Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year 2008!

I wish you all the best things you need in 2008.

I wish you divine protection and divine provision and divine promotion every day by day in 2008.

I wish you all round success in 2008.

Cheers and God bless you always.

Assassination of Benazir Bhutto is the Greatest Shock of 2007

Yes.
There were horrible and shocking incidents and events in 2007, as highlighted in the following posts below, but the most shocking of them all was the assassination of Bbenazir Bhutto, the Rose of Pakistan.

Top Political Highlights of 2007

It may be hard to imagine, but before 2007 no one knew the significance of a wide stance when it comes to airport bathrooms. No one knew Oprah was going to step off the couch and on to the political stage or that an Arkansan best known for losing 100 lbs would lead the Republican polls heading into Iowa.

But not every story in 2007 was a surprise. The Democrats couldn't hold off Bush in Congress and Scooter Libby got a Presidential pass on Plamegate. High hopes dashed on the rocks of cynicism? That's the year in Politics 2007.

- Evan

Top 5 Highlights of 2007

They say that the world is a crazy place, but I say they're wrong. The world is a wild, whacked-out, insane place.

In 2007, we went through it all. The big, bloated blimp of self-confidence, Hugo Chavez, was dealt a mighty blow to the ego this year when Venezuelans said "NO!" to his proposed amendments to the Venezuelan constitution. One of the proposed amendments would have removed term limits, allowing Chavez to run for president indefinitely. Yikes.

Of course the biggest dictator news of the year was the death of Saddam Hussein by hanging in Iraq. This actually happened at the end of December in 2006, but the backlash from his execution was felt throughout the Muslim world in January. By humiliating and executing Saddam in the way that they did, the Iraqi justice system succeeded in making Saddam a martyr. Great job, guys.

But that's not all, our other dictator friend, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, had the world on edge for a while in March when Iranian military apprehended a crew of British sailors that they claimed were trespassing in Iranian waters. Iranian officials then forced the sailors to write letters admitting their guilt and participate in phony PR-style videos in which they played chess and claimed that they were being treated well. Thankfully, Ahmadinejad didn't go the "Saw" route and make the holding cells into a death trap, although I wouldn't put it past him in the future.

To round out the last two, we have Zimbabwe's dictator Robert Mugabe blasting President Bush and the US for criticizing his stranglehold on the country and Brian Haw, a peace activist in the UK who gives 'em hell in front of the parliament. That was the world in 2007, lots of dictators, death, jail and activism. Will 2008 be any different?

Kenya's Vote Shows Tight Race

The Electoral Commission of Kenya said turn-out was the highest since a multi-party political system was reintroduced in 1992. About 14 million voters were eligible, although analysts expect turnout to have been between 8 and 10 million.

Nigerian Illegitimate Government Revoves Acclaimed Anti-Corruption Crusader, Nuhu Ribadu

"Democracy can neither be attained nor sustained in a state of political illegitimacy."
~ Orikinla Osinachi

Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been removed to scuttle the investigation of former president Olusegun Obasanjo's daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, over the alleged N3.5 billion contract scam involving an Austrian firm, M. Schneider GMBH, and the ongoing prosecution of other criminal suspects who were sponsors of the presidential campaign of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua and were also the employers of the political thugs and other criminals who rigged the last April polls in Nigeria.

The cookie is crumbling.

Prof. Wole Soyinka's commentary on the sudden removal of Nuhu Ribadu is a must read.

RIP Benazir Bhutto

It's a very sad day. I was deeply shocked and saddened by the beautiful and fearless Ms.Bhutto's death. She was the only hope for a truly democratic Pakistan and for Muslim women. This is yet another cowardly act by terrorists.

However, when she returned to Pakistan in Oct, I sort of guessed she was going to be killed. It was a very dangerous step. She somehow took that risk. She's a VERY brave woman.

RIP Benazir!

Keshi, Viva Forever.

America Reacts To The Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Benazir Bhutto

27 Dec 2007
21:38
Bhutto Assassination Must Not Further the Crackdown on Civil Liberties, Says Amnesty International
19:28
Reaction of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt., Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department and Foreign Operations) to the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
19:12
Statement on the Death of Benazir Bhutto From Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich
18:44
Benazir Bhutto Assassinated, Attempts Made on Sharif as Pakistan Drifts Into Civil War; EIN News Offers Extended News Coverage
17:04
Statement From the American Islamic Congress Regarding the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto
16:11
Statement from the Foreign Secretary on the death of Benazir Bhutto

AP Thursday News Update

Benazir Bhutto Was A Symbol of Hope and Democracy for Pakistan

"The assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is an absolute tragedy for the Pakistani people and for the world."

"Benazir Bhutto was a symbol of hope and democracy for Pakistan."

~ U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, AUGUSTA, Maine—Maine.

Breaking News! Benazir Bhutto Assassinated in Pakistan!

Benazir Bhutto



Dec. 27 - Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a bomb attack at an election rally in Rawalpindi, according to party officials.

Bhutto was holding the election rally in the Pakistani city of Rawalpindi when the attack occurred.

Initial reports from local police said fifteen people had been killed and first reports came in that Bhutto has been injured - possibly seriously - before a party offical said she had died.

Bhutto's party has the largest support in the country as it heads into a general election that has been beset by violence.

80 Things to Watch in 2008

Eighty Things to Watch in 2008

Facebook Suicides, Eco-Fatigue and Intellectual Luxury Included on JWT's Annual List

NEW YORK, Dec. 26 /PRNewswire/ --

JWT, the largest advertising agency in the U.S. and the fourth-largest full-service network in the world, today released its list of 80 things to watch in 2008.


"These people, products, places, services and shifts will help to define 2008," says Ann Mack, director of trendspotting at JWT. "By examining what will resonate with people or drive their thinking and behavior, we can identify larger patterns that will shape all of our lives in the years to come."


"Love it or hate it, technology continues to be a common thread on our list," adds Mack. "It drives the serendipitous randomness that throws up chance connections, groundbreaking discoveries and great business ideas."


JWT's list of 80 Things to Watch in 2008, in alphabetical order:

1. Africa (foreign investment and development in)
2. Antibiotic backlash
3. Assisted marriage
4. Beijing 2008
5. Blue replacing green as the environmental movement's color du jour
6. Brain exercises
7. British actress Keira Knightley
8. Carbon tax
9. Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang
10. Classical musician Gustavo Dudamel
11. Climate sightseeing
12. Continuation of comebacks (Indiana Jones, The Cure, etc.)
13. Cooperative consumption
14. Couch surfing
15. Country branding (Oman, Indonesia, etc.)
16. Designer Phillip Lim
17. De-teching
18. DJ Tiesto
19. DNA-based exercising
20. E-clutter (and e-clutter consultants)
21. Eco-fatigue
22. E-mail etiquette
23. Facebook suicides
24. Fashion label Vena Cava
25. Foreign government investment (e.g., China, UAE) in U.S. companies
26. French President Nicolas Sarkozy
27. Game 3.0 (gamer-generated global gaming)
28. Google's Android
29. Gossip Girl
30. Gphone
31. Green weddings
32. Higher education online
33. Hip-hop's Retro Kids
34. Humbling of the hedge fund manager (anti-excess post sub-prime)
35. Hybrid taxis
36. Indian actress Deepika Padukone
37. Intellectual luxury
38. Investigating ingredients
39. Japanese designs (Tsumori Chisato, Uniqlo, Muji, etc.)
40. Kitchen appliances as new power tools
41. Lifestyle curators
42. Lipstick trumping lip gloss
43. Manga-inspired clothes
44. Mobile technology explosion
45. Mobulimia
46. Music as awareness driver; concerts and other residuals as cash cow
47. Musicovery (music tailored to moods)
48. Myanmar
49. Nollywood (the rise of Nigerian cinema)
50. Outsourcing to Ukraine (and other Eastern European countries)
51. Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto
52. Pantone's 18-3943 (blue iris)
53. Pets in the office
54. Prius homes
55. Radical transparency
56. Radiohead repeats (name-your-own-price music)
57. Recycling into fashion (Nau, Gary Harvey, etc.)
58. Selfless as the new selfish
59. Sex and the City, the movie
60. Shiny Toy Guns (the band)
61. Skiing in novel spots (Kashmir, Japan, Greenland, Russia, Korea,
etc.)
62. Single men saying no to sex
63. Skype sex
64. Smart Cars in American cities
65. SNS (social network service) brand communities
66. Spanish actor Javier Bardem
67. Staycations
68. Sturking
69. Tequila as the new wine
70. The N-11
71. Third screen (the mobile screen) rivaling the first screen (TV)
72. Trans-ertainment
73. U.S. gymnast Shawn Johnson
74. U.S. presidential election
75. Vicarious consumption
76. (Video) Gaming Olympics
77. Virtual gifting
78. Wannabe young Internet entrepreneurs (a.k.a. Mark Zuckerberg
copycats)
79. Weak dollar/strong euro
80. Women juggling men


About JWT JWT ranks as the largest advertising agency brand in the United States and the fourth-largest full-service network in the world. Its parent company is WPP (NASDAQ:WPPGY) . JWT's heritage of brand-building excellence extends back to 1864, making us the world's oldest advertising agency brand. In 1939, JWT pioneered the first national consumer research panel. In 1988, we created the first research study of consumer lifestyles, "Life Stages." We believe in being anthropologists first, advertising people second.


Contact: Alyson Valpone
Department of Trendspotting
alyson.valpone@jwt.com
908-902-3535

Source: JWT

CONTACT: Alyson Valpone, Department of Trendspotting, JWT,
+1-908-902-3535 or alyson.valpone@jwt.com


Web site: http://www.jwt.com/

40 Killed in Christmas Day Pipeline Explosion in Nigeria

At Least 40 Killed in Christmas Day Blast at Nigerian Pipeline
Explosion occurred as villagers were trying to scoop fuel from ruptured pipeline that caught fire

Two Foreign Aid Workers Seized in Northern Somalia
Women working for Doctors Without Borders international aid group seized in port town of Bossasso, Wednesday by gang armed with machine guns

Christmas Lull in Fighting Spurs Aid Workers in Eastern DRC
International Rescue Committee hopes to reach Rutshuru District, where many rape victims reported
Egypt Reports 16th Human Death From Bird Flu
Authorities say 25-year old woman died on the day she was diagnosed with bird flu

Campaign Ends Ahead of Kenya’s Election
Voters head to polls Thursday, to elect new president

Uganda Opposition Leader Denies Rumors of His Own Demise

Merry Christmas From Voxant and other Good Partners

Merry Christmas from all your friends at Voxant. We hope the holidays bring you and your loved ones only good news. For every other kind of news, don’t forget to check out the latest feeds in the Voxant Newsroom.




Evan McMorris-Santoro, Senior Editor

Happy Holidays From Hillary Rodham Clinton

Dear Orikinla,

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I'm so grateful to have your friendship and support during this time of year when we all strive to focus on those things that matter most: our family, our friends, and the desire for peace and goodwill.

As 2007 draws to a close, I am hopeful about what we can accomplish for America together. There is so much good we can do with a positive vision for change and the will to see it done.

My wish for the holidays is that I have the opportunity to make a difference for those Americans who have been invisible for too long. It means so much to know that we share that wish and are working together to change our country.

I know you share my gratitude to the members of our armed forces who are serving overseas, separated from their loved ones during the holidays. They and their families continue to make an enormous sacrifice for us all, and I wish them a safe and happy holiday.

I hope that you and your family have a joyous holiday season, full of love and good cheer.

Thank you so much for all you do for our campaign.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Between Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama

Barack in 1990 and Hillary in 1969.
(Photo: Steve Liss/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images; Everett Collection)


I have said it and more intelligent people have written on the same matter.
Senator Barack Obama is a wishful thinker posing and posturing as an intellectual politician and being a mulatto does not mean he would be welcomed in all the countries of the world as an American symbol of a global foreign policy.

Most of those giving thumbs up to the political savvy of Barack Hussein Obama should be in 8th grade.

Others hype the fact that Barack Obama (HLS ’91) led the Harvard Law Review.
If being a professor is the qualification for genius, I wonder what would have happened to all the great inventors who made it possible for us to be online, but who were never professors.
Any diligent student can become a professor.
You may not even be a genius.

For the ignorant ones, Hillary Clinton (YLS ’73) was an Editor of the The Yale Review of Law and Social Action in 1971.

Hillary Rodham arrived at Yale in the fall of 1969 with her reputation preceding her. As one of only 27 women in a class of 235, she would have stood out anyway. But the prior spring, she had delivered her famous commencement speech at Wellesley, where she’d been student-body president, upbraiding the Republican senator Edward Brooke—a speech that made her, in the eyes of the media, a de facto spokeswoman for her generation and landed her picture in Life magazine. “Hillary Rodham was a star,” the film pundit Michael Medved, a law-school classmate of hers, has written. “Everyone knew about her speech and talked in reverential tones about the extraordinary wisdom and eloquence that her address had displayed.”
~ New York News & Features, October 15, 2007

Unlike Clinton, Obama arrived at law school (fall of 1988) unheralded by the media, unencumbered by preconceptions. But at 27, having spent the previous four years working as a community organizer in inner-city Chicago, having been raised in Hawaii and Indonesia, having traveled to Africa, he was more worldly, more fully baked, than Clinton was at Yale. And although he embraced, as she had, an instrumentalist view of the law—that it was a tool to be employed in the service of social betterment—his goals were less extravagant than hers: helping out the folks on the Windy City’s South Side, as opposed to transfiguring the world.
~ New York News & Features, October 15, 2007

Obama's and Clinton's inner law students explain much.
(Photo: Tina Fineberg/AP Photo; Rex Arbogast/AP Photo)

Now, as a senator, how is Barack Obama performing so far?
How would you rate both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama, from their work ethic and responsibilities?
Who is more diligent and proactive?

Hillary Rodham Clinton has always been daring and fearless in her defence of justice and truth.

She is Godsent to America for the leadership of a new era in the history of the United States of America.

Merry Christmas!

Reference: Heilemann John,"When They Were Young" Published Oct 15, 2007, by the New York Magazine.

NEWSWEEK: Cover: What's Next: China

The December 31, 2007 - January 7, 2008 issue of Newsweek (on newsstands Monday, December 24), "What's Next: China" explains how China's ascension to a global superpower is no longer a forecast but a reality. In the cover package, a team of correspondents and columnists look at China's dramatic changes, its new place in the world and its hopes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Plus: the people, ideas, issues and items that will most likely make an impact in 2008. (PRNewsFoto/Newsweek) NEW YORK, NY UNITED STATES 12/23/2007

24 Dec 2007 17:17 Africa/Lagos


NEWSWEEK: Cover: What's Next: China

The Beijing Olympics and Impressive Growth Ensure That 2008 will be the Year of China

China's Rise as a Global Superpower is no Longer a Prediction

NEW YORK, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ --

China's ascension to a global superpower is no longer a forecast but a reality. Three decades after its emergence from Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, China has grown from one of the world's poorest countries to the second most important country on the planet, according to Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria in the December 31, 2007-January 7, 2008 double issue "What's Next: China" (on newsstands Monday, December 24). China's new position as a superpower, however, is still fragile and it is up to them as well as the United States to handle this shift peacefully.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071223/NYSU001 )


In two decades China has experienced the same degree of industrialization, urbanization and social transformation as Europe did in two centuries. Zakaria writes that so far Beijing has managed to balance economic growth and social stability in a highly fluid environment. Some scholars and policy intellectuals (and a few generals in the Pentagon) look at the rise of China and see the seeds of inevitable great-power conflict and perhaps even war. "Look at history, they say. When a new power rises it inevitably disturbs the balance of power, unsettles the international order and seeks a place in the sun. This makes it bump up against the established great power of the day (that would be us)," he writes. "Conflict and competition -- particularly in the economic realm -- between China and the United States is inevitable. But whether this turns ugly depends largely on policy choices that will be made in Washington and Beijing over the next decade."


But while the conditions exist for peace and cooperation, there are also many factors pointing in the other direction. As China grows in strength, it grows in pride and nationalist feeling -- which will be on full display at the Summer Olympic Games. Beijing's mandarin class is convinced that the United States wishes it ill. Washington, meanwhile -- sitting atop a unipolar order -- is unused to the idea of sharing power or accommodating another great power's interests. Flashpoints like human rights, Taiwan or some unforeseen incident could spiral badly.


The cover package also includes:
-- A personal essay by Beijing Bureau Chief Melinda Liu. Liu, who opened
the first American newsmagazine bureau in Beijing since the communists
came to power, writes about the vast changes she has seen since 1979
and how they have transformed her life and the lives of her family
members. Starting with the Gang of Four trial, she witnessed China's
slow emergence from the wreckage of the Mao years, the horrific
bloodletting at Tiananmen Square, the rise of nationalist sentiment and
handover of Hong Kong, and Beijing's gradual attempts to integrate
itself into the world. Liu also shares the story of how her family
became separated from her brother Guangyuan in 1949 and was reunited 30
years later.
-- Sports Editor Mark Starr writes about China's Olympic ambitions. China
seems poised to knock the United States off its Olympic perch-if not
in Beijing, then in 2012 or 2016, but its interests go beyond medals.
Starr writes that far more is at stake in Beijing than athletic
supremacy. "Beijing is a target for a host of international
grievances -- human rights, environmental practices, food and
manufacturing safety. The Games are its chance to sell the world on a
more benevolent vision of China," he writes.
-- Excerpts from the upcoming book "The China Diary of George H.W. Bush,"
in which the former president chronicled his experience in Mao's China
between October 1974 and December 1975. During his trip, Bush wrestled
with a tough, impenetrable Communist regime; a populace that was
alternately warm and xenophobic; and the repercussions of the American
defeat in Southeast Asia. The experience began to clarify his views on
the workings of the international system-and, most important, America's
place within it.
-- New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg contributes a column in which
he writes, "Just as a growing American economy is good for China, a
growing Chinese economy is good for America. That means we have a stake
in working together to solve common problems, rather than trying to
browbeat or intimidate the other into action. And it means we should
seize on opportunities to learn from one another."

(Read the cover package at www.Newsweek.com)

Fragile Superpower: http://newsweek.com/id/81588
Mao to Now: http://www.newsweek.com/id/81589
President Bush's Diary: http://www.newsweek.com/id/81591
Olympian Ambitions: http://www.newsweek.com/id/81590
A Race We All Can Win: http://www.newsweek.com/id/81592


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071223/NYSU001
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Newsweek

CONTACT: Brenda Velez of Newsweek, +1-212-445-4078


Web site: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Get paid on 100% of your website traffic, no clicks necessary! How is this possible? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW

The National Rifle Association and The American Presidential Election in 2008

I asked an American why the National Rifle Association (NRA) is more influential than the former President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush and he said the Second Amendment has made the NRA to be very powerful in America.

The NRA is the most powerful lobbying organization in America.

The NRA has the support of over 80 million gun owners in America and they can make or break the popularity and electability of any of the presidential candidates.

“In each of the last four even-year general elections gun owners have had a massive impact. And the National Rifle Association has proven to everyone that if you want to win the presidency, earning the support of gun owners and Second Amendment defenders might be the deciding factor. The NRA is in a stronger position than ever to influence the 2008 elections.”

~ Kenneth Blackwell of the New York Sun.

Many of the American presidential candidates have been courting the NRA for the endorsement of their candidacy, but Chris Cox, the Executive Director, NRA-ILA, has said that they will evaluate the past records of the presidential candidates and their likely future positions on the Second Amendment before making any endorsement decision. The NRA hosted a political forum to know the political positions of the various presidential candidates on the constitutional rights to bear and own firearms.

“I do not believe the Second Amendment has any geographical boundaries.”— Mike Huckabee

“The Parker decision should be upheld … to underscore the Castle Doctrine.”— Rudy Giuliani

“I’ll honor the right of decent, law-abiding citizens to own and use firearms…”— Mitt Romney

“My friends, gun owners are not extremists. You’re the core of modern America.”— John McCain

Which of the presidential candidates will the NRA endorse?

Will the NRA endorse Senator Hillary Rodman Clinton for the Democratic Party and Senator John McCain for the Republican Party?

I want the NRA to endorse Senator Hillary Clinton for President.

Joseph C. Wilson's article on Hillary Clinton, is worth reading. You should also read "Clinton Insiders Fear Secret Service Records Could Damage Campaign" on the Huffington Post.

The future of America is at stake in the presidential election, therefore unrealistic views and idealistic sentiments should not blur the vision of Americans in their election of the best candidate to become the next President of the United States of America.

The Republicans have been given enough time to rule America and they have disappointed the majority of bona fide citizens of America. Therefore, it would only be rational to elect a Democratic presidential candidate who has the great ambition for the restoration of the American Dream and the global vision for the global mission of America in the leadership of the world in the 21st Century.

The NRA should know that America is facing the great challenges of the resurgence of the Cold War Super Power Russia, the emergence of China as a new Super Power and Iran as the Islamic Super Power. Therefore, the new President of America must have the competence and experience for the defense of the global leadership of America in the world.

May I advise the NRA to check all the qualities, pro et contra, of all the frontrunners in the presidential campaign before the endorsement of anyone of them, because it would be tragic for the NRA to be as ignorant and gullible as the motley legion of Americans who have made erroneous and ambiguous endorsements based on their sentimental views of the presidential candidates and are misleading millions of American voters to underestimate the gravity of the election of a new President of the United States of America.

The Worst Misinformation of the Year 2007

From The Bald Eagle Blog
For Liberty and for Truth

The Worst Misinformation of the Year 2007
Posted 12/22/2007 9:02 AM CST on Des Moines Register

I have just read some of the most offensive, degrading and ridiculous commentaries on American Radio and TV in 2007, as quoted on Media Matters for America. They might be the worse examples of obscenity/vulgarity, hate speech and personal attack, but I do not agree that they are "the worst examples of conservative Misinformation of the Year", because the commentaries were the best expressions of free speech, simply calling a spade a spade, without fallacy or hypocrisy.

Don Imus, right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Michael Savage, Pat Robertson, Chris Matthews, Glenn Beck, Melanie Morgan and others were just expressing themselves without caring whose ox would be gored. Like what John Gibson said on Jena Six:
"What they're worried about is a mirage of 1950s-style American segregation, racism from the South. They wanna fight the white devil. ... There's no -- can't go fight the black devil. Black devils stalking their streets every night gunning down their own people -- can't go fight that. That would be snitchin'."

They had the balls and guts to say it and even though millions of people were offended by the derogatory remarks and statements on race, gender, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and sexual orientation, but there was some truth in most of the satirical commentaries.

»Click here to view this year's "Misinformation of the Year"...

The Political Chess of the 2008 US Presidential Election

The Political Chess of the 2008 US Presidential Election

Former President Clinton and President George W. Bush More Influential Than Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand

18 Dec 2007 17:08 Africa/Lagos


Voters More Likely to Value Endorsement of the NRA, former President Bill Clinton, and President George W. Bush; Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand Endorsements of Limited Value

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent poll conducted by Zogby International for Associated Television News shows that voters value the endorsements of the National Rifle Association, by former President Clinton and President George W. Bush over influential organizations like the AFL-CIO and the National Council of LaRaza or celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Barbra Streisand.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030425/ATNLOGO)


The interactive poll, conducted December 13-17, 2007, surveyed 6,072 likely voters nationwide and has a margin of error of +/- 1.3 percentage points. The poll asked the following question of voters:


Q. Considering the presidential election and messages that may be sent to
you from the following people or groups, how important are those
messages to you when considering for whom to vote -- more likely to
support, less likely to support, or no effect?

Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
National Council of LaRaza
AFL-CIO
National Rifle Association
The National Right-to-Life
Oprah Winfrey
Barbra Streisand



Twenty-seven percent of all likely voters said they would be more likely to support a candidate who was endorsed by the National Rifle Association. The NRA topped other prominent political figures, organizations and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey who recently gave her backing to Barack Obama. In fact, voters were three times more likely to support a candidate backed by the NRA than Ms. Winfrey.


In terms of potential voters, an NRA endorsement could translate into 56 million eligible voters or 40 million potential voters vs. 19 million eligible and 13 million registered voters for Ms. Winfrey.


Endorsement Potential in Terms of Voters

Organization/ More Likely In Terms of Registered
Individual To Support Eligible Voters Voters*
Nat'l Rifle Assoc. 27 % 56 million 40 million
Bill Clinton 25 % 52 million 37 million
George W. Bush 23 % 48 million 34 million
AFL-CIO 16 % 33 million 24 million
Oprah Winfrey 9 % 19 million 13 million
Nat'l Council of LaRaza 5 % 10 million 7 million
Barbra Streisand 4 % 8 million 6 million


*Projection based on calculation of the average voter registration percentage rate of the past three election cycles and a total voter eligible population in 2006 of 207.3 million voters.


Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030425/ATNLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Associated Television News

CONTACT: Brad O'Leary, +1-310-274-2223, for Associated Television News

The Hillary I Know

Dear Orikinla,


Marvin is a paramedic who worked with Hillary to ensure first responders got the medical care they needed after 9/11.

Ira and Cecille are an elderly couple who have a moving story about how Hillary helped them get married.

Betsy is Hillary's childhood friend.

Their stories are about a Hillary you might not know, the Hillary whose heart and tireless spirit changed their lives. There are a lot of stories like theirs, and we wanted to share some with you.

We've compiled over 30 videos from those who know Hillary best: her close friends, those who have worked alongside her, and people who have found in Hillary a source of strength and compassion when they needed help the most.

Take a look at their stories on our new website.
The Hillary I Know

I want to make sure that you see one of the most powerful videos on the site, when Shannon Mallozzi talks about how she turned to Hillary for help.

Shannon tells her story best in her own words. Watch it here:
The Hillary I Know

I'm so lucky to have known Hillary for 16 years. I've seen Hillary in action helping people like Shannon. I've enjoyed the friendship of one of the warmest people I've ever met.

If you want to know Hillary like I know her, there's no better way than to listen to the people who know her best tell their stories. I hope you enjoy them.


Patti Solis Doyle
Campaign Manager
Hillary for President

Video: N.J. Inmates Escape After Daring Prison Break

Re: "Nigeria Trapped in Anomie?":

Re: "Nigeria Trapped in Anomie?"
By Paquito

Nigeria is not trapped in anomie;which is the absence of social norms and values.no,nigeria is presenting its natural true self one that has come to the fore as a result of decades of mismanagement and debuchery,its called lack of nationhood.

No administration since independence has worked to augment all the forces that make up Nigeria into a true nation. Partisan politics has been and contines to be the order of the day.

Social norms do exist in our respective communities, so we cannot say anomie.
The answer is more sophisticated than that.
The implementation is simplistic with the right mindset, but not if political gangsterism is the order of the day, that leaves no room whatsoever for constructive dialogue.

To illustrate my point.
How on earth do we explain the oxymoron ; the high level supporters of ex-governor James Ibori?
Only in Nigeria will an ex felon be lauded with such incredulity.
My friends, Nigeria is only great if we want it to be.
Presently, it is an economic enclave where a few can make a fortune quite easily.
At this stage, nationhood is a dream.

NEWSWEEK: Cover: The Sleeper, John Edwards

16 Dec 2007 17:56 Africa/Lagos


NEWSWEEK: Cover: The Sleeper

John Edwards Believes he can Score Upset win in Iowa; Has Been Visiting Rural Precincts Where Frontrunners Have Paid Less Attention

Didn't get Negative Feedback After Being Combative With Clinton 'I Thought it was More Important for People to Understand ... The Substantive Policy Differences Between us, and now I Think we're at a Stage Where it's Time to Focus on why I Want to be President'

NEW YORK, Dec. 16 /PRNewswire/ --

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards believes he can still come from behind for an upset win in Iowa, Newsweek reports in the December 24 cover "The Sleeper," (on newsstands Monday, December 17). For months, Edwards has been doggedly working to round up support in the state's rural precincts where the frontrunners have paid less attention.


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071216/NYSU007 )


As Correspondent Arian Campo-Flores and Senior Writer Suzanne Smalley report, while Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have drawn crowds in the thousands in places like Des Moines and Ames, Edwards has been winning over people in tiny towns like Sac City (pop. 2,189). That's important, Edwards's strategists say, because under Iowa's arcane caucus rules, a precinct where 25 people show up to vote gets the same number of delegates as a place that packs in 2,500. "The bulk of our support is in small and medium counties," says Jennifer O'Malley, Edwards's Iowa state director. O'Malley says Edwards has visited all 99 counties in the state; the campaign has so far trained captains covering 90 percent of all 1,781 precincts. Rural voters are sometimes reluctant to caucus, so the campaign has been enlisting respected community leaders to encourage first-timers to get past their apathy or fear.


Edwards has been campaigning in Iowa, on and off, for four years and polls show he's still in third. He tells Newsweek in an interview that his responsibility "is to close this campaign in Iowa with a very specific set of ideas about how we give all Americans the chances I've had ... It's what I've been able to do, and we can do it again ... both the specific policy ideas and also the heartfelt passion behind it, which is real, and they need to see it."


He says he wasn't getting negative feedback on the period when he was more combative with Clinton. "I thought it was important for people to understand the differences, the substantive policy differences between us, and now I think we're at the stage where it's time to focus on why I want to be president."


When asked what lessons he had learned as a candidate in 2004 and what he is doing differently this time, Edwards turned cold. "I'm not in the business of going back and analyzing the '04 campaign," he says, "so I just don't."


"I can tell you what I believe about America today. I think that what the country is looking for in a president is somebody who has clear, very specific ideas and bold ideas about what needs to be done. I think that's what America needs. It's what I believe, and I think they're looking for somebody to be straight with them about the challenges they face, and very direct."


Edwards says in the interview that he wasn't sure whether to run again after the 2004 loss. "I was trying to decide during that period of time after '04, "Where is the best place for me to serve? Where can I do the most good?" because I had made the decision, Elizabeth and I made [it] together, that we were going to spend the rest of our lives serving and the question was what was the best way to do it ... I'd been through a national campaign, a national spotlight, and there's a seasoning and a toughness that comes from doing that. And Elizabeth's health, the two of us went through that, our family went through that together. And I think my feeling is that I'm going to tell people, "I'm going to speak the truth, whatever the consequences are."


(Read cover story and interview at www.Newsweek.com)

http://www.newsweek.com/id/78238

http://www.newsweek.com/id/78239 - Q&A w/ Edwards

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071216/NYSU007
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN1
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Newsweek

CONTACT: Jan Angilella of Newsweek, +1-212-445-5638


Web site: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/

Nigeria Trapped in Anomie?

Idumange John has written a thorough critical analysis of the present state of Nigeria in "Nigeria trapped in anomie?" and if you really care about Nigeria, read it now.

There is nothing new to blog on Nigeria, because Nigeria is still trapped in the vicious circle of corruption and political gangsterism.

The latest news on Nigeria is on the side bar and you can read and send me your informed commentary if you want to have it published on Nigerian Times.

The tragedy of the Nigerian crisis is the fact that our corrupt, evil and wicked rulers are unrepentant and their hypocritical Pastors and Imams are as guilty as these devils perpetrating the evils plaguing Nigeria.

Until we sack them from the corridors of power, Nigeria will still be trapped in socio-political anomie.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton Wins The Endorsement of The Des Moines Register of Iowa!

The job requires a president who not only understands the changes needed to move the country forward but also possesses the discipline and skill to navigate the reality of the resistant Washington power structure to get things done.That candidate is New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

~ The Des Moines Register, Sunday, December 16, 2007


The Des Moines Register’s editorial board has endorsed Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton for the 2008 Iowa caucuses.The Register, Iowa’s statewide newspaper, calls McCain and Clinton the candidates it believes are most competent and ready to lead.

Read the endorsements:Democrats: Hillary ClintonRepublicans: John McCainWatch the endorsement videos:Democrats: Hillary ClintonRepublicans: John McCain

When I heard the good news, I thanked God for Hillary Rodham Clinton!
I was elated to read it on the Huffington Post and quickly clicked the headline linking to The Des Moines Register for the full report of the breaking news! I excitedly sent the breaking news to the editors of Reuters, Guardian Unlimited and Bloggers News Network and other notable people.

This endorsement shows the great foresight of the Des Moines Register in the emergence of a new era in America as we look forward to the election of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as the next President of the United States of America in 2008.

God bless America!

You can also read my Des Moines Register's The Bald Eagle Blog for more political commentaries on the Iowa Caucuses.

Hillary Clinton: When I Get To The White House, I'll End The War in Iraq and Bring Our Troops Home

Running for president means asking a lot of people to put their faith in you -- and putting your faith in a lot of people. You've never let me down, and my promise to you has always been this: if you put your faith in me, I will fight for you every day when I'm president.

When I get to the White House, I'll end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home. I'll stop the cowboy diplomacy and Bush's war on science. I'll reverse the attacks on our Constitution and civil liberties. I'll ask the Congress to send me everything that Bush vetoed, like stem cell research and the Children's Health Insurance Program. From day one, I'll be fighting for you, because America needs a clean and decisive break from seven years of George Bush.

Not one of the Republican candidates is capable of making that happen. They're all promising four more years of the same failed policies.

They see Bush's failure in Iraq and want to continue it. They see failure of leadership on the economy and want to repeat it. They see his assault on civil liberties and the disgraces of Guantanamo and want to carry them on.

We need a candidate who can beat them.

~ Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

Endorsed by the following:

Former Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright,

Former Vice President Walter F. Mondale,

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Gen. Wesley Clark,

Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles and the majority of Americans and millions in other parts of the world.

RASMUSSEN REPORTS: Hillary Clinton Is The Most Presidential

Number of Democrats who See Each Democratic Candidate as Presidential
Hillary Clinton 44%
Barack Obama 17%
John Edwards 14%
Bill Richardson 4%
Joe Biden 3%
Chris Dodd 2%
Dennis Kucinich 1%
Mike Gravel 1%

In the race for the Democratic Presidential Nomination, it’s Hillary Clinton 38%, Barack Obama 27% and John Edwards 14%. Bill Richardson is supported by 4%, Joe Biden and Dennis Kucinich by 3% of Likely Democratic Primary Voters. (see recent daily numbers).

Iowa: Clinton 29% Obama 26% Edwards 22%

Florida: Huckabee 27% Romney 23% Giuliani 19%
47% Say White House Knew About CIA's Torching of Torture Tapes
Generic Congressional Ballot: Democrats 46% Republicans 36%
Obama Ties Giuliani 43% to 43%, Leads Romney by Four

Campaign 2008: Who Can Pull Off Ambitious Agenda?

Thursday's Democratic debate did little to help voters who have not made up their minds about which candidate to support. If anything, the six Democrats made the job harder for being so darn nice to one another for 90 minutes.

The Des Moines Register

Must Read: "Hillary's Unprecedented Experience on the World Stage" by Lissa Muscatine and Melanne Verveer on
Huffington Post.

Hillary Clinton Now Leads Edward and Obama In Iowa After Last Debate

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton now leads in Iowa after the last debate among the Democratic presidential candidates, last Thursday, in Johnston, Iowa.

The latest Iowa State University poll released Friday, shows:

Hillary - 31%

Edwards - 24%

Obama - 20%

Another poll released today also shows Clinton leading Democrats in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. [AP/Pew Research]

Nationally, Rudy Giuliani’s lead has slipped from twelve points to only three points higher than Mike Huckabee, while Hillary Clinton still leads Democrats with 37 percent to Obama’s 24. [Rasmussen]

Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel did not participate in the last Iowa debate.

Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Joe Biden of Delaware and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards seemed to have allowed the spirit of camaraderie to prevail as they did not attack themselves, but took on the policies of President George W. Bush and the GOP.

David Yepsen, political columnist of the Des Moines Register, said the second tier candidates, particularly Joe Biden were most impressive in Thursday’s debate.

Read David Yepsen's report on Des Moines Register.

You can also read my Des Moines Register's The Bald Eagle Blog for more political commentaries on the Iowa Caucuses.

“This election is too important, and we must all get back to electing the best qualified candidate who has the record of making change happen in this country. That candidate is Hillary Clinton."

~ Bill Shaheen, the prominent New Hampshire political figure

"So I was really raised with values that are rooted in what I think is best about our country, believing in the American Dream but knowing you have to work hard and do your part to be able to achieve it."

~ Hillary Rodham Clinton

CNN: Clinton Enters Debate With Race Wide Open,

The CNN reports that Clinton enters Iowa presidential debate with race wide open, but that does not mean Senator Hillary Clinton will not win the primaries. The CNN Debates are more likely to sway voters than the Polls. The most reliable polls,such as The Des Moines Register still shows Hillary Clinton ahead of Barack Obama.

No matter what the CNN reports, the Hillary Clinton Campaign is not losing sleep as the latest e-mail from the Campaign Manager, Patti Solis Doyle confirms that things are still looking up in her favour.

Dear Orikinla,

I have something very special to show you.

Last week Hillary was joined in Iowa by her two favorite women in the world: her mother and daughter.

It was Mrs. Rodham and Chelsea's first trip out on the campaign trail, and I wanted to make sure that our online supporters were the very first to see our exclusive video of the trip. Take a look here:
Hillary Clinton's mother Mrs. Rodham and her daughter Chelsea join her Campaign

I hope you enjoy it, and pass it on to friends and family!

Sincerely,


Patti Solis Doyle
Campaign Manager
Hillary for President

The First American Coup

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945)

The First American Coup

In 1933, there was a military coup plot to overthrow Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945).

FDR was the thirty-second President of the United States and the only U.S. President who served more than two terms, for he was elected to four terms in office,from 1933 to 1945.

The military coup was planned by power brokers of the richest corporations on Wall Street, amongst which were Goodyear, Bethlehem Steel, JP Morgan, and DuPont. One of the richest bankers and brokers on Wall Street, Robert Clark, was willing to contribute half of his $60 million fortune to finance the coup. His deputy, former Commander Gerald Macguire of the American Legion, said:
"We need a fascist government in this country to save the nation from the Communists who want to tear it down and wreck everything we have built in America."
The 1933 coup would have succeeded, had it not been for the bravery of General Smedley Butler, the lionized World War I hero whom plotters wanted to lead the coup, but he instead blew their cover.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is not only one of my favourite American Presidents, we share the same birthday, January 30.

Reference: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., "Hillary Haters and The Roosevelts, The Huffington Post, December 12, 2007.

An Open Letter To America on The Election of a New President

An Open Letter To America on The Election of a New President

What is a hero without love for mankind.
~ Doris Lessing


I have been monitoring and evaluating the various news reports on the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates for the presidential election in November, 2008.

I have watched their live TV debates and read their interviews in newspapers online and offline.
All the presidential candidates are highly recommended and worthy patriots of the United States of America who have served their nation in various capacities as either legislators or governors and as tax payers and are qualified to serve America at the highest level of public office as President of the greatest nation on earth.

The presidential election in America is of great interest to the rest of the world, because of the global role of America in the leadership of the nations in politics and human development.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and notable American non-governmental organizations and academic institutions have been active in sustainable human development programs in developing countries and one of these countries is my country, Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to the United States.

I have been employed as a project consultant by the Johns Hopkins University’s Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) on family planning projects in Nigeria since age 21 and by other American organizations on public health projects until my early 30s. I have also seen the fiscal and technical commitments of the US to the United Nations when I was a program consultant for the UNICEF in 1988/89. Therefore, I am well informed on the global leadership of the United States and how much most of the developing countries rely on USAID and American donor agencies and the millions of beneficiaries have become components and proponents of nation building in their respective countries over the years.

The rest of the world is optimistic of America and America is the first destination for most immigrants in the world. Every nation on earth has an extension of it’s population in America and the Africans and Asians constitute the largest communities of immigrants in America who have been employed at various levels and have become taxpayers and co-workers of indigenous Americans and co-builders of the American nation since the Independence of America to date. America is more or less the capital of the world and the vision of the American Dream is the inspiration for the dreams of millions of people in other nations.

I have participated in public debates on the most suitable presidential candidates and I have decided to support Senator Hillary Clinton, because of her exemplary service to America since childhood to date and all the details are documented in her biography. I also appreciate Senator John McCain of the Republican Party.

I have to address an important issue that has become the cause of disagreement in America since 2003 and that is the war in Iraq. The decision of the US government for the invasion and occupation of Iraq was not the unilateral decision of President George W. Bush and his cabinet, but by congressional approval based on the critical report of the US Intelligence and the Senate Intelligence Committee.

“The decision to place US soldiers in harm’s way is the most significant responsibility the Constitution invests in the Congress.”
~ Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (Democrat, Nevada), 2005.

May I ask the Democrats in Congress, how many of them were against the war in Iraq before the disclosures of the Downing Street Memo on the Iraqi WMD and the Valerie Plame scandal?

“In October 2002, on the eve of the mid-term elections, Harry Reid—then Senate majority whip and one of the more influential members of his party, voted to grant Bush unprecedented powers to wage an unprovoked war of aggression against Iraq at the time of his choosing.”
~ Bill Van Auken
3 November, 2005 on WSWS

It therefore hypocritical and unethical for any of the presidential candidates to criticize any of their fellow candidates for supporting the decision to go to war against the Al Qaida by the invasion and occupation of Iraq, because none of them can deny their complicity and culpability in the congressional vote in approval of the war in Iraq.

It is very unfair and malicious that Senator Barack Hussein Obama is now using the controversial decision on the war in Iraq to challenge the electability of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
She is as innocent as the rest of us who supported the war in Iraq before the disclosures of the Downing Street Memo and the Valerie Plame Scandal.

Personally, I found it ridiculous that the intelligence report of the “errand boy” of Valerie Plame, her husband Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson would be the cause of the denouncement of the war in Iraq.

Senator Barack Hussein Obama should not degrade presidential debates into the low levels of his high school debates, because his poor knowledge of military intelligence and foreign policy shows his political naivety and immaturity.

If the opposition to the war in Iraq is the only qualification for the election of the next President of America, then the American electorate should not vote for any of the presidential candidates, because none of them is innocent of the “crime” of the invasion and occupation of Iraq .

God bless America.










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How To Overthrow The Government

Arianna Huffington

How To Overthrow The Government



What is a hero without love for mankind.
~ Doris Lessing

Amazon.com
"Our government is no longer serving us," declares Arianna Huffington in How to Overthrow the Government. "[It] is slow, unfair, corrupt, and peopled by politicians living on graft and sinecure." While the political class gloats about unprecedented prosperity, Americans are more turned off by their rulers than ever before: the public holds deeply cynical views about Washington, voter turnout continues to drop, and "modern campaigns ... are so thoroughly dominated by pollsters and consultants that there's no oxygen left for ideas that might challenge the status quo." Politicians have turned a blind eye to America's real problems. "Glad-handing lobbyists" (there are roughly 38 per member of Congress, says Huffington) and "the seductive allure of incumbency" have made lawmakers resistant to necessary reforms. "It's this vicious cycle that explains why 35 million Americans are living in poverty and more children are homeless than at any time since the Great Depression; why middle-income Americans are saddled with crippling levels of debt; why our children attend drug-ridden schools where they are not safe and cannot learn." Much of this book reads like an extended political column, full of anecdotes and zinging one-liners. Yet there's also more earnestness and less satire on these pages than was glimpsed in Huffington's previous book Greetings from the Lincoln Bedroom. How to Overthrow the Government and its provocative recommendations will appeal mainly to the supporters of America's dissident politicos, such as Sen. John McCain, Ralph Nader, and the Reform Party. --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title

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The Political Ignorance of Those Attacking Hillary Clinton

I have doubts about the political education of those attacking Hillary Clinton in replies to serious issues.

It would be better if readers take time to read and study the political biography of Hillary Clinton, who has been active in the democratic development of America since the 1960s and that was long before she met Bill Clinton.

When Oprah Winfrey was name dropping Martin Luther King, Jr., in South Carolina, I laughed at her ignorance of the life history of Hillary Clinton, because Hillary Clinton is more qualified to speak on the Civil Rights Movement than both Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.



It would be really foolish to nominate Barack Obama as the presidential candidate of the Democrats, because he would be a walk over for the Republicans.

Look at Obama's record as a senator and compare his performance so far to that of Hillary Clinton.
Look at the political facts and not indulging in petty personalities.

Barack Obama has a shallow knowledge of foreign policy and making noise about his opposition to the war in Iraq is mere playing to the gallery.
Very cheap sales pitch.

I hope the political strategists of the Democrats are reading what Arianna Huffington has addressed for their own good.
It would be a sad day in America if the Democrats should lose the presidential election to the Republicans in 2008.

After the publicity stunts of Oprah Winfrey, Madonna has offered to hit the road for Hillary Clinton as reported by the Daily News. But I don't think Hillary Clinton is as desperate as Barack Obama.

God bless America.

Americans Welcome the World

10 Dec 2007 15:04 Africa/Lagos


Americans Welcome the World

The U.S. State Department and Business for Diplomatic Action Debut Film for Distribution in American Embassies & Consulates

NEW YORK, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ --

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen P. Hughes and Keith Reinhard, President of Business for Diplomatic Action, today premiered the film "I am America" at the Foreign Press Center in New York. A gift from the American business community to the U.S. Department of State, the film was produced to create a welcoming impression of the United States for international travelers applying for visas. It will run in the waiting areas of more than 200 American embassies and consulates around the world.


"By showing many welcoming American faces and taking visitors on a breath-taking visual tour of our country, this film should help counteract some of the negative stereotypes about America," said Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. "We appreciate the generous contributions and collaboration of the business community to help America present a more welcoming face to the world."


Set to a score of "America the Beautiful," the film opens with the question: "Who is America?" Interspersed in footage of the American countryside, cityscapes, and national monuments, Americans of different ages, races, ethnicities, religions and gender answer: "I am America."


"One of the fundamental facts about America is that we are a diverse nation made up of people from all types of ethnic, religious and racial backgrounds. And one of our fundamental American values is tolerance -- even celebration -- of this great social diversity. This film makes that key point to the world," Reinhard said.


The film was created by GSD&M's Idea City, an advertising and communications company based in Austin, Texas. "The challenge was to create a film that captures what America stands for -- a proudly diverse society that welcomes people from other cultures and lands with open arms," said Mike Blair, Executive Vice President, Creative Director at Idea City.


All video images used in the film were donated by Getty Images, of Seattle, Washington. Idea City and Business for Diplomatic Action contributed their professional services free of charge to the State Department.


About Business for Diplomatic Action


BDA is a private sector non-profit directed by preeminent communications, marketing, political science, global development and media professionals. The organization steers a collective of multinational companies in the development, sharing, and warehousing of ideas, insights, and guidance on communication and public diplomacy issues that U.S. businesses are uniquely positioned to address.


About GSD&M's Idea City


In 1971, a group of friends started an advertising agency after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin. Through 36 years of helping grow some of the world's most successful brands, GSD&M's Idea City has become a leading national marketing communications and advertising company using the power of Purpose-based Branding and Dynamic Collaboration to create a destination for visionary ideas that make a difference for our people, our clients, our country and the world. For more information go to http://www.ideacity.com/. GSD&M's Idea City is part of Omnicom Group, Inc. (NYSE:OMC) .


Source: GSD&M

CONTACT: Cari E. Guittard of BDA, +1-415-608-0806,
Cari.Guittard@sf.ddb.com; John McGrath of IdeaCity.com, +1-512-242-4349,
John.McGrath@IdeaCity.com


Web site: http://www.ideacity.com/

Kenya Needs Barack Obama More Than America

Kenya needs Barack Obama more than America.

Obama should honour the will of his late father by returning to his fatherland and become the President of Kenya.

I do not even know why Africans would do anything to deny serving their fatherland to play to the gallery of America.

Yes, Oprah Winfrey is bona fide Afrcan American since Kunta Kinte, but this Barack Obama guy is only an African American by default.
His father was Kenyan, born and bred and died in Kenya and by our African tradition, the first son must live and carry the heirloom of the Kenyan Father in Kenya and not claiming another fatherland, because he looks down on his own fatherland in Africa.
Obama should come back home.
All African immigrants should be sent back to Africa to join proud Africans like Orikinla to develop Africa.

Barack Husseiin Obama, come back home to Kenya.
We need you more than America.
Come back and become the chief of your father's village and marry more wives.

The only African Americans I recognize are the descendants of Alex Haley's Kunta Kinte.
Any African American whose greatgrand-parents did not pick cotton or work in the sugar cane plantations, should never be called an African American.

The Green Card is becoming FFA (free for all) these days that even Osama bin Laden can become an American tomorrow?

American Tourist Held Captive in Solomon Islands

Justin Taylan, 30, of Hyde Park, New York, awaits trial in anchored detention offshore the Solomon Islands, a tiny Pacific island nation near the east coast of Australia. He has spent 15 years discovering and preserving World War II plane wrecks and more recently has fought Third World corruption in the illegal trafficking of war relics. Held since Nov. 6, 2007 for illegal entry, he's pleaded not guilty. Taylan faces up to three years in prison.

11 Dec 2007 05:31 Africa/Lagos

American Tourist Held Captive in Solomon Islands

One American's Battle to Save World War II History in the South Pacific

SOLOMON ISLANDS, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- A young American, Justin Taylan, 30, of Hyde Park, New York, has been held captive since November 6, 2007 in the Solomon Islands, a tiny nation off Australia's east coast. Taylan is founder of a non-profit history website detailing World War II stories and Pacific theater airplane wrecks. Traveling by boat from Papua New Guinea, he hoped to explore relics from the Battle of Guadalcanal.


Also held in custody by Solomon authorities are Taylan's colleagues Yoji Sakaida, 41, of Chiba, Japan, World War II enthusiast and graphic designer, Rodney Pearce, 57, of Australia and the ship's captain, and Daisy Eliah, 25, of Papua New Guinea, the ship's cook.


On November 6, Taylan inadvertently stumbled upon a salvage operation underway at Ballale Island, part of the famous Battle of Guadalcanal. "There are more World War II plane wrecks there than anywhere else in the world," Taylan said. "We saw six Zero fighters, a Val dive bomber and a Betty bomber being illegally removed. That's why all this started."


The group drew the attention of the salvagers. The Royal Solomon Island Police Force confiscated their passports, photos, and videotapes placing them in detention without charges. They have since been charged with illegally entering the country and pleaded innocent since they crossed borders through a published port of entry and in accordance with Solomon Islands law. Trial is set for December 12 and the maximum sentence is three years in jail.


Taylan testified in September 2006 before Papua New Guinea Parliament National Parliament in the "Inquiry into the National Museum and Art Gallery and the Sale and Export of the Swamp Ghost Aircraft." He received an official commendation from the governing body that his "evidence as to the extent of the removal of these aircraft over the last decade and the complicity of the Museum to be of great assistance."


Grandson of World War II combat photographer Carl Thien, Taylan gained an early appreciation for Pacific War air battles. As a teenager, he accompanied his grandfather on a return trip to Papua New Guinea to photograph wrecks in their original locations.


More information, photos, and updates are available at http://taylandefensefund.org/.


PacificWrecks.com


Taylan searches out wrecks, safeguards human remains, and returns dog tags to surprised veterans. He is founder of PacificWrecks.com, a free, non-profit history website detailing World War II stories and Pacific theater airplane wrecks. He produces and distributes his own historical documentaries and has appeared on The History Channel and PBS.


Taylan was featured in the October 2007 issue of Smithsonian Magazine in the article "Swamp Ghosts: In Papua New Guinea, a journalist investigates the controversy over a World War II bomber."


He wrote his first book about the war at age 16 and has since been published in many historical and flight publications and spoken on this topic around the world.


Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071210/LAM133
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Justin Taylan

CONTACT: Steve Kleiman of KLEIMAN ASSOCIATES, +1-323-230-5299, fax
+1-323-210-7273, stevek@taylandefensefund.org, for Justin Taylan


Web site: http://www.taylandefensefund.org/
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/