31 Aralık 2010 Cuma
World Greets 2011 With Fanfare | Oxerjen NEWS |
evelers across the Pacific Islands, Asia, Africa, and Europe have welcomed 2011 with celebrations and fireworks displays, and crowds are already gathering across the Americas to mark the start of the new year there. 
READ MORE:::::::::::World Greets 2011 With Fanfare | Oxerjen NEWS |
Photo: AP.Revelers wave banners and signs during the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Hong Kong’s Times Square, Jan 1, 2011
The tiny Pacific island nation of Kiribati was the first to ring in 2011.
London hosted one of Europe’s biggest celebrations, on the banks of London’s River Thames. Around a quarter of a million people gathered to watch fireworks as the famous Big Ben at Parliament chimed in the new year.
But an even larger celebration is getting underway in New York City, where organizers say a million people will crowd into Times Square for the annual drop of a huge, sparkling ball from high above. The Waterford Crystal ball weighs 5,400 kilograms........
READ MORE:::::::::::World Greets 2011 With Fanfare | Oxerjen NEWS |
30 Aralık 2010 Perşembe
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26 Aralık 2010 Pazar
New Film says Malawians Must Follow Proper Immigration Procedures or Risk Being Thrown Out http://ping.fm/HbzXa
25 Aralık 2010 Cumartesi
24 Aralık 2010 Cuma
Loans Wells Fargo Auto – Wells Fargo is the best Auto Loan Company, doing business? http://ping.fm/aorwn
23 Aralık 2010 Perşembe
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17 Aralık 2010 Cuma
Zimbabwe President Mugabe Threatens Seizure of Foreign Companies Over Sanctions http://ping.fm/ZSIzk
16 Aralık 2010 Perşembe
Ivory Coast Opposition Calls for Gbagbo’s Arrest, Ambassador Seeks Understanding http://ping.fm/6SGMr
15 Aralık 2010 Çarşamba
14 Aralık 2010 Salı
13 Aralık 2010 Pazartesi
Ivory Coast Debate Lights Up on Twitter | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
Ivory Coast Debate Lights Up on Twitter | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
While Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo resists pressure to leave power after a recent election in which the United Nations says he was defeated, the controversy has given rise to a lively debate on the social micro-blogging website Twitter.
Photo: N. Colombant – VOA-Many participants in the Ivory Coast Twitter discussion are newcomers to the micro-blogging website, Dec 2010
So-called threads, or ongoing discussions, on the Twitter website are identified by a hash mark and a certain code, so participants can easily find each other through a basic search. One of those who initiated the “CIV2010″ Twitter code before this year’s presidential election in divided Ivory Coast was Mohamed Diaby.
Diaby, an Abidjan-based web entrepreneur, said he is surprised at how the discussion has gained participants in the past few weeks, and that some newcomers had never used Twitter before.
The Twitter discussion has gained interest as two Ivorian political leaders, sitting President Gbagbo and his challenger, Alassane Ouattara both claim to have won the November 28th run-off election. The first was certified the winner by the country’s constitutional council that threw out votes from the rebel-held north, and the second was certified by the United Nations as part of a peace deal.
A participant who wants to be identified only by his first name, Kanigui, says Twitter has become a very useful tool to stay informed within Ivory Coast. He said foreign media have been cut off in southern Ivory Coast, meaning most residents have had to rely on state media extremely favorable to Mr. Gbagbo’s position for their information. The Twitter discussion, he explained, with all its links to other information, as well as its diversity of opinions, gives a broad horizon of sources.
Kanigui said that unlike other social media websites where comments have quickly become violent and divisive, the Twitter discussion has remained in his words, responsible, calm, courteous and professional.
He said initiators like Diaby, who also play the role of virtual moderators, check on rumors that are posted, quickly call these out if they are found to be false, and only retweet – that is disseminate again – information that is found to be accurate.
Participants include not only Ivorians, both in and out of the country, but West Africans in general, as well as French nationals, Americans and concerned citizens around the world. Journalists, such as Kwesi Pratt from Ghana‘s Insight Newspaper, also have found the discussion useful.
“The twitter feed brings out the real feelings of people,” said Pratt. “It is not like the traditional media, which has to go through some norms and so on. Twitter is the real feeling of the people. It is much, much better.”
One of those digging the Internet to find new information to post in the discussion is Senam Beheton, a Benin national, who works in the United States and West Africa on technology-based learning and teaching. He went to high school in Ivory Coast.
“I think there will be a before and after “hash CIV2010″ – meaning Cote d’Ivoire 2010 – and the reason is that it includes not just Ivorians, you have all kinds of nationalities,” said Beheton. “In Benin, for example, we have elections coming up in March and it is going to be interesting to see how Twitter is used, but I can guarantee you that it is going to be central as well.”
In the meantime, in Ivory Coast, Diaby, one of the initiators of the current Ivory Coast Twitter discussion, said he does not content himself with just sitting behind a computer, but also makes the rounds of Abidjan to see what is happening, so he can better play his self-appointed role of online information moderator.
He said he has received threats against his safety, but his role as online information moderator is worth the risks involved.
The latest tweets centered around the arrival of soldiers loyal to President Gbagbo who were trying to surround the hotel where his rival, Mr. Ouattara, has established his headquarters, protected by former rebels and U.N. peacekeepers.
12 Aralık 2010 Pazar
video - ‘Bed Intruder Song’ top YouTube in 2010 | NEWS |
‘Bed Intruder Song’ top YouTube in 2010 | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
JAKE COYLE | December 13, 2010 12:01 AM EST |
NEW YORK — Antoine Dodson's dramatic reaction to a local crime has spawned the most-watched YouTube video of the year, excepting music videos.
When Dodson, a 24-year-old Alabama student, gave an angry TV interview about an attempted rape against his younger sister, he became a viral hit. When a video turned that rant into an auto-tuned song, "Bed Intruder Song," Dodson became a full-fledged Internet sensation.
The "Bed Intruder Song" is the top YouTube video of the year, the Google Inc.-owned company announced Monday. YouTube added the view counts for two versions of the video, which put its total at over 61 million views.
YouTube separated commercial music videos from their top-10 list. Otherwise, all the top 10 videos would have been by either Justin Bieber, Shakira, Eminem, Rihanna or Lady Gaga. With more than 406 million views, Bieber's video for "Baby" trumped all others.
The "Bed Intruder" video was remixed by New York musicians Evan and Michael Gregory who are also known for their Web series "Auto-Tune the News." The song charted on iTunes, with profits being split between Dodson and the Gregorys.
"Blessings come in disguise," Dodson earlier told The Associated Press.
The second most-watched video was another made-for-YouTube riff: a parody of Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" by the musical sketch Web series Key of Awesome. More than 50.6 million have watched the mock version of the popular pop song.
In the third most-watched video, a potential new pop star was born. In it, 13-year-old Greyson Chance (who has been compared to Bieber) sings Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" while playing piano at a sixth-grade music recital.
The top 10 also included: a video from the "Annoying Orange" series; a viral ad from Old Spice; the hysterically happy "double rainbow" guy; OK Go's video to "This Too Shall Pass"; the trailer for the "Twilight" film "Eclipse"; Jimmy Kimmel surprising a 3-year-old Bieber fan with the young star; and a stunt driving video by rally racer Ken Block.
YouTube said it made an exception in its rankings for OK Go's music video because the band is no longer on a major label. In March, the band left EMI's Capitol Records to start Paracadute Recordings.
Mia Quagliarello, YouTube community manager, noted that several of 2010's top videos were made by people or companies that attempt to create YouTube videos for a living. YouTube shares advertising revenue with uploaders who are "partners."
Many of the so-called amateurs that helped build YouTube have gone pro.
"More and more people are seeing YouTube as a place they can make it their career," said Quagliarello. "We try to give them the tools and the financials to make that happen."
___
Online:
http://www.youtube.com/rewind
source: huffingtonpost.com
JAKE COYLE | December 13, 2010 12:01 AM EST |
NEW YORK — Antoine Dodson's dramatic reaction to a local crime has spawned the most-watched YouTube video of the year, excepting music videos.
When Dodson, a 24-year-old Alabama student, gave an angry TV interview about an attempted rape against his younger sister, he became a viral hit. When a video turned that rant into an auto-tuned song, "Bed Intruder Song," Dodson became a full-fledged Internet sensation.
The "Bed Intruder Song" is the top YouTube video of the year, the Google Inc.-owned company announced Monday. YouTube added the view counts for two versions of the video, which put its total at over 61 million views.
YouTube separated commercial music videos from their top-10 list. Otherwise, all the top 10 videos would have been by either Justin Bieber, Shakira, Eminem, Rihanna or Lady Gaga. With more than 406 million views, Bieber's video for "Baby" trumped all others.
The "Bed Intruder" video was remixed by New York musicians Evan and Michael Gregory who are also known for their Web series "Auto-Tune the News." The song charted on iTunes, with profits being split between Dodson and the Gregorys.
"Blessings come in disguise," Dodson earlier told The Associated Press.
The second most-watched video was another made-for-YouTube riff: a parody of Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" by the musical sketch Web series Key of Awesome. More than 50.6 million have watched the mock version of the popular pop song.
In the third most-watched video, a potential new pop star was born. In it, 13-year-old Greyson Chance (who has been compared to Bieber) sings Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" while playing piano at a sixth-grade music recital.
The top 10 also included: a video from the "Annoying Orange" series; a viral ad from Old Spice; the hysterically happy "double rainbow" guy; OK Go's video to "This Too Shall Pass"; the trailer for the "Twilight" film "Eclipse"; Jimmy Kimmel surprising a 3-year-old Bieber fan with the young star; and a stunt driving video by rally racer Ken Block.
YouTube said it made an exception in its rankings for OK Go's music video because the band is no longer on a major label. In March, the band left EMI's Capitol Records to start Paracadute Recordings.
Mia Quagliarello, YouTube community manager, noted that several of 2010's top videos were made by people or companies that attempt to create YouTube videos for a living. YouTube shares advertising revenue with uploaders who are "partners."
Many of the so-called amateurs that helped build YouTube have gone pro.
"More and more people are seeing YouTube as a place they can make it their career," said Quagliarello. "We try to give them the tools and the financials to make that happen."
___
Online:
http://www.youtube.com/rewind
source: huffingtonpost.com
11 Aralık 2010 Cumartesi
10 Aralık 2010 Cuma
Momentum Builds To Ratify New START | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
Momentum Builds To Ratify New START | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
Photo: AP-President Barack Obama talks with reporters after his meeting with former Secretary of State Colin Powel (l) on the importance of ratifying the New START Treaty, 01 Dec 2010
Efforts to ratify the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty in the U.S. Senate received a boost Friday. Two more opposition Republican Senators say they will vote for the treaty, and the White House is expressing new confidence that it will pass this year.
Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have announced their support for the treaty, which would shrink the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals.
In a written statement, Snowe said she is confident that New START will add predictability to the U.S. relationship with Russia.
The Senate’s top Republican negotiator, Jon Kyl, has said there is not enough time in this year’s session to ratify the agreement.
But fellow Arizona Republican John McCain said Friday he hopes the Senate will be able to consider the treaty in the coming week.
McCain spoke Friday at the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies in Washington.
“My colleague, Senator Jon Kyl, is doing a tremendous job working with the administration to resolve the issues associated with nuclear modernization,” he said. “I have been focusing my efforts on addressing the key concerns related to missile defense. I think, we are very close to agreements.”
However, McCain also questioned the wisdom of President Barack Obama’s efforts to “reset” relations with Russia, and urged leaders to take a wider look at the relationship between the two countries.
At the White House, the president’s spokesman, Robert Gibbs, told reporters Friday Congress will not end its session before the Senate ratifies New START, and that Mr. Obama will not leave for vacation until it does. The president is scheduled to depart Washington for his home state of Hawaii on December 18.
One day earlier, Gibbs predicted the treaty would pass the Senate before the end of the year with more than the 67 votes needed.
“When was the last thing we proposed that the last six Republican secretaries of state thought was a good idea, that did not have the vast support of the American people like START does? It is the right thing to do for our relationship with Russia and our relationships in the world,” said Gibbs. “It is the right thing to do to cut our deployed nuclear stockpiles. I think it will get done because of that.”
All the Senate’s Republicans signed a letter last week, saying the tax cut issue must be resolved before they would consider any other legislation.
If the treaty is not ratified this year, the process will start again from the beginning in 2011, with a larger group of minority Republicans in the Senate.
Sarah Shourd Sings for Release of Fiance, Friend, in Iran
Sarah Shourd Sings for Release of Fiance, Friend, in Iran | NEWS | from All of the WORLD | Oxerjen NEWS
The families and friends of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, two young American hikers imprisoned by Iran since July 2009, are pleading for their release in time for the winter holidays.
A third young American, Sarah Shourd, was freed in September on compassionate grounds after nearly 14 months in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison. Shortly before that, Shourd said, all three were charged with espionage and illegal entry at a hearing in the prison, the one time they were allowed to meet their lawyer.
In the weeks since her release, Shourd, 32, has spent her days writing and speaking to keep attention focused on the plight of Bauer and Fattal, both 28. She recently made a music video, with a song that she wrote while in prison, called "Piece of Time." Shourd became engaged to Shane Bauer during one of their 40-minute daily visits in the prison courtyard, and they have asked Josh Fattal to be the best man at their wedding.
"I am hoping and praying and pleading with Iranian religious leaders and political authorities for a compassionate release on humanitarian grounds," Shourd said in an interview. "Shane and Josh don't deserve to be in prison one day longer than I was, and I hope and pray that they will be shown the same compassion."
Their ordeal began on July 31, 2009. Shourd was teaching at a school in Damascus, where Shane Bauer was a freelance photojournalist. Their friend Josh Fattal, also a teacher, visited them when Shourd had a week off. As shown in a short documentary, "Free the Hikers," by filmmaker Jeff Kaufman, the three went on vacation to a scenic part of Iraqi Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. There they visited the Ahmed Awa waterfalls, a popular tourist attraction.
They camped out near the falls and the next morning, Shourd said, went hiking along one of the nearby trails, never realizing that each step took them closer to the border with Iran. After a couple of hours, they saw a soldier standing some distance away, who ordered them to come closer - to step off the path. Only when he began speaking to them in Farsi, did they realize he was an Iranian soldier.
As Shourd says in Kaufman's documentary, "He said 'Iran' and pointed to the ground where we were standing, and then he pointed to the trail that we had been on and he said, 'Iraq.' So, according to that soldier, we did not enter Iran until he gestured for us to come off the trail, into Iran."
Shourd said the three are peace activists dedicated to cultural exchange with the Middle East, and would never be spies. She said their time as prisoners has only strengthened those beliefs. "I know that when Shane and Josh are free, we're all going to help each other to heal from this experience and God willing, we'll be able to come out of it with something positive to offer back to the world," she said, "because the last thing Shane and Josh and I want is for the legacy of our tragedy to be negative."
In the nearly 17 months since the three were taken by the Iranian soldiers, their families have received phone calls just twice. In May, the mothers of all three were allowed to visit. They had hoped to take their children home with them, but were sent back alone after two days.
Shourd and her mother met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September within days of her release when he visited New York for the United Nations General Assembly. She said he promised to seek "maximum" compassion and leniency for Bauer and Fattal, who are to be tried in February.
Shourd has called in recent days for normalizing U.S.-Iran relations, saying that it is the only path away from war. "It's what's best for Americans," she said, "It's what's best for Iranians."And, she added, if relations warmed, perhaps she could someday get to know Iran outside its prison walls. "I could see the other side of Iran, which is the majority, of beautiful, kind people that love God and want to live in peace," she said.
Such hopes may seem slim this winter, following the recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, which Iran blamed on the west, and Iran's announcement that it is now able to produce yellowcake uranium. But for Sarah Shourd and other friends and family of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, there is no other option.
The families and friends of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, two young American hikers imprisoned by Iran since July 2009, are pleading for their release in time for the winter holidays.
A third young American, Sarah Shourd, was freed in September on compassionate grounds after nearly 14 months in solitary confinement in Tehran's Evin Prison. Shortly before that, Shourd said, all three were charged with espionage and illegal entry at a hearing in the prison, the one time they were allowed to meet their lawyer.
In the weeks since her release, Shourd, 32, has spent her days writing and speaking to keep attention focused on the plight of Bauer and Fattal, both 28. She recently made a music video, with a song that she wrote while in prison, called "Piece of Time." Shourd became engaged to Shane Bauer during one of their 40-minute daily visits in the prison courtyard, and they have asked Josh Fattal to be the best man at their wedding.
Photo: AP-Sarah Shourd asks for the release of her jailed fiance and friend in front of sign that reads "Free All 3" at a vigil in Oakland, California last month
"I am hoping and praying and pleading with Iranian religious leaders and political authorities for a compassionate release on humanitarian grounds," Shourd said in an interview. "Shane and Josh don't deserve to be in prison one day longer than I was, and I hope and pray that they will be shown the same compassion."
Their ordeal began on July 31, 2009. Shourd was teaching at a school in Damascus, where Shane Bauer was a freelance photojournalist. Their friend Josh Fattal, also a teacher, visited them when Shourd had a week off. As shown in a short documentary, "Free the Hikers," by filmmaker Jeff Kaufman, the three went on vacation to a scenic part of Iraqi Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. There they visited the Ahmed Awa waterfalls, a popular tourist attraction.
They camped out near the falls and the next morning, Shourd said, went hiking along one of the nearby trails, never realizing that each step took them closer to the border with Iran. After a couple of hours, they saw a soldier standing some distance away, who ordered them to come closer - to step off the path. Only when he began speaking to them in Farsi, did they realize he was an Iranian soldier.
As Shourd says in Kaufman's documentary, "He said 'Iran' and pointed to the ground where we were standing, and then he pointed to the trail that we had been on and he said, 'Iraq.' So, according to that soldier, we did not enter Iran until he gestured for us to come off the trail, into Iran."
Shourd said the three are peace activists dedicated to cultural exchange with the Middle East, and would never be spies. She said their time as prisoners has only strengthened those beliefs. "I know that when Shane and Josh are free, we're all going to help each other to heal from this experience and God willing, we'll be able to come out of it with something positive to offer back to the world," she said, "because the last thing Shane and Josh and I want is for the legacy of our tragedy to be negative."
In the nearly 17 months since the three were taken by the Iranian soldiers, their families have received phone calls just twice. In May, the mothers of all three were allowed to visit. They had hoped to take their children home with them, but were sent back alone after two days.
Shourd and her mother met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in September within days of her release when he visited New York for the United Nations General Assembly. She said he promised to seek "maximum" compassion and leniency for Bauer and Fattal, who are to be tried in February.
Shourd has called in recent days for normalizing U.S.-Iran relations, saying that it is the only path away from war. "It's what's best for Americans," she said, "It's what's best for Iranians."And, she added, if relations warmed, perhaps she could someday get to know Iran outside its prison walls. "I could see the other side of Iran, which is the majority, of beautiful, kind people that love God and want to live in peace," she said.
Such hopes may seem slim this winter, following the recent assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist, which Iran blamed on the west, and Iran's announcement that it is now able to produce yellowcake uranium. But for Sarah Shourd and other friends and family of Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, there is no other option.
9 Aralık 2010 Perşembe
Washington Settlements Decision a Sign of Hope for Israelis, Despair for Palestinians http://ping.fm/XpIcl
8 Aralık 2010 Çarşamba
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6 Aralık 2010 Pazartesi
New US Congress Likely to Favor Trade Pacts, Dismiss Proposed Treaties, say Analysts http://ping.fm/piGdS
Nigerian Military Acknowledges Possible Civilian Casualties in Niger Delta Campaign http://ping.fm/nRZAJ
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New Congress Likely to Favor Trade Pacts, Dismiss Proposed Treaties, say Analysts http://ping.fm/Uce07
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3 Aralık 2010 Cuma
TURKISH, SYRIAN, LEBANESE AND JORDANIAN BUSINESS ORGANIZATION SET UP BUSINESS FORUM http://ping.fm/ZxsoT
2 Aralık 2010 Perşembe
1 Aralık 2010 Çarşamba
Rwanda’s Opposition Seeks Independent Investigation into Death of Top Party Official http://ping.fm/ZDOvO
30 Kasım 2010 Salı
Review: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart is hot, but pricey 5-door hatch http://ping.fm/PK4cf
Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta SEL Sedan, 6-speed PowerShift auto is where the fun is http://ping.fm/1Yg97
Review: 2010 Infiniti FX is a luxurious sporty crossover, with lots of gadgetry http://ping.fm/j6qVc
WikiLeaks Disclosure Highlights Problems of Sharing Secret Information Within US Government http://ping.fm/opEas
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