how action-packed they want their exploration of Ireland to be. Fit and active travelers will probably opt for an 8 Day Vagabond Wild Irish Rover Tour departing March 18 with Vagabond Adventure Tours. This was recognized as a Top 50 National Geographic Tour of a Lifetime. Physical activities are interwoven with stories of, among many others, 5th century monks who lived in beehive-like huts, and tales of ancient castles and circles of stone (some optional):

Walking and hiking through some of Ireland’s best scenery including the Bullig Bay loop by the ancient ruins of Dunboy Castle
Horseback riding on the Dingle Peninsula
Mountain biking or bike touring in Killarney National Park
Sea kayaking with Funghi the Dolphin in Dingle Bay
Golfing on The Dingle Golf Links
Learn some skills of Gaelic football or hurling, traditional Irish sports
Spotting seals in Bantry Bay
Sampling at the Dingle Irish Whiskey Distillery, one of a new breed of exciting distillery’s in Ireland
Kissing the Blarney Stone at Blarney Castle

The per person double rate is €1,919 (single supplement €315). For details please see http://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/ireland-trips-award-winning-8-day/.

This company’s complementary division, Driftwood Journeys of Discovery that emphasizes unique scenery, culture and history at a more relaxed pace, has a 7 Day Driftwood Treasure Island departure March 19, 2018, that includes an overnight in Dingle, a town with a population of 2,500 people and 54 pubs, and another overnight in a haunted Irish castle hotel, all on a search for some of Ireland’s great houses and gardens:

Muckross House and Gardens, Kerry
Bantry House and Gardens, Cork
Garinish Island Gardens, Cork
Kylemore Abbey and Grounds, Connemara

The per person double rate is €1,699 (single supplement €300). For details please see http://vagabondtoursofireland.com/tour/7-day-treasure-ireland-tour/

Amy Rankin, co-founder and director, says that Vagabond’s March and April tours are 10 percent cheaper than those in summer; airline fares are lower in the spring; and with flocks of sheep galore, the lambing season is a must and guides are energized having just emerged from “hibernation”. For fun watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwBVGm_01f8.

“From the addition of unique accommodations to totally brand-new tours, 2018 is shaping up to be our most exciting new year!” she adds.

About Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland
Since 2002 Vagabond Adventure Tours has been creating opportunities for visitors to embrace Ireland by walking, biking, horseback riding and kayaking its lands and waters, imbibing history and culture along the way. In 2013 the company was honored by National Geographic Traveler with a Top 50 Tour of a Lifetime distinction. In 2015 and 2017 Vagabond Small Group Tours of Ireland was named the “Best Adventure Experience” at the Irish Tourism Awards. And in 2016, Vagabond became Ireland’s first tour operator to achieve Ecotourism Gold Level Certification.

In 2013 the company launched Driftwood Journeys of Discovery that explores in a less strenuous manner many of the same routes of Vagabond Adventure Tours. Itineraries in both divisions focus on high yield, low impact tourism which means that local economies benefit from the company’s and guest contributions to local, rural Irish economies (including accommodations, meals, nightlife, attractions and shopping). For details on all of Vagabond Small-Group Tours of Ireland itineraries, availability and for 2018 reservations, please visit http://vagabondtoursofireland.com/. Call toll free (from the US) 833-230-0288; in Ireland 00353 (0) 1 5634358; or email info@vagabond.ie.

Follow Vagabond Tours of Ireland on Social Media:

Facebook:     http://www.facebook.com/vagabondireland
Pinterest:       http://www.pinterest.ie/vagabondireland/
Instagram      http://www.instagram.com/vagabondireland/
Twitter:           http://twitter.com/vagabondireland
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/vagabondireland

Justine Skye Releases Ultraviolet

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NEW YORK, NY (January 19, 2018) —Today, singer, songwriter, fashionista, and actress JUSTINE SKYE releases her anxiously awaited full-length debut, ULTRAVIOLET [Roc Nation] in stores and at all digital retailers. Get it HERE.

ULTRAVIOLET features fan favorites “Back For More” [2.5 million-plus streams] and “Don’t Think About It” [1.1 million-plus streams]. Watch the video HERE. Additionally, JUSTINE served up the record’s latest song “Heaven”, released last week.

Check out the full tracklisting below.

Everything turns ULTRAVIOLET today! It’s just the beginning for JUSTINE. Be on the lookout for a whole lot more soon.

JUSTINE SKYE has been quietly and diligently working on her craft since 2014. Produced exclusively by GRAMMY® Award-winning visionary The Dream, her 2016 EP 8 Ounces earned praise from the likes of Billboard, The Fader, Genius, and more as Wonderland Magazine proclaimed her a “musical prodigy on the rise.” Her sphere of influence dramatically expanded yet again in 2017 as she became an ambassador for both True Religion and Forever 21 in addition to making her big screen debut in Green Dolphin.

Fatboy Slim vs Australia Remix EP Out Now

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Fatboy Slim is going head to head with Australia on his newest release: a remix EP aptly titled Fatboy Slim vs Australia,available today for purchase and streaming HERE via Astralwerks. To celebrate the release, international cricketer Shane Warne has starred in a tongue in cheek infomercial which acts as a track-by-track for the remix EP. Watch ‘The Infomercial’ starring Shane Warne HERE.

Fatboy Slim vs Australia features Australia’s finest electronic acts, including The Kite String Tangle, who take on the 1999 #1 hit “Praise You.” Watch the video for single “Praise You” HERE. Fresh off releasing his debut album, ARIA-nominated album, Danny Harley aka The Kite String Tangle brings his electronic prowess to the table on this mix; taking on the bones of the track and adding his own beats and samples. The sonic architect’s intricate beat-making build to the anthemic hook, propelling the track into a realm of its own. The results are a dance driven, punchy remix, refreshing the #1 dance hit for a new generation of listeners.

Danny Harley said “Fatboy Slim is an untouchable artist and “Praise You” is one of his seminal works. I really can’t imagine the current music landscape without this artist or this song and so to get to put my own touch on it was a humbling experience.”

Alongside TKST, other artists to feature on the release include Set Mo, The Aston Shuffle, Sam La More (also a 2017 ARIA award winner as a member of PNAU), Carmada and LO’99, each tackling hits like “Weapon of Choice” and “Right Here, Right Now” from the GRAMMY Award winning artist.

Reg Mombassa, of Mental As Anything and Mambo fame, has created a uniquely Aussie album art to accompany the release.

Reebok Creates GYM of the Future

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Reebok is launching an exciting plan to transform gas stations across the nation into fuel stations for our bodies.

Reebok and design firm Gensler have partnered in a new “Get Pumped” campaign to reimagine gas stations across the country as fitness hubs, where people can prioritize their mental and physical wellness as gas-powered cars continue to become obsolete. The goal is a country where a healthy gym and restaurant are no more than a few miles away.

The concept takes on three different forms, maximizing the impact of the different gas stations nationwide:

• The Network: We’ve imagined the major, interstate rest stops as the power grid of the future. They’re a place where travelers can stop and generate energy through spinning and boxing, Crossfit, Les Mils, and a running trail.

• The Oasis: The larger gas station that commuters pass on small, local highways will be turned into recharge zones, to capitalize on the type of mental and physical rest those commuting need. There are real food offerings from a farm to table eatery to a juice bar, as well as yoga and meditation pods. The exterior will provide sustenance in the form of an herb garden, and outdoor wheels where you can run in the fresh air.

• The Community Center: The local, small town gas stations are transformed into four different ways for communities to enhance their healthy life. People can charge electric cars, and in the auto repair shop, there will be nutrition classes. The minimart will offer local, healthy food, and pop-up trucks will offer rotating Crossfit and Spinning classes so there’s no lack of access for healthy options.

California Citizens in Support of New Petition

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CALA is a nonpartisan grassroots movement of concerned citizens and businesses who are fighting against lawsuit abuse in California. CALA serves as a watchdog to challenge abuses within our civil justice system, and engages the public and the media to deliver the message that lawsuit abuse is alive and well in California – and that all Californians are paying the price. CALA members and supporters represent a broad and diverse cross section of Californians. They own small retail stores and hotels, manufacturing firms, real estate brokerages, trucking companies, and more. However, the bulk of CALA’s supporters are several thousand consumers concerned about the impacts of lawsuit abuse.

As set forth more fully below, the citizens of California face significant risks as a result of the decision of the Sixth District Court of Appeal (the “Decision”), including potential health risks from wholesale abatement of even intact lead-based paint, and a reduction in property values of all pre-1981 properties. In addition, California’s businesses and economy will suffer from the reductions in tax revenue. For these reasons, CALA urges this Court to review the Decision.

The court’s abatement plan creates unnecessary risks to the public.There is no pressing public safety issue that warrants judicial usurping of a successful legislative program. In fact, the enforcement of local building regulations and the State’s current program to minimize lead exposure have drastically reduced the number of children with elevated blood lead levels. The court’s unprecedented abatement plan, which orders the abatement of even intact lead paint, puts the health of California’s children at risk. The court’s plan would actually expose children to more lead dust, not less, as studies by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) show. The vast majority of states around the country – and HUD- favor keeping lead paint covered rather than removing it. Currently, HUD will not pay to abate windows with intact lead paint.

The Decision will lower property values. The Decision, which labels more than 3 million homes in ten jurisdictions as public nuisances, will cause property values across California to plummet. Property owners are required to disclose the existence of a nuisance when selling a property. In addition, the trial court requires that any properties that do not participate in the abatement plan, “should be deferred for actionable lead hazard control until the property owner vacates or sells the property.” Homeowners may not be able to take out a second loan or home equity line of credit. Sellers may be forced to lower the sale price if the home appraises lower than a buyer’s offer. This phenomenon will not be restricted to the 10 jurisdictions. Under existing law, pre-1978 properties in California are presumed to contain lead-based paint. (17 Cal. Code Regs. 35043.) The trial court expanded that presumption to pre-1981 homes and held that lead-based paint — even in an intact condition on certain friction surfaces – poses an imminent risk of harm and is a nuisance. Although this ruling applies only to the 10 jurisdictions, it has placed the legal status of intact lead paint throughout the State in question, and buyers across the State will be wary of purchasing pre-1981 properties.

California’s economy will suffer from the lost property tax revenue. California lost property tax revenue from depressed home values will undoubtedly cause critical public services to be cut. The Decision is likely to impair local governments’ ability to provide education, public safety, and other services residents demand and need. K-12 spending per pupil in California is tied to the Proposition 98 funding guarantee, and

would fall dramatically should The Decision be upheld. This would force school districts in the state to cut programs such as music, physical education, and art, reduce class offerings, and lay off staff. These cuts are likely to disproportionately affect lower-income communities just when the average blood lead levels of minorities and the poor are coming in line with the average blood lead levels of the general population.

The Decision rewards slumlords at the expense of responsible property owners.

The Decision places property owners with 10 or more housing code violations at the front of the line to get their properties inspected and abated. This will create a situation in which law-abiding citizens who have maintained their properties will have to endure crashes in property values and wait in line while the bad actors get rewarded for willfully failing to maintain their properties.

For the reasons set forth above, CALA urges this Court to review the case in order to restore order and predictability for California’s property owners and tenants, and to put law making on the critical issues of housing and public health back in the hands of the legislature.

Taryn Manning Wears Adrianna Papell and Image Du Image

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Taryn Manning was photographed wearing Adrianna Papell and Image Du Image last night at the Entertainment Weekly Pre-SAG party in Los Angeles. The Orange Is The New Black star wowed in an ivory Adrianna Papell Sleeveless Mikado Fit & Flare Midi Dress ($160, www.adriannapapell.com) and layered with an Image Du Image Metallic Trench Jacket (price available upon request, www.imageduimage.com).

St. Vincent de Paul Society

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St. Vincent de Paul Society is an international, Catholic volunteer organization that serves the needy of any religious background free of charge.

We were founded in Paris, France in 1833 by a compassionate college student, Frederic Ozanam, and for over 100 years our Vincentian volunteers have served the suffering in Southern California. We help the needy become self-sufficient by providing financial and emotional support, food, clothing, furniture, appliances, housing and by connecting the disadvantaged to helpful resources in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Donations to our thrift stores make our work possible. Your financial gift or donations of household items help us help thousands every year. To donate clothes, furniture, appliances, or even cars call us at 1-800-974-3571.

The Society does not tolerate harassment of our clients, volunteers, job applicants, contractors or employees by another client, volunteer, employee, supervisor, vendor, customer, or any third party. Any form of harassment on the basis of race, religion, color, sex (including breast feeding and related medical conditions), gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, uniform service member and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, disability or any other category protected by applicable state or federal law is prohibited and will be treated as a disciplinary matter. Whistle blowers will not suffer retribution and the Society is committed to a workplace free of harassment. Join us to serve the poor and homeless!

X Ambassadors announce JOYFUL Tour

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Platinum selling rock band X Ambassadors (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope) is thrilled to announce a massive JOYFUL spring headline tour today on the heels of Friday’s “Joyful” single and video release. Ticket pre-sale begin tomorrow, January 30th, with general on sale set for Friday, February 2nd. For more information on ticket pre-sales visit www.xambassadors.com.

The “Joyful” single is a powerful and redemptive track that sets the tone for the band’s new album by the same name. Joyful will be released this spring on KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records and is available for pre-order now at http://shop.xambassadors.com/

Tour partner REVERB – a nonprofit that works with musicians and their fans to create measurable positive change for people and the planet – will be at every show running the XAmbassadors Action Zone. Fans will have the opportunity to learn more about the band’s cause efforts and take action to support them. Details about the activation will be announced soon at REVERB.org.

The spring tour – which includes the already announced May 3rd Red Rocks headline show – finds the band joined by a number of different and exciting artists along the way including Jacob Banks, Misterwives, Mondo Cozmo, Now Now, Son Little and The Aces among others. The massive three-month trek will come on the heels of a number of intimate club shows this February where X Ambassadors will be showcasing new material from Joyful along with fan favorites such as their double-platinum single “Unsteady” and platinum hit “Renegades” – which spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1 at Alternative.

X Ambassadors have once again teamed up with CID Entertainment as the official VIP provider of The Joyful Tour. Fans can choose from two VIP Packages that include an X Ambassadors ticket with early venue entry and the opportunity to join the band before the show for a Q&A and album listening session. To view VIP Package details, visit: http://www.cidentertainment.com/events/x-ambassadors-joyful-tour-2018/

ZIKR Documentary in Sundance Film Festival

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ZIKR is the first VR documentary to be acquired at the Sundance Film Festival

Created by Award-Winning filmmakers Gabo Arora, John Fitzgerald and Matthew Niederhauser

Leading documentary producer, sales agent and theatrical distributor, Dogwoof, has acquired the politically charged, multiplayer, virtual reality documentary, ZIKR: A SUFI REVIVAL, directed by Gabo Arora, produced by Jennifer Tiexiera, and created by Sensorium, Superbright, and Tomorrow Never Knows. It is the first time a VR documentary has been acquired at the Sundance Film Festival.

Brokered on the last day of the Festival by Dogwoof’s Andy Whittaker and Tomorrow Never Knows, Nathan Brown, the agreement entails funding to support additional development, including an unprecedented online version of the VR experience allowing multiple players to be networked at once into the experience from around the world. Dogwoof will also lead on global representation and distribution with a location based installations at high profile international cultural centers, cinemas and museums. This is the first public project for Tomorrow Never Knows, a newly formed VR/AR/AI startup founded by industry pioneers Arora, Brown, Saschka Unseld and Tom Lofthouse.

There is real demand and a growing market for distinctive storytelling in VR/AR said Brown, CEO of Tomorrow Never Knows. To partner with Andy and Dogwoof, one of the world’s most acclaimed producers and distributors of non-fiction stories, is more than a signal, it’s a lightning bolt for the entire industry.

Having changed the face of non-fiction storytelling in the past decade, Dogwoof, and their newly formed VR-focused company, Other Set, are now poised to change how users engage with these crucial stories of social impact in VR. The acquisition of ZIKR adds to their award-winning and visionary catalog including Blackfish, The Act of Killing and OJ: Made in America.

ZIKR is a gem. A profoundly moving VR experience, which will change people’s perspectives, commented Dogwoof founder Andy Whittaker. We cannot wait to show it to international festivals, theaters, museums and art venues knowing it can have the kind of profound impact Alejandro piece has had at LACMA.

Gabo Arora, director of ZIKR, commented: Andy and his team at Dogwoof, have proven themselves over and over with their work in traditional documentary. And, with their first VR acquisition with ZIKR, they will bring their same tenacious spirit to making sure more and more people can experience a story very pertinent to what’s happening in the world now. I couldn’t dream of a better home for ZIKR or a better team than Dogwoof for global distribution. I am honoured to be joining their award winning.

ZIKR: A Sufi Revival premiered January 19th in the New Frontier section of the Sundance Film Festival. The film takes four participants on an interactive, virtual reality journey into a world of ecstatic ritual and music in order to explore the nature of faith alongside followers of this mystical Islamic tradition. By opening up an experience to Sufism, dancing and singing alongside members of the Tunisian group Association de la Renaissance du Maalouf et du Chant Soufi de Sidi Bou Sa it aims to shed light on a crucially misrepresented religion, revealing an Islamic practice of inclusion, acceptance, art, joy and understanding.

ZIKR: A Sufi Revival is created by award-Winning filmmakers Gabo Arora, John Fitzgerald and Matthew Niederhauser, and by SENSORIUM, SUPERBRIGHT, and TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS, in partnership with BoomGen Studios and 1001 Media. It is produced by Jennifer Tiexiera, with executive producers Reza Aslan, Mayhad Tousi, Mohab Tarek Khattab, Eva L. Burns, and Cameron Brodie.