Cheryl Shuman, The Infamous One and Only :-)

Long Beach City Council Evaluates “Third Option” Over Ban Medical Marijuana

2011-12-11T01:42:00.000-08:00

Long Beach City Council Evaluates “Third Option” Over Ban Medical Marijuana

Medical Marijuana Job Fair Announced for Bay Area West Coast Cannabis Expo

2011-10-04T02:21:00.000-07:00

Medical Marijuana Job Fair Announced for Bay Area West Coast Cannabis Expo

Behind the Scenes at KUSHCON II in Denver. Members of the Steering Committee for the NORML Women's Alliance, Cheryl Shuman of KUSH Magazine, Anne Davis of New Jersey NORML and Sabrina Fendrick, National NORML Washington DC and NORML Women's Alliance.

2011-05-30T02:35:00.000-07:00

KushConII to take medical marijuana seriously, says MMJ user/cancer patient Cheryl Shuman

2010-12-22T20:20:00.000-08:00

Original Link: http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2010/12/kushconii_preview_cheryl_shuman.php

Marijuana
KushConII to take medical marijuana seriously, says MMJ user/cancer patient Cheryl Shuman
By Michael Roberts, Thu., Dec. 16 2010 @ 7:01AM
Categories: Follow That Story, Marijuana
Share40
0diggsdigg

cheryl shuman head shot.jpg
Cheryl Shuman.
KushConII, December 17-19 at the Colorado Convention Center, has made news over its RTD bus ads, which have drawn protests from law-enforcement. But Cheryl Shuman, the event's international director of PR and media, would rather focus on the event itself, which she says takes medical marijuana seriously. That's important to her, since she's got inoperable liver cancer she treats with MMJ.

April's Colorado Cannabis Convention -- the first KushCon in Denver -- was criticized by some MMJ advocates for focusing too much on lifestyle and not enough on the serious medical issues being addressed by marijuana. Shuman's heard some of the same complaints, which she says were caused in part by behind-the-scene drama; the event's original organizers allegedly disappeared with a pile of vendor checks just before the convention was set to get underway, forcing the folks at California's Kush Magazine to go into last minute rescue mode.

This time around, however, Shuman says Kush has had the opportunity to take charge from the start. And while there'll be lots of entertainment, including a skateboard exhibition and concerts by the Flobots, Mix Master Mike and more, KushConII will also feature a distinguished panel of speakers from all over the United States, including former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, current Congressman Jared Polis, representatives from every major marijuana advocacy organization and lots of medical professionals. Look below to see a detailed release and a speakers schedule.

"We've got almost $1.8 million in the show," Shuman says, "and on the political side, we'll have the powerhouses of the industry. That's one of the reasons I wanted to be involved -- to bring everybody to the same place in the same room."

Example: KushConII will be the coming-out party for the NORML Women's Fundraising Alliance, which she sees as a major step forward in changing medical marijuana's reputation among mainstreamers. Moreover, Shuman insists that the event as a whole will be "family-friendly, which is important to me, because I'm a mom."

She's also a true believer in the medical efficacy of marijuana, which she discovered after she suffered a health crisis she continues to battle on a daily basis.

"I worked in TV and film publicity for 25 years," she points out. "I worked with Tom Cruise, Madonna. But then I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I was in the hospital for years and had many surgeries. Part of my colon and bladder were removed, and now, the cancer has metastasized to my liver."

cheryl shuman in the hospital.jpg
Cheryl Shuman during one of her many hospitalizations.
In the beginning of her illness, Shuman relied entirely on standard medication. "I was on 27 different pharmaceuticals," she recalls. "I was literally bedridden, on a morphine pump." Medical marijuana gave her back the quality of life she enjoys today, but it also put her at odds with the medical establishment. As she tearfully notes, "I was denied a liver transplant because I am a medical cannabis patient."

With surgery to remove the cancer from her liver not an option, Shuman has turned to Colorado Springs' Dr. Bob Melamede, "who helped me get into a cannabis science program in Colorado and put me on an experimental medicine. I haven't had my next MRI, but I'm hopeful that it can stop the growth of the tumor."

In the meantime, Shuman is pouring her heart and soul into KushConII. "I hope before I die, I'll see cannabis legalized," she says. "I want to leave a legacy. I want to stand for something, and this is my chance. Colorado is the center of the universe for cannabis, and that's why we're here. We're going to make history."

Look below to see a release about KushConII, the aforementioned speakers schedule and a video of Shuman testifying before the Los Angeles City Council about her medical condition:

Continued from page 1

KushConII release:

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO REFORM MARIJUANA LAWS: NORML WOMEN'S ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES FIRST NATIONAL FUNDRAISING WEEKEND AT WORLD'S LARGEST EVER CANNABIS LIFESTYLE EVENT -- KUSHCON II DENVER, COLORADO, DECEMBER 16, 17, 18, 19TH

December 13, 2010 -- Beverly Hills, CA. -- Cannabis has captured the attention of the world. From December 17 thru the 19th of 2010, the Colorado Convention Center will be buzzing with thousands of medical marijuana experts and enthusiasts in the largest Cannabis lifestyle convention to ever take place on planet Earth -- Kush Con II.

NORML Women's Alliance fundraising weekend begins with a business to business networking event sponsored by the Medical Marijuana Business Alliance and KUSH Magazine on Thursday, December 16th where the elite of the cannabis industry will gather together to celebrate the movement and organize product and service giveaways expected to raise more than $100,000 for the charity.

The international media capitalized on the "Stiletto Stoners" phenomenon fascinated by women's use of cannabis. Celebrities like Melissa Etheridge and Alanis Morissette are putting a new face on this controversial plant. Riding that wave, the national office of NORML, the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Law announces the NORML Women's Alliance steering committee for their first annual major fundraising weekend event at KUSHCON II.

Heading up the steering committee for the fundraising weekend is former Beverly Hills NORML Executive Director Cheryl Shuman. Shuman is the Director of Public Relations and Media for the KUSH Brand including KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com the #1 Social Media Network for the Cannabis Community. "It's my job to remove the negative stigma and stereotypes of a cannabis user. Real women and men behind the Marijuana Reform movement are taking a stand to make a change by boldly coming "out of the closet" to educate the public at KUSHCON II," states Cheryl Shuman.

Cheryl Shuman brings 25 years of experience working with media, celebrities, marketing and health care in Beverly Hills. Shuman found her passion in the cannabis movement since 1996 working as an activist and legal cannabis patient. Since using cannabis therapy, she has survived cancer and injuries from two car crashes.

"The therapeutic value of socialization and the building of family and community should not be underestimated. The right of patients to peaceably assemble -- to socialize and build family and community, and network and organize -- is paramount for their health and recovery. KUSHCON II is the center of the universe for patients and activists," states Shuman.

"We as a modern society can fiscally improve our budget by moving cannabis from the criminal sector into the lawful sector. This is not a left or right issue -- it's really common sense. Regulation and taxation of marijuana could produce billions of dollars in additional tax revenue as well as save on the enormous costs of law enforcement. Bottom line is the prohibition of marijuana has been a fiscal fiasco," says Cheryl Shuman.

Among the over 400 vendor booths spanning over 300,000 square feet will be everything from Extreme skateboarding demonstrations to local DJs and headline artist concert series. KushCon II will have something for every member of the family including gourmet cannabis cooking demonstrations, cultivation experts, to over $100,000 worth of giveaways including a complete $46,000, 28 foot Growbots mobile growing system, blown glass, hydro lights, leather jackets, cannabis lifestyle clothing and more. This will be the place to finish your last minute Christmas (KushMas) shopping, or win some fantastic prizes.

The KushMas party will continue throughout the weekend with a daily concert series touting artists and DJs such as the Flobots, The Dirty Heads, Mickey Avalon, Asher Roth, Mic Master Mike, Aaron Lewis of Staind, War and Santana lead singer Greg Rollie.

This is the second time Kush Magazine and dailybuds.com have brought the cannabis convention to Denver. In April 2010, Kush Con descended on the Denver Convention Center with over thousands of patrons perusing the hundreds of booths.

In addition to entertainment, KushCon II is really about the dissemination of information about the cannabis culture. There will be breakout rooms with speakers from within the medical cannabis industry and the cannabis movement, including growing expert including Ed Rosenthal, Governor Gary Johnson, U.S. Congressman Jared Polis, Matt Cook, head of Colorado Department of Revenue, Attorneys Rob Corry and Warren Edson, and Brian Vicente. Medical information for patients about marijuana and its uses to treat certain modalities will be presented by Dr. Robert (Bob) Melamede. Keynote speakers from NORML include founder Keith Stroup, Sabrina Fendrick, Greta Gaines, Anne Davis, Russ Belville and Cheryl Shuman. There will also be speakers from other activists and non-profit organizations from around the world.

With all of the recent news about cannabis appearing daily through international media outlets, KUSH hopes to continue with efforts towards legalization. "The cannabis movement is not just the "Stiletto Stoners" or the medical marijuana patients or the stereotypical "Deadheads" from the 70s. It includes a broad cross section of Americans who should have the right to responsibly use marijuana without the fear of prosecution. As prohibition of alcohol finally ended, it is our goal to have the same outcome--end the prohibition of marijuana. We invite you to join us in building a better informed, kinder and more compassionate world," states Shuman.

The event will be cannabis free, open to the public, with all ages welcome.

What is KushCon II?

Friday 4:00PM -10:00PM, Saturday 10:00AM-10:00PM, Sunday 10:00AM-6:00PM

A Snapshot of Kush Magazine, USA:
Kush Magazine is the leading magazine on medical cannabis use and the cannabis lifestyle in the United States. Kush is filled with relevant articles about the cannabis lifestyle, cultivation, medical cannabis patients' rights, legal issues, political issues, strain reviews, music events, entertainment as well as recipes for medical cannabis infused edibles. Kush publishes a comprehensive list by city of medical marijuana dispensaries, and medical doctors that write recommendations for Cannabis. Patients throughout Colorado and California also get thousands of dollars of savings on their medical marijuana purchases through targeted coupons and advertisements in each issue of Kush magazine.

Circulation: 22 MILLION PAGES PER MONTH

CALIFORNIA
San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Sacramento, the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.

COLORADO
Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder.
Kush is currently working on expanding publication to Montana (January 2011) and Michigan (2011).

A Snapshot of dailybuds.com 114,000 MEMBERS DAILY
Dailybuds.com is the leading social networking site for the cannabis lifestyle in the United States. Often regarded as the Facebook for marijuana users, the website's demographic is 25-35 and receives over 15 million hits every month.

Talent Line-Up: KushCon II Concert Series

Friday Night:
Mickey Avalon, famous Hollywood rapper, started his career collaborating with ex-MTV VJ Simon Rex, and gaining most of his following in the Santa Cruz nightclub scene. He then went to form a group called the Dyslexic Speedreaders, which featured Mickey Avalon, Dirt Nasty, Beardo, and Andre Legacy. In 2006, My Space Record recorded his first album, entitle Mickey Avalon. His most recent album which came out this year is titled Electric Gigolo.

Asher Roth grew up in Morrisville as a suburban kid with a love for hip-
hop. During his sophomore year of college, Asher sent a demo to Scooter Braun, an Atlanta-based promoter. He was picked up immediately and moved to Atlanta to dive into his new hip-hop career. In June of 2008, Roth debuted his first album, entitled The Greenhouse Effect, which made him the second white rapper on Don Cannon and DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz series. In 2009, he released his first studio album, entitled Asleep in the Bread Aisle, which featured the hit song "I Love College", a song that won him the opening act to the second half of Blink-182's Reunion Tour. His second album currently being promoted is entitled The Spaghetti Tree.

The Flobots originated in 2001 with MC Jamie Laurie, Johnny 5, guitar player David Grallow, cello player T'Errance Favors and bass player Jaymz Haynes to debut their first album, Onomatopoeia. In 2005, Johnny 5 released a second album under the Flobots name with different band mates: MC Brer Rabbit, violist Mackenzie Gault, bassist Jesse Walker, guitarist Andy Guerrero, trumpet player Joe Ferrone, and drummer Kenny Ortiz. They premiered the album Flobots Presents...Platypus. The album took off and at the Red Rocks performance in 2007 where they opened for The Fray, Flobots had their largest performances. In October 2007, Flobots released their debut album Fight with Tools, which introduced the single 'Handlebars', and they sold out at the cd release party at the Gothic Theater in Englewood, Colorado. In March of 2010, they debuted their second official album,Survival Story.

Saturday Night:
Most known for his involvement in the Beastie Boys, Mix Master Mike has established himself as one of the pre-eminent DJs in the industry. In 1994, he had won the DMC World Championship DJ competition for the third time in a row. He is most known for his intricate style, using a mix of heavy-hitting bass and scratch routines. Mix Master Mike was attributed to inventing the Tweak Scratch DJ style as well as integrating the wah-wah pedal for guitars onto his turntables. In 1995, he won the Grandwizard Theodore award for lifetime achievement from the International Turntablist Federation. His albums include: Juko (1991), Anti-Theft Device (1998), Spin Psycle (2001), Bangzilla (2004), NaPALM ROCKETS (2010).

Aaron Lewis started in his first band, J-Cat, with Tori Sands, Chris Ballini, and Jon Wysocki, where two of his most famous songs were originally performed: 'Outside' and 'It's Been Awhile'. He then formed the band Staind which included lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April and drummer Jon Wysocki. As a band, they self released their first album, Tormented, in 1996, and took off from there. They currently have a total of seven albums under their belt and have plans to release their 8th album sometime soon. Aaron Lewis has been nominated for 3 Grammy Awards throughout his career and finished his first solo acoustic album with a hint of country in July of this year.

The Dirty Heads, the band was founded by Jared Watson and vocalist/guitarist Dustin "Duddy" Bushnell in Huntington Beach, California. Later, percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa, and bassist David Foral were added to the band, incorporating a cross between a punk and reggae sound. In 2008, they debuted their first album Any Port in a Storm, and have toured all over the country with such bands as OAR, 311, Kottonmouth Kings, and Matisyahu. Their most famous latest single is titled, "Lay Me Down."

Sunday Night:
Gregg Rolie began his career in 1965 with the band, William Penn and His Pals. A year later, he and Carlos Santana formed the band, the Santana Blues Band, which later became known as Santana. His band gained accolades for their performance at the original Woodstock in 1969. He is most known for his lead vocals on the songs "Black Magic Woman" and "Evil Ways". In 1973 after leaving Santana, he and Neal Schon started the band, Journey, where he was the keyboardist for the band for the first 6 years. After Steve Perry joined the band in 1977, Rolie co-sang with Perry on several of Journey's hits. He left the band in 1980 and started The Gregg Rolie Band in 1985, when he came out with his first album, Gregg Rolie, and a second album in 1987, entitled Gringo. In 1991, he formed a new band called The Storm with Steve Smith and Ross Valory from Journey, as well as Josh Ramos and Kevin Chalfant, and their first single "I've Got a Lot to Learn about Love" hit number 3 on the Billboard Album Chart that same year. He reunited The Gregg Rolie band in 2001 with their debut album, Roots, and recently the band put out a live album in 2007 entitled, Rain Dance.

War, an American Funk band, began in 1969, featuring Eric Burdon, Howard E Scott, Harold Brown, Charles Miller, Morris "BB" Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Lee Oskar, and Papa Dee Allen. "Spill the Wine", from their debut album Eric Burdon Declares "War", became their first hit single and launched the band's career. They recorded 19 studio albums from 1970-1994, including the album Why Can't We Be Friends? in 1975, which included two of their most famous songs to hit number 1 on the Billboard Album Chart: "Why Can't We Be Friends?", "Low Rider." They still, to this day, perform their famous hits all over the world.

About NORML:

Founded in 1970, NORML supports the right of adults to use marijuana responsibly, whether for medical or personal purposes. All penalties, both civil and criminal, should be eliminated for responsible use. Further, to eliminate the crime, corruption and violence associated with any "black market," a legally regulated market should be established where consumers could buy marijuana in a safe and secure environment. NORML also supports the legalization of hemp (non-psychoactive marijuana) for industrial use.

About NORML Women's Alliance:
The NORML Women's Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of prominent, educated, successful, geographical diverse and high-profile professional women who believe that marijuana prohibition is a self-destructive and hypocritical policy that undermines the American family, sends a mixed and false message to our young people, and destroys the cherished principles of personal liberty and local self-government.

Marijuana prohibition makes the difficult job of parenting even more difficult by the state and federal governments not actually controlling marijuana use, cultivation or distribution -- notably by American youth.

These diverse women will bring a contemporary approach to the public policy debate, and will proudly represent the interests of modern, mainstream women who believe that the negative consequences of marijuana prohibition far outweigh any repercussions from marijuana consumption itself.

The NORML Women present a core group of national spokeswomen ready to interact with the public and the media on the important issue of marijuana legalization.

About Cheryl Shuman:

Cheryl Shuman was the founder of Beverly Hills NORML, charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance and serves on the steering committee for Public Relations and Marketing on an International platform. Shuman is the Director of Public Relations, Media and Marketing for the KUSH Brand which includes KUSH Magazine, KUSH Conventions and DailyBuds.com. Cheryl Shuman has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to: Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and more.

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood elite, Cheryl Shuman has been named as one of the most influential women in the cannabis reform movement by international media. Her position with the KUSH brand creates the first and only company of their kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

About Michael Lerner:

It's hard to have a discussion about medical marijuana in America without mentioning Michael Lerner. Nationally regarded as the leading expert on medical Cannabis use, Lerner has appeared on every major news network, including CNN, NBC, CBS and Fox giving insight this timely, and often contentious, issue.

The Founder and Editor in Chief of Kush Magazines and dailybuds.com, Michael Lerner, who is also known as the "Medicine Man", has over 17 years of experience in publishing and has led Kush to be the #1 Cannabis lifestyle magazine in the United States and dailybuds.com, the premiere social networking site for Cannabis users, to over 15 million page views per month.

The Denver Kush Con Medical Marijuana Convention in December will be the second time Lerner will bring the event to the Mile High City. This year, Kush Con II will feature hundreds of booths with vendors running the gamut of the medical marijuana industry. This year's holiday convention also boasts a "KushMas Party" on Saturday, December 18th, that will feature numerous musical guests for a family friendly affair to celebrate the healing power that medical marijuana has brought to so many suffering from a wide range of illnesses.

About Bob Selan:

Bob Selan is co-founder and CEO of DBDotCom, LLC, the parent company of Kush Magazine, Daily Buds (www.dailybuds.com), the largest online social network for medical marijuana and the cannabis lifestyle, and KushCon, the producer of national mega cannabis conventions.

Selan runs day-to-day operations at DbDotCom, LLC , and oversees the business and legal affairs of the company. He brings with him over 30 years of business and legal experience that includes online publishing, advertising, printing, entertainment, sports, electronics, law firms, and real estate development.

He received his BS in Journalism from the University of Southern California, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and his JD from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.

Marijuana Legalization Movement Driven by Women

2010-07-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Secret to Legal Marijuana? Women
By Daniela Perdomo, AlterNet. Posted December 5, 2009.

Why women have signed onto marijuana reform -- and why they could be the movement's game-changers.

In September, ladymag Marieclaire ruffled some feathers when it published a piece about women who smoke weed. But its most interesting effect was not the "marijuana moms" chatter it unleashed, and instead the fact that it brought to the mainstream media a more open discussion of the fact that women can be avid tokers, too.

Public acceptance of pot is at an all-time high, and the fact that women have drastically changed their attitudes may be what is most fascinating about the sea change in public opinion -- and policy -- regarding marijuana. In 2005, only 32 percent of polled women told Gallup they approved legalizing pot, but this year 44 percent of them were for it, compared to 45 percent of men. In effect, women have narrowed what had been a 12-point gender gap.

Women are also smoking more weed. The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that current marijuana use increased from 3.8 to 4.5 percent among women, while there was no significant statistical change for men.

Indeed, it appears the growing acceptance of marijuana is fueled by women having joined the movement for reform.

Women "can reach people's hearts and minds," says Mikki Norris, co-author of Shattered Lives: Portraits from America's Drug War, managing editor of the West Coast Leaf, and director of the Cannabis Consumers Campaign. "I think we can really take it from the third- to the first-person, and make it personal."

Norris, who's participated in numerous successful marijuana campaigns, may be onto something. If pro-weed women are a new momentum behind the normalization of marijuana, they may also become the driving force behind game-changing drug reform.

If that's the case, then it's worth examining why some women have signed onto the marijuana reform movement -- because it may soon be why many others will as well.

'A bigger amygdala'

The avenue through which women have been foremost leaders in the movement is medical marijuana advocacy.

There are currently 13 states that have legalized medical marijuana use and at least 14 other states with pending legislation or ballot measures. In California, where cannabis has been legalized for medical use since 1996, a Field poll found 56 percent support for adult legalization -- and the matter may very well make its way onto the 2010 ballot.

Every woman I spoke to referenced cannabis' medicinal properties as a major reason they are so personally impassioned by the marijuana reform debate.

One of these is Valerie Corral, dubbed "the Mother Teresa of the medical marijuana movement," by Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

Corral was introduced to the medical benefits of marijuana in 1973, when she was the victim of a car crash that left her an epileptic. At one point, while on pharmaceuticals, she was having up to five seizures each day.

In 1974, her husband read an article in a medical journal that described how positively rats had reacted to cannabis when treated for certain ailments. Soon thereafter, Corral started applying a strict regimen of marijuana, and kept a catalog of its effects.

"Within a few weeks, I noticed change," Corral said. And over time, she was able to control seizure activity in a way that allowed her to wean herself off the prescription drugs. To this day she does not take anything other than marijuana for her epilepsy.

Not only did medical marijuana change Corral's quality of life, it changed its course. She went on to found Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), a patient collective based in Santa Cruz, Calif. that offers organic medical marijuana and assistance to those who have received a terminal or chronic illness diagnosis.

WAMM currently serves about 170 patients. When I spoke to Corral, she was late to hit the road for her Thanksgiving holiday. She had spent the morning with a patient who was anxious about his radiation therapy. She then spent the afternoon delivering' marijuana before counseling -- "and learning from" -- terminal patients.

While Corral knows first-hand the physical benefits of marijuana, she believes its most important effect is "the way it affects how we look at things that are difficult."

"No matter what else happens to us," Corral said, "the quality with which we live our lives is so important."

Cheryl Shuman, a 49-year-old optician in Los Angeles, would agree. Up until she started using cannabis therapy to treat her cancer, she was on a daily regimen of 27 prescription drugs, attached to a mobile intravenous morphine pump, and undergoing constant CAT and MRI scans. In 2006, her doctors told her she'd be dead by the end of that year.

"I had to make a decision [regarding] which way I was going to go and quite frankly, I thought if I am going to die, I want to control how my life is going to be," Shuman said, her voice breaking. "And the only side-effects were that I was happy and laughing."

It turns out those may not have been the only effects of her cannabis therapy. Her cancer has been in remission for 18 months now -- and that coincides precisely with the start of the marijuana treatment.

Shuman had previously used pot medicinally in 1994, when going through a harrowing divorce. Up to 80 milligrams of Prozac a day, coupled with multiple therapy sessions a week, did not help her get over the sense that she could barely make it through each day.

During one session, she says, "my therapist said, 'I could lose my license, but I think what would help you more than anything is just smoking a joint.' I didn't know how to respond! I said I couldn't do that -- I don't drink, I've never even smoked a cigarette!"

But after researching medical marijuana and realizing that cannabis had been available in pharmacies until the early 20th century, Shuman acquiesced and tried a joint. At 36 -- after learning to inhale -- Shuman says she found she "finally had some peace."

This year, Shuman became the founding director of Beverly Hills' National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) chapter -- and she hopes to attract women to the cause.

Corral, for her part, acknowledges that the role she fills within the marijuana movement is one that fits the traditional female archetype. "Maybe it's because we have a bigger amygdala," she laughs, referring to the part of the brain that processes emotions. "It probably is!"

Debby Goldsberry, director of the Berkeley Patients Group, a medical marijuana dispensary, feels similarly: "It's our job in our families and in our circles of friends to be caregivers. It makes sense that women would gravitate to cannabis."

In a recent study of a sample of patient reviews at a chain of medical marijuana assessment clinics in California, Craig Reinarman, a sociology professor at UC-Santa Cruz, found that only 27.1 percent of the patients were female. Another study, conducted on a sample of patients at Goldsberry's Berkeley dispensary, found that 30.7 percent of those patients were women.

Those numbers are close to the general expert estimate that women constitute about a third of marijuana consumers.

Mainstream myth-busting

Since more women are smoking weed, it's no surprise there has finally been an onslaught of girl stoner coverage in the corporate media.

It probably started with "Weeds" -- a Showtime series about a bodacious soccer mom who deals and smokes pot -- which is now readying for its sixth season premiere. But the big dam opener this year was the aforementioned publication of the Marieclaire article, "Stiletto Stoners," which paints the portrait of a whole class of "card-carrying, type A workaholics who just happen to prefer kicking back with a blunt instead of a bottle."

Julie Holland, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine, has been called onto NBC's Today Show twice now to explain why women are gravitating towards weed.

During one of her appearances, Holland seemingly shocks the hosts by telling them that 100 million Americans have tried weed -- 25 million of them over the past year. The most recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 10.6 million women used marijuana in 2008.

Also surprising to the TV hosts was Holland's assertion that marijuana is the least addictive substance among many. According to a 1999 Institute of Medicine report, the rate at which people who try a substance and go on to become addicted is 32 percent for nicotine, 23 percent for heroin, 17 percent for cocaine, 15 percent for alcohol, and 9 percent for cannabis.

"Look at what the choices are. Cannabis isn't toxic to your brain, to your liver, it doesn't cause cancer, you can't overdose, and there's no evidence that it's a gateway drug," Holland said. "I believe that the majority of adults can healthfully integrate altered states into their lives, and it makes sense to do it with the least toxic substance you can. "

The public seems to agree.

Societal mores around marijuana are at their most progressive in at least 40 years, when Gallup first started asking Americans whether they believed marijuana ought be legalized. This year, 44 percent of those polled -- up from 36 percent in 2005 -- said they are in favor of legalization. A May Zogby poll found marijuana legalization was even more popular with its respondents, at 52 percent.

Harry Levine, professor of sociology at Queens College and co-author of Crack in America: Demon Drugs and Social Justice, attributes a lot of the mainstreaming of progressive views on pot to the medical marijuana movement.

"What it has done is change the image of marijuana from this tie-dye 1960s hippie-dippy kind of thing to a real drug, a real substance that has medical uses," he said. "You can separate it from the scary image of drugs."

Why do girls smoke?

As weed is no longer considered by the public to be a "hard drug," three presidents -- 41, 42, and 43 -- have admitted to smoking marijuana. "The whole association of failure and dropouts [with marijuana] has been smashed in an important kind of way," Levine says.

In other words, you can smoke pot and be successful. Look at Natalie Angier, for example. In her book Woman: Intimate Geography, this Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer interjects a personal note of -- and case for -- female empowerment through weed:

All the women in my immediate family learned how to climax by smoking grass -- my mother when she was over thirty and already the mother of four. Yet I have never seen anorgasmia on the list of indications for the medical use of marijuana. Instead we are told that some women don't need to have orgasms to have a satisfying sex life, an argument as convincing as the insistence that homeless people like living outdoors.
As Angier writes, alcohol is a "global depressant of the nervous system" so marijuana can be a woman's best friend. In that vein, Holland has clinically observed that many of her female patients choose marijuana over alcohol -- for all kinds of social situations -- because it makes them "more present instead of absent."

"You can relax but not be incapacitated. You can keep your wits about you and protect yourself," Holland told me, adding that women don't always tolerate alcohol the way men do.

Diana, 37, a published writer in Madison is one such woman. She uses marijuana as a social lubricant: "If I drink, I know I'll be throwing up by night's end, even if it's only a couple of beers. But with weed, I know I can make it to closing time -- and keep up with all the steely-stomached drinkers."

Paloma, 25, a Bay Area union organizer, told me she smokes weed two to three times a week to "relax, sleep, work on arts and crafts or clean the house and cook" without being distracted by what she calls her "explosive" attention deficit disorder.

A few women smokers said they did not initially like the effects marijuana had on them. Tessa, 29, a doctoral student in Portland, said, she didn't enjoy weed in college "because I would not be able to do anything besides be high and stupid. Now I know to smoke less -- maybe a hit or two -- and then relax on that."

What a lot of women like Tessa don't know is that there are several kinds of weed that have different effects on the mind and body. Women who live in places where marijuana can be purchased at dispensaries are often more attuned to the fact that cannabis sativa gives a euphoric head high while cannabis indica results in a lazy body high. And then there are hybrids -- the equivalent to blends in wine culture.

Ally, 34, an architect and mother in San Francisco, sees weed as similar to vino: "Smoking a joint and taking a bath is what drinking a glass of wine and taking a bath was to my mom," she says, balancing a baby on her knee. "It's 'me' time!"

Think of the children!

The acceptance of pot has led to discussion of how marijuana reform might positively impact families and children. This may change the debate because family values have long been employed by drug warriors as reasoning for why weed ought remain criminalized.

Enter Jessica Corry, a pro-life Republican from Denver. A mother of girls aged two and four, this 30-year-old newly-minted lawyer is widely hailed as a rising star in Colorado politics. She is currently working on her first book, which she described to me as an "analysis of how race consciousness and political correctness are silencing America's students and our entrepreneurial spirit."

A real conservative. Yet she is also one of the most outspoken proponents of marijuana legalization.

In 2006, she started a group called Guarding Our Children Against Marijuana Prohibition, which supported a statewide initiative to legalize marijuana.

"I had high-ranking Republicans politely encouraging me to write my political eulogy," Corry said. "Fortunately, they were wrong. While the initiative failed, it garnered more general election support than that year's Republican candidate for governor."

Corry doesn't smoke pot -- though she is open about past use. "As a mother," she says, "I'm far more concerned about my kids having access to a medicine cabinet than having access to a joint or a liquor cabinet. Marijuana, when consumed independently, has never been linked to a single death."

Mothers like Corry are drawn to marijuana regulation as part of a larger appeal that encourages the use of harm reduction to more pragmatically deal with substance abuse. Examples of harm reduction include providing designated drivers for drinkers and clean needles for heroin addicts.

Concerned moms may be moved to action by studies such as the Teen Survey, conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia. This year, there was a 37 percent increase in teens who said pot is easier to buy than cigarettes, beer or prescription drugs. Nearly one-quarter said they can get weed within the hour.

Those stats matter to women. In light of this, children and family will be included in the mission statement of the Women's Alliance, a group NORML will launch next year. The coordinator, Sabrina Fendrick, plans to include mention of how current marijuana policy undermines the American family and sends mixed messages to young people.

An economic savior?

The harm reduction approach extends itself from families and children to our ailing economy. With the largest economic recession since the Great Depression firmly in place, more people see the benefits of taxing and regulating marijuana for adults.

Economist Jeffrey Miron has calculated that, assuming a national market of about $13 billion annually, legalization would reap state and federal governments about $7 billion each year in extra tax revenues and save about $13.5 billion in law enforcement costs.

This kind of math attracts libertarian support, ranging from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California who recently called for an open discussion on legalization, to Rep. Ron Paul, a physician and Republican congressman from Texas, who has long advocated it.

The problem with a fiscal approach, however, might be that it could have more traction as a top-down rather than a bottom-up movement. Deborah Small, a drug reform veteran and founder of Break the Chains, a group that engages communities of color around drug reform policy, believes the reason the medical marijuana movement has been so successful is that its female leaders have made it a "real grassroots movement."

"Male-dominated libertarian philosophy and money has dominated" the general marijuana reform movement, Small says, and "there's a struggle in this next stage to see whether the movement will be driven by people with a lot of money or people on the ground -- or if they can agree to work together."

Perhaps male drug reform leaders can learn from the ladies. Jessica Corry, the GOP mom from Denver, turns the economic discussion back to the home: "It's generational child abuse to waste billions of dollars every year on marijuana prohibition."

Mikki Norris, the California marijuana activist, observed gender-specific focus groups in Oakland on Measure Z, a 2004 ballot initiative that ultimately succeeded in making marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority. She heard the women's group speaking on behalf of their children -- "they wanted money for their kids' education and they didn't want kids arrested for pot." Men, on the other hand, were more worried about children getting involved with drugs, she told me.

Norris said, "I just think women have a better grasp of home economics," or what's really important in a family.

Today's economic climate lends itself to easy parallels with the fight to repeal Prohibition in the 1920s, which was also framed as a family issue. Harry Levine, the sociologist, reminded me of Pauline Sabin, a high-society Chicago feminist who organized women in the fight to repeal the 18th Amendment.

"Sabin said that because of the violence, the corruption, the bootleggers, and all the resulting lost tax revenue, that alcohol undermined the home and therefore women should speak out for themselves and children," Levine said.

Many point to the moment when women joined the fight against Prohibition as the tipping point for the ultimate success of the movement.

Women as a new force

The women in the marijuana reform movement have different reasons for trumpeting policy change. Some see cannabis as a medicinal wonder drug, others see tangible -- and sensible -- socio-economic benefits to taxing and regulating it.

Trends indicate that as more states legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes, more people will discover first-hand that legalization of marijuana does not equate with anarchy and instead with more effective control of a substance so readily available to Americans -- and American kids -- across the country.

And as Californians may next year, Americans will soon be exposed to the choice between regulating marijuana for adult use or continuing a failed drug war that incarcerates 850,000 people a year -- tearing apart families, ruining futures, and siphoning from public funds that might otherwise benefit the next generation. All this for a relatively mild psychotropic that at least a third of us has tried.

As the recession continues to unravel communities across the country, the economic incentive to end this drug war will affect the opinions of many who might never otherwise have considered legalization. The time may very well be now.

Similar to the prohibition of alcohol in the early twentieth century, what we have today is a federal policy that is at odds with public opinion. It is a policy without a plurality of citizen supporters.

And many women are at the vanguard of the movement that recognizes this and is fighting for change.

See more stories tagged with: women, marijuana, drug reform, drug policy, pot, weed, substance use, medical cannabis
Daniela Perdomo is a contributing writer & editor at AlterNet. You can follow her on Twitter @danielaperdomo.

Original Post:
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/144333/the_secret_to_legal_marijuana_women

NORML Women's Alliance-Cheryl Shuman Activist Named Amongst the Most Influential in the Nation

2010-07-22T08:42:00.000-07:00

Original Post: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=8146

In Recognition of Women's History Month

NORML Women's Alliance

This is part of an ongoing series featuring women who are leading the movement for the elimination of marijuana prohibition and the reform of laws governing its use in the United States. They are making history in law reform advocacy, cannabis related business and politics and in the field of medical research and patient care.

In May 1929, Pauline Sabin founded the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR). It was a platform for women who were demanding the repeal of the 18th amendment forbidding the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Known as the Sabin women, the leadership of the WONPR consisted primarily of the nonpartisan wives of leaders of American industry. In a little over a year, almost 1.5 million Sabin Women were publicly calling for an end to prohibition-inspired violence and political malfeasance related to the illegal production of alcohol.

"We believe that there are multitudes of women who are opposed to national prohibition who welcome an opportunity as a body to voice their opposition and work for such a change in the law." --Pauline Sabin

In 2010, concerned female scientists, politicians, mothers and working women all over America are fighting with equal passion to end the prohibition of marijuana. They are following in the footsteps of Pauline Sabin, M. Louise Grosse (Founder of the Molly Pitcher Club), Mary T. Norton (the first female Democrat elected to serve in the house and member of the WONPR Advisory Council), and other female leaders of the 1930's anti-prohibitionist movement. Like their predecessors, these women are the true change makers who are working to normalize, legalize, tax and regulate the use of a substance currently used by tens of millions of Americans. They are inspiring women from all social circles and political spheres to speak up and publicly support sensible, responsible cannabis policies based on science, reason and compassion.

While any attempt to identify the most impressive female leaders of the marijuana legalization movement is guaranteed to miss many of those who have toiled long and hard to move this cause forward, the women listed here were selected for their outspoken activism and media outreach. They are presenting a new public face to the reform movement and serving as inspiration for like-minded women everywhere. If there is a sister in the movement you would like to see recognized by the NORML Women's Alliance, please email Sabrina Fendrick with her name and a bio of her accomplishments at sabrina@norml.org.

The NORML Women’s Alliance would like to honor all of the female NORML Directors who are paving the way toward rational cannabis policies and are setting a wonderful example as women who have actively taken on leadership roles (this year and last) within the NORML family. Thank-you ladies, you are making history:

NORML Women Chapter Leaders

* Dawn Dunlap Central Ohio NORML - (OH)
* Terri Zeman Greater St. Louis NORML - (MO)
* Trena Moss Hillsdale County NORML - (MI)
* Elizabeth Brandt Iona County NORML - (MI)
* Apryl Coleman Kent County NORML - (MI)
* Carol Reed Macomb County NORML - (MI)
* Kim Schmidt Ohio NORML - (OH)
* Norma Sapp Oklahoma NORML - (OK)
* Kandice Hawes Orange County NORML - (CA)
* Madeline Martinez Oregon NORML - (OR)
* Lori Duckworth Southern Oregon NORML - (OR)
* Melissa Posecznick Tennessee NORML - (TN)
* Lacey Viviano Upstate NY NORML - (NY)
* Linda Adler US Virgin Islands NORML - (USVI)
* Melody Karr Wexford County NORML - (MI)
* Dee Duffy Virginia NORML - (VA)
* Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills NORML - (CA)
* Emily Busalacchi Mile High NORML - (CO)
* Christeen Landino Michigan NORML - (MI)
* Sarah Zenk-Blossom Minnesota State University NORML - (MN)
* Anne Davis New Jersey NORML – (NJ)
* Ruth Liebesman Martiniuk Empire State NORML - (NY)
* Crystal Caudebec Hudson Valley NORML - (NY)

Highlights of Women Making History

Madeline Martinez is the co-founder of the United States' first Cannabis Cafe which opened in late 2009. She is the Executive Director of Oregon NORML, NORML's largest and most successful chapter affiliate, boasting more than 2,000 dues paying members. Currently, she is co-chief petitioner for the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, a statewide initiative for 2010, which seeks to tax and regulate cannabis for adult consumption, allow farmers to grow industrial hemp and fund state social service programs. Madeline is a retired police officer and grandmother of five. Martinez is also a member of NORML's Board of Directors as well as NORML's Pauline Sabin Winner in 2007.

Jeanne Kohl-Welles is a State Senator from Washington. Representing Seattle in the State Senate, Kohl-Welles has a long history of supporting marijuana legislation, including efforts to expand patient access to medical marijuana and to depenalize adult use. In addition to her chairmanship of the Sen. Labor, Commerce & Consumer Protection Committee, Sen. Kohl-Welles sits on the Senate Ways & Means and Judiciary Committees. She has been representing her district in one capacity or another for almost 20 years.

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson is a State Representative for the city of Seattle and many of its neighboring communities. Representative Dickerson has been a major advocate for marijuana law reform in Washington and was a primary sponsor of 2010 legislation that sought to regulate the use of marijuana for adults.. She was also a co-sponsor of the House bill to decriminalize marijuana (a companion bill to Kohl-Welles’ Senate decriminalization bill) and a cosponsor of the House version of the medical marijuana expansion bill (also a companion bill to Kohl-Welles’ Senate version).

Dr. Julie Holland is a board certified psychiatrist in New York City whose appearance on The Today Show's Stiletto Stoners broadcast helped introduce America to the growing phenomenon of responsible, successful women using who use cannabis instead of alcohol. Her eloquent and intelligent commentary on this nationally broadcast segment not only shed a positive light on female cannabis consumers, but was also a major inspiration for the creation of the NORML Women's Alliance. Dr. Holland is also a published author and outspoken advocate for sensible marijuana policies. From 1996 to 2005, Dr. Holland ran the psychiatric emergency room of Bellevue Hospital on Saturday and Sunday nights. A liaison to the hospital's medical emergency room and toxicology department, she is considered an expert on street drugs and intoxication states, and lectures widely on this topic. She published a paper in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, describing a resurgence of the drug phenomenon smoking marijuana soaked in embalming fluid, which may be a carrier for PCP.

Jessica Corry is a Denver-based attorney, public policy analyst, and influential political strategist. She is the leading voice for conservatives against marijuana prohibition and is one of the most high profile activists in the state. On a national level, Corry has been publicly advocating marijuana law reform and has been quoted or featured in several media-related pieces. This includes appearances on Fox News and a featured in a Washington Post editorial, "Reefer sanity: The marijuana lobby goes mainstream," written by fellow charter member of the NORML Women's Alliance, Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker. Corry is a Republican mother of two young children who believes that marijuana prohibition is a violation of states rights and undermines the American family. She is also a regular blogger on the Huffington Post and was chosen as one of Colorado’s top political “Movers and Shakers” by the Colorado Statesman.

Mieko Hester-Perez is a brave mother and newcomer to the marijuana reform movement. Hester-Perez received national attention after being featured on ABC News, CBS News, Good Morning Americaand Fox News as a parent who uses medical cannabis as treatment for her autistic son. "At first I did some research, and I found a doctor who actually had a protocol for medical marijuana in children diagnosed with autism," Hester-Perez told "Good Morning America." Her 10-year-old son was dangerously underweight, "you could see the bones in his chest. He was going to die," she said on the nationally syndicated television morning show. “My son had self-injurious behaviors. He was extremely aggressive, he would run out of our house... he was a danger to himself and others.” A few hours after giving her son a cannabis-infused brownie she saw a major change in her son’s eating habits and behavior. “Marijuana balanced my son," says Hester-Perez. She is a wonderful mother and a proud parent who understands the importance of marijuana law reform and is fighting to normalize the movement with her public advocacy and activism. She was also a featured speaker at the hugely successful Los Angeles Hemp Conference and Medical Marijuana Expose.

Cheryl Shuman is the founder and Executive Director of the new Beverly Hills NORML chapter, one of NORML's highest profile affiliates. For many years, Shuman ran a thriving celebrity serving business and was known as the "Optician to the Stars." She recently organized one of the most successful and widely attended gatherings of the medical marijuana community, the 2010 Los Angeles Hemp Con Medical Marijuana Show. She was presented as the key note speaker and partnered with HempCon funder Mega Productions to serve as a co-producer. As an ode to women in the marijuana reform movement, Shuman planned a full day dedicated to women speakers that included several high profile female activists. Her press conference, prior to the convention, featured cultural icon Cheech Marin of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong. The news event received significant local coverage and was picked up by major national outlets, including USA Today. She has brought considerable attention to the cannabis crusade in California, and is working to normalize the image of movement into that of a modern, mainstream fight for social justice. Shuman has been featured on several major media outlets, including Reason TV, who captured the well known standing ovation Shuman received after giving testimony to the LA City Council. She has also been featured on KTLA and in The Sacramento Bee.

Alison Chinn-Holcomb, Esq is the Drug Policy Director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Washington State. She has been spearheading the effort to legalize use and was the primary lobbyist for this year's WA marijuana reform bills. She is the 2008 recipient of NORML's Pauline Sabin Award for her continued successful efforts in Washington as a leading woman in the marijuana reform movement. As a successful criminal defense attorney for years prior to joining the ACLU team, she has represented many clients in marijuana prosecutions and was a member of the Marijuana Policy Panel that was formed in 2003 to monitor the implementation of voter-passed I-75.

Marie Myung-Ok Lee is another brave mother who found medical cannabis to work miracles with her son's autism and in May of 2009 bravely wrote a long article called "Why I Give My 9-Year-Old Son Pot" in Slate Magazine. Her son's illness had caused him to have violent aggressive outbursts, chew holes in his shirt, and suffer from other major debilitating behaviors that not only took place at home but also while he was attending school, "The teachers were wearing tae kwon do arm pads to protect themselves against his biting." As she mentions in the article the effects of the medical cannabis on her son were life changing. "Since we started him on his 'special tea,' J’s little face, which is sometimes a mask of pain, has softened. He smiles more." Her story was also featured in the online blog Mom Logic. She is an acclaimed Korean American writer and author of "Somebody's Daughter: A Novel" and currently a visiting Lecturer at the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in the Americas at Brown University. "When I researched cannabis the way I did conventional drugs, it seemed clear to me that marijuana at the very least wouldn’t harm J, and might help. It's strange, I've come to think, that the virtues of such a useful and harmless botanical have been so clouded by stigma." Marie Myung-Ok Lee is bringing a maternal, mainstream face to the positive uses of medical marijuana. Her bravery and strength makes her a wonderful asset in the fight to give a voice to anti-prohibition parents.

Julie Stewart, the founder of Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a twenty-year old advocacy group fighting for fair sentencing laws, was inspired to active after her brother, a nonviolent, first-time drug offender was sentenced to five years in a federal prison for growing marijuana. Stewart was personally affected by marijuana's prohibition and is fighting to move criminal justice sentencing guidelines away from mandatory minimums. Stewart's lobbying achievements and considerable media coverage has earned her major recognition, including having been featured in several Washington Post articles within the last couple of years. In 2007, Stewart testified in front of the U.S. Sentencing Commission (whose role is to set guidelines regarding sentencing defendants in federal court) and successfully advocated for them to amend the new sentencing rules in order to qualify thousands of drug offenders for release from federal prison. Her latest successes include putting an end to the sentencing disparity between the unjust penalties for individuals prosecuted for crack cocaine-related charges, a majority of whom are African American, and the more lenient punishment associated with crimes involving powder cocaine, which tends to be more common among white people.

In Memoriam
Women from Marijuana Reform History

Dr. Ester Fride (1953-2010) Israeli Scientist who showed that a newborn mammal can not suckle when lacking one of the two cannabinoid receptors. Upon receiving her doctorate in psychoneurobiology, she conducted her research in the U.S. at Johns Hopkins and the National Institutes of Health, focusing on how prenatal stress and neonatal development in the brain. In 1990 in Israel, she began work in the lab of Raphael Mechoulam, who concentrated his research on the clinical application of cannabinoids. Fride was also involved in the identification of an endocannabinoid, 2-Arachidonyl Glyceryl ether, and was co-author of a breakthrough paper describing how the newly found compound responds to the cannabinoid receptor. She is best known for her work at the College of Judea and Samaria in Ariel, where she first hypothesized that endocannabinoids played a role in the nursing process and found evidence of a third cannabinoid receptor. Fride wrote in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 2004 that, “The medical implications [that newborn mice lacking the cannabinoid receptor CB1 are unable to suckle at birth] are far-reaching…and suggest a promising future for cannabinoids [CB1 deprived puppies injected with THC promptly after birth, were able to suckle and developed normally] in pediatric medicine for conditions including ‘non-organic failure-to-thrive’ and cystic fibrosis.”

at the White House in 1997Cheryl Miller (1946-2003) was one of the first medical marijuana activists in the state of New Jersey. Miller suffered from multiple sclerosis for over 30 years and is best known for being featured in a 2002 political ad critical of then Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) for publicly stating that she should be arrested and incarcerated for using medical cannabis. The ad was deemed the "Most Dramatic Political Ad in 2002" by the National Journal and has been credited for bringing down Barr's re-election bid to congress. The add aired 4,000 times on major news and cable networks. From acts of civil disobedience, to public protests, to starring in several advocacy commercials, Miller acted on behalf of thousands of seriously ill patients who were desperate and dying to legally access medical marijuana. Unfortunately, Cheryl Miller did not live to see New Jersey become the Nation's 14th state to legalize medial marijuana. However, her memory will live on through the incorporation of this hard fought new law which is fondly referred to by locals as the "Cheryl Miller Medical Marijuana Act." A recipient of NORML's Lifetime Achievement for medical cannabis, along with her brave and loving husband Jim Miller, Cheryl Miller has earned her place as a major player in the history of marijuana law reform.

Dr. Dorothy Whipple (1901-1995) was a pediatrician and author who didn't actually get active in marijuana law reform until later in her senior years. She was one of NORML's earliest supporters and a founding member of the first NORML Advisory Board in the early 1970's. Dr. Whipple wrote "Q: Is the Grass Greener? Answers to Questions About Drugs," advocating a more compassionate alternative to the criminal prosecution of marijuana related offenses. She served as one of NORML'S star expert witnesses at state legislative hearings across the nation and was a staunch advocate for women's rights.

Picture not available

Lynn Zimmer (1947-2006) was a sociologist from Queens College who co-author “Marijuana Myths/Marijuana Facts,” one of the leading scholarly books on marijuana. To date, it has been published and translated in seven different languages. She was well known for her writing on several drug-related issues, including education, drug testing and public messaging. Zimmer was also a frequent expert guest on radio and TV programs. In 2000, Zimmer was honored by NORML as a recipient of the Lester Grinspoon Award for Achievement in the Field of Marijuana Law. Her intelligent perspective and insight into the issue of drugs in society solidified her place as a distinguished scholar in the area of marijuana and drug policy reform over all. For several years, she was an active and valued member of the NORML Board of Directors. She was a supporter of the organization and the cause until the end.

Vision Board Documentary Project

2010-06-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Cheryl Shuman Marketing Alliance Beverly Hills, California

2010-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Cheryl Shuman Marketing Alliance
Cheryl shuman, Cheryl, shuman, Beverly hills, California, 90210, los angeles, optician, optician to the stars, product placement, public relations, small business expert, social media expert, new media expert, small business expert, internet defamation expert, internet defamation repair,

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement
"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle
Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® Vlog Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others.
We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.
Contact us today for additional information!
Sincerely,
Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
www.CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, California

2010-06-02T12:35:00.000-07:00

Eyes Have It for Veteran Coupon Clipper -- Los Angeles Times-December 26,1986

2010-01-09T20:24:00.000-08:00

"Eyes Have It for Veteran Coupon Clipper"
[Home Edition]

Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, Calif.
Author: PADDY CALISTRO
Date: Dec 26, 1986
Start Page: 19
Section: View; 5; Fashion Desk
Text Word Count: 783

Once a manager of an Encino optical boutique, Shuman says she has framed rock stars Michael and Marlon Jackson and Elton John. Shirley MacLaine will wear Shuman's glasses in her autobiographical film "Out on a Limb." Barbara Eden is a steady customer.

Those styles are atypical of her trendier frames. Most men, she says, choose conservative Dunhill ("The Cary Grant style"), Polo or Gucci eyewear. Younger men have been asking for the frames Bruce Willis wears on "Moonlighting," frames Shuman describes as the Dobbs-II by eyewear designer Robert LaRoche.

Her $14,000 one-of-a-kind sale notwithstanding, Shuman says a visit to a client's home results in an average sale of $950 for three pairs of glasses. Working with three to four clients a day, Shuman claims her San Fernando Valley-based business grossed $85,000 in its first six months. Heading into her second year, the 27-year-old entrepreneur will increase her sales force by adding traveling opticians based in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach.

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Specs; Frames of Reference: A Close Look at Seeing & Being Seen

2010-01-08T23:52:00.000-08:00

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Specs; Frames of Reference: A Close Look at Seeing & Being Seen
[FINAL Edition]

The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext) - Washington, D.C.
Author: Henry Allen
Date: Dec 16, 1991
Start Page: d.01
Section: STYLE
Text Word Count: 2958

Men's glasses got sexy in their own right in the '50s, when intellect, alienation and flaws became sexy in men. The tortured James Dean was seen in glasses. Sunglasses came out at night on hipsters. Buddy Holly wore black plastic rims that said screw you, I wear glasses, I don't care if you think I'm handsome or not. Those who were young then will recall the teen-homicidal cult figure Charles Starkweather, who wore wire-rimmed glasses way before they were fashionable.

By paring away peripheral vision, small glasses convey earnest intensity. When framed in wire they convey industry and fierce modesty - in the '60s the wire was a rejection of plastic, the anathema-material. One thinks of granny glasses, John Lennon's English steel-rimmed health-service glasses, and gold-filled P3-lens 1969 sincerity glasses. They hinted at Depression-era poverty, which the children of the '60s felt guilty for missing. They suggested willful naivete, that foundation stone of left-wing radicalism. By seeming antique, they seemed "natural," which was the opposite of "plastic."

There are: Big-Guy glasses you see in Las Vegas lobbies; aviator glasses with the built-in frown of the brow bar; the Vaclav Havel capitalism-with-a-human-face glasses; the mad-moth spectacles on the late Miles Davis; Old-Gal butterflies with forked temples; Garrison Keillor good-boy glasses; Jackie O widow's-tears sunglasses. Think of the meaning of big glasses on Sally Jessy Raphael, looking like she's a little girl playing dress-up on a rainy day, and Sharon Pratt Kelly, looking innocent and wise at the same time. Where would these two women be without their glasses and their middle names?

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

Optician's Designs Put Character Around Actor's Eyes

2010-01-08T23:46:00.000-08:00

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler with Cheryl Shuman, Beverly Hills, California

Optician's designs put character around actors' eyes
[FINAL Edition 1]
USA TODAY (pre-1997 Fulltext) - McLean, Va.
Author: Susan Spillman
Date: Jul 19, 1991
Start Page: 05.D
Section: Life
Text Word Count: 466
Abstract (Document Summary)
She was right. Starry Eyes now employs four opticians who make house calls to the set. They have samples of 4,000 contemporary designs and one-of-a-kind antique frames. Sometimes [CHERYL SHUMAN] designs original ones. She also treats all lenses with special chemical coatings so they don't reflect the bright lighting used for filming.

Once hired by a director, Shuman starts by reading a script. She notes where glasses ought to be worn to make scenes believable. For example, ``anybody over 35 who's seen reading usually wears glasses,'' she notes. ``Or if someone's been crying and they go outside, their eyes would be swollen so you want them to wear sunglasses. And people in business who do paperwork wear glasses.''

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.

Contact:
Cheryl Shuman
"Optician to the Stars"
CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California
- Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Internet Defamation Expert, Cannabis Expert

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more... Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet. CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.
Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
CherylShuman.com

Social Networking
My Facebook Pages:
www.facebook.com/cheryl.shuman
www.facebook.com/norml.beverlyhills

My Consulting Firm:
www.CherylShuman.com

My Political Activism Work:
www.NORML90210.org

Cheryl Shuman Negotiating the Jessica Simpson CBS Dukes of Hazard American Lemans Deal

2010-01-02T02:28:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman "The Boardroom" Negotiating the Jessica Simpson Deal Clip #1

I just found this old video diary clip with me at work in the boardroom. We were negotiating a sponsorship package deal for $6 million with CBS for the American Lemans Cross Promotion with Jessica Simpson in the Dukes of Hazard Movie. I thought you guys might get a kick out of it :) http://www.livevideo.com/video/cherylshuman/e9fb0f2758ee46319c8d969388f57d4a/cheryl-shuman-the-boardroom-.aspx

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills Dick Clark New Years Eve

2010-01-01T01:08:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills Dick Clark New Years Eve
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Cyberstalking Expert, Cannabis Expert

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet. CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.

Cheryl Shuman & Friends Playboy Mansion Party

2009-12-29T23:17:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman & Friends Playboy Mansion Party
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Cyberstalking Expert, Cannabis Expert Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet. CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships and technology.

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
http://www.CherylShuman.com
http://www.NORML90210.org
http://www.ShamanTherapeutics.com

Cheryl Shuman & Friends Playboy Mansion Party

2009-12-29T23:01:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman & Friends Playboy Mansion Party
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® Vlog Web Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others. The In Crowd Vlog® is a mix of Sex in the City® meets Entertainment Tonight® meets The Apprentice® for a break out hit!!! The Show is currently seeking outstanding individuals to interview for their "Visionaries" segments. These segments will showcase today's top leaders in fashion, beauty, journalism, business, technology, entertainment and others with interviews to serve as "pearls of wisdom" on their secrets of success. The show also uses product integration to highlight the use of these products throughout the production. The In Crowd Vlog® is best described as a kinder gentler reality documentary web series.

We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.

Contact us today for additional information!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
www.CherylShuman.com
www.ShamanTherapeutics.com
www.NORML90210.org

Charlie Sheen And Wife Brooke Headed To Counseling

2009-12-27T18:18:00.001-08:00

(Sigh) Charlie Sheen and I have shared some interesting conversations specifically regarding the use of marijuana vs. alcohol --where we have both appeared on various talk shows and entertainment programs. Reflecting on the personal conversations I've had with Charlie--Check out the recent research that I've encountered with actual facts and statistics.

Studies find alcohol use contributes to aggressive behavior and acts of violence, whereas marijuana use reduces the likelihood of violent behavior.

Alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship.

Cannabis reduces likelihood of violence during intoxication…

Source: Hoaken, Peter N.S., Sherry H. Stewart. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 1533-1554. Drugs of abuse and the elicitation of human aggressive behavior. Dept. of Psychology, University of Western Ontario. Dept. of of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University.

Alcohol use is highly associated with violent crime, whereas marijuana use is not.

About 3 million violent crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense.

Two-thirds of victims who suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been a factor.

Among spouse victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender who had been drinking.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Crime Victimization Survey 2002.

Have questions? We have answers.

Cheryl Shuman

Executive Director

Beverly Hills NORML90210.org
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Brooke Mueller Claimed Charlie Sheen Threatened Her With A Knife

2009-12-27T18:07:00.001-08:00

CannaMart-Centennial Court Case Could Determine Whether Municipalities Can Ban Medical Marijuana Providers

2009-12-23T21:24:00.001-08:00

As an executive, I travel close to 50,000 miles per year. As a legal medical marijuana patient, activist and Executive Director for the Beverly Hills Chapter of NORML, I have serious concern. I work each and every day to reform marijuana laws. I dream of a day when I can use the medication of my choice, in this case, medical cannabis, without fear of arrest from traveling on business or visiting friends and family. I dream of a day when cannabis is legalized federally. I pray for the day that at the very least, we can have reciprocation in recognizing legal medical marijuana patients traveling between legal states.

I hope others will join me in that mission.

Merry Christmas to all!

Respectfully,

Cheryl Shuman

Executive Director

Beverly Hills NORML

http://www.NORML90210.org
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Cheryl Shuman - Entertainment Tonight Vintage Clip

2009-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

Cheryl Shuman - Entertainment Tonight's Feature "Optician to the Stars" Vintage Clip

Watch Entertainment Tonight Optician Cheryl Shuman in People & Blogs | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Internet Defamation Expert, Cannabis Expert

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. hasbeen interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more... Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Social Networking
Facebook Pages:
http://www.facebook.com/cheryl.shuman
http://www.facebook.com/norml.beverlyhills

Cheryl Shuman's Consulting Firm:
http://www.CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Political Activism Work:
http://www.NORML90210.org

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills Optician to the Stars Media Reel

2009-12-14T03:05:00.000-08:00

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Internet Defamation Expert, Cannabis Expert

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more... Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Social Networking
Facebook Pages:
http://www.facebook.com/cheryl.shuman
http://www.facebook.com/norml.beverlyhills

Cheryl Shuman's Consulting Firm:
http://www.CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Political Activism Work:
http://www.NORML90210.org

How Do You Stop a Stalker From Killing You?

2009-12-07T00:54:00.000-08:00

How Do You Stop a Stalker From Killing You?
When Restraining Orders Don't Work, Many Women Find Themselves on Their Own
By MARCUS BARAM
Original Post: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3007276

They may differ in the details, but the crimes follow the same depressing pattern.

A woman is physically or verbally harassed by an ex-boyfriend, obtains a restraining order, changes her phone number and moves to another residence, but she still ends up getting killed by him.

In the last two weeks, two such killings on opposite sides of the country have made headlines for their brutality and poignancy.

And, in their tragic inevitability, such crimes raise the question: Even with a restraining order, what can you really do to stop a violent ex-lover who's determined to harm you?

The sad truth is that law enforcement officers can only do so much and that your safety rests largely in your own hands.

After months of stalking, Rebecca Griego, a 26-year-old staffer at the University of Washington, was shot and killed by her ex-beau, Jonathan Rowan, on Monday morning, before he fatally shot himself.

After months of escalating events, in which Rowan harassed her sister and threatened to kidnap her dogs, Griego obtained a restraining order to keep the man 1,000 feet away from her and her sister.

Although Griego moved, changed her cell phone number and posted his picture around her office, Rowan violated the order and verbally threatened Griego twice in the weeks before he killed her.

University of Washington police were told about the threats, but they did not put her under surveillance or provide an escort.

"Would we like to be there for every person who has a protection order? Of course," said Ray Wittmier, the deputy sheriff of the UW police. "But unless we have thousands of officers, it's not possible. In general, we don't do surveillance or provide an escort. Here in King County last year, there were 5,000 protection orders issued and I can guarantee that every one of those people was fearful of who they obtain an order against. The challenge is to pick out the person who's going to go over the edge. It's almost impossible to predict."

Unfortunately, much of the responsibility rests with the individual being harassed, Wittmier said.

"Typically, the petitioner has to change what they do, where they live, the way they commute to work. But that other person typically has some mental health issues and trying to get them to change their behavior is a lot harder."

Some women take extreme measures to avoid their harassers.

"A restraining order is nothing but a piece of paper," said Cheryl Shuman, who went underground and created her own identity, getting a false driver's license and passport, after she continued to receive threats.

"I'm alive today because of what I did," said Shuman, who works in product placement in the entertainment industry. "I really believe that I wouldn't be here if I hadn't taken the measures I had."

Shuman's advice: Keep a video journal that documents your experiences, tell as many people as possible, keep a dialogue with local reporters about what's going on, try to find a domestic violence shelter and, "Get the hell away him."

Bureaucratic incompetence may even put the petitioner in harm's way. Last month, Natasha Ramen was allegedly stabbed and killed outside her home by Hemant K. Megnath.

Although previously charged with raping her, Megnath had been released on $5,000 bail and the judge had issued an order of protection. Several months later, Megnath allegedly threatened to kill Ramen and her husband, and he was arrested on charges of aggravated harassment. Megnath remained a free man because a prosecutor failed to warn the judge in the case. He is now in police custody.

There are no definitive federal statistics on violations of restraining orders, but experts believe that such orders deter violence in 85 percent of cases. For the remaining 15 percent, which involve thousands of victims across the country, the results can be painful if not tragic.

In Massachusetts, 28,760 orders of protection were issued during the calendar year 2005. In about 15 percent of those cases -- 4,347 adults -- defendants were arraigned for violating those orders. Almost 88 percent of the violators were male.

"Studies have shown that they're pretty effective," said Kenneth J. Theisen, who runs Bay Area Legal Aid, which has served 14,000 orders since 1984.

According to an independent study of its clients, 69 percent said that violence had stopped altogether, 19 percent said that violence had decreased and 11 percent said that it had stayed the same or had increased.

"That 11 percent needs someone to help them enforce these orders -- [district attorneys] and police officers," Theisen said. "What else can they do? In those rare cases where someone is killed, most were due to some failure in the system."

Sometimes, it's difficult to actually locate the defendant to serve him or her with the protection order.

"I used to serve plenty myself," Theisen said. "Most would just accept it but you can't just go in and knock doors down. I would hear people behind the door, telling someone, 'Pretend I'm not here' and I could see the guy through the glass partition. One guy I had to chase into our subway system. He jumped on the train and I served him."

Copyright © 2009 ABC News Internet Ventures

CONTACT:
CherylShuman@gmail.com

Welcome Beverly Hills NORML 90210 Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 12:30 pm | By: Radical Russ

2009-12-05T01:57:00.000-08:00

I’m excited to announce the official certification of our newest NORML chapter, Beverly Hills NORML 90210. You can check out the beginnings of their website still in development at http://norml90210.org.

NORML 90210 is headed by Cheryl Shuman, a fascinating woman I first met at the Aspen Legal Seminar. She has been working in the entertainment field in LA for over two decades and has amassed a list of celebrity contacts and friends who we hope can be motivated to speak out for the cause. She’s a strong successful woman who perfectly embodies that “stiletto stoner” image that has captured the public imagination this summer. She’s dealt with media public relations on a professional and personal level in the most stressful of circumstances and will be a natural for presenting NORML’s message.

Cheryl is assisted by Jacek Lentz, an attorney in Los Angeles whom I’ve also met at NORML conferences. Jacek is an emigrant from Poland who is fiercely dedicated to protecting and expanding freedom here in America.

With the natural brand image of Beverly Hills that suggests wealth, celebrity, and the finest things in life, I look forward to Cheryl and Beverly Hills NORML 90210 showing California and the nation that cannabis is not only becoming mainstream, but it is a symbol of fame, fortune, and success as well.

Email, Tweet, Post, Share

Topics: Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills NORML 90210, California, Cheryl Shuman, Jacek Lentz, NORML 90210
Original Post:
http://stash.norml.org/welcome-beverly-hills-norml-90210

The Secret to Legal Marijuana? Women By Daniela Perdomo, AlterNet. Posted December 5, 2009.

2009-12-05T01:48:00.000-08:00

Jeanne Wolfe of USA Today with Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills

2009-11-17T00:40:00.001-08:00

Jeanne Wolfe of USA Today with Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® TV Reality Magazine Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others. The In Crowd® TV is a mix of Sex in the City® meets Entertainment Tonight® meets The Apprentice® for a break out hit!!! The Show is currently seeking outstanding individuals to interview for their "Visionaries" segments. These segments will showcase today's top leaders in fashion, beauty, journalism, business, technology, entertainment and others with interviews to serve as "pearls of wisdom" on their secrets of success. The show also uses product integration to highlight the use of these products throughout the production. The In Crowd TV® is best described as a kinder gentler reality television series.

We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.

Contact us today for additional information!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
www.CherylShuman.com
www.NORML90210.org

Leeza_Gibbons_Cheryl_Shuman_Extra-Beverly_Hills

2009-11-14T23:31:00.001-08:00

Leeza_Gibbons_Cheryl_Shuman_Extra-Beverly_Hills
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® TV Reality Magazine Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others. The In Crowd® TV is a mix of Sex in the City® meets Entertainment Tonight® meets The Apprentice® for a break out hit!!! The Show is currently seeking outstanding individuals to interview for their "Visionaries" segments. These segments will showcase today's top leaders in fashion, beauty, journalism, business, technology, entertainment and others with interviews to serve as "pearls of wisdom" on their secrets of success. The show also uses product integration to highlight the use of these products throughout the production. The In Crowd TV® is best described as a kinder gentler reality television series.

We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.

Contact us today for additional information!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
www.CherylShuman.com
www.ShamanTherapeutics.com
www.NORML90210.org

Gene Simmons KISS Cheryl Shuman

2009-11-14T00:01:00.001-08:00

Gene Simmons KISS Cheryl Shuman
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Gene Simmons KISS Cheryl Shuman
CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® TV Reality Magazine Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others. The In Crowd® TV is a mix of Sex in the City® meets Entertainment Tonight® meets The Apprentice® for a break out hit!!! The Show is currently seeking outstanding individuals to interview for their "Visionaries" segments. These segments will showcase today's top leaders in fashion, beauty, journalism, business, technology, entertainment and others with interviews to serve as "pearls of wisdom" on their secrets of success. The show also uses product integration to highlight the use of these products throughout the production. The In Crowd TV® is best described as a kinder gentler reality television series.

We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.

Contact us today for additional information!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
www.CherylShuman.com
www.ShamanTherapeutics.com
www.NORML90210.org

Fergie-Black Eyed Peas With Cheryl Shuman

2009-11-13T23:50:00.000-08:00

From Blogger Pictures

"FERGIE, BLACK EYE PEAS WITH CHERYL SHUMAN"

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations & Product Placement

"We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is a habit rather than an act"-- Aristotle

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. has been interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more...

Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

Cheryl Shuman is the first and only company of our kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

I'd love to introduce you to a new project that I'm working on. As we document our progress, updates will be presented in the form of a video journal (vlog). In this, you will witness the "birth" of a new production company. The In Crowd® TV Reality Magazine Series with Cheryl Shuman, Inc. is a voyeuristic look behind the scenes of this dynamic, innovative and extremely well-respected Public Relations and Marketing Agency, specializing in television and film production, special events, entertainment marketing, celebrities and lifestyle marketing with VIP Celebrity Retreats for high profile events such as the Grammy's, Billboard Awards, Oscar's, MTV Awards and many, many others. The In Crowd® TV is a mix of Sex in the City® meets Entertainment Tonight® meets The Apprentice® for a break out hit!!! The Show is currently seeking outstanding individuals to interview for their "Visionaries" segments. These segments will showcase today's top leaders in fashion, beauty, journalism, business, technology, entertainment and others with interviews to serve as "pearls of wisdom" on their secrets of success. The show also uses product integration to highlight the use of these products throughout the production. The In Crowd TV® is best described as a kinder gentler reality television series.

We're interested in forming strategic alliances with like-minded individuals to spread our message and mission.

Contact us today for additional information!

Sincerely,

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
http://www.CherylShuman.com
http://www.ShamanTherapeutics.com
http://www.NORML90210.org

Brittany Murphy & Cheryl Shuman-Beverly Hills

2009-11-13T00:12:00.001-08:00

CherylShuman.com - Beverly Hills, California - Celebrity Events, Marketing, Public Relations, Product Placement, Small Business Expert, Internet Expert, Social Media Expert, Internet Defamation Expert, Cannabis Expert

Cheryl Shuman, C.E.O. hasbeen interviewed for hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including but not limited to:: Access Hollywood, Extra, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Mike and Maty ABC, Today Show NBC, HBO Entertainment News, and more... Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired trends through the technology of streaming video on the internet.

CherylShuman.com is the first and only company of it's kind and at the forefront of entertainment marketing, celebrity endorsements, product placement integration, sponsorships, production and technology.

Cheryl Shuman, Founder and C.E.O.
CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Social Networking
Facebook Pages:
http://www.facebook.com/cheryl.shuman
http://www.facebook.com/norml.beverlyhills

Cheryl Shuman's Consulting Firm:
http://www.CherylShuman.com

Cheryl Shuman's Political Activism Work:
http://www.NORML90210.org

Cannabinoids play an important role in stress-related disorders: Study

2009-11-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Use of cannabinoids (marijuana) could assist in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients. This is exposed in a new study carried out at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa's Department of Psychology. The study, carried out by research student Eti Ganon-Elazar under the supervision of Dr. Irit Akirav, was published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience.

In most cases, the result of experiencing a traumatic event - a car accident or terror attack - is the appearance of medical and psychological symptoms that affect various functions, but which pass. However, some 10%-30% of people who experience a traumatic event develop post-traumatic stress disorder, in which the patient continues to suffer stress symptoms for months and even years after the traumatic event. Symptoms include reawakened trauma, avoidance of anything that could recall the trauma, and psychological and physiological disturbances. One of the problems in the course of treating trauma patients is that a person is frequently exposed to additional stress, which hinders the patient's overcoming the trauma.

The present study, carried out by Dr. Akirav and research student Eti Ganon-Elazar, aimed to examine the efficiency of cannabinoids as a medical treatment for coping with post-traumatic stress. The researchers used a synthetic form of marijuana, which has similar properties to the natural plant, and they chose to use a rat model, which presents similar physiological responses to stress to that of humans.

The first stage of the research examined how long it took for the rats to overcome a traumatic experience, without any intervention. A cell colored white on one side and black on the other was prepared. The rats were placed in the white area, and as soon as they moved over to the black area, which they prefer, they received a light electric shock. Each day they were brought to the cell and placed back in the white area. Immediately following exposure to the traumatic experience, the rats would not move to the black area voluntarily, but a few days later after not receiving further electric shocks in the black area, they learned that it is safe again and moved there without hesitation.

Next, the researchers introduced an element of stress. A second group of rats were placed on a small, elevated platform after receiving the electric shock, which added stress to the traumatic experience. These rats abstained from returning to the black area in the cell for much longer, which shows that the exposure to additional stress does indeed hinder the process of overcoming trauma.

The third stage of the research examined yet another group of rats. These were exposed to the traumatic and additional stress events, but just before being elevated on the platform received an injection of synthetic marijuana in the amygdala area of the brain - a specific area known to be connected to emotive memory. These rats agreed to enter the black area after the same amount of time as the first group - showing that the synthetic marijuana cancelled out the symptoms of stress. Refining the results of this study, the researchers then administered marijuana injections at different points in time on additional groups of rats, and found that regardless of when exactly the injection was administered, it prevented the surfacing of stress symptoms.

Dr. Akirav and Ganon-Elazar also examined hormonal changes in the course of the experiment and found that synthetic marijuana prevents increased release of the stress hormone that the body produces in response to stress.

According to Dr. Akirav, the results of this study show that cannabinoids can play an important role in stress-related disorders. "The results of our research should encourage psychiatric investigation into the use of cannabinoids in post-traumatic stress patients," she concludes.

SOURCE University of Haifa

Cheryl Shuman Social Networking on IPeace

2009-10-31T19:39:00.000-07:00

Find more videos like this on iPeace

Cheryl Shuman Social Networking on IPeace

2009-10-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Visit iPeace

Proposed L.A. Medical Marijuana Ordinace

2009-10-25T15:21:00.000-07:00

City Attorney Urges for Public's Help in Passing His Medical Marijuana Ordinance

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich wants the City Council to pass the latest proposed ordinance aimed at regulating medical marijuana dispensaries (you can read that ordinance in full, embedded below).

After placing a moratorium on new facilitates over two years ago--it didn't work, around 1,000 have opened since--the City Council was supposed to develop and pass an ordinance. That still hasn't happened and this week a sense of urgency was placed on the issue after an Obama Administration policy was set forth and a Superior Court Judge said enforcing an extended moratorium was illegal.

Trutanich's ordinance includes a tough set of regulations, including banning the sale and manufacture of edible marijuana products. The ordinance would also force dispensaries to install a quality web based closed-circuit security system where tapes must be handed over to police at their request, even without a search warrant, court order or subpoena. Collectives must also turn over all records, such as members' (who most call customers) information and activity, to police without a search warrant, court order or subpoena.

This afternoon, staffer Jane Usher sent an e-mail to neighborhood council members urging them to public hearings about the ordinance:

Marijuana advocates who want to legalize retail sales turn out in force for the City Council hearings on this topic. While it is also common for the hearings to include a handful of chronically ill patients who rightfully deserve access to medicinal marijuana, most speakers appear to be profiteers, with little compassion for patients and much concern for their personal pocketbooks. These profiteers are well organized and are confident that they can ride roughshod over this City. Who is missing from these hearings? Missing are the pot shop customers, ranging in age from 14 to 30, who are not in medical need of marijuana but, rather, are recreational users. More importantly, you are missing. It is critical that you and your neighbors be heard. The downside risk is too great that this City will continue to be the lawless Wild West for unregulated marijuana shops and their attendant crime and social ills.

Usher's full letter and the proposed ordinance are below:

Dear Neighbors --

We are writing to provide you with an update regarding medical marijuana in this City. There is considerable misinformation circulating on this topic. We hope to inform you and to encourage you to share your views in this matter with the City Council. We do not have a City Council hearing date, but will write again once the day and time are known. Our proposed medical marijuana ordinance is attached.

1. What is the law? Both state and federal law ban and criminalize the sale of marijuana. California voters created an exception for the seriously ill in our 1996 Compassionate Use Act. This Act and its implementing state legislation immunize "qualified patients" and their "primary caregivers" from criminal prosecution if their only conduct is the collective cultivation of medical marijuana for personal use to treat specific serious illnesses. The Compassionate Use Act ballot argument stated that the Act would not allow the sale of marijuana. The California Supreme Court has confirmed that this is our law. On Monday, the Obama administration also advised us that the federal government will honor California law.

2. What has happened in Los Angeles? California cities are authorized to write their own local regulations governing access to medical marijuana, consistent with state law. Los Angeles has yet to take this step. As Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Chalfant ruled this week, our temporary rules have expired. Even so, to date, they were not being enforced. In this vacuum, as many as 1,000 marijuana dispensaries have opened in Los Angeles for the commercial sale of marijuana. No one knows the sources for the vast citywide quantity of marijuana, but it is apparently not the result of cultivation by patients and caregivers. Unlike for every other product that we consume or ingest, there is no local, state, or federal agency that oversees the quality, content, and potential threat of chemical or foreign matter contamination. Moreover, the increased crime at and around the pot shops is taxing our police force and our neighborhoods.

3. What is the next step? Los Angeles needs to adopt regulations about where and how true medical marijuana collectives can operate. The City Attorney transmitted this office's draft ordinance to the City Council yesterday. The draft enables collective cultivation for compassionate use, but does not allow the outright sales that Los Angeles is currently experiencing. Once the City adopts a permanent ordinance, we can begin to close shops operating illegally and monitor legitimate collectives that lawfully provide medical marijuana to residents in need.

4. How can you help? Marijuana advocates who want to legalize retail sales turn out in force for the City Council hearings on this topic. While it is also common for the hearings to include a handful of chronically ill patients who rightfully deserve access to medicinal marijuana, most speakers appear to be profiteers, with little compassion for patients and much concern for their personal pocketbooks. These profiteers are well organized and are confident that they can ride roughshod over this City. Who is missing from these hearings? Missing are the pot shop customers, ranging in age from 14 to 30, who are not in medical need of marijuana but, rather, are recreational users. More importantly, you are missing. It is critical that you and your neighbors be heard. The downside risk is too great that this City will continue to be the lawless Wild West for unregulated marijuana shops and their attendant crime and social ills.

Many thanks for reading. Please let the City Council know your views. Please write or email us back with your questions.

Proposed L.A. Medical Marijuana Ordinace -

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/13514424/Proposed-LA-Medical-Marijuana-Ordinace

Contact:
Cheryl Shuman
310.717.0897
NORML90210@gmail.com

Poll - LA Voters Oppose Plan to Close Med. Marijuana Dispensaries

2009-10-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

Poll - LA Voters Oppose Plan to Close Med. Marijuana Dispensaries

Limelight-loving L.A. City Atty. Carmen Trutanich has been making headlines and television appearances in recent weeks with his all-out legal assault on medical marijuana dispensaries. Unfortunately for Trutanich, U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder feels that prosecution of medical marijuana patients should be a low priority for law enforcement officials and said so in a memo released Monday. Ouch. Trutanich and L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley got another setback on Monday as well when a circuit judge ruled that the city's moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries was illegally extended. Double ouch.

But what might be the most compelling reason of all for Trutanich and Cooley to back off the cannabis biz is the overwhelming support for medical marijuana of the voters who elected them both in the first place.

As John Hoeffel reports from the L.A. Times local desk, over three-quarters of eligible voters are strongly pro-medical marijuana and would prefer to see the dispensaries regulated and taxed, not forced to close:

The poll, completed Monday and Tuesday, also found that 74% support the state's medical marijuana law, while 54% want to see marijuana legalized, regulated and taxed.

The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., commissioned the poll by an independent firm, Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, after Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley threatened all dispensaries in the county with prosecution.

--snip--

The poll of 625 voters found that 77% of voters want to regulate dispensaries, while 14% want them closed. Both Democrats (83%-7%) and Republicans (62%-30%) support regulation over prosecution. The Los Angeles City Council is on the verge of adopting regulations after two years of debate and almost 13 years after voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act.

Even with the stated 4% give-or-take margin of error of the Mason-Dixon poll, this is a uniquely compelling report for Trutanich and Cooley to pay close attention to, especially since it will be these very same voters who'll be determining their reelection prospects in the future.

Contact:
Cheryl Shuman
310.717.0897
NORML90210@gmail.com

Los Angeles Medical Marijuana News

2009-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles could act on medical pot in early November
A proposal to ban all sales of medical marijuana in the city is unlikely to be taken up next week. Aides to Councilman Smith say he supports it and believes it would force most dispensaries to close.

The Los Angeles City Council moved Thursday to consider a controversial medical marijuana ordinance in early November, as a poll released by a national organization that supports marijuana legalization found that more than three-quarters of voters in the county want dispensaries regulated, not prosecuted and closed.

The council action comes after a Superior Court judge ruled Monday that the city's moratorium on dispensaries had been illegally extended. With the city unable to enforce it, Councilman Greig Smith decided Thursday not to hold a hearing on the proposed ordinance in the Public Safety Committee, but to send it straight to the council.

Council President Eric Garcetti's office indicated it will not come up next week but might the week after.

The measure, which was largely drafted by City Atty. Carmen Trutanich's office, would prohibit sales of medical marijuana. Smith's aides said he supports the provision and believes it would force most dispensaries to close. City officials have no idea how many there are, but estimates range from several hundred to 1,100.

Most dispensaries in the city sell marijuana and pay state sales taxes. Operators, however, say the transactions are donations that are intended to recoup their operating costs.

"I would prefer to stop all sales of medical marijuana in the city, but the ordinance proposed by City Atty. Trutanich comes as close as the law will allow," Garcetti said.

Trutanich and Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley say that most, if not all, dispensaries are operated for profit. Under state law, medical marijuana cannot be cultivated or distributed for profit.

The proposed ordinance would "put the genie back in the bottle and it will add order to this chaos," Trutanich said. He said he had a team of lawyers working on the issue and promised to proceed judiciously.

"You don't see me jumping out and doing legal stuff willy-nilly," he said after a speech at City Hall to members of the Chamber of Commerce.

"We're aware of the public's demand for medical marijuana, and we have to make sure we don't interrupt that, but we have to make sure that the public is also protected."

Medical marijuana advocates say the proposed ordinance is a thinly disguised ban. About 75 rallied Thursday outside City Hall. Supporters carried placards aimed at Trutanich and Cooley, including: "LA is unTru!," "Shame on Nuch" and "Cooley = 100% Lies," a reference to the district attorney's contention that "about 100%" of the dispensaries operate illegally.

Rumors of raids on dispensaries rippled through the crowd, and advocates from the Union of Medical Marijuana Patients said they were exploring whether they could get an injunction to stop Cooley.

The poll, completed Monday and Tuesday, also found that 74% of the county's voters support the state's medical marijuana law, while 54% want to see marijuana legalized, regulated and taxed like alcohol.

The Marijuana Policy Project, based in Washington, D.C., commissioned the poll by an independent firm, Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, after Cooley and Trutanich threatened to prosecute dispensaries.

"I think the take-home message here is voters in L.A. County overwhelmingly support the state's medical marijuana law. They think dispensaries, properly regulated, can be a part of that, and Mr. Cooley's really out of step," said Bruce Mirken, the California-based spokesman for the organization.

The poll of 625 regular voters found that 77% want to regulate dispensaries, while 14% want them closed. Both Democrats (83 vs. 7%) and Republicans (62 vs. 30%) support regulation over prosecution.

Contact:
Cheryl Shuman
310.717.0897
NORML90210@gmail.com

Anthony Pellicano Pleads No Contest Anita Busch Case

2009-10-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano and another man, accused of threatening reporter Anita Busch in 2002 to scare her off a story, pleaded no contest today to making a criminal threat.

Pellicano, 65, and Alexander Proctor, 66, were charged four years ago in the threat on Busch's life. Busch, who was then working for the Los Angeles Times, found a fish with a rose in its mouth on the broken windshield of her car along with a sign reading "Stop," court documents allege.

The windshield was punctured and made to appear like a bullet hole, prosecutors wrote in the complaint against the two men.

In June, both men pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case against Pellicano and Proctor was put on hold while the closely watched federal trial against Pellicano and his accomplices moved through the courts. At the conclusion of that trial in December, Pellicano was sentenced to 15 years in prison on a long list of federal wiretapping and racketeering charges. Pellicano and Proctor were transferred to state custody for their arraignment.

According the district attorney's office, they were sentenced to the maximum of three years in prison. "The state terms are to be served concurrently with their remaining federal prison sentences, prosecutors said.

President Barack Obama Issues Medical Marijuana Policy

2009-10-18T21:45:00.000-07:00

AP Newsbreak: New medical marijuana policy issued

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.
The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.
Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
California is unique among those for the widespread presence of dispensaries — businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services. Colorado also has several dispensaries, and Rhode Island and New Mexico are in the process of licensing providers, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a group that promotes the decriminalization of marijuana use.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in March that he wanted federal law enforcement officials to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice.
A three-page memo spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the 14 states, and also to top officials at the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
The memo, the officials said, emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the legal guidance before it is issued.
"This is a major step forward," said Bruce Mirken, communications director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "This change in policy moves the federal government dramatically toward respecting scientific and practical reality."
At the same time, the officials said, the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business.
In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or other crimes.
And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law.
The memo, officials said, is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. Attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that pot sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources.
Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama's repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.
Shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government's plans.

Contact:
Cheryl Shuman
Executive Director
Beverly Hills
NORML90210 Chapter
Working to Reform Marijuana Law in Beverly Hills
Phone: 310.717.0897
Email: NORML90210@gmail.com

Pellicano's Co-Defendants Senticed to Prison

2009-03-03T20:13:00.000-08:00

3 of Pellicano's co-defendants sentenced in LA

Posted: 03/03/2009 06:18:54 PM PST

LOS ANGELES—Three of Anthony Pellicano's co-defendants have been sentenced for their roles in the Hollywood private eye's illegal wiretapping scheme.

Former Los Angeles police sergeant Mark Arneson and former telephone technician Rayford Earl Turner were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Tuesday. Both men were convicted of federal racketeering and racketeering conspiracy counts last May.

Abner Nicherie, one of Pellicano's clients, got 21 months in prison for aiding and abetting a wiretap.

All three have been taken into custody to begin serving their sentences.

Pellicano was sentenced in December to 15 years in prison for digging up dirt for well-heeled clients to use in lawsuits, divorces and business disputes.

Facebook Anyone? Cheryl Shuman Profile

2009-03-03T16:36:00.001-08:00

President Barack Obama Inauguration Speech Text Version

2009-01-20T15:14:00.000-08:00

OBAMA: My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our found fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

QVC Optician to the Stars Premier with Cheryl Shuman

2009-01-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

Watch | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

"E" Entertainment-Cheryl Shuman Optician to the Stars

2009-01-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Internet Defamation Law Blogger FAQ

2008-12-27T11:03:00.000-08:00

Bloggers' FAQ - Online Defamation Law

The Bloggers' FAQ on Online Defamation Law provides an overview of defamation (libel) law, including a discussion of the constitutional and statutory privileges that may protect you.
What is defamation?

Generally, defamation is a false and unprivileged statement of fact that is harmful to someone's reputation, and published "with fault," meaning as a result of negligence or malice. State laws often define defamation in specific ways. Libel is a written defamation; slander is a spoken defamation.

What are the elements of a defamation claim?

The elements that must be proved to establish defamation are:

1. a publication to one other than the person defamed;
2. a false statement of fact;
3. that is understood as

a. being of and concerning the plaintiff; and
b. tending to harm the reputation of plaintiff.

4. If the plaintiff is a public figure, he or she must also prove actual malice.

Is truth a defense to defamation claims?

Yes. Truth is an absolute defense to a defamation claim. But keep in mind that the truth may be difficult and expensive to prove.

Can my opinion be defamatory?

No — but merely labeling a statement as your "opinion" does not make it so. Courts look at whether a reasonable reader or listener could understand the statement as asserting a statement of verifiable fact. (A verifiable fact is one capable of being proven true or false.) This is determined in light of the context of the statement. A few courts have said that statements made in the context of an Internet bulletin board or chat room are highly likely to be opinions or hyperbole, but they do look at the remark in context to see if it's likely to be seen as a true, even if controversial, opinion ("I really hate George Lucas' new movie") rather than an assertion of fact dressed up as an opinion ("It's my opinion that Trinity is the hacker who broke into the IRS database").

What is a statement of verifiable fact?

A statement of verifiable fact is a statement that conveys a provably false factual assertion, such as someone has committed murder or has cheated on his spouse. To illustrate this point, consider the following excerpt from a court (Vogel v. Felice) considering the alleged defamatory statement that plaintiffs were the top-ranking 'Dumb Asses' on defendant's list of "Top Ten Dumb Asses":

A statement that the plaintiff is a "Dumb Ass," even first among "Dumb Asses," communicates no factual proposition susceptible of proof or refutation. It is true that "dumb" by itself can convey the relatively concrete meaning "lacking in intelligence." Even so, depending on context, it may convey a lack less of objectively assayable mental function than of such imponderable and debatable virtues as judgment or wisdom. Here defendant did not use "dumb" in isolation, but as part of the idiomatic phrase, "dumb ass." When applied to a whole human being, the term "ass" is a general expression of contempt essentially devoid of factual content. Adding the word "dumb" merely converts "contemptible person" to "contemptible fool." Plaintiffs were justifiably insulted by this epithet, but they failed entirely to show how it could be found to convey a provable factual proposition. ... If the meaning conveyed cannot by its nature be proved false, it cannot support a libel claim.

This California case also rejected a claim that the defendant linked the plaintiffs' names to certain web addresses with objectionable addresses (i.e. www.satan.com), noting "merely linking a plaintiff's name to the word "satan" conveys nothing more than the author's opinion that there is something devilish or evil about the plaintiff."

Is there a difference between reporting on public and private figures?

Yes. A private figure claiming defamation — your neighbor, your roommate, the guy who walks his dog by your favorite coffee shop — only has to prove you acted negligently, which is to say that a "reasonable person" would not have published the defamatory statement.

A public figure must show "actual malice" — that you published with either knowledge of falsity or in reckless disregard for the truth. This is a difficult standard for a plaintiff to meet.

Who is a public figure?

A public figure is someone who has actively sought, in a given matter of public interest, to influence the resolution of the matter. In addition to the obvious public figures — a government employee, a senator, a presidential candidate — someone may be a limited-purpose public figure. A limited-purpose public figure is one who (a) voluntarily participates in a discussion about a public controversy, and (b) has access to the media to get his or her own view across. One can also be an involuntary limited-purpose public figure — for example, an air traffic controller on duty at time of fatal crash was held to be an involuntary, limited-purpose public figure, due to his role in a major public occurrence.

Examples of public figures:

* A former city attorney and an attorney for a corporation organized to recall members of city counsel
* A psychologist who conducted "nude marathon" group therapy
* A land developer seeking public approval for housing near a toxic chemical plant
* Members of an activist group who spoke with reporters at public events

Corporations are not always public figures. They are judged by the same standards as individuals.

What are the rules about reporting on a public proceeding?

In some states, there are legal privileges protecting fair comments about public proceedings. For example, in California you have a right to make "a fair and true report in, or a communication to, a public journal, of (A) a judicial, (B) legislative, or (C) other public official proceeding, or (D) of anything said in the course thereof, or (E) of a verified charge or complaint made by any person to a public official, upon which complaint a warrant has been issued." This provision has been applied to posting on an online message board, Colt v. Freedom Communications, Inc., and would likely also be applied to blogs. The California privilege also extends to fair and true reports of public meetings, if the publication of the matter complained of was for the public benefit.

What is a "fair and true report"?

A report is "fair and true" if it captures the substance, gist, or sting of the proceeding. The report need not track verbatim the underlying proceeding, but should not deviate so far as to produce a different effect on the reader.

What if I want to report on a public controversy?

Many jurisdictions recognize a "neutral reportage" privilege, which protects "accurate and disinterested reporting" about potentially libelous accusations arising in public controversies. As one court put it, "The public interest in being fully informed about controversies that often rage around sensitive issues demands that the press be afforded the freedom to report such charges without assuming responsibility for them."

If I write something defamatory, will a retraction help?

Some jurisdictions have retraction statutes that provide protection from defamation lawsuits if the publisher retracts the allegedly defamatory statement. For example, in California, a plaintiff who fails to demand a retraction of a statement made in a newspaper or radio or television broadcast, or who demands and receives a retraction, is limited to getting "special damages" — the specific monetary losses caused by the libelous speech. While few courts have addressed retraction statutes with regard to online publications, a Georgia court denied punitive damages based on the plaintiff's failure to request a retraction for something posted on an Internet bulletin board. (See Mathis v. Cannon)

If you get a reasonable retraction request, it may help you to comply. The retraction must be "substantially as conspicuous" as the original alleged defamation.

What if I change the person's name?

To state a defamation claim, the person claiming defamation need not be mentioned by name — the plaintiff only needs to be reasonably identifiable. So if you defame the "government executive who makes his home at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue," it is still reasonably identifiable as the president.

Do blogs have the same constitutional protections as mainstream media?

Yes. The US Supreme Court has said that "in the context of defamation law, the rights of the institutional media are no greater and no less than those enjoyed by other individuals and organizations engaged in the same activities."

What if I republish another person's statement? (i.e. someone comments on your posts)

Generally, anyone who repeats someone else's statements is just as responsible for their defamatory content as the original speaker — if they knew, or had reason to know, of the defamation. Recognizing the difficulty this would pose in the online world, Congress enacted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which provides a strong protection against liability for Internet "intermediaries" who provide or republish speech by others. See the Section 230 FAQ for more.

The vast weight of authority has held that Section 230 precludes liability for an intermediary's distribution of defamation. While one California court had held that the federal law does not apply to an online distributor's liability in a defamation case, the case, Barrett v. Rosenthal, was overturned by the California Supreme Court (EFF filed an amicus brief in this case)

Can I get insurance to cover defamation claims?

Yes. Many insurance companies are now offering media liability insurance policies designed to cover online libel claims. However, the costs could be steep for small blogs — The minimum annual premium is generally $2,500 for a $1 million limit, with a minimum deductible of $5,000. In addition, the insurer will conduct a review of the publisher, and may insist upon certain standards and qualifications (i.e. procedures to screen inflammatory/offensive content, procedures to "take down" content after complaint). The Online Journalism Review has an extensive guide to libel insurance for online publishers.

Will my homeowner's or renter's insurance policy cover libel lawsuits?

Maybe. Eugene Volokh's the Volokh Conspiracy notes that homeowner's insurance policies, and possibly also some renter's or umbrella insurance policies, generally cover libel lawsuits, though they usually exclude punitive damages and liability related to "business pursuits." (This would generally exclude blogs with any advertising). You should read your insurance policy carefully to see what coverage it may provide.

What's the statute of limitation on libel?

Most states have a statute of limitations on libel claims, after which point the plaintiff cannot sue over the statement. For example, in California, the one-year statute of limitations starts when the statement is first published to the public. In certain circumstances, such as when the defendant cannot be identified, a plaintiff can have more time to file a claim. Most courts have rejected claims that publishing online amounts to "continuous" publication, and start the statute of limitations ticking when the claimed defamation was first published.

What are some examples of libelous and non-libelous statements?

The following are a couple of examples from California cases; note the law may vary from state to state. Libelous (when false):

* Charging someone with being a communist (in 1959)
* Calling an attorney a "crook"
* Describing a woman as a call girl
* Accusing a minister of unethical conduct
* Accusing a father of violating the confidence of son

Not-libelous:

* Calling a political foe a "thief" and "liar" in chance encounter (because hyperbole in context)
* Calling a TV show participant a "local loser," "chicken butt" and "big skank"
* Calling someone a "bitch" or a "son of a bitch"
* Changing product code name from "Carl Sagan" to "Butt Head Astronomer"

Since libel is considered in context, do not take these examples to be a hard and fast rule about particular phrases. Generally, the non-libelous examples are hyperbole or opinion, while the libelous statements are stating a defamatory fact.

How do courts look at the context of a statement?

For a blog, a court would likely start with the general tenor, setting, and format of the blog, as well as the context of the links through which the user accessed the particular entry. Next the court would look at the specific context and content of the blog entry, analyzing the extent of figurative or hyperbolic language used and the reasonable expectations of the blog's audience.

Context is critical. For example, it was not libel for ESPN to caption a photo "Evel Knievel proves you're never too old to be a pimp," since it was (in context) "not intended as a criminal accusation, nor was it reasonably susceptible to such a literal interpretation. Ironically, it was most likely intended as a compliment." However, it would be defamatory to falsely assert "our dad's a pimp" or to accuse your dad of "dabbling in the pimptorial arts." (Real case, but the defendant sons succeeded in a truth defense).

What is "Libel Per Se"?

When libel is clear on its face, without the need for any explanatory matter, it is called libel per se. The following are often found to be libelous per se:

A statement that falsely:

* Charges any person with crime, or with having been indicted, convicted, or punished for crime;
* Imputes in him the present existence of an infectious, contagious, or loathsome disease;
* Tends directly to injure him in respect to his office, profession, trade or business, either by imputing to him general disqualification in those respects that the office or other occupation peculiarly requires, or by imputing something with reference to his office, profession, trade, or business that has a natural tendency to lessen its profits;
* Imputes to him impotence or a want of chastity.

Of course, context can still matter. If you respond to a post you don't like by beginning "Jane, you ignorant slut," it may imply a want of chastity on Jane's part. But you have a good chance of convincing a court this was mere hyperbole and pop cultural reference, not a false statement of fact.

What is a "false light" claim?

Some states allow people to sue for damages that arise when others place them in a false light. Information presented in a "false light" is portrayed as factual, but creates a false impression about the plaintiff (i.e., a photograph of plaintiffs in an article about sexual abuse, because it creates the impression that the depicted persons are victims of sexual abuse). False light claims are subject to the constitutional protections discussed above.

What is trade libel?

Trade libel is defamation against the goods or services of a company or business. For example, saying that you found a severed finger in you're a particular company's chili (if it isn't true).

Facebook Anyone? Cheryl Shuman Profile

2008-12-27T02:51:00.000-08:00

Eyewear Makeovers Optician to the Stars on ABC

2008-12-26T20:29:00.000-08:00

Find more videos like this on AS Inner Circle

Christensen, Pellicano Now in Jury's Hands

2008-12-23T13:14:00.002-08:00

LAW PRACTICE • Aug. 28, 2008
Christensen, Pellicano Now in Jury's Hands

By Robert Iafolla
Daily Journal Staff Writer
This article appears on Page 2

LOS ANGELES - Jurors in the federal wiretapping conspiracy case against attorney Terry N. Christensen and private eye Anthony Pellicano began deliberations Wednesday. But before a bailiff guided them back to the jury room to elect a foreperson and start discussing the previous 20 days of trial, they heard one last presentation from the prosecution.
In his rebuttal, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Saunders dismissed Christensen's defense as a combination of "smoke screens, misleading questions, inconsistent defenses, character assassination and rank speculation."
"Don't take my word for it, take theirs," Saunders said before closing out with a series of more than 60 of the most incendiary audio clips taken from the 34 recorded conversations between Christensen and Pellicano that formed the cornerstone of the case against the pair.
Christensen, the managing partner of Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro, and Pellicano each face one count of conspiracy and one count of wiretapping for allegedly intercepting the phone calls of Lisa Bonder Kerkorian. At the time, Bonder Kerkorian was embroiled in a bitter child support dispute with a longtime Christensen client, billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian.
Pellicano was convicted in May of 76 counts related to illegal investigative techniques, including wiretapping.
Saunders delivered his rebuttal Wednesday due to closing arguments running long the previous day. Employing outrage and sarcasm, he attacked what he called the "smorgasbord" of defense theories that Patricia Glaser, Christensen's law partner and lead attorney, offered the jury during her three-hour closing.
Glaser had argued that Pellicano obtained information from traditional investigative sources, and even if he was wiretapping, Christensen did not know about it. She offered the initial conversation between Christensen and Pellicano as proof the sleuth was hired to discover the paternity of Bonder Kerkorian's child, not to wiretap. Saunders called that "perhaps the most misleading" of all the defense theories.
"Yes, defendant Christensen wanted to know information," Saunders said. "But how was defendant Pellicano going to get that? Wiretapping. Information was the ends and wiretapping was the means."
Glaser also asserted Pellicano lied to Christensen and altered the recorded conversations of the pair because he was working for billionaire Steve Bing, who fathered Bonder Kerkorian's daughter and was desperately trying to avoid responsibility for the child.
"They say Pellicano working for Steve Bing was motive to alter the recordings," Saunders said to the jury. "What motive? If they're going to throw something out there, you deserve a rational, coherent explanation."
But in the end, the prosecution's case came back to the recordings. The clips Saunders played to finish his rebuttal were paired with their transcripts projected on a screen so the jury could read along.

L.A. Times Chuck Phillips

2008-12-23T13:14:00.001-08:00

8/1/2008
Inmate Whose Innocence Was Touted by Chuck Philips Accuses Philips of Conspiring with Suge Knight to Threaten Him and Suborn Perjury
Filed under: Dog Trainer, General — Patterico @ 12:20 am

In sworn testimony this week, a prison inmate has accused former L.A. Times reporter Chuck Philips of conspiring with Suge Knight to suborn perjury and threaten him. In this post, I have the transcript and excerpts of the testimony in which the inmate makes the accusation.

Philips’s accuser, Waymond Anderson, isn’t just any prison inmate. His past claims have commanded extraordinary attention from the Los Angeles Times, and from Philips in particular. In 2007, Philips wrote a front-page article setting forth evidence suggesting that Anderson is not guilty of murder. Philips has publicly proclaimed his belief in Anderson’s innocence.

And when Anderson accused a plaintiff’s lawyer of bribing him to make up testimony in a civil case against the City of Los Angeles, the newspaper wrote an article worded to suggest that Anderson’s claims might be credible.

Now Anderson is claiming that the bribery story was concocted by the City Attorney and Chuck Philips — the same Chuck Philips who recently was laid off in the wake of a scandal over a retracted story based on phony documents provided by a prison inmate. And, Anderson claims, Philips smuggled threatening messages from Suge Knight into prison to deliver to Anderson.

I wonder if the L.A. Times will continue to tout Waymond Anderson’s credibility, now that he is accusing their former Pulitzer-prize winning reporter of suborning perjury and aiding and abetting threats.

The fascinating details are in the extended entry.

In January 2007, Chuck Philips wrote a Page One article that strongly suggested Waymond Anderson is not guilty of murder. (Full disclosure: my boss prosecuted Anderson. I have not discussed the case with her.)

Philips’s lede was clearly sympathetic to Anderson:

He was an R&B singer who had scored a nationwide hit with “My Girl.” He performed around the country, drove luxury sedans and owned a palatial home in Calabasas.

Then, suddenly, Waymond Anderson was an accused murderer. Police in bulletproof vests surrounded his black Mustang on Jan. 29, 1994, and handcuffed him as his wife and 6-year-old son watched.

Months later, Philips reported that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has strongly disputed the evidence that Anderson is innocent — and alleged that the documents supporting Anderson’s bid were phony.

Nevertheless, Philips continued to maintain his belief in Anderson’s innocence. In a March 17, 2008 interview with hiphopdx.com, Philips said:

I’ve got a guy that I’m working a story on that’s been in prison for 13 years for something he didn’t do, but if you were to read the reports you would believe he did everything.

chuck-philips.jpg
Above: Chuck Philips believed in Waymond Anderson’s innocence

In addition to publishing an article setting forth evidence of Anderson’s alleged innocence, the Los Angeles Times also devoted an entire article to reporting on a deposition in which Anderson accused a lawyer of bribing him.

Interestingly, Chuck Philips’s January 2007 story advocating Anderson’s innocence never mentioned Anderson’s role as a witness in the lawsuit brought by the estate of Christopher Wallace against the LAPD and the City of Los Angeles. This was an odd omission. For years, Philips had been reporting on the Wallace family lawsuit, in articles that generally reflected hostility to the family’s theory: that corrupt LAPD officers had conspired with rap mogul Suge Knight to kill Wallace.

Indeed, Philips had long maintained a close relationship with Knight that some claimed was more than cozy. One former Death Row bodyguard had testified in a pretrial deposition: “Chuck Philips was frequently at Death Row functions and received payments from Death Row Records.” That witness also implicated Suge Knight and the LAPD in the Wallace murder. Philips later trumpeted the witness’s recantation of that accusation without telling readers that 1) the same witness had accused Philips of receiving payments from Knight; or 2) that the witness had testified that he feared Suge Knight would kill him.

In 2002, Philips famously wrote a widely ridiculed story based on anonymous sources, claiming that Biggie Smalls and Southside Crips were responsible for the murder of Tupac Shakur. The credibility of the story rested largely on the dubious assumption that one of the world’s most famous rappers, an instantly recognizable 300+ pound man named Christopher Wallace, had managed to travel to Las Vegas and deliver the murder weapon to the killers without being recognized by a single living soul — other than anonymous sources who had allegedly spoken with Philips. Philips’s story diverted attention from theories, including one discussed in the book “LAbyrinth” by Randall Sullivan, discussing plausible links between Knight and the Tupac murder.

Philips has a clear history of hostility to the Wallace family’s lawsuit (brought by attorney Perry Sanders), claiming that LAPD officers David Mack and Rafael Perez conspired with Suge Knight to kill Biggie Smalls. For example, Philips once reported that one of the main plaintiffs’ witnesses was an FBI informant. Philips gave the man’s street name and other identifying information. The man was later being beaten by gang members and driven underground.

Also, Philips wrote a story claiming that Amir Muhammad was not a suspect in the murder of Biggie Smalls. This story, which took issue with the theme of an earlier story by reporters Matt Lait and Scott Glover, diverted attention from a possible link (one of many) between Knight and the Biggie Smalls murder.

Before Chuck Philips wrote his story about Anderson’s alibi, Waymond Anderson was on record as supporting the plaintiffs’ theory, having told police that Suge Knight and corrupt LAPD officers Mack and Perez had conspired to kill Christopher Wallace.

After Philips published his article about Anderson’s alibi, that all changed.

In a deposition given in August 2007, Anderson recanted his testimony. He now said that he had lied when he had implicated Suge Knight in Wallace’s murder. He also claimed to have been bribed by lawyers for the Wallace estate.

The L.A. Times played up Waymond Anderson’s new allegations. The paper called Anderson’s recantation a “surprising twist” that created an “unexpected reversal” for the plaintiffs. The paper deemed Anderson’s allegations that the plaintiffs’ lawyer had bribed him to be “some of [Anderson's] most explosive testimony.” The paper further bolstered the credibility of Anderson’s allegation by pointing to a similar accusation by David Mack as “an accusation that has echoes in Anderson’s claim.”

But a federal judge who was fully familiar with the contents of Anderson’s deposition was less impressed by Anderson’s accusations. In an extraordinary order filed on November 13, 2007, Federal District Judge Florence Marie-Cooper wrote that the plaintiffs “provide substantial evidence to prove[] that Mr. Anderson is a liar.”

The L.A. Times has not mentioned this order to its readers.

florence-marie-cooper.jpg
Above: Federal Judge Florence-Marie Cooper

A review of the allegations Anderson made in his deposition reveals the judge’s skepticism about Anderson’s credibility to be a massive understatement. (A full discussion of that deposition will be the subject of a future post.)

Some might say that Anderson’s sudden turnabout was very convenient for the City of Los Angeles — and for Suge Knight. One person who thought so was Perry Sanders, who was quoted in the L.A. Times article about Anderson’s deposition. Sanders accused Anderson of changing his testimony to suit Chuck Philips:

Sanders, a Louisiana lawyer who also has offices in Colorado Springs, Colo., said Anderson’s allegations were “100%, demonstrably false.”

“This is wholesale, made-up-out-of-whole-cloth perjury,” he said in an interview.

Sanders added that Anderson appeared to have been acting at the behest of a Times reporter, Chuck Philips, who has written extensively about Wallace’s death, including articles that raised questions about the theory that LAPD officers were involved.

The Times published an article by Philips earlier this year that cast doubt on Anderson’s conviction in a 1993 arson-murder. Anderson has since filed a writ of habeas corpus seeking his release.

Sanders said Anderson “clearly would like to please Mr. Philips, because he’s singing his song, first, second and third verse and certainly the chorus.”

The article interviewed both Philips and then-editor James O’Shea, who ridiculed the idea that Waymond Anderson might be changing his testimony to suit Philips:

“This guy clearly doesn’t understand what an investigative reporter does for a living,” [Philips] said. “I don’t make up stories, I report them.”

Times Editor James O’Shea said Sanders’ accusations against Philips were “utterly groundless.”

That may be — but now Anderson himself is making the same claim.

This past week, Anderson’s habeas claim has been the subject of a hearing in Department 130 of the Criminal Courts Building downtown. You can read Anderson’s testimony from Wednesday here. The transcript is a matter of public record. I did not receive it from anyone in (or connected with) my office.

I’m not going to be like the L.A. Times and call Anderson’s testimony “explosive” — because, unlike the continually suckered saps at that paper, I tend to be skeptical of inmates’ uncorroborated testimony.

But you’ll see why I find the testimony . . . amusing.

On Wednesday, Anderson himself testified that his claim that he was bribed by Sanders was part of a scheme cooked up by the City Attorney, in cahoots with the Los Angeles Times (specifically Chuck Philips).

THE WITNESS: Recently, I was asked by the — what I was told by the City of Los Angeles if I kept saying that David Mack and Raphael Perez –

THE COURT: You were asked by the City of L.A.?

THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.

THE COURT: And what did they ask you to do about David Mack and Rafael Perez?

THE WITNESS: That if I kept saying that David Mack and Rafael Perez was responsible for the murder of Biggie Smalls, I would never get out of jail and –

Anderson goes on to name Don Vincent, a Deputy City Attorney who was not present at his deposition — but who has admitted speaking to Anderson — as the source of these threats. Anderson continues:

THE COURT: Did he tell you on the record during the deposition?

THE WITNESS: No, sir. It was meetings that took place between himself and the Los Angeles Times.

Anderson claims that he spoke with Vincent over the phone from Corcoran State Prison 3-4 months before his deposition.

THE COURT: And he told you that, if you didn’t stop saying that David Mack and Rafael Perez were responsible for the murder of Biggie Smalls, whose correct name is Christopher Wallace –

THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.

THE COURT: — that you would never get out of prison?

THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.

These extraordinary claims might not grab one’s attention, but for the tremendous weight that the L.A. Times has previously placed on Waymond Anderson’s credibility — thanks to Chuck Philips’s unswerving faith in Anderson. (Philips does like to trust prison inmates — a fact that was ultimately his downfall.)

Anderson goes on to say that Chuck Philips (mistakenly referred to as “John” at one point) brought documents to Anderson at the prison on behalf of the City Attorney, so that Anderson could familiarize himself with the facts of the case in furtherance of a scheme to falsely claim that Perry Sanders had bribed him:

THE COURT: . . . Basically, they gave you all the deposition transcripts they had?

THE WITNESS: Yes, sir.

THE COURT: Why did the Times give them to you?

THE WITNESS: They were trying to disqualify Perry Sanders. . . . They were trying to disqualify Perry Sanders from the Christopher Wallace case. . . . it was all a lie, sir.

Anderson also accused Chuck Philips of smuggling messages into prison from Suge Knight, that contain threats to Anderson.

Q. And was this Chuck Phillips, was he an L.A. Times reporter?

A. Yes, sir. He’s been fired.

Q. But he came to visit you in advance of the deposition?

A. Several times. I received threatening letters.

THE COURT: Who did?

THE WITNESS: I did.

Q. (By Mr. Bernstein) From who?

A. Suge.

Q. Suge Knight?

A. Yeah.

Q. Was Suge Knight in prison with you?

A. No.

Q. How did you get these threatening letters?

A. They were brought in by Chuck Phillips [sic].

Q. Chuck Phillips gave you threatening letters that he said were from Suge Knight?

A. They were kites. They call them kites.

Q. Kites. Can you describe that for me.

THE COURT: Was Chuck Phillips in prison?

THE WITNESS: No, sir.

THE COURT: Kites are normally written transactions between prisoners, right?

THE WITNESS: Right, but this kite — what Suge sent me was rolled up in paper like a prisoner would do it, and it was smuggled into the Corcoran visiting room. I turned over all the kites to the F.B.I.

Anderson’s testimony is ongoing. And so is this story.

Again, I wouldn’t believe the word of this inmate without hard corroboration — and even then, I’d question the corroboration. The point of this post is not to persuade the reader that Anderson’s claims are credible.

Quite the contrary. The reader should be thinking: why would the L.A. Times ever have listened to this person — and puffed up his claims time and time again — when there was so much evidence to discredit him?

The reason is clear: Chuck Philips.

There is much, much more to come, folks.

What you see here is the tip of the iceberg.

UPDATE: Here is the L.A. Times story, which includes a denial from Philips. I will note that this is the first time that the paper has ever told readers that a judge had previously considered Anderson’s alibi and said that Anderson and those supporting him had tried to “perpetrate an elaborate fraud upon the court.” Philips never told us that!

Will the paper finally begin looking into this reporter’s past? I doubt it.

But I promise you, this is not the last shoe to drop.

Detective Craig Stevens Testifies Against Pellicano

2008-12-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

LITIGATION • Apr. 09, 2008
Ex-Cop Says He Gave Pellicano Data

By Robert Iafolla
Daily Journal Staff Writer
This articke appears on Page 2

LOS ANGELES - A former Beverly Hills police officer testified Tuesday that he provided sensitive law enforcement information to notorious private investigator Anthony Pellicano.
Craig Stevens, now a grocery store clerk, said he was paid upwards of $10,000 for making between 75 and 100 inquiries for Pellicano in a police database over a nine-year period. He said he also gave the sleuth police reports and photographs.
In January 2006, Stevens pleaded guilty to seven felony counts. He said he agreed to cooperate with the government in hopes of receiving a lighter sentence.
Pellicano and four co-defendants are in the sixth week of their trial for federal crimes related to an alleged conspiracy to sell confidential information obtained from restricted databases and wiretapped phone calls. Prosecutors allege Pellicano's clients sought the information to discredit rivals and manipulate the justice system.
Prosecutors said they expect to wrap up their case today. Among the last set of witnesses is former Hollywood power broker Michael Ovitz, who reportedly hired Pellicano on several occasions to assist with lawsuits and business disputes.
Over the course of the trial, the prosecution has called a number of witnesses who testified under immunity grants or as part of plea deals. And with varying levels of success, defense attorneys have attempted to impeach those witnesses, often implying they would say whatever they think the prosecution wants them to say.
Perhaps the most effective impeachment of the trial so far occurred Tuesday during defense attorney Chad S. Hummel's cross-examination of Stevens. Hummel played a voice-mail message, which Stevens left for Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Saunders before a plea deal was reached, in which Stevens sounded desperate to cooperate.
"If there's anything I can do to minimize, obviously to help myself, I mean I'm throwing my mercy at your feet," Stevens said on the recorded message. "Anything I can do to help the situation."
But Stevens added he would cooperate "honestly" and maintained he did not know any other law enforcement figures involved with Pellicano.
In court, Stevens said he left the phone message during a time of personal crisis.
"I had hit a low point," he said. "I was an alcoholic for many years, and if I didn't get it off my chest, I would have literally drank myself to death."
Hummel, who represents former Los Angeles police Officer Mark Arneson, also used his cross-examination to compare and contrast his client with Stevens. Prosecutors allege Arneson, in his role as the primary source for law enforcement information, was a member of Pellicano's racketeering enterprise.
Stevens said Pellicano never told him about wiretapping and didn't share information about the investigation targets. Similarly, Hummel claimed in his opening statement that Arneson did not know about Pellicano's investigations or his methods.
And Stevens said the only service he provided Pellicano was the law enforcement information. He always received cash and tried to hide those funds from authorities, he said. Conversely, Arneson did a variety of legitimate work for Pellicano, was always paid in checks and declared that pay as income on his taxes, according to Hummel.
Hummel pointed out that, although Stevens pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and accessing law enforcement databases, he did not plead guilty to racketeering. Hummel has admitted Arneson ran names for Pellicano, but has said that was in exchange for tips on criminals, not as a part of a criminal enterprise.
Former Pellicano Investigative Agency bookkeeper Gaye Palazzo testified under an immunity grant that Pellicano paid Arneson for law enforcement information and defendant Rayford Turner for telephone company information.
Palazzo also told the jury about transcribing intercepted phone calls on Pellicano's instructions. But even though she said she had a six-year on-again, off-again relationship with Turner that was "98 percent physical," she claimed no knowledge of Turner's being involved in wiretapping.
Herbalife co-founder Richard Marconi testified to paying Pellicano $25,000 to perform background investigations on two of the company's executives. Marconi said he did so on the orders of his partner, Mark Hughes, who has since died.
Earlier in the trial, Suzan Hughes told the jury she hired Pellicano to investigate her former husband, the very same Mark Hughes.

Correction
A story on Page 1 of Monday’s paper, “Comedian Testifies to Hiring Pellicano for Extortion Case,” misidentified one of Anthony Pellicano’s four co-defendants. Abner Nicherie is on trial for one count of wiretapping. His brother, Daniel Nicherie, pleaded guilty in 2006 to wiretapping and three charges from an unrelated case. The Daily Journal regrets the error.

Detective Craig Stevens On Pellicano Payroll

2008-12-23T13:04:00.001-08:00

Former Cop Testifies in Wiretapping Case

By GREG RISLING – 2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former Beverly Hills police officer is testifying in a Los Angeles courtroom that he received about $10,000 from indicted private investigator Anthony Pellicano to illegally access criminal databases.

Craig Stevens said Tuesday he began working with Pellicano in the early 1990s after they met through their daughters.

Stevens estimates Pellicano asked him for police reports, criminal histories and driving records up to 100 times.

Pellicano and four other co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to using wiretaps and other tactics to dig up dirt to help clients in disputes.

Stevens is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud and four counts of unauthorized access of protected computers to commit fraud.

Serial Monogamy-Dick Clark, Danny Bonaduce Interview Cheryl Shuman and Dr. Suzanne Lopez Experts on Serial Monogamy for "The Other Half"

2008-12-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

Dick Clark, Danny Bonaduce Interview Cheryl Shuman and Dr. Suzanne Lopez Experts on Serial Monogamy for "The Other Half"

This was a really fun talk show to do. As many of you know I've been married twice with an additional nine marriage proposals that I passed on :-). I'm actually quite monogamous, I just can't seem to find that "life long partner"... thus, I've become somewhat of an "expert" in serial monogamy. My philosophy is basically as a successful business woman who is independent, with two grown children, my reasons for desiring a relationship or perhaps another marriage are simply for finding my soul mate, best friend and lover. I have no need to marry to find financial security or a father for my grown children and I certainly don't want any more children. At this point in my life, I'm looking for someone that we have an amazing connection with in every way possible. At the moment, I've launched an international search for the most eligible bachelors and bachelorettes available for our annual star-studded charity event "Celebrity and Most Eligible Singles Charity Auction" in Beverly Hills, California. Oh and by the way, if you pay close attention to the close of the segment, Dick Clark himself, leans over to me and says, " I wish I had known you when I was single. :-)"

QVC Optician to the Stars Premier with Cheryl Shuman

2008-12-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

Jay Leno, Host of NBC's Tonight Show with Cheryl Shuman

2008-07-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Jay Leno, Host of NBC's Tonight Show
With Cheryl Shuman

Jay Leno, Cheryl Shuman, Optician to the Stars, Celebrity Eyewear, Events, Hollywood, Gossip, NBC, Tonight Show

Optician to the Stars Cheryl Shuman Entertainment Tonight

2008-06-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

Optician to the Stars Cheryl Shuman "E" Entertainment Feature Story

2008-06-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

"E" Entertainment Feature Story on Cheryl Shuman Optician to the Stars

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 002

2008-01-01T07:33:00.003-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 002
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 005

2008-01-01T07:32:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 005
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 006

2008-01-01T07:31:00.005-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 006
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 007

2008-01-01T07:31:00.003-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 007
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 009

2008-01-01T07:30:00.005-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 009
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 010

2008-01-01T07:30:00.003-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 010
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 011

2008-01-01T07:30:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 011
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 012

2008-01-01T07:29:00.007-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 012
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 013

2008-01-01T07:29:00.005-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 013
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 014

2008-01-01T07:29:00.003-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 014
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 015

2008-01-01T07:29:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 015
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 017

2008-01-01T07:28:00.003-08:00

Cheryl Shuman Beverly Hills 90210 Access Hollywood Headshots 017
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:28:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:27:00.005-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:27:00.003-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:27:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:26:00.005-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:26:00.003-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:26:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:25:00.005-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:25:00.003-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:25:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:24:00.003-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:24:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

PlaymateTinaJordanCypressHillCherylPlayboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:23:00.003-08:00

PlaymateTinaJordanCypressHillCherylPlayboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes

2008-01-01T07:23:00.001-08:00

Playboy, playmate, centerfold, mansion party, cheryl shuman, tina jordan, hugh hefner, beverly hills, optician, starry eyes
Originally uploaded by cherylshuman

Playboy Playmate Mansion Party Tina Jordan, Hugh Hefner, Cheryl Shuman

2008-01-01T07:15:00.000-08:00

Playboy Playmate Mansion Party Tina Jordan, Hugh Hefner, Cheryl Shuman

Cheryl Shuman, Katie Couric, Stone Phillips, Al Rouker NBC's Vintage Today Show

2007-12-31T20:33:00.000-08:00

Cheryl Shuman: NBC Today Show Vintage Segment:

Click on the photo above for a Windows Media File of the segment.

I love going through my video archives and updating everything by transfering to digital. Along the way, I'll be posting some of my favorite television and media appearances.

I love this clip from NBC's Today Show with Katie Couric, Stone Phillips and Al Rouker. Live television is always unpredictable and we had so much fun on this day talking about Jurassic Park and other films that I was working on that year. One of the great things about The Today Show is that it really is like coming home to your family. From Katie, to Stone, to Al to the crew, everyone is so nice and friendly. We've always had a blast.
Enjoy!
Cheryl Shuman

Sly Stallone, Cheryl Shuman on set

2007-12-17T21:35:00.001-08:00

Cheryl Shuman, Nick Lowery, NFL Hall of Famer, Aimee in Scottsdale

2007-12-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

WLWT-TV Cincinnati, Ohio Bob Braun Show Coupon Queen Series

2007-12-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Jay Leno, NBC's Tonight Show with Cheryl Shuman of CherylShuman.com

2007-12-09T10:59:00.001-08:00

Jay Leno, NBC's Tonight Show with Cheryl Shuman of CherylShuman.com

Horizons Media, Columbus Ohio :: Strategic Alliance :: CherylShuman.com

2007-11-23T02:02:00.000-08:00

We're in the process of updating our video showrooms for the Starry Eyes Optique (geek for optical shop online:-) I wanted to introduce you to my new "strategic alliance" in business networking. Meet the folks as Horizons Media. Don Lee is practically my twin brother and creative genius that founded the organization. What an amazing organization! Check it out and let me know what you think! I'll be filling you in on what we'll be doing together. If you have any ideas of upcoming styles of eyewear, sunglasses and accessories that you would like to see, feel free to comment. Remember the Starry Eyes Optique has complete optical services and licensed opticians all over the world to make house calls to deliver and fit your order :-)

Forming Our Strategic Alliance with Horizons Media in Columbus, Ohio

Arrival at "The Barn":
Quicktime Media File Click Here For Video!

Meeting the Creative Genius, Don Lee, The Big Kahuna
Quicktime Media File Click Here For Video!

Backgrounder:
"Rich Little Poor Girl" The True Story of the Real Beverly Hillbilly with Cheryl Shuman

"If You Knew Exactly How Much Time You Had Left to Live Life As You Know It
....How Would You Live the Rest of Your Life?
After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, high blood pressure, hypothryroid and other health issues, today I live each day as if it might be my last. To best describe my "life story" it's somewhat like a fairy tale, soap opera and chick flick combined in a video diary that I'm sharing with you. My goal is to get to know you while I can and make the best of every minute that I have now. I grew up as a child of poverty with one of those "rags to riches stories". The media has referred to me as the "Real Life Beverly Hillbilly". I hope that it will be inspirational.

Many of you have asked for my mailing address. My Beverly Hills office address is:
Cheryl Shuman, 468 North Camden Dr., #200, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Email: Cheryl@CherylShuman.com, CherylShumanInc@aol.com, CherylShuman@gmail.com, CherylShuman@hotmail.com, CherylShuman@yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/cherylshuman
http://blog.myspace.com/cherylshuman
http://www.cherylshuman.blogspot.com
http://www.livevideo.com/CherylShuman
http://www.stickam.com/profile/cherylshuman

As you've read in the channel description, I've been smacked in the face with a health crisis. There's a saying that when you're dying, your entire life flashes before your eyes. Well, in my case, I've worked in television and celebrities practically my entire life. In addition to that, I started keeping a video journal in 1974 to record my thoughts and experiences. I was always too tired to write in a journal, but I found my video camera to be my best friend and confidant'. It is my hope that as I review some of my history, memories and experiences with you that you will learn, laugh and grow and perhaps even be inspired by being a part of my life as I embark upon this journey with you. Because I don't know what my future holds, my plan is to simply try to live each and every day to the fullest extent possible and to share that with you :-) It is my sincere hope that we can become friends and get to know each other. It is also my hope that I can add something positive to your life through my experiences. That being said, I'm cutting and pasting the background information about my career and company so that you will know more about my life so far, workwise anyway. :-) You'll be getting to know much more about me personally as we continue this "YouTube" experience. I must stress, that this channel and the experiences and videos are all real. I AM NOT AN ACTRESS! There is nothing scripted here like the LonelyGirl15 series or some of the others on YouTube. I'm not putting them down, it's just a completely different channel. The videos and my experiences shared with you are very real. As stated earlier, I am NOT now NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN AN Actress! I've never had a desire to act. I have worked in television, yes, but my work in television has been that of what is considered to be an "expert" commentator in my respective fields of work. I'm looking very much forward to getting to know all of you as one human being to another. That being said, I've pasted a backgrounder on my career below. I've had a tendency to be a workaholic my entire life, so forgive me if it somehow seems out of place, but I thought it was important that you have an idea of "where I'm coming from"

Here it is:

In 1978, at the age of 18 Cheryl then known as Cheryl Peart, made her debut with the Bob Braun show on WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio and was dubbed America's Coupon Queen. Braun was so impressed that he offered her a position as a regular on the show. Within days another offer was made where Shuman appeared nationally on the popular television series PM MAGAZINE. As an entrepreneur and the nation's youngest syndicated television journalist, her couponing and refunding system made her a branding expert with America's biggest corporate brands. Shuman's career was cut short by a near fatal car crash that ended her career. Transforming herself, Cheryl served an apprenticeship with Dr. Michael Byars of London, Ohio and survived with her backup plan as a Licensed Optician. She moved to California and married Extra TV and Fox News reporter Phil Shuman. After a chance meeting with Michael Jackson, Shuman became the darling of the film and television industry by making house calls with her eyewear to the most famous faces in the world. Beginning in 1984, Optician to the Stars, Cheryl Shuman, was one of the pioneers in marketing the fashion industry to the entertainment industry. As an Optician having direct eye to eye contact, Shuman, realized the power of celebrity and how that power can make a designer or product a household name overnight. Shuman is single handedly credited with some of the biggest trendsetters in the history of sunglasses and eyewear. Terminator 2, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma and Louise, Bat Man, Mission Impossible and Erin Brockovich are just a few of the more than 3,000 feature film and television projects that she is credited with during her 20 year history. Cheryl Shuman. has appeared on hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including, but not limited to: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, Mike and Maty (ABC), Today Show (NBC), HBO Entertainment News, and more. Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty and the media, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet and television syndication outlets.

City: Beverly Hills, California
Hometown: Buena Vista, Ohio in Appalachia
Country: United States
Occupation:
Entrepreneur
Companies: CherylShuman.com and StarryEyes.org Interests and Hobbies:

My Personal Address directly in Ohio: Cheryl Shuman P.O. Box 06249 Columbus, Ohio 43206-0249 My favorite hobby is keeping in touch with my online friends. So I decided to give you a direct mailing address if you want to bypass my Beverly Hills Office. I realize that my most important interest is family and real people and real relationships. Thus, I'll be spending a tremendous amount of my time off in Ohio in my hometown. Please write and stay in contact. I truly love hearing from you. skiing, vlogging, charity work, softball, volleyball, rollerblading, beach sports, biking, hiking, traveling, fine dining, spas, art, painting, film, documentaries, real times with real friends Movies and Shows: Forrest Gump, Superman Returns, Jerry Macguire, Bridget Jones Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Medium, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, CNN, Fox News, Headline News Music: Dixie Chicks, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani, Mary J. Blige, Books: The Power of Now, The Secret, Awaken the Giant Within, The Peaceful Warrior, The Street Smart Entrepreneur Website: http://www.CherylShuman.com

Prince Albert Monaco, Cheryl Shuman and QVC's Cure by the Shore Sunglasses and Accessories Event

2007-11-10T21:28:00.000-08:00

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Stephanie of Monaco

"HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco Hosts QVC's Cure by the Shore with Cheryl Shuman's Starry Eyes Optique Donations"

We're in the process of updating our video showrooms for the Starry Eyes Optique (geek for optical shop online:-) While unpacking some things from storage I had the pleasure of finding these fabulous treasures from my days with QVC. What an amazing organization. If you have any ideas of upcoming styles of eyewear, sunglasses and accessories that you would like to see, feel free to comment. Remember the Starry Eyes Optique has complete optical services and licensed opticians all over the world to make house calls to deliver and fit your order :-)

Music By: Three Doors Down
"A Story About a Girl"
Music By: Gwen Stefani
"Rich Girl"
Quicktime Media File Click Here For Video!

Cyber-Bullying - What Is It?

2007-11-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

To find out more about bullying, please go to this website - it's GREAT information!

http://TKDTutor.com/07Defense/Bullies...

and...

Bullying Statistics:

www.Highlands.k12.fl.us/~msdp/BullyingSt atsResources.htm

IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE GO TO THIS WEBSITE:

www.SomersetCountyCrimeStoppers.org/kids _bullying02.aspx

In the short time I have been active in the YouTube community (since December 2006), I have found cyber-bullying to be prevalent, and it really needs to stop. It's mean, hateful, disrespectful, abusive, and it hurts people.

Cyber-bullying is turning YouTube into trailer trash - people have also committed suicide because of it.

FYI: You can also be arrested for cyber-bullying.

So treat others the way you would want to be treated, and there will be more peace in the world and more peace on YouTube.

Many adolescents face being potential victims of violence in their communities, schools and homes on a daily basis. For some young people, those external threats create a hopelessness and depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.

The spike in teen suicides in the United States is staggering. In 1950 the rate of suicide for 15-19 year-olds was 2.7 per 100,000. Two generations later, in 1990, the rate had increased to 11:1; a jump of more than 300 percent. Current statistics suggest that a young person in America attempts to take his or her life every 42 seconds.

Though few would argue that bullying alone is to blame, the current literature includes many references to students being driven to suicide by peer abuse. In 2003, the journal Adolescence published a study on bullying and victimization which describes how "exposure to repeated insults and rejection by peers can generate deadly results such as suicide or homicide." Clearly, ongoing victimization can create or exacerbate adolescent depression and low self-esteem, perhaps raising the risk of a suicide attempt.

Bullying is not isolated only in schools. It happens in work, in church, and in other arenas in life.

Bullying Statistics: http://www.highlands.k12.fl.us/~msdp/...

VIDEO MADE BY: MovieMaker692

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Project: Cheryl Shuman and The Shirt Off My Back :-)

2007-11-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Project: Cheryl Shuman and The Shirt Off My Back :-)
One of the interns visited with a friend of mine from high school and so the story goes....

Contact:
CherylShuman.com
Cheryl@CherylShuman.com
310.285.1777
468 North Camden Dr., #200
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Backgrounder:

"Rich Little Poor Girl" The True Story of the Real Beverly Hillbilly with Cheryl Shuman

"If You Knew Exactly How Much Time You Had Left to Live Life As You Know It
....How Would You Live the Rest of Your Life?
After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, high blood pressure, hypothryroid and other health issues, today I live each day as if it might be my last. To best describe my "life story" it's somewhat like a fairy tale, soap opera and chick flick combined in a video diary that I'm sharing with you. My goal is to get to know you while I can and make the best of every minute that I have now. I grew up as a child of poverty with one of those "rags to riches stories". The media has referred to me as the "Real Life Beverly Hillbilly". I hope that it will be inspirational.

Many of you have asked for my mailing address. My Beverly Hills office address is:
Cheryl Shuman, 468 North Camden Dr., #200, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Email: Cheryl@CherylShuman.com, CherylShumanInc@aol.com, CherylShuman@gmail.com, CherylShuman@hotmail.com, CherylShuman@yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/cherylshuman
http://blog.myspace.com/cherylshuman
http://www.cherylshuman.blogspot.com
http://www.livevideo.com/CherylShuman
http://www.stickam.com/profile/cherylshuman

As you've read in the channel description, I've been smacked in the face with a health crisis. There's a saying that when you're dying, your entire life flashes before your eyes. Well, in my case, I've worked in television and celebrities practically my entire life. In addition to that, I started keeping a video journal in 1974 to record my thoughts and experiences. I was always too tired to write in a journal, but I found my video camera to be my best friend and confidant'. It is my hope that as I review some of my history, memories and experiences with you that you will learn, laugh and grow and perhaps even be inspired by being a part of my life as I embark upon this journey with you. Because I don't know what my future holds, my plan is to simply try to live each and every day to the fullest extent possible and to share that with you :-) It is my sincere hope that we can become friends and get to know each other. It is also my hope that I can add something positive to your life through my experiences. That being said, I'm cutting and pasting the background information about my career and company so that you will know more about my life so far, workwise anyway. :-) You'll be getting to know much more about me personally as we continue this "YouTube" experience. I must stress, that this channel and the experiences and videos are all real. I AM NOT AN ACTRESS! There is nothing scripted here like the LonelyGirl15 series or some of the others on YouTube. I'm not putting them down, it's just a completely different channel. The videos and my experiences shared with you are very real. As stated earlier, I am NOT now NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN AN Actress! I've never had a desire to act. I have worked in television, yes, but my work in television has been that of what is considered to be an "expert" commentator in my respective fields of work. I'm looking very much forward to getting to know all of you as one human being to another. That being said, I've pasted a backgrounder on my career below. I've had a tendency to be a workaholic my entire life, so forgive me if it somehow seems out of place, but I thought it was important that you have an idea of "where I'm coming from"

Here it is:

In 1978, at the age of 18 Cheryl then known as Cheryl Peart, made her debut with the Bob Braun show on WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio and was dubbed America's Coupon Queen. Braun was so impressed that he offered her a position as a regular on the show. Within days another offer was made where Shuman appeared nationally on the popular television series PM MAGAZINE. As an entrepreneur and the nation's youngest syndicated television journalist, her couponing and refunding system made her a branding expert with America's biggest corporate brands. Shuman's career was cut short by a near fatal car crash that ended her career. Transforming herself, Cheryl served an apprenticeship with Dr. Michael Byars of London, Ohio and survived with her backup plan as a Licensed Optician. She moved to California and married Extra TV and Fox News reporter Phil Shuman. After a chance meeting with Michael Jackson, Shuman became the darling of the film and television industry by making house calls with her eyewear to the most famous faces in the world. Beginning in 1984, Optician to the Stars, Cheryl Shuman, was one of the pioneers in marketing the fashion industry to the entertainment industry. As an Optician having direct eye to eye contact, Shuman, realized the power of celebrity and how that power can make a designer or product a household name overnight. Shuman is single handedly credited with some of the biggest trendsetters in the history of sunglasses and eyewear. Terminator 2, When Harry Met Sally, Thelma and Louise, Bat Man, Mission Impossible and Erin Brockovich are just a few of the more than 3,000 feature film and television projects that she is credited with during her 20 year history. Cheryl Shuman. has appeared on hundreds of television programs, newspapers and magazines, including, but not limited to: Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, Mike and Maty (ABC), Today Show (NBC), HBO Entertainment News, and more. Through her personal relationships and connections with Hollywood Royalty and the media, Cheryl Shuman shares all of the latest trends in celebrity inspired fashion trends, hotspots for travel, spas, dining, sports, comedy and everything else you can imagine all through the technology of streaming video on the internet and television syndication outlets.

City: Beverly Hills, California
Hometown: Buena Vista, Ohio in Appalachia
Country: United States
Occupation:
Entrepreneur
Companies: CherylShuman.com and StarryEyes.org Interests and Hobbies:

My Personal Address directly in Ohio: Cheryl Shuman P.O. Box 06249 Columbus, Ohio 43206-0249 My favorite hobby is keeping in touch with my online friends. So I decided to give you a direct mailing address if you want to bypass my Beverly Hills Office. I realize that my most important interest is family and real people and real relationships. Thus, I'll be spending a tremendous amount of my time off in Ohio in my hometown. Please write and stay in contact. I truly love hearing from you. skiing, vlogging, charity work, softball, volleyball, rollerblading, beach sports, biking, hiking, traveling, fine dining, spas, art, painting, film, documentaries, real times with real friends Movies and Shows: Forrest Gump, Superman Returns, Jerry Macguire, Bridget Jones Diary, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Grey's Anatomy, Heroes, Medium, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, CNN, Fox News, Headline News Music: Dixie Chicks, Black Eyed Peas, Gwen Stefani, Mary J. Blige, Books: The Power of Now, The Secret, Awaken the Giant Within, The Peaceful Warrior, The Street Smart Entrepreneur Website: http://www.CherylShuman.com

Eyewear Makeovers Optician to the Stars on ABC

2007-10-29T07:47:00.001-07:00

"The Starry Eyes Story" Cheryl Shuman Interview

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: Cheryl Shuman Feature Story

2007-10-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sharon Stone and Cheryl Shuman at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

2007-05-06T21:55:00.001-07:00

W Hotel Chicago On Tour with The Black Eyed Peas Screen Capture

2007-05-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

W Hotel Chicago On Tour with The Black Eyed Peas Screen Capture

2007-05-06T21:44:00.001-07:00

Heather McCartney & Cheryl Shuman Backstage Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

2007-05-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

Business-Promoting a business without going broke

2006-09-18T03:36:00.000-07:00

Business--Promoting a business without going broke

Q: As a small-business owner, I have little or no money available to promote my product or service. Can you suggest some opportunities to get the word out that won't cost me an arm and a leg?
A: Most entrepreneurs know good public relations are necessary if they want to sell their products and services. Public relations, and the narrower focus of media relations, contribute to the environment of your overall marketplace.
There's no substitute for the most powerful marketing tool known: word of mouth. However, if you rely on it exclusively, you're taking a big risk. The reason it's so risky is that word of mouth is effective but inefficient. This is where the media come in. They have the power to get the information and reputation of a company across to many potential customers at one time. But the question is: How are you going to get the media's attention?
Here are some tips:
● Local newspapers cover local material. When you have something to say, send a short (two- or three-paragraph) press release — no fancy form is necessary. For example, your local paper will usually print a release about a business expansion or the addition of new personnel.
● Get the names and contact information of the business editors of regional and major magazines and newspapers. Call the editors to introduce yourself and your business and offer your expertise if they're ever doing a story that relates to your particular area of expertise. Editors always need sources, especially when a big story is going down. If you own the local plumbing franchise, you may be called on for comment if the county sewage system continually backs up.
● Get to know the editors in your field. If you have a small widget store, get to know the editors of Widget World, Widget Today or whatever publication that speaks to your market.
If possible, get a Web site and get it in order by linking to other sites. Web sites are wonderful public-relations tools: They don't cost much to keep running (as little as $30 per month) and they make your business look modern and savvy.
When your business gets to a certain size, you'll need to hire a professional firm because you will want exposure in larger markets.
You also won't have time to use these strategies; you'll need someone who has specific expertise and relationships with the media that you don't have time to form.
For further information, visit the www.proline-com.com Web site.

Contact:
CherylShuman.com
310.285.1777
Cheryl@CherylShuman.com

User-Generated Content is This Year's Product Placement

2006-09-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

User-Generated Content is This Year's Product Placement
Keynote speaker Karin Timpone
September 15, 2006
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003122945

By Todd Wasserman

NEW YORK -- The marketing industry’s obsessions seem to change every two years or so. In 2004, all you heard about was product placement and branded entertainment. Now, the fixation du jour is “user-generated content.”

Though technically that’s the last big idea, much of the discussion at The Next Big Idea conference Thursday in New York (co-sponsored by Brandweek) involved UGC.

Karin Timpone, head of marketing at Yahoo! Media Group and a former Hollywood marketing maven, started out the day with some case studies involving a contest in which consumers were invited to send in clips of themselves dancing like pop star Shakira to her song “Hips Don’t Lie,” to get a chance to see the singer perform live. Timpone credited the contest with vaulting the song back into the top 10, although when pressed, she was somewhat vague on specific details.

Timpone also mentioned how Yahoo!’s exclusive coverage of Howard Stern’s last day on terrestrial radio led to a 250,000 jump in subscribers (she said Yahoo! was able to determine that figure by tracking the paths of Web surfers), but stressed that it’s not only entertainment brands that can benefit from such coverage.

Many panelists referred to Mentos’ success after videos of people stuffing the candy into Diet Coke bottles to cause a small explosion benefited the former brand. “Two years ago, who talked about Mentos?” asked panelist Drew Neisser, president and CEO of Renegade Marketing, a New York guerrilla marketing firm. “Now, suddenly they’re hot again.”

Neisser in general encouraged brands to experiment with UGC, even though examples of UGC gone wrong abounded, including an anti-Bush Web site that is apparently still running online with the Burger King imprimatur on it, and videos solicited by BK fans that featured those in the video wearing “The King” mask engaging in various unmentionable acts.

“These days, whether you like UGC or not, you have to take part,” said panelist Helayna Minsk, director-marketing for Unilever, expressing a general sentiment among marketers present.

Though much of the focus of the conference was on UGC, Nick Law, executive creative director at agency R/GA in New York, held forth with a pox-on-both-your-houses attack on the ad industry for being irrationally attached to telling stories in the 30-second format. Law, who has worked on the Nike ID program that lets consumers design their own shoes, and a project for Purina that included Web sites aimed at pet owners with information on health issues, said the 30-second spot is “a spoke in the wheel” and the hub is interactive. He implored ad agencies to “stop selling scribbles” based on one big idea and instead present fleshed-out, 360-degree marketing plans.

PR, Media and Marketing--Getting "Ink"

2006-09-16T14:07:00.000-07:00

Getting Ink
By Kim T. Gordon
Need exposure? Follow these six tips to win press coverage for your growing business.

So you want to land your business message on the pages of The Wall Street Journal or Vogue. Sound impossible? Not really. You can hire an experienced publicist or PR firm with established media contacts, or you can go it alone and still achieve media-relations success--just so long as you follow some basic rules. Here are six practical tips for getting media coverage:

1. Set clear goals. Who do you want to reach, and what do you want them to remember about you? Ideally, your media-relations program should help your company achieve better penetration of its core message. Rather than a one-shot attempt at coverage, make communicating a central message or idea to your target audience a long-term goal. Focus on reaching your best prospects and customers, and use your media-relations program to repeatedly drive your message home.

2. Create a plan. A written plan is essential to keeping your program on track. It doesn't have to be elaborate. Briefly outline your goals, media-relations themes, the tactics you plan to use, a schedule of activities and a rough budget. Take, for example, the owner of a home-improvement company who has a $400 budget. If his goal is to be known as a resource for upscale contemporary remodels, he might plan to send press kits with photographs of completed projects four times per year to editors at select magazines and producers of cable TV remodeling shows, and then follow up by phone.

3. Lay the right foundation. Effective media-relations programs don't exist in a vacuum. They need support. Add a section to your website that's devoted exclusively to the needs of the press, with information about your company, its executives and products, as well as a contact page. Also, prepare your staff by keeping them up-to-date on your media-relations plans and messages, and designate individuals who may speak directly with the press.

4. Shape your story. One of the most critical components of a successful media-relations program is providing content that fits the needs of specific media outlets. Journalists and newsrooms are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands, of press releases and phone calls each day. And they're looking for news and information of interest to their unique readers, viewers or listeners. For best results, become familiar with the media you plan to target. Figure out what they want most, and tailor your story accordingly.

5. Make it easy to cover you. From print journalists to radio and TV news directors, everyone in the media is pressed for time. And much of what they use comes from press releases announcing new studies or statistics, video news releases, radio tours, or even photos supplied by businesses or their PR firms. Winning coverage often depends on going beyond a basic release. For example, you can provide a page of tips that journalists can quote from or use as a springboard for interviews with you. You can supply product photographs to magazines, win high-tech reviews by e-mailing links to an online demo, or position yourself as an expert in your field by scheduling a radio tour on a newsworthy topic.

6. Build relationships. Sometimes "blasting" a press release to thousands of media outlets is called for. But for most entrepreneurs, media-relations success depends on one-on-one interaction--selecting key media, becoming familiar with their needs, providing materials and then following up by phone or e-mail. You can assemble your own list of local media that cover your type of story or, for larger lists, you can find help in media directories such as Bacon's Media-Source and Gebbie Press, where you'll find a free, searchable database of media links.