Jenny Lewis has filed a lawsuit against her former employer, Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (“Playboy”), alleging that she was improperly terminated from her employment at the iconic Playboy Mansion. For 11 years, Ms. Lewis was employed as Playboy’s Guest Relations Coordinator (a/k/a the Party Planner). Playboy terminated her on November 4, 2009, while she was still on medical leave recovering from surgery.

On behalf of Ms. Lewis, Randall T. Garteiser of Singer & Garteiser LLP filed suit against Playboy Enterprises and named individuals, including Hugh Hefner. The Complaint contains 12 counts of liability against Playboy.

One count recites that after receiving a decade of annual reviews where she consistently “exceeded expectations,” Ms. Lewis became a victim of retaliation for questioning certain practices at Playboy that she believed to be a violation of the California Employment and Fair Housing Act.

Another count alleges that after Playboy gave Ms. Lewis permission and its blessing to take much needed medical leave, Playboy then terminated her while she was on it recovering from surgery. Playboy’s action was unlawful under the California Employment and Fair Housing Act, according to the Complaint.

In support of her gender discrimination claim, the Complaint recites in addition to herself at least five women were demoted in the back-office of the Playboy Mansion, while Playboy management refused to demote any men that were in similarly situated job positions.

At this time, it is unclear if there is any connection between the termination of Ms. Lewis and her previous employment by Ms. Hefner, who Mr. Hugh Hefner has recently filed for divorce from after over ten years of separation.

TAG Heuer confirmed yesterday that it will continue its relationship with Golf No. 1 Tiger Woods but will respect his desire of privacy by modifying his role in the coming months’ marketing programs.

Tiger Woods became a TAG Heuer brand ambassador in 2002. The relationship between the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860 and Golf virtuoso Tiger Woods has always been extremely professional and productive.

“The partnership with Tiger Woods will continue,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, President and CEO of TAG Heuer, “but we will downscale the use of his image in certain markets for a period of time, depending on his decision about returning to professional golf. We will continue to actively support the Tiger Woods Foundation.”

A major exhibition of Bob Dylan’s paintings will open at the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst) in the autumn of 2010, it was announced today by the museum’s Director, Karsten Ohrt. The exhibition will feature nearly 100 works, including the world premiere of 30 large-format acrylic paintings from the artist’s forthcoming Brazil Series, as well as many original paintings from the internationally acclaimed The Drawn Blank Series.

According to Ohrt, “Bob Dylan’s artworks are informed by the same constant compulsion to renew that characterizes his music. He doesn’t seem satisfied with settling on one form of expression once he has perfected it, but is constantly experimenting and trying out new artistic techniques and styles.”

While Bob Dylan has been a committed visual artist for more than four decades, The Drawn Blank Series casts a vibrant new light on the singular creativity of one of the world’s most important and influential cultural figures. As Marisha Pessl wrote in the New York Times last year, “In Bob Dylan’s extraordinary collection of paintings, we are given insight into the expressive, unvarnished way this artist approaches the world and reminded he is that rare person who can move effortlessly between music, word, ink and paint. . ..Yet again and again, he reflects life back to us with a truth and simplicity that defy words.”

Chief Curator at the National Gallery of Denmark Kasper Monrad, who is organizing the exhibition, says, “Bob Dylan’s visual artistic practice has only been discussed by art historians to a limited extent, so critical examination and interpretation are called for. Several of Dylan’s images reveal an affinity for some of the modernist masters, not least Henri Matisse’s works from the 1920s — a link that is particularly interesting, given the unique collection of Matisse’s earlier works that belong to the National Gallery of Denmark. The choice of motifs, the unusual expressivity and the existential tenor in Bob Dylan’s works are testament to an imagery that is unmistakably his own.”

In connection with the exhibition, National Gallery of Denmark will be publishing an accompanying catalogue featuring contributions by prominent Danish and international art historians.

The announcement of this new exhibition coincides with Dylan reaching remarkable new heights in his cultural impact and popularity. His latest, critically acclaimed album, Together Through Life, debuted at number one in numerous countries and was accompanied by sell out concert tours around the world. The artist recently announced a forthcoming holiday album, Christmas In The Heart, from which all of the artist’s royalties will be donated to hunger relief organizations in perpetuity.

Known for his dramatic appearances in shows such as “Nip/Tuck”, “NCIS”, Dylan Ramsey turns funny guy in the new mob comedy “Shark City” which debuts at the 34th Toronto International Film Festival.

“Shark City” stars Vivica Fox, Corey Haim, Carlo Rota and Dylan Ramsey.

“It’s a welcomed change from portraying evil villains (terrorists or vampires) to be able to play a comic relief in a movie. It’s definitely different from playing Ginger, a transsexual (HBO’s award winning film: Donny & Ginger)” says Dylan.

Now residing in Los Angeles, Dylan was born in Prague and raised in Toronto. This will be his first feature film to debut at a major film festival. “It’s exciting to be a part of a film that is debuting at the festival in my home town.”

Recently wrapping another comedy “No Solace” (a spoof on “James Bond” and “The Watchmen”) where Dylan plays the role of Rorschach “It reminds me of when I played Ginger, the transsexual. Right after that I was called in to audition for several films for similar roles. Powder Blue, Frankie and Alice, and Run for Her Life.”

He’s now writing a comedic web series entitled “Brothers at War”, which follows three regular guys who get drafted into a top secret military mission and are dumped in the middle of a desert. He will also be producing and starring in the series. It goes into production November/December of this year. “It’s an idea that my roommates and I came up with. It’s semi-auto-biographical about the three of us and it’s about having fun. Besides it would be my first time producing in America, I’ve done a couple in Canada already.” However back in the world of dark drama, Dylan (dylanramsey.com) has been co-writing the feature film “Murder at Random” with writer Tony Bruce. Based on a true story, similar to the Charles Manson murders, it follows the events of four killers after they slaughter an entire family in small town America. “Tony Bruce and I met in 2006, around Halloween. Back then he had an auto-biographical film called Redefining Normal. Through the years we decided that MAR would be the stronger of the two commercially. So after rewriting it, we’re ready to get this adventure started.”

It is no surprise that this young multi-talented professional has his hands delved in a plethora of avenues in front and behind the camera. One thing is for sure, his charming aura and charismatic smile really seal the deal.

Socialite and member of the prominent Hilton family Ann Hilton is the target of a lawsuit brought against her by artist Alexander Presniakov alleging she stiffed the artist out of $10 million in original artwork.

The suit, filed Aug. 10 in Los Angeles District Court, alleges that in Oct. 2008, Presniakov delivered several pieces of art to Hilton in her hometown of Las Vegas per an agreement between the two. Upon receipt of the artwork and an appraisal verifying the value, Hilton was to pay the agreed-upon price of $10 million but instead took the artwork without paying, the suit states.

Hilton is the daughter of William Barron Hilton, the co-chairman of the Hilton hotel chain. According to Forbes Magazine, William Hilton is among the US’s richest men, with an estimated net worth of $2.5 billion in 2008.

“Wealth and social standing may afford some people a bit of latitude in behavior like bringing dogs into restaurants, but this is beyond the pale,” said Sim Osborn, the attorney representing Presniakov. “We intend to help Ms. Hilton understand the legal consequences of walking away with $10 million worth of another person’s property.”

Presniakov is a neo-classical artist who has achieved international recognition for his paintings through his commissioned portraits of Princess Diana, Prince Charles, and President Ronald Reagan. His works, including paintings and sculptures, routinely sell for millions of dollars each, and are included in collections throughout the world, including Buckingham Palace.

According to the suit, Hilton and Presniakov exchanged several drafts of the contract for sale of the artwork and the signed contract was due when Presniakov delivered the artwork to a third-party location for authentication.

“Alexander delivered the works as promised, but Ms. Hilton was a no-show,” Osborn said. “We intend to show that Ms. Hilton arrived two hours later and carted the works off without returning the contract, or paying Alex for his work.”

The suit also names Hilton’s husband John McAuliffe as a defendant.

“Alex has made a number of appeals to Ms. Hilton, but she has ignored him,” Osborn added. “At this point, Alex is concerned that the work could have been resold, or stored in a condition that would damage the works.”

Presniakov is seeking the full price of the artwork, $10 million as agreed upon in oral contract, in addition to incidental damages.

Early reports by online gossip bloggers about an altercation between Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis and TV personality Brody Jenner have the facts exactly wrong, according to multiple sources. “Jenner’s public accusations that I punched and kicked his girlfriend are false, outrageous, and slanderous,” says Francis. “In fact, they are actionable.” TMZ.com reports that Michael Sutton, the owner of the nightclub where the events took place, has reviewed the security footage of the incident and it backs Joe’s story.

According to Francis, the incident began Thursday night as he was talking with a friend in Guys and Dolls, a Hollywood nightspot. “Someone shoved me from behind, then hurled a drink at me, glass and all,” Francis says. “I turned to see who it was, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, with Brody Jenner ripping at my shirt.” Club security quickly intervened and led Francis to safety. “The security guards told me they saw the whole thing, and apologized to me for the trouble. They even offered me a new Guys and Dolls T-shirt.” According to multiple witnesses, including the club’s head of security, Francis never punched anyone.

After being attacked, Francis stepped outside the club where he was met by club manager Chris Kasteler. “I was talking with the General Manager for about 5 minutes when Brody Jenner came out of nowhere and cold-cocked me.” Witnesses say that after Jenner sucker-punched Francis, Brody was tazed by club security and briefly detained until security guards could escort Francis safely to his vehicle. “This morning, I learned that Jenner was posting false statements about me online, in a desperate attempt to create some publicity for himself.”

This is the second time this year Jenner has attacked Francis without provocation, according to Francis. In Touch Magazine Online reported in June that Jenner got into a brawl with a club promoter at Les Deux, another Hollywood hotspot, resulting in his being banned from that club for the second time in three months.

Francis says he was shocked by Jenner’s false allegations. “I’ve never hit a girl in my life,” says Francis, “and the accusation disgusts me. The only reason Brody Jenner and his girlfriend are making these claims is because they know they are in deep legal trouble for this second unprovoked attack on me.”

For World Breastfeeding Week, Phantom-Financial announces the unveiling of a life-size park bench sculpture of Angelina Jolie nude with her twin babies by New York artist Daniel Edwards just minutes from Brad Pitt’s own birthplace in the Oklahoma City Metro area in September before its Fall exhibition in London.

“Landmark for Breastfeeding,” inspired by last year’s cover of W magazine featuring Angelina Jolie suckling her baby, depicts a seated nude Jolie double-breastfeeding twins. The tranquil bronze statue demonstrates the “football-hold,” an accepted technique for breastfeeding two babies simultaneously.

In recognition of the global effort to encourage breastfeeding, one twin is depicted as being of African descent. Future castings of the statue will represent other world cultures through variations of the babies’ patina coloring.

“We believe the statue sends a beautiful message by promoting the acceptance of public breastfeeding. Mothers should be encouraged to nurture their babies anywhere,” said Sandy Wilson of Phantom-Financial.

“Hopefully, my sculpture inspires an increase of wet nurses to assist women who have concerns about mastitis, or passing HIV to their infant,” said artist Daniel Edwards in his Connecticut studio where the Jolie statue currently resides.

“La Leche League International and Loretta McCallister have been very helpful,” said project coordinator Cory Allen. “We are applying for approval to put ‘Landmark for Breastfeeding’ on permanent display in a Metro area park.”

The Jolie monument will be unveiled September 11th at MAINSITE Contemporary Art in Norman.

A cast of the sculpture is expected to be auctioned by Sotheby’s October 7th for The New York Academy of Art’s annual Take Home A Nude art auction, after being displayed at Holster Projects in London’s West End.

Mina Sirkin a nationally recognized attorney reporting on inheritance matters, expects that the disputes around Jackson’s children, estate and life insurance may have unexpected results.

Sirkin, who was the CBS2/KCAL9 expert on the death of Anna Nicole Smith and the guardianship of her child, and a media expert regarding the Conservatorship of Britney Spears, says it is likely that the nomination of guardian by Michael Jackson relating to the two children he had with his ex-wife, Debbie Rowe may fail because the court did not make the special findings necessary to terminate her paternal rights. Therefore, under California law, Rowe as the mother of those two children will have priority over any nominated “guardian of the person” by Michael Jackson. However, Debbie can’t expect the same results when it comes to guardianship of the estate of the minors.

The Jackson case is a perfect example of when guardianship nominations can go bad. Parents who name guardians of the person who were married to the parent of the minors can’t expect their intended results, unless the other parent has actually consented to the nomination in writing in California.

Surrogate parents also have special rights in California which if not terminated by the court will remain in tact for the surrogate parent. At this point, it is unclear whether or not any court has terminated the surrogate’s rights.

Any and all of Jackson’s life insurances are at risk at this point, even if he created irrevocable life insurance trusts for his minor kids naming those children as beneficiaries. Sirkin continues to say that large policies are subject to many exclusions and the facts of death of Jackson, along with the coroner’s findings, will greatly impact whether those insurance will be paid.

Unfortunately, even the best intended plans in insurance and creditor planning are tied to a very small wire, called the policy and the application. Sirkin suspects the concert promoters will be more interested in the insurance results than even Michael’s children or estate.

Mina N. Sirkin is a Family Wealth Attorney in Los Angeles, CA. Ms. Sirkin is a Certified Specialist Attorney in Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law by the State Bar of California. She was the legal expert for CBS’s PrimeTime News, NY Times, MSNBC, and USWeekly.

Educator, scholar, feminist and activist Anna Julia Cooper (c.1858-1964), who gave voice to the African-American community during the 19th and 20th centuries — from the end of slavery to the beginning of the Civil Rights movement — was immortalized on postage today.

Cooper, best known for her groundbreaking collection of essays and speeches, A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South, also exhibited educational leadership, most notably challenging the racist notion that African Americans were naturally inferior.

The U.S. Postal Service dedicated the stamp today at Washington, DC’s Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (previously M Street High School and the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth), where Cooper taught math and science and ultimately served as principal.

“Anna Julia Cooper once said, ‘The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class — it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.’ Her actions to support these memorable words during her life are the reason the Postal Service has chosen Ms. Cooper as the subject of the 32nd stamp in the Black Heritage series,” said Delores Killette, vice president and Consumer Advocate.

“Cooper wasn’t subdued by the color of her skin, her gender, her lack of opportunity, or lack of wealth,” Killette added. “She held an instinctive awareness that by virtue of being human, she was entitled to freely know the world and participate in everything it had to offer. This is what ignited the cause of freedom in Anna Julia Cooper.”

Joining Killette in dedicating the stamp were Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, (D) District of Columbia, University of Maryland English Professor Carla L. Peterson, 2009 Dunbar High School graduate Malik Shabaazz, Dunbar High School Principal Gerald Austin and Washington, DC, Postmaster Yverne “Pat” Moore.

The 44-cent First-Class Anna Julia Cooper commemorative stamp features a portrait of her created by Kadir Nelson of San Diego, CA, who based his painting on an undated photograph. Nelson worked under the direction of Art Director Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, MD. All 125 million stamps, available in sheets of 20, are available nationwide today.

Anna Julia Cooper Background

Cooper — who once described her vocation as “the education of neglected people” — viewed learning as a means of true liberation.

Anna Julia Haywood was born into slavery around 1858 in Raleigh, NC. As a child, she developed a love of learning and wanted to become a teacher. In 1868, she received a scholarship to enter the inaugural class at St. Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute (now St. Augustine’s College), a local school for African Americans created by the Episcopal Church and the Freedmen’s Bureau, where she earned part of her tuition by tutoring fellow students. She continued to teach at St. Augustine’s after completing her studies in 1877. That year she married George A.C. Cooper, who was studying for the ministry at St. Augustine’s.

Two years after her husband’s unexpected death in 1879, Cooper enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio. In 1884 she graduated with a degree in mathematics, becoming one of the first African American women to graduate from the school. Cooper returned to Raleigh and taught math, Greek and Latin at St. Augustine’s until 1887, when she was invited to teach math and science at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth (later known as M Street and today as Dunbar High School) in Washington, DC, the largest and most prestigious public high school for African Americans in the nation.

In 1892, Cooper published A Voice from the South by a Black Woman of the South, the first book-length volume of black feminist analysis in the United States. Cooper explored a variety of topics including race relations, poverty, and gender inequality. Across the contexts of religion, education, and literature, she examined the place of African Americans, especially women, in American society. “The time is ripe for action,” she wrote, urging all readers to assume an active role in liberating themselves and others from both racism and sexism in order to realize their fullest potential. She encouraged the African American community to take advantage of education and to develop and promote its own folklore, literature, and artistic culture. Well received by black and white critics alike, the collection was regarded as “one of the most readable books on the race question of the South” by the Kingsley Times of Iowa.

Because white women routinely excluded them from the growing feminist movement, Cooper and other black women across the nation began to create clubs and associations in the late 19th century that were dedicated to the interests and well-being of the African American community. In Washington, DC, Cooper helped establish local organizations for women, young people, and the poor that addressed a range of issues including education, housing, and unemployment. Cooper also used public speaking as a platform for change. In 1893, she spoke about the needs of African American women at the Chicago World’s Fair, and she was one of only two African American women to address the first Pan-African Conference in London in 1900.

In 1902, Cooper became principal of the M Street High School and immediately worked to strengthen the curriculum, which stressed both liberal arts and vocational training. “We are not just educating heads and hands,” she stated, “we are educating the men and women of a race.” Refusing to use inferior textbooks, Cooper sought to better prepare students for admission to some of the nation’s top colleges and universities, including the Ivy League. Four years later, she was removed from her position under allegations of incompetence and misconduct, but more likely because of her steadfast resistance to the racist notion of African Americans’ intellectual inferiority. Cooper then taught languages at Lincoln University in Missouri until 1910, when she was invited to return to the M Street High School to teach Latin.

Noted for the breadth of her education, Cooper studied French literature and history for several years before enrolling as a doctoral student at Columbia University in 1914 while also remaining a full-time teacher. As part of her graduate work, she translated Le Pelerinage de Charlemagne (The Pilgrimage of Charlemagne), a medieval epic poem, from Old French into modern French. However, because of her race, the translation — which was published in Paris in 1925 — was never published in the U.S. despite the professional recognition it garnered. In 1924, Cooper transferred to the University of Paris, Sorbonne, in France and, in 1925, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, which explored the attitudes of the French toward slavery during the late-18th-century revolutions in France and Haiti. She was only the fourth African American woman in the U.S. to earn a Ph.D. and the first black woman from any country to do so at the Sorbonne.

Cooper retired from teaching at Dunbar High School in 1930 but continued to give lectures, publish essays, and be active in community affairs. During this time, she also served as president of Frelinghuysen University, which offered affordable liberal arts and professional courses for working African Americans in Washington, DC. She retired from her role as president in 1940 but continued to serve Frelinghuysen, which was partly located in Cooper’s own home for several years. She privately published her memoir, The Third Step, around 1945.

Cooper died in her home at 201 T Street in Washington, DC, on Feb. 27, 1964. She is buried next to her husband in Raleigh, NC.

Ordering the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark

Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at the Postal Store website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others, and place them in a larger envelope addressed to:

Anna Julia Cooper Stamp

Special Cancellations

PO Box 92282

Washington, DC 20090-2282

After applying the first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Aug. 13, 2009.

Ordering First-Day Covers

Stamp Fulfillment Services also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:

Information Fulfillment

Dept. T 6270

U.S. Postal Service

PO Box 219014

Kansas City, MO 64121-9014

Philatelic Products

Anna Julia Cooper Cultural Diary Page (Item 463876, $13.95) comes with a maxi card with the Anna Julia Cooper stamp affixed and cancelled, plus a pane of 20 stamps.

NBA Legend and Hall of Famer Earl ‘the Pearl’ Monroe has recently announced a strategic digital partnership with WaTunes, the revolutionary social music service that enables music artists and record labels to sell their music entirely free on iTunes while creating a social networking environment for fans to discover new music. Through his own record label Reverse Spin Records, Earl Monroe will be able to distribute his entire label catalogue to leading retailers including iTunes, eMusic, Rhapsody, Zune Marketplace, Amazon, and Wal-Mart.

Earl ‘the Pearl’ Monroe

“We are excited about our digital partnership and anticipate a long prosperous relationship with WaTunes” said Earl Monroe, CEO and Founder of Reverse Spin Entertainment Group, LLC.

The first artists to be digitally distributed by WaTunes are ChinaBlak, a hip-hop artist from New York City and Ciara Corr, a pop artist from Long Island, NY. ChinaBlak’s hit single ‘Hey Now’ is currently available on iTunes.