Friday, March 19, 2010

Tribute to pensioner slain by dangerous driver stolen

By Cara Sulieman

A roadside memorial to a pensioner who died when was knocked down by a car on her way home from work has been stolen.

Senga Elder was killed after a car mounted a pavement in Auchtermuchty in Fife, sending her flying into a skate park.

The 67-year-old – who was on her way home from Myres Castle – died instantly of head and spinal injuries in the 2008 accident.

Her family had laid down the white steel cross at the side of the road as a touching tribute.

But it went missing at the weekend.

“Heartless”

Fife Constabulary are now appealing for help in getting it back.

PC Gordon Cameron said: “The theft of the white cross occurred between 3.30 pm on Sunday 14th March and 8.30am on Monday 15th March 2010.

“The cross was situated at the side of a busy road and I would appeal to anyone who knows the identity of the persons responsible for this heartless crime or who now knows the whereabouts of the cross to contact the police.”

Last year the driver who hit Mrs Elder – Grant Whyte – was jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving.

He was racing his modified Vauxhall Corsa behind his friend Alan Duffus’ BMW Z4 when he lost control of the car and skidded off the road.

At the time of his trial, Whyte said that he had taken his eyes off the road and glanced back to see the other car braking sharply.

He said he was forced to brake harder and felt the back of his car slide away before he left Station Road and hit Mrs Elder before smashing into a metal fence.

The other driver, Alan Duffus was sentenced to 240 hours of community service for dangerous driving.

They were both banned from driving for 10 years.

[Via http://deadlinescotland.wordpress.com]

Monday, March 15, 2010

2011 5 Series Touring

No big surprises here, only question is would you rather have the Mercedes E Class estate in black? No doubt the Beemer would be a great steer, but with the return of the E Class back to the glory days of yore (I’m thinking W124), it simply oozes class. So, if it’s a sedan, it’d be the 5 Series, if it’s the estate, then I’m afraid it’d have to be the E Class.

Officially Official: 2011 BMW 5 Series Touring [w/video] — Autoblog.

[Via http://bestvaluemotoring.com.au]

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Ti

Compacts are certainly the ugly duckling of the E36 range but I wouldn’t mind one like this. You know, with a nice M52B28 swap.

[Via http://philscarblog.wordpress.com]

Monday, March 8, 2010

2010 Oscars Groundbreaking... For Product Placement

Many see the 2010 Academy Awards best film field as groundbreaking because the number of nominees has been increased from five to ten. There is however another way this year’s nominee field is groundbreaking; for the first time, product placement plays an important role in a number of the best picture contenders.
Of course, product placement is not totally new to Oscar-nominated films. Who can forget the bashing K-Mart took in 1988’s Rain Man. In 1994 Pulp Fiction idolized McDonald’s “Royale with Cheese.” Two years later Jerry Maguire was begging you to help you help him… with a Reebok endorsement. In 2003, Lost in Translation put Bill Murray’s gravitas behind Suntory whiskey. Juno quirkily lampooned Sunny D and Tic Tac. Then there is the “original” product placement, Reese’s Pieces in 1982’s E.T. Even 1953’s Roman Holiday was a boon for the Vespa brand. But aside from a few iconic inclusions and a bunch more forgettable background placements, Oscar-caliber films have been largely free of brands. Not this year.

Both The Blind Side and Up in the Air are films in which product placements not only figure prominently, but also serve as character- and plot-driving props. The brand inclusions both inform the story and move it forward. In the former, a Taco Bell franchise empire pays for the BMWs and tony private school education of both hero and heroine. Boasting even more brand integration, the latter film takes at its very core a commercialized world, where brands like Hilton and American Airlines can be a protagonist’s familiar compatriots and conflict-creating antagonists.

The real groundbreaking development this year is that both Up in the Air and The Blind Side serve as rebuttals to the argument that product placements ruin films. The very contention of these films for the year’s top spot is also a contention that, if done properly, “product placement” and “good movie” do not have to be mutually exclusive concepts.

Posted by Abe Sauer on March 5, 2010 05:05 PM

[Via http://bertconard.wordpress.com]

Friday, March 5, 2010

EVENT SOLUTIONS MAGAZINE NOMINATES “DESIGNER OF THE YEAR”

South Florida’s premier event producer, Fè Domenech, of Miami’s “The Event Firm” (TEF) has been nominated for the 2010 “Designer of the Year” Spotlight Award by the prestigious Event Solutions Magazine. Event Solutions Magazine has recognized top industry companies and professionals from all over the world since 1998. Fè Domenech has been nominated for this honorable award for six consecutive years, consistently proving to be an international top designer. In order to be nominated for the award, the designer has to demonstrate superb ability, creativity and achievement in the design of events and/or event décor. Since 2005, TEF has been a national leader in the event design industry, resulting in numerous honors for consistently creating cutting edge and spectacular designs. Among them are the 2008 ISES Award for Design and multiple recognitions for Service and Design in nationwide publications.

Domenech is the CEO and lead designer of The Event Firm, which is the go-to agency of the stars both in the corporate and entertainment world. Prestigious clients have all sought out the award-winning agency. Some of its clientele include: John Travolta, CitiGroup, UNIVISION, NASCAR, MTV, HBO, BMG, Louis Vuitton, Sony, NCR, The Agency, Dignitaries and many DMC companies. As a preferred designer for Nikki Beach South Beach, TEF recently produced the ‘New Year’s Eve Spectacular’ at Nikki Beach in St. Barts where Beyonce performed live. Some of the guests at this new year’s star-studded event were; Jay-z, Usher, Lindsay Lohan, Bon Jovi, and Todd English, to name a few. TEF has also produced the ‘Tropical Nights’ event for the University of Miami Autism Foundation at the Biltmore Hotel, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of South Florida’s 2009 Fashion Ball in the Fontainebleau Hotel, MARS for Moss Warner at The Harbor Beach Marriott, The Liberty Mutual soirée at Casa Casuarina, and the Operation Helmet Gala.

Event Solutions Magazine hosts The Spotlight Awards Event each year and brings top industry professionals together to network, celebrate and experience the newest in awards presentation strategies and events. Spotlight Award recipients will be announced at the Spotlight Awards Event at Event Solutions Conference & Trade Show in Las Vegas on March 8, 2010. “I’m honored to be a finalist as well as grateful to be able to do what I love as my career,” states Fè Domenech. “What greater gift can I ask for than creating ever lasting memories by transforming dreams into reality for my wonderful clients.”

Born in Cuba, raised in Minnesota and having lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Miami, Domenech not only has immaculate taste, but also has her finger on the pulse of up-and-coming design trends. The goal behind all of The Event Firms creations is to supersede any client’s dreams and expectations. This boutique agency works as a full-service production company for one-of-a-kind designs and includes in-house production capabilities such as, master carpenters, set designers, seamstresses, fine catering, film and video editing, culinary teams and event producers that are always ready to customize any soiree.

TEF plans to continue its growth and further develop its reputation as a trendsetter. Its ultimate goal for every event is to have its designs inspire recreation. For more information on the company please visit their website at: www.theeventfirm.net.

[Via http://dascoop.wordpress.com]