Lisa Marie Presley opens new Elvis exhibit

By Tim Ghianni
NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, gave visitors to Graceland an inside look at her life with the King of Rock 'n' Roll at his Memphis estate on Wednesday as she celebrated her 44th birthday with the opening of a new exhibit.
The exhibit is called "Elvis... Through His Daughter's Eyes," and displays artifacts including Lisa Marie's baby footprints, tricycle, a record player and her crib, said Kevin Kern, director of public relations for Elvis Presley Enterprises.
"This exhibit is something she has been very excited about," Kern said, adding that it also includes family photos and home movies featuring Lisa Marie's childhood and her relationship with her father before he died in 1977.
On an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday, Lisa Marie Presley showed off a scarf on which Elvis had written the words "I love my Lisa, Daddy" from 1972.
She told the show that she remembered her father singing "Can't Help Falling in Love" to her. She said the new exhibit includes some of her dad's "most amazing clothes ever" and a small chest containing personal items he took with him on tour, including a photo of his father and his driver's license.
Twenty-five people were chosen from more than 2,000 entries for the first day of the exhibit, and each was allowed to bring a guest.
Among the visitors was Tom Termeer, 39, who with his wife Kristen, 35, made the 15-hour drive from Ontario, Canada.
Termeer had been scheduled for a meeting with his doctor Wednesday in preparation for brain surgery to help relieve pain from cluster headaches. But once he discovered that he had won the lottery to meet Lisa Marie Presley, "I had to blow that appointment off to come here," he said.
"One of the biggest reasons I did that is my surgery at the end of the month. Everybody said 'Be Positive,' and I am, but there is a slight chance it may not work and a slight chance I may die," Termeer said. "This is filling the bucket list."
He said that when Lisa Marie Presley learned how far he had traveled and what he is facing she spent extra time with him and his wife.
"It was overwhelming. It was hard to control my composure," Termeer said, adding, "I couldn't help but bawl my eyes out."
It was his second trip to Graceland, which draws an average of 600,000 visitors a year, but his wife's first.
"Elvis was my guy," he said.
(Reporting By Tim Ghianni; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Cynthia Johnston)

Nicole Scherzinger

McDonald's pink slime

Demi Moore

Canadian dollar pares gains after soft GDP data

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar weakened against the U.S. currency on Tuesday after data showed Canada's economy unexpectedly contracted in November for the first time since May as oil and gas extraction declined sharply.

Canada's dollar slid to C$0.9992 shortly after the release of the GDP data by Statistics Canada. Earlier it had firmed to C$0.9966. On Monday, the Canadian dollar finished at C$1.0028 to the U.S., or 99.72 U.S. cents.
(Reporting By Jon Cook; Editing by Jeffrey Hodgson)

Rumer Willis

Plus Size Bodies, What Is Wrong With Them Anyway?

Photographer: Victoria Janashvili


“The statistics and photos in this article have had a global impact,” says Tulin Reid, Executive Marketing and Creative Director of PLUS Model Magazine. “As a plus size fashion magazine we are thrilled with the results as it expands the conversation that we have monthly between advertisers, designers, readers, and the modeling industry.”
Some of the statistics include:
- Twenty years ago the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average woman. Today, she weighs 23% less.
- Ten years ago plus-size models averaged between size 12 and 18. Today the need for size diversity within the plus-size modeling industry continues to be questioned. The majority of plus-size models on agency boards are between a size 6 and 14, while the customers continue to express their dissatisfaction.
- Most runway models meet the Body Mass Index physical criteria for Anorexia.
- 50% of women wear a size 14 or larger, but most standard clothing outlets cater to sizes 14 or smaller.
“The response has been overwhelming,” says PLUS Editor-in-Chief Madeline Jones, “We have received messages, emails and support on our social networking sites from all over the globe. Women simply want to be validated and desire to have equal options in the fashion world. We are not advocating an unhealthy lifestyle; health is not determined by a size or what you look like. I’m pretty sure there are many unhealthy models on the runway during NY Fashion Week.”
This has not only touched plus size women, but women on the other end of the size spectrum as well as men, hospitals, eating disorder organizations, yoga outlets and much more while the article continues to spider the globe.
PLUS Model Magazine continues to rally and express the thoughts of its readers, the confident plus-size woman.