PDA Entertainment Search Results

Name Description
Taber MacCallum Taber MacCallum is one of the original crewmembers of Biosphere 2. As one of the eight participants of the two year mission inside the three acre materially closed ecological system, MacCallum served as the team's analytical chemist. In 1993, MacCallum co-founded Paragon Space Development Corporation with several engineers and fellow biospherian and wife Jane Poynter. He is currently CEO and Chairman of the Board for Paragon. Using Paragon's Autonomous Biological Systems, he was the Principal Investigator on four microgravity experiments on the Space Shuttle, Mir Space Station and International Space Station. MacCallum is involved in the design of life support and thermal control systems for commercial manned suborbital spacecraft, as well as hazardous environment life support technology development for the US Navy divers. Taber MacCallum has also functioned at every level of command on a research vessel, sailing to over 40 ports and more than 30,000 miles around the world. He is a certified Dive Controller and Advanced Open Water Diving Instructor. MacCallum currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with his wife, fellow biospherian, business partner and author Jane Poynter. Taber and Jane married a year after exiting Biosphere 2.
Norm MacDonald Fired in bitter haste from Saturday Night Live and following up with two career-crippling film credits, Norm Macdonald's career has been spiraling into disaster since 1997 -- "or so the Germans would have us believe." Though he began his career as a stand-up comedian in Ottawa, most people's familiarity with MacDonald derives from his three-year stint as Weekend Update anchor on the ever-enduring Saturday Night Live. Realizing that a change in location was the key to success, MacDonald packed his bags and took his routine to L.A, where he continued to refine his specific brand of acerbic wit through his stand-up act. In addition, MacDonald became a writer for the popular sitcom Roseanne, as well as The Dennis Miller Show.
Kathleen MacDonald Kathleen MacDonald struggled with anorexia and disordered eating for nearly 20 years. She has since developed a healthy spiritual, emotional and physical recovery process, and now enjoys living her life eating- disorder free. MacDonald now uses her life experience and passion to prevent others from developing eating disorders, to educate people about the dangers of eating disorders, as well as offer hope for recovery and support to all those affected by eating disorders.
Ali MacGraw Film star, social activist and feminist.
Robert MacNeil Journalist, author, analyst and co-anchorman of the award- winning PBS tele-vision program, “The MacNeil - Lehrer NewsHour.”
John Madden Football color commentator for Fox Network and former NFL head coach.
Haki Madhubuti Well known poet, editor of the Third World Press and director of the Institute of Postive Education. Haki Madhubuti has published widely in magazines, quarterlies and newspapers and is a popular lecturer in the area of African American culture.
Kathleen Madigan Kathleen Madigan is one of the most popular headliners in the country. An American Comedy Award winner for Best Female Stand-Up, her accessible and unpretentious style has earned her a devoted and growing following. Count Lewis Black among them - he called her "the funniest woman in America." Unlike any other female comedian working today, Kathleen resonates with a broad base of fans from coast to coast. She packs theaters from Nevada to North Carolina and everywhere in between. Her standup specials on HBO and Comedy Central have earned rave reviews and her latest CD/DVD "In Other Words" was one of the most downloaded comedy albums of 2006. She is a regular guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, VH1, E!, and CNN. She is a mainstay on Comedy Central where she recently debuted a new one-hour special and appeared on The World Stands Up, USO Comedy Tour, The World Comedy Tour, and Comedy Central Presents as well as Lewis Black's "Root of All Evil." Kathleen recently served as a talent scout on NBCs Last Comic Standing and is the host of her own weekly show on Sirius Radio Networks, The Kathleen Madigan Show. She is the only 5'2" Mid-Missouri Hoop Shoot Champion in recorded history.
D. Soyini Madison Noted African American writer and author of The Woman That I Am: Literature and Culture by Contemporary Women of Color, Dr. Madison's presentation focuses upon specific historical and mythological moments in the literature and culture of women of color.
Bill Maher Whether skewering Republicans, Democrats, the mass media or Hollywood, Bill Maher is one of the most perceptive and hilarious satirists at work today. From the podium he delivers his trademark blend of devastating social commentary and politically incorrect humor that always leaves audiences begging for more. Bill first gained fame as the host of ABCs Politically Incorrect, which featured celebrities, pundits and politicians discussing current events with enlightening and often hilarious results. He is now the host of Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, as well as the worlds first Internet-exclusive talk show on Amazon.com, Amazon Fishbowl. Like his shows, Bills lectures provide an entertaining and insightful look at the world that will amuse and stimulate every audience.
Norman Mailer Pulitzer prize winning author.
Miriam Makeba Internationally known South African folk singer.
David Malinosky David Malinosky was born on March 8th, 1985 and raised in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania. Dave currently resides in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina but often travels between New York City and Los Angeles before relocation in either. Dave Sky is the outgoing, athletic, free spirit of The Real World Hollywood cast. Dave hosted the Generation of Comedy Tour as it travels nationwide throughout 2008 utlizing his training from iO West Improv Theater. Dave from The Real World Hollywood graduated Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina majoring in Sports Management and minoring in Business. David stands at 5 foot 7 but has excelled in many sports including football, lacrosse, track, and even cheerleading. David Sky envisions himself hosting live events and television shows while also pursuing a career in film. College Lecture Topics Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Safe Sex Awareness, Drunk Driving, Eco Awareness, Global Warming, Darfur, and Animal Rights
Davis Mallory Davis Mallory of MTVs Real World Denver Davis Mallory, 23, was born on August 23rd 1983 in Marietta, Georgia where he still lives close to presently in nearby Atlanta, Georgia. On the Denver Real World he fits the typecast of the general one gay person role, but he is much more than that as being a devout Christian he has some internal conflicts he even now presently trying to figure out regarding his sexuality.Davis always surrounded himself with straight people as he only recently came out but still has interest in women. He first told his family he may be gay when in the 6th grade but now proclaims himself to be a very "straight acting" Southern Baptist gay guy. These were the characteristics he felt got him cast on the Real World when he first attended an open casting call in Tampa, Florida.Davis from the Real World Denver has his Business & Medicine degree from Stetson University in May 2006 as he originally wanted to be a plastic surgeon, but after his Real World experience he is contemplating being in the business side of the music and entertainment industry. Davis Mallory would be great for college speaking engagements regarding the coming out process, LGBT issues, persecution within the family, homophobia, alcohol abuse, and being Gay while also being a devout Christian
Julianne Malveaux Recognized for her provocative, progressive and insightful observations, Dr. Julianne Malveaux, an economist, author and commentator, is the President and CEO of Last Word Productions, Inc, a multimedia production company. Described by Dr. Cornel West as the most iconoclastic public intellectual in the country, Dr. Malveauxs contributions to the public dialogue on issues such as race, culture, gender, and their economic impacts, are helping to shape public opinion in 21st century America. As a writer and syndicated columnist, her work appears regularly in USA Today, Black Issues in Higher Education, Ms. magazine, Essence magazine, and the Progressive. Her weekly columns appear in numerous newspapers across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Charlotte Observer, the New Orleans Tribune, the Detroit Free Press, and the San Francisco Examiner. Well-known for appearances on national network programs, Dr. Malveaux is a charismatic and popular guest on a variety of shows. She appears regularly on CNN, BET, as well as on Howard Universitys Television show, Evening Exchange. She has appeared on PBSs To The Contrary, ABCs Politically Incorrect, Fox News Channels OReilly Factor and stations such as C-SPAN, MSNBC and CNBC. She has also hosted talk radio programs in Washington, San Francisco, and New York. In addition to her columns and media appearances, Dr. Malveaux is an accomplished author and editor. Her academic work is included in numerous papers, studies, and publications. She is the editor of Voices of Vision: African American Women on the Issues (1996); the co-editor of Slipping Through the Cracks: The Status of Black Women (1986), and recently co-edited The Paradox of Loyalty: An African American Response to the War on Terrorism (2002). She is the author of two column anthologies: Sex, Lies, and Stereotypes: Perspectives of a Mad Economist (1994), Wall Street, Main Street, and the Side Street: A Mad Economist Takes a Stroll (1999). She is most recently the co-author of Unfinished Business: A Democrat and A Republican Take On the 10 Most Important Issues Women Face (2002). A committed activist and civic leader, Dr. Malveaux serves on the boards of the Economic Policy Institute, Women Building for the Future - Future PAC, and The Recreation Wish List Committee of Washington, DC. Dr. Malveaux received her BA and MA degrees in economics from Boston College, and earned a Ph.D in economics from MIT. A native San Franciscan, she currently resides in Washington, DC.
Method Man Method Man was the first and biggest solo star to emerge from the groundbreaking Wu-Tang Clan. His mush-mouthed, sandpaper-rough bellow (at times recalling EPMD's Erick Sermon) and imaginative rhymes easily made him one of the most recognizable, unpredictable MCs in the group, yet his flow was more deliberate and laid-back than the Wu's resident loose cannon, Ol' Dirty Bastard. On his solo records, Method Man developed a persona that swung from offhand, understated menace to raucous stoner humor. Toward the end of the '90s, his frequent team-ups with Redman produced not only a terrific musical chemistry, but an eventual big-screen comedy team as well. Method Man was born Clifford Smith on April 1, 1971, in Hempsted, Long Island; he split his childhood between his father's Long Island residence and his mother's Staten Island home. It was the latter locale where he met his future Wu-Tang cohorts RZA, Genius/GZA, and Ol' Dirty Bastard; when they set about forming a hip-hop collective in the early '90s, Method Man was one of the first to sign on. Meth was heavily featured on the group's classic late-1993 debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), even getting his own showcase track with "Method Man," which certainly put him out front in terms of name recognition. Thanks to the Wu's innovative contract -- which allowed individual members to sign solo deals with whatever label they chose -- Method Man inked a contract with Def Jam, and in 1994, approximately one year after Enter the Wu-Tang's release, he became the first Wu member to release a solo album with Tical. Highly anticipated, the album entered the charts at number four and quickly went platinum, while singles like "Bring the Pain" (which just missed the pop Top 40) and "Release Yo' Delf" made him an even bigger name in the hip-hop community. He began making numerous guest appearances on other artists' records and in the summer of 1995, his one-off single with Mary J. Blige, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," soared into the pop Top Five, giving Meth his first major mainstream exposure. Shortly thereafter, another duet -- this time with Def Jam labelmate Redman -- on the compilation track "How High" climbed into the pop Top 20. Wu-Tang Clan reconvened in 1997 for the double-album Wu-Tang Forever, and about a year later, another round of solo projects commenced. Method Man issued his sophomore effort, Tical 2000: Judgement Day (ironically), in late 1998 and took a more expansive approach this time out, filling the album with between-song skits and a variety of guest rappers and producers.
Howie Mandel Howie Mandel's versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, ranging from television to film and stage. From his work on the Emmy Award-winning St. Elsewhere to the international (and also Emmy-nominated) Bobby's World, Mandel has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene Currently the host of the hot game show Deal or No Deal, and the Canadian version, Deal or No Deal Canada, Mandel started his career on a dare during a trip to Los Angeles. He was at the legendary Comedy Store on amateur night and was coaxed by his friends to get up and try his luck. As fate would have it, there was a producer in the crowd who immediately hired him to appear on the comedy game-show Make Me Laugh. His appearance on the show led to talk-show appearances, a stint as Diana Ross' opening act and, to the television series St. Elsewhere, where he spent six seasons as Dr. Wayne Fiscus. Mandel's Emmy-nominated animated children series Bobby's World ran eight seasons and now appears in syndication six days a week in 65 countries. As the series' creator and executive producer, Mandel was closely involved in its writing, as well as providing the voice of Bobby, Bobby's dad and other characters. Mandel attributes the show's success to drawing the storylines from real life. Mandel has done countless comedy specials both on cable and network television. He has also hosted his own syndicated talk show The Howie Mandel Show, and continues to be a mainstay on the talk-show circuit. He frequently appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performing his signature hidden-camera bits. He also is one of the first people that Regis Philbin calls to fill in for him when he takes a vacation from Live with Regis and Kelly. Mandel also continues to perform as many as 200 concerts a year throughout the United States and Canada.
Nelson Mandela Human Rights leader and former President of South Africa.
Makiziwe Mandela Educator and daughter of Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa.
Wilma Mankiller In an historic tribal election in July 1987, the members of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma elected their first woman Principal Chief, Wilma Mankiller. She was re-elected in 1991 with nearly 83% of the vote. In 1983, Mankiller was elected Deputy Principal Chief, also the first woman to hold that position. She succeeded the previous Principal Chief upon his resignation in December 1985. Chief Mankiller's roots are planted deep in the rural community of Rocky Mountain in Adair County, Oklahoma. She was born at the Indian Hospital in Tahlequah, and grew up in a rural setting with few amenities. When she as 11, her family moved to California as part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Relocation Program. In 1969, when American Indian activists occupied Alcatraz Island to dramatize the injustices their people had suffered, she experienced an awakening, or call to action, that changed her life. Besides participating in that struggle, Mankiller did volunteer work among Native Americans in California. By 1974, she and her two children, Felicia and Gina, returned to Oklahoma. Chief Mankiller's initial work for the Cherokee Nation included the recruitment of young native Americans for university training in environmental sciences. In 1979, she completed her college degree, then began commuting to the University of Arkansas for graduate study. En route to the school, Mankiller suffered a near fatal head-on automobile collision. To recover from her extensive injuries, she adopted what Cherokee's call "being of good mind," meaning, "one has to think positively, to take what is handed out and turn it into a better path." Through her commitment to rural community development, she persistently pursued proposals for various housing, education, and health care projects. She was the founding director of the Cherokee Nation Community Development Department. Mankiller, who left office in 1995, co-authored Mankiller: A Chief and Her People, which includes the story of the Cherokee Nation, one of the country's largest tribal groups. She also co-edited the Readers Companion to the History of Women in the U.S. and served as a Montgomery Fellow at Dartmouth College during the 1996 winter term. Today, as in her childhood, Mankiller lives in the Rocky Mountain Community of Adair County, Oklahoma on the Mankiller land allotment. Her husband, Charlie Soap, serves as the Chief Professional Officer for the Boys and Girls Club Inc. of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Peyton Manning Coming out of the University of Tennessee, Peyton Manning made an impressive debut in the NFL after he was the number one draft pick in April 1998. As the Indianapolis Colts' starting quarterback, Manning holds numerous NFL and club records including the Colts' single season record for passing yards and led his team to the best one season turn around in league history. He has also been selected to two consecutive Pro Bowls. Peyton completed his third professional season leading the league in yardage, completions and attempts and in the process, broke the legendary Johnny Unitas' 1959 Colts' record for touchdown passes in a season. Peyton led the Colts to their first AFC Divisional Championship in 1999 and was named the AFC Player of the Year. Peyton Manning is the only player in NFL history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in each of his first three seasons and one of only three NFL players ever to reach 100 touchdown passes and 15,000 yards in four seasons and has also started more games than any other NFL quarterback in his first four years. Peyton became the poster boy for college and amateur athletics by opting to stay in school for a final year of eligibility rather than moving on to the NFL. The All-American earned his undergraduate degree in only three years, finished number one in his major and led his team to the SEC Championship. A leader off the field as well as on, Peyton Manning established the PeyBack Foundation to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. The PeyBack Foundation makes sizable donations to various organizations throughout the year including tens of thousands of dollars in educational scholarships, and in direct assistance grants to children and families in need.
Archie Manning When people think of Archie Manning, they think football. But Archies appeal transcends his athletic achievements. People far and wide have been inspired by his warm personality, his drive and sense of humor. Archie was recently selected as one of 10 outstanding New Orleanians, by Family Service of Greater New Orleans and named Hornblower of the Year by the Public Relations Society of America. He currently serves in public relations and consulting capacities for several local, regional and national companies. He hosts four Archie Manning Cystic Fibrosis benefit golf tournaments in Louisiana and Mississippi and is active in a wide variety of charitable and civic causes. Archie was born May 19, 1949, in Drew, Mississippi. He attended the University of Mississippi where he was named an All-American Quarterback and is the only Ole Miss player to have his number retired. He was voted Mississippis Greatest All-Time Athlete in 1992, and recently named Mississippis Most Popular Athlete of the Century. He was elected to the 50-Year All-South Team (1940-1990), named one of the Top 25 Athletes of the Century in Louisiana and he and his son Peyton were named among the 100 All-Time Greatest College Football Players. Archie was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame and is a member of other Halls of Fame including Louisiana and Mississippi. In 1971, Archie was the second player chosen in the NFL draft the number one draft choice of the New Orleans Saints. He set Saints passing records, played in two Pro Bowls and was named the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1978. He was the first player in Saints history to be inducted into the Louisiana Superdome Wall of Fame. He concluded his 15-year career in 1985. He was also drafted four times by major league baseball. While in pro football, he received the Byron Whizzer White Humanitarian Award, the Bart Starr Humanitarian Award, the Spirit of Good Sports Award from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the U.S. Jaycees named him one of 10 Outstanding Young Americans. In 2005 Archie received the Legends award from the Davey OBrien Foundation and the Aspire award, a tribute to lifes coaches, from the Cal Ripken Foundation. His community activities include Louisiana Special Olympics, the New Orleans Area Boy Scout Council, the Salvation Army, United Way Speakers Bureau, NOKIA Sugar Bowl Committee, New Orleans Sports Foundation, and National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Board of Directors. Archie and his wife Olivia have three sons, two of whom play quarterback in the NFL: Peyton Manning, starting for the Indianaplis Colts and MVP in 2003 and 2004, and Eli Manning, who starts for the New York Giants and was their Number One draft pick in 2004. Archie and Peyton have written a book entitled, Manning: A Father, His Sons and a Football Legacy. He and his boys also operate the Manning Passing Academy, a summer camp for high school quarterbacks and receivers.
Sonia Manzano Best known to televison viewers as Maria of “Sesame Street,” she, to.gether with Emilio DelGado (Luis), are responsible for creating the show's bilingual segments. Maria's impact on television and the Hispanic community is a great source of pride for Sonia Manzano.
Mar Mar Mar Mar is internationally known as an expert in the area of negotiating training. Her wealth of knowledge and experience in the art of negotiating led her to become the only Latina that teaches negotiation worldwide. As an author, columnist and a public speaker, both passion and energy are the driving force behind all aspects in her life. In October 2004, she received the Latina Entrepreneur of Year 2004 award from the Latin Business Association (LBA) and in July, 2005, she received the Entrepreneurial award from the National Latina Business Women's Association - OC.
John Mariani Food and travel correspondent for Esquire magazine and author of several of the most highly regarded books in America. His first book The Dictionary of American Food and Drink was chosen "best reference book on food" and a "classic" of American food studies. His book, America Eats Out won the International Association of Cooking Professionals Award for Best Food Reference Book. In 1985 Cook's Magazine voted Mariani into its "Who's Who in American Cooking" and he is a winner of the prestigious Barbi-Colombini Journalism Award for outstanding wine writing.
Cheech Marin Primarily known as an actor, director, and performer, Cheech Marin has developed the finest private collection of Chicano art in this country. Much of it formed the core of his nationally traveling exhibition Chicano Visions: American Painters on the Verge, which broke attendance records during its groundbreaking 15-city tour to major art museums across the United States during 2001 2007. Marin believes, Chicano art is American art. My goal is to bring the term Chicano to the forefront of the art world. In late 2007, he is launching a new exhibition that features works on paper from his collection, Papel Chicano: Works on Paper from the Collection of Cheech Marin that will open at Mesa Contemporary Arts of Mesa Arts Center in Arizona and travel to other cultural venues across the nation. A third-generation Mexican American, Marin has been recognized for his work on behalf of Latinos by the Imagen Foundation with its 2000 Creative Achievement Award and by the National Council of La Raza and Kraft Foods with their 1999 ALMA Community Service Award. In May 2007, he received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts for his contributions to the creative arts. His community involvement includes serving on the board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. As an actor, Marin is familiar to many as one-half of the hilarious duo Cheech and Chong that together, made eight feature films. He has since appeared in more than 20 films, including Spy Kids, Tin Cup, and Once Upon A Time in Mexico. His television credits include co-starring with Don Johnson in the popular CBS drama, Nash Bridges. In addition, in 2005, he directed the Broadway production of Latinologues, a collection of comedic and poignant monologues revealing the Latino experience in America.
Bob Marley Celebrating 15 years as a stand-up comic, Bob Marley is one of the hottest and most sought-after comedians in the country. He has been featured in his own special on Comedy Central, and is one of the few comics to do the complete late night TV circuit: The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan OBrien and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. Marley, a Maine native and University of Maine at Farmington graduate, uses biographical and observational material for his high-energy routines. He began his career in his hometown of Portland, and then moved to Boston to gain experience in a city known for spawning comedy all-stars.
Damian Marley Damian Marley was only two when his father died, but the youngest of the Marley sons must have learned something. At the age of 13, he formed his first band, the Shepherds, which also included the son of Third World's Cat Coore and the daughter of Freddie McGregor; the group even opened up the 1992 Reggae Sunsplash festival. By 1994, Damian was working on his own solo project, and with the help of his father's label, Tuff Gong, he recorded Mr. Marley. Also lending a familial air to the sessions was the presence of Stephen Marley, who produced and co-wrote several songs for the LP. Halfway Tree from 2001 earned a Grammy nomination, but the public generally overlooked the ambitious album. Not so for the reggae-meets-hip-hop single "Welcome to Jamrock," which became an urban phenomenon soon after its summer 2005 release. Street-level mixtapes began featuring it, urban radio couldn't get enough of it, and remixes -- both legal and not so legal -- began appearing at a fast pace. The well-rounded album Welcome to Jamrock delivered on the promise of the single that same year, reaching the Top Ten
Julissa Marquez Julissa is one of three hosts of OH DRAMA!, BET'S popular talk show. OH DRAMA is a provocative, high energy nighttime talk show featuring three dynamic and opinionated ladies. Topics covered are pop culture, health, beauty, relationships, careers, spirituality, etc.
Bill Marriott Leading businessman and chairman of the Board of the Marriott Corporation.
Branford Marsalis Well known jazz musician and former musical director of the "Tonight Show."
Wynton Marsalis The most popular and acclaimed jazz musician of his generation, Wynton Marsalis is also a distinguished classical performer and the first artist to win Grammy awards for both jazz and classical recordings. He is available in either a lecture/demonstration format or a concert.Marsalis has achieved international success as a musician and bandleader, composer, educator, author and arts advocate. He is the co-founder and artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to inspiring and growing audiences for jazz. Founded in 1987, Jazz at Lincoln Center operates from its home in New York City, the Frederick P. Rose Hall -- the worlds first multi-venue performing arts facility designed specifically for the sound of jazz. Each season, the organization produces thousands of performances and educational events for people of all ages in New York and around the world. Marsalis oratorio Blood on the Fields, featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for music, the first ever awarded to a jazz musician. Winner of nine Grammy Awards, Marsalis is the only artist to win Grammys for both jazz and classical recordings. Marsalis other honors include Frances Chevalier dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres, the American Arts Councils Arts Education Award and the National Medal of Arts. He also has received 29 honorary degrees and was appointed a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Paule Marshall Well known author, Paule Marshall is best known for such books as, Sisters; Praisesong for the Widow; Brown Girl, Brownstones; and Daughters.
Thurgood Marshall, Jr. Thurgood Marshall, Jr. is an American lawyer and son of the late Supreme Court of the United States Justice Thurgood Marshall. Thurgood Marshall Jr. worked in the Clinton White House and is currently a partner at the international law firm Bingham McCutchen, LLP and a principal at its lobbying subsidiary, Bingham Consulting. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ford Foundation. According to documents filed with the SEC, he is a director serving on the board of Corrections Corporation of America, the largest commercial vendor of federal detainment and prisoner transport in the United States
Phil Martelli Named head coach for the 2005 USA Men’s U21 World Championship Team on May 9, 2005, this summer marks Saint Joseph’s University (Pa.) head coach Phil Martelli's third assignment with USA Basketball after assisting U.S. teams to gold at the 2001 FIBA World Championship For Young Men and 1998 Goodwill Games. As an assistant to Clem Haskins in ‘98, Martelli was part of the memorable 1998 USA Goodwill Games Team, that despite being comprised of collegians, captured the gold medal after posting a 93-85 overtime win over the Australian Senior National Team. In 2001, as an assistant to Jim Boeheim, the USA Young Men swept its competition to claim the top spot with an 8-0 record.
Roland Martin Roland S. Martin is a nationally Award-Winning Journalist and CNN Contributor A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Mr. Martin is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith, and Speak, Brother! A Black Man's View of America. Mr. Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network also host of "The Roland S. Martin Show" on WVON-AM/1690 in Chicago. He can be heard daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. He is also a CNN Contributor, appearing on a variety of shows, including Paula Zahn Now, Anderson Cooper 360, Lou Dobbs Tonight, and many others. In August 2007, he joined Essence Magazine as a special correspondent, writing a bi-monthly column and a daily blog on Essence.com. An insightful and provocative analyst, Mr. Martin has appeared numerous times on MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network, America's Black Forum, American Urban Radio Networks, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and NPR's News and Notes. He is the former executive editor/general manager of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest Black daily newspaper. He is the former founding news editor for Savoy Magazine under the team of New York-based Vanguarde Media, and the former founding editor of BlackAmericaWeb.com, owned by nationally syndicated radio show host Tom Joyner and Radio One. He previously served as owner/publisher of Dallas-Fort Worth Heritage, a Christian monthly newspaper. He also has worked as managing editor of the Houston Defender and the Dallas Weekly, which he led to a number of local, state and national journalism awards. Mr. Martin has worked as morning drive reporter for KRLD/1080 AM; news director and morning anchor at KKDA-AM in Dallas; city hall reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram; and county government and neighbors reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. He has won more than 20 professional awards for journalistic excellence, including a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television News Directors; several first place awards from the Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators; two citations from the National Associated Press-Managing Editors Conference; the top sports reporting award in 1997 from the National Association of Black Journalists; and honors from the Houston Press Club. Mr. Martin is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He is a 1987 graduate of Jack Yates High School-Magnet School of Communications, and a 1991 graduate of Texas A&M University, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree in journalism. Martin is studying to receive his master's degree in Christian Communications at Louisiana Baptist University.
Demetri Martin Demetri Martin dropped out of NYU School of Law to pursue comedy. Since then, he has performed in most of the English-speaking countries in the world (not in South Africa or New Zealand, though) and won trophies for comedy in America, Scotland and Australia. Martin was a staff writer for "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and has appeared on a lot of late-night television shows, both onstage and in the audience. He made a stand-up CD/DVD, "These Are Jokes," which was released via Comedy Central Records in 2006 and his "Trendspotting with Demetri Martin" has been a featured segment on the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show with Jon Stewart since December 2005. Martin was featured in his own one-hour stand-up special for Comedy Central, "Demetri Martin. Person." (which was also released on DVD by Comedy Central Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment). His show, Important things Demetri Martin -- a fusion of original sketch and stand-up -- debuted on Comedy Central in February 2009. Future projects for Martin include the lead role in the upcoming Ang Lee film, "Taking Woodstock," for Focus Features (slated for release this summer). He is writing the feature script, "Will," for Paramount Pictures. He is also co-writing, with James Bobin, the feature script, "The Moon People," for Sony Pictures with Mosaic Media Producing. Martin is also planning to clean up his apartment some time in 2009.
Sylvia Martinez Hispanic journalist and editor-in-chief of Latina magazine.
Frederick Marx Award winning filmmaker and director of the award winning documentary, “Hoop Dreams.”
Jackie Mason Well known comedian and actor.
Hans Massaquoi Retired managing editor of Ebony magazine and author of Destined to Witness, his autobiography, in which he tells what it was like to grow up black in Nazi Germany.
Tony Massarotti Tony Massarotti a newspaper sportswriter, author of Big Papi: My Story of Big Dreams and Big Hits and columnist for the Boston Herald. Massarotti currently covers Boston Red Sox baseball beat for the Herald. He joined the paper in 1989, and has been covering the Red Sox since 1994. Massarotti is a 1989 graduate of Tufts University where he majored in English and Classics. He frequently covers the Boston Red Sox for Fox Sports New England, appears occationally as a guest on WHDH's Sports Xtra and is a frequent guest on Boston's WEEI sports talk radio program The Big Show. Massarotti was known for his staunch support of former Red Sox managers Jimy Williams and Grady Little, despite Little's controversial decisions, during Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. [2]
Morris Massey Expert on conflict resolution, human behavior and diversity issues, known for his program, “Flashpoint: When Values Collide.”
Chris Mata Chris was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to earning a black belt at the age of 17, he worked his way through public school by manning the cash register at a local McDonalds. His very first attempt at standup comedy was in front of a J.C. Penney, at a mall talent show. Unfortunately, he lost to a saxophone player. Then Iin 2001, just three years into comedy, Chris became a finalist in the San Francisco Comedy Competition. In 2004, He moved to New York City, for its stage time and development possibilites. Where else in the world would he be able to stand severe humiliation night after night in complete anonymity?
Fernando Mateo A leading Hispanic entrepreneur, community activist and philanthropist, Fernando Mateo is a real American hero. In a classic “rags to riches” story, Mr. Mateo built a small carpet business into a multi-million dollar operation. Eager to repay society for his good fortune, he established an effective job training and placement program for drug-free prison inmates nicknamed “M.I.T.” (The Mateo Institute of Training). Concerned about community violence he then launched an overwhelmingly successful gun swap program, Toys for Guns, which received national attention from the government, the press, and private business.
Mark Mathabane Author of the highly acclaimed autobiography, Kaffir Boy, the true story of Black youths coming of age in apartheid South Africa. It is an extraordinary memoir of life under apartheid and a triumph of human spirit over hatred and unspeakable degradation. In his book, African Women: Three Generations, Mark Mathabane shifts his attention from the evils of racism to what may still be the more insidious and intractable problems of sexism as he describes in moving prose the lives of his sister, mother, and grandmother.
Judge Greg Mathis Popular television judge who is featured on the nationally syndicated TV show "Judge Mathis". The youngest judge in Michigan history, Greg Mathis was a Michigan Superior Court Judge before the start of his television series. Mathis worked hard to win the judgeship in the city of Detroit. He had many obstacles to overcome. He had failed the Michigan bar exam once, and had been denied a license to practice law for several years after graduating from law school because of his criminal past. He had not accrued an extensive portfolio of legal work, and he was seen by the establishment as someone who lacked the necessary experience and insight to handle the hectic and heavy docket. Yet in 1995, he was elected a superior court judge for Michigan's 36th District, making him the youngest man in the state to hold the post. During the five years he was on the bench, he was rated in the top five of all judges in the 36th District; there are about thirty judges each year. He was trying to have a movie made about his youth when a partner was contacted by Blackpearl Productions about starting a television show. He has been hosting a television series, Judge Mathis, since 1999, in which he mediates disputes much like a real courtroom. In 2001, Mathis appeared in "1st Annual BET Awards" as himself. He also was a guest star as himself in the Steve Harvey show episode "Here Comes the Judge". Mathis has been parodied on Saturday Night Live by Tracy Morgan in the "Judge Horace" persona. At a rally commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Mathis said, "They (the Bush administration) all need to be locked up because they are all criminals and they are all thieves. It is indeed criminal to steal an election and within two years run up a federal deficit of half-a-trillion dollars, send our young people over to Iraq to die for an unjust war. What they are doing is criminal."
Marlee Matlin Marlee Matlin has received world wide critical acclaim for her impressive motion picture debut in "Children of a Lesser God," a performance that earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. Marlee, who is deaf, presents a powerful and inspiring lecture.
John C. Maxwell One of America's foremost authorities on leadership, John Maxwell is the author of numerous bestsellers on the topic of leadership, including Developing the Leader Within You; and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. In his new book, Running with the Giants: What Old Testament Heroes Want you to Know About Life and Leadership, Maxwell helps his audience rediscover the ancient heroes of the Bible - and the timeless advice for life and leadership.
Ralphie May Known for his Hip-Hop brand of comedy, Ralphie May has his ebonics and quick wit down pat, which has earned him roles in such urban films as "for da love of money and gas". He has gained notoriety from being an equal-opportunity offender with a political incorrectness and plain-spoken truth-telling in his routines that is reminiscent of rap. Most recently, Ralphie participated in VH1's first season of "Celebrity Fit Club," in which eight celebrities bravely stepped forward and acknowledged that they have been losing the battle of the bulge. Ralphie has struggled with his weight since he was a teen. At the beginning of "Celebrity Fit Club", he weighed in at 481 pounds and has since dropped to about 400 pounds. Ralphie May's popularity exploded after the success of the first season of NBCs hit reality series, "Last Comic Standing," when America thought he was robbed of the winner's title. But, coming in second place did not stop him from becoming one of the most popular comedians in the country. Ralphie rails about the Hollywood bias against overweight people, It isnt a fat joke its a prejudice joke. In his act, he talks about the time he auditioned for the role of a fat person, only to be told he was too overweight. Too fat to play fat? And he describes the time he did a showcase for one of the late-night talk shows and they told him he was the best comic of the bunch, but that because of his size hed never get booked. Comedy is not about appearance, its about rockin a mic, he says. Are they laughing? Thats the only test.
Kurt Mazur Internationally acclaimed conductor and Musical Director of the New York Philharmonic.
Jewell McCabe Founder and Chair of the National Coalition on 100 Black Women which was established to meet their career needs and facilitate their access to mainstream America. With wide-ranging experience in both the public and private sectors, Jewell Jackson McCabe is a businesswoman who serves as director on a variety of board and as a consultant to major corporations.
Tim McCarver Former All-Star catcher who is now today's premier baseball analyst for the FOX Television Network and the San Francisco Giants.
Marilyn McCoo One of the most successful female recording artists of all time, Marilyn McCoo pursues a multi-dimensional career as a performer, entertainer, and actress. She was a member of the original "Fifth Dimension" and has won seven Grammys and earned fifteen gold records.
David McCullough Historian and author David McCullough is known to millions of television viewers as the host of two award-winning PBS series, "Smithsonian World" and "The American Experience." He is author of four widely-acclaimed works of history and biography: The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, the story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, The Path Between The Seas, an epic chronicle of the creation of the Panama Canal, and Mornings on Horseback, the life of young Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. McCullough's biography of Harry Truman was a bestseller; and his new hit, John Adams, has sold more than 1.2 million copies.
David McCullough McCullough, author of the bestseller 1776, is twice winner of the National Book Award and twice winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He has been called a "master of the art of narrative history," and his books have been praised for their exceptional narrative sweep, their scholarship and insight into American life, and for their literary distinction. 1776, his latest work, has been called "brilliant," "lucid," "gripping," "a masterwork," "a classic," and has been a continuing national triumph from the time of publication last June when it debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list. McCullough's previous work, John Adams, remains one of the most critically acclaimed and widely read American biographies of all time (to date, more than two million copies have been sold. McCullough's other books include The Johnstown Flood, The Great Bridge, The Path Between the Seas, Mornings on Horseback, Brave Companions and Truman. As may be said of few writers, none of his books has ever been out of print. McCullough is also twice winner of the prestigious Francis Parkman Prize. He has been honored with the National Book Foundation Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, the National Humanities Medal and the New York Public Library's Literary Lion Award, and has received 38 honorary degrees. In a crowded, productive career, he has been an editor, essayist, teacher, lecturer, and familiar presence on public television -- as host of "Smithsonian World," "The American Experience," and narrator of numerous documentaries including The Civil War. His is also the narrator's voice in Seabiscuit. A gifted speaker, McCullough has lectured in all parts of the country and abroad, as well as at the White House. He is also one of the few private citizens to speak before a joint session of Congress
John McEnroe John McEnroe embodies the American spirit. His relentless pursuit of perfection, combined with a technical mastery honed through years of competition, have made him a popular champion and a tennis legend. An All-American and NCAA Champion as a freshman at Stanford University in 1978, he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon as an 18 year old amateur preparing to go to college and gave notice of greatness to come. He won his first Grand Slam singles title in 1979 when he won the first of four U.S. Open Championships. In 1981, he took the first of his three Wimbledon singles titles, becoming the youngest #1 ranked man in history of professional tennis. He continued his march toward greatness by holding the top ranking for the next four years. John McEnroe captured seven grand slam singles championships and with ten grand slam doubles championships is considered by most experts to be the greatest doubles player in the history of the game.
Mark McEwen Weather and entertainment correspondent for CBS's "The Early Show." He has been contributing to morning television news for CBS since 1987, taking on a variety of roles after joining "The Morning Program" as their weather reporter.
Cynthia McFadden ABC News correspondent.
Reggie McFadden Well known comedian, entertainer and actor.
Dr. Nicola McFadzean Dr. Nicola McFadzean is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, trained in both the United States and her native country of Australia. She received her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University in Seattle, Washington, and her Diploma in Naturopathy and Bachelor of Health Sciences from the University of New England in New South Wales, Australia. Her training included a two-year internship at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, an internship in medical research at Columbia University as a Mountbatten Scholar, and four years at the Bastyr University Research Institute.Dr. Nicola is a lecturer at the Natural Healing Institute in Encinitas, California, and has presented on natural health at the University of California San Diego. She is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the California Naturopathic Doctors Association and the National Eating Disorders Association. Her areas of expertise include female hormones, eating disorders and autistic spectrum disorders. Dr. Nicola is a referral physician for Defeat Autism Now!, working with biomedical treatments for autism. She has her own internet radio show on Preconception Health Care on Autism One (www.autismone.org). She is also a member of the Physician Advisory Committee for the Lyme-Induced Autism Foundation.
Art McFarland Award winning news correspondent for ABC-TV. His subjects include "Law Enforcement and the Media"; "Black/Jewish Relations"; "Inner City Despair"; and other current political and social issues.
Bobby McFerrin Multi-talented bop-pop jazz singer/songwriter Bobby McFerrin has been captivating audiences for two decades, combining his jazz and classical background with a post-modern flare that has drawn the attention of fans and musical peers alike. McFerrin has won praise for his extraordinary vocal appearances, his best-selling recordings and his collaborations with other jazz gurus. The 1980s were full of award winning albums and endeavors by McFerrin. Before his monster success with the 1988 release Simple Pleasures, which featured "Don't Worry, Be Happy," McFerrin had already won two Grammys for Another Night in Tunsia. He also recorded Spontaneous Inventions in 1986, a collaborative effort which featured Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Jon Hendricks and Robin Williams. Around this time, Cosby looked up McFerrin again and asked him to sing the theme song to his hit TV series, "The Cosby Show." The soundtrack to Bertrand Tavernier's "'Round Midnight" became another Grammy-winning enterprise and by 1990, his success as a solo artist and performer was soaring to great heights. 1992 saw two more collaborative releases by McFerrin, including Hush, which featured cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, and Play, which contained noted performances of jazz standards with Chick Corea. The latter won McFerrin his 10th Grammy award. In 1994, McFerrin became the Creative Chairperson to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra where he developed CONNECT (Chamber Orchestra's Neighborhood Network of Education, Curriculum and Teachers) and established himself as a classical conductor and soloist. He has since led the Chamber Orchestra and the Dale Warland Singers. The Sony release of Paper Moon captured his debut as a conductor and has remained in the Top 10 of Billboard's Classical Charts since its 1995 premier. McFerrin continues his work as an orchestra conductor and has most recently collaborated with the San Francisco Symphony. His innovations in this field have led to debuts with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Philharmonic, members of Hamburg's MDR Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic. His work with the Bang!Zoom jazz quartet was featured on the album of the same name in 1996. McFerrin is currently putting his efforts into composing an opera for the San Francisco Opera. His latest release, Circlesongs, was released in
Bernie McGrenahan Bernie McGrenahan’s ‘Happy Hour’ Hailed by the Los Angeles Daily News “the most important comedian in the country today” , Bernie McGrenahan’s ‘Happy Hour’ tour is impacting high school and college students across America. ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS cover this powerful speaker’s tour which addresses the number one substance abuse problem on college campuses today, high-risk drinking.After opening Happy Hour with his hilarious stand-up comedy show, Bernie shares the facts of how his college party got ‘out of control’. He reveals how his”social drinking” escalated to “high-risk” drinking rapidly, and the consequences that followed.He encourages students to avoid excessive consumption, motivating them to follow a more healthy and productive way of life. Bernie addresses the social norm of how much alcohol students actually drink, acknowledging that most students of legal drinking age do consume alcohol moderately and responsibly. Happy Hour is comedy…with a message. It inspires students to achieve their dreams by dealing with life’s obstacles in a positive way. Happy Hour brings a motivating, uplifting and poignant message not only to students, but also to individuals of the community.This website is full of televsion stories, newspaper articles, and letters of praise that all focus on Happy Hour Comedy and how powerful the program is.
Mark McGwire Known as "Big Mac," Mark McGwire will forever be known as the man who broke baseball's prestigious home run record. When he slugged 70 home runs in 1998, this Cardinals' first baseman not only surpassed the old mark of 61 set by Roger Maris but he also electrified a baseball nation that was riveted by every one of his at-bats. Bathrooms and concession stands are lonely places when Mark strides to the plate. He not only hits home runs at a greater rate than anyone in history, but he hits them unfathomable distances. Mark followed up the magical season in which he was the Players' Choice for Outstanding Player by slamming 65 homers in 1999 - the fourth consecutive season (and fifth overall) that he led the Major Leagues in big flies. In 2000, he was hampered by knee problems, but still hit 32 homers in just 89 games to move into seventh place on the all-time list with 554. Mark is a very patient hitter (he walked an NL-record 162 times in 1998) who can drive the ball to all fields, although he hits most of his home runs to left. He has a huge strike zone, but will rarely chase bad pitches. A member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball team, Mark played college ball at the University of Southern California and made his major-league debut with the Oakland Athletics in 1986. The following year, he tied for the major league lead with 49 home runs and was named the American League's Rookie of the Year. In 1997, he was traded from Oakland to St. Louis, where he was reunited with Manager Tony La Russa, his former skipper with the A's. Mark is also a big man away from the field. Through the Mark McGwire Foundation for Children, he contributes $1 million annually to agencies that work with child abuse victims in St. Louis and Southern California. His fellow players recognized his off-the-field efforts by naming him Man of the Year at the 1997 Players' Choice Awards.
Andy McKee Trio A self-trained fingerstyle guitarist and composer, McKee posted homemade videos of his tunes on YouTube last year, a move that has launched a staggeringly successful career. Since then, he has had over 20 million hits on YouTube.com, a packed touring schedule that takes him around the world, and he's made 29,000 MySpace friends. Knocking the late, great Johnny Cash out of the top spot as the highest-rated music video on the site, McKee has appeared by invitation on "Last Call with Carson Daly," is in the Top 10 on the iTunes Folk page, and is currently featured on Josh Groban's new album, Noel, on the track "Little Drummer Boy."
Jon McLaughlin American heartland singer-songwriter and pianist, Jon McLaughlin, enters another leg of his nationwide tour in Columbia, SC at the University of South Carolina on November 1st. His upcoming first album for Island Records, INDIANA, is due out early next year. Jon has been quietly building a strong grass-roots following over the last two years, criss-crossing North America on tour legs with O.A.R., Live, Dave Barnes, Matt Wertz, and (most recently this past summer) Sister Hazel, Cowboy Mouth, Susan Tedeschi, and fellow Island artist Marc Broussard. In addition to venues of every size and description, Jon has appeared before tens of thousands at such major outdoor festivals as Feeling Better Than Everfine (Cleveland), Ann Arbor [Michigan] Summerfest, Waterfest (Oshkosh, WI), Milwaukee Summerfest, Music In The Zoo (Apple Valley, MN), Northwest State College Fest (Archbold, OH), and (two weeks ago) the prestigious Lollapalooza get-together at Grant Park in Chicago. INDIANA will pay tribute to Jon's hometown of Anderson, Indiana, in its title tune. Due early next year, the new album finds Jon writing with the Matrix, Jamie Houston, Grammy award winner Marcus Hummon, Matthew Gerard, and Kevin Griffin (from Better Than Ezra). The album was produced by Jamie Houston (credits: Santana, Jessica Simpson, Josh Kelley, Macy Gray, The Calling) and Greg Wells (Natasha Bedingfield, Veronicas, OTEP, Rufus Wainwright). The record was mixed by Chris Lord Alge. Soon after the album's release, Jon will make his silver screen debut in Enchanted, the new Disney animated-and-live comedy starring Idina Menzel, Patrick Dempsey and Amy Adams scheduled to open in the summer 2007. Jon will be singing (onscreen) a song written for the movie soundtrack by Ric Wake. A pianist and songwriter since childhood, influenced by Billy Joel, Elton John and Ben Folds, Jon's passion was sidelined when both wrists were shattered in an accident. He finally rediscovered his muse at the end of high school, and concentrated on honing his skills at Anderson University School of Music. His self-titled 10-song debut album was released in 2004, on the university's record label, Orangehaus – and Jon has been touring throughout the country ever since. Last year he released an 8-song EP titled Songs I Wrote and Later Recorded which has also sold well, holding the #1 spot on awarestore.com.
Rosalyn McMillan Best selling novelist of such books as Knowing, One Better; and Blue Collar Blues. Rosalyn McMillan has become one of our most popular authors chronicling the contemporary African American experience. Ebony magazine named Rosalyn McMillan as one of "The 55 Most Beautiful People of the Year 2000."
Terry McMillan Terry McMillan's first novel, Mama, was published in 1987 by Houghton Mifflin Company and in paperback by Washington Square Press. Mama received a national book award by the Before Columbus Foundation. Ms. McMillan received her B.A. in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley and attended the MFA film program at Columbia University. She has been awarded a 1988 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Doubleday/Columbia University Literary Fellowship. She has been a guest columnist for The New York Times's "Hers" column and has reviewed books for The New York Times Book Review, The Atlanta Constitution, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has been a three time Fellow at Yaddo Artist Colony and the MacDowell Colony.
Robert McNamara Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War and former president of the World Bank. Topic: A Vision of Global Security and The Role Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century.
James M. McPherson Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author of Battle Cry for Freedom.
Michel McQueen Martin ABC News Correspondent, Michel McQueen spent more than a decade covering national politics and policy for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal where she was White House correspondent. She has also been a regular panelist on the PBS program, "Washington Week in Review."
Russell Means Russell Means has been described as the most famous Indian since Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. Russell Means has staged several events designed to bring attention to the plight of the American Indians. He conducted a prayer vigil on Mount Rushmore and filed a $9,000,000 lawsuit against the Cleveland Indians baseball team alleg­ing that the team’s nickname defamed American Indians. Means’ most famous act of defiance occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota on February 27, 1973 where the takeover revisited the sight of the American Indian massacre at the hands of U.S. soldiers in 1890.
Michael Medved Well known film critic.
Ameena Meer Asian American journalist and author, Ameena Meer was managing editor of Bomb, an art and literary magazine and is a contributing journalist to the Times of India and India Magazine. She writes and speaks about South Asian women in the diaspora.
Ved Mehta Award winning Asian American author and journalist, Ved Mehta, despite his blindness, has written about India and other topics as both a staff member and contributor to The New Yorker for over 25 years.
Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Rabbi Israel Meir Lau was born in 1937 in Pyotrekov, Poland. A survivor of Buchenwald concentration camp, he lost both of his parents in the Holocaust. In 1946 he immigrated to Israel, where he lived with his uncle and studied at a state religious school in Kiryat Shmuel. He then studied at three yeshivas: Kol Torah in Jerusalem, Knesset Hizkiya in Zichron Ya’akov and Ponovitz in Bnei Brak. In 1971 he was ordained as a Rabbi and headed Or Torah congregation in Tel Aviv, in 1979 he was ordained Chief Rabbi of Netanya. In 1988 he was ordained Chief Rabbi and president of the Rabbinical Court of Tel Aviv-Yafo and in 1993 he was elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Rabbi lau’s publications include Yahadut-Halacha Le’maase (1975) on the practice of Judaism and Yachel Israel (1993), tow volumes on medicine, ethics and Jewish customs.
Carlos Mencia Carlos Mencia takes no prisoners. In his show, Mind of Mencia on Comedy Central, the critically-acclaimed comedian mercilessly skewers the current and the cultural, whether in the studio, in the audience, out on the street, or in commercial parodies. One of the most popular comedians in the country, Carlos has sold out live concerts at venues throughout. He has a no nonsense point of view and the ability to connect with a diverse audience by pointing out societys hypocrisies.
George Mendoza A man of courage and vision, George Mendoza seems invincible. Even though he lost his sight at the age of 15, he has gone on to become a world class runner, Olympic contender and a motivational speaker for the youth and disabled in America. Mr. Mendoza has written a novel, Cup of All Good Things which is the first book in his "The Spirit Man Trilogy and an autobiographical screenplay, "The George Mendoza Story," a one hour docu-drama which was aired on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS)and was hosted and narrated by Academy Awared winner, Robert Duvall. A biography, Running Toward the Light, Mr. Mendoza's life story, will soon be made into a major motion picture.
Jim Mendrinos Jim Mendrinos, a versatile comic and writer living in New York City, has been one of the most sought after comedy writers of his generation. He started writing and performing his stand-up at the age of 19, sharing the stage with future stars Chris Rock and Colin Quinn. Soon after he began touring across the country with Sam Kinison and Bill Hicks, all the while honing the comedic skills that audiences have come to love. As a performer Jim has appeared on Comedy Central, and is one of the most sought after club acts. He is a regular performer at Gotham Comedy Club, and has performed internationally. He has appeared on Comedy Central, HBO, NBC, and FOX. Jim is also one of the most sought after comedy writers, having contributed jokes to touring comedians such as Rodney Dangerfield and Joan Rivers. He has contributed jokes to many late night television shows; including SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE'S WEEKEND UPDATE featuring Colin Quinn. He was the sole writer for USA NETWORK PRESENTS: THE PROBLEM CHILD, Staring Gilbert Gottfried. Jim was also the first talent coordinator for Gotham Comedy Club, and is a respected industry expert who has lent his opinions and observations on comedy to publications such as The Daily News, Newsday, Daily Variety, Time Out New York, and the BBC. He is also a columnist for the industry publications "Two-Drink Minimum" and "Sheckey Magazine."
Gerald C. Meyers Business consultant, management expert and former chairman of American Motors.
Seth Meyers The New Hampshire-born Seth Meyers graduated from Northwestern University and soon joined the improv/sketch comedy group Boom Chicago, which performed in Chicago, London, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Singapore. Meyers also performed with Chicago's Improv Olympic, which has been used as a springboard by many other SNL cast members and writers. During a performance at the Chicago Improv Festival, he caught the eye of SNL producers and was soon hired as a featured player. In addition to contributing to numerous sketches, Meyers appears in the recurring "Jarrets Room" sketch as DJ Jonathan Feinstein as well as co-hosting the Irish talk show "Top O The Morning" as William Fitzpatrick, opposite Jimmy Fallon's Patrick Fitzwilliam. He has also contributed notable impressions of Hugh Grant, Russell Crowe, Tobey Maguire, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry and NBC News' Stone Phillips and Brian Williams.
Ben Mezrich Whether describing the thrills of insanely high stakes poker or exposing the seamy underbelly of boxing promotion, Ben Mezrich has established himself as the premiere chronicler of the lives of the young, the brilliant, the impossibly rich and the borderline crazy. On the lecture stage he brings to vivid life the clandestine worlds that have figured in his blockbuster books and made him one of the hottest commodities in publishing and entertainment today. Recently named People magazines Sexiest Author, Ben has penned ten books with a combined printing of more than one million copies in nine languages. They include the wildly popular bestsellers Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (currently the MGM feature film 21 starring Kevin Spacey); Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions; and Busting Vegas: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees. Ben also co-hosts GSNs World Series of Blackjack, contributes regularly to Stuff magazine, and advises casino owners on ways to avoid getting fleeced by the card sharks whose exploits he has made the stuff of legend. Ben Mezrich recently released his newest book Rigged- a startling rags-to-riches story of an Italian-American kid from the streets of Brooklyn who claws his way into the wild, frenetic world of the oil exchange. Rigged is the explicit, exclusive, true story behind the headlines that dominate the world stage.
Al Michaels ABC Sports commentator and play-by-play announcer for “Monday Night Football.”
Marilyn Michaels Popular comedian and impressionist.
Jillian Michaels Jillian Michaels makes a dramatic return to NBCs hit weightloss series The Biggest Loser this fall, reprising her role as trainer and life coach to the shows contestants. As a motivator and role model, Jillian has a unique connection with her audience that stems from her own personal journey for wellness. Jillian shared her teams losing secret in her debut fitness book, Winning By Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life, published by Harper Collins Press. The book presents Jillian s scientifically sound, refreshingly sensible and personalized way of approaching weight loss and maintenance. Winning By Losing is a three prong approach to total fitness that is based in solid psychological methods, proven scientific facts, and good old fashioned hard work. With the success of her first publication, Jillian has released her second book Making the Cut The 30 Day Diet and Fitness Plan for the Strongest, Sexiest You, published by Crown publishing. Released in April 2007, this book focuses on the most efficient and healthy way to lose weight within a 30 day time frame. In addition to her books, Jillian has also combined the best fitness training techniques with the most successful tips on nutrition to maximize home workout routines. Jillians boundless energy and devotion to helping others enables her to be a life coach to those she trains. By imparting her unique and inspiring philosophy to her clients, stressing the integration of fitness, nutrition, and behavioral changes, Jillian empowers each one
Ernest Michel A Holocaust survivor, Ernest Michel served as chairman of the first World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Israel, was chairman of the first Auschwitz Memorial Dinner held in the United States, is the co-chairman of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Preservation Committee and co-chairman of the New York Holocaust Museum. He was honored with an invitation from President Carter to attend the historic signing of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty and the State Dinner at the White House. The head of the UJA-Federation for twenty years, Ernest Michel has been involved in most of the major events in Jewish history since the end of World War II.
Kate Michelman Leading voice of the pro-choice movement and President of the National Abortion Rights Action League.
Raul Midon Raul Midon brings a vibrant sound steeped in classic soul to the pop arena, because pop is where a singer and a song can have the biggest and most widespread impact. When an envelope-pushing song becomes a pop hit, it shifts the entire musical landscape, forcing out the shopworn and clich?d while opening the windows of change to let in fresh ideas. The notion of shifting the landscape is this artist's passion; the wide-ranging skill sets he brings to bear on his mission provide him with the tools to pull it off. The New Mexico-born, New York-based writer/vocalist/guitarist burst onto the scene in 2005 with his audaciously original debut album, State of Mind, and he's followed it up with an even more memorable song cycle, one that substantiates the depth of his talent and the degree of his dedication. A World Within a World, the title of the new album (Manhattan Records, Sept. 25), might refer to the status of pop music within the culture as a whole; it could also describe the expansive interior realm that this single-minded artist, blind from birth, has created with his imagination.Midon is bringing currency to a rich tradition of pop inventiveness, combining the beguiling soulfulness of Stevie Wonder, the inventive appropriation of non-indigenous musical elements pioneered by Paul Simon and the trend-defying individuality of Bill Withers. "These are mainstream artists who were on the charts and making art," Midon notes. "There isn't that much originality in pop these days, because everybody is trying to sound like what they think might fit into the narrow formats on radio. But the best pop is as important as much as any music. I mean, I love Paul Simon or James Taylor or Prince as much as I love Miles." With A World Within a World, Midon aims to do his part to replant the pop wilderness. In the pop field, says Midon, with what turns out to be characteristic outspokenness, "You have to think about your audience, and at the same time make music that's interesting to you as an artist. If something you hate becomes successful, you still have to play it every night, and that's no way to live. Because my first record was successful enough to satisfy the label, and because of the quality of the people I'm working with, we made the second album exactly the way we wanted to make it, which is pretty extraordinary in this day and age. There was no interference, no 'Where's the single?' We didn't go through any of that."
Barbara Mikulski Democratic United States Senator from Maryland.
Alyssa Milano Actress Alyssa Milano has spent almost her entire life in the public eye. A famous child actor, Alyssa has continued to work throughout her adulthood in both television and film. However, her latest role is outside the world of Hollywood, as a philanthropist. Because of all her charitable work on behalf of children, Alyssa was invited by UNICEF in 2003 to become a national ambassador. Her first trip with the 58 year old organization was to Angola, Africa May 2004 to see first hand the issues plaguing the newly liberated country. Alyssa launched UNICEFs pivotal Trick or Treat campaign in the fall of 2004 as an official spokesperson. In June of 2005 Alyssa traveled with UNICEF to India during the 6th month anniversary of the tsunami disaster. She visited the worst affected tsunami zones in South India to witness the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Alyssas trip also focused on educating & spreading awareness about HIV-AIDS, as India has the second highest infection rate in the world. Alyssa plans to work with UNICEF on numerous projects in the future, with all proceeds returning to the organization. International relief work is not new to the actress. In August of 2002, Alyssa hosted a photography exhibition and auction in Los Angeles to raise money for charitable efforts in South Africa. An avid photographer, Alyssa displayed her own work, as well as that of school children from L.A.s Venice Arts program. The event raised close to $50,000 for Nkosis Haven, an organization that runs care centers in South Africa for AIDS afflicted mothers and children. For her efforts, Alyssa was honored with a humanitarian award from Sri Chinmoy: The Peace Meditation at the United Nations. It was this work that got the attention of UNICEF executives. Most recently The John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint JohnsHospital and HealthCenter and the Associates of Breast & Prostrate Cancer Studies presented Alyssa with the 2004 Spirit of Hollywood Award which honors individuals from the entertainment industry for their personal dedication and commitment to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Alyssa also attended the 2004 Democratic National Convention on behalf of the Creative Coalition and is an avid supporter of MTVs Rock the Vote campaign. Alyssa Milano starred opposite Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan as a trio of modern day demon hunters on the WBs Charmed. The series debut was the highest-rated premiere in the networks history, and was a great success for Spelling and the WB. The shows international appeal brought it to more than 100 territories around the world, spanning Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. Alyssa has graced the covers of hundreds of magazines, appearing repeatedly on the covers of FHM, Maxim Magazine, Stuff, Cosmopolitan, and TV Guide. Stuff magazine voted her Americas No. 1 sweetheart and more recently named her the fifth most beautiful woman in the world.
Cheryl Miller All American collegeiate basketball superster, basketball analyst for TNT and NBC television during the Olympics and former head basketball coach of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
Aaron David Miller Aaron David Miller left his State Department post as a top Middle East peace negotiator and adviser to six secretaries of state to take the helm at seeds of Peace, a nonprofit that brings together teenagers whose societies are in conflict. Seeds attempts, over the course of a summer at an unusual camp in Maine ana through follow-up programming in conflict regions, to transform them into eventual leaders capable of seeking reconciliation. Since 1993, seeds of Peace has developed a network of nearly 3,000 potential leaders from 25 nations. The Arab-Israeli conflict can be resolved. What led me to resign from the State Department was my conviction that it has become a generational conflict. We are in great danger of losing an entire generation of young Arabs, Israelis, and Palestinians to a kind of hopelessness and despair that has characterized the situation over the last four years.
Rachel Miller Miller was born in France, the youngest of four children. Her parents and siblings had moved from Poland in 1932 because of anti Semitism and fears of being conscripted into the Polish army. The family left behind a large house and servants in Warsaw and went to live in a two-room apartment without running water. Also, her mother's discovery that she was having Miller came as a surprise. Every Saturday night both sides of the family got together for dessert and cards. Her mother was from a family of 13 and her family was from a family of eight. There had already been family members living in Paris. There were lots of cousins, family and friends and lots of singing recalled Miller. "I was very happy," Miller said. "We didn't have cars or phones because we were too poor. But I didn't know I was poor. It was just wonderful, just great." Things began to change in 1939. Miller remembers her father sitting by a window and saying "it's the beginning of doom." She also recalls her excitement as a child hearing about a parade coming to town. She wiggled through the crowds to get a closer look. "I saw the uniforms, the soldiers on horses, the tanks and became terrified," Miller said. "I told my family I was scared. Basically France had told the Germans they were welcome and to come on into the country." Things continued to look the same for a while including the Saturday evening gatherings. In August 1941 the family heard a lot of commotion outside. A neighbor in another part of their apartment complex came to warn them the SS and French Police were there to pick up the Jews. He offered to hide and protect them at his apartment. When Miller's father was crossing the courtyard another neighbor saw him and denounced him to the Germans. He was picked up immediately. Meanwhile the French Police had started looking in the apartments. Millers mother had her sons hide under the bed behind the bathtub which was stored there. Miller is sure they were seen. "We are sure when the inspector looked under the bed, he saw my brothers, but chose not to 'see' them," Miller said. All the men were taken that day, said Miller, including her father, his brother Leon, his brother-in-law Salomon and her mother's brothers Jules and Avrom. In the beginning the family was able to receive letters from the men and send them packages. Then Leon and Avrom were deported to Auschwitz. Miller's father and uncle became very ill and both were taken to Tenon Hospital, where they had major surgery and did very well. Their families could see them three times a week and everyone took turns, Miller said. The German occupiers had issued many decrees that were bad for all Jews, but worse for non-French Jews. One of the new decrees said only French Jews could remain in the hospital. Miller's father was taken in an open wagon in the bitter cold to another hospital. "Then on Dec. 30, 1941, my father told my mother he had been injected with something at 10 a.m.," Miller said. "He died at 2 p.m. in my mother's arms. On that same day, at the hospital where my uncle was, he told my aunt he had been injected with something at 10 a.m. and he died that day. It was not unusual for the Germans to experiment on people." A burial was provided by the Jewish Forward since the family did not have any money. Miller's mother did not allow the children to go to the funeral. Of course life was never the same, said Miller. She was never sure how her mother managed after that tragedy. She does not ever remember being hungry or without clothes. There was a lot of sadness at home and they weren't singing anymore. One day Miller's mother told her she was sending her to the country for the summer. She told Miller her best friend Cecile and sister Sabine would be going with her. Miller didn't think anything unusual about it since it wasn't an uncommon occurrence to send city children to the country for the summer.
Peg Millett Outspoken environmentalist, feminist and singer/activist.
Cheryl Mills An attorney and deputy White House Counsel during the Clinton administration, Cheryl Mills made international headlines with her powerful and impassioned defense of former President Bill Clinton during the Senate impeachment trial.
Billy Mills In 1964, on a arm summer night in Tokyo, Japan American Billy Mills shone brighter than any star in the Oriental sky. Unheralded, unappreciated, virtually unknown to the world, Billy Mills scored one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history, winning the 10,000 meter run with a stunning come-from-behind finish that left the world's best runners in his wake, and the rest of the world in disbelief. In the 100 years of the Games, Mills is the only American ever to win this event. Mills, a Lakota (Sioux) Indian born on the reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, learned early that life doesn't always come easy. It was exactly this harsh realization that brought him to the pinnacle of the athletic world. Mills fought prejudice, jealousy, and scorn to become one of America's best distance runners of his day. Through high school, the University of Kansas, and the Marine Corps, he was often the target of envy and contempt. His ancestry was ridiculed, his integrity questioned, and his talents ignored. But while his detractors made every attempt to strip Billy Mills of his dignity, they could never extinguish the fiery determination in his soul.
Delisha Milton One of professional basketball's top women players, Delisha Milton is a star guard with the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. A member of the gold medal winning 1998 U.S. World Championship team, Delisha ranked first in the world tournament in field-goal percentage, and was a member of the gold medal winning United States Olympic team in Australia. During her college basketball career she won the Wade Trophy presented to the top collegiate guard in the country and was named Associated Press first-team All American.
Richard Miniter Richard Miniter is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Losing bin Laden and Shadow War, and is an internationally recognized expert on terrorism. He has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The Christian Science Monitor, as well as leading magazines including The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic and Reader's Digest. His published work has been featured in policy and political magazines including The American Enterprise, National Review, Reason, and Policy Review, among others. In addition, his articles have appeared in newspapers throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. After graduating from Vassar College in 1990, Miniter worked for the American Spectator, became a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and was a senior writer at Insight, a magazine published by the Washington Times. Miniter made two forays into public broadcasting. He was associate producer of the PBS series Technopolitics, a weekly program covering the politics of science, technology and the environment from 1991 to 1993. In June 1996, he was executive producer of Enterprising Women, a national weekly public radio series devoted to women executives and entrepreneurs. The series, distributed by the National Public Radio Satellite System, was hailed as "inspirational" by CNN and described as "the radio equivalent of the female Forbes magazine" by the New York Post. It was hosted by Christy Brown. Despite a loyal audience estimated at five million and carriage in eight of the top ten markets, the series ended in June 1997 due to sponsorship difficulties. From 1996 to 2000, Miniter reported for newspapers and magazines on assignment from Western Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, Southern Africa and Southeast Asia. He traveled with rebels into war zones in Uganda, Sudan and Burma and along smugglers' routes in Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. Hired by renowned Wall Street Journal editor Robert Bartley in 2000, Miniter was sent to Brussels as an editorial page writer at The Wall Street Journal Europe and editor of its weekly "Business Europe" column. He also wrote a weekly column, "The Visible Hand," for The Wall Street Journal's OpinionJournal.com. This column was cited by Forbes, Slate, and others. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Miniter left the Journal to join the investigative reporting team of the Sunday Times (of London), Britain's largest quality paper. Miniter co-wrote a four-part series, "The Road to Ground Zero." The series won first prize by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Miniter's latest book is entitled Disinformation: 22 Media Myths That Undermine the War on Terror. Based on exclusive interviews and official documents, the book challenges many widely-held notions: that Bin Laden was trained or financed by the CIA in the 1980s, that Halliburton profiteered in Iraq, that profiling Arabs at airports would stop terrorism, and that the U.S.-Mexico border is an open door for Al Qaeda.
Newton Minow Former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and television critic.
Andrea Mitchell Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for NBC News. Andrea reports on evolving foreign policy issues in the United States and abroad for all NBC News broadcasts, including "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw," "Today & for MSNBC
George Mitchell Mitchell, a Maine native and graduate of Bowdoin College, served in the U.S. Senate from 1980-95, including the last six years as Majority Leader. He was appointed to complete the un-expired term of Edmund Muskie, who resigned to become Secretary of State, and was elected to full terms in 1982 and 1988. While in the Senate, Mitchell led the Senate to passage of the nation's first childcare bill and was principal author of the low-income housing tax credit program. He was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and a higher education bill, and he led the Senate to ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and creation of the World Trade Organization. He served on the Senate's Finance, Veterans Affairs and Environment and Public Works Committees. Mitchell served as chairman of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, and under his leadership, the governments of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the political parties of Northern Ireland agreed upon an historic accord ending decades of conflict. In May 1998, the voters of Ireland, North and South, in a referendum, overwhelmingly endorsed the agreement. For his service in Northern Ireland, Mitchell received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor that the U.S. Government can give, the Philadelphia Liberty Medal, the Truman Institute Peace Prize, the German Peace Prize and the United Nations Peace Prize. At the request of the governments of the United States and Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Mitchell served as chairman of an international fact finding committee on violence in the Middle East. Following graduation from Bowdoin in 1954, he served in Berlin, Germany, as an officer in the U.S. Army Counter-Intelligence Corps until 1956. He received an LLB degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1960. From 1960-62 he was a trial lawyer in the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. From 1962-65 he served as executive assistant to Sen. Muskie. In 1965 he returned to Maine where he engaged in the private practice of law in Portland until 1977. He was then appointed U.S. District Attorney for Maine, a position he held until 1979, when he was appointed U.S. District Judge for Maine. Mitchell is the author of four books. With his colleague, Sen. Bill Cohen of Maine, he wrote Men of Zeal, describing the Iran-Contra investigation. In 1990, he wrote World on Fire, describing the threat of the greenhouse effect and recommending steps to curb it. His next book was Not For America Alone: The Triumph of Democracy and The Fall of Communism. In 1999, Mitchell wrote Making Peace, an account of his experience in Northern Ireland.
Finesse Mitchell In 2003 Finesse Mitchell was asked to be a feature player on NBCs Saturday Night Live. In 2005 he was promoted to cast member. And long before Finesse became a cast member on SNL, he made quite an impact in the world of stand-up comedy. His witty sense of humor, Southern charm and stage presence makes him one of the brightest young stars on the comedy horizon. Finesse was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia and is a graduate of the University of Miami. As a former student-athlete who was a walk-on for the University of Miami football team, Finesse played two years with other Hurricane Alumni like Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Warren Sapp. Finesse is also a distinguished member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated and admits playing football and performing in college step shows helped foster his ability to feel comfortable performing in the spotlight. Finesse made his first television appearance on B.E.T.s Comic View in 1999 where he instantly became a favorite among the show's loyal followers. Shortly after Comic View Finesse moved to both Los Angeles and New York City where he had several appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn and two on The Late Show with Conan O'Brien. This sparked high demands from universities, corporate events, and concert promoters all over the U.S. and internationally. And just when things were getting better and better, Finesse was offered his very own Comedy Central Half Hour Special and is now headlining the best comedy clubs on the circuit. With the help of Quincy Joness son, QD3, Finesse has made his stand-up comedy available in DVD form entitled,SNAP FAMOUS, which is currently in stores now and available online on Amazon.com, FinesseMitchell.com, and Fye.com. Finesse is also a talented writer and offers incredible and honest relationship advice in Essence magazine which serves over 1 million subscribers. Along with his column, Finesse has just completed his first book entitled, YOUR GIRLFRIENDS ONLY KNOW SO MUCH, (Simon Spotlight) giving dating advice to African-American women. "Whats new with me since my days at SNL? Hmmm... well I just finished my third movie called MAD MONEY starring Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes and Diane Keaton due out in 2008. Yep... I blessed the three Divas with a small cameo in their film since I had a tiny break in the schedule. And, they actually begged me to do more than what I did but it just wasn't in the budget... or the script. Ha Ha! AND I have two more gut bustin comedies coming to the silver screen: Whos Your Caddy - July 07, starring Big Boi (from Outkast, Wad-up ATL!) and The Comebacks, hitting theaters November 07! God is good."
Mike Mizanin Mike Mizanin also known as The Miz from Real World New York.The Miz was known as the likable wrestler alter ego of Mike Mizanin in Real World Back to New York. Real World Back to New York was season 10 airing on MTV in 2001. Mike The Miz would be great for speaking on sensitivity / wrestling / charities / relationships at college lectures. Mike has very limited time for Real World appearances as he focuses on his WWE career. Mike Mizanin is a veterean of the Real World Road Rules challeneges and won The Inferno 2 as a member of the Good Guys team. The Miz has been on the Battle of the Seasons in 1998, the Gauntlet in 2003, The Inferno and Battle of the Sexes 2 in 2004. The Miz also appeared on the Battle of the Network Reality Stars on Bravo in 2005. He then won a reality star competition with Trishelle Cannatella on an episode of Fear Factor.
Jay Mohr Jay Mohr is a quadruple threat. Film, television, radio and stand-up are all among the treasures in the bag of tricks he's been working on throughout the 15-year career he began as a teenager. He has worked with superstars, matching wits and chops with Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, Al Pacino in "Simone," Eddie Murphy in Pluto Nash, and Bill Murray in Speaking of Sex.
Walter Mondale Distinguished statesman, Ambassador to Japan, Senator, presidential candidate and former Vice President of the United States.
Earl Monroe One of basketball's greatest players and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Now, a businessman, entrepreneur, and basketball broadcaster, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is the founder and president of the successful entertainment record company, Pretty Pearl, Inc. and the Pretty Pearl record label.
Renee Montagne Renee Montagne is a familiar voice on National Public Radio (NPR), having hosted both All Things Considered and Morning Edition . She is now a correspondent and substitute host of ANTHEM, a two hour weekly celebration of American life and popular culture.
Montana Logging & Ballet Co. A musical political satire troupe.
Parisa Montazaran Parisa from The Real World Sydney is an Iranian American. She graduated from NYU majoring in international relations, middle eastern studies, and economics in December 2006 just before leaving to Sydney, Australia. It was while at NYU in a sorority event her junior year where casting directors from Bunim-Murray Productions were holding a private casting call that she was chosen from an individual interview. Parisa has as main passion in life is to sing but she keeps her focus toward a career in US-Iranian diplomacy as she plans to pursue post-graduate studies in international law, focusing on human rights and cross-cultural exchange between US and the Middle East. Parisa of Real World Sydney can perform by MCing or singing at events and functions as well perform university lectures on diversity, Muslim youth in America, immigration, cross-cultural and inter-faith understanding, female/minority empowerment, overcoming adversity, time management, as well leadership practices.
Martha Montoya Martha Montoya is the Founder and President of Los Kitos and a Board Member of the Latino Business Association. Montoya built Los Kitos Entertainment LLC, which focuses on syndication of the Los Kitos bilingual cartoon strip to over 300 Spanish language newspapers in the U.S., the licensing of the characters to over 25 licensees, and LKELLC, which offers U.S. Hispanic market entry services to a variety of organizations. The Los Kitos cartoon strip can be read daily in newspapers worldwide, on the Internet, and heard in America and abroad through a weekly radio broadcast. Montoya has received many honors, including the Film Advisory Board Cartoonist of the Year Award, the National Hispanic Publications Cartoonist Award, Latin Business Association Latina Entrepreneur of the Year, Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year for 2002 by California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Hispanic Business 2002, and Hispanic Magazine 2003 honoring her as one of the 100 most influential people in the U.S. market. Montoya earned her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of La Salle, Bogota, Colombia.
William Least Heat Moon Best-selling author of Blue Highways.
Warren Moon One of the greatest players in professional football history, Warren Moon ranks among the top all-time in nearly every offensive statistical category for quarterbacks. Not including his first six seasons spent playing professionally in Canada, Moon passed for nearly 50,000 yards in 17 NFL seasons including nine Pro Bowl appearances and induction into the NFL Hall of Fame. Among his many accomplishments, Warren is most proud of being honored as NFL Man of the Year for his charitable work with the Crescent Moon Foundation. In addition to superior athleticism, Moon’s intelligence and creativity played an enormous role in his success both on and off the field. His combination of experience, and charisma allowed him to transition from being a player to successful businessman and broadcaster, as well as a mentor to young athletes. Off the field, embraced by each city in which he played, Warren helped a large list of charitable organizations, including the United Negro College Fund, the Ronald McDonald House, the Special Olympics, the March of Dimes, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the American Heart Association, and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Moon also created the Crescent Moon Foundation in 1989, which helped those in need in the city of Houston, and provided college scholarships to those who couldn't afford tuition. In addition to his role as a broadcaster, Warren speaks across the country to corporations, non-profits and schools. As a speaker, Warren is entertaining and engaging as he weaves in personal stories and anecdotes gleaned over his remarakable career. He talks about the perserverance it took to succeed in a hostile environment and the relationships that propelled him through the toughest times. Warren shares with audiences his views on the importance of strong mentors and the accountability that each of us has to those we touch in life. Personal Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 Currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks Featured on Fox Sports Ultimate Fantasy Football 1989, Named NFL Man of the Year for his charitable work with the Crescent Moon Foundation In the NFL Record Book InFL Record Book All-time NFL rankings at the time of his retirement in 2000:
Melba Moore Award winning singer, actress and philanthropist, Melba Moore's enduring talent has earned her a rewarding career in theater, television, music and film. She started the Melba Moore Foundation for children because she is devoted to the prevention of child abuse, neglect and illiteracy. Ms. Moore is a positive role model for all people and is a firm believer that through faith all things are possible. Her dynamic lecture is entitled, "Great Inspirations." Tony Award-winning singer and actress Melba Moore returns to her roots with this biographical and beautifully moving one woman, two act musical. Moore captivates the audience with her singing and stories of her life in this poignant and thrilling show.
Thomas Moore Theologian and best-selling author of such books as Care of the Soul; and Soul Mates.
Shemar Moore Two time emmy nominee who is the star of the #1 rated daytime drama, "The Young and The Restless." He has also guest starred in such television series as "Chicago Hope" and "The Nanny."
Michael Moore Michael Moore, director of the controversial films "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" and New York Times best-selling author of "Dude, Where's My Country?"
Leonard Moore Moore has become and outspoken critic of the response to the storm and the slow rebuilding of New Orleans. Moore recently received the prestigious Whitney M. Young Leadership Award at the Urban Leadership Development Conference this year in Atlanta. During his keynote address Moore addressed the “unhealthy balance of putting athletics over academics” in the African-American community. Moore has worked extensively with African-American student athletes at LSU. The Whitney M. Young Center for Urban Leadership is a nonprofit educational institute of the National Urban League. Moore is a frequent commentator and contributor to national and international media outlets, including the Associated Press, “Christian Science Monitor,” “The Chronicle of Higher Education,” National Public Radio, British Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and “TIME” magazine. In addition, Moore has made several guest appearances on nationally televised programs such as ESPN’s Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith and 60 Minutes to discuss his upcoming book “An Oreo in Chocolate City,” which focuses on the aftermath of Katrina and Nagin.
Charles A. Moose Montgomery County Police Chief who gained celebrity status after leading one of the nation's most intense criminal investigations, culminating in the capture of the Beltway Snipers. The alleged perpretators terrorized the country after murdering ten people in Maryland and Virginia in October of 2002. Recipient of a Ph.D in urban studies, Charles Moose was police chief of Portland, Oregon before becoming police chief of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Antonio Mora News anchor on ABC's "Good Morning America" from 1999 to 2002.
Cherrie Moraga Noted Hispanic novelist, poet and playwright.
Rita Moreno Legendary Hispanic Broadway star, actress and entertainer, Rita Moreno delivers a motivational and inspiring lecture.
Frank Morgan Renowned alto saxophonist, Frank Morgan, performs jazz and old standards for an unforgettable concert.
Tracy Morgan Tracy Morgan segued from the completion of his seventh year as a cast member on NBCs Saturday Night Live to primetime as star of his short-lived series, The Tracy Morgan Show. Even after seven amazing years in late night, theres nothing like getting a shot at primetime. On SNL, Morgan most recently popularized two memorable characters Safari Planet host Brian Fellow and the space adventurer Astronaut Jones. Other popular characters include Woodrow, the homeless romantic, and the longtime favorite, Dominican Lou. His impressions include Mike Tyson, The Views Star Jones, Della Reese, Busta Rhymes, Maya Angelou and Samuel L. Jackson. He has also made numerous comedic appearances as himself, both on Weekend Update and in backstage sketches where he grills the guest host with inappropriate questions. Born and raised in New York City, Morgan is a standup comedian, actor and sketch-comedy player, who continually works the national standup comedy circuit while appearing on television and in feature films. After appearing on Def Comedy Jam, he first became well known appearing on Martin as the recurring character, Hustleman. Morgan debuted an hour-long standup special on Comedy Central in August 2002 and contributed a voice to Comedy Centrals Crank Yankers. He also hosted the channels standup showcase, Comic Groove, and in 2002 was named the It Ready for Prime Time Playa by Entertainment Weeklys It List. Morgan recently appeared in a featured role in the film Head of Statedirected by and starring SNL alum Chris Rock. Other movie credits include A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, Half Baked, the independent feature 30 Years to Life, How High and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Joan Morgan Joan Morgan is an award-winning journalist and author and a provocative cultural critic.Journalist and executive editor for Essence magazine A self-confessed hip-hop junkie, she began her professional writing career freelancing for The Village Voice before having her work published by Vibe, Madison, Interview, MS, More, Spin, and numerous others. Formerly the Executive Editor of Essence, she is the author of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, a fresh, witty, and irreverent novel that marks the literary debut of one of the most original, perceptive, and engaging young social commentators in America today. Her work appears in numerous college texts, as well as books on feminism, music and African-American culture.
Marc Morial Marc H. Morial President and CEO of the National Urban League, succeeding Hugh B. Price, after being selected to by the Board of Trustees on May 15, 2003. Mr. Morial is a respected expert on national policy and its impact on cities, including the arts, transporation and infrastructure, the environment, crime prevention, housing, jobs, and recreation. Prior to being selected to lead the venerable organization, he practiced law with Adams and Reese LLP, the Gulf South's leading law firm based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Mr. Morial also served two distinguished 4-year terms as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994-2002. During that time, he also served as President of the United States Conference of Mayors in 2001 and 2002. As New Orleans chief executive, he was one of the most popular and effective Mayors in the City's history, leaving office with a 70% approval rating. After being elected as one of the youngest mayors in the city's history, crime plummeted by 60%, a corrupt Police Department was reformed, new programs for youth were started, and a stagnant economy was re-energized.Under his watch, 7,000 new hotel rooms were added, and 15,000 new homeowners resulted from his progressive and innovative programs. In his final months in office, he orchestrated the return of the NBA to New Orleans, with the relocation of the Hornets from Charlotte to New Orleans.In addition, the Morial Convention Center was expanded to one of the largest in America, a downtown Sports Arena was built, and over 200 miles of streets were reconstructed, or resurfaced through Morial's far reaching "Rebuild New Orleans Now!" Bond issues which provided funding for nearly $400 million in City, School Board and Criminal Justice System infrastructure improvements. Many of these infrastructure improvements will be completed long after the end of his term, a testament to his long -range planning and management abilities.
Pat Morita Popular Asian-American actor, comedian and entertainer who is best known as Miyagi in "The Karate Kid" for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Peter Morley Filmmaker, Peter Morley is widely acknowledged as one of the leading television producer/directors in the United Kingdom. Among a host of national and international awards his work has attracted, a special mention should be made of Kitty -Return to Auschwitz, winner of five international awards, including the Clarion Award for the Best U.S. Network Program after its prime-time airing on ABC TV. This classic film is now considered to have made a major and permanent contribution to the awareness of the horrors of the Nazi regime in World War II. It has been shown on television in almost every country around the world.
Eugene Morris Former All-pro running back for the Miami Dolphins, "Mercury" Morris made national headlines when he was convicted of cocaine dealing, (that decision was subsequently overturned). A spokesperson in the fight against drugs, he is an eloquent, motivational and charismatic speaker who touches the audience with his humanity, his struggle and his success in overcoming the odds.
Toni Morrison Morrison is one of the most prominent authors in world literature. Her eight major novels (The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Beloved, Jazz, Paradise and Love) have received extensive critical acclaim. She won the National Book Critics Award in 1978 for Song of Solomon and the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for Beloved. In 1993, Morrison was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Since 1989, Morrison has been Robert F. Goheen Professor in the Council of the Humanities at Princeton University. She holds degrees from Howard University and Cornell University, and has also taught at Yale University, Bard College and Rutgers University. Morrison has been awarded honorary degrees from numerous institutions, including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oberlin College and Columbia University. Morrison, who was a senior editor at Random House for twenty years, co-authored the children's books Who's Got Game? The Lion or the Mouse?, Who's Got Game? The Ant or the Grasshopper?, The Book of Mean People and The Big Box. Her books of essays include Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination; the edited collection Race-ing Justice, En-Gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas, and the construction of Social Reality; and the co-edited collection Birth of a Nation'hood: Gaze, Script, and Spectacle in the O.J. Simpson Case. Additional awards she has received include the 2000 National Humanities Medal; the 2000 Library of Congress Bicentennial Living Legend award; the 1996 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters; the 1994 Condorcet Medal, Paris; the 1989 Modern Language Association of America Commonwealth Award in Literature; the 1988 Anisfield Wolf Book Award in Race Relations; and the 1978 Distinguished Writer Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Morrison is a founding member of the Academie Universelle Des Culture, a trustee of the New York Public Library, a member of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She served on the National Council of the Arts for six years, and is a member of the Africa Watch and Helsinki Watch Committees on Human Rights.
Charles Moskos One of the nation's foremost authorities on race relations both in the armed forces and in American society, Charles Moskos offers a blueprint for organizations to provide opportunities for all and to improve race relations at the same time. He is the co-author of All That We Can Be: Black Leadership and Racial Integration The Army Way. A professor of sociology at Northwestern University, Professor Moskos is chairman of the Inter-University Seminar on the Armed Forces and Society.
Preacher Moss Preacher Moss is clearly the new prototype for the comedian of these times and the times to come. A writer for "The Damon Wayans Show" and "Saturday Night Live," his comedy stylings are distinguished for being sculptured out of the everyday relevance of life and the rare glimpses of truth we value as reality. He is intellectual, yet humble. He is charismatic and dynamic, but does not have to demand great attention or time because his audiences come to cooperatively listen, laugh and in "special" moments, reflect. Truly this is a rare combination. He is more than a comedian, priding himself on being just a man. Viewed, respected and revered as a man of the people, his words carry life and just as importantly, they carry laughter. Armed with sincerity, intellect and rare comedic ability, Preacher Moss is the "End of Racism" Comedy and Lecture Tour. "Speaking on Truth," Moss has been playing to the hearts and minds of college students and administrators all over the country. With his insight on "racial understanding vs. racial interaction" he has quickly become the funniest social commentator on the college scene today.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Rosabeth Moss Kanter is the Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. A consultant to businesses and goverments worldwide, she is the author of World Class: Thriving Locally in the Global Economy; Rosabeth Moss Kanter on the Frontiers of Management; When Giants Learn To Dance; The Change Master; and many other books.
Rachel Moyal Rachel Moyal from MTV Real World Austin was a veteran of the second Iraq war as she was deployed from March 2003 to 2004. She decided on being a nurse after a rough childhood as her parents refused to pay for college she decided to join the Army to accomplish this dream. Being deployed in Iraq she encountered life threatening situations and had to develop stress management skills which can be applied to everyday life. Rachel will be on the upcoming Inferno 3 Real World Road Rules Challenge in South Africa.
Bill Moyers Television journalist and social commentator. During his 25 years in broadcasting, Bill Moyers has pursued a broad spectrum of journalism for which he has received many major awards including over 30 Emmys; the Erik Barnouw Award from the Organization of American Historians; the George Foster Peabody Award for political reporting and international coverage; and the prestigious Gold Baton, which is the highest honor of the Alfred I. duPont/Columbia University Award.
Tim Watters Mr. President Uncanny Impersonator of President Bill Clinton Tim Watters' likeness to Bill Clinton has garnered national recognition on such shows as The Tonight Show, Entertainment Tonight, CBS Morning News, CNN, Larry King Live and Dateline NBC. He has also been a celebrity guest on television shows from Japan to Germany, and he has even learned to play the saxophone. A former real estate agent from Florida, Watters recalls, "Not a day would go by when someone wouldn't come up to me and ask if I'm Bill Clinton, or tell me how much I look like the President." He found all this amusing, considering that it all started as a big joke around the office about the time of the presidential election. "Every day, when I would return to my office, there would be another picture of Bill Clinton, on my desk ... so I decided not to let the opportunity pass me by." Watters now pursues the role of Bill Clinton on a full time basis for television, film and special events. To prepare, he wets his hair, applies a gray mousse, and then blows it dry using white hair spray for highlights. The final look is extremely believable, but it doesn't stop there. He is accompanied by an entourage of mock-Secret Service agents-complete with earpieces and sunglasses-and occasionally has a limousine decked out with American flags - with the stereo blasting Hail to the Chief!
Jason Mraz Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz hails from Mechanicsville, VA, where he grew up as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band and local roots musicians the Agents of Good Roots. But it was Mraz's interest and participation in musical theater that was his first introduction to music. Mraz moved to New York following high school to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy but dropped out a year later when he took up the guitar and began to focus on songwriting. Nonetheless, Mraz's training as a vocalist would show itself on his debut album which is marked by the pure clarity and range of his vocals. After busking around New York, Mraz eventually returned to Virginia; but, in 1999, he ultimately made his way West, settling in San Diego, CA, known for its coffeehouse scene and support of singer/songwriters, most notably Jewel. Mraz began playing local shops and landed a weekly slot at local hot-spot Java Joe's. At the same time, Mraz met drummer Toca Rivera and the two began performing together -- Mraz on acoustic guitar, Rivera on djembe -- honing a live show that featured as much comedic banter between the two as music.
BODY IMAGES MTV's Amaya and Veronica Discuss Eating Disorders & Self-Esteem MTV's Real World: Hawaii and Road Rules: Semester at Sea cast members team up to offer a frank and open interactive program on eating disorders and self-esteem... It seems that every year an increased emphasis is placed on weight and looks. As a result, girls of all ages struggle to live up to unrealistic physical expectations. This has led to problems such as eating disorders, depression, and lack of confidence. During college, young women are dealing with a new set of pressures and, oftentimes, get lost along the way and become afraid to ask for help. After sharing personal stories of their own battles with anorexia and bulimia, Amaya and Veronica explore the types and roots of eating disorders through a multi-media presentation. They take a hard look at societal influences on body image as well as how the media tends to falsely represent the true body of a woman. The lecture closes with positive, esteem-building tips and a question and answer session.
Minister Ava Muhammad Minister for the Nation of Islam, criminal lawyer and author of such books as Queen of the Planet Earth; The Rebirth; and Rise of the Original Woman.
John Mulaney John Mulaney grew up in Chicago and began performing at age seven with a children's sketch group called The Rugrats. Most agree that John should have been born 100 years ago as his love of history and old-timey jargon comes through in his improv, stand-up and films. He co-wrote the ECNY award winning short-film Cavalcade of Personalities, which appeared on Comedy Central's Jump Cuts. He is the co-creator of I Love the 30s, now playing on Comedy video. As a stand-up John performs throughout New York City and the U.S., sharing with audiences his dislike of the Liberty Bell and his confusion over "Goths" wherever he goes. In the spring of 2006 John Joined Mike Birbiglia's Medium Man on Campus College Tour, sure to be a hit among liberal arts majors across the country.
Carlos Munoz, Jr. Distinguished Mexican American scholar, Dr. Carlos Munoz is an advocate of cultural diversity in education and society at large. He is the founder of the first Mexican American/Chicano Studies Department in the United States and is a pioneer in the field of ethnic studies. His best-selling book, Youth, Identity, Power: The Chicano Movement, was the basis for the PBS documentary film series on the Mexican American Civil Rights movement.
Randall Munroe Randall Munroe is a self-described pen/pencil operator and programmer best known for creating the webcomic xkcd. A native of Easton, Pennsylvania, Munroe grew up in Chesterfield, Virginia and graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2006 with a degree in physics. Munroe worked as a contractor for NASA before and after graduation, but his contract was not renewed in 2006, and he began to write xkcd full-time, supported by the sale of related merchandise.
Charlie Murphy Charles Quinton 'Charlie' Murphy is the older brother of comedian Eddie Murphy. He is best known as a writer and actor on the American television program Chappelle's Show, as well as providing the voice for Ed Wuncler III in the animated Adult Swim show The Boondocks. He is also a stand up comedian himself. He is noted for having a ridiculously deep bag of "pimperish, prisony" catch phrases. Dave Chappelle once said Murphy is "just as funny or funnier than a comedian." Murphy's most famous contribution to the show is the Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories sketches (spoofing the eponymous E! Entertainment Television show). In these, Murphy recounts his misadventures as part of his brother's entourage, including his encounters with various celebrities; most importantly the late Rick James and Prince. Although wildly successful, in an August 2005 interview with TV Guide, Murphy announced that Chappelle's Show was finished [1]. Murphy was associated with the late 1980s hiphop group, K*9 Posse. The K*9 Posse was Vernon Lynch, Jr. (Eddie and Charlie's half brother) and Wardell Mahone. Charlie Murphy is credited as the executive producer of the K*9 Posse's self-titled album as well as having writing credit on two tracks on the record, Say Who Say What and Somebody's Brother. The latter track is written about Murphy himself reflecting on a relationship with a woman who was caught up in the excitement of being around all the famous people that Murphy associated with. But Murphy comes out on top with the lyrics, "You see I don't mind workin undercover, It's a blessing not a curse to be somebody's brother." Possessing a distinctive voice and an extraordinary talent for verbal illustration, Murphy has done voiceovers for Budweiser radio commercials, Cartoon Network's Adult Swim series The Boondocks and voiced a pimp named Jizzy-B in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game. Recently, Murphy provided the voice for Spock on the G4TV's Star Trek 2.0 shorts. In 2004, Charlie embarked upon a sold out national comedy tour, The I'm Rich Bitch comedy tour featuring Chappelle's Show regulars Donnell Rawlings and Bill Burr. In 2005, his stand up career continued to grow with a sold out follow up tour, Charlie Murphy and Friends, as well as a co-headlining tour with Mike Epps. Murphy and Epps will co-star in Fox Searchlight's Garbage Men, a spin-off of Roll Bounce.
Inga M. Muscio Inga M. Muscio is the author of "Cunt: A Declaration of Independence"and "Autobiography of a Blue-Eyed Devil: My Life and Times in a Racist, Imperialist Society." She is presently working on a new book about sex and violence, which will be published sometime in 2009. Inga is a dynamic public speaker, and spends a lot of time visiting colleges and conferences.