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Monday, February 23, 2015
Friday, June 26, 2009
JACKSON DIES AT 50
Autopsy set after Michael Jackson's sudden death
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Play Video ABC News – Thriller: Remembering the 'King of Pop'
Slideshow:Michael Jackson dies at 50
Play Video Video:Jermaine Jackson: Want privacy in 'tough time' AP
Play Video Video:Scandal overshadowed Michael Jackson's life AP
AP – FILE - In this Aug. 29, 1993 file photo, pop singer Michael Jackson performs during his 'Dangerous' concert …
By LYNN ELBER, Associated Press Writer Lynn Elber, Associated Press Writer – 23 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, defined in equal parts as the world's greatest entertainer and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly — and so far, mysteriously — short.
The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London's famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.
An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.
Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.
Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.
"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said.
Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.
As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."
The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie. Jackson's sudden death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.
"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible," Lisa Marie Presley said in a statement. "I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."
As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."
"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."
Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.
In 2005, he was cleared of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.
The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.
Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito — in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.
The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."
The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.
During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.
He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.
Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.
Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.
Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. Now 7, Jackson said the boy nicknamed Blanket as a baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.
Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."
Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.
"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."
__
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and AP writers Derrik J. Lang, Solvej Schou, Anthony McCartney and Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles; and Virginia Byrne, Hillel Italie, Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.
Buzz Up
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Share
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Play Video ABC News – Thriller: Remembering the 'King of Pop'
Slideshow:Michael Jackson dies at 50
Play Video Video:Jermaine Jackson: Want privacy in 'tough time' AP
Play Video Video:Scandal overshadowed Michael Jackson's life AP
AP – FILE - In this Aug. 29, 1993 file photo, pop singer Michael Jackson performs during his 'Dangerous' concert …
By LYNN ELBER, Associated Press Writer Lynn Elber, Associated Press Writer – 23 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson, defined in equal parts as the world's greatest entertainer and perhaps its most enigmatic figure, was about to attempt one of the greatest comebacks of all time. Then his life was cut shockingly — and so far, mysteriously — short.
The 50-year-old musical superstar died Thursday, just as he was preparing for what would be a series of 50 concerts starting July 13 at London's famed 02 arena. Jackson had been spending hours and hours toiling with a team of dancers for a performance he and his fans hoped would restore his tarnished legacy to its proper place in pop.
An autopsy was planned for Friday, though results were not likely to be final until toxicology tests could be completed, a process that could take several days and sometimes weeks. However, if a cause can be determined by the autopsy, they will announce the results, said Los Angeles County Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben.
Police said they were investigating, standard procedure in high-profile cases.
Jackson died at UCLA Medical Center after being stricken at his rented home in the posh Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills. Paramedics tried to resuscitate him at his home for nearly three-quarters of an hour, then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors continued to work on him.
"It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest in his home. However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known," his brother Jermaine said.
Cardiac arrest is an abnormal heart rhythm that stops the heart from pumping blood to the body. It can occur after a heart attack or be caused by other heart problems.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.
His 1982 album "Thriller" — which included the blockbuster hits "Beat It," "Billie Jean" and "Thriller" — is the best-selling album of all time, with an estimated 50 million copies sold worldwide.
As word of his death spread, MTV switched its programming to play videos from Jackson's heyday. Radio stations began playing marathons of his hits. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital. In New York's Times Square, a low groan went up in the crowd when a screen flashed that Jackson had died, and people began relaying the news to friends by cell phone.
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend had sent him. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."
The public first knew him as a boy in the late 1960s, when he was the precocious, spinning lead singer of the Jackson 5, the singing group he formed with his four older brothers out of Gary, Ind. Among their No. 1 hits were "I Want You Back," "ABC" and "I'll Be There."
He was perhaps the most exciting performer of his generation, known for his backward-gliding moonwalk, his feverish, crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched singing, punctuated with squeals and titters. His single sequined glove, tight, military-style jacket and aviator sunglasses were trademarks, as was his ever-changing, surgically altered appearance.
"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words," said Quincy Jones, who produced "Thriller." "He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."
Jackson ranked alongside Elvis Presley and the Beatles as the biggest pop sensations of all time. He united two of music's biggest names when he was briefly married to Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie. Jackson's sudden death immediately evoked comparisons to that of Presley himself, who died at age 42 in 1977.
"I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible," Lisa Marie Presley said in a statement. "I am heartbroken for his children who I know were everything to him and for his family. This is such a massive loss on so many levels, words fail me."
As years went by, Jackson became an increasingly freakish figure — a middle-aged man-child weirdly out of touch with grown-up life. His skin became lighter, his nose narrower, and he spoke in a breathy, girlish voice. He often wore a germ mask while traveling, kept a pet chimpanzee named Bubbles as one of his closest companions and surrounded himself with children at his Neverland ranch, a storybook playland filled with toys, rides and animals. The tabloids dubbed him "Wacko Jacko."
"It seemed to me that his internal essence was at war with the norms of the world. It's as if he was trying to defy gravity," said Michael Levine, a Hollywood publicist who represented Jackson in the early 1990s. He called Jackson a "disciple of P.T. Barnum" and said the star appeared fragile at the time but was "much more cunning and shrewd about the industry than anyone knew."
Jackson caused a furor in 2002 when he playfully dangled his infant son, Prince Michael II, over a hotel balcony in Berlin while a throng of fans watched from below.
In 2005, he was cleared of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. He had been accused of plying the boy with alcohol and groping him, and of engaging in strange and inappropriate behavior with other children.
The case followed years of rumors about Jackson and young boys. In a TV documentary, he acknowledged sharing his bed with children, a practice he described as sweet and not at all sexual.
Despite the acquittal, the lurid allegations that came out in court took a fearsome toll on his career and image, and he fell into serious financial trouble.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary. He was 4 years old when he began singing with his brothers — Marlon, Jermaine, Jackie and Tito — in the Jackson 5. After his early success with bubblegum soul, he struck out on his own, generating innovative, explosive, unstoppable music.
The album "Thriller" alone mixed the dark, serpentine bass and drums and synthesizer approach of "Billie Jean," the grinding Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on "Beat It," and the hiccups and falsettos on "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
The peak may have come in 1983, when Motown celebrated its 25th anniversary with an all-star televised concert and Jackson moonwalked off with the show, joining his brothers for a medley of old hits and then leaving them behind with a pointing, crouching, high-kicking, splay-footed, crotch-grabbing run through "Billie Jean."
The audience stood and roared. Jackson raised his fist.
During production of a 1984 Pepsi commercial, Jackson's scalp sustains burns when an explosion sets his hair on fire.
He had strong follow-up albums with 1987's "Bad" and 1991's "Dangerous," but his career began to collapse in 1993 after he was accused of molesting a boy who often stayed at his home. The singer denied any wrongdoing, reached a settlement with the boy's family, reported to be $20 million, and criminal charges were never filed.
Jackson's expressed anger over the allegations on the 1995 album "HIStory," which sold more than 2.4 million copies, but by then, the popularity of Jackson's music was clearly waning even as public fascination with his increasingly erratic behavior was growing.
Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, and they divorced in 1996. Later that year, Jackson married Deborah Rowe, a former nurse for his dermatologist. They had two children together: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, now 12; and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11. Rowe filed for divorce in 1999.
Jackson also had a third child, Prince Michael II. Now 7, Jackson said the boy nicknamed Blanket as a baby was his biological child born from a surrogate mother.
Billboard magazine editorial director Bill Werde said Jackson's star power was unmatched. "The world just lost the biggest pop star in history, no matter how you cut it," Werde said. "He's literally the king of pop."
Jackson's 13 No. 1 one hits on the Billboard charts put him behind only Presley, the Beatles and Mariah Carey, Werde said.
"He was on the eve of potentially redeeming his career a little bit," he said. "People might have started to think of him again in a different light."
__
AP Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch and AP writers Derrik J. Lang, Solvej Schou, Anthony McCartney and Thomas Watkins in Los Angeles; and Virginia Byrne, Hillel Italie, Nekesa Mumbi Moody and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
WHAT ARE YOU THINKING OF?
Daily Flirt:
Though there are quite a few people who seem to deserve your time and energy today, you have to put yourself first. Try not to make a huge deal out of it or the rest are sure to feel shortchanged.
Daily Couples:
You give so much of yourself to others, it's time you made yourself your number one priority. Treat yourself to something special, and when your sweetie wants to lavish attention on you, let
them.
Daily Singles:
Your family says 'No way,' you say 'Yes, yes, yes!' Take heed. If the people who know and love you best sense something is amiss with your latest and greatest crush, listen up. They definitely know something you don't.
On the job, the work itself may be ok; but the dealing with people is where the problems may occur. They could be over emotional and unpredictable, making it difficult and stressful to get things done. The same issues might come up when interacting with friends. The Earth element favors family so you will probably find some calm being with them tonight.
Your investments should be showing positive gains, especially if you have avoided wild speculation. You could have an opportunity to attend a large social function tonight. With your sophisticated and enigmatic style, you will most likely make a positive impression on people. Your love life may not go so well. You or your partner might be a bit temperamental and/or tactless.
You will probably need to be patient on your job, allowing matters to develop at their own pace. You may want to plan for a weekend in the country, getting away from it all and enjoying yourself. The Earth element favors family so you could spend Wednesday night going to dinner and letting the family pick what they would like to do the rest of the evening.
You may be out of sorts on this hyperactive day of the Horse. With the Metal element influence, there is a tendency for being alone, which suits the introverted side of the Snake. It might be best to snuggle up on your comfortable couch and watch TV, read a book and/or listen to music. If you get a sense of nurturing from your family, you could let them join you.
You may be out of sorts on this hyperactive day of the Horse. With the Metal element influence, there is a tendency for being alone, which suits the introverted side of the Snake. It might be best to snuggle up on your comfortable couch and watch TV, read a book and/or listen to music. If you get a sense of nurturing from your family, you could let them join you.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
THE WORLD TALLEST AND BIGGEST!!!
The World's Tallest and Biggest
By Paul Stasi
Dubai's Palm Islands
Photo: Corbis
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The World's Largest Man-Made Islands
Perhaps no structure on this list more embodies the original impulse behind the tall building — pure human hubris — than Dubai’s Palm Islands. Composed of three separate islands, Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira, the entire construction will add nearly 330 miles of beach front to the city of Dubai. Parts of Palm Jumeirah are currently open for development, with the remaining islands to be completed in the next 10-15 years. When finished, the three islands will contain over 100 luxury hotels while Palm Deira itself will be almost as large as Paris.
In Pictures: World’s 20 Tallest & Biggest
The World's Tallest Dam
Construction began on the Nurek Dam (984 feet) in 1961 while the central Asian nation of Tajikistan was still a republic within the Soviet Union, and was completed an efficient 19 years later. The dam provides 98 percent of Tajikistan’s electrical needs and was one of the first to be constructed with an asphalt central core of cement forming an impermeable barrier along the Vakhsh River.
The World's Tallest Hotel Not in Dubai
Though eclipsed both by Dubai’s Rose Tower and Jumeirah Emirates Tower, the Baiyoke Tower II in Bangkok, Thailand, nevertheless boasts 88 floors and 673 guest rooms. The 997-foot Tower is located in Bangkok’s Ratchathewi district known for its shopping and its 1.5 mile long artificial lake.
The World's Tallest Monument
Commonly known as the “Gateway to the West” the St. Louis Arch, designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, marks the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The arch is surrounded by a 91-acre national park along the Mississippi River and stands 630-feet-tall. Visitors can take a four-minute tram ride up one of the “legs” of the arch to the observation deck at its center for spectacular views of St. Louis.
The World's Tallest Hotel Never Actually Completed
Destined for greatness, the Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, stands at 1,083 feet, was supposed to boast 105 floors and 3.9 million-square-feet of floor space, and was meant to have seven revolving restaurants. Not surprisingly this towering pyramid’s construction was put on hold in 1992 when North Korea confronted more pressing matters. What remains is the pyramid itself, but it lacks windows and fixtures and has been deemed unsafe for human occupancy.
The World's Tallest Casino (sort of)
Unsurprisingly located in Las Vegas, the Stratosphere Hotel & Casino boasts a 1,149-foot-tall observation tower and restaurant, making it the tallest free-standing tower in the United States. While you can be shot straight up 160 feet in the air, or ride a mechanical arm over the Tower’s edge, there are no actual games in the tower itself.
The World's Tallest Bar
On the 87th floor of Shanghai’s Jin Mao Tower–literally “Golden Prosperity Building”–is the appropriately titled Cloud Nine. In February 2001, cocktail-sipping patrons observed Han Qizhi, a 31-year-old shoe salesman, climb the 1,214 foot tower barehanded.
The World's Largest House
Indisputably, the Sultan of Brunei’s Istana Nurul Iman is the world’s largest residence. Really more of a palace, this structure boasts an impressive 2,152,782-square-feet of space, comprised of 1,788 rooms (including 257 bathrooms), and is home to the Sultan's car collection, including 165 Rolls Royces. (It easily dwarfs Buckingham Palace's 828,818 square feet). Unfortunately for non-royals, the Sultan’s palace is only open three days a year for the Islamic festival of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, marking the end of Ramadan. However, in 2009, Indian multi-billionaire Mukesh Ambani is scheduled to complete construction on the world's largest house.
The World's Largest Ancient City
Built in the mid-15th century, Machu Picchu is located 7,875 feet above sea level in the Urubamba Valley in Peru. A gorgeous collection of 150 structures, including temples and residences, the city was abandoned approximately 100 years after its founding and not re-discovered until the early 1900s. Machu Picchu was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
The World's Tallest Memorial
Erected in 1940 by the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, the Benedictine Abbey of the Valley of the Fallen boasts the largest Memorial Cross in the world. Located 28 miles northwest of Madrid, the 492-foot structure towers above a basilica and crypt carved out of a granite ridge, and boasts spectacular views of both the surrounding valley and the outskirts of Madrid.
See more of the World’s 20 Tallest & Biggest
Monday, January 12, 2009
BITE YOUR TONGUE
Bite Your Tongue!
by Joy Fisher-Sykes
window.google_render_ad();
Have you ever spoken to someone and then felt the need to say, “Did you hear what I just said?” Why did you feel the need to ask? Probably because the listener didn’t provide you with the feedback you needed to know you were heard.
Listening is the most important, yet often most neglected, communication skill. In fact, the ability to listen is often rated one of the top five abilities employers seek in their staff. It’s also certainly highly sought after in the people nearest and dearest to our hearts.
Here are 10 ways to be an effective listener:
Recognize the difference between hearing and listening
There is a very distinct difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is to merely perceive sound.
Listening is the mindful, conscious act and desire to hear, comprehend, and response to others.
Be willing to listen
Begin with a commitment to listen - be open minded and consider other points of view.
Listen regardless of whether you agree or disagree with what’s said. Resist the urge jump to conclusions; be defensive or argumentative with the speaker.
Be attentive
Stop what you’re doing and give the speaker your undivided attention. If it’s not a good time for you, defer the conversation.
Ignore the desire to multi-task and selectively listen (only listening to bits and pieces of information).
Remain in the moment for the duration of the conversation
don’t tune in and out or pretend to be listening when you’re really thinking about where to go on your next vacation.
Show respect
Acknowledge others with your body language - face the speaker, look interested, and make eye contact.
Avoid ending the conversation abruptly.
Empathize
Be sensitive, compassionate, and understanding – realize it may be difficult for the speaker to talk about this matter.
Empathy doesn’t mean you have to agree with the speaker.
Avoid thinking about how to “one up” the speaker with your own tale of woe.
Be patient
We often interrupt because we are afraid we will forget our point(s). Don’t interrupt - allow the speaker to finish what she/he has to say.
Don’t’ finish the speaker’s sentences because you think they’re taking too long to get to the point.
Focus on what is being said instead of what you think is going to be said.
Eliminate interruptions and distractions
When possible, speak in a neutral location to avoid interruptions and distractions.
Be aware of and avoid interruptions – phones or pagers (use voice mail), visitors (close the door) and distractions (voice mail light, overflowing in box, incoming mail).
Seek Understanding
Focus on main points.
Paraphrase and seek clarification of points that are unclear or that you don’t understand.
Show you’re actively listening
Listen with more than just your ears. Acknowledge and respond to the speaker with facial expressions (smile, nod/shake your head, eye contact) and verbal comments (“I see,” “I understand,” “okay,” “yes”) to aid the conversation.
Simply Listen
Sometimes our idea of listening is to jump in and give unwanted advice. Listening is not an open invitation to resolve a dilemma. Just listen because often the speaker simply seeks a sympathetic ear.
Whether you are a manager or employee, husband or wife, parent or child, pastor or parishioner, friend or foe, listening is critical to the success of your relationships. Take the time to truly listen to others and discover you’ll not only improve your relationships, you will achieve a new level of overall success in your life. Apply these techniques today so you can enjoy a better tomorrow!
By Joy Fisher-Sykes © 2005 All Rights Reserved
About The Author
Joy Fisher-Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and leading expert in the areas of leadership, communication skills, stress management, customer service, and team building. Go to her web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for her newsletter, OnPoint, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."
Print and Internet publication rights are granted, free of charge, for this article, provided the credit paragraph and copyright remain intact.
by Joy Fisher-Sykes
window.google_render_ad();
Have you ever spoken to someone and then felt the need to say, “Did you hear what I just said?” Why did you feel the need to ask? Probably because the listener didn’t provide you with the feedback you needed to know you were heard.
Listening is the most important, yet often most neglected, communication skill. In fact, the ability to listen is often rated one of the top five abilities employers seek in their staff. It’s also certainly highly sought after in the people nearest and dearest to our hearts.
Here are 10 ways to be an effective listener:
Recognize the difference between hearing and listening
There is a very distinct difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is to merely perceive sound.
Listening is the mindful, conscious act and desire to hear, comprehend, and response to others.
Be willing to listen
Begin with a commitment to listen - be open minded and consider other points of view.
Listen regardless of whether you agree or disagree with what’s said. Resist the urge jump to conclusions; be defensive or argumentative with the speaker.
Be attentive
Stop what you’re doing and give the speaker your undivided attention. If it’s not a good time for you, defer the conversation.
Ignore the desire to multi-task and selectively listen (only listening to bits and pieces of information).
Remain in the moment for the duration of the conversation
don’t tune in and out or pretend to be listening when you’re really thinking about where to go on your next vacation.
Show respect
Acknowledge others with your body language - face the speaker, look interested, and make eye contact.
Avoid ending the conversation abruptly.
Empathize
Be sensitive, compassionate, and understanding – realize it may be difficult for the speaker to talk about this matter.
Empathy doesn’t mean you have to agree with the speaker.
Avoid thinking about how to “one up” the speaker with your own tale of woe.
Be patient
We often interrupt because we are afraid we will forget our point(s). Don’t interrupt - allow the speaker to finish what she/he has to say.
Don’t’ finish the speaker’s sentences because you think they’re taking too long to get to the point.
Focus on what is being said instead of what you think is going to be said.
Eliminate interruptions and distractions
When possible, speak in a neutral location to avoid interruptions and distractions.
Be aware of and avoid interruptions – phones or pagers (use voice mail), visitors (close the door) and distractions (voice mail light, overflowing in box, incoming mail).
Seek Understanding
Focus on main points.
Paraphrase and seek clarification of points that are unclear or that you don’t understand.
Show you’re actively listening
Listen with more than just your ears. Acknowledge and respond to the speaker with facial expressions (smile, nod/shake your head, eye contact) and verbal comments (“I see,” “I understand,” “okay,” “yes”) to aid the conversation.
Simply Listen
Sometimes our idea of listening is to jump in and give unwanted advice. Listening is not an open invitation to resolve a dilemma. Just listen because often the speaker simply seeks a sympathetic ear.
Whether you are a manager or employee, husband or wife, parent or child, pastor or parishioner, friend or foe, listening is critical to the success of your relationships. Take the time to truly listen to others and discover you’ll not only improve your relationships, you will achieve a new level of overall success in your life. Apply these techniques today so you can enjoy a better tomorrow!
By Joy Fisher-Sykes © 2005 All Rights Reserved
About The Author
Joy Fisher-Sykes is a professional speaker, author, and leading expert in the areas of leadership, communication skills, stress management, customer service, and team building. Go to her web site, http://www.thesykesgrp.com, and signup for her newsletter, OnPoint, and signup for the newsletter, OnPoint, and receive the free ebook, "Empowerment and Stress Secrets for the Busy Professional."
Print and Internet publication rights are granted, free of charge, for this article, provided the credit paragraph and copyright remain intact.
ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP
Abusive Relationships!
by Kenia Morales
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When ever people are involved in an abusive relationship, they have a tendency to blame the aggressor. However, both parties are responsible for their overall interaction. I know, it sounds weird but let me further explain myself. In order for a person to continuously mistreat or abuse another one, the victim must be permitting it.
If you observe this situation closely when a person truly loves, respects and has total self confidence, they will not tolerate any kind of disrespect from others. They may deal with it once or twice but will move on if they see a pattern.
Why do confident people move on?
• They understand that true love helps you grow and prosper. Rather than, hold you back.
• Real love gives you all their support while, controlling people will give you a cold shoulder.
• A person that loves you will listen to your needs and try to work things out. Instead of disregarding you’re every single need.
• They will understand that you are your own person, not an extension of them selves.
• They will not only love you but they will also give you all the respect that you deserve.
• They will never intentionally belittle or ridicule you. Instead they will always find a way to uplift you.
So, if you currently in a relationship where your partner is either emotionally of physically abusive get out now. Seek out professional help and the help of your love ones. Their support will help you boost your confidence level but, most importantly regain control of your life.
About The Author
Kenia Morales is the publisher of online magazine kpatra.com "For Every Aspect of Today's Woman. Visit her site to find a variety of women related issues and topics" click here kpatra articles to read more inspirational articles written by her.
by Kenia Morales
window.google_render_ad();
When ever people are involved in an abusive relationship, they have a tendency to blame the aggressor. However, both parties are responsible for their overall interaction. I know, it sounds weird but let me further explain myself. In order for a person to continuously mistreat or abuse another one, the victim must be permitting it.
If you observe this situation closely when a person truly loves, respects and has total self confidence, they will not tolerate any kind of disrespect from others. They may deal with it once or twice but will move on if they see a pattern.
Why do confident people move on?
• They understand that true love helps you grow and prosper. Rather than, hold you back.
• Real love gives you all their support while, controlling people will give you a cold shoulder.
• A person that loves you will listen to your needs and try to work things out. Instead of disregarding you’re every single need.
• They will understand that you are your own person, not an extension of them selves.
• They will not only love you but they will also give you all the respect that you deserve.
• They will never intentionally belittle or ridicule you. Instead they will always find a way to uplift you.
So, if you currently in a relationship where your partner is either emotionally of physically abusive get out now. Seek out professional help and the help of your love ones. Their support will help you boost your confidence level but, most importantly regain control of your life.
About The Author
Kenia Morales is the publisher of online magazine kpatra.com "For Every Aspect of Today's Woman. Visit her site to find a variety of women related issues and topics" click here kpatra articles to read more inspirational articles written by her.
WATCHING YOUR EMOTIONS
Are You Watching Your Emotions?
by Dr. Sheri Rosenthal
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You’ll often hear don Miguel Ruiz, author of “The Four Agreements,” saying that our emotions are the key to our personal freedom. Wise words! You might be asking why our emotions are so important to our freedom. I’ve observed in my many years of teaching, how often folks don’t acknowledge what they’re feeling emotionally. When I ask them how they’re feeling they say, “Things are fine,” or “The usual.” Yet, when you ask them if they got upset or frustrated today, they’ll say, “Well yes, this morning with my husband,” or “When the dishwasher repair man came to the house,” or “When something was not typed correctly my secretary.” So what’s going on here? Why are we ignoring the most important tool that we have for our personal growth?
Multiple opportunities present themselves to us daily to grow and learn, yet we’re too asleep to see our emotional reactions for what they are. If you’re not aware of when you’re having a fear-based emotional reaction, you’re allowing your personal power and happiness to drain away from you without even realizing it!
A warrior lives by challenge; meaning he perceives everything as an opportunity to learn. Whether he’s observing the way he talks to himself when he’s waiting on line in the grocery store or sitting on the toilet with constipation – it doesn’t matter where the opportunity comes from, a challenge is a challenge! We can learn as much from the way we victimize ourselves on the toilet when we’re constipated as we can during an argument with our partner.
We can only shift and change within the context of our challenges, not just by reading personal development books and attending workshops. Yes, we can have “ah-ha’s,” learn tools and techniques, meet new friends, and adopt a belief system that is kinder to us than the one we currently have. But what really makes the difference is what action we take to make those insights become practical applications.
I encourage you to take advantage of all that life is gifting you in every moment. Stop throwing away these opportunities simply because you choose non-awareness over personal freedom. If you chose to see your emotional reactions to frustrating events as opportunities for transformation, rather than believing that “s-t happens,” your life will change.
Take a moment right now to think about how you perceive the events of your life. Do you see challenges as inconveniences? If you do, this could be a great time to shift your point of view. (Remember - the way we perceive our lives is a choice and everything is just a point of view!)
There’s one thing I know for sure about this reality. “S-t” never happens to us, we’re not victims; let’s break that belief right now! Life works on the basis of action-reaction. So take action right now based on clarity, rather than your programmed reactions and you’ll be on your way to a blissful life, experiencing joyful emotions rather than fear-based ones.
About The Author
Dr. Sheri Rosenthal is a master Toltec teacher and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Toltec Wisdom. Having trained with don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, she currently takes students on spiritual journeys, works with personal apprentices and enjoys being extremely happy. You can reach her at http://www.sherirosenthal.com.
by Dr. Sheri Rosenthal
window.google_render_ad();
You’ll often hear don Miguel Ruiz, author of “The Four Agreements,” saying that our emotions are the key to our personal freedom. Wise words! You might be asking why our emotions are so important to our freedom. I’ve observed in my many years of teaching, how often folks don’t acknowledge what they’re feeling emotionally. When I ask them how they’re feeling they say, “Things are fine,” or “The usual.” Yet, when you ask them if they got upset or frustrated today, they’ll say, “Well yes, this morning with my husband,” or “When the dishwasher repair man came to the house,” or “When something was not typed correctly my secretary.” So what’s going on here? Why are we ignoring the most important tool that we have for our personal growth?
Multiple opportunities present themselves to us daily to grow and learn, yet we’re too asleep to see our emotional reactions for what they are. If you’re not aware of when you’re having a fear-based emotional reaction, you’re allowing your personal power and happiness to drain away from you without even realizing it!
A warrior lives by challenge; meaning he perceives everything as an opportunity to learn. Whether he’s observing the way he talks to himself when he’s waiting on line in the grocery store or sitting on the toilet with constipation – it doesn’t matter where the opportunity comes from, a challenge is a challenge! We can learn as much from the way we victimize ourselves on the toilet when we’re constipated as we can during an argument with our partner.
We can only shift and change within the context of our challenges, not just by reading personal development books and attending workshops. Yes, we can have “ah-ha’s,” learn tools and techniques, meet new friends, and adopt a belief system that is kinder to us than the one we currently have. But what really makes the difference is what action we take to make those insights become practical applications.
I encourage you to take advantage of all that life is gifting you in every moment. Stop throwing away these opportunities simply because you choose non-awareness over personal freedom. If you chose to see your emotional reactions to frustrating events as opportunities for transformation, rather than believing that “s-t happens,” your life will change.
Take a moment right now to think about how you perceive the events of your life. Do you see challenges as inconveniences? If you do, this could be a great time to shift your point of view. (Remember - the way we perceive our lives is a choice and everything is just a point of view!)
There’s one thing I know for sure about this reality. “S-t” never happens to us, we’re not victims; let’s break that belief right now! Life works on the basis of action-reaction. So take action right now based on clarity, rather than your programmed reactions and you’ll be on your way to a blissful life, experiencing joyful emotions rather than fear-based ones.
About The Author
Dr. Sheri Rosenthal is a master Toltec teacher and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Toltec Wisdom. Having trained with don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, she currently takes students on spiritual journeys, works with personal apprentices and enjoys being extremely happy. You can reach her at http://www.sherirosenthal.com.
Friday, January 9, 2009
UN CEASEFIRE CALL GOES UNHEEDED
UN ceasefire call goes unheeded
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Air strikes continue after ceasefire call
Israel is to keep up its offensive in the Gaza Strip despite a UN call for an immediate end to nearly two weeks of conflict involving Hamas militants.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the latest firing of rockets into Israel showed the resolution was "unworkable". Hamas has also dismissed the UN's call.
The Security Council resolution demanded a truce, access for aid workers and an end to arms smuggling.
Israel continued its bombardment during the night and on Friday morning.
Israeli military operations were again paused for three hours in the afternoon to allow supplies to be brought in for Gaza's residents.
However, Israeli army spokesman Capt Eli Isaacson told the BBC that during that period, two rockets had been fired from Gaza towards Israel and that Israeli forces had returned fire.
Witnesses told the AFP news agency that targets in Jabaliya and Beit Lahiya in the north and in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City had been shelled.
We were not consulted about this resolution and they have not taken into account the interests of our people
Ayman Taha Hamas spokesman
Gaza survivors' accounts
In pictures: Conflict continues
According to Israeli media reports, Hamas militants fired at least 20 rockets at southern Israel on Friday morning.
Hamas said it had rejected the UN's call for an immediate ceasefire because it was not to the advantage of the Palestinian people.
Ayman Taha, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said: "Even though we are the main actors on the ground in Gaza, we were not consulted about this resolution and they have not taken into account our vision and the interests of our people."
Since the current conflict began on 27 December, it is estimated that 770 Palestinians and 14 Israelis have been killed.
In the West Bank town of Ramallah, thousands of people poured out of mosques after Friday prayers to join demonstrations showing their solidarity with the people of Gaza.
The BBC's Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah says there have been other demonstrations like this in the West Bank and elsewhere, but many people feel their calls for an end to the violence in Gaza are not being heard by the outside world.
Other rallies took place in the region after Friday prayers, with the largest, in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, attracting some 50,000 people, officials said.
Thousands of demonstrators also rallied in Kuwait, Jordan and Syria. Smaller protests were staged in Asia and a number of European cities.
'Murderous organisations'
Israel's security cabinet met on Friday morning, hours after the Security Council vote.
"The firing of rockets this morning only goes to show that the UN decision is unworkable and will not be adhered to by the murderous Palestinian organisations," Ehud Olmert said in a statement.
GAZA CRISIS BACKGROUND
Profile: Gaza Strip
Q&A: Gaza conflict
Who are Hamas?
Middle East conflict: History in mapsOfficials in Mr Ehud's office were quoted as saying "the Israeli military will continue to protect Israeli civilians and carry out its missions".
Israeli planes launched fresh strikes on targets in Gaza overnight, and at least five members of one family were killed in one attack, witnesses said.
In a report which could not be verified independently, Hamas said a bomb had flattened a five-storey apartment block in northern Gaza.
Meanwhile, witnesses told a UN agency that about 30 Palestinians had died earlier this week as Israeli forces shelled a house in Gaza City's Zeitoun district into which Israeli soldiers had previously moved more than 100 people, half of them children.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor denied the reports, saying no Israeli soldiers had been in the area on the day the incident was supposed to have happened.
Separately, the UN human rights body has demanded that human rights monitors be deployed in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank so that any violations of international law can be documented independently.
Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said some reported breaches of international law could constitute war crimes "for which individual criminal responsibility may be invoked".
'Durable ceasefire'
Fourteen out of 15 Security Council members backed a resolution on the Gaza crisis, with the US abstaining.
Gaza offensive - in mapsThe motion called for an "immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire" leading to the "full withdrawal" of Israeli forces from Gaza.
It also demanded "the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance", measures to prevent arms smuggling to Palestinian militants and the opening of
border crossings into Gaza.Israeli officials visited Cairo on Thursday to hear details of a plan put forward by Egypt and France.
A Hamas delegation was also expected in the Egyptian capital at some stage for parallel "technical" talks, Egyptian diplomats said.
Israel wants to stop rocket attacks on southern Israel and to stop Hamas smuggling weapons into Gaza via Egypt, while Hamas says any ceasefire deal must include an end to Israel's blockade of Gaza.
Friday, December 19, 2008
From Drug Warrior to Information Minister - Dora Akunyili is Lame-ducked!
In line with some Nigerians, I’m not thrilled by the new assignment of Prof. Dora Akunyili, who is now the new Information and Communication Minister.
Before her new portfolio, Akunyili was head of Nigeria’s state food and drug administration, NAFDAC. A tough job, and a position she recorded unparalleled excellence.
[Dora] won praise from Nigerians in the past seven years for having cut down on counterfeit and dangerous medicines. Nigeria has been plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs since it gained independence from Britain in 1960. When Akunyili took over her post in 2001, a staggering 80 percent of the medications sold in Nigeria were deficient in one way or another… - VOA.
In charge of information and communication, Dora Akunyili has become a “lame-duck bureaucrat” - a mouth-piece of the government who must put her opinions and sentiments aside and “fall in line” whatever the circumstance may be. Now she must operate under close supervision and direct authorization of Aso Rock.
This is a really a loss for Nigeria and great deviation from Akunyili’s days at NAFDAC — where “her tenure has been hailed as a huge success in a country plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs”.
Dora Akunyuli is a tough gun who made several ground-breaking moves in the food and drug industry. She even survived several assassination attempts financed by ruthless, deep pocketed merchants of Onitsha and Aba markets — Nigeria’s ground zero of the fake drugs and medicine business.
Her remarkably successful seven-year stint at NAFDAC was made possible not only because she is committed and driven by excellence, but because she operated almost under 100% autonomy, away from the undue — and often corrupting — interference of the federal government.
Media reports informed that the medicine merchants at Aba and Onitsha markets erupted into jubilation when Akunyili’s removal was announced. They were seen with their guns shooting into the air to celebrate.
And I thought to myself, they have very reason to celebrate…Akunyili’s removal may very well mark the demise of NAFDAC.
Before her new portfolio, Akunyili was head of Nigeria’s state food and drug administration, NAFDAC. A tough job, and a position she recorded unparalleled excellence.
[Dora] won praise from Nigerians in the past seven years for having cut down on counterfeit and dangerous medicines. Nigeria has been plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs since it gained independence from Britain in 1960. When Akunyili took over her post in 2001, a staggering 80 percent of the medications sold in Nigeria were deficient in one way or another… - VOA.
In charge of information and communication, Dora Akunyili has become a “lame-duck bureaucrat” - a mouth-piece of the government who must put her opinions and sentiments aside and “fall in line” whatever the circumstance may be. Now she must operate under close supervision and direct authorization of Aso Rock.
This is a really a loss for Nigeria and great deviation from Akunyili’s days at NAFDAC — where “her tenure has been hailed as a huge success in a country plagued by tainted, fake or untested drugs”.
Dora Akunyuli is a tough gun who made several ground-breaking moves in the food and drug industry. She even survived several assassination attempts financed by ruthless, deep pocketed merchants of Onitsha and Aba markets — Nigeria’s ground zero of the fake drugs and medicine business.
Her remarkably successful seven-year stint at NAFDAC was made possible not only because she is committed and driven by excellence, but because she operated almost under 100% autonomy, away from the undue — and often corrupting — interference of the federal government.
Media reports informed that the medicine merchants at Aba and Onitsha markets erupted into jubilation when Akunyili’s removal was announced. They were seen with their guns shooting into the air to celebrate.
And I thought to myself, they have very reason to celebrate…Akunyili’s removal may very well mark the demise of NAFDAC.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Topic: CNN Says Oil Is A Curse To Nigeria!
Quote
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (CNN) -- Trash litters its cities. Electricity is sporadic at best. There is no clean water. Medical and educational services are limited. Basic infrastructure is severely lacking.
"Planet in Peril" met in a secret location with members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
These are not conditions that should plague one of the richest oil states in the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars has been made from the Niger Delta's oil reserves and many people have gotten very rich. Conversely, the average Nigerian has suffered as a result of the country's oil prosperity. The United States Agency for International Development says more than 70 percent of the country lives on less than a dollar a day -- the population is among the 20 poorest in the world.
Oil companies are only part of the equation. The other is the Nigerian government. Transparency International, a global organization intent on stamping out corruption, has consistently rated Nigeria's government one of the most corrupt in the world.
Nigeria's federal government and oil companies split oil profits roughly 60-40. The money is then supposed to make its way down to the local governments to fund various projects. Somehow, little money actually reaches its intended destination. Nigeria's own corruption agency estimates between $300 billion to $400 billion has been stolen or wasted over the last 50 years. Lisa Ling travels to secret location to meet notorious Nigerian militant group »
Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, one of the largest oil producers of Nigeria's 36 states, acknowledges past problems with corruption, but thinks progress is being made.
"There's a lot of improvement," Amaechi said. "The work being done by the corruption agency and the federal government has somehow been able to control the level of corruption in government."CNN's award-winning "Planet in Peril" series returns with a worldwide investigation. Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lisa Ling take you to the frontlines of the battle over our natural resources.
Over the last few years, a culture of militancy and violence has arisen in the absence of jobs and services. Kidnappings for ransom, robberies and even murder happen with regularity.
The biggest and most powerful armed group is the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND. They say they are at war against the Nigerian military and the oil companies operating there.
MEND, formed in 2005, said it has more than 30 camps throughout Nigeria. Members are armed with high-tech weaponry they said was obtained from "foreign sources." Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides and countless oil workers have been kidnapped.Over the years, MEND's attacks on oil pipelines have halted oil production and, therefore, raised the price of oil around the world. They demand oil profits be distributed to average Nigerians of the Niger Delta and said they will not stop their attacks until their objectives have been fulfilled. See environmental battle lines for "Planet in Peril" »
The battle is over oil -- one of the world's most valuable resources. But to most Nigerians -- oil is a curse.
It has provoked an environmental disaster of monstrous proportions. Since the 1970s, the United Nations estimates there have been more than 6,000 oil spills in the Niger Delta -- that is equal to more than 10 times the amount spilled from the Exxon Valdez in 1989. Yet, there is no international outcry and rarely are the spills reported, even to most Nigerians. They are still happening and the consequences are nothing short of devastating.
Communities along the Niger Delta have lived off subsistence fishing and agriculture for decades. Collecting food becomes impossible when a spill happens, like one that occurred in August. The waterways and mangroves are blanketed in thick brown oil sludge that goes on for miles. Toxicity overpowers the air and a sense of lifelessness pervades the landscape. Many say it will take 10-15 years for the area to be free of contamination -- if the cleanup effort commences in a timely manner.
The August spill was a result of a leak from an old pipeline that had corroded. It took the oil company three months to clamp the leak, but the company said it wasn't reported for a full month after it began. Once the leak was reported, the company said it was denied access to the site by the community. Leaders of the village deny that, and the finger-pointing between the two sides is nothing new -- there is no love lost here.
Who is telling the truth? Who knows? Either way, the creeks are blackened. This is life in the Niger Delta.
PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria (CNN) -- Trash litters its cities. Electricity is sporadic at best. There is no clean water. Medical and educational services are limited. Basic infrastructure is severely lacking.
"Planet in Peril" met in a secret location with members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.
These are not conditions that should plague one of the richest oil states in the world. Hundreds of billions of dollars has been made from the Niger Delta's oil reserves and many people have gotten very rich. Conversely, the average Nigerian has suffered as a result of the country's oil prosperity. The United States Agency for International Development says more than 70 percent of the country lives on less than a dollar a day -- the population is among the 20 poorest in the world.
Oil companies are only part of the equation. The other is the Nigerian government. Transparency International, a global organization intent on stamping out corruption, has consistently rated Nigeria's government one of the most corrupt in the world.
Nigeria's federal government and oil companies split oil profits roughly 60-40. The money is then supposed to make its way down to the local governments to fund various projects. Somehow, little money actually reaches its intended destination. Nigeria's own corruption agency estimates between $300 billion to $400 billion has been stolen or wasted over the last 50 years. Lisa Ling travels to secret location to meet notorious Nigerian militant group »
Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers state, one of the largest oil producers of Nigeria's 36 states, acknowledges past problems with corruption, but thinks progress is being made.
"There's a lot of improvement," Amaechi said. "The work being done by the corruption agency and the federal government has somehow been able to control the level of corruption in government."CNN's award-winning "Planet in Peril" series returns with a worldwide investigation. Anderson Cooper, Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Lisa Ling take you to the frontlines of the battle over our natural resources.
Over the last few years, a culture of militancy and violence has arisen in the absence of jobs and services. Kidnappings for ransom, robberies and even murder happen with regularity.
The biggest and most powerful armed group is the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, or MEND. They say they are at war against the Nigerian military and the oil companies operating there.
MEND, formed in 2005, said it has more than 30 camps throughout Nigeria. Members are armed with high-tech weaponry they said was obtained from "foreign sources." Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides and countless oil workers have been kidnapped.Over the years, MEND's attacks on oil pipelines have halted oil production and, therefore, raised the price of oil around the world. They demand oil profits be distributed to average Nigerians of the Niger Delta and said they will not stop their attacks until their objectives have been fulfilled. See environmental battle lines for "Planet in Peril" »
The battle is over oil -- one of the world's most valuable resources. But to most Nigerians -- oil is a curse.
It has provoked an environmental disaster of monstrous proportions. Since the 1970s, the United Nations estimates there have been more than 6,000 oil spills in the Niger Delta -- that is equal to more than 10 times the amount spilled from the Exxon Valdez in 1989. Yet, there is no international outcry and rarely are the spills reported, even to most Nigerians. They are still happening and the consequences are nothing short of devastating.
Communities along the Niger Delta have lived off subsistence fishing and agriculture for decades. Collecting food becomes impossible when a spill happens, like one that occurred in August. The waterways and mangroves are blanketed in thick brown oil sludge that goes on for miles. Toxicity overpowers the air and a sense of lifelessness pervades the landscape. Many say it will take 10-15 years for the area to be free of contamination -- if the cleanup effort commences in a timely manner.
The August spill was a result of a leak from an old pipeline that had corroded. It took the oil company three months to clamp the leak, but the company said it wasn't reported for a full month after it began. Once the leak was reported, the company said it was denied access to the site by the community. Leaders of the village deny that, and the finger-pointing between the two sides is nothing new -- there is no love lost here.
Who is telling the truth? Who knows? Either way, the creeks are blackened. This is life in the Niger Delta.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I recently had the following conversation with a friend:
"Every time I break up with my boyfriend, he freaks out. He showed up outside my apartment last time."
"Well sounds like you just have to break up and get it over with."
"Yeah, but it's not a good situation every time I do it."
I stopped and thought for a second. "Not a good situation?" Isn't that kind of obvious? How can anyone expect a breakup to be a good situation at all?
Breaking up is a selfish act that can be a necessary evil in your dating life. But there are easier ways to do the whole process.
More Dating Articles from Marie Claire:
Nine Signs He Is Cheating
50 Cheap Date Ideas
The first step is to adjust your mentality and recognize the situation:
You are not ruining someone's life; they will get over you some day.
If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you are even thinking about breaking up with someone, it's probably time to do it. Would you want to be with someone who was having second thoughts while you were madly in love with them?
It's going to be ugly and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
What's the best way to break up? There is probably no best way. But there are a number of tactics that can help make it easier for both parties (even though both parties may not recognize it at the time). Here are some good tactics to use for a "clean" break:
1. Make It Fast
The longer you take to get to the point (whether it's hours or days), the less they will take you seriously. And if you make it look like you're having a hard time going through with the breakup, they will think they can change your feelings or stick around in your life.
2. Be Honest
Don't sugarcoat the situation. If you're seeing someone else, tell them you're seeing someone else. My little sister broke up with a live-in boyfriend because she kissed another guy during a business trip. She told her boyfriend the deal -- it made it more concrete. Avoid cliche's like "I love you, I'm just not in love with you." Guys don't understand this stuff. If you've lost feelings for them, just say it. They can't argue with that. And avoid covering up -- "I just can't be in a relationship right now." Sure you can -- if you were still really into him, you'd be in a relationship with him.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
3. Don't Feel Sorry for Anyone
People will beg, cry, get angry, or shower you with guilt. Just keep going, try to ward off your guilt. It's just going to slow you down and prevent you from getting to your objective. And never take someone back, or cancel breaking up because you feel sorry for them. Do you really want to stay with someone you feel sorry for?
4. Set Post-Breakup Rules
Let them know the deal: you won't be answering their calls or emails. You won't be accommodating them if they show up at your apartment. Eventually, if they have any personality and independence, they will stop bothering you -- but only if you stick to these rules. If you lay these rules out at the time of breakup, then they can't say: "why are you ignoring my calls?" Don't tell them what they are allowed to do -- they can call you all they want, but if you have stated you won't be answering their calls then you are well within your rights when you don't pick up.
5. Stick With It
The more you take them back, the less seriously they'll take your breakup attempts.
6. Neutral Site
Never do it at your place. You want to be able to leave on your own time. Neutral places are the easiest locations to make a quick getaway. The longer you've been together, the more likely it is that you'll be required to do it in person.
Breaking up takes strength. I have found that people who can't break up with someone they are no longer into are somewhat weak. Do what you want to do, and don't get swayed by the situation or the other person.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
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"Every time I break up with my boyfriend, he freaks out. He showed up outside my apartment last time."
"Well sounds like you just have to break up and get it over with."
"Yeah, but it's not a good situation every time I do it."
I stopped and thought for a second. "Not a good situation?" Isn't that kind of obvious? How can anyone expect a breakup to be a good situation at all?
Breaking up is a selfish act that can be a necessary evil in your dating life. But there are easier ways to do the whole process.
More Dating Articles from Marie Claire:
Nine Signs He Is Cheating
50 Cheap Date Ideas
The first step is to adjust your mentality and recognize the situation:
You are not ruining someone's life; they will get over you some day.
If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you don't break up quickly and honestly, it's unfair to you and the other person.
If you are even thinking about breaking up with someone, it's probably time to do it. Would you want to be with someone who was having second thoughts while you were madly in love with them?
It's going to be ugly and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
What's the best way to break up? There is probably no best way. But there are a number of tactics that can help make it easier for both parties (even though both parties may not recognize it at the time). Here are some good tactics to use for a "clean" break:
1. Make It Fast
The longer you take to get to the point (whether it's hours or days), the less they will take you seriously. And if you make it look like you're having a hard time going through with the breakup, they will think they can change your feelings or stick around in your life.
2. Be Honest
Don't sugarcoat the situation. If you're seeing someone else, tell them you're seeing someone else. My little sister broke up with a live-in boyfriend because she kissed another guy during a business trip. She told her boyfriend the deal -- it made it more concrete. Avoid cliche's like "I love you, I'm just not in love with you." Guys don't understand this stuff. If you've lost feelings for them, just say it. They can't argue with that. And avoid covering up -- "I just can't be in a relationship right now." Sure you can -- if you were still really into him, you'd be in a relationship with him.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
Honesty will protect you in the long run, because the truth comes out eventually.
3. Don't Feel Sorry for Anyone
People will beg, cry, get angry, or shower you with guilt. Just keep going, try to ward off your guilt. It's just going to slow you down and prevent you from getting to your objective. And never take someone back, or cancel breaking up because you feel sorry for them. Do you really want to stay with someone you feel sorry for?
4. Set Post-Breakup Rules
Let them know the deal: you won't be answering their calls or emails. You won't be accommodating them if they show up at your apartment. Eventually, if they have any personality and independence, they will stop bothering you -- but only if you stick to these rules. If you lay these rules out at the time of breakup, then they can't say: "why are you ignoring my calls?" Don't tell them what they are allowed to do -- they can call you all they want, but if you have stated you won't be answering their calls then you are well within your rights when you don't pick up.
5. Stick With It
The more you take them back, the less seriously they'll take your breakup attempts.
6. Neutral Site
Never do it at your place. You want to be able to leave on your own time. Neutral places are the easiest locations to make a quick getaway. The longer you've been together, the more likely it is that you'll be required to do it in person.
Breaking up takes strength. I have found that people who can't break up with someone they are no longer into are somewhat weak. Do what you want to do, and don't get swayed by the situation or the other person.
Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
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Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Fall in eurozone retail sales
Fall in eurozone retail sales
 Eurozone shoppers are now far more cautious |
Retail spending across the 15 nations of the eurozone fell in September, official EU figures have shown.
Hit by slowing consumer spending and the threat of a painful recession, retail sales fell 0.2% from August, and by 1.6% compared to September 2007.
The biggest annual fall came in Spain, where spending has fallen 7.1% in the last twelve months.
The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to cut interest rates on Thursday to boost consumer spending.
Figures also announced on Wednesday showed that eurozone service sector activity in October fell to a record low.
Negative territory
The fall in retail spending is less than many economists had expected.
 |  The surveys continue to show record pessimism  Guillaume Meneut, Merrill Lynch |
"There is a slightly less-than-expected fall, but a fall nonetheless. Eurozone growth and retail sales are well into negative territory," said Matthew Sharratt at Bank of America.
He added that the figures should "virtually guarantee" a 0.5% interest rate cut from the ECB.
Spending on food, drinks and tobacco remained unchanged, while spending on non-food products fell by 0.3% from August.
The fall on the previous month across all 27 countries in the EU was 0.1%, and 0.4% from September last year.
Of the 15 eurozone economies, Germany suffered the biggest drop in retail trade from August, falling 2.3%. Compared with September last year, Spain suffered the biggest drop, with trade falling 7.1%.
Belgium experienced the biggest growth in retail sales, with a 1.4% increase over August and a 4.2% increase over September 2007.
Service sector
Meanwhile, the Markit Eurozone Purchasing Managers' Index for the services sector has revealed that activity in the sector in October fell to its lowest level since the index was introduced 10 years ago.
The index slumped to 45.8, below both economists' forecasts and September's score of 48.4. Any score below 50 represents a contraction in the services sector.
On Monday, Markit announced that the purchasing index for the manufacturing sector fell to 41.1, also a record low.
"The surveys continue to show record pessimism," said Guillaume Meneut at Merrill Lynch.
The European Commission announced on Tuesday that the eurozone economy contracted by 0.2% in the second quarter, and that the EU economy would "grind to a standstill" in 2009.Kenyan beer stirs Obamamania
Kenyan beer stirs Obamamania | |||||||||
 The close battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to secure the Democratic nomination for the US presidency is captivating many across the world. The charismatic Illinois senator is drawing big crowds at campaign rallies in a phenomenon known as Obamamania. Kenya, where Senator Obama's father came from, is not immune from this either, but here, another Obama is riding on the crest of a wave. This one, though, comes in the form of a brown bottle and is called Senator beer. In many slums and low income areas, people who find beer too expensive often resort to cheap home brews. But these potent drinks which include traditional spirits known as chang'aa have on a several occasions proved lethal. Some consumers have died and others have been blinded. It's believed brewers spike the beer with deadly additives. So one brewery, East African Breweries Limited (EABL), spotted a market opportunity for a cheap beer that is also safe. The result: Senator Keg beer, known simply by drinkers as "Obama". The beer became an instant hit when it was launched in 2004 at about the same time as Barack Obama was elected as senator of Illinois. Fears of alcoholism The product has proved as popular as the US senator in the intervening years, but with more beer for less money there are fears it could contribute to a rise in alcoholism in Kenya. EABL's Corporate Affairs Director Ken Kariuki rejects this. He says that normally poorer people are consuming drinks with an alcohol content of around 40%. By contrast Senator beer is only 6%. "So you are almost forcing a responsible consumption of alcohol, only this time you're packaging the product in a more affordable and hygienic manner," Mr Kariuki explains. But others are worried that cheap beer can create more alcoholics. Dr Frank Njenga, chairman of the National Campaign against Drug Abuse, says more needs to be done to tackle alcohol abuse. "Alcohol problems require the intervention by all the players, chief of which is the government through its agencies and also those in the industry," he says. Dr Njenga, who is also a prominent psychiatrist in Nairobi, says everyone must work together to combat the rising trend of alcohol consumption. Certainly bar owners are not complaining. On a good day, John Kameta, who owns the Bro Jimmoh bar in Nairobi, can make up to $100 from sales of Senator beer. "With the high cost of living, people from across all income brackets are turning to Obama beer each evening," he says. So what do Kenyans make of the new liquid Obama? "I like the way it is served - from a jug, instead of a bottle. Most people think you get a larger serving from a jug," one devotee told me. So while the outcome of the US elections may not matter as much in Kenya as it does in America, here every visit to the local watering hole is a vote of confidence in their Obama.
| | SEE ALSO RELATED INTERNET LINKS The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites  News feeds
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Kenya seeks big airport for Obama
Kenya seeks big airport for Obama
 Barack Obama's grandmother lives in the village where his father was born |
Kenyan MPs have called for an airport in the west of the country to be upgraded for Air Force One in case Barack Obama wins the US elections.
Mr Obama's father was born in Nyanza Province and the MPs say the local Kisumu airport should be expanded in case he wants to visit.
The Illinois senator is a local hero in his father's homeland, where a local beer has been named after him.
Mr Obama has never lived in Kenya and he has visited just three times.
The MPs from Nyanza Province said it was clear that Mr Obama was going to clinch the US presidency, the private Nairobi Star newspaper reported.
Mr Obama will face Republican John McCain in the 4 November elections.
Mr Obama's father was from Alego-Kogello village which is 60km (37 miles) from Kisumu.
Kisumu Town MP Aluoch Olago told parliament that the delay in the airport's expansion was a major concern, the Nairobi Star reported.
Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere said the airport's expansion programme was behind schedule, and is expected to be complete by July 2010.Kenya declares holiday for Obama
Kenya declares holiday for Obama
 There were all-night victory parties across the country |
Kenya has declared Thursday a public holiday to celebrate the election of Barack Obama to the US presidency.
Mr Obama's father was from Kenya and his victory has prompted jubilation across the country.
"We the Kenyan people are immensely proud of your Kenyan roots," President Mwai Kibaki said.
The BBC's Juliet Njeri says Mr Obama's step-grandmother was seen dancing and cheering jubilantly outside her house after the results were declared.
She says Mr Obama's family stayed up all night in the western Kenyan village of Kogelo watching the election count, and they are now preparing for a big party.
| Your victory is not only an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, but it has special resonance with us here in Kenya Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki  |
A bull is to be slaughtered later on Wednesday.
In nearby Kisumu city, there is a carnival mood and people have poured onto the streets singing Mr Obama's praises.
Political leaders are expected in the city later on Wednesday and a massive celebration is planned in the city, which considers Mr Obama their chosen son.
In January, Kisumu was the scene of running battles between members of the public and police after riots broke out over the Kenya's contested elections.
But correspondents say the US election seems to be a unifying moment for the country, with people reported to be saying that Mr Obama's victory is a victory for all Kenyans.
In the capital, crowds were seen singing and dancing, waving branches and carrying posters of Mr Obama along Ngong Road, one of Nairobi's major highways.
"Your victory is not only an inspiration to millions of people all over the world, but it has special resonance with us here in Kenya," Mr Kibaki said.
Games 'to outsell' music, video
Games 'to outsell' music, video
 Hugely popular titles such as GTAIV have boosted sales figures |
UK sales of games will outstrip music and video for the first time in 2008, says a report from Verdict Research.
A huge shift in consumer attitudes has turned video games into the UK's most popular form of entertainment, say the retail analysts.
It predicts spending on games will rise by 42% to £4.64bn in 2008, with sales on music and video at £4.46bn.
In the last five years the video games market has more than doubled in value, while music sales have stagnated.
The good news for game makers in the report was balanced by grim tidings for high street retailers.
"The music and video market is not just suffering from a slowing of growth but a massive transfer of spend to online," says Malcolm Pinkerton of Verdict Research.
It is online sales of CDs and DVDs that have grown rapidly, rather than digital downloads, which still only account for around 4% of music and video sales.
In contrast, video games spending has enjoyed explosive growth, with the launch of major new titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV and FIFA 08, and the Nintendo Wii continuing to broaden the appeal of games.
Bollywood producer BR Chopra dies
Bollywood producer BR Chopra dies
 The Burning Train was one of Chopra's biggest hits |
Veteran Bollywood filmmaker and producer BR Chopra has died in the western Indian city of Mumbai at the age of 94.
Mr Chopra was best known as the producer of films like Naya Daur (1957) and The Burning Train (1980).
He also produced a successful TV serial Mahabharata, based on the Indian epic, in the late 1980s.
Mr Chopra won the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honour in Indian cinema presented by the government.
Born in Punjab in undivided India, Mr Chopra studied at the Lahore university. After partition, he migrated to Delhi.
Settling down in Mumbai (also known as Bombay) to pursue a career in filmmaking, Mr Chopra set up a production house and produced over 30 films.
He became a household name with such films as Naya Daur (1957), Humraz (1967) and Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980).
Mr Chopra's brother, Yash, is also a prominent filmmaker.
He is survived by his son, Ravi Chopra - also a filmmaker - and two daughters.Tuesday, November 4, 2008
OBAMA WINS THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON -- Sen. Barack Obama was elected the nation's first African-American president, defeating Sen. John McCain decisively Tuesday as citizens surged to the polls in a presidential race that climaxed amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.
"Change has come," Sen. Obama told a huge throng of cheering supporters in Chicago at a midnight rally.
In his first speech as victor, Sen. Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." (See the full text of Obama's speech.)
He added, "There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.''
Click to see an interactive map of election results.
The culmination of the epic two-year campaign marks a historic moment in a nation that since its founding has struggled with racial divisions. It also ushers in a period of dominance for Democrats in Washington for the first time since the early years of President Bill Clinton's first term. With Tuesday's elections, Sen. Obama's party will control both houses of Congress as well as the White House, setting the scene for Democrats to push an ambitious agenda from health care to financial regulation to ending the war in Iraq.
In becoming the U.S.'s 44th president, Illinois Sen. Obama, 47 years old, defeated Arizona Sen. McCain, 72, a veteran lawmaker and Vietnam War hero. Despite a reputation for bucking his own party, Sen. McCain could not overcome a Democratic tide, which spurred voters to take a risk on a candidate with less than four years of national political experience. Sen. Obama is the first northern Democrat elected president since John F. Kennedy in 1960.
Sen. McCain conceded the election to Sen. Obama, congratulating him and pledging to help bringing unity to the country. Speaking from outside the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Sen. McCain told his supporters: "It's natural tonight to feel some disappointment. Though we fell short, the failure is mine, not yours." (Read more on McCain's concession.)
Sen. McCain's defeat in Florida followed losses in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and New Hampshire, swing states he was hoping to secure for the Republican column.
According to a preliminary tally, Sen. Obama led the race with 349 electoral votes versus 160 for Sen. McCain; 270 were needed to win.
Also elected: Joe Biden of Delaware as vice president, the veteran senator who has promised to help Sen. Obama steer his agenda through Congress.
Sen. Obama's victory was built on record fund raising and a vast national campaign network. It remade the electoral map that had held fast for eight years. He overwhelmed reliable Democratic strongholds in the Northeast and West Coast. He won big in the industrial Midwest and contested fiercely in areas of traditional Republican strength. He won Virginia, the first time a Democratic candidate had taken the state since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. And he finally wrested Florida and Ohio from the GOP, two states that had bedeviled his party in the last two elections.
Watershed Moment
The president-elect will enter office with a long policy wish list that includes ending the war in Iraq, implementing a near-universal health-insurance plan and finding alternatives to Middle Eastern oil. All this will have to be carried out amid record budget deficits, a looming crisis in Social Security and Medicare spending as the baby-boom generation retires and fears that the nation is on the edge of a deep recession.
Democrats have touted the prospect of a big sweep not just as a partisan conquest but as an ideological turning point, one that could reverse the last great shift in 1980, when Ronald Reagan ushered in a period dominated by tax-cutting conservatism and muscular foreign policy.
Page One
- How the Tide Turned Against McCain
- Campaign Addicts Now Confront Morning After
- Democrats Expand Majorities In Congress
Election Day
- Exit Poll Data: What Was on Voters' Minds
- Big Turnout Stresses Election System
- For a Historic Election, an Enormous Turnout
- Racial Significance of Vote Looms Large
- States Vote on Raft of Social Issues
- Voters Cast Ballots With the Economy in Mind
- Obama Camp Helps Young Voters Get to Polls
- Obama Candidacy Split Harlem's GOP Faithful
- Voters in 11 States Choose Governors
Looking Ahead
It's a startling turnaround from just four years ago, when Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, and benefited from a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. The party's intellectual leaders spoke of a permanent Republican majority in Washington.
What remains unclear, however, is whether Tuesday's results represent a vote for liberalism or against the failures of the Bush administration, including the early war years in Iraq, the calamity of Hurricane Katrina and the current economic slump.
The transition to an Obama administration could begin almost immediately. A shadow Treasury team could be in place by the end of the week, aides say. In many ways, the transition has already started. John Podesta, a former White House chief of staff under President Clinton, has been leading quiet conversations about key positions, especially those relating to the economy.
National exit poll results found Sen. Obama increasing his vote percentages across the board, with particular success coming from the youth and black votes, as many in his campaign had predicted. Although a preliminary figure, his 52% of the popular vote marks the first time since Mr. Johnson that a Democrat had clearly won more than half the nation's vote.
Sen. Obama took 96% of black voters, who increased their share of the electorate to 13% from 11%. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts won 88% of the black vote in 2004. Sen. Obama won two-thirds of Hispanics and more than two-thirds of voters aged 18 to 29.
One important swing was the Roman Catholic vote, which went 47% to Sen. Kerry in 2004, compared with 53% for Sen. Obama.
Sen. Obama won among independents but divided the suburban vote. And among voters in families earning over $200,000 a year, Sen. Obama improved over Sen. Kerry by 17 points.
Helping Sen. Obama: Democrats made up a larger share of the electorate this year than they did four years ago, when equal numbers of voters identified as Democrats and as Republicans. This time, 40% said they were Democrats and just 32% said they were Republicans.
Sen. Obama's campaign organization reached corners of the country largely untouched by previous Democratic candidates, from Boise, Idaho, to Biloxi, Miss. It didn't work out everywhere -- he lost North Dakota and Georgia. But he put long-standing Republican territory into play, a tactic that put Sen. McCain on the defensive.
Democrats also bolstered their majorities on Capitol Hill. The party secured a number of Senate victories, bringing it teasingly close to a filibuster-proof margin. Party leaders will likely be able to make up the one or two additional votes with moderate Republicans. The party picked up at least 10 House seats, a number expected to grow significantly.
Working Together
In Arizona, Sen. McCain offered congratulations to his opponent and spoke of the historic moment and the importance of the day to African-Americans. A century ago, he recalled, there was outrage in many quarters when President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to visit the White House.
"America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time," Sen. McCain said during a gracious concession speech. "There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States."
The Arizona senator also pledged to put the bitterness of the campaign aside and to work with the new president through the difficult times facing the nation.
Sen. McCain phoned Sen. Obama to concede the race and both men pledged to work together. President George W. Bush also phoned the victor and promised a smooth transition. "You are about to go on one of the great journeys of life. Congratulations and go enjoy yourself," the president told his successor.
Sen. Obama declared victory in Chicago's Grant Park in front of an audience of 125,000 people, saying, "If there is anyone out there who still doubts America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders are alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."
The 2008 election, the longest and most expensive presidential campaign in U.S. history, was a watershed in many ways. It featured the first woman -- New York Sen. Hillary Clinton -- to seriously contend for a party nomination. Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska became the first woman to appear on the Republican ticket. And Sen. Obama broke ground as the first black party nominee for president.
Chris Hondros/Getty Images
Supporters of Sen. Barack Obama watched the results roll in on a television screen in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday evening.
"Obama is documentation of America's moral progress, the moral evolution we have gone through in the past 40 years," said Shelby Steele, a black writer and a fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, who voted for Sen. McCain. "Whites don't get credit for it. But having grown up myself in segregation -- America has changed enormously."
The candidates spent about $1.6 billion on the election, double the 2004 presidential race, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. When all is tallied, Sen. Obama is expected to have raised around $700 million, a sum made possible when he opted to forgo public financing, the first candidate to do so since the system was implemented in the wake of the Watergate scandal. That decision, and the resulting bonanza, is likely to change how future campaigns are funded.
Indications from early voting and lengthy lines at the polls point to the biggest voter turnout in the period since women got the vote in 1920. In total, voter registration numbers were up 7.3% compared with the last presidential election, for a total of 153 million eligible voters.
The race also featured the most extensive use yet of the Internet. Online social networks spread the campaign to corners of the country that had never before experienced such intense electioneering.
"I wanted to be part of this historic day in our country and watch people in this community exercise their God-given right," said Earl Simms, a 65-year-old former city safety manager standing at the head of the line at his Jacksonville, Fla., precinct.
By tradition, the first ballots were cast just after midnight in tiny Dixville Notch, N.H. Sen. Obama got 15 votes and Sen. McCain six.
Many African-Americans were celebrating how far a black man had come.
"It's a feeling we feel all the way inside -- Lord, we're finally overcoming," said Willie Smiley, 65, a retired government worker from Detroit.
Benjamin T. Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil-rights group, said his 92-year-old grandmother, whose grandfather was a slave, is "giddy" at the prospect of seeing young black girls holding pajama parties at the White House.
"At this moment, it feels as if anything is possible, and that is the way it needs to be in this country," he said in an interview Tuesday.
Sen. Obama launched his candidacy on the statehouse steps of Springfield, Ill., nearly two years ago. He was a freshman senator, largely unknown, noted mostly for a keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention and a best-selling book. The son of a white woman from Kansas and a Kenyan immigrant who once herded goats, the relative newcomer came with a foreign-sounding name and associations that would prove to be liabilities.
His spiritual adviser, the Rev, Jeremiah Wright, had issued incendiary sermons from the pulpit of Sen. Obama's church. A convicted felon, Tony Rezko, helped him purchase a Chicago home. And Republicans tried to tie Sen. Obama to an associate and neighbor, William Ayers, a member of a domestic terrorist organization in the 1960s.
With that baggage, he took on one of the most powerful names in Democratic politics, Sen. Hillary Clinton, defeating her after an epic primary fight. Sen. Obama's campaign beat the formidable Clinton machine by going where she was not, racking up victories in states such as Idaho, Kansas and Wyoming.
In the general election campaign, Sen. Obama held the lead for most of the summer. Following back-to-back conventions, Sen. McCain briefly pulled ahead after he energized his party by choosing Gov. Palin as his running mate. When the financial crisis hit, causing stocks to plummet and the government to embark on a series of unprecedented interventions in markets, voters were reminded of their economic concerns and Sen. Obama pulled ahead again. He never lost the lead.
"I've been in denial for too long," said Jennifer Cresent, a Macomb County, Mich., Republican who voted for President Bush four years ago and Sen. Obama Tuesday. "I thought we were really fine and people complained too much. Then every other house on my street became vacant. And so many people are out of work. Now I really worry about crime."
During the primaries, Sen. McCain's campaign was large and expensive and nearly collapsed. He began again with a bare-bones operation, running as a promoter of the war in Iraq at a time when it was deeply unpopular. He pushed for and then backed the early 2007 surge in troops that turned out to be an important factor in the country's turnaround.
After winning the nomination, Sen. McCain still had work to do with the conservative base of his party. Many in the base were angered by his push to change the nation's immigration laws and campaign-finance rules, his support for embryonic stem cell research and his opposition to the Bush tax cuts.
He struggled to find a message that would resonate, running at various times as the experienced insider, a maverick who would shake up Washington, a bipartisan conciliator, a tax-cutting conservative and a tough-minded "Country First" war hero.
The choice of Gov. Palin thrilled conservatives but turned off other voters, especially independents. Early exit polls Tuesday found that six in 10 voters said she is not qualified to be president. Those voters overwhelmingly favored Sen. Obama.
Sen. McCain's campaign received a jolt in October when taxes became a hot issue, but it was never enough to overcome Sen. Obama's optimistic, though vague slogan of hope, which appealed to an electorate angry over war, the economy and President Bush, who has one of the lowest approval ratings on record.
According to early exit poll data, 62% of voters said the economy was their top concern. All other issues, including terrorism and the war in Iraq, were far behind. In 2004, terrorism and the economy were tied at about 20%.
Sen. Obama's promises will be a challenge to keep in the face of a likely recession, two wars and record budget deficits.
He has promised to end the war in Iraq and reduce troop levels quickly. He has also vowed to redouble efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, beef up the U.S. military presence there and to reinvigorate efforts against al Qaeda, both in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He promised to create a new government-organized health care marketplace and cut taxes for every family earning less than $200,000 and raise them for families over $250,000.
He has vowed to wean the country of Middle Eastern oil over 10 years, dedicating $150 billion to alternative and renewable energy research and development, likening the challenge to that of putting a man on the moon. He has said he will cap greenhouse-gas emissions and force polluters to begin paying for emission permits in order to tackle global warming.
He has also promised billions of federal dollars for education, teacher training and recruitment. College applicants would be given tax incentives to offset tuition in exchange for national service.
In the short run, Sen. Obama has promised to prime the flagging economy with billions of dollars for infrastructure, unemployment insurance and Medicaid. Banks would have to temporarily halt home foreclosures in exchange for government assistance.
The incoming president will have some advantages, including the apparent enthusiastic backing of voters. A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released Monday found that 81% of Obama supporters said their vote was for him, not against Sen. McCain. Exit polls found 56% of voters were either optimistic or excited about what Sen. Obama would do as president.
And two-thirds of voters in the Journal poll said they understand Sen. Obama's message and know what he will do as president, just shy of the 72% who said that about President Bush when he stood for re-election in 2004.
With strong majorities in Congress, President-elect Obama is likely to start fast, with a large economic-stimulus package, legislation to fund embryonic stem-cell research and an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a government insurance program, which will be financed with a rise in the tobacco tax.
After that, Democrats are divided over how to proceed. Old-guard liberals want to move as fast as possible while they have solid majorities and an electoral mandate. Conservative Democrats want more attention paid to a federal budget deficit that could approach $1 trillion this fiscal year.
Democratic leaders in Congress, mindful of Bill Clinton's health-care debacle of 1993 and the Republican resurgence that swept them from power the next year, counsel a cautious approach that builds bipartisan and voter support before moving on the president-elect's big-ticket items.
The president-elect will not have much time to decide. By early February, he will have to produce a budget that lays out his spending and tax priorities at least over the next five years and hints at what he will do to confront the looming costs of Social Security and Medicare.
Possibly in Barack Obama's Cabinet
| Position | Potential Appointees | ||
| Attorney General: | Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano | Former deputy attorney general Eric Holder | Mass. Gov. Deval Patrick |
| Chief of Staff: | Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D., Ill.) | Sen. Tom Daschle (D., S.D.) | Clinton Commerce Secretary, J.P. Morgan exec Bill Daley |
| Defense Secretary: | Current Defense Secretary Robert Gates | Sen. Jack Reed (D., R.I.) | Sen. Chuck Hagel (R., Neb.) |
| Press Secretary: | Aide Robert Gibbs | Aides Linda Douglass, Bill Burton, Stephanie Cutter | |
| Secretary of State: | New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson | Sen. John Kerry (D., Mass.) | Sen. Richard Lugar (R., Ind.) |
| Secretary of Agriculture: | Former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack | Rep. Collin Peterson (D., Minn.) | |
| Secretary of Education: | Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius | U. of Oklahoma president David Boren | Former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean |
| Secretary of Energy or Transportation: | Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell | ||
| Secretary of Health and Human Services: | Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius | Sen. Tom Daschle (D., S.D.) | Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean |
| Senior adviser/political posts: | Aide David Plouffe | Aide David Axelrod | Aide Steve Hildebrand |
| Treasury Secretary: | Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers | Federal Reserve Bank of New York President Timothy Geithner | Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker |
| Secretary of Commerce: | Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius | Fundraiser Penny Pritzker | Sen. Olympia Snowe (D., Maine) |
Write to Laura Meckler at laura.meckler@wsj.com and Jonathan Weisman at jonathan.weisman@wsj.com
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