Photo: ABN AMRO ONE passing the scoring gate at Lizard Point, England after Volvo Ocean Race Leg 6 from New York across the Atlantic Ocean to Portsmouth in England. (© Oskar Kihlborg/ Volvo Ocean Race 2005-2006)

River Scene, London August 2007.

Countryside & Seaside Scene Ireland. Photo taken September 2007.

Photographer: John E. Adams

Photographer: John E. Adams

Photo:   Choreographer Toni Basil (far left) conducts dancer auditions for Bette Midler’s Las Vegas show which premieres at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in February 2008. 

In preparation for her imaginative, over-the-top show at Caesars Palace, Bette Midler and award-winning choreographer Toni Basil held auditions for female dancers on August 21. Bette Midler is an American singer, actress and comedienne, also known to her fans as The Divine Miss M.

To be able to tackle Basil’s ultra-energetic hip hop, modern and athletic choreography, the audition called for female dancers with strong, technical backgrounds and dynamic personalities. Approximately 500 dancers from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and even New York, showed up at the auditions with the hope of becoming one of 20 lucky girls chosen to dance in the Las Vegas spectacular. The selected cast will engage in full show rehearsals starting this November in Los Angeles.

Reigning at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, Caesars Palace ranks among the world’s top luxury resorts known for their originality.

The Beluga, which is named after the whale it resembles, operates in support of the Airbus production system and is offered for charter.

Photo:   “Pineapple parade at La Guelaguetza” by Katie Zolkowski, Grand Prize Winner of the 2007 Continental Latin American Photo Contest.

Amigos de las Americas (AMIGOS) and Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL) have announced the Grand Prize Winner of the 2007 Continental Latin American Photo Contest. Katie Zolkowski of Raleigh, N.C., won with “Pineapple parade at La Guelaguetza,” a colorful silhouette shot of Mexican women dressed in decorative costumes. Zolkowski was an AMIGOS Volunteer in the Community Nutrition project in Oaxaca for eight weeks during summer 2006.

The pineapple dance is part of a Oaxacan festival called Guelaguetza, which includes dances, crafts, costumes, food, parades and music from the seven regions of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The pineapple dance is from the Papaloapan region.

“My whole pueblo went to the festival, and I was the only one there with a camera,” Zolkowski said. “The thing that I love most about this picture is the color.”

At Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, TX, part of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), chimps Kitty, Lulu and Midge celebrated a milestone: 10 years since their rescue from biomedical research. The celebration included watermelon rind “cake” with fruit. Lulu, approximately 45 (pictured), enjoyed every bite. The HSUS’ Kathleen Conlee said, “These stars of our Chimps Deserve Better campaign are a reminder of the 1,300 chimpanzees remaining in labs. The HSUS is working to end research on chimpanzees and retire them to sanctuary.”

Photo: Beyonce and Pastor Rudy Rasmus help pack boxes of donated food at “The Beyonce Experience Tour” National Food Drive, which is partnership with America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network and the Survivor Foundation. Photo Courtesy of Music World Entertainment.

Singer, songwriter and actress Beyonce has teamed up with Pastor Rudy Rasmus and America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network to sponsor pre- concert food donation drives in Houston, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Los Angeles as part of her Beyonce Experience Tour.

The first 1,000 fans in each of the five cities to drop off non-perishable food items receive an autographed photo of Beyonce.

America’s Second Harvest — The Nation’s Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.