SIR ELTON JOHN JOINS STARKEY HEARING FOUNDATION ON MISSION TO PHILIPPINES, BRINGING THE GIFT OF HEARING TO HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN NEED

Pictured above: Sir Elton John, David Furnish and Starkey Hearing Foundation founders Bill and Tani Austin help a young man hear during the Foundation’s mission in Manila, Philippines on December 8

Starkey Hearing Foundation wrapped up their second mission to the Philippines last week with help from legendary singer-songwriter, Sir Elton John and David Furnish. John and Furnish joined the Foundation in Manila and helped fit more than 400 hearing aids to children and adults in need, allowing many to hear for the first time in their lives.

In 2004 and 2009, John was the headlining performer at the Foundation’s annual So The World May Hear Awards Gala, and he and Furnish have supported Starkey Hearing Foundation’s work for several years since then.This was their first opportunity to personally participate in a mission and give the gift of hearing.

“We are working to create peace and understanding around the world through the gift of hearing, and it is not possible without all the efforts of our friends and partners,” said Bill Austin, Founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation. “We are so honored to have the support of Sir Elton John and David Furnish and that they would take the time to help us deliver this precious gift.”

Starkey Hearing Foundation was also in the Philippines last December, delivering the gift of hearing to nearly 1,400 people in Manila, Bohol and Cebu with help from professional boxer, Manny Pacquiao and Los Angeles Galaxy soccer player, Landon Donovan. The Foundation plans to return in March 2013 to fit approximately 7,500 hearing aids in Manila, Batangas and General Santos.

This Philippines mission was the conclusion of a major mission circuit for Starkey Hearing Foundation. The team visited 13 additional cities in five countries—Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and India—and distributed more than 24,000 hearing aids over six weeks.

Starkey Hearing Foundation conducts approximately 70 missions each year, both domestically and internationally. Hearing missions are the primary way the Foundation realizes its goal – So the World May Hear. Starkey Hearing Foundation continues to fulfill its Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) commitment to provide more than 100,000 hearing aids to people in need each year and more than one million this decade.

According to Starkey Hearing Foundation, hearing loss is pervasive, affecting 34 million Americans – or one in 10. Yet, with the help of a hearing device, hearing loss can often be corrected in a majority cases, giving an individual the opportunity to better connect with their family, the community and the world around them.

For more information on Starkey Hearing Foundation, visit www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org.

WENDY WILLIAMS UNVEILS NUDE PETA CAMPAIGN IN TIMES SQUARE

TV Star Declares, 'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur'

Wendy Williams greeted holiday shoppers on Wednesday with a sexy appeal to cross fur off their lists as she unveiled her "Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" ad in Times Square to launch PETA's national winter campaign. The campaign, available here, includes two versions of Williams' ad, in which she is covered by nothing but long, flowing hair.

"We should all try to be comfortable in our own skin and let the animals keep theirs," says Williams, who once wore real mink and fox but had a change of heart after learning how animals are electrocuted, beaten, and even skinned alive for their fur.

In addition to her ad, Williams will encourage her viewers to donate their fur coats to PETA so that they can be given to the homeless. PETA is working with shelters in Williams' home state of New Jersey on their coat drives this winter, which have seen greater demand as the numbers of the needy and displaced have increased after Hurricane Sandy.

Williams joins a growing list of stars—including Eva Mendes, Christy Turlington, and Taraji P. Henson—who have renounced fur and then volunteered to appear in PETA's iconic naked campaign.

For more information and to view the ads, please visit PETA.org.

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Rememba Entertainment

Pharrell Williams Announces ‘Places and Spaces I’ve Been’ Book Signing LA-NY

Super producer, Pharrell Williams, will be meeting fans and signing autographs for his first book release  - "Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been" -  starting on October 27 from 1-3pm, at Bookmarc in Los Angeles.

Another chance for fans to meet the Neptunes superstar has been confirmed at the Billionaires Boys Club flagship store in New York City on November 7 from 7-9pm.

Pharrell, usually known as a Grammy winning producer, singer, rapper, composer, and fashion designer (Co-Founder of Billionaire Boys Club) has now turned his creative hands to releasing his first book.  Famed for hits such as Money Maker (Ludacris) and Snoop's Drop It Like It's Hot, and working with some of the biggest names in Hip Hop, this long awaited book will certainly give us a great insight into Pharrell's roots and celebrity lifestyle, just to help make us all that little bit more jealous!  We hope to see you there... 

Copies of "Pharrell: Places and Spaces I’ve Been" will be available for sale at each event and can also be picked up now from Amazon.

For more information about Pharrell Williams, and his group N*E*R*D, you can visit http://n-e-r-d.com/


Words:
Emily Smith
Rememba Entertainment

Are You Ready For The Olympics Opening Ceremony??

Just as Londoners and vistors alike have recovered from the Queen's Jubilee Celebrations, the time has come for London to throw the biggest event it's probably ever had to produce.

I'm sure some people can still reminisce what they were doing when it was announced 8 years ago, that London had won the bid to host the Olympic Games of 2012.   I must admit, at the time I didn't really pay much attention.  Eight years seemed such a long way off at the time, and although I knew it would be a positive experience for London, and the world, I had no idea what the future was to bring us.

I had the honour of being able to attend the Olympics Opening Ceremony Dress Rehearsal.  Prior to that, I had also received a tour of the Olympics park, which was still closed to the public, at the time. 

All I can say at this moment in time with regards to the Olympics Opening Ceremony, is WOW.  It may not be the most comprehensive English to use, and is not a term most journalists would use, however, there really is no better word to describe what I just witnessed.

I did take a pledge of #SaveTheSurprise and so at this point, you will see no pictures or video from the event, but one.    I will add the colourful media in AFTER the Opening Ceremony!

The show captures the essence of the imagination to it's fullest potential.  Except for the national anthem, there really is nothing predictable about this show at all.  It brings out every emotion, it caters to every taste, it caters to every race, and it really is an event for EVERYONE.  Danny Boyle has worked wonders creating this artistic and captivating masterpiece.  Whoever is assuming the ceremony is all about an english country garden, and some farm animals, will certainly be startled and quite possible amazed by the events that unfold right before your eyes.

The Olympic Park is also an amazing development, which that area of London was definitely in need of.  There's a new shopping mall, and outside dining plaza, right on the door step to the park.  The media centers are all in place, being eco-friendly with the re-use of painted shipping containers.  In fact the whole park has an eco-friendly atmosphere, with even the parks main sponsors - Coca Cola, and McDonalds - becoming involved by promoting recycling of any waste at the park, and pledging to create new materials out of any waste generated.

The sporting arenas really do look incredible and should more than impress any athlete who enters them.

I am not here to promote the Olympics.  I was actually quite ready to be disappointed by them (which is really not a good sign!), however, before The Games, have even begun, the whole place has really captured my heart and my spirit, so I can only imagine what it must mean for some of the athletes who have travelled from all over the world to be a part of this.

If you find time over the next two weeks, to spend a morning or afternoon witnessing the magnitude of the Olympics, I would encourage you to check out some of the sites for yourself.  After all, the Olympics is not just about rewarding record breaking athletes, it is also here to demonstrate that London really is one of the best cities in the world - even on the rainy days.

We hope to see some of you at the park!!

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Words: Emily Smith
Rememba Entertainment


Picture owned by copyright of Rememba Entertainment.  All rights reserved. 2012

People Of Poetry Celebrity Auction Event Hollywood May 22

NEWS RELEASE

YASHI BROWN ANNOUNCES HOLLYWOOD

FUND RAISING EVENT TO SAVE ARTS PROGRAMS IN SCHOOLS, 

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PEOPLE OF POETRY FOUNDATION,

AND THE TRAVELING GUITAR FOUNDATION.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (May 14, 2012) - Writer, Poet, Mental Health Advocate and Philanthropist, also born into the legendary Jackson family  - Yashi Brown - is organizing a special Hollywood event "Music and Poetry in Motion" at Sayer's Club, Hollywood, CA on May 22, to promote awareness of the closure of arts programs in schools across the country, and the positive effect that the arts have on people with Mental Health problems. 

The Cause

KEEPING THE ARTS IN SCHOOLS

We are at a time when arts education programs - especially musical arts - will no longer be a choice for our youths and families who can't afford private school.  The public school system, especially in Los Angeles County, has cut these programs dramatically. 70% of Arts Education is no longer available to students. But members of the Jackson Family are taking a stand by trying to get the word out on this educational crisis.

About Yashi Brown

Yashi Brown, is the daughter of Rebbie Jackson and niece of, the legendary, Michael Jackson.  She established her foundation People of Poetry (POP) with intentions to travel the country with her non-profit, helping to donate brand new instruments to support the weak, and share the power of spoken word and creative literary expression. Yashi addresses the, almost taboo, subject of Mental Health, a cause that is personal to her, after she, herself, was diagnosed with Bipolar Type I in her early twenties.  Yashi is a Public Speaker on Mental Health issues, and uses the power of poetry and spoken word, to connect with Mental Health patients who are limited by the means in which they can communicate and express their feelings. 

Yashi acts as a peer group supporter holding a board position for Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN) who is the largest peer support group in Los Angeles County also supported by MHA Los Angeles . She’s also an official national advocate for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) who’s established itself for three decades as the most formidable grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country and the preeminent voice on capitol hill for mental health.

The Event

The upcoming "Music and Poetry in Motion Night of Awareness" also supported by the Traveling Guitar Foundation, will shed light on the cause, and raise money through the onsite silent auction and online live auction.  There will also be live music, comedians and special guest performances. 

Some of music's biggest names have lent their individual signatures to guitars and other special items - exclusively for this event - helping to raise money for the foundation.  Celebrities such as Janet Jackson, Lisa Marie Presley, Mariah Carey, Sting, Bill Withers, and Jackson Matriarch, Katherine Jackson, to name a few, have all contributed.  These items will all be listed and available for the public to bid on, through an Online Auction Site: http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/29988 and via www.YashiBrown.com

Event Details:

WHEN:

Wednesday, May 22, 2012
6:15 – 6:45 p.m.         Media Check-In
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.         Cocktail Reception               
8:30 – 9.15 p.m.         Showtime & Auction
(Deadline to RSVP: Monday, May 21. Media must show picture I.D. when picking up credentials at media check-in on event day)

WHERE:

Sayer's Club,

1645 Wilcox Ave,

Hollywood, CA 90028

"Its now up to us individually to pull together and give students the option. Our politicians don't appear to be making this a priority but arts education is so important to our future generations.  It is an election year, so I am hoping that now is the time for our President to really address this issue."  - Yashi Brown

###

For Interview Requests Please Contact:

Emily Smith - Publicist
Rememba Entertainment
T: 323 570 1160

T: @RemembaEnt
Emily@remembaentertainment.com

Tickets Now On Sale to Yashi Brown's Celebrity Auction Fundraiser Event in Aid of the People of Poetry & The Traveling Guitar Foundation, Hollywood CA, May 22nd 2012

70% of arts education programs have been eliminated in LA Unified Schools alone and this trend is being repeated around the country. 

Please spread the word...

We're holding a special fundraiser in Hollywood on May 22nd to keep the musical arts in schools.

There are special incentives for all corporations, individuals, and entities sponsoring tables.

We will have media coverage at the event. 

 

  
Limited number of VIP tables available upon request via email: rsvp@musicandpoetryinmotion.org 

Special Performances By: Austin Brown, Ray Grady, Yashi Brown, Leon Thomas & Other Surprise Guests...

Festive Attire

Open Bar & Hor's d'Oeuvres 'Til 8pm


$50 VIP Ticket Special
$30 General Admission Tickets

Quantity Limited!

Click here to purchase advance tickets securely via Paypal, by phone OR to make a tax deductible donation.

For detailed information, videos, pictures of auction items, testimonials and more, check out our event website at:

www.musicandpoetryinmotion.org

Rare & exclusive signed guitars and other great items specifically donated for this charity event through the generous support of:

Katherine Jackson 
Janet Jackson
Lisa Marie Presley
Sting 
Alicia Keys
Swizz Beatz
Victoria Justice
Leon Thomas
Nick Cannon
Nickelodeon

And more to be announced...

 "Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to meeting some of you there".

Yashi K. Brown
Author of Black Daisy in a White Limousine: 77 Poems
Founder People of Poetry (POP)
www.YashiBrown.com
www.twitter.com/YashiBrown
www.facebook.com/YashiBrown

Jackie Collins to Interview Piers Morgan at BritWeek 2012

BritWeek have announced that best-selling author Jackie Collins (www.jackiecollins.com) will be interviewing 2012 honoree, Piers Morgan on May 4th at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.  The ‘Evening with Piers Morgan’ will be one of the signature events of BritWeek 2012.

The purpose of BritWeek is to celebrate and highlight creativity and innovation between Britain and California, through a program of dozens of events. As this year’s honoree, Piers Morgan will follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sir Richard Branson, and LA business leader Tim Leiweke.

Last year, Piers Morgan interviewed Collins on his show, ‘Piers Morgan Tonight,’ so with Piers now being the one in the spotlight, it is bound to be an entertaining evening.  Collins is a British novelist, and longtime resident of Los Angeles. She has written 28 novels and is currently working on her 29th book, The Power Trip, which will be released in spring of 2013. All her previous novels have made the New York Times bestsellers list, her books have sold over 500 million copies - nine of which, have been made into movies.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Tickets, tables and advertising opportunities are on sale now through the BritWeek website, www.britweek.org

BritWeek 2012 will run from April 24th to May 7th, with events all over Greater Los Angeles, as well as in Orange County and San Francisco.


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Words: Emily Smith -
Rememba Entertainment
Picture Source: unrealityshout.com

DICK VAN DYKE ANNOUNCED TO PRESENT LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT 2012 SAG AWARDS

It has been confirmed that legendary actor, Dick Van Dyke, will present the Screen Actors Guild’s 48th Life Achievement Award to Mary Tyler Moore, reflecting achievements in her career and her humanitarian work, at the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Past recipients of SAG’s Life Achievement Award include Ernest Borgnine, Betty White, James Earl Jones, Charles Durning, Julie Andrews, Shirley Temple Black, James Garner, Karl Malden, Clint Eastwood, Edward Asner, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, Sidney Poitier, Kirk Douglas, Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury, Robert Redford and George Burns.

For those who are not familiar with Mary Tyler Moore and Dick Van Dyke, they became known in Hollywood when they were cast as suburban couple Rob and Laura Petrie in Van Dyke’s eponymous sitcom based on the experiences of comedy writer Carl Reiner. The series broke new ground in television and is said to have ushered in the golden age of the situation comedy. Adored by audiences and critics alike, the series earned four Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy® Awards during the show’s five-year run, three Emmys for Van Dyke and two Emmys and a nomination for Moore.

In 1969, Van Dyke and Moore reunited for a one-hour variety special called Dick Van Dyke and the Other Woman. They joined forces again in a 1979 episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Hour reprising their roles as the Petries in a tongue-in-cheek comedic sketch. Other notable collaborations by the famously funny TV spouses include a PBS version of D. L. Coburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning nursing home-set stage play "The Gin Game," as well as a reunion with former cast mates in TV Land’s nostalgic “The Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited.”

After the series ended, Van Dyke went on to star in such classic feature films as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Mary Poppins,” “The Comic” and “Dick Tracy.” Over the years, he continued his work on network television starring in “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” “Van Dyke and Company” (for which he received his fourth Emmy) and a critically-acclaimed, Emmy-nominated dramatic performance in the made-for-television movie “The Morning After.” In his fifth decade in television, Van Dyke starred in the 1990s prime time series “Diagnosis Murder” for CBS. He returned to his Broadway roots in productions of “Bye Bye Birdie” and “A Dancers Life,” and most recently penned a New York Times best-selling memoir “My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business.”

The 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®, will be simulcast live coast-to-coast on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, at 8 p.m. (ET) / 5 p.m. (PT) from the Shrine Exposition Center in Los Angeles.

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Words: Emily Smith
Rememba Entertainment


Dick Van Dyke Picture courtesy of nndb.com

Mary Tyler Moore Picture courtesy of squidoo.com

SAG AWARDS BLEACHER SEAT TICKETS AVAILABLE TO FANS FROM TODAY

Have you always wanted to be part of a Hollywood red carpet event? Have you dreamed of coming face to face with your favorite actor or actress? Well now could be your chance, as the Screen Actors Guild has released a limited number of Red Carpet Fan Bleacher Seats, Autographed Celebrity Collectibles, Sporting Event Tickets and Special Experiences for the public to bid on at www.sagawards.org/auction in aid of the SAG Foundation, Los Angeles.

The Screen Actors Guild Awards® Holiday Auction to benefit the SAG Foundation today at 6 p.m. (ET). The auction will stay open for ten days and close at 6 p.m, (PT) on Sunday, Dec 18, 2011 and also includes a VIP ticket package to attend the SAG Awards Ceremony and Gala on January 29th.

The final Red Carpet Bleacher Seat auction will be from Jan. 5-15, 2012, which will offer fans the opportunity to cheer the 18th Annual SAG Awards®’ nominees and presenters as they make their way down the red carpet. The Ceremony auction that launches Jan. 26-Feb 5 will feature one-of-a kind experiences and memorabilia donated by our nominees and their films and television programs as well as presenters, sponsors and media.

Proceeds from the Screen Actors Guild Awards Auctions will benefit the SAG Foundation to help sustain their award winning children's literacy programs: BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools), reading to over 100,000 children monthly in classrooms and hospitals nationwide, and Storyline Online, reaching an average of 1 million views globally each month. The auction also supports the Foundation's Catastrophic Health Fund and emergency services, the Actors Center, and the video preservation of the creative legacy of professional actors.

Fans who love to see their favorite stars on the SAG Awards red carpet will have the chance from Jan. 5-15 to win tickets in the Red Carpet Bleacher Auction. Winners will be able to take pictures, video and get autographs from their favorite celebrities.

The Ceremony Auction that revolves around the nominated actors, ensembles, presenters, sponsors and media will start Jan. 26 and close on Feb. 5, 2012. In previous years, the auction has included autographed scripts and posters, wardrobe and props and set visits to studios. This auction will also offer great items and experiences from the hot, up-to-the minute entertainment news outlets.

Recipients of this year’s Actors® will be announced at the 18th Annual SAG Awards ceremonies on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012, simulcast live from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on TNT and TBS at 8 p.m. (ET)/5 p.m. (PT).

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Words: Emily Smith
Rememba Entertainment

SAG Awards Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Up For Auction To Fans

This is the official release from the Screen Actors Guild:

Film and Television Fans Can Bid for SAG Awards® Red Carpet Bleacher Seat Packages at www.sagawards.org/auction Nov 18 - 28 Auction Will Benefit the SAG Foundation’s Children’s Literacy and Emergency Relief Programs.

The first auction in this year’s series, features 70 seats from which fans can see their favorite stars walk the SAG Awards® red carpet, take pictures and request autographs. New to this year’s Bleacher Seat Auction is the combination of bleacher seat sets with hotel stays, dinners, makeovers, SAG Awards Backstage Tours and more.

Proceeds from the Screen Actors Guild Awards Auctions will benefit the SAG Foundation to help sustain their award winning children's literacy programs: BookPALS (Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools), reading to over 600,000 children monthly in classrooms and hospitals nationwide, and Storyline Online, reaching an average of 2 million views globally each month. The auction also supports the Foundation's Catastrophic Health Fund and emergency services, the Actors Center, and the video preservation of the creative legacy of professional actors. For additional information, please visit http://www.sagfoundation.org/.

The items in this year’s SAG Awards Red Carpet Bleacher Seat Auction are:
Hotel Packages & Backstage Tours:¬
Hotel Stay at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills with Two Seats on the Red Carpet, in combination with a SAG Awards Rehearsals Backstage Tour¬
Hotel Stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles with Two Seats on the Red Carpet¬ Hotel Stay at Omni Los Angeles Hotel with Two Seats on the Red Carpet¬
Hotel stay at The Standard, Downtown with Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
SAG Awards Backstage Tour during Rehearsals with Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats

Dine & Wine Packages:¬
Dinner at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill and Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
Dinner at The Capital Grille and Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
Dinner at J Restaurant & Lounge and Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
Dinner at The Edison and Two Red Carpet Seats ¬
Two seats on the Red Carpet with a complementary bottle of Prossecco wine at the Figueroa Hotel Bar¬
Dinner at The Grill on the Alley Beverly Hills and Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
Dinner at Water Grill and Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats

Makeup & Makeovers:¬
L'Oreal Cosmetics Showroom Makeover with Two Seats on the Red Carpet¬
Hair styled by Lance Christopher and Two Seats on the Red Carpet¬
Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats with L'Oreal Make-Up Gift Bag

SAG Awards Gifts:¬
A Customized SAG Awards Flip Camera with Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
A Customized SAG Awards Flip Camera with Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats¬
Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats with SAG Awards USB Flash Drive Show Gift

Special Red Carpet Positioning:¬
Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row across from People Magazine's Platform¬
Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row across from an E! Platform¬
Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row across from Associated Press¬
Two Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row across from Photographers and Fashion Cams¬ Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row across from Photographers and Fashion Cams¬ Four Red Carpet Bleacher Seats Front Row

Coming up next in the annual SAG Foundation benefit auction series is the Holiday Auction in December which will include vacation packages, set visits, tickets to other award shows, autographed memorabilia and signed posters from this years films and television shows, wine crafting, jewelry and more. The Ceremony Auction, which revolves around the nominated actors and ensembles, will be held in January during the week of the SAG Awards simulcast. Previous auctions have included autographed scripts and posters, wardrobe pieces, props and set visits to studios, donations from our sponsors and attending news and entertainment outlets. Details on these and other auction items will be announced in the weeks to come.

18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards® honoring the outstanding film and television performances of 2011 will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. (ET), 5 p.m. (PT), 7 p.m. (CT) and 6 p.m. (MT). West Coast viewers who prefer to watch in primetime will be able to catch the encore presentation on TNT at 7 p.m. (PT) / 10 p.m. (ET).
The Screen Actors Guild Awards auction to benefit the SAG Foundation is managed by Auction Cause and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

For more information about the SAG Awards, SAG, TNT and TBS, visit sagawards.org/about, “like” SAG Awards at facebook.com/sagawardsofficialpage and follow SAG Awards at twitter.com/sagawards.