This is My Australia looks at the inspiring stories of recipient and nominees of the Australian Of The Year Awards.
Channel 10, Friday Jan 24th at 10:00PM
Ballet Director and inspiration for film Mao's Last Dancer Li Cunxin is one of eight finalists for the prestigious Australian of the Year Award 2014
Born into extreme poverty in rural China, Li became one of China's foremost ballet dancers. He became Principal Artist with the Australian Ballet in 1995, and his autobiography, Mao's Last Dancer, was translated onto the screen in 2009. Today, Li inspires many Australians with his personal story of hardship, perseverance and success.
When asked to identify three Australians that he's taken inspiration from, Li named his wife, Mary Li, scientist Professor Ian Frazer and America's Cup skipper John Bertrand.
An international survey conducted by GSK and released for World Meningitis Day shows gaps in the knowledge parents feel they have about meningococcal disease and its potential consequences. Almost 7 in 10 parents said they don’t know enough about the different strains of meningococcal disease and the potential damage they can cause. On average, more than half of parents were either unsure or unaware that there are different types of bacteria that cause the disease.
The survey of 5,000 parents in Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and Portugal also shows that out of a list of 14 vaccine-preventable diseases, meningococcal disease is considered by many parents to pose a top three health risk to their children. Fifty-seven percent listed meningococcal disease among the top three health conditions they considered of greatest risk to children followed by Hepatitis B at 34 percent, pneumococcal disease at 27 percent, polio at 25 percent, tetanus at 20 percent and pertussis at 17 percent.
A sudden, potentially life-threatening illness, meningococcal disease kills on average one person every eight minutes worldwide. It typically manifests as bacterial meningitis – an infection of the membrane around the brain and spine; or bacteraemia – a bloodstream infection. The disease progresses rapidly and it can lead to death within 24-48 hours of the first symptoms; globally up to 1 in 10 of those infected may die and in the US about 10-15 percent of people will die.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7814851-gsk-survey-world-meningitis-day/
Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is a mass pilgrimage centered on the ritual of riverside bathing, it is variously called the the Great Indian Bathing Festival, the Urn Festival, the Pitcher Festival and so forth. It occurs four times every twelve years rotating between Allahabad/Prayaga at the confluence of the rivers Ganga (Ganges), Jamuna (Yamuna) and the concealed Saraswati, Haridwar (Hara Dwar) on the river Ganga (Ganges), Ujjain on the river Kshipra (Shipra), and Nasik on the river Godavari (Gomati)
Bathing in these rivers during the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is considered an endeavour of great merit, cleansing both body and spirit. The Allahabad and Haridwar (Hara Dwar) festivals are routinely attended by five million or more pilgrims; the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela is the largest religious gathering in the world. It may also be the oldest
Two traditions are in circulation regarding the origin and timing of the festival: one that stems from ancient texts known as the Puranas, and the other that connects it with astrological considerations. According to the Puranic epic, the gods and demons had churned the milky ocean at the beginning of time in order to gather various divine treasures including a jar containing a potion of immortality - Ambrosia. As the jar emerged from the ocean the gods and demons began a terrific battle for its possession. During the battle, which according to one legend the gods won by trickery, four drops of the precious potion fell to earth, when Jayantha (Jayanth) the son of the chief deity Indra carried the jar (Kumbha/kumbh) that held the ambrosia in the form of a giant bird - these places became the sites of the four Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela festivals, according to another legend he ran away with the jar and hid them on twelve locations on earth where few drops of ambrosia fell, four of these places are known and identified as the four sites for the Kumbh (Kumbh) Mela, the other eight locations are being researched by our team
The astrological tradition (ascribed to a lost Puranic text and not traceable in extant editions) seems to stem from a very ancient festival called the Kumbha Parva, which occurred at Hardwar every twelfth year when Jupiter was in Aquarius (the Indian name being Kumbha/Kumbh) and the sun entered Aries
At some later time the term 'Kumbha (Kumbh)' was prefixed to the Melas held at Prayaga, Ujjain, and Nasik and these four sites became identified with the four mythical locations of the immortality potion - Ambrosia. In theory the Kumbha (Kumbh) Mela festivals are supposed to occur every three years, rotating between the four cities. In practice the four-city cycle may actually take eleven or thirteen years and this because of the difficulties and controversies in calculating the astrological conjunctions. Furthermore the interval between the Kumbha Mela at Nasik and that at Ujjain is not of three years; they are celebrated the same year or only a year apart. This deviation in practice is intriguing and cannot be fully explained by either astrological or mythological means.
kalpavasi.com
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced a new, national effort aimed at ending hunger in the communities Kroger calls home and eliminating waste across the company by 2025.
“No family in a community we serve should ever go hungry, and no food in a store we operate should ever go to waste ,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO.
Across the United States, 42 million Americans struggle with hunger. At the same time, an estimated 72 billion pounds of food ends up in a landfill every year.
“More than 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. each year goes unconsumed, while one in eight people struggle with hunger. That just doesn’t make sense,” Mr. McMullen said. “As America’s grocer and one of the largest retailers in the world, we are committing to doing something about it.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8164551-kroger-zero-hunger-zero-waste/
The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced a new, national effort aimed at ending hunger in the communities Kroger calls home and eliminating waste across the company by 2025.
“No family in a community we serve should ever go hungry, and no food in a store we operate should ever go to waste ,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO.
Across the United States, 42 million Americans struggle with hunger. At the same time, an estimated 72 billion pounds of food ends up in a landfill every year.
“More than 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. each year goes unconsumed, while one in eight people struggle with hunger. That just doesn’t make sense,” Mr. McMullen said. “As America’s grocer and one of the largest retailers in the world, we are committing to doing something about it.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8164551-kroger-zero-hunger-zero-waste/
Kiehl’s Since 1851, the 166-year-old skincare company, has used its fleet of iconic motorcycles to raise funds and awareness for AIDS research and awareness for the eighth year in a row. Kiehl’s LifeRide for amfAR, a charitable motorcycle ride from Minneapolis to Nashville, July 31 to Aug. 7, has already raised more than $125,000 for amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research and fundraising will continue through August.
Kiehl’s President Chris Salgardo and amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost led the 1,200 mile, 8-day journey, accompanied by actors Tyler Posey, Gilles Marini and Ian Bohen, tattoo artist Luke Wessman, and TV hosts Anthony Carrino and Grant Reynolds. Over eight days, the riders participated in nine public events, meeting customers and educating about HIV/AIDS research.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8160451-kiehls-liferide-for-amfar-aids-research-liferide8/
Because one in eight people around the world face food insecurity each day, Kellogg Company and its foundation, the Kellogg’s Corporate Citizenship Fund, pledged today to provide one-half billion servings of breakfast to children and families who need it most, through its new Breakfasts for Better Days™ initiative. In total, the company will donate 1 billion servings of cereal and snacks in its support of global hunger relief by the end of 2016.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60421-kellogg-corporate-citizenship-fund-breakfast-for-better-days-hunger-relief
Today Safe Kids Worldwide released a new research report that found kids are getting into medicine at an alarming rate. Every minute of every day, a poison control center receives a call about a potential medicine poisoning for a child age five and under. And 67,000 times each year, or every eight minutes, a young child goes to the emergency room for medicine poisoning. This is a 30 percent increase over the past ten years.
In its report entitled An In-Depth Look at Keeping Young Children Safe Around Medicine, Safe Kids examines data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, information from poison control centers and findings from several focus groups among moms. The report reviews what is happening in households that leads to these disturbing numbers and offers parents simple things they can do to protect their children.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/60845-safe-kids-worldwide-keeping-young-children-safe-around-medicine
Jewelry Television (JTV), the only shopping network focused exclusively on the sale of fine jewelry and gemstones, is celebrating the holiday season with eight days of exclusive savings and offers. From Nov. 23 through Nov. 30, JTV's customers will be able to purchase select gifts and jewelry up to 70 percent off. Early holiday shoppers can take advantage of special offers and savings on jewelry, gemstones and more each day, online and during programming on JTV.
“Every year, holiday shoppers try to get an earlier head start on their shopping,” said Jill Johnson, vice president of marketing at JTV. “With our weeklong Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, customers can enjoy the holidays with their families while shopping from home.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7372631-jewelry-television/
The UNESCO world heritage site that is Skellig Michael is located on the Wild Atlantic Way on Ireland’s west coast and has been wowing audiences since the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where the final scenes of this record-breaking movie were filmed.
This exclusive behind the scenes video gives fans a unique insight into the film makers’ choice of Skellig Michael as a location for Star Wars & how it fit with Abram’s goal of creating a real & authentic backdrop for the movie.
Tommy Harper, the Executive producer recalls the moment they discovered the Skellig islands:
“I got an email from Rick Carter [Production Designer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens]. He sent this link, and it was Skellig Island. J.J. [Director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens] immediately wrote back and said, “I love you! This is the best.””
Since 1977, the renowned movie franchise has travelled through many galaxies, and this time, director J.J. Abrams along with cast and crew jetted into a little village called Portmagee, County Kerry, on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. From here, they travelled eight miles (12 Km) by sea to a dream film location, Skellig Michael, which the crew described as “from another time and place”.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7722951-skellig-michael-as-a-location-for-star-wars/
With the holidays just around the corner, there’s still much to be done. Shoppers plan to spend $848 on gifts this season, according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, and they’re loading up on gifts for an average of eight people this year. If you’re like most, you started early, but you’re still not there yet. Chances are the last ones left on your list are your closest friends and loved ones, because they’re always the hardest to buy for. That’s why New York Times bestselling author and lifestyle expert Jill Martin is on hand to offer some tips for harried holiday shoppers.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59250-american-express-lifestyle-expert-jill-martin-budget-tips-holiday-shoppers
Chocolate-lovers beware! Zombies in search of their next victim haunt Jean Philippe Pâtisserie at Bellagio and ARIA with Halloween-themed displays at both iconic pastry shop locations. From gory and gruesome body parts to whimsical cakes and pastries, the displays cater to every guest, no matter how they prefer to celebrate the holiday. Executive Pastry Chef Claude Escamilla and his talented team worked diligently for eight months to create more than 45 festive showpieces that place the undead at center stage. With a year of planning, countless sketches and hundreds of ideas from skilled pastry artists, the final display showcases their hard work through a cake closely resembling human flesh, tombstones straight out of a horror movie and many more hair-raising pieces.
“I was very much inspired by my favorite TV program, “The Walking Dead,” said Escamilla. “When I was watching the show, I kept thinking about how I could take the characters and turn them into life-size creations for the holiday.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7934451-jean-philippe-patisserie-bellagio-aria/
