John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whitney Houston was once on top of the world, as one of the most successful and talented performers ever.

Sadly, it’s been reported by the Associated Press that Whitney Houston has died, leaving behind a legacy marred by personal issues that often overshadowed her musical brilliance. Whitney Houston was just 48 years old.

Lt. Mark Rosen of the Beverly Hills police department explained to local L.A. TV station KABC-TV that Whitney Houston died in her room on the fourth floor of the famous Beverly Hilton Hotel.

As of this time, there is no known cause of death. While the investigation is underway by Beverly Hills detectives, Whitney Houston’s body is still inside the hotel room.

Tomorrow night is the Grammy Awards and it was reported that Whitney Houston planned to attend and even showed up at the Grammy rehearsals today, coaching singers Brandy and Monica.

The life and career of Whitney Houston had many extreme ups and downs. Whitney had a severe drug use problem that caused strange, erratic behavior. Her volatile marriage to singer Bobby Brown often made the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons.

In addition to being a superstar singer, Whitney Houston was also an accomplished actor. Houston appeared and starred in several box office hit movies, such as The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.

As Whitney Houston’s drug abuse increased, her album sales free-falled. Her public appearances were quite strange as the toll of her drug abuse became more evident. She has confessed to using cocaine, marijuana and various pills.

In the music industry, Whitney Houston was at her best. Whitney was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history and sold more than 55 million records just in the United States alone!

In 2009, it appeared Whitney Houston was on the comeback trail. She launched a new album titled “I Look To You.” That album debuted on the top of the charts, eventually going platinum.

Nominations for the 84th Academy Awards were announced earlier today. Academy president Tom Sherak was joined by Jennifer Lawrence (Hunger Games) to read the nominations for those recognized at the upcoming Academy Awards.

It’s going to be another exciting event this year in Hollywood. The Academy Awards will be hosted by actor/comedian Billy Crystal and held on Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center®.

Click Here for more information on the Academy Awards and the History Of The Oscar.

The members of the Academy from each of the branches vote to decide the nominees in their respective categories. for example, actors nominate actors, film editors nominate film editors, and so on.

In late December, nomination ballots were mailed out to the voting members and since returned directly to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, for tabulation.

Here is the final list of nominations:

Best Picture
“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer
“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer
“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined
“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”
George Clooney in “The Descendants”
Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”
Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”
Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”
Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”
Nick Nolte in “Warrior”
Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”
Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”
Viola Davis in “The Help”
Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”
Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”
Jessica Chastain in “The Help”
Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”
Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”
Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film
“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
“Kung Fu Panda 2” Jennifer Yuh Nelson
“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller
“Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction
“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography
“The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth
“Hugo” Robert Richardson
“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki
“War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design
“Anonymous” Lisy Christl
“The Artist” Mark Bridges
“Hugo” Sandy Powell
“Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor
“W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing
“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” Alexander Payne
“Hugo” Martin Scorsese
“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen
“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)
“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)
“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione
“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
“The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
“The Descendants” Kevin Tent
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker
“Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film
“Bullhead” Belgium
“Footnote”
“In Darkness” Poland
“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada
“A Separation” Iran

Makeup
“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
“The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams
“The Artist” Ludovic Bource
“Hugo” Howard Shore
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias
“War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)
“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
“Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon
“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
“La Luna” Enrico Casarosa
“A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
“Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)
“Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane
“Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
“The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George
“Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
“Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing
“Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce
“Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
“War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
“Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
“Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
“War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
“Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
“Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan
“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius
“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor
“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen
“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

For more information, visit the official Academy Awards Web site – www.oscar.com

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

Michael Jackson was known to millions as the “King of Pop.” Although he is no longer alive, his legacy shines in the amazing Cirque du Soleil production Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour show.

Cirque du Soleil creates musical magic once again, after it’s two recent hit shows in Las Vegas – Love show dedicated to the rock ‘n roll Beatles band, and Viva Elvis honoring Elvis Presley.

Jackson’s musical legacy truly comes alive in Cirque’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour show. The amazing Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour began its run last year and continues its successful journey this month, visiting major cities across California. then throughout the U.S. until early August. You can see the entire city tour date list at: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets.aspx

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

This show extravaganza is the vision of Writer and Director, Jamie King. King was selected by both The Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil to bring this monumental dream to reality. Jamie King has been called one of the most influential “movers and shakers” in the music industry, and the “Jerry Bruckheimer of tent-pole concert tours”.

King knows dancing and he has choreographed some of the most popular music videos and directed some of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time.

Fans of Michale Jackson will love this grand, Cirque du Soleil show. It’s not only a tribute to his brilliant music over the years, but also showcases Michael Jackson’s humanitarian work and his genuine love for our planet Earth. The show captures the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

The Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour features 60 international performers (dancers, musicians and acrobats) wearing incredible costumes, and of course the greatest hits music of Michael Jackson. The Immortal show invites us to imagine attending an actual Michael Jackson concert, but without the King of Pop.

The show tells the story of Michael’s career through the unique, “silent” narrative of a mime, who was played by the very talented Salah Belemqawanssa. A massive stage comes alive with stunning performance of color and acrobatics. The impressive live band played for two plus hours of Jackson’s hit music is amazing as well.

Michael Jackson’s iconic voice was the lead vocal for the entire Cirque du Soleil production. Songs from his younger years as a member of the Jackson 5 such as “ABC” and “I Want You Back” were performed in a segment titled “Fanatics Medley.” The scene takes place in front of a Neverland stage set.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

The “Dancing Machine” song was a powerful combination of various dance styles that blended with animated machinery, blasts of steam, metal outfits and talented acrobats dressed as welders swung from the arena’s rafters.

The last performance prior to the intermission was the historic song “Thriller.” The stage came alive with zombies and corpse-costumed dancers who nodded to the classic beat and video choreography of this 1984 hit song.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

“Beat It” was an instant crowd pleaser from the opening few notes. The performance showcased items that we all associate with Michael Jackson – his hat, glove and penny loafers. As the song reaches it’s crescendo, we are blessed with an outrageous duo playing an electric bass and electric guitar.

In a segment named “Mega Mix”, several of Michael’s greatest hits are played including “Can You Feel It,” “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough,” “Billie Jean,” and “Black or White.” Almost everyone in the packed arena was up on their collective feet …. moving and grooving. It was a clever combination of dance, music and acrobatics. During “Billie Jean,” we saw Jackson’s famous choreographic style as his silhouette appears from the dancers’ LED costumes.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

As the crowd loudly cheered, there was one more number to enjoy. The curtain call was “Man in the Mirror,” as the different groups of performers appear on stage before a light shines on a bedazzled life-size glove in the darkness. The performers inside the glove elegantly move to the music, creating visual artistry. “Man in the Mirror” was a fitting way to end Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour as the song was often used by Jackson to end is own concerts.

The Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour was an amazing, visual joy ride and truly was a celebration of the legacy of an immortal – Michael Jackson.

Photo: Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil – Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

The amazing Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour continues its successful journey this month, visiting major cities across California.

In partnership with the Estate of Michael Jackson, Cirque du Soleil presents the Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. This once-in-a-lifetime show presents an opportunity for his fans to appreciate both the music and choreography of the “King of Pop” Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour was written and directed by Jamie King, who is a leading concert director in pop music today. Early in his career, King actually worked with Michael Jackson, in addition to Prince.

Cirque du Soleil – Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour

Only Cirque du Soleil can deliver the incredible creativity and provide Michael Jackson’s fans around the world unique insight into the spirit, passion and heart of this artistic genius. Michael Jackson truly transformed global pop culture.

The Cirque du Soleil production features over 60 talented international dancers, musicians and acrobats. Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour brings a riveting fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy that immerses audiences in Michael’s creative world.

As the Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour unfolds, a fantastical realm showcases Michael’s inspirational Giving Tree — the wellspring of his creativity. The secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked, such as his true love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature.

The Michael Jackson show celebrates his legacy that continues to transcend generations. Audience members will embrace Michael Jackson’s artistry before their very own eyes.

Through unforgettable Cirque du Soleil performances, Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour shares Michael’s global messages of love, peace and unity.

Tickets are on sale now for all future Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour shows in California at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000:
Sacramento, CA January 10-11, 2012
San Jose, CA January 13-15, 2012
Oakland, CA January 17-18, 2012
San Diego, CA January 21-22, 2012
Anaheim, CA January 24-25, 2012
Los Angeles, CA January 27-29, 2012

See the entire city tour date list at: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/michael-jackson-tour/tickets.aspx

Soon to open in San Francisco, the Penthouse Club & Steakhouse will set a new standard for premium adult nightlife entertainment on the West Coast.

The Penthouse Club & Steakhouse is expected to be a 15,000 sq. ft. venue and feature 2 full bars, 3 stages, and 4-star dining within its 2 floors of richly appointed interiors.

The biggest mystery of this new luxury gentlemen’s club project is where the actual location will be in San Francisco. The trendy new club is expected to open in February of 2012.

The main stages and VIP areas of the Penthouse Club & Steakhouse will be fully equipped with all the latest state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems. The gentlemen’s club will provide live topless entertainment that features the incredibly beautiful Penthouse Key Girls, with exclusive special guest appearances by Penthouse Pets and select adult feature film stars.

Penthouse Club & Steakhouse General Manager, Glenn Prime was quoted, “No other gentlemen’s club in California will offer the same level of style, service or sophistication as the Penthouse Club & Steakhouse. And in terms of entertainment quality, the club will bring a whole new level of excitement to upscale adult nightlife in San Francisco.”

For over four decades, the world-renowned Penthouse brand has been synonymous the very best in adult entertainment. The new San Francisco gentlemen’s club will become the first Penthouse Club & Steakhouse to open on the West Coast.

To learn more about the Penthouse Club & Steakhouse, please visit: www.penthousesf.com

“O” – Cirque du Soleil

The most famous attraction at the Bellagio is the “O” experience. “O” offers viewers a theatrical performance with vivid color, breathtaking special effects, and mesmerizing costume, set design, and troupe performances.

In French, the native tongue of Cirque du Soleil, the word for water is eau, pronounced “O”, and there’s plenty of it in this breathtaking theatrical extravaganza conceived by Franco Dragone.

Most of the stage floor is given over to a large pool that, thanks to some theatrical magic, appears, changes shape, and disappears at the director’s will. In, around, under, and (most spectacularly) above this transmutable stage Dragone has created a surrealistic dream of wonder.

In typical Cirque du Soleil fashion, an oddball assortment of clowns and “characters” runs through the entire show occupying the margins of the action and hinting at some mysterious storyline that may or may not exist. In any event, they are window dressing to the major circus acts that form the core of the show. And what acts they are!

“O” – Cirque du Soleil

Most of them are aerial acts taken to amazing lengths of imagination and bravado. Occasionally, the action descends to pool level, on floating islands or small platforms that rise from the watery depths. Here acrobats and contortionists hold forth, diving into the water and performing intricate water ballets.

In one exhilarating number, a succession of divers soar aloft from wildly swinging platforms to perform stunning, and occasionally funny, dives into the pool. In another, acrobats perform on a ghostly ship swaying high overhead.

The depth and breadth of theatrical imagination on display here is seemingly limitless and even the simple act of raising the curtain when the show begins can take your breath away.

Like many Cirque du Soleil shows, this is one where it helps to get some distance from the stage. That way you can better take in the staggeringly beautiful stage pictures that follow one after the other in this truly magical production.

O will no doubt run forever at the Bellagio. For more Las vegas show information or tickets call 800-963-9634, 702-796-9999, or log on to the Cirque du Soleil site at http://www.cirquedusoleil.com

Dear Michael – Bungalow Publishing – Michael Jackson Limited Edition Luxury Tribute Book

Dear Michael about pop legend Michael Jackson, is the first in a series of ultra-exclusive limited edition luxury books, released by Bungalow Publishing.

The goal of Bungalow founders Marisa Garau and Arjan van Woensel is to bring back the classic notion of a book being a possession of high value, and celebrate human creativity one tome at a time.

The “Dear Michael” luxury book has been crafted from the finest materials by an elite team of artists and creative leaders from around the world, including:

• Swarovski: A portrait of Michael created from over 3,000 Swarovski crystals by Swarovski Benelux and the Swarovski Crystal Mesh factory in Austria is incorporated in every book cover.
• Remi van Oers: Recently invited to show his work at the Salone Internazionale dei Mobile in Milan, Remi designed the book’s cases; the outer being made of HI-MACS Alpine White engineered stone – the first time this material has ever been used for this purpose.
• Frieder: Produces handmade limited edition Bibles for Pope Benedict XVI and the cardinals and archbishops residing in Vatican City.
• Spink: Medal-makers for the British Royal Family.
• Lecturis: Printer that manufactured the real estate brochures for Britain’s most expensive home, Park Place, recently sold for £140m.

Bungalow Publishing has brought together artisans, manufacturers, designers, jewelers, printers, photographers, graphics artists and other creative professionals to create stunning, luxury publications.

Dear Michael crystal book cover – Bungalow Publishing

The Dear Michael book is being unveiled at SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED concept stores in Shanghai, London and New York during December and Michael Jackson fans can pay $7,499 USD to participate in and receive a personalized, numbered copy of the luxurious printed monument.

The Guitar Collection

The Guitar Collection is an impressive multi-volume package that showcases the world’s most elite guitars. This collector’s limited edition by Walter Carter and Epic Ink is part music documentary, as well as part photographic odyssey.

The incredible Guitar Collection is packaged in a custom-made leather guitar-style case and includes various luxurious components.

The Guitar Collection professionally showcases the most culturally important, historically significant, and visually stunning guitars ever made. A must for any music lover, The Guitar Collection features high-definition, state-of-the-art original digital photography.

A small sample of some of the world’s most famous guitars include: Eric Clapton’s “Blackie”, Buddy Holly’s Gibson J-45 with its hand-tooled cover, plus other iconic instruments played by Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Emmylou Harris, Keith Richards, and even Kurt Cobain.

This phenomenal limited edition is clearly the ultimate gift and a chance to own a piece of rock ‘n roll history.

The Guitar Collection

· At its heart is The Guitar Collection: An Elite Gathering of 150 Exceptional Guitars (512 pages, over 670 original images, 23″ wide X 11.25″ tall, bound in a custom-made leather case). Weighing over 20 pounds and featuring state-of-the-art photography from today’s finest photographers, this lavish volume spotlights the guitars in all their glory.

· Under any other circumstances, The Guitar Collection: Stories (192 pages, over 180 photographs) would be considered an exceptional illustrated book unto itself. As part of The Guitar Collection, however, it plays a supporting role, supplementing the “big book” with a treasure trove of pictures, information, and anecdotes about each of the featured guitars to satisfy even the most ardent enthusiast.

· Each of the three limited editions of The Guitar Collection is packaged with a full-color signed museum-quality chromalin print of one of three guitars from the collection.

The Guitar Collection also features the less showy instruments that have played a pivotal role in the evolution of the guitar, including a rare Stradivarius dating back to 1700. Selected from over 1,500 candidates, each of these 150 priceless guitars is singularly significant.

The Life of Luxury was invited to participate in the record-breaking attempt titled ‘Funny on the Fly‘ by popular comedian, Owen Benjamin.

Owen is trying to break the world record for the most visited airports in 30 days. ‘Funny on the Fly’ is co-sponsored by Southwest Airlines and Lenovo.

To make his trip more enjoyable, Owen is equipped with the ideal travel companion. He is using a Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 to help keep in touch with his family, friends and many fans following his quest.

You too can follow his every move along the journey via his Tweets, Facebook posts, or Owen posting humorous pictures and videos. Fans can also track Owen’s adventurous travel route on the following website: www.flyingfunny.com.



As a top comedian, Owen Benjamin has had a very successful career. He’s been a regular on many top TV shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central’s Live At Gotham and MTV’s Punk’d. Owen also co-starred with Christina Ricci in the 2009 Hollywood movie “All’s Faire in Love” and had a role this year in “Jack and Jill” with Adam Sandler.

Owen loves doing stand-up comedy and has performed in many top comedy clubs, including an 18 city U.S. tour with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.

When asked why he decided to do this, Owen stated, “I love to travel and have always wanted to hold a world record, so why not hold one for ‘travel endurance’? With Southwest and Lenovo, I wanted to be part of something special and thought it would be a lot of fun to try this plus use the Lenovo tablet to connect with the world.”

As Owen was describing his journey to date, I asked him if it’s been easier or harder than than what he expected. He replied, “It’s definitely been much harder, especially in the morning. I often get up at 4:00am to catch the first flight and many times don’t finish my day until after dark. It’s weird but I basically don’t see daylight. I sometimes travel to 4 to 6 cities a day so it’s pretty hard. Plus I find most people don’t want to laugh early in the morning. I’m much funnier in the afternoons. But this experience has given me some ‘forced structure’ which has been really good.”

To give you a a taste of his grueling schedule …. the day of our interview his schedule included traveling through L.A., Sacramento, Portland, Phoenix and San Diego!

As part of the world record attempt, Lenovo and Southwest Airlines are giving away daily free prizes. Win a round trip ticket from Southwest Airlines or your very own Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. Be sure to register to win at http://www.flyingfunny.com/

When questioned about the most memorable event so far, Owen responded, “I’ve met a lot of really nice people but it’s weird because we just meet for a few minutes and then they’re gone. I don’t have direct contact with my family and friends. But I enjoy seeing someone win a free Southwest trip. A school teacher was so happy to be able to see here mother. That was really nice.”

Owen mentioned he likes to inject fun in every situation he’s in, so you never know if he’s going to stand-up in the middle of a flight and do a comedy routine or take over the mic at a Southwest gate terminal and bark out boarding instructions.

The current world record is 30 city airports in 30 days. He’s targeting about 60 cities and 100 flight legs. Owen is well on his way to shattering that record and hopefully making it stand for many years to come.

Owen, I really enjoyed meeting you and wish you the best of luck on the reminder of your amazing journey.  I leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

The first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show started back in 1995, and the annual fashion event is as popular as ever.

The 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was actually November 9 in New York City, but aired Tuesday night on CBS.

The initial 195 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was an event to help promote the Victoria’s Secret line of sexy lingerie. ABC aired the first TV show in 2001.

This annual lingerie show features many of the most gorgeous models in the world. Several of the show’s supermodels included Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel and Behati Prinsloo.

The show has turned into a celebrity affair, both on stage and in the audience. This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featured musical performances by Kanye West, Maroon 5, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj.

A few of the celebs spotted in the audience were Beyonce, Orlando Bloom who is model Miranda Kerr’s boyfriend and True Blood’s Joe Manganiello.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s popularity has turned it into a pop culture event watched by millions on TV.

Model Miranda Kerr wears $2.5M Bra

The highlight of the show was considered the incredible $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra that was modeled by Australian Angel Miranda Kerr. Read our original article coverage on the Fantasy Treasure Bra that featured more than 3,000 hand-set white and yellow diamonds, in addition to gorgeous pearls and other precious gems set in beautiful gold.

This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has several themed segments titled – Ballet, Superhero, Latin Passion, Aquatic Angels, I Put a Spell On You and Club Pink. Each featured the incredibly sexy Victoria’s Secret angels wearing simply stunning outfits.

Now the countdown begins for the Victoria’s Secret angels to return to the runway …. wearing next season’s hottest lingerie styles.

Beatles – Tom Murray

Many consider the Beatles as the biggest and most popular band ever. Now photographer Tom Murray has brought iconic rock and roll band back to the forefront with a stunning Limited-Edition Beatles Photo Collection.

Tom Murray was involved in the Beatles last ever group publicity shoot back in the summer 1968. Discovered after 30 years, this amazing Beatles photo collection is now available to the public. Critics have said some the the Beatles photos are the best pictures ever to be taken of the band.

Rock Paper Photo, who provides the largest online gallery of pop culture, fine art photographs, is offering the Beatles photo collection.

Tom’s limited-edition Beatles prints are not the standard mock portraits or throw-away celebrity posters. The Beatles photo collection is a timeless, challenging works of art capturing intimate, behind the scenes moments between the Fab Four, rock and roll legends.

This Beatles collection will make the ideal conversation piece for one’s home or office. These Beatles prints will also be appreciated by fine art collectors, home design aficionados and Beatles fans alike.

Beatles – Tom Murray

The photo collection features 23 different pictures of the Beatles and and each Beatles print has been hand-signed by Tom and comes in a 20 x 24 inch size.

Prices range from $3,500 – $5,000 per photo.

In addition, for those interested in smaller luxuries, all 23 images are also available as a giclée – aka an archival pigmented print – in an 18 x 22 inch size ($800 – $1,200).