The countdown continues in preparation for the 2008 World Car awards winners’ press conference at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, March 20, 2008. Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the New York show is a fitting finale to the international auto show season that begins each fall with either the Paris or Frankfurt motor shows.
From an initial entry list of thirty-nine (39) new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten finalists, the top three contenders for the overall 2008 World Car of the Year title were announced today by the international accounting firm KPMG. They are, in alphabetical order:
Ford Mondeo
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
To be eligible for a World Car award, the contender had to be in production, and sold, on at least two continents during 2008.
Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of forty-seven (47) top-level automotive journalists from twenty-four (24) countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work.
Three additional winners for the World Performance Car, World Green Car award, and the World Car Design of the Year will also be announced at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, March 20, 2008.
In preparation, KPMG announced today that the Top Three finalists for the 2008 World Performance Car award, presented by Mobil 1, are, in alphabetical order:
Audi R8
Audi S5 Coupé
BMW M3
While the winner of the overall World Car of the Year Award must excel in a broad range of attributes, the World Performance Car award must demonstrate a specific and overt sports/performance orientation while satisfying the same availability criteria as for the overall World Car of the Year award.
Entrants may be chosen from that list of eligible vehicles, or they may be newly introduced variants that satisfy the same criteria, but are derived from existing rather than brand-new models. In all cases, they must have a minimum annual production rate of five-hundred (500) vehicles.
" It is a great honor to stand with the top three contenders vying for the prestigious World Performance Car Award ," said Nancy Carlson, strategic global alliances - sales director, Exxon Mobil Lubricants & Specialties. " For more than 30 years, Mobil 1's leading technology has influenced the world's top engineers and performance car enthusiasts with its outstanding engine protection and superior performance capabilities. We wish the three finalists the best of luck in their quest to become the 2008 World Performance Car ."
To be eligible for the 2008 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to available in at least one major market during 2007. The vehicle or the green technology could be in production or an experimental prototype with potential near-future application, provided that it was released for individual or press fleet evaluations in quantities of ten or more during 2007. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.
The forty-seven (47) member jury chose the following top three finalists for the 2008 World Green Car award:
BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
SmartForTwo cdi
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI
Cars eligible for the 2008 World Car Design of the Year award are taken from the list of World Car candidates.
A design panel consisting of four highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts were:
Silvia Baruffaldi: Managing Editor, Auto & Design magazine
Robert Cumberford: design critic, Automobile and Auto & Design magazines
Akira Fujimot Editor-in-Chief, Car Styling magazine.
Tom Matan Executive Director, School of Industrial Design, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, USA
Jurors then voted on the expert’s recommendations. The top three design finalists are, in alphabetical order:
Audi R8
Mazda2 / Mazda Demio
Volvo C30
Now in their fifth year, the annual World Car awards have become one of the most prestigious and credible programs of their type in the world.
The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on a global scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.
The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.
For more information, please visit our web site at http://www.wcoty.com/ or send us an email: beth@wcoty.com. If you prefer to talk to us, please call our Executive Manager, Beth Rhind, at 1.705.924.3444.
Oscar Awards 2008 Finalist
Performance by an actor in a leading role
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit
Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood
Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson
Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine
Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley
Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor
Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia
Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
"Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman
Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown
Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins
Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin
Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier
Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
Original screenplay
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins
George Clooney in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax)
Johnny Depp in "Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
Tommy Lee Jones in "In the Valley of Elah" (Warner Independent)
Viggo Mortensen in "Eastern Promises" (Focus Features)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Javier Bardem in "No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
Cate Blanchett in "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal)
Julie Christie in "Away from Her" (Lionsgate)
Marion Cotillard in "La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse)
Laura Linney in "The Savages" (Fox Searchlight)
Ellen Page in "Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Cate Blanchett in "I'm Not There" (The Weinstein Company)
Ruby Dee in "American Gangster" (Universal)
Saoirse Ronan in "Atonement" (Focus Features)
Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone" (Miramax)
Tilda Swinton in "Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.)
Best animated feature film of the year
"Persepolis" (Sony Pictures Classics): Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Brad Bird
"Surf's Up" (Sony Pictures Releasing): Ash Brannon and Chris Buck
Achievement in art direction
"American Gangster" (Universal): Art Direction: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Beth A. Rubino
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Art Direction: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Art Direction: Dennis Gassner; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount): Art Direction: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Art Direction: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Jim Erickson
Achievement in cinematography
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" (Warner Bros.): Roger Deakins
"Atonement" (Focus Features): Seamus McGarvey
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Janusz Kaminski
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Roger Deakins
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Robert Elswit
Achievement in costume design
"Across the Universe" (Sony Pictures Releasing) Albert Wolsky
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Jacqueline Durran
"Elizabeth: The Golden Age" (Universal) Alexandra Byrne
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Marit Allen
"Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (DreamWorks and Warner Bros., Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount) Colleen Atwood
Achievement in directing
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Julian Schnabel
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Jason Reitman
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Tony Gilroy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Joel Coen and Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Paul Thomas Anderson
Best documentary feature
"No End in Sight" (Magnolia Pictures) A Representational Pictures Production: Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience" (The Documentary Group) A Documentary Group Production: Richard E. Robbins
"Sicko" (Lionsgate and The Weinstein Company) A Dog Eat Dog Films Production: Michael Moore and Meghan O'Hara
"Taxi to the Dark Side" (THINKFilm) An X-Ray Production: Alex Gibney and Eva Orner
"War/Dance" (THINKFilm) A Shine Global and Fine Films Production: Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine
Best documentary short subject
"Freeheld" A Lieutenant Films Production: Cynthia Wade and Vanessa Roth
"La Corona (The Crown)" A Runaway Films and Vega Films Production: Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega
"Salim Baba" A Ropa Vieja Films and Paradox Smoke Production: Tim Sternberg and Francisco Bello
"Sari's Mother" (Cinema Guild) A Daylight Factory Production: James Longley
Achievement in film editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Christopher Rouse
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn): Juliette Welfling
"Into the Wild" (Paramount Vantage and River Road Entertainment): Jay Cassidy
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) Roderick Jaynes
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Dylan Tichenor
Best foreign language film of the year
"Beaufort" Israel
"The Counterfeiters" Austria
"Katyn" Poland
"Mongol" Kazakhstan
"12" Russia
Achievement in makeup
"La Vie en Rose" (Picturehouse) Didier Lavergne and Jan Archibald
"Norbit" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount): Rick Baker and Kazuhiro Tsuji
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): Ve Neill and Martin Samuel
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"Atonement" (Focus Features) Dario Marianelli
"The Kite Runner" (DreamWorks, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Participant Productions, Distributed by Paramount Classics): Alberto Iglesias
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) James Newton Howard
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney) Michael Giacchino
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate) Marco Beltrami
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Falling Slowly" from "Once" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by Glen Hansard and: Marketa Irglova
"Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"Raise It Up" from "August Rush" (Warner Bros.): Music and Lyric by Jamal Joseph, Charles Mack and Tevin Thomas
"So Close" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
"That's How You Know" from "Enchanted" (Walt Disney): Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Stephen Schwartz
Best motion picture of the year
"Atonement" (Focus Features) A Working Title Production: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, Producers
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production) A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production: Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith, Producers
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.) A Clayton Productions, LLC Production: Sydney Pollack, Jennifer Fox and Kerry Orent, Producers
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage) A Scott Rudin/Mike Zoss Production: Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax) A JoAnne Sellar/Ghoulardi Film Company Production: JoAnne Sellar, Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Lupi, Producers
Best animated short film
"I Met the Walrus" A Kids & Explosions Production: Josh Raskin
"Madame Tutli-Putli" (National Film Board of Canada) A National Film Board of Canada Production Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
"Même les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)" (Premium Films) A BUF Compagnie Production Samuel Tourneux and Simon Vanesse
"My Love (Moya Lyubov)" (Channel One Russia) A Dago-Film Studio, Channel One Russia and Dentsu Tec Production Alexander Petrov
"Peter & the Wolf" (BreakThru Films) A BreakThru Films/Se-ma-for Studios Production Suzie Templeton and Hugh Welchman
Best live action short film
"At Night" A Zentropa Entertainments 10 Production: Christian E. Christiansen and Louise Vesth
"Il Supplente (The Substitute)" (Sky Cinema Italia) A Frame by Frame Italia Production: Andrea Jublin
"Le Mozart des Pickpockets (The Mozart of Pickpockets)" (Premium Films) A Karé Production: Philippe Pollet-Villard
"Tanghi Argentini" (Premium Films) An Another Dimension of an Idea Production: Guido Thys and Anja Daelemans
"The Tonto Woman" A Knucklehead, Little Mo and Rose Hackney Barber Production: Daniel Barber and Matthew Brown
Achievement in sound editing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal): Karen Baker Landers and Per Hallberg
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom and Michael Silvers
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax): Christopher Scarabosio and Matthew Wood
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Ethan Van der Ryn and Mike Hopkins
Achievement in sound mixing
"The Bourne Ultimatum" (Universal) Scott Millan, David Parker and Kirk Francis
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage): Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter Kurland
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney): Randy Thom, Michael Semanick and Doc Kane
"3:10 to Yuma" (Lionsgate): Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Jim Stuebe
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Kevin O'Connell, Greg P. Russell and Peter J. Devlin
Achievement in visual effects
"The Golden Compass" (New Line in association with Ingenious Film Partners): Michael Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
"Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" (Walt Disney): John Knoll, Hal Hickel, Charles Gibson and John Frazier
"Transformers" (DreamWorks and Paramount in association with Hasbro): Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl and John Frazier
Adapted screenplay
"Atonement" (Focus Features), Screenplay by Christopher Hampton
"Away from Her" (Lionsgate), Written by Sarah Polley
"The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (Miramax/Pathé Renn), Screenplay by Ronald Harwood
"No Country for Old Men" (Miramax and Paramount Vantage), Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
"There Will Be Blood" (Paramount Vantage and Miramax), Written for the screen by Paul Thomas Anderson
Original screenplay
"Juno" (A Mandate Pictures/Mr. Mudd Production), Written by Diablo Cody
"Lars and the Real Girl" (MGM), Written by Nancy Oliver
"Michael Clayton" (Warner Bros.), Written by Tony Gilroy
"Ratatouille" (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Brad Bird; Story by Jan Pinkava, Jim Capobianco, Brad Bird
"The Savages" (Fox Searchlight), Written by Tamara Jenkins
Oscar Awards - Amazing Historical Facts
Movie buffs who love Oscar trivia and movies in general may already know all,or most, of these tidbits. For others, it may give new insight into Academy Award history.
Like baseball, the Academy Awards have records for everything. Here are a few, arranged by categories, that have been set or tied in recent years.
Actors and Actresses
When Jack Palance won his Best Supporting Actor award for City Slickers (1991), it had been 38 years since his last nomination, a record in Academy history. His previous nomination had been for supporting actor in Shane (1953).
Veteran Gloria Stuart, age 87, became the oldest supporting actress nominee as the elder Rose in Titanic (1997). Stuart’s first movie was Street of Women in 1932.
With a best actor Oscar for As Good As It Gets (1997) and another nomination for About Schmidt (2002), Jack Nicholson extended his record for most Oscar actor nominations to 12. Second is Laurence Olivier with 10.
When Robert Benigni won Best Actor in 1998, he became the first such winner for a foreign language film (Life Is Beautiful). Sophia Loren was the first actress so honored for her performance in Two Women (1961).
Richard Farnsworth became the oldest best actor nominee when he was nominated for his role in The Straight Story (1999). He was 80.
Hallee Berry became the first African-American to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster’s Ball (2001).
Denzel Washington became the first African-American to win two Oscars when he was chosen Best Actor for Training Day (2001).
Washington had previously won a supporting actor Oscar for Glory (1989).
In 2004, Jamie Foxx became the first African-American actor to be nominated for two Oscars in the same year. He won Best Actor for Ray and was nominated in a supporting role for Collateral.
By being nominated for best supporting actress for The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Meryl Streep extended her record for most Oscar actress nominations. She now has had 14 nominations. Second is Katherine Hepburn with 12.
Best Pictures
Dances with Wolves (1990) became the first Western to win Best Picture since Cimarron (1931). It would not be so long until the next Western winner. Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven won Best Picture in 1992.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was only the second film from the Suspense/Thriller genre to win Best Picture. The first was Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940).
Shrek (2001) became the first-ever Best Animated Feature Film.
In 2002, Chicago became the first musical to win Best Picture since Oliver! In 1968.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) became only the second sequel to win Best Picture. The first was The Godfather: Part II (1974).
Brevity AwardsJudi Dench won Best Supporting Actress in 1998 for eight minutes of screen time in Shakespeare in Love.
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor in 1991 for sixteen minutes of screen time in The Silence of the Lambs.
Longevity AwardsThe “Will This Ever End?” award goes to the 2001 ceremonies. At 256 minutes, it was the longest Academy Award program ever.
Roman Polanski in 2002 became the oldest person to win Best Director for his movie The Pianist. He was 69.
Miscellaneous
Jane Campion became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for her film The Piano (1994). Other women nominated have been Lina Wertmuller (1976) and Sophia Coppola (2003).
The record for most foreign language film nominations was set by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). It had 10 nominations with 4 wins.
Like baseball, the Academy Awards have records for everything. Here are a few, arranged by categories, that have been set or tied in recent years.
Actors and Actresses
When Jack Palance won his Best Supporting Actor award for City Slickers (1991), it had been 38 years since his last nomination, a record in Academy history. His previous nomination had been for supporting actor in Shane (1953).
Veteran Gloria Stuart, age 87, became the oldest supporting actress nominee as the elder Rose in Titanic (1997). Stuart’s first movie was Street of Women in 1932.
With a best actor Oscar for As Good As It Gets (1997) and another nomination for About Schmidt (2002), Jack Nicholson extended his record for most Oscar actor nominations to 12. Second is Laurence Olivier with 10.
When Robert Benigni won Best Actor in 1998, he became the first such winner for a foreign language film (Life Is Beautiful). Sophia Loren was the first actress so honored for her performance in Two Women (1961).
Richard Farnsworth became the oldest best actor nominee when he was nominated for his role in The Straight Story (1999). He was 80.
Hallee Berry became the first African-American to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster’s Ball (2001).
Denzel Washington became the first African-American to win two Oscars when he was chosen Best Actor for Training Day (2001).
Washington had previously won a supporting actor Oscar for Glory (1989).
In 2004, Jamie Foxx became the first African-American actor to be nominated for two Oscars in the same year. He won Best Actor for Ray and was nominated in a supporting role for Collateral.
By being nominated for best supporting actress for The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Meryl Streep extended her record for most Oscar actress nominations. She now has had 14 nominations. Second is Katherine Hepburn with 12.
Best Pictures
Dances with Wolves (1990) became the first Western to win Best Picture since Cimarron (1931). It would not be so long until the next Western winner. Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven won Best Picture in 1992.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) was only the second film from the Suspense/Thriller genre to win Best Picture. The first was Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940).
Shrek (2001) became the first-ever Best Animated Feature Film.
In 2002, Chicago became the first musical to win Best Picture since Oliver! In 1968.
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) became only the second sequel to win Best Picture. The first was The Godfather: Part II (1974).
Brevity AwardsJudi Dench won Best Supporting Actress in 1998 for eight minutes of screen time in Shakespeare in Love.
Anthony Hopkins won Best Actor in 1991 for sixteen minutes of screen time in The Silence of the Lambs.
Longevity AwardsThe “Will This Ever End?” award goes to the 2001 ceremonies. At 256 minutes, it was the longest Academy Award program ever.
Roman Polanski in 2002 became the oldest person to win Best Director for his movie The Pianist. He was 69.
Miscellaneous
Jane Campion became the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for her film The Piano (1994). Other women nominated have been Lina Wertmuller (1976) and Sophia Coppola (2003).
The record for most foreign language film nominations was set by Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000). It had 10 nominations with 4 wins.
Longest Document Scanning Guinness World Records
Over the course of more than two decades, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Scanners has helped digitize billions of documents — medical records, government records and court records, to name a few. Now the document scanner company seeks to capture a record of a different sort. BBH Scanners will attempt to establish the Guinness World Record for the longest document scanned on Monday, Feb. 25 at the 2008 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, Fla. HIMSS is the healthcare IT industry’s largest yearly event.
BBH employees will attempt to scan a paper document roughly one-half mile long — the equivalent length of 2,880 standard, 8.5 x 11-inch sheets laid end to end. They will try for the record using the award-winning Trūper 3600 low-volume production scanner. If successful, the single, continuous scan could last up to two hours.
An official Guinness World Records adjudicator will travel to Orlando from London to validate BBH’s record. The adjudicator will verify that the attempt meets the criteria set forth by Guinness World Records, including that the scanned document is a continuous file in one single page and that the original document is made out of paper.
“As an imaging industry pioneer, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL has a long history of document scanning firsts,” said Mandy Lewis, senior product manager at BÖWE BELL + HOWELL. “We’re pleased to have the opportunity to add another BBH milestone to the record books.”
“Guinness World Records is honored to be a part of this monumental day in BÖWE BELL + HOWELL history,” said Gareth Deaves of Guinness World Records. “We congratulate everyone involved in this remarkable achievement in setting the record for the ‘Longest Scanned Document.’ ”
Document Scanner Goes to Great Lengths
A feature called “long document handling” will allow the Trūper scanner to scan the half-mile document without interruption. BBH introduced the feature on its Trūper Series scanners in late 2007 to give healthcare organizations the ability to scan long, vital medical records, such as fetal monitoring strips and EKG printouts.
“Usually, healthcare workers have to cut long patient records into measured sections or mount them on standard size sheets to scan,” Lewis said, “but with Trūper, these professionals can scan documents of unlimited length with ease. This has the potential to save healthcare organizations significant time and money.”
Long document handling on Trūper is user-selectable, which means users can switch easily between long and regular page modes.
HIMSS 2008 attendees can witness BBH’s attempt to make scanning history on Feb. 25 between 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, at exhibition booth #4476.
Source : bbhscanners.com
World Largest Tea Party India World Record
As more than 30,000 people on Sunday (February 24, 2008) raised their designer cups and took a sip of tea, Indore city of Madhya Pradesh set a new record for hosting the largest tea party. Citizens responded with enthusiasm to the novel event and started arriving at a stadium, the venue for the function, well ahead of the scheduled time of 3.30 p.m. and within an hour all seats were taken.
The stadium was divided into four sections and people were given entry only on the basis of their registration passes.
After singers Shreya Ghoshal and Krishna entertained the gathering with their melodious songs, the gates were closed at 4.30 p.m. and volunteers started serving tea to the guests in designer cups - which were later gifted to participants as mementos. Twenty minutes later, a new record was created.
At 6.30 p.m., a Guinness Book of World Record representative announced Indore to be the host of the biggest tea party with over 30,000 people sipping the Brook Bond Red Label tea, breaking the previous record of 14,718 people taking tea in Nishiao city of Japan in 2006.
The event, organised by the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, also raised funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore for city development.
Indore mayor Umashashi Sharma and Ramesh Chandra Agarwal of the Dainik Bhaskar group received a certificate for the record from the Guinness Book representative amid an impressive show of fireworks and festivities.
The stadium was divided into four sections and people were given entry only on the basis of their registration passes.
After singers Shreya Ghoshal and Krishna entertained the gathering with their melodious songs, the gates were closed at 4.30 p.m. and volunteers started serving tea to the guests in designer cups - which were later gifted to participants as mementos. Twenty minutes later, a new record was created.
At 6.30 p.m., a Guinness Book of World Record representative announced Indore to be the host of the biggest tea party with over 30,000 people sipping the Brook Bond Red Label tea, breaking the previous record of 14,718 people taking tea in Nishiao city of Japan in 2006.
The event, organised by the Hindi newspaper Dainik Bhaskar, also raised funds to the tune of Rs 5 crore for city development.
Indore mayor Umashashi Sharma and Ramesh Chandra Agarwal of the Dainik Bhaskar group received a certificate for the record from the Guinness Book representative amid an impressive show of fireworks and festivities.
Worlds Biggest Hamburger Guinness World Record
Mallie's Sports Grill & Bar prides itself on having the best burger around. Now they are boasting the have the biggest one too. The bar on Northline Road on Saturday cooked a hamburger, which its manager said he believes is large enough to set a new Guinness World Record. The record has not yet been authenticated by Guinness, a process that could take a few weeks.
"That is the way we pride ourselves: We have the world's best and now we have the world's biggest," said Mike Matkin, the bar's promoter.
The event generated a lot of interest as more than 200 people crammed into the establishment and waits for tables were 40 parties deep, he said."It is definitely a good day," Matkin said. "It is standing room only."
Staff had the 24-inch burger dressed with huge buns, cheese, all the fixings and on display by 4:20 p.m.
It started cooking at 4 a.m. Saturday and required three men using two steel sheets to flip it, Matkin said.
Joe Jerrard, a 39-year-old Lincoln Park resident remembers reading the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid and came to the bar on Saturday to see Mallie's attempt to set a record.
"I can't believe it," he said. "It is exciting to be a part of it. It is cool they are doing something like that. It is boosting everybody's morale."
The burger's patty final weight after cooking was 134 pounds. Owner Steve Mallie said the burger will obliterate the previous Guinness World Record of 123 pounds, set by Denny's Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pa., in 2007.
He is so sure he will set the record, he already has printed up new menus with the giant burger on it. For $399 and at least 24 hours notice, the burger can be yours.
The burger joins the 12-pound, six-pound and half-pound burgers already on the menu.
"We want to show the world that we have the biggest and best burgers in the world," Mallie said.
Matkin said the burger is a joy to see.
"It is the biggest patty you would ever consider taking a look at," he said. "It's good ole ground round. We are going to display it for awhile and let people take pictures with it. We might start cutting it up and sharing it with people."
Mallie is donating a portion of Saturday's proceeds to the Women Celebrating Life-Downriver, a breast cancer support and awareness group.
Around the World in 194 Days Guinness World Records
SUPER-FIT British cyclist Mark Beaumont yesterday became the fastest person ever to pedal around the world.Pedalling into Paris with sun-bleached hair and an escort of half-a-dozen French policemen yesterday, Mark Beaumont looked more like a rogue Robinson Crusoe than a real-life Phileas Fogg.
But far from being stranded on a desert island for months on end, the cycling-mad Scot had just reached the end of a record-breaking bid to circumnavigate the globe.
After a mammoth 194 days and eight hours in the saddle, the 25-year-old made it around the world in virtually 80 days less than the previous record holder.
As he cycled past the Arc de Triomphe at about 2.30pm British time, his delight at smashing the existing world record of 276 days was clear.
And while Guinness World Records officials will take up to a week to check the paperwork - including GPS readings and receipts for ferry tickets and lunches - to confirm his success, they said it looked pretty certain that he was a record-breaker.
Surrounded by crowds of well-wishers, Mr Beaumont was in no doubt about that as he said: "It's an absolutely fantastic feeling to achieve the world record after six months on the road.
"I'm delighted, although I think it will take a while for it to sink in. It's great to see my friends and family and now I'm looking forward to getting some sleep.
"The challenge was one of those things which was out there to be done. I love the idea of being the first and the fastest and I felt I was capable of beating the record."
The Herculean-style efforts of the economics and politics graduate from Newburgh in Fife had attracted so much interest that he struggled to get over the finishing line because so many people were waiting to see him.
Among them were his family, parents Una and Kevin, and sisters Heather, 26, and Hannah, 23, who were all due to join him at a reception being held last night.
Heather said: "He looked absolutely wild, but very well and really happy. He was living his dream. He was emotional. The last section was really hard. His legs had been really hurting, the end could not come soon enough."
Mrs Beaumont, who was the project co-ordinator of her son's challenge, said: "I am very proud of him. With Mark, the passion is being the first and the fastest. It's about pushing himself to the limit."
Understandably after 18,000 miles through 20 countries including India, Pakistan and Malaysia, averaging 100 miles a day, the adventurous cyclist was a little saddle-sore.
He said: "The last two days on the road have been hard but about 40km from Paris the adrenalin kicked in and I flew up the last hills.
"I'm going to celebrate and then crash out."
In the months since he left Paris last August he has had more than his fair share of less welcome adventures too, including being knocked off his bike in the American state of Louisiana by an elderly motorist who drove through a red light.
He also endured floods and road-rage and had his wallet and camera stolen from a hostel after a fight broke out.
As he recovered yesterday, he added that he believed he could have gone even faster if he hadn't had to eat junk food in Australia and the US.
However, there was no likelihood that he would develop an unwanted spare tyre, as he needed to eat 6000 calories a day under the tough regime for the challenge.
As well as breaking records he hopes to raise £18,000 - £1 for every mile travelled -for charities including Edinburgh Cyrenians Trust and Community Action Nepal.
Staff and pupils at the High School of Dundee, where Mr Beaumont was a pupil, were delighted by his success. Rector Mike Duncan said: "Mark's journey has been a true challenge of spirit and endurance, and he well deserves to take his place in the history books.
"His journey has not just illustrated the diversity of our planet, which has in itself been a valuable lesson for our pupils, but has provided them with a source of inspiration.
"On behalf of everyone at the High School, I offer him our warmest congratulations."
Messages of support also came from Scots Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy, acclaimed mountaineer Doug Scott CBE and Prince William, who sent a telegram congratulating Mr Beaumont on his "Herculean challenge".
Guinness World Records spokeswoman Amarilis Espinoza said: "Mark put in the proper application at the beginning and he and his team, and his mother, have been in touch with us throughout. We just need to check the paperwork which will take no more than a week but we're very excited for him."
The previous record holder, Steven Strange from Devon, was the first person to set the record when he completed his trip in 2005.
- www.theherald.co.uk
Top 5 Business Guinness World Records
Top 5 Business Guinnewss World Records
Richest person:
John D. Rockefeller's wealth was estimated at about $900million in 1913, equivalent to $189.6billion (£114.39 billion) in today's terms
Greatest dispute regarding corporate tax:
The largest tax dispute in history was settled between the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and GlaxoSmithKline on September 11, 2006. The pharmaceutical giant agreed to pay $3.1billion (£1.6billion) in taxes and interest payments after tax accounts going back 16 years were disputed by the IRS
Highest paid advertising executive:
Sir Martin Sorrell, the head of the advertising company WPP, which also owns the advertising industry giant J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather, is the world's highest-paid advertising executive with a salary of £17.1million in the year ending July 2006. Sir Martin's company generated revenues of over £4billion in the same period.
Largest single e-commerce transaction:
Mark Cuban, the American internet tycoon from Dallas, Texas, bought a Gulfstream V business jet over the internet in October 1999. The jet changed hands for $40million (£25million)
Most expensive internet address domain name:
The internet domain name business.com was sold by the Texan entrepreneur Marc Ostrofsky on December 1, 1999, for £4.6million ($7.5million)
Richest person:
John D. Rockefeller's wealth was estimated at about $900million in 1913, equivalent to $189.6billion (£114.39 billion) in today's terms
Greatest dispute regarding corporate tax:
The largest tax dispute in history was settled between the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and GlaxoSmithKline on September 11, 2006. The pharmaceutical giant agreed to pay $3.1billion (£1.6billion) in taxes and interest payments after tax accounts going back 16 years were disputed by the IRS
Highest paid advertising executive:
Sir Martin Sorrell, the head of the advertising company WPP, which also owns the advertising industry giant J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather, is the world's highest-paid advertising executive with a salary of £17.1million in the year ending July 2006. Sir Martin's company generated revenues of over £4billion in the same period.
Largest single e-commerce transaction:
Mark Cuban, the American internet tycoon from Dallas, Texas, bought a Gulfstream V business jet over the internet in October 1999. The jet changed hands for $40million (£25million)
Most expensive internet address domain name:
The internet domain name business.com was sold by the Texan entrepreneur Marc Ostrofsky on December 1, 1999, for £4.6million ($7.5million)
Guinness World Records acquire by Jim Pattison Group
The world's longest eyebrow hair and the biggest rice cake are just some of the wonders that can be found in Guinness World Records.
Now the owner of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which runs a chain of museums displaying oddities from shrunken torsos to a two-headed stuffed calf, has acquired rights to these wonders from the Apax-owned Hit Entertainment, acquiring the
Guinness World Records company for £60 million.
Jim Pattison, the Canadian billionaire, will acquire a 53-year-old business that now publishes its annual book in more than 100 countries and in 37 languages. The book has become a record-breaker in its own right as the world's bestselling copyright book.
Guinness World Records originated in 1951, when Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument: which is the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the grouse? He realised that a book supplying the answers to such a question might prove popular.
Sir Hugh's idea became reality when Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London, were commissioned to compile what became the Guinness Book of Records. The first edition was published on August 27, 1955, and went to the top of the British bestseller lists by Christmas that year. Its name was changed to Guinness World Records in 2000.
It is not the first time that the Jim Pattison Group has been linked with Guinness World Records. The group has owned the worldwide rights to the Guinness World Records museums and attractions for the past decade. There are six museums in four countries, in locations including Niagara Falls, Hollywood, San Antonio, Texas, Copenhagen and Tokyo.
“The coming together of Guinness World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not! creates an historic combination of the world-leading authorities on records and record-breaking and all that is unbelievable,” Jim Pattison Jr, the president of Ripley, said.
Apax, which confirmed its acquisition of Hit Entertainment, the owner of Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and Pingu, in March 2005 for £490million, has been seeking buyers in recent months for a number of its assets. Sooty, the puppet, is also up for sale.
Three years since its acquisition, Apax may be considering whether to sell Hit or develop it through acquisitions. Companies such as Chorion, which owns Noddy, or Entertainment Rights, owner of Postman Pat, could be of interest, although Entertainment Rights has been in talks with interested parties and Hit is not one of them.
Ripley Entertainment is a global attractions company with annual attendances of more than 13million. In addition to its 60-plus attractions, the Orlando-based company has publishing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Ripley's Believe It or Not! television show, bestselling books and a popular syndicated cartoon strip that runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries. There are now 30 Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums, known as Odditoriums, with a new one scheduled to open in the Trocadero, Central London, in August. The Jim Pattison Group is Canada's third-largest private company, with sales of more than C$6.3billion (£3.2billion).
Now the owner of Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which runs a chain of museums displaying oddities from shrunken torsos to a two-headed stuffed calf, has acquired rights to these wonders from the Apax-owned Hit Entertainment, acquiring the
Guinness World Records company for £60 million.
Jim Pattison, the Canadian billionaire, will acquire a 53-year-old business that now publishes its annual book in more than 100 countries and in 37 languages. The book has become a record-breaker in its own right as the world's bestselling copyright book.
Guinness World Records originated in 1951, when Sir Hugh Beaver, then the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, went on a shooting party in North Slob, by the River Slaney in County Wexford, Ireland. He became involved in an argument: which is the fastest game bird in Europe, the golden plover or the grouse? He realised that a book supplying the answers to such a question might prove popular.
Sir Hugh's idea became reality when Norris and Ross McWhirter, who had been running a fact-finding agency in London, were commissioned to compile what became the Guinness Book of Records. The first edition was published on August 27, 1955, and went to the top of the British bestseller lists by Christmas that year. Its name was changed to Guinness World Records in 2000.
It is not the first time that the Jim Pattison Group has been linked with Guinness World Records. The group has owned the worldwide rights to the Guinness World Records museums and attractions for the past decade. There are six museums in four countries, in locations including Niagara Falls, Hollywood, San Antonio, Texas, Copenhagen and Tokyo.
“The coming together of Guinness World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not! creates an historic combination of the world-leading authorities on records and record-breaking and all that is unbelievable,” Jim Pattison Jr, the president of Ripley, said.
Apax, which confirmed its acquisition of Hit Entertainment, the owner of Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and Pingu, in March 2005 for £490million, has been seeking buyers in recent months for a number of its assets. Sooty, the puppet, is also up for sale.
Three years since its acquisition, Apax may be considering whether to sell Hit or develop it through acquisitions. Companies such as Chorion, which owns Noddy, or Entertainment Rights, owner of Postman Pat, could be of interest, although Entertainment Rights has been in talks with interested parties and Hit is not one of them.
Ripley Entertainment is a global attractions company with annual attendances of more than 13million. In addition to its 60-plus attractions, the Orlando-based company has publishing and broadcast divisions that oversee projects including the globally syndicated Ripley's Believe It or Not! television show, bestselling books and a popular syndicated cartoon strip that runs daily in 200 newspapers in 42 countries. There are now 30 Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums, known as Odditoriums, with a new one scheduled to open in the Trocadero, Central London, in August. The Jim Pattison Group is Canada's third-largest private company, with sales of more than C$6.3billion (£3.2billion).
Limca Book Records for breaks beer bottles on own head
A youth in Orissa has broken at least 185 beer bottles on his head and about 100 tube lights on his body in an attempt to create a new world record.Ramiya Ranjan Parida, a 20-year-old from Malkangiri, some 700 km from here, demonstrated his feat to hundreds of people in his hometown Wednesday, eyewitnesses said.At the beginning of his stunt, two of Parida's aides beat him up with old tube lights one by one and smashed at least 100 tube lights in the process, Binash Kumar Mishra, a local martial art trainer, told IANS.
After that Parida himself picked up empty beer bottles kept on a table and broke them one by one on his head, Mishra said and added that he broke at least 185 bottles. Parida took just nine minutes and five seconds to break all the tube lights and beer bottles, he added.
"I have been practising it for the past several months and hoped to create a world record," Parida, who teaches martial arts to children in the same town, told IANS over telephone.
"It is the inner confidence that helped me to do the amazing stunt."
He said his feat has been recorded and would be sent to Limca book of records.
Rakesh Kumar Ludam, assistant surgeon of a nearby hospital, who examined Parida before and after, said: "Although he sustained some minor injuries on his head and body, he was absolutely normal after performing such a dangerous stunt. I am really surprised." (IANS)
Israeli-Arab woman claims to be world oldest 120
An Israeli-Arab woman said she was born 120 years ago when she filed the routine form for a new identity card, media reported Friday.
The Guinness Book of Records currently lists 114-year-old American woman Edna Parker as the oldest person. Mariam Amash from the Israeli Arab village of Jisr a-Zarka would hold this title if her claim gets confirmed.
A spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry confirmed that Amash is listed as having been born in 1888. Amash said the listing was based on a birth certificate issued by Turkish authorities that ruled the region at the time.
Amash's relatives said she has 10 sons, one daughter, about 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren.
"She is a healthy, active woman. She walks each day and makes sure she drinks at least one glass of olive oil," said Hamda Amash, Mariam Amash's granddaughter-in-law." People like to come to her house. She talks to us about the old days. She knows the history since the Turkish times."
Amarilis Espinoza, a Guinness spokeswoman in London, said multiple documents would need to be produced to back up a birth certificate, like the death certificates, school certificates and medical examinations.
"Anything that helps reconstruct the timeline of the person back to that age," Espinoza explained. "There is a lot of documentation that needs to be prepared before we could announce a person is the oldest person."
The Guinness Book of Records currently lists 114-year-old American woman Edna Parker as the oldest person. Mariam Amash from the Israeli Arab village of Jisr a-Zarka would hold this title if her claim gets confirmed.
A spokeswoman for Israel's Interior Ministry confirmed that Amash is listed as having been born in 1888. Amash said the listing was based on a birth certificate issued by Turkish authorities that ruled the region at the time.
Amash's relatives said she has 10 sons, one daughter, about 120 grandchildren, 250 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great grandchildren.
"She is a healthy, active woman. She walks each day and makes sure she drinks at least one glass of olive oil," said Hamda Amash, Mariam Amash's granddaughter-in-law." People like to come to her house. She talks to us about the old days. She knows the history since the Turkish times."
Amarilis Espinoza, a Guinness spokeswoman in London, said multiple documents would need to be produced to back up a birth certificate, like the death certificates, school certificates and medical examinations.
"Anything that helps reconstruct the timeline of the person back to that age," Espinoza explained. "There is a lot of documentation that needs to be prepared before we could announce a person is the oldest person."
Biggest Hug of Children Guinness world record 2008
Monterrey (Mexico), Feb 15 (IANS) More than 8,000 children participated in the planet’s biggest hug on Valentine’s Day here to set a Guinness world record, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Friday. The huge embrace was organised in Parque Tolteca in Guadalupe, a suburb of the northern metropolis of Monterrey.Maria Olivia Chu, a government representative, confirmed the participation of 8,402 children.
The children joined arms in a long chain, in the shape of a spiral, in a park for more than a minute, so that the official could register the hug.
“We broke the previous Guinness record held by the city of Chihuahua,” said Guadalupe Mayor Cristina Diaz Salazar. She said the embrace was organised to “promote values of love and friendship”.
According to the organisers of the event, the previous Guinness world record for world’s biggest hug was made at Ciudad Juarez, near El Paso in the US state of Texas, where more than 6,000 children participated.
Oddest and Funny Old Guinness World Records
"The Guinness Book of World Records" is a fascinating read, page after page of stupid human tricks. Some are just more stupid than others. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the "Guinness Book of World Records," Britain's Mirror newspaper meticulously combed through all the listings and chose the oddest entries for a single fun-to-read list! Here are the top 25 entries.
Fastest Talker: In 1995, Canadian Sean Shannon recited Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, which is 260 words, in just 23.8 seconds.
Heaviest Vehicle Pulled Over 100 Feet: In 2004, Derek Boyer of Australia pulled a 30.68-ton truck-trailer 30.5 meters.
Highest Shallow Dive: In January 2004, Danny Higginbottom of Louisiana dove from a height of 8.90 meters into 30 centimeters of water.
Breath Held Voluntarily: American Robert Foster held his breath for 13 minutes, 42.5 seconds in 1959.
Longest Time to Endure Full Body Ice Contact: Wim Hoff of the Netherlands stood in an ice cube-filled tube for 1 hour, 17 minutes in January 2004.
Most Consecutive Pogo-Stick Jumps: In 1990 in California, Gary Stewart did 177,737 consecutive pogo-stick jumps.
Most Glasses Balanced on the Chin: In 2001 in New York, Ashrita Furman managed to balance 75 pint-sized beer glasses on his chin for 10.6 seconds.
Most One-Finger Push-Ups: In 1992 in London, Paul Lynch performed 124 one-finger push-ups.
Oldest Person to Loop the Loop: In 1998, Adeline Ablitt, 95, did a glider loop over Leicestershire, England.
Highest Tightrope Walk: Frenchman Michael Menin walked a 3,150 meter-high tightrope in 1989.
Walking: Greatest Documented Lifetime Mileage: Between 1969 and 2000, Arthur Blessitt of Florida walked 34,501 miles on seven continents while carrying a 3.7-meter cross.
Hairiest Family: Mexican brothers Victor and Gabriel Ramos Gomez have 98 percent of their bodies covered in fur.
Highest G-Force Endured Voluntarily: 82.6g for 0.04 seconds by American Eli L. Beeding Jr. in 1958. He spent three days in the hospital afterwards.
Longest Attack of Hiccups: American Charles Osborne suffered the hiccups from 1922 to 1990.
Longest Tattoo Session: In 2003, Chris Goodwill spent 33 hours tattooing Kevin Budden in Plumstead, South East London.
Longest Time With a Nail in the Head: Briton Robin Hanshaw had a one-inch rusty nail stuck between his ear and his eye for 22 years.
Most Compulsive Swallower: In 1927, a Canadian woman had 2,533 objects removed from her stomach, including 947 pins.
Most Lightning Strikes Survived: Roy C. Sullivan of Virginia was struck for the seventh time in 1977.
Most Pierced Man: Luis Antonio Aguero from Cuba has 230 piercings.
Most Children Delivered: In 1997, Bobbi McCaughey of Iowa gave birth to seven babies delivered by Caesarean section.
Most Feet Sniffed: In a 15-year career, Madeline Albrecht sniffed 5,600 feet while working for foot care experts Dr. Scholl. (And you think your job stinks!)
Most Elastic Man: Pierre Beauchemin is nicknamed Mr. Gumby for his ability to contort his arms and legs.
Fastest Balloon Dog Made Behind Back: Britain's Craig "Blink" Keith made a balloon poodle in 9.26 seconds in May 2004--with his hands behind his back.
Fastest Speed Dragged Behind a Motorbike: Gary Rothwell of Liverpool was dragged at 156 mph on 2-millimeter titanium-soled boots in 1999.
Most Spoons Balanced on Face: America's Tim Johnston, 12, balanced 15 on his face for 30 seconds in May 2004.
Fastest Talker: In 1995, Canadian Sean Shannon recited Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, which is 260 words, in just 23.8 seconds.
Heaviest Vehicle Pulled Over 100 Feet: In 2004, Derek Boyer of Australia pulled a 30.68-ton truck-trailer 30.5 meters.
Highest Shallow Dive: In January 2004, Danny Higginbottom of Louisiana dove from a height of 8.90 meters into 30 centimeters of water.
Breath Held Voluntarily: American Robert Foster held his breath for 13 minutes, 42.5 seconds in 1959.
Longest Time to Endure Full Body Ice Contact: Wim Hoff of the Netherlands stood in an ice cube-filled tube for 1 hour, 17 minutes in January 2004.
Most Consecutive Pogo-Stick Jumps: In 1990 in California, Gary Stewart did 177,737 consecutive pogo-stick jumps.
Most Glasses Balanced on the Chin: In 2001 in New York, Ashrita Furman managed to balance 75 pint-sized beer glasses on his chin for 10.6 seconds.
Most One-Finger Push-Ups: In 1992 in London, Paul Lynch performed 124 one-finger push-ups.
Oldest Person to Loop the Loop: In 1998, Adeline Ablitt, 95, did a glider loop over Leicestershire, England.
Highest Tightrope Walk: Frenchman Michael Menin walked a 3,150 meter-high tightrope in 1989.
Walking: Greatest Documented Lifetime Mileage: Between 1969 and 2000, Arthur Blessitt of Florida walked 34,501 miles on seven continents while carrying a 3.7-meter cross.
Hairiest Family: Mexican brothers Victor and Gabriel Ramos Gomez have 98 percent of their bodies covered in fur.
Highest G-Force Endured Voluntarily: 82.6g for 0.04 seconds by American Eli L. Beeding Jr. in 1958. He spent three days in the hospital afterwards.
Longest Attack of Hiccups: American Charles Osborne suffered the hiccups from 1922 to 1990.
Longest Tattoo Session: In 2003, Chris Goodwill spent 33 hours tattooing Kevin Budden in Plumstead, South East London.
Longest Time With a Nail in the Head: Briton Robin Hanshaw had a one-inch rusty nail stuck between his ear and his eye for 22 years.
Most Compulsive Swallower: In 1927, a Canadian woman had 2,533 objects removed from her stomach, including 947 pins.
Most Lightning Strikes Survived: Roy C. Sullivan of Virginia was struck for the seventh time in 1977.
Most Pierced Man: Luis Antonio Aguero from Cuba has 230 piercings.
Most Children Delivered: In 1997, Bobbi McCaughey of Iowa gave birth to seven babies delivered by Caesarean section.
Most Feet Sniffed: In a 15-year career, Madeline Albrecht sniffed 5,600 feet while working for foot care experts Dr. Scholl. (And you think your job stinks!)
Most Elastic Man: Pierre Beauchemin is nicknamed Mr. Gumby for his ability to contort his arms and legs.
Fastest Balloon Dog Made Behind Back: Britain's Craig "Blink" Keith made a balloon poodle in 9.26 seconds in May 2004--with his hands behind his back.
Fastest Speed Dragged Behind a Motorbike: Gary Rothwell of Liverpool was dragged at 156 mph on 2-millimeter titanium-soled boots in 1999.
Most Spoons Balanced on Face: America's Tim Johnston, 12, balanced 15 on his face for 30 seconds in May 2004.
Worlds Fastest Swimsuit - SPEEDO LZR RACER
following three years of research that included input from NASA, tests on more than 100 different fabrics and suit designs and body scans of more than 400 elite swimmers, Speedo has launched its most hydro-dynamically advanced - and fastest - swimsuit to date. The SPEEDO® LZR RACER™ is made from a unique lightweight, water repellent and fast-drying fabric that has been developed to reduce drag and help hold the swimmer’s body in a more streamlined shape. Speedo says the suit has been independently tested as the "world's fastest", a claim that translates to up to 5% more efficiency for swimmers and hopefully, at least for Michael Phelps and other elite athletes donning the suit in Beijing later in the year, more gold medals.The new suit has 10% less passive drag (meaning the drag present when the swimmer is gliding through the water after a dive or turn) than Speedo’s 2004 FASTSKIN FSII and 5% less passive drag than the FASTSKIN FS-PRO® - which has seen 21 swimmers break World Records since its release in March 2007.
The specially engineered, highly flexible fabric called LZR PULSE™is ultrasonically welded so as to appear seamless. It incorporates low drag "LZR" panels designed to create a corset-like effect that supports the swimmer in the optimum body position in the water and helps them hold it for longer.
The LZR RACER’s unique design also provides swimmers with up to 5% more efficiency** in terms of their oxygen intake, enabling them to swim stronger for longer. “It makes it easier to swim faster,” said Rick Sharp, Exercise Physiologist, Iowa State University.
Coming a decade after the introduction of the full-body racing swim suit and coinciding with Speedo's 80th anniversary, the LZR RACER was developed by Speedo’s Aqualab research team, drawing on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software from ANSYS, Inc. and the expertise of research institutes such as the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Otago University in New Zealand, as well as the NASA Langley Research Center. International fashion label Comme des Garçons' founder Rei Kawakubo also contributed to the design.
Already approved by FINA (Fédération International de Natation Amateur), the Speedo LZR RACER will debut at national trials around the world from March 2008 and will be worn by elite swimmers like Michael Phelps (US), Libby Lenton (AUS) and Grant Hackett (AUS) in Beijing come August.
A retail version is set to hit the shelves in May 2008 in a price range of between USD$290 and USD$550.
Worlds Longest Stand Up Comedy Show Guinness World Record
Starting on Tuesday June 3rd at 8:30 pm and ending on Thursday, June 5th at 10:30 pm, the renowned Comic Strip Live Comedy Club (www.comicstriplive.com) will set the Guinness World Record for the Longest Stand Up Comedy Show. For 50 continuous hours, there will be laughter without end.“Nothing like this has ever been attempted in modern history,” said Club Manager and Booker Josh Ravitz. “For over 30 years, Comic Strip Live set the bar for the industry and have been the launching pad for the biggest stars in comedy. This is a one in a lifetime event that will test and push the limit of the spirit of laughter.”
Audiences can expect over 200 professional stand up comedians to grace the stage. Some rising stars with just a few years of solid NYC club experience and many with credits from shows like CBS’s “Late Show with Letterman”, NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, Comedy Central Presents and HBO’s Comedy Hour. All taking place on the stage where Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Lisa Lampanelli, Eddie Murphy and many other great stars earned their wings. In addition, Comic Strip Live has offered an open invitation to Dave Chappelle & Dane Cook to finally settle their “longest individual stage time” competition during Comic Strip Live’s 50-hour world record show. Chappelle currently holds the record at six and a half hours, while Cook trails hot on his heels.
For the entire 50 hours of the world record attempt, there will always be a professional comedian on stage, an audience, club & wait staff, independent witnesses and, of course, non-stop laughs. On each of the three nights (June 3-5) from 8:30pm to approximately 10:30pm, Comic Strip Live will still have their regular weeknight all pro stand up shows as part of the record. Outside of those times, and while setting the record, no alcohol or food will be sold, no admission will be charged and audience members can stop by whenever they want, for as long as they want to watch comedy while being treated to a bevy of free bagels, cookies, donuts, coffee, sodas, energy drinks and energy bars.
For those comedy-aholics who wish to attend the entire 50-hour marathon, Comic Strip Live will be awarding audience members gold medal replicas, a certificate of accomplishment (bragging rights to grand kids), and also a year’s worth of free admission to the Comic Strip for them and one guest.
In addition to setting the world record, this event will also allow the Comic Strip to raise money for a worthy cause (charity name TBA soon). Similar to a walk-a-thon, (this one is more like a “laugh-a-thon”) comedians will solicit donations by getting sponsors/friends to contribute a dollar for every minute they are on stage. The club itself will also approach companies about donating snacks and drinks for the event and/or sponsoring large blocks of time within the entire 50-hour show. The Comic Strip’s goal is to raise $50,000. 100% of the monetary donations received will be donated to the selected charity. This is just one of a long list of philanthropic fundraisers the club has done since 1976.”
For more information about the Comic Strip Live’s Guinness World Record, please call Ryan McCormick at (516) 901-1103. For more information about the club, please call (212) 861-9386 or visit: www.comicstriplive.com
About Comic Strip Live:
Recently voted AOL Cityguide’s Best NYC Comedy Club. Established in 1976, Comic Strip Live (aka The Comic Strip) is the longest running showcase comedy club in the country. It has launched the careers of Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Lisa Lampanelli, Eddie Murphy, Adam Sandler, Paul Reiser and several other superstars of laughter. Shows run seven nights a week and feature today’s hottest comedians. Comic Strip Live is located at 1568 Second Ave (bet 81st - 82nd Streets), New York, NY. For more information, please visit: www.comicstriplive.com
About Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U.S. editions The Guinness Book of World Records), is a reference book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of world records, both human achievements and the extreme of the natural world. The book itself holds a world record, as the best-selling copyrighted series. The book has gone on to become a record breaker in its own right. With sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 24 languages, Guinness World Records™ is the world’s best ever selling copyright book.
CONTACT:
Ryan McCormick
Comic Strip Live
Publicity Manager
(516) 901-1103
Ryan@risingsunpr.com
Guinness World Records for Fattest Man Reduced 570 Pound Weight
Manuel Uribe, the world's fattest man, according to the Guinness Book of Records, pictured in 2006, proudly announced Tuesday he dropped 230 kilograms (570 pounds), nearly half his original weight in less time than doctors had expected. The world's fattest man, according to the Guinness Book of Records, proudly announced Tuesday he dropped 230 kilograms (570 pounds), nearly half his original weight in less time than doctors had expected.
"I'm going to throw a big party," Manuel Uribe told AFP by telephone. "I'm getting out of my house and going for a walk" in Monterrey, where he lives in northern Mexico.
Uribe, 42, weighed in at 570 kilos (1,257 pounds) at his heaviest and for five years has been bed-ridden at his home, where his mother and fiancee help him.
Doctors from neighboring United States, Italy and Mexico for two years have been helping Uribe lose weight through dieting and exercise. His goal, he said, is dropping to a slim 120 kilos (265 pounds) in four more years.
On March 9, Uribe will be lifted out of his house on his bed by a special crane and driven around on a flat-bed truck.
"I feel great," he said. "The doctors say I'm healthier than ever."
World Press Photo of the Year 2007 wins by British photographer
British photographer Tim Hetherington has won the 51st World Press Photo of the Year award for a shot of a tired U.S. soldier in Afghanistan. Hetherington shot the image Sept. 16, 2007 in the Korengal Valley while on assignment for Vanity Fair.His Afghanistan story was also awarded 2nd place in General News Stories. The World Press Photo jury announced its decisions Friday in Amsterdam. Other big winners include John Moore of Getty Images, who won first place in both spot news categories for his coverage of the Benazir Bhutto assassination; and Balazs Gardi, who won first place in both general news categories for photographs from Afghanistan.
Gardi is represented by newly established VII Network. Hetherington broke the recent trend of World Press Photo juries favoring breaking news photos over magazine stories. The top prize had gone to wire service photographers four years in a row. In a year when no one story dominated the news, Hetherington's evocative, nearly monochromatic photo shows how an ongoing conflict with no definite end affects the individual. "This image shows the exhaustion of a man - and the exhaustion of a nation," said jury chairman Gary Knight, chairman of VII Photo, in a press release. "We're all connected to this.
It's a picture of a man at the end of a line." Time director of photography MaryAnne Golon added, "I use all my energy to have people notice bad things. There's a human quality to this picture. It says that conflict is the basis of this man's life." Tom Hetherington was injured in a fall while working in Afghanistan; he has recovered enough to return to work.
He and Vanity Fair contributing editor Sebastian Junger described their work in Afghanistan in an online video published with their January 2008 story, "Into the Valley of Death." "As a cameraman, as a photojournalist I need to be close to where the action is happening,"
Hetherington said, quoting Robert Capa's famous words of advice, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." The World Press Photo contest attracted a record number of participants, with 5,019 photographers, up 12.5 percent over last year.
Eighty percent chose to enter their work online; they submitted a total of 80,536 images. First place winners in other categories are: People in the News singles: Yonathan Weitzman, Israel People in the News stories: Philippe Dudouit, Switzerland, for Time magazine Sports Action singles: Ivaylo Velev, Bulgaria, Bul X Vision Photography Agency Sports Action stories: Tim Clayton, Australia, Sydney Morning Herald Sports Features singles: Andrew Quilty, Australia, Oculi for Australian Financial Review Magazine Sports Features stories: Erik Refner, Denmark, Berlingske Tidende Contemporary Issues singles: Brent Stirton, South Africa, Reportage by Getty Images for Newsweek Contemporary Issues stories: Jean Revillard, Switzerland, Rezo.ch Daily Life singles: Justin Maxon, USA, Aurora Photos Daily Life stories: Pieter ten Hoopen, The Netherlands, Agence Vu Portraits singles: Platon, UK, for Time magazine Portraits stories: Vanessa Winship, UK, Agence Vu Arts and Entertainment singles: Ariana Lindquist, USA Arts and Entertainment stories: Rafal Milach, Poland, Anzenberger Agency Nature singles: Fang Qianhua, China, Nangfang Dushi Daily/Southern Metropolis Daily Nature stories: David Liittschwager, USA,
National Geographic Images A complete list of winners and photo gallery is online at worldpressphoto.org.
Related links
Most People to Simultaneously Renew their Vows World Records
750 Couples in Pittsburgh Say 'I Do' All Over Again, In a wedding vow renewal ceremony that took the cake, approximately 750 couples joined together in Pittsburgh to say "I Do" all over again. While official results are pending, the ceremony attempted to set the Guinness World Record for the most people to simultaneously renew their vows.Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl presided over the ceremony that served as a kick-off to a year-long celebration in honor of Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary. "I am proud to have had the opportunity to preside over this event, because to me, Pittsburgh is family. This ceremony is a great way to celebrate Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary because it honors the generations of family that have been dedicated to building this City," said Mayor Ravenstahl.
The event was conceived by Kitty Julian, marketing director for Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History and Pittsburgh 250 Committee Member, and organized by Leigh Kish, also of Carnegie Museums.
"Pittsburgh is such a family town. We love weddings and celebrating. What better way to celebrate love and Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary than to try for the Guinness Record for the most couples to renew their vows together. It has been such a joy to bring everyone together to pull this off," said Julian.
The sold-out ceremony took place in the romantic and elegant Carnegie Music Hall. The master of ceremonies for the event was Esther Bush, co-chairman of the Pittsburgh 250 Reunion Committee. Co-chair Jeffrey Letwin introduced County Executive Dan Onorato, and acknowledged the official witnesses: Judge Cynthia Baldwin; Allen Kukovich, Pittsburgh Office of Governor Rendell; Pittsburgh City Councilman Patrick Dowd and Rebecca Whitlinger, author of "Always a Bridesmaid: 89 Ways to Recycle That Bridesmaid Dress."
"On behalf of the Pittsburgh 250 Commission, I congratulate the 750 couples renewing their wedding vows," said Jim Rohr, chairman and chief executive officer of PNC Financial Services Group and chairman of the Pittsburgh 250 Commission and the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. "As one of our region's most elegant concert halls, Carnegie Music Hall is just one of the many jewels in our region's thriving and vibrant arts and culture scene. With its strong sense of community and family and a high quality of life, our region provides the perfect backdrop for couples to recommit to fulfilling, happy lives."
At the event, County Executive Onorato highlighted eight participating couples who are celebrating their 50th anniversaries in 2008, as well as Helen and Ed Downing, the couple who have been married the longest -- an amazing 61 years in November. He also noted that 22 couples traveled to Pittsburgh from out of state to participate in the ceremony.
Couples supplied copies of their marriage certificates. The number of certificates collected and submitted will be the determining factor in setting the Guinness World Record. The previous record -- 272 couples -- was set September 16, 2007, in Sydney, Australia.
"This was simply an ideal way for couples to celebrate their love in a meaningful and unusual way, while celebrating Pittsburgh's 250th anniversary themed 'Reunions and Homecomings,'" said Ms. Julian.
In addition to the thrill of attempting a new record, the ceremony was followed by a champagne and wedding cake reception. All couples received a commemorative certificate of participation, along with a bag full of gifts and special offers.
Major sponsors for the event were TWOgether Pittsburgh, one of the most intensive marriage support initiatives in the Pittsburgh area, Great Western Champagne and radio sponsor Star 100.7.
Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History partnered on the Re-Union event with VisitPittsburgh, the official tourism and promotion agency for Allegheny County, which is leading the "Reunion 2008 Initiative" of the Pittsburgh 250th Anniversary Celebration.
SOURCE VisitPittsburgh
http://www.visitpittsburgh.com
New Pancake Guinness World Records sets by Kiwanis Club
Mary Ann Berg, of Fargo, along with a line of other volunteers work over a hot grill preparing pancakes during the 50th annual Kiwanis Pancake Feed on Saturday at the Fargo Civic Center. The club set a new world record by making 34,818 pancakes in eight hours. Jay Pickthorn / The ForumThe Fargo Kiwanis Club has set a new world record for most pancakes made in eight hours.
At 3 p.m., 34,818 pancakes had been made, surpassing the previous mark of 30,724.
Despite blizzard conditions and long lines, people showed up in droves at the 50th annual event.
The pancake feed is the Kiwanis Club’s largest fundraiser, bringing in an average of $30,000, said Kiwanis Club member David Bertel.
For more on this story, see Sunday’s Forum.(Source : http://www.in-forum.com)
Most Expensive Car License Plate Auction World Records
Who will be the new "Number 1"? And what will it cost to get there? All will be revealed in four days and counting. Plate "1" is expected to set a new Guinness World Record for the most expensive car license plate in the world when it goes under the hammer at the much-anticipated auction organized by Emirates Auction on Saturday Feb. 16, 2008 at 4 p.m. at Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi."The expectations for Plate ‘1' are sky high," said Abdulla Matar Al Mannaei, Managing Director of Emirates Auction, the official auctioneer for Code 5 distinguished number plate auctions, supported by the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police.
"It's the one-and-only plate number 1, and we are confident that we will set a new record," Al Mannaei said, adding that Emirates Auction has registered with Guinness World Records and will supply them the required material to issue the certificate if the record is broken.
The record-breaking event is creating an international media storm -- CNN's coverage was the top downloaded video from their website the weekend of Feb. 1, 2008.
"We wish Emirates Auction all the best with the Number '1'", said Damian Lawson, Auctions Marketing Manager for the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the government agency which sells personalized plates in Britain. "They have taken the sale of registration numbers into a different league!"
Emirates Auction already holds the records for the top six most expensive plates worldwide. Plate "1" is only the third one-digit number plate to go on sale so far, and by far the most prestigious.
Plates "5" and "7" sold for Dh25.2 million and Dh11 million in 2007 - almost 10 ten times the value of the luxury cars they now adorn. Both were snapped up by Abu Dhabi businessman Talal Ali Mohammad Khouri, who has signaled his participation in the upcoming auction to media outlets.
"In a short period of time, Emirates Auction has grown to be a leader in the Gulf Region's auction industry," said Tommy Williams, President of the U.S.-based National Auctioneers Association (NAA), one of the largest trade associations for auctioneers. "The quality and professionalism of their work can be witnessed by the remarkable returns of their auctions," Williams added.
The last five auctions raised $56 million from 393 plates, which went towards the support of special needs projects and victims of road accidents. All proceeds from this auction will go towards building a national rehabilitation centre for traffic accident victims -- the first of its kind in the UAE. It will be run along the lines of the most advanced rehabilitation centers in the world and will provide physiotherapy, and other medical, psychological, social, occupational and recreational support.
Along with "1," a total of 90 distinguished license plates will be on offer at the Feb.16 auction including special numbers such as 96, 100, 212, 1111, 2001 and 31313. The auction is organized by Emirates Auction on behalf of the General Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police and sponsored by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and Emirates Palace.
"With a number plate this prestigious, it is bound to bring a lot of attention," said Satwinder Singh, the Operations Director of Emirates Auction. "There is a lot of international interest in the number and we are expecting twice the attendance for this auction compared to earlier auctions."
"There are a lot of people who would like to be there, in person, and see the price war for Number 1. At the same time, we have made arrangements for auction participants who would like to maintain their privacy and bid anonymously," Singh added.
Notes and contacts
About Emirates Auction
Emirates Auctions was established in 2005 by a group of young Emirati leaders. It specializes in running auctions for cars, license plates and real estate for the industrial and government sectors. Emirates Auctions is a member of the National Auctioneers Association, the world's largest professional association focused solely on the auctioneering profession.
Emirates Auctions is the official auctioneer for Abu Dhabi's Code 5 distinguished number plates. The pioneering auctioneer is working to structure a thriving primary and secondary number plate market in Abu Dhabi, the UAE and entire Gulf Region.
Contact Details Amirates Auction : Email abdulla@emiratesauction.ae
Agonizer Deepest Concert Underground World Record
Finnish melodic metallers AGONIZER have reportedly made the Guinness Book of World Records in the "Deepest Concert Underground" category for their CD-release show for the band's debut album, "Birth / The End", which took place on August 4, 2007 at the Pyhäsalmi mine (the deepest mine in Europe) at 1,410 meters below sea level. The concert was available only for a limited audience as a safety measure.QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE tried a similar stunt last November 20, but they only reached 700 meters in a former salt mine in Erfurt, Germany.
Formed in 1998 in Pyhäjärvi, Finland, AGONIZER released five self-produced demos in addition to representing Finland in Wacken Open Air's "Metal Battle" contest in Germany.
"Birth / The End" was recorded at Astia studio in Lappeenranta, Finland. For more information, visit http://www.agonizer.org/.
Longest Marathon Ball Hockey Game World Record
A group of friends in Winnipeg has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records.
University student Chris Watchorn and more than 30 friends have been deemed to have played the longest marathon ball-hockey game - 100 hours and two minutes.
The game was played last spring, and Watchorn only received the official confirmation of his world record this week. The new record shattered the previous mark of 30 hours set by a group in Edmonton in 2004.
Watchorn says the long game was hard on his body, but the official recognition is great.
He says the main goal was to raise money for cancer research, and he and friends managed to gather $25,000.
University student Chris Watchorn and more than 30 friends have been deemed to have played the longest marathon ball-hockey game - 100 hours and two minutes.
The game was played last spring, and Watchorn only received the official confirmation of his world record this week. The new record shattered the previous mark of 30 hours set by a group in Edmonton in 2004.
Watchorn says the long game was hard on his body, but the official recognition is great.
He says the main goal was to raise money for cancer research, and he and friends managed to gather $25,000.
Rowing across the Atlantic Ocean Guinness World Record
A STUDENT who helped set a new world record for rowing across the Atlantic Ocean told yesterday how the voyage was “hell” at times.
Stuart Kershaw, 27, recalled having to endure searing 100-degree heat, stinging sores and monster waves during their 33-day crossing from the Canaries to Barbados.
But Stuart, a student at Aberystwyth University, and his 13 fellow oarsmen managed to smash the previous transatlantic rowing record by just over two days.
They rowed their boat La Mondiale into the Guinness Book of World Records with a new time of 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes.
The previous record was 35 days, 8hrs and 30mins set in 1992.
They team arrived in Barbados on January 17 and Stuart has just got back to Wales after enjoying 10 days of rest and recuperation.
He told the Daily Post: “I’ve been trying to walk again, the tendonitis in my hands is pretty bad and we’ve got boils on our bottoms, like bed sores, from friction.”
The fair-skinned oarsman covered up but admitted the sunburn was “quite tortuous”.
Then there was the threat from the ocean itself.
He said: “There’s a 30 metre-swell in the Atlantic. But the most difficult to handle waves were the sharp, six or seven metre waves that punch you from the side.
“They fling you around the boat and soak you. It’s very scary and it can take a long while to dry out.”
Stuart said rowing on a transatlantic bid is like “playing eight football matches a day, every day”.
The oarsman, who lives on Merseyside, said another blow came when a storm sent La Mondiale backwards for three days, before the crew made up lost time.
He said: “Psychologically, it was draining because we weren’t moving forward.”
However, he enjoyed “heart-warming compassion” from fellow rowers on Christmas Day.
They were elated on beating the fastest crossing record on January 17.
“I was so happy to get there in one piece. It was a great boost to get the record too,” he added.
Stuart celebrated with parents David and Barbara Kershaw and sister Susan, 22, who had travelled to Barbados.
The 14 British and Irish record holding rowers will be officially recognised at a London ceremony in March.
Mr Kershaw is making a TV film of the voyage – for his mini film company In the Dark Productions – due out later this year, called Ocean’s 14, which he managed to shoot during rest periods.
Stuart Kershaw, 27, recalled having to endure searing 100-degree heat, stinging sores and monster waves during their 33-day crossing from the Canaries to Barbados.
But Stuart, a student at Aberystwyth University, and his 13 fellow oarsmen managed to smash the previous transatlantic rowing record by just over two days.
They rowed their boat La Mondiale into the Guinness Book of World Records with a new time of 33 days, seven hours and 30 minutes.
The previous record was 35 days, 8hrs and 30mins set in 1992.
They team arrived in Barbados on January 17 and Stuart has just got back to Wales after enjoying 10 days of rest and recuperation.
He told the Daily Post: “I’ve been trying to walk again, the tendonitis in my hands is pretty bad and we’ve got boils on our bottoms, like bed sores, from friction.”
The fair-skinned oarsman covered up but admitted the sunburn was “quite tortuous”.
Then there was the threat from the ocean itself.
He said: “There’s a 30 metre-swell in the Atlantic. But the most difficult to handle waves were the sharp, six or seven metre waves that punch you from the side.
“They fling you around the boat and soak you. It’s very scary and it can take a long while to dry out.”
Stuart said rowing on a transatlantic bid is like “playing eight football matches a day, every day”.
The oarsman, who lives on Merseyside, said another blow came when a storm sent La Mondiale backwards for three days, before the crew made up lost time.
He said: “Psychologically, it was draining because we weren’t moving forward.”
However, he enjoyed “heart-warming compassion” from fellow rowers on Christmas Day.
They were elated on beating the fastest crossing record on January 17.
“I was so happy to get there in one piece. It was a great boost to get the record too,” he added.
Stuart celebrated with parents David and Barbara Kershaw and sister Susan, 22, who had travelled to Barbados.
The 14 British and Irish record holding rowers will be officially recognised at a London ceremony in March.
Mr Kershaw is making a TV film of the voyage – for his mini film company In the Dark Productions – due out later this year, called Ocean’s 14, which he managed to shoot during rest periods.
Guinness World Record of Most Pancakes Tossed
The Belfast Giants have helped to set a new world record for the most pancakes being tossed simultaneously.
The Giants teamed up with Ulster bakery Kingsmill in preparing for Pancake Tuesday in style as they formed part of a team of 206 involved.They tossed pancakes simultaneously for 30 seconds, breaking the previous record of 108 which was set by the Scout Association on TV programme Blue Peter last year.
Jonathan Todd and Stephen Robinson, both maths teachers at Bangor Grammar School, were on hand at Belfast's Odyssey Arena to independently measure the world record attempt. Now Kingsmill is awaiting verification from the Guinness World
Record Management Team which will hopefully reward the brand with the record-breaking title. Kingsmill marketing executive Andrew Hollywood said he was delighted and relieved to break the world record."It was brilliant to see all the frying pans lined up and I was thrilled at the giant effort put into the record attempt by the Belfast Giants and their supporters."
The Giants teamed up with Ulster bakery Kingsmill in preparing for Pancake Tuesday in style as they formed part of a team of 206 involved.They tossed pancakes simultaneously for 30 seconds, breaking the previous record of 108 which was set by the Scout Association on TV programme Blue Peter last year.
Jonathan Todd and Stephen Robinson, both maths teachers at Bangor Grammar School, were on hand at Belfast's Odyssey Arena to independently measure the world record attempt. Now Kingsmill is awaiting verification from the Guinness World
Record Management Team which will hopefully reward the brand with the record-breaking title. Kingsmill marketing executive Andrew Hollywood said he was delighted and relieved to break the world record."It was brilliant to see all the frying pans lined up and I was thrilled at the giant effort put into the record attempt by the Belfast Giants and their supporters."
Worlds Largest Kurta Guinness World Records Pakistan
For all those who prefer to wear jeans and t-shirts, here’s news for you. Our very own Kurta shalwar has made it to the Guinness World Record as Pakistan holds the record of making the world’s largest kurta. The length of the kurta is 30 times more than that of a standard medium-sized kurta and stands at a staggering height of 101 feet. The cuff opening alone is 15-feet wide whereas the length of each sleeve is almost 57ft.The entire kurta weighs 800kg with each of its four buttons weighing 10kg each. The material used is 800 yards long while 450metres of thread has been used. It took a team of 50 hard-working professional tailors a period of 30 days to put together the kurta. The kurta will be the first of its kind to be certified by Guinness.
The team behind the project will also be catering to their Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and will go the extra mile by creating small kurtas from the bigger one to donate to young children at the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation Child Homes across Pakistan at the end of the campaign.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) Pakistan joined hands with known fashion designer Deepak Perwani who designed and embellished the kurta, while Gul Ahmed provided the fabric. At a glittering event held in Karachi to present the kurta, Perwani said that the kurta is the “largest selling commodity of Pakistan” and therefore achieving a record for it is “a perfect illustration of our culture.”
Largest Dish Ever Washed Guinness world Records
Today Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced that its revolutionary dish care product Dawn(R) Direct Foam has set a new Guinness World Record for "Largest Dish Ever Washed." Helping set the record on February 1 in Phoenix was legendary football star Emmitt Smith who cleaned the giant plate, which measured 10 feet in diameter.The dish was filled with potato skins and chili and topped with sour cream to mimic a traditional sporting event snack, and was then cleaned in under three minutes by the football hero. Emmitt's game winning combination involved a bottle of Dawn Direct Foam, a sponge and a bucket of water.
"I'm always up for a good challenge and when Dawn asked me to tackle this dish with just one bottle of Dawn Direct Foam to set a Guinness World Record I couldn't wait to get started," said Smith. "I'm happy that Dawn and I were able to set the record and my wife is happy that at least I'm doing someone's dishes," said Smith.
After the record was set amidst excited football fans and spectators, the dish was displayed at Majerle's in downtown Phoenix.
"We are thrilled that Dawn Direct Foam and Emmitt Smith were able to set the record for the largest dish ever washed, a feat which also demonstrates to consumers the strength of this product," said Glenn Williams, external relations manager for Procter & Gamble. "Dawn Direct Foam is truly a breakthrough as it can not only successfully clean a 10-foot dish, but can also clean a sink full of your messy dishes with just one pump," he added.
Dawn Direct Foam comes in three scents: Fresh Rapids, Citrus Kick and Lime Surge, retails for $3.25 and is available with a "Love Me or Your Money Back Guarantee" at mass retailers and merchandisers nationwide.
To learn more about the product, please visit http://www.dawn-dish.com/
Photo source : http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080201/NYF088
Largest serving of fried chicken Guinness World Records
Largest serving of fried chicken Guinness World Records 2008 Doha, Qata UAEThe Qatar Food Company (Americana) walked into the Guinness World Records yesterday by serving 300kg of Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in a single barrel, specially made for the event.
The new world record was born at a crowd-pulling event at the KFC outlet in Villagio Mall yesterday morning.
The entire 300kg fried chicken was distributed to the onlookers free of cost.
Hundreds of people watched the organisers filling the huge barrel with fried chicken. The bowl was exactly similar to the popular KFC bucket, carrying its brand name and logo. There was a scramble to snatch pieces of fried chicken served to the public at the end of the show.
A representative from the Guinness World Records, who judged the contest, later presented a certificate to Americana for "largest serving of fried chicken," in the world.
“This was the fist event of its kind in Doha and in the world," said a spokesman yesterday.
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