Press Releases

WASHINGTON, July 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of fans waited eagerly to see Lloyd Stuart Casson close the 40th Annual National Smoke-In at the Washington, D.C. Mall July 4th, 2009 celebration, only to find the feds pull the plug as he began to play the national anthem in a Hendrix-style tribute, according to sources at CalPOP.

Lloyd Stuart Casson, guitarist for controversial band CalPOP, had only played a handful of notes in his tribute to Jimi Hendrix's National Anthem when the feds pulled the plug, leaving thousands of fans angry. Stuart ripped his American flag T-shirt from his chest, threw it to the angry crowd and yelled out "all plants are created equal" to close the 40th Annual Smoke-In on July 4, 2009.

CalPOP, who only a couple months ago released the controversial album Best Record In The World (still available on Apple's music download website iTunes.com) has been wrought in controversy, having been banned completely from popular music download website LALA.com.

The Best Record In The World album is a concept album similar to Pink Floyd's THE WALL, only it is about a Linux hacker who sells his soul to get a girl he meets on MySpace.com.

One of the hit songs on CalPOP's controversial album is Purple Flowers, which rumor has it may be about a purple-colored marijuana called "purps".

Lloyd Stuart Casson had just finished a tour with Bad Brains band Human Rights, who also played the 4th of July celebration. Local and state laws are still at conflict with federal laws which prohibit medical marijuana.

"All in all, it's almost ironic that on a day where people are celebrating their freedom that even those who meet to hear their favorite artists perform still have to feel the wrath of feds who have nothing better to do but ruin what would have only been a great musical performance by one the greatest guitar players of all time," says a CalPOP spokesman.

    Media contact:
    Tony Wagoner
    213-627-1937

SOURCE CalPOP

MORECAMBE, UNITED KINGDOM -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 07/05/09 -- Originally conceived by an oral hygiene company in the USA in the mid nineties, International Kissing Day, which falls on Monday 6th July this year, has now been shamelessly adopted by fun loving romantics around the world. And leading UK floristry network, Flowers Direct, has decided to utilise that day in order to launch its free to use website - Kisswall.

Kisswall is an attempt to create the world's largest collection of online kisses all in one place. As the website's blurb says, it's a chance for people 'to put their kisses on...a snapshot in time of all the love in the world. Someting really positive to beat all the misery out there'.

"Flowers Direct is all about helping people to make emotional connections," says Marketing Director, Michael Duffy. "And Kisswall is something we have just done for a bit of fun to help International Kissing Day go off with a bang." Duffy envisages the website having the potential to really capture the public's imagination - something that will buzz around on social networks and e-mail, especially when users start sharing each other's kissing pics. "We want to create the internet's Kissing Centre of the Universe," he says. "Hopefully thousands will eventually want to get involved, but first of all we've got to start from a tiny base! So don't be shy, we need some pioneers, come and join us!"

In order to get the website off the ground, there's an incentive of free roses that will be given to 10 lucky posters within the first 250 users - giving brave ice-breakers a 1 in 25 chance of winning a prize. Secondly, there's also competition on the site where visitors can vote for their Favourite Movie Kiss Of All Time. From Patrick Swayzee and Demi Moore in Ghost to the famous spaghetti kiss from Disney's 'Lady & The Tramp', there's a favourite in there for everyone, so say the site's compilers. The winner of that one will be treated to six bottles of the finest champagne - can't be bad.

For editors: Flowers Direct is a leading Flower Delivery Network in the UK with an internet shop, specialising in next day flowers and sympathy flowers, and a supporting network of 800 florists around the UK. It is owned by Zeus Equity Partners, a large Manchester based investment house. Flowers Direct has now provided floral gifts to over one million UK customers and has ambitious growth plans over the next few years. The company also provide white label or partnership solutions for major retailers such as Debenhams, WH Smiths and Dobbies. Over the past year it has strengthened its management team by recruiting Jonathan Wall as CEO from leading electrical retailer, Dabs, and Michael Duffy, as Marketing Director, previously with Littlewoods Shop Direct.

Flower Delivery - http://www.flowersdirect.co.uk/

next day flowers - http://www.flowersdirect.co.uk/flowers/send-next-day-delivered-flowers-uk/ndf.html

sympathy flowers - http://www.flowersdirect.co.uk/flowers/send-sympathy-flowers-uk/sy.html

Flowers - http://www.flowersdirect.co.uk/

Contacts:
Flowers Direct
Michael Duffy
01524 520 822
michael.duffy@flowersdirect.co.uk

COLLEGE PARK, Md., July 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following survey results were released today by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland:

Publics marked with an * excluded from the average for that question.

Q1-CE1b. Please tell me if you think... the United States... is playing a mainly positive or mainly negative role in the world.

            Mainly     Mainly     Depends    Neither   DK/NR
            positive   negative    (vol.)     (vol.)
    US*         80         18          0         0       2
    Russia      15         49         25         2       9

Q2-CE2b. Please tell me if you approve or disapprove of how... the United States... is dealing with the issue of climate change?

                       Approve      Disapprove     DK/NR
    US*                   45            47           8
    Russia                18            31          51

Q3-CE3b. Please tell me if you think... the United States... is or is not generally respectful of human rights.

                         Is        Is not     DK/NR
    US*                  87         13          1
    Russia               41         29         30

Q4-CE4b. Please tell me if you think... the United States... is or is not generally cooperative with other countries.

                         Is         Is not       DK/NR
    US*                  87           12            1
    Russia               47           27           26

Q5-CE5b. Please tell me if you think... the United States... does or does not use the threat of military force to gain advantages.

                           Does       Does not      DK/NR
    US*                     71           26            2
    Russia                  78            7           15

Q6-CE6a. Now I am going to read a list of political leaders from around the world. Tell me how much confidence you have in each leader to do the right thing regarding world affairs -- a lot of confidence, some confidence, Not too much confidence, or no confidence at all.

Q6a-CE6a. US President Barack Obama 2009; US President George W. Bush (2008)

           A lot of        Some      Not too much  No confidence  Depends/DK
           confidence   confidence    confidence       at all        (vol.)
           2009  2008   2009  2008    2009  2008     2009  2008    2009  2008
    US*     38    13     32    29      16    24       13    32       1     2
    Russia   2     2     21    12      36    30       19    36      23    19

Q6b-CE6d. Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

           A lot of        Some      Not too much  No confidence  Depends/DK
           confidence   confidence    confidence       at all        (vol.)
           2009  2008   2009  2008    2009  2008     2009  2008    2009  2008
    US       3     1     24    23      42    43       27    28       5     5
    Russia* 51    57     31    23       8     9        2     2       8    10

Q7-US1. Which of these two views is closer to yours?

          A. The US tries to promote       B. The US has been an     DK/NS
          international laws for other     important leader in
          countries, but is hypocritical   promoting international
          because it often does not        laws, and sets a good
          follow these rules itself.       example by following
                                           them.
                2009  2008                       2009  2008        2009  2008
    US*          40    54                         56    41           4     5
    Russia       76    76                         13    10          12    15

Q8-US2. In our government's relations with the US, do you think the US more often treats us fairly, OR abuses its greater power to make us do what the US wants?

           Treats us fairly   Abuses its greater     DK/NS
                                     power
              2009  2008          2009  2008       2009  2008
    Russia     12    19            75    69         13    12

Publics marked with an * excluded from the average for that question.

RESEARCH PARTNERS

Russia: Levada Center

Contact:

Ms. Ludmila Khakhulina, lkhahul@levada.ru, (+7 095) 229-55-44

United States: Program on International Policy Attitudes / Knowledge Networks

Contact:

Dr. Stephen Weber, sweber@pipa.org, +1-202-232-7500

Dr. Michael Dennis, mdennis@knowledgenetworks.com, +1-650-289-2160

METHODOLOGY

    Country    Sample Size  MoE   Field dates        Survey       Type of
               (unweighted) (%)                      methodology  Sample

    Russia         800      3.5   May 22-26, 2009    Face-to-Face National
    United States  796      3.5   May 27-Jun 4, 2009 Internet     National(1)

NOTES:

(1) In the United States, the poll was an online survey drawn from a nationally representative sample of the Knowledge Networks online panel. This panel is probabilistically-based, selected from the population of US telephone households and subsequently provided with an Internet connection if needed.

SOURCE Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland

WASHINGTON, July 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

SUNDAY, JULY 5: DEBUT OF THE BIKINI

Profile America -- Sunday, July 5th. One of the most daring fashion innovations ever was unveiled 63 years ago today in Paris. Designer Louis Reard had his models display a skimpy, two-piece bathing suit named for a Pacific atoll where the hydrogen bomb was first detonated -- the bikini. Many considered the design scandalous and most viewed it as a short-lived fad. However, bikini swimsuits -- now considerably older than most of the people who wear them -- are still very much in evidence on U.S. beaches. Bikinis and other swim wear are among the items being featured this summer at the nation's nearly 47,000 women's clothing stores, which have sales of more than $31 billion a year. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at www.census.gov.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2009, p.348

2002 Economic Census, NAICS 448120

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look under the "Newsroom" button).

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

JOLIETTE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 4, 2009) - On behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec), the Honourable Michel Rivard, Senator, today announced funding for the Festival de Lanaudiere.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to support the Festival de Lanaudiere, which continues to grow in popularity and attract lovers of classical music from near and far," said Minister Moore. "This gathering expresses all the wealth of the classical music world and contributes to the cultural vitality of the region and all of Quebec."

"The diversity, richness, and originality of classical music are no doubt behind the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend the Festival international de Lanaudiere every year," said Minister of State Lebel. "Its success, combined with the $5 million in annual economic spin-offs, has a major impact on the entire region. Through this contribution, Canada Economic Development aims to support Quebec's incredible cultural and artistic vitality and to make our communities more dynamic through tourism development."

"I would like to pay tribute to the work and legacy of the late Father Lindsay, founder of the Festival de Lanaudiere. Thanks to him, magnificent concerts are presented not only in the Amphitheatre de Lanaudiere in Joliette, but also in a number of neighbouring communities," said Senator Rivard.

The Festival de Lanaudiere promotes the creation, development, and production of top-quality artistic performances presented in unique contexts. The 32nd edition of this international-calibre event, which is taking place this year from July 4 to August 2, provides a showcase for artists from Canada and other countries and offers a program of more than 70 concerts to music lovers in the Lanaudiere region, elsewhere in the country, and around the world.

The Government of Canada has provided $300,000 in funding through the Arts Presentation Canada program of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program gives Canadians increased access to the diversity and richness of Canada's culture through professional arts festivals, presentations of live professional performances, and other artistic experiences.

The Government of Canada has also provided a non-refundable contribution of $306,375 through Canada Economic Development for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 editions of the Festival. These funds, which come from the Community Diversification program, will be used to finance promotional efforts in Canadian and foreign markets.

This news release is available on the Internet at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca under Media Room.

Canada Economic Development is online at www.dec-ced.gc.ca. Subscribe to its news releases at www.dec-ced.gc.ca/eng/salle-medias/liste-envoi/envoi.html and stay up to date on the latest news.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
        Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and
        Official Languages
        Stephanie Rea
        819-997-7788

        Canadian Heritage
        Eric Amyot
        Director, Regional Communications
        Quebec Region
        514-283-4027

        Canadian Heritage
        Media Relations
        819-994-9101
        1-866-569-6155

        Canada Economic Development
        Marie-Claude Lemire
        Communications
        514-283-2199
        marie-claude.lemire@dec-ced.gc.ca

        Office of the Minister of State (Economic Development
        Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec)
        Eric Lefebvre
        Senior Special Assistant, Communications
        613-608-7906
        eric.lefebvre@dec-ced.gc.ca

Source: Canadian Heritage