FREERICE.COM - ANSWER RIGHT, DONATE RICE; HAVE FUN AND HELP END HUNGER AT THE SAME TIME

The LA Report's no-brainer do-gooder site of the day: FreeRice.com. Have an entertaining time while learning new words and helping the planet. In the FreeRice online game, you see a word and must decide which of four possible meanings (words or phrases) best defines that word. Answer correctly, and FreeRice donates rice; every right answer means FreeRice.com donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program, to help end hunger. You can keep playing (matching up definitions for new words) as long as you like. It's fun, educational, and helps other people; what could be better? Go now!

(If 20 grains of rice doesn't sound like much, remember the power of Collective Action, repeated often. The power of many people acting together for a unified purpose is a very potent force indeed -- and that is something the Internet excels at. Example: according to the FreeRice site, 86,732,200 grains of rice were donated yesterday alone.)

MAY 2: GOLF, GUITARS, GOOD DEEDS AND GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS AT THE 12TH ANNUAL SKYLAR NEIL GOLF TOURNAMENT

Vince Neil is perhaps best known as the front man for the legendary rock group Mötley Crüe. But thanks to his Skylar Neil Foundation he is also widely recognized as a man who generously gives back. After losing his five-year-old daughter Skylar to cancer in 1995, Vince dedicated himself to raising awareness and much needed funding for children’s illnesses. The Skylar Neil Memorial Golf Tournament is a product of those efforts, and the 12th annual event is right around the corner. With generous support from both he mainstream and adult entertainment world, the tournament has raised millions for various charitable organizations dedicated to Cancer, Leukemia and AIDS research.

This year’s tournament will take place on Friday May 2nd at the scenic Lost Canyons Golf Club in Simi Valley, CA. It is a great day of golf and fun on the course followed by a one-of-a-kind charity auction, hosted by Tiffany Granath of Playboy Radio’s “Afternoon Advice” on Sirius radio. Celebrity memorabilia, Great food, drinks, golf and beautiful girls, all for a good cause. What could be better? The event has grown so much that last year, it was expanded to two full courses. This year’s event will also span two courses and promises to be bigger and better than ever.

As in past years, the adult community will be heavily involved with the tournament. Previous adult sponsors have included Playboy, Vivid, Wicked Pictures, Elegant Angel, Pure Play Media, Red Light District, Hustler, Zero Tolerance and many, many others. Adult stars such as Jenna Jameson, Ron Jeremy, Danni Ashe, Randy West, Jessica Drake, Brianna Banks, Savannah Sampson, Tori Lane, Mari Possa, Cousin Stevie and Britney Skye have all been involved as well.

The time is now to get involved. As always, the tournament is looking for sponsors. Tee, pin-flag and golf-cart sponsorships are all available. With options starting as low as $500, sponsorships are a great way to get your company logo, products and name out the participants. In addition, you or your company can be part of this fantastic event by playing, providing product for golfer gift bags, or by sending talent to sign autographs and pose for pictures with participants on the course.

Additionally, girls are needed. Girls, girls, girls in fact. The more the merrier. We need some lovely ladies to man all 36 holes of the two courses. It is a great way to meet fans, sign autographs, pose for pictures and keep the players smiling as they play.

For further information on playing in tournament or becoming a sponsor, or for info on other ways to get involved, please contact tournament coordinator Alan Koenig at (615) 255-9000, or email him at alankoenig@bellsouth.net. You can also visit the tournament's website at www.skylarneil.org/golf.

MAR. 29: LACMA MUSE PRESENTS 7TH ANNUAL YOUNG DIRECTORS NIGHT FEATURING FIRST ART OF FILM AWARD

LACMA's Young Directors Night is a celebration of film showcasing eight shorts, featuring a competition for the Art of Film award given to the best in show. The evening brings together directors, artists, industry figures, LACMA members, and friends to enjoy the films of emerging filmmakers. Consistently selling out LACMA’s 600-seat capacity Bing Theater, the program is dedicated to giving young directors exposure, networking opportunities, and a creative audience.

This year, the museum has created the Art of Film award to be given to the night's best in show, voted on by their Host Committee and YOU, the audience. Attendees will be handed scorecards to fill out, giving you a voice in the contest and making you eligible for fabulous raffle prizes.

Film Program (in alphabetical order)

A Moment of Clarity by Leslie Rathe
An Exercise in Vigilance by Christopher John Stack
Charlie 2.0 by Matthew Hsu
Divide by Karen Smalley
Chinese Dumplings by Michelle Hung
DJ:LA by Jerry Chan
Rose by Hoku Uchiyama
The Double by Rani DeMuth

Host Committee

-Jenelle Riley, National Film and TV Editor, Back Stage
-Dr. Richard Jewell, author and Hugh M. Hefner Chair for the Study of American Film, USC School of Cinematic Arts
-Pete Hammond, writer and film critic, L.A. Times’ TheEnvelope.com
-Special Guest

SCREENINGS BEGIN AT 5 PM

Approximate running time 120 minutes, plus 15-minute intermission. Films may contain nudity, drug use, adult themes, and language unsuitable for children. Viewer discretion is advised.
A Q&A session among the host committee, directors, and audience will immediately follow screenings.

RECEPTION & AWARD CEREMONY

Guests are invited after the program for complimentary appetizers, an open bar, and live performances by classical guitarist Iren Artyunyan in the Los Angeles Times Central Court.

Ticket Information:

$20 Muse members.
$30 LACMA members (Non-Muse).
$40 General Public, on-sale now.
All tickets general admission.

For tickets, click here and use the Quick Tix drop-down menu on the right to select Seventh Annual Young Directors Night, visit the LACMA Box Office, or call 323 857-6010. Seating is limited so make sure to buy your tickets early. Tickets will be delivered via Will Call only. Members must show their valid membership card to receive discounted tickets. A $2 convenience charge is added to all phone and internet orders.

March 29, 2008, Young Directors Night, 5–10 pm, LACMA Bing Theater. Los Angeles County Museum of Art - 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036. Parking is available in the 6th Street parking garage, located just east of Fairfax Avenue. Additional parking is available in the lot at Wilshire Boulevard and Spaulding Avenue. Young Directors Night is now on MySpace.

CANADIAN AUTHOR CALVIN HELIN OFFERS SOLUTIONS FOR GETTING U.S. OFF WELFARE & PRODUCTIVE AGAIN; "DANCES WITH DEPENDENCY" HITS U.S. BOOKSTORES IN APRIL

Neal Public Relations is representing #1 Bestselling Canadian Author Calvin Helin, whose book "DANCES WITH DEPENDENCY" makes its U.S. debut in April 2008. Helin is a former member of the Canadian Parliament and a native Indian -- and just might have key answers our nation needs as the United States financial system continues to be rocked by a severe crisis.

In "Dances with Dependency," Calvin Helin, a leading North American Native lawyer, offers ways to eliminate welfare dependency and get out of poverty. Helin helps us understand, how formerly colonized populations have been forced into welfare and a dependency mindset. His message is a call to action to change our thinking so that we can break that cycle of dependency and actively steer our lives. And yes, he is 'politically incorrect' at times as he offers his key solutions including doing away with typical welfare systems and government assisted programs. Instead he would like to create more interactive programs that could generate business opportunities and jobs. His unique approach would be of interest to any taxpaying American, especially as heated debates continue in this election year. Plus, Helin's welfare reforms might just jumpstart our economy, freeing up billions to enable more of our citizens, perhaps even all, to enjoy the benefits of healthcare.

Helin is a straight shooter, unafraid to say it as he sees it, even if it means pointing the finger at his own people. His "Did our ancestors sit around eating potato chips?" continues to raise eyebrows, as does his "Every welfare check eats a bit at a man's soul!" The author is on a crusade to help the poor understand that the key to a brighter future is when policy reform meets individual responsibility and self-reliance.

Colleges and universities are starting to use "Dances With Dependency" as a way to explain fundamental Native issues and how social stigmas sometimes perpetuate a problem instead of solving it. Perhaps Helin's refreshing perspective and constructive solutions can bring hope to some desperate situations.

Helin is joining a new generation of Native leaders who are looking to put an end to government dependency and replace it with a return to self-reliance. He reminds us at every corner that we're headed into a "Demographic tsunami" as our poor population continues to explode while our economy implodes -- unless we reframe our mindsets and empower our children to seek and make their own opportunities instead of expecting them and waiting for them.

Calvin Helin will be coming to the U.S. in April/May to promote this book, and is available for Interviews by calling Roger Neal of Neal Public Relations at 714-883-0231 or by emailing Mr. Neal at prstarus2000@yahoo.com. To View an interview with Calvin Helin, see: http://www.nealpublicrelations.com.

APR. 11: STOREFRONT FOR ART & ARCHITECTURE OPENS POP-UP STORE AT PAPERCHASE PRINTING, PART OF LA ART WEEKEND

The Storefront for Art and Architecture is opening its first Pop-Up Storefront in Los Angeles on April 11 at Paperchase Printing on Sunset Blvd. Pop-Up Storefronts are planned to open in Milan, London, and Yokohama throughout 2008.

The opening exhibition is Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed that examines architecture of the last two decades of the Soviet Union, photographed by Frèderic Chaubin. The exhibition will be on view April 11 through May 17, 2008 with an opening reception on April 11 at 7pm.

In addition, there will also be a conversation on 20^th Century Soviet Architecture on April 13 at 2pm with:

-Barry Bergdoll, organizer of Lost Vanguard and Philip Johnson Chief Curator of Architecture & Design at MoMA, New York,

-Fréderic Chaubin, photographer, Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed (CCCP)

-Richard Pare, photographer, Lost Vanguard

-Joseph Grima, curator of CCCP and Director of Storefront for Art and Architecture, New York

Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed (CCCP), Frèderic Chaubin

April 11 – May 17, 2008

Wednesday – Friday, 3pm – 8pm

Saturday – Sunday, 1pm – 8pm

The opening and conversation are part of Los Angeles Art Weekend, a new arts festival, taking place from April 10-13 that highlights the city's vast array of creative talent working in art, architecture, design, and film. Programs, exhibitions, and events are scheduled throughout Los Angeles Art Weekend at venues that include some of the city's best retailers, exhibition spaces, museums, and galleries. Pop-Up Storefront, Paperchase Printing, 7176 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90046. For more information visit: www.laartweekend.com.

KU AMBIANCE BASH DRAWS DESIGN/ART PROFESSIONALS AS WESTWEEK KICKS OFF AT NEARBY PACIFIC DESIGN CENTER

(West Hollywood, CA: March 26, 2008) The LA Report was very impressed with Ku Ambiance, a new unique store/showroom/designspace, located just a block east of the PDC (a.k.a. the Pacific Design Center, or the Blue Whale to some insiders), where the 2008 edition of Westweek kicked off today. Many Westweekers attended tonight's festive party at the new space, which lasted almost till midnight and featured wonderful sushi as well as delectable desserts.

Ku Ambiance just launched at the recent CA BOOM design/architecture show, and their space (located on Huntley, a few feet north of Melrose) has an open Asian-themed feel, featuring an eclectic assortment of beautiful items, from custom commodes to cool clothes to a varied array of handmade vessels and porcelain creations. (Oh, and cute bobbing-head tigers; one man proudly showed off a pair as he departed.) Unique is the key word here, as all of the items at Ku Ambiance are made in limited quantities and hence superior quality and craftsmanship. Every design/fashion/art professional should definitely check out this wonderful new addition to the Melrose design district.

Website: kuambiance.com

MAR. 27 - APR. 3: METHODFEST RETURNS TO CALABASAS; ANNUAL FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES ART OF ACTING WITH FILM PREMIERES, PARTIES & AWARDS

DATE: MARCH 27-APRIL 3, 2008

WHAT: 10^TH Annual Method Fest Independent Film Festival

WHERE: Calabasas and Woodland Hills, California.

The Tenth Annual METHODFEST Film Festival will screen 25 feature films and 48 short films from around the U.S. and from across the globe. These include many world and U.S. premieres, plus a few major “festival films.”

Opening Night

March 27, world premiere, “Familiar Strangers,” Gala following at The Calabasas Inn (9:30 to12:30 pm) VIPs include director Zackary Adler, cast members DJ Qualls, Tom Bower, Angus Sutherland. Many other celebrities expected, Frank Krueger

World Premiere Screening

March 28, “Crazy”

Centerpiece Screening

L.A. Premiere, March 29, “Tom McCarthy’s “The Visitor”

Co-Centerpiece Screening

March 30, Helen Hunt’s “Then She Found Me”

Closing Night

April 2, “Diminished Capacity" starring Alan Alda, Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen

Awards Ceremony

April 3

Honorees

Maverick Award, Melissa Leo, 3/30, 5 p.m., @ screening of “Lullaby”

Lifetime Achievement Award, Richard Jenkins, 7 p.m., 3/29, at Screening of “The Visitor”

Ticket Information

For tickets, please call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.

Media Credentials and Festival Information

Please visit the official MethodFest website at www.methodfest.com or call 310 535-9230.

Venues

Screenings will be held at Louis B. Mayer Theatre, Motion Picture & Television Fund, 23388 Mulholland Drive, Woodland Hills, CA 91371; Carlson Family Theatre, Viewpoint School, 23620 Mulholland Highway, Calabasas, 91302. Sunday only, March 30^th screenings / youth workshops, Agoura Hills / Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road, Calabasas, CA 91302.