Half of Americans Do Not Believe President Obama Will be Re-elected
President's job rating one year from election lower than five of past six presidents at same time
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2011
NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- One year from now the country will be in the final days of the 2012 presidential campaign. Most likely the final debates will have been held and the two candidates will be on their final campaign trips wooing undecided voters. President Obama will be trying to move on to a second term and one of the Republicans will be trying to stop that. However, the President is heading into this year-long campaign with only one-third of Americans (33%) giving the job he is doing positive ratings while two-thirds (67%) give him negative marks. This is almost unchanged from last month when 32% gave him positive ratings and 68% gave him negative ones.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,463 adults surveyed online between October 10 and 17, 2011 by Harris Interactive.
Looking back
Going back to The Harris Poll Vault, we can take a look to see what the ratings of other presidents were one year before they attempted to win a second term. Only one, Jimmy Carter had lower ratings with 25% of Americans giving him positive marks while three-quarters (74%) gave him negative ratings.
NEW YORK, October 21, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Statement by the UN Secretary-General on Libya
Today marks the end of the 42-year reign of the Qadhafi regime. Libya now closes a painful and tragic chapter and starts a new one based on national reconciliation, justice, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
At this historic moment I call upon the people of Libya to come together, as they can only realize the promise of the future through national unity and reconciliation.
I pay tribute to the Libyan people for their steadfastness and courage through all the pain they endured. I convey the condolences of the United Nations to the families of those who gave their lives in a struggle for freedom. This is the time for healing and rebuilding, and not for revenge.
The road ahead is full of challenges, but also opportunities. The Libyan people look forward to a democratic political system based on pluralism, respect for women, youth and minority rights, and a peaceful transition of power.
The international community will continue to support the Libyan people and the National Transitional Council (NTC) in this transitional period. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya is ready to assist and support the Libyan people and their leadership at their request.
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi[1] (Arabic: مُعَمَّر القَذَّافِي Muʿammar al-Qaḏḏāfī (June 1942 – 20 October 2011)
The rise and fall of Muammar Gaddafi is just another classic tragedy of one of the most charismatic rulers in the history of the world since Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, the fifth Emperor of Rome (37 AD - 68 AD).
It is really ironic that Gaddafi who was once the hero of his people was now a villain they had to topple and kill without trial.
Dermablend Professional and Zombie Boy Go Beyond the Cover
Trusted coverage brand asks viewers to look beyond first impressions with new online video campaign (Tweet this)
NEW YORK, N.Y., October 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Do you judge a book by its cover? That’s what Dermablend Professional, the #1 dermatologist recommended coverage brand in the U.S., is asking with its newest online video campaign, “Go Beyond the Cover.”
For this initiative, Dermablend Professional recruited Rico Genest, also known as Zombie Boy, the 26-year-old model and fashion muse best known for his head-to-toe skeletal tattoos. Genest gained attention after appearing in Lady Gaga’s video for “Born This Way,” as well as walking the Thierry Mugler runway in Paris, to name a few. His notoriety and unique appearance have also earned him a cult Facebook following.
To create the “Go Beyond the Cover” message, Dermablend Professional teamed with Tuxedo Agency to produce a video featuring Zombie Boy. During the shoot, a team of makeup artists applied Dermablend Professional Leg and Body Tattoo Primer and Leg and Body Cover to completely cover Zombie Boy’s tattoos on his head, neck, chest, stomach and arms. In the video, a completely tattoo-free Genest slowly rubs away the Dermablend Professional product to reveal the tattoos that lie beneath. The video, as well as behind-the-scenes footage revealing the makeup application and Genest’s reaction to seeing himself without tattoos, can be seen at www.gobeyondthecover.com and on the Dermablend Professional Facebook page.
The message? Don’t judge a book by its cover. As the “Go Beyond the Cover” video makes abundantly clear, what appears to be real at first glance isn’t necessarily the case. People are often quick to judge a person based on outward appearances instead of looking beyond to discover the individual’s true character. As the video depicts, it’s easy to transform one’s image with just a few swipes of a makeup sponge, yet we need to be inspired to discover who that individual really is. It’s important to remember to always look beyond what’s on the outside.
For 30 years, Dermablend Professional has been helping people put their best face forward with its line of coverage cosmetics. From tattoos to undereye circles to more serious skin conditions, Dermablend Professional provides an array of products that deliver reliable coverage.
“In this ‘Go Beyond the Cover’ video featuring Zombie Boy, his appearance was masked using just a few Dermablend Professional products,” said Renee Mininni, assistant vice president of marketing for Dermablend Professional. “The point that we hope to drive home is that sometimes we catch ourselves judging an individual based on appearance alone, but appearances can be easily changed. Dermablend Professional provides products for those seeking coverage and it will do the trick flawlessly but be inspired to go beyond the cover.”
Dermablend Professional can be purchased at Macy’s, Ulta, Dillard’s and also at select Lord & Taylor, Bon Ton, Carsons and Boscovs locations, and online at www.dermablend.com.
1. University of Cambridge (United Kingdom) 2. Harvard University (United States) 3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States) 4. Yale University (United States) 5. University of Oxford (United Kingdom) 6. Imperial College London (United Kingdom) 7. UCL (University College London) (United Kingdom) 8. University of Chicago (United States) 9. University of Pennsylvania (United States) 10. Columbia University (United States)
London based writer Julian Barnes, 65, has won the £50,000 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel The Sense of an Ending. The announcement was made the evening of Tuesday 18 October, 2011.
The Sense of an Ending went straight into the bestseller list on publication by Jonathan Cape. The novel is the eighth Man Booker Prize winner to be published by Jonathan Cape, a Random House imprint.
Barnes has been shortlisted on three occasions without him winning the prize and said "as much relieved as delighted to be receiving the prize." He was previously shortlisted in 1984, 1998, and again in 2005.
He is the author of ten previous novels with translations in over 30 languages so far. Barnes is the only writer to have won both the Prix Médicis (for Flaubert's Parrot) and the Prix Femina (for Talking it Over) in France. His other important awards include the Austrian State Prize for European Literature and the David Cohen Prize.
Amazon's description of The Sense of an Ending.
This intense new novel follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he has never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance, one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. Tony Webster thought he’d left all this behind as he built a life for himself, and by now his marriage and family and career have fallen into an amicable divorce and retirement. But he is then presented with a mysterious legacy that obliges him to reconsider a variety of things he thought he’d understood all along, and to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.
A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single sitting, with stunning psychological and emotional depth and sophistication, The Sense of an Ending is a brilliant new chapter in Julian Barnes’s oeuvre.
Congratulations to Julian Barnes. But why should any serious writer be really bothered about winning any prize to validate one's genius?
A true writer is not writing for any prize, but for the love of the Art and for the benefit of humanity which is the greatest legacy.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima.
Click on the following titles to order any of the best selling books by Julian Barnes.
If 10.000 people trooped to watch ‘Fighting the Silence’ in Mulo village in Congo on the 21st of August 2011 in open air, then imagine how many more thousands of people will be gathering for the open air screenings of movies at Screen Naija 2012 with live rock muisc, hip hop rap performances and so much fanfare.
For Reservations of Seats and Accommodation for the Screen Naija Open Air Cinema Fiesta, contact us today.
Bill and Melinda Gates Applaud Progress Against Malaria While Urging Renewed Effort Optimism, urgency and innovation needed to bring an end to malaria
Seattle, Washington, October 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Three hundred leading malaria scientists, global health leaders, policymakers, government officials and advocates gathered today at the Malaria Forum to discuss great strides in malaria control and address challenges that are impacting the long-term goal of eradication.
“We have seen tremendous success in the control of malaria, thanks to an infusion of resources, innovation, and political will,” said Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Worldwide, malaria deaths are down 20 percent since 2000.”
More than one million African children have been saved from malaria since 2000. New tools such as long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets and artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs)—along with prevention during pregnancy and indoor residual spraying—have made this recent progress possible.
A surge of financial and political commitments from endemic countries, donor governments, non-governmental organizations, private companies, and individuals sparked a decade of scientific advancement and the development of lifesaving tools that fight malaria. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative and the World Bank’s Malaria Booster Program transformed the funding landscape and contributed significantly to successes in malaria control.
Mrs. Gates congratulated the forum participants and urged them to maintain momentum or recent gains could be lost. “What matters is our staying power,” Mrs. Gates added. “We need to keep on seizing the opportunity to make new progress against malaria every single day.”
Innovation will Pave Way to Eradication
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, challenged the malaria community to be smarter, faster, and more ambitious. “If we think big, bring more partners into the fold, and take smart risks, we will invent entirely new tools—powerful ways of fighting malaria that don’t exist now,” explained Mr. Gates. “This is the kind of innovation that will enable us to plan for the eventual eradication of malaria.”
When Mr. and Mrs. Gates first called on the global community to chart a course for the long-term eradication of malaria at the Malaria Forum four years ago, the world took notice. Today, Mr. Gates reaffirmed the foundation’s commitment to eradication, urging public and private partners to increase their investments.
“Eradication is an ambitious goal—and a long-term goal. It is also a goal to which we remain 100 percent committed,” added Mr. Gates. “It will take leadership, innovation, and money to plan for malaria’s eventual eradication.”
Notable Scientific Advancement Reported
The first interim results from phase III trials of the RTS,S vaccine were announced today at the forum. Among five- to 17-month-old children, the vaccine prevented clinical malaria in 56 percent of trial participants over a period of one year. It prevented severe malaria in 47 percent.
Mr. Gates deemed this discovery a “huge milestone” in the fight against malaria, as RTS,S is the first vaccine against a parasitic disease.
“First, this is proof that it is possible to create a vaccine that is effective against malaria,” explained Mr. Gates. “Second, if further results show that the effectiveness of RTS,S does not wane over time it has the potential to protect millions of children and save thousands of lives.”
Work is already underway to develop the next generation of vaccines that will provide greater and longer lasting protection and will be even more effective in stopping malaria transmission.
Urgent Call to Intensify Efforts
While the second Malaria Forum illuminated the recent progress the world has made in halting malaria, there was an underlying sense of urgency to be smarter and faster, and to save more lives.
The reality in much of Africa remains grim. A child dies of malaria every 45 seconds in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the latest reports from 2009, children under five accounted for 85 percent of the nearly 800,000 malaria deaths. Malaria also bears a heavy burden on Africa’s global economies, costing the continent an estimated $12 billion annually in lost productivity.
“The parasite has been killing children and sapping the strength of whole populations for tens of thousands of years,” added Mr. Gates. “Now, we can chart a course to end it.”
For a multimedia news package go to: Gates Foundation on the Newsmarket
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and Co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
Media Contact: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 206-709-3400 media@gatesfoundation.org
