Funding and Innovation Critical to Sustain Progress in Malaria Fight

15 Jul 2012 13:09 Africa/Lagos

Funding and Innovation Critical to Sustain Progress in Malaria Fight Say African Leaders

Confederation of African Football (CAF), UAM and ALMA Announce Partnership to Reach Millions of African Football Fans with Malaria Messaging

ADDIS ABABA, July 15, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Significant progress has been made in scaling up malaria control efforts and the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) (http://www.alma2015.org), an alliance of 43 African Heads of State and the African Union working to end malaria-related deaths on the continent, says Africa is better prepared to defeat malaria now than at any other time in history.


Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/alma.jpg


During the African Union Summit, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, chair of ALMA, said to achieve universal access to life-saving tools and continue the drive toward eliminating malaria deaths, we need an additional USD $3.2 billion in funding over the next three years. “A share of these resources will come from Africa. We can't ask the world to invest in Africa's health if we won't make the same investment ourselves, but we will need the world's help,” said President Sirleaf.


A recent independent study commissioned by ALMA, the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Malaria, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership found that every dollar invested in malaria control in Africa generates on average USD $40 in GDP on the continent. And scaling up to universal coverage of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of malaria by the end of 2015 will prevent 640 million cases and avert 3 million malaria-related deaths. ALMA members stressed the need to strengthen their financial management with support from the African Development Bank and the World Bank to enhance accountability and transparency.


Increasingly African countries are enhancing efficiencies in procuring life-saving interventions such as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), indoor residual spraying (IRS), and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). For example, by standardizing LLIN net specifications, African countries could save $630M over 5 years.


Further evidence now included in the ALMA Scorecard for Accountability and Action is the monitoring of progress toward the Abuja target of 15 percent national public sector financing for health. The new data shows that in difficult global economic times, 14 African countries have responded by increasing their domestic contribution to health by more than 2 percent. This encouraging sign of enhanced domestic resources reflects a continued commitment to achieving global health targets. However, more still needs to be done, as only Botswana, Rwanda, Togo and Zambia have achieved or exceeded the Abuja target.


ALMA continues to promote the adoption of innovative financing initiatives in African countries, such as the UNITAID airline tax. Over the last 5 years, the airline tax has raised over USD $2 billion of which $1.2 billion has been invested in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria. Currently, 6 African countries are implementing the airline tax and 14 countries are in the pipeline.


Ultimately, continued progress in the malaria fight is not only a matter of financial resources, but it is also about technological innovation. ALMA recently launched an iPad application that increases engagement with Ministers, facilitates communication and enables a rapid response system to emerging crises in countries. To date, 44 African ministers of health have been trained on the ALMA iPad application.


In addition to technology, Africa's most popular sport is joining the malaria team through a new partnership announced between ALMA, United Against Malaria campaign (UAM) and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF has made malaria a signature social cause of the 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations and together the partnership is poised to reach hundreds of millions of African football fans with malaria prevention and awareness messaging.


"CAF recognizes that in order for African football to compete on the global stage, we must have players and communities free of malaria,” said Issa Hayatou, President of CAF. “Through our partnership with ALMA and UAM, as an official social program of the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations, CAF is proud to add the voice of African football leadership to that of our Heads of State in the fight against this devastating disease.”


Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA).


For follow up questions please contact:

Kristin Pugh Bundy +251-9-24431709

(Ethiopia phone number valid until 7/17)

Press@ALMA2015.org


MEMBERS

African Union

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Comoros

Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Ethiopia

The Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Nigeria

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Swaziland

United Republic of Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe


Source: African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA)

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Call Me Maybe

Call Me Maybe

Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian recording artist and singer-songwriter from Mission, British Columbia. In 2007, she placed third in the fifth season of Canadian Idol, and was a part of the Canadian Idol Top 3 concert tour.^[1] Shortly after competing on Idol, she signed to Fontana and MapleMusic, and released her debut album, Tug of War, on September 30, 2008. Three years later, she released a new single, titled "Call Me Maybe", which was released by 604 Records, and was followed by the release of her debut extended play, Curiosity, on February 14, 2012. "Call Me Maybe" was met with much success, reaching the top of both Billboard and Canadian Hot 100. The single also went to number-one in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Jepsen signed with Interscope Records in 2012.



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The Islamist Crusade

13 Jul 2012 21:38 Africa/Lagos

New Book Authored By Gennaro Buonocore, Published by Jackson Hill Press: Failure of European Multiculturalism: The Islamist Crusade

New Book Examines When Tolerance leads to Terrorism

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., July 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide, for many, the promise of prosperity and freedom that western nations offer, at least in theory, has been enough to leave everything behind to start anew. This has meant separation from family, friends, language, culture and nearly everything that is familiar. For many immigrants, it is a price worth paying. Up until recent years it was a price the immigrant expected to pay. As western nations financially struggle few question the "political correctness" of old policies and attitudes while dramatic realities are occurring.

"Words like tolerance and multicultural are well meaning," says Gennaro Buonocore, co-author of Failure of European Multiculturalism: The Islamist Crusade, "however, the realities of trying to please everyone is not workable and quite frankly disastrous when we are talking about radical Islam." Buonocore states that we cannot underestimate the importance of this issue to the ordinary citizen, "Most people want to keep a roof over their heads, care for their family, and remain financially afloat. Terrorism may still seem like a far-removed issue but it simply is not. In fact, it is breaking down our doors."

Buonocore's book is an up to date look, from two insiders, at the clear failure of European member nations' policies with regards to the integration of the last wave of immigrants. Supported by an impressive load of facts and data, the book sounds the alarm to a continent that is headed to financial meltdown and an unprecedented economic crisis. At a time when Europe desperately needs to pull together, there is little room for self-serving groups with divisive goals.

The authors point out, in no uncertain terms, that this proven reality, coupled with the threat of radicalization of the poorer disenfranchised immigrant classes, could very well lead to an imminent "European Spring" of Islamist matrix or, at the very least, to massive security threats and social strife. Not a call to arms, but a call to action, this book is an honest look at what European member nations must admit before it is too late.

It also offers a glimpse of what could happen to other diverse societies such as the United States if policies are not re-examined. The book is a chilling reminder of how Islamic fundamentalism is an expanding threat within the context of nations who fail to recognize the true challenges of multicultural integration as well as an honest look at Arab Spring outcomes and the challenges that await emerging nations who are being threatened by fundamentalist takeover as is the case in Egypt.

"We can easily wake up tomorrow and see that our allies are no longer our allies and our enemies are breathing down our necks. Eurabia is not a threat; it is a promise if actions are not taken. This is not the first time someone has made a case for this issue to be taken seriously and I'm not the first person to identify the potential outcome if policies don't change. It's simply a drum that needs to be beaten until the noise becomes too loud to ignore," says Buonocore, "too much is at stake."

Failure of European Multiculturalism: The Islamist Crusade is available in bookstores and online retailers across the nation as well as in Kindle format at Amazon.com. Buonocore's next book "Quissa Mar: The Afghan Story Maker," is expected out the winter of 2012.

SOURCE Jackson Hill Press

CONTACT: Jackson Hill Press, +1-949-533-4050, info@jacksonhillpress.com



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Madagascar 3 Makes History in Russia' and Becomes Third Highest-Grossing Film of All Time

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted has grossed $200 million at the domestic box office and nearly $260 million overseas for a worldwide gross of approximately $460 million to date.

13 Jul 2012 14:15 Africa/Lagos

DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Becomes Russia's Highest-Grossing Animated Film in History and Third Highest-Grossing Film of All Time
Top Three Animated Films of All Time in Russia Are From DreamWorks Animation

GLENDALE, Calif., July 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: DWA) Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted – the 3D third installment in the blockbuster hit franchise about the Central Park Zoosters and their worldwide adventures – has now become the highest-grossing animated film in Russia's box office history and the third highest-grossing film of all time in Russia. It is the #1 film of the year at the Russian box office and continues to play in theaters there. The top three animated films of all time in Russia are now all DreamWorks Animation pictures: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Shrek Forever After and Puss In Boots.

Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc., is distributing Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted worldwide and Central Partnership is serving as the film's local distributor in Russia. The film opened in Russia on June 7, 2012 on 1830 screens – the biggest number yet for any film release – and has grossed $48.3 million, or 1.58 billion rubles, to date.

"Russia is one of the most important markets in the world for DreamWorks Animation films and we couldn't be more proud to have achieved such unprecedented box office results there," said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. "We're incredibly grateful to our audience in Russia for their enthusiastic and historic support of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted."

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted has grossed $200 million at the domestic box office and nearly $260 million overseas for a worldwide gross of approximately $460 million to date.

In the highly anticipated third chapter of the Madagascar franchise, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE'S MOST WANTED © 2012 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.

SOURCE DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.

CONTACT: Shannon Olivas, +1-818-695-3658, Shannon.Olivas@dreamworks.com

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The False Truth: The Tenure Elongation Novel

The False Truth: The Tenure Elongation Novel

The False Truth: The Tenure Elongation Novel

London Publishers, Austin & Macauley, announced the release of THE FALSE TRUTH last Wednesday, September 28. It describes the novel as "a compelling and atmospheric story... one that will engross the reader with the turn of every page."

"With uprising sweeping away African dictators, this revelation of the complicated motives and actions that perpetuate the sit-tight syndrome in a continent, plagued by bad leadership, couldn't have been at a better time," it said.

My apologies at this point! Please pardon the liberty I have taken of an African proverb, which says 'he who harvests honey does not wipe his hands on the tree back', to write this piece. False Truth is my eighth novel, but trust that this presentation is without any hype.

The novel, set in East Africa (where presidents like Museveni and Mugabe are reluctant to leave office), highlights the political psychology of African politicians, most of who personalise their positions and the commonwealth.

It features my continuing character Peter Abel - an ace investigative reporter who temporarily abandons journalism to support an African president, but ends up on the death list of a powerful cabal in government.

Dr. Mo Ibrahim
Written in support of efforts to improve leadership qualities in Africa, the novel is rightly dedicated to Dr. Mo Ibrahim of the MO IBRAHIM FOUNDATION. He gave his consent to this.

Dr. Mo Ibrahim set up the Mo Ibrahim Foundation to encourage better governance in Africa, as well as creating the Mo Ibrahim Index, to evaluate nations' performance. In 2007 he initiated the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, which awards a $5 million initial payment, and a $200,000 annual payment for life to African heads of state who deliver security, health, education and economic development to their constituents and democratically transfer power to their successors.

The prize is awarded to a democratically elected former African Executive Head of State or Government who has served their term in office within the limits set by the country's constitution and has left office in the last three years.

The first winner of the Prize was Joaquim Chissano, former President of Mozambique in 2007, followed by Festus Mogae, former President of Botswana in 2008. In addition, Nelson Mandela was made an Honorary Laureate in 2007. But in as worrisome testimony of the poor leadership in Africa, in 2009 and 2010, the Prize Committee informed the Board of the Foundation that it had not selected a winner.

As I have explained repeatedly, this novel was written in 2006. Perhaps the difference between the story and the popular Third Term story is that here the President is not your typical African president.

I found no use of repeating the profile of the typical African leader. For a breath of fresh air, I went for a successful African leader; a beacon of hope. "Mubonde is one of Africa's most successful democracies. A toast of the West, it is considered the beacon of the rest of the continent still plagued by poor leadership. The economy is booming, local employment is healthy, crime rate has plummeted, the Mubondian currency is on par with the Euro, and international corporations are competing for stake in the boom. The sense of national pride is more spirited than at any other time in Mubonde's history. Credit for the new, prosperous Mubonde is given to the country's popular president, Robert Suweri, a selfless and visionary leader".

In spite of this success, he was a President who wanted to leave at the end of his tenure. But, as they say in Pidgin English, "who side?" His close aides and relations wanted him to stay on, to the shock of Peter Abel. The Synopsis
Peter Abel, an acclaimed investigative reporter for The Zodiac Newspaper, a prestigious newspaper, is so taken with President Suweri that he gives up exposing corruption in high places and leaves his country to become press secretary to him. Even the most profound arguments against the move from Abel's long-time editor, Chief Benson, fail to dissuade him.

He is soon to know that despite its success story, Mubonde is not immune to the sit-tight syndrome of governance. Trouble begins for Abel when a protestor accuses the president of trying to subvert the constitution and accuses Abel of selling out. When the protestor, after being beaten and jailed, turns up dead, Abel's investigative-reporter instincts take over: he feels compelled to look into the man's death. But he can't find the body, and when he is ordered to concoct a press release about the prisoner dying accidentally while in custody, he knows something is very wrong.

Abel's journalistic instincts are piqued when he discovers that the pressure group intent on extending the president's term is not a grassroots movement gaining momentum among Mubondians, but a group with a plot orchestrated and funded by a powerful cabal with global connections. It wishes to seize control of the Mubondian government and literally enslave Suweri to do its bidding. They include some members of his kitchen cabinet, some security men, national chairman of the ruling party, a former CIA agent, lobbyists in the US and Europe, and some US Congressmen.

The cabal resorts to all manner of violence to pump fear into Suweri to make him dependent on them - bomb attacks on his convoy, assassination of top politicians, false security reports, and false media reports.

Seeing Abel as a threat, the cabal cuts his direct contact with the president so that the only report Suweri gets is through them. Then, one after another, the cabal begins to kill Abel's collaborators, including a lady who doesn't want to see the president brought down by unscrupulous and dishonest aides.

Isolated, shadowed everywhere he goes, and his office and homes bugged, Abel does not have to be told he is on the death list. He fakes his own death as a cover for a desperate trip to Washington, D.C., where, he believes some answers lie buried. He will survive only if he can prove his case. He finds support from a Georgetown University professor, who speaks out against the prevalence of "sit tight" African leaders.

When Abel learns that the president is travelling to the New York City to address the United Nations General Assembly, he goes there. With some craftiness and good fortune, he manages to enter the room of one of the security aide's room and locate his notebook computer.

As Abel retrieves vital information on the plans of the cabal from the laptop, one of the officer's guards catches him in the room. They fight viciously, and in an act of self-defense, Abel kills the guard. He is then forced even deeper into hiding. When Abel confirms that the president will be killed during his visit to the US, Abel calls in the FBI, who later arrests him for the murder in the hotel.

Abel escapes from the custody of the FBI, and with continued support from Professor Bitallo's associates, he arranges to crash an elegant party at the Mobundian Embassy in Washington D.C., where he is convinced the cabal plans to assassinate President Suweri. He spots a security aide placing a suspicious substance in the president's drink "for reneging on a tacit approval to remain in office." The aide chooses the US of all places to cover his tracks and to punish the US for disappointing him.

Abel immediately intercedes-a startling sight for many people who up to that point believed he was dead. Once the president's safety is secured, Abel writes an expos� for his paper.

EPILOGUE: President Suweri returns to Mubonde with Abel. He immediately broadcasts a speech emphasizing the need for true democracy throughout Africa and the ways in which Mubonde will be in the vanguard. Six months later, the nation's political parties endorse their respective presidential candidates. The candidate representing Suweri's party offers Abel a ministerial position, but he decides to return to the newsroom. Dangerous as life can be undercover, Peter Abel fears that without it, his heart will stop beating and his blood freeze. The adrenalin rush keeps him feeling alive.







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Safety You Can See: BRITAX Launches G3 Convertible Car Seats

CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Newly updated BRITAX G3 convertible car seats are taking their place at the top of every new parent's must-have list. All five models provide safety features that are visible and clearly labeled. Select models also offer a newly introduced safety technology and some provide an added convenience feature.

Knowing that accidents can come from any angle, BRITAX designs seats with innovative safety technologies to provide the child with 360 degrees of protection. And now parents can see for themselves! Look for the new BRITAX HUGS™ with SafeCell Technology®, side impact protection, base with SafeCell Technology®, energy absorbing Versa-Tether®, and integrated steel bars.

The ADVOCATE® 70-G3, PAVILION® 70-G3 and BOULEVARD® 70-G3 feature new BRITAX HUGS™ Chest Pads with SafeCell Technology®. These chest pads are affixed to the back of the car seat shell to ensure that they are properly positioned on the buckled child. SafeCell padding on the chest pads, identified by a honeycomb design, is engineered to compress to manage energy and create best-in-class resistance to the forward movement of a child in the event of a crash.

All of the newly updated BRITAX convertible car seats continue to offer revolutionary safety features that are easy to see. For instance, all seats have a rigid shell with deep side walls that are lined with energy-absorbing foam to provide side impact protection. The ADVOCATE 70-G3, PAVILION 70-G3 and BOULEVARD 70-G3 offer a second layer of protection with energy-absorbing foam in the True Side Impact Protection head restraint that keeps the head, neck and spine aligned. Finally, the ADVOCATE 70-G3 includes Side Impact Cushion Technology®, a third layer of protection, with black energy-absorbing cushions on the child seat's exterior to reduce side impact energy by diverting 45 percent of the crash forces away from the seated child. These cushions also provide extra protection for the adjacent passenger.

Additional visible features can be found on all updated BRITAX convertible car seats. Check inside the open-style base for honeycomb-shaped SafeCell Technology®, designed to compress in a crash, significantly lowering the center of gravity and counteracting the forward rotation of the child seat. Look on the outside of the seat for integrated steel bars that strengthen the seat's connection to the vehicle and reduce forward movement. Also, all the enhanced models have new labeling to identify BRITAX's Energy Absorbing Versa-Tether. The patented 2-point top tether with staged-release webbing anchors the top of the car seat to the vehicle and slows forward movement, reducing crash forces. These features, along with the side impact technologies, provide360-degree protection for the child occupant.

In addition to the innovative safety features, BRITAX has designed a new convenience feature. The EZ-Buckle System keeps the buckle in a convenient, easy-to-reach forward position, making boarding a child faster and simpler. It can be found on the ADVOCATE 70-G3, PAVILION 70-G3 and BOULEVARD 70-G3 as well as the MARATHON™ 70-G3.

BRITAX ADVOCATE 70-G3, PAVILION 70-G3, BOULEVARD 70-G3 and MARATHON 70-G3 convertible car seats can be used rear facing up to 40 pounds and forward facing up to 70 pounds. The ROUNDABOUT 55 can be used rear facing up to 40 pounds and forward facing up to 55 pounds.

The newly enhanced line is now available at the same price points as the previous BRITAX convertible car seat models: BRITAX ADVOCATE 70-G3 (MSRP: $379.99), PAVILION 70-G3 (MSRP: $339.99), BOULEVARD 70-G3 (MSRP: $319.99), MARATHON 70-G3 (MSRP: $289.99) and ROUNDABOUT 55 (MSRP: $199.99). For more information about BRITAX Child Safety, Inc., visit www.BRITAXusa.com, or find BRITAX on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube.

About BRITAX Child Safety Inc.

BRITAX manufactures and markets a full line of premium car seats, strollers, baby carriers and accessories. Since its founding in Britain in 1939, the company has established itself as a trusted juvenile products brand, known for a commitment to thoughtful, innovative engineering of safe, top-quality and intuitively designed products.

In 2011 BRITAX acquired BOB Trailers, Inc. This addition reflects the company's commitment to offering a full line of strollers to meet the modern family's lifestyle needs. BRITAX and BOB offer versatility and a lifespan beyond one child.

BRITAX USA is located in Charlotte, N.C., and employs more than 200 people. For more information, visit www.BRITAXusa.com.

SOURCE BRITAX Child Safety Inc.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1hzP6)

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What You Need to Know To Avoid Food Poisoning This Summer

What You Need to Know To Avoid Food Poisoning This Summer
Be Smart. Be Well. provides tips to avoid foodborne illness and shares the story of one Salmonella survivor.

Chicago, July 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Backyard barbecues, coolers packed for picnics, al fresco dining and hot summer days are all the ingredients for a bad case of food poisoning if you’re not careful.

Cases of foodborne illness peak during the summer months, according to the USDA. But taking a few precautions can help you avoid food poisoning, say experts featured on BeSmartBeWell.com/Food-Safety in a series of videos produced by the health and wellness website. Learn more about summertime risks and get tips to stay safe this summer—and all year long.

Summer = Salmonella risk

How you prepare your foods is very important to avoid cross contamination and food poisoning.

One of the biggest food safety risks during summer is Salmonella infection. Salmonella is a bacteria that may be found in raw and undercooked meats, poultry and eggs. It may also contaminate other foods, such as fruits and vegetables. It is the second most common source of food poisoning and the leading cause of hospitalization due to foodborne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Salmonella illness is more common in summer because the bacteria thrive in warm temperatures. People who are infected by Salmonella may develop diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most recover without treatment within a week; but some, like Arlene, become so sick they require hospitalization. “I thought, ‘I just have an upset stomach.’ The following morning we had to call an ambulance to get me to the hospital. I was there about seven days,” she says in a video on BeSmartBeWell.com/Food-Safety.

Arlene still suffers from complications from her Salmonella illness. To reduce your risk, here are some of the important tips offered by experts on BeSmartBeWell.com/Food-Safety.

Make sure foods are cooked thoroughly.
Don’t let food sit out for more than two hours; make it one hour if the temperature is 90°F or higher.
Keep perishable items in a cooler or insulated bag.

And if your food seems undercooked or not right, don’t eat it. “If the hot food’s not hot enough, cold food’s not cold enough, if you don’t feel good with it, don’t eat it!” Arlene says in the video.

Get more food safety tips, recommended cooking temperatures, and more do’s and don’ts with these Habits to Have® from BeSmartBeWell.com.

Learn More
BeSmartBeWell.com/Food-Safety provides practical information to help you and your family avoid food poisoning this summer. At BeSmartBeWell.com/Food-Safety, you will find:

Interviews with leading health experts
Stories of real foodborne illness survivors, like Arlene
A quiz to test your food-safety knowledge
Reputable resources and links for more information

At the site, visitors can also sign up for the bimonthly Spotlight Newsletter and biweekly News Alerts for in-depth articles and breaking news on food safety and other important health topics.

About Be Smart. Be Well.
BeSmartBeWell.com is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, Divisions of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Lauren Plungas
Senior Manager, Media and Public Relations
312.653.5644
Lauren_Plungas@bcbsil.com

ALL OTHER INQUIRIES:
editor@besmartbewell.com
312.653.BSBW (2729)

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If Barack Obama Had Balls He Would Have Been A Republican

"Reagan recognized the American people's hunger for accountability and change."

~President Barack Obama, 2011.

If Barack Obama Had Balls He Would Have Been A Republican

President Barack Obama would do and say anything to woo Reaganites among Republican voters and he has been parroting the legendary Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States (1911-2004) all the way from Capitol to the White House, but true blue Republicans know that Obama is just being a clever politician and has never been a true fan of Reagan if we check the records.

As Rush Limbaugh pointed out that the Left had long been critical of Reagan as "not caring about the poor or homeless", so why would Obama now think otherwise?
Lest we forget Obama said it was his annoyance at the Reagan years in the early 1980s that prompted him to enter politics. “I’d pronounce the need for change. Change in the White House where Reagan and his minions were carrying on their dirty deeds," Obama said in his 1995 autobiography Dreams From My Father. But he is now posing and posturing as the leading ‘Reaganite” among Democrats?
Douglas Brinkley, the Editor of Reagan's diaries said Obama now sees Reagan has a role model.
"There are policies and there is persona, and a lot can be told by persona. Obama is approaching the job in a Reaganesque fashion," Brinkley said in May 2010. And Obama has been following what he read from Lou Cannon's classic biography of Reagan. But real Reaganites know that Obama is a poor imitation of Reagan, because Obama does not have the balls to be a Republican. The Reaganites know that the real McCoy is Mitt Romney who has won the endorsements of top aides of Reagan and they make the vanguard of the Reaganites for Romney.


~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, author of Scarlet Tears of London, Bye, Bye Mugabe, In the House of Dogs and his new book Barack Obama and the American Dream will be released before Christmas.




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Top Security Tips for Smartphones

Top Security Tips for Smartphones

~ By Anna Miller

Losing a smartphone can be very easy. You might leave it unattended at a party or might lose it in a bus or a metro. This can be harmful since it may get into the wrong hands and can cause you a lot of trouble. Your smartphone is an important device containing many of your confidential and personal information that is probably meant so much for you. Therefore, you can never be too careful with protecting your smartphone and giving it the highest level of security possible.
Here are some smart security tips to keep your smartphone well protected.

Take measures such as screen locking
Screen locking your smartphone can be an extremely good idea if you do not want unknown people tampering with it. You can set your smartphone security settings such that it will automatically lock itself and arm it with password and pin lock codes if left unattended for a certain period of time. You can even set locks on sensitive data and files so that any outsider cannot rifle through your personal contents.

Enable Locating, locking and wiping services
A lot of apps have been developed to increase the security quotient of your smartphone. Make use of them. Various apps help you to track down the approximate locations of your smartphone in case it is lost or stolen. You can track your phone through GPS coordinates.

Most of these services also allow you to immediately lock your phone and delete sensitive information and files if you cannot find it. This helps you to protect your data even if your smartphone is stolen and make sure no one makes wrong use of it. Smartphone locating apps or services can be very useful if you are trying to retrieve a lost smartphone.

Implement regular software updates
Even though most of the software updates that your service provider or manufacturing company notifies you of might not interest you, keep track of them and implement them from time to time. These applications often contain important security updates that help you to protect your smartphone.

Use mobile monitoring apps
Mobile monitoring apps are very helpful for protecting your smartphone. They help you to keep track of all cell phone activities carried from the smartphone and also track GPS coordinates so that you can easily track down your smartphone in case it is lost. These apps, such as the Mobile Spy, also enable you to lock files, delete data and restrict cell phone activity to prevent illegal or unwanted usage of your phone and its data.

Provide backups for your existing data
Even if you track down a stolen smartphone, you might have needed to delete important data from it before you were able to retrieve it. This is why you should regularly sync your data and create backups for it so that even you lose your smartphone, you will still have all your important data intact.

Protecting your smartphone is very important since it contains a lot of your personal details and information. Taking certain easy measures help you to minimize on the risk factor and enable you to fully use your smartphone.


~ Anna loves to blog on latest mobile technologies. To know more about her updates please view Cell phone spy

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In Ondo State, One Good Term Deserves Another

Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, Governor of Ondo State.


If former Transport Minister Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a leading chieftain of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the south-west region can endorse the re-election of Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, the Governor of Ondo State, because from all indications, Dr. Mimiko has performed well so far, then why should the so called progressive party Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) contest against him?

What matters most presently in Nigerian democracy is to elect good politicians. And if the Labour Party has given us an example of good political leadership in the person of Dr. Mimiko, then we should all support him. Therefore, I advise all the voters in Ondo State to vote for the re-election of Dr. Mimiko as their governor. All other aspirants should rally around and endorse him. God bless Ondo State.

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