viernes, 29 de febrero de 2008

ABSOLUT sees 20/20 in 2008

ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, the world’s most iconic spirits brand, launches ABSOLUT Visionaries, an initiative that engages consumers and some of the world’s leading creative luminaries within the media, arts and entertainment fields to express their clever and daring ideals for life In An ABSOLUT World.

As part of its overall ‘In An ABSOLUT World’ advertising campaign, ABSOLUT will showcase the bold and optimistic projects from style-makers such as Kanye West, Eddie Izzard, Perez Hilton, Pablo Francisco, Jim Denevan, various Live Earth Filmmakers, The Sartorialist and editors from Thrillist.com, Flavorpill.com and Treehugger.com at http://www.absolut.com. ABSOLUT is also encouraging consumers to submit their visions and participate in the dialogue within the interactive online Visionaries community.

“When we created the ‘In An ABSOLUT World’ campaign, we asked ourselves ‘What if everything in the world was approached with the same ideal as we approach ABSOLUT vodka?’ With the Visionaries program, we are opening that question to the rest of the world to spark conversations and challenge the status quo,” said Ian Crystal, Brand Director, ABSOLUT Vodka. “ABSOLUT has a history of collaborating with the artistic community, and we will continue in that tradition, while also inspiring consumers to engage with us and each other.”

Two of the first ABSOLUT Visions will be available to consumers in real time, as well as online. As official sponsor of the Live Earth Film Series, ABSOLUT will be touring the film series, a collection of humorous, pithy and serious dialogues about the effects of global warming, to more than 70 film festivals around the country this year. As well, The ABSOLUT Machines, designed by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman, both with a background from M.I.T., have created the “ABSOLUT Quartet,” an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine. ‘In An ABSOLUT World Would Machines Be Creative?’ is the question that inspired The ABSOLUT Quartet, which consists of three instruments and thousands of parts working together to create one piece of music, inspired by inputs from online users around the globe. The ABSOLUT Quartet will be available for viewing from February thru April at 186 Orchard Street in New York City.

Below is a list of some of the ABSOLUT Visionaries and their visions:
-- Absolut Machines – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Would Machines Be Creative?’ (http://www.absolutmachines.com)
-- Owen Benjamin – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everything Would Be ABSOLUT’
-- Andre Des Rochers – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Lonely Loves Lonely’
-- Flavorpill – Flavorpill will be producing a series of 100 visions over the course of the year tied to their mission of covering cutting-edge art, music, fashion and cultural events
-- Zach Galifianakis + Tim & Eric– ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Friends Would Get Together More Often’
-- Lauren Gropper – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Buildings Would Produce Energy Instead of Consuming It’
-- Perez Hilton – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Perez Hilton Is Dead;’ ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Perez Hilton Is A God’
-- Live Earth Filmmakers – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD None Of These Films Would Be Necessary’ (http://www.liveearth.org/films.php)
-- The Sartorialist – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD The Street Is The Runway’
-- Team Facelift – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everyone Is Too Busy Dancing’
-- Thrillist - ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD All Your Spam Would Be True’
-- TreeHugger – ‘IN AN ABSOLUT WORLD Everything Would Be Downloadable’

Through the ABSOLUT Visionaries program, ABSOLUT aims to create the world's biggest community of visionaries - a dynamic place where everyone, notables and consumers alike, has the chance to rate, comment on, even interact with and improve the visions of everyone else. Once a consumer submits their vision, the vision will be open for viewing and voting. If a vision acquires enough points and is rated among the most interesting, witty, provocative and inspiring, ABSOLUT will then bring that vision to life. Realized Visions will also be posted on http://www.absolut.com.

miércoles, 20 de febrero de 2008

Willey Warns Dems as Clinton Sharpens Attacks on Obama

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After losing a string of ten primaries and caucuses to Senator Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton is looking to regain her footing by competing hard. The NY Times reported today that Senator Clinton did not waste time in signaling that she would now take a tougher line against Senator Obama.

Former White House aide and Democratic fundraiser, Kathleen Willey is concerned not only for Senator Obama, but also for the Democratic Party for which she worked so hard in the past.

"As the Democratic race continues and Hillary seeks to break Obama's momentum," Willey says, "I believe we are going to see a lot more of the same Clinton tactics that I and a number of insiders have experienced."

Indeed, the Clinton camp may have hatched a new strategy. Roger Simon of Politico.com reported that a high-ranking Clinton official said the campaign intends to go after Obama's delegates if they are needed to win the nomination. Simon reported that the Clinton camp sought to get pledged delegates -- not the contested "superdelegates" -- to switch sides, regardless of the states' caucus results.

"Just when the Dems are supposed to be pulling together, the Clintons are doing whatever it takes to get to the top," says Willey. "In their desperation, they are creating another scenario for war within the Democratic party."

In another divisive move, according to the Associated Press, Hillary's advisor Harold Ickes is now contradicting his stance as a member of the Democratic National Committee. In that capacity, Ickes voted to impose sanctions stripping Michigan and Florida of their 313 delegates because they scheduled early primaries without DNC permission. The only candidate to campaign in those states, Hillary won the contests and now needs the delegates so, in a complete about-face, Ickes, a top advisor to Clinton, is now arguing to undo the penalty and allow the delegates to count for,Hillary. According to AP, Ickes' contradictory positions on whether to count the delegates for Hillary "illustrate some of the internal division within the party as Clinton and Obama run neck-in-neck in the Democratic presidential race."

Willey says that when she first started working at the White House as a loyal Democrat, she had the naive belief that the Clintons genuinely cared about the Party above themselves. But, Willey says, it didn't take her long to be disabused of that notion. "When push comes to shove, the Clinton's don't care about the Democratic Party," she adds. "They only care about the Clinton party!"

Willey came to prominence in 1997 after being subpoenaed to testify in the Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against President Bill Clinton. She is the author of "Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton," by WND Books .

SOURCE Kathleen Willey

New Immigration Web Site Promises Independent Advice for Investors Seeking a Green Card

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the official launch of (http://www.EveryVisa.com) a web site aimed at the growing need for information on an obscure US visa category called the EB-5 Investor visa.

While the numbers of applicants for this type of entry into the USA are below the current USCIS quota of 3,000, the amount invested in the USA through the EB-5 visa program should reach $1 billion in 2008. With the continued weakness in the dollar, it warrants that foreigners investigate this program as an optimal way to become permanent legal residents while others are simply asking, "What is the EB-5 investor pilot program?"

The visa requires an investment of at least $500,000 into one of 16 or more Regional Centers around the country approved by the USCIS and designed to stimulate a particular local economy. Previously, the problem has been that the regional centers have different advantages and disadvantages that have been difficult to properly identify.

"The original idea behind this new service came from the fact that so many of our E2 visa clients were looking for a more permanent way of living in the United States. The problems they were having included separating the obvious enthusiasm each EB-5 regional center has for their own product from the actual advantages and disadvantages of one center versus another. What we have done with the launch of the EveryVisa web site is create a unique platform where one can examine the differences between the offers without biased views," Said Stephen Parnell, Managing member of Ireeco LLC, owners of the EveryVisa web site.

About EveryVisa.com

Developed by Andrew Bartlett and Stephen Parnell, EveryVisa.com is the only specialist EB-5 visa consultancy combining legal, financial and consumer expertise for emigrants considering investment in the USA as a route to permanent residency or retirement. At a time when the US economy seeks to attract foreign investment, and to focus on legal emigration, the managing members expertise in advising overseas investors in the USA is well recognised. Their worldwide briefings and seminars on the implications of relocating to the USA have highlighted many potentially fraudulent and/or costly mistakes.

SOURCE EveryVisa.com

Majority of Children Live With Two Biological Parents

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Nearly 45 million (61 percent) of the nation's 73 million children younger than 18 lived with their biological mother and father in 2004 regardless of the parents' marital status, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today.

Of these children, 42.7 million lived with both parents who were married to each other. Another 4.1 million lived with a biological mother and stepfather, according to Living Arrangements of Children: 2004 (http://www.census.gov/prod/2008pubs/p70-114.pdf). An additional 19.3 million children lived with one parent, with the majority of those (88 percent) residing with their mother.

There were 12.2 million children (representing 17 percent of all children) who lived with a stepparent, stepsibling and/or half sibling.

Among children in these "blended" families, 71 percent lived with at least a half sibling, 46 percent with a stepparent and 10 percent with a stepsibling.


Other highlights:

Overall, 94 percent of children lived with at least one biological
parent, while 8 percent lived with at least one stepparent and 2 percent lived with
at least one adoptive parent.

As for parents, 30.2 million men lived with at least one of their children younger than 18, compared with 37.8 million women. A higher percentage of the mothers (94 percent) lived with their biological children than the fathers (85 percent).

Most children lived with at least one sibling (79 percent). The majority (64 percent) lived with one or two siblings, while 5 percent lived with four or more siblings. Twelve percent of children younger than 18 lived with a half sibling.

Overall, 13.4 million children lived in extended families containing someone other than their parent or sibling. Of these, about 6.5 million lived with at least one grandparent, with 1.6 million of these children having no parent present.

Approximately 2.2 million children were living with a mother who married, divorced or was widowed in the year prior to the survey date.

Of the 18.7 million children living with their unmarried biological mothers, 18 percent had mothers who were living with unmarried partners. In comparison, of the 4.2 million children living with their unmarried biological fathers, 53 percent were living with fathers who were living with an unmarried partner. Overall, 5 percent of children younger than 18 lived with a cohabiting parent.

These data were collected from June 2004 through September 2004 in the Survey of Income and Program Participation. As in all surveys, these data are subject to sampling and nonsampling error.

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau

Leader of Gay Civil Rights Organization to Visit San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The February 21st reception at San Antonio's Church Bistro and Theatre is the first in a series of national forums educating Americans on political efforts to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military.

The event which will feature Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," will be an opportunity for San Antonio residents to learn about legislative efforts to repeal the law, including the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Congressional bill to repeal the law.

"Americans across the country, and right here in San Antonio, are demanding that Congress place military readiness ahead of discrimination," said Sarvis. "This reception represents an opportunity to build grassroots support and engage opinion makers in Central Texas on the efforts of SLDN to lift the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military."

The Congressional bill, which would repeal the law mandating that the U.S. military fire lesbian and gay employees, currently has the support of 141 Members of Congress, including area Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-25th). Texas is home to more than 66,000 lesbian and gay military veterans. Another 65,000 lesbian and gay service members are estimated to be on active duty and in the reserves of the United States armed forces. Since 1993, more than 12,000 men and women have been dismissed under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is an unreasonable and unnecessary law that compromises our national security interests," said Paul Boskind, Ph.D., the events host and SLDN board member. "This reception is the first in a series of similar forums, around the country, which will educate Americans on Congressional efforts to lift the ban."

The reception will be held at the Church Bistro and Theatre at 1150 S. Alamo in San Antonio. Doors open at 6pm.

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network is a national, non-profit legal services, watchdog and policy organization dedicated to ending discrimination against and harassment of military personnel affected by 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' and related forms of intolerance. For more information, visit http://www.sldn.org.

SOURCE Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

Democratic National Committee: McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and Fear Tactics

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth.

Today's McCain Myth: John McCain Is Not Going to Use the Same Kind of Divisive Rhetoric and Fear Tactics Bush Republicans Have Used in the Past.

On the campaign trail, John McCain tries to bolster his "maverick" image and brand himself as a "different" kind of Republican by claiming to be above the fear and smear tactics that Bush Republicans have used for the past seven years. In reality, McCain has consistently used exactly the same kind of tactics to try to bring down his opponents and scare the American people when it suits his political needs.

McCain has used this type of divisive rhetoric on Republicans and Democrats alike. Even as McCain is campaigning tonight for a Republican candidate who set a ten-year timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, when it suits his purposes McCain has challenged the motives of critics. McCain said anyone who talks about how long we'll stay in Iraq "does not understand the military," said Romney should "apologize" to our troops in Iraq for comments he made on war strategy, smeared Democrats for their "lack of patriotism" on Iraq, and said they were raising the "white flag" of "surrender." [Foxnews.com, 2/11/08; The New Yorker, 2/25/08; Wall Street Journal, 12/15/08; Chicago Tribune, The Swamp Blog, 1/24/08]

The fact is, John McCain will say anything to try to bring down his opponents -- not the kind of president Americans are looking for.


Myth: John McCain's Track Record and Fear and Smear

In 2004, McCain Called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Claims "Dishonest and Dishonorable." McCain's response to claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was to charge that they were "dishonest and dishonorable." [Baltimore Sun, 8/8/2004]

McCain Claims Anyone Talking About How Long Our Troops Will Be in Iraq "Does Not Understand the Military." Campaigning in February, McCain said "Anyone who worries about how long we're in Iraq does not understand the military and does not understand war" and that "the argument is really almost insulting to one's intelligence to say how long we're in Iraq." [Foxnews.com, 2/11/08]

McCain Said Romney Should "Apologize" to Troops in Iraq. After Mitt Romney said President Bush should discuss a timetable for withdrawal privately with the Iraqis, McCain told reporters "He ought to apologize to the men and women who are serving, because they deserve steady and steadfast leadership, particularly when times are tough. And his statement obviously was looking for the blinking exit sign." [The New Yorker, 2/25/08]

McCain Smears Democrats for Their "Lack of Patriotism" on Iraq. When asked at a Wall Street Journal editorial board meeting "what surprised him the most about the behavior of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with regard to Iraq" McCain replied "their lack of patriotism." [Wall Street Journal, 12/15/08]


Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, http://www.democrats.org.

This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee.

SOURCE Democratic National Committee

McCain Promises Three Times to Veto Any Tax Increase

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - For at least the third time in the last two weeks, Sen. John McCain pledged to veto any tax increase if elected President.

1) On Sunday, Feb. 17, appearing on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," McCain made an unequivocal promise to oppose any tax increase if elected President:

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "So on taxes, are you a 'read my lips' candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?"

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: "No new taxes, I do not -- in fact, I could see an argument if our economy continues to deteriorate for lower interest rates, lower tax rates and certainly decreasing corporate tax rates, which are the second-highest in the world, giving people the ability to write off depreciation in a year, elimination of the AMT. There's a lot of things that I would think we should do to relieve that burden, including, obviously, as we all know, simplification of the tax code."

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "But under no circumstances would you increase taxes?"

MCCAIN: "No."

The video clip of this exchange may be viewed at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=g_zU-Cov6Cs

2) On Sunday, Feb. 3, during an appearance on Fox News Channel's "Fox
News Sunday," host Chris Wallace had the following exchange with Sen.
McCain:

CHRIS WALLACE: "As president, will you veto any tax increase passed by
a Democratic Congress?"

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: "Yes."


The video clip of this exchange may be viewed at
http://youtube.com/watch?v=k5_dsxBEJVY

3) Also on Feb. 3, McCain was a guest on CBS's "Face the Nation,"
hosted by Bob Schieffer. Again, he was asked to commit to veto a tax
increase:

BOB SCHIEFFER: "Let's just say that you do become president and a Democratic congress raises taxes. What would you do? Would you veto it?"


SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: "Sure. Sure I'd veto it. I think if we're gonna be in
some shaky times, and by the way I believe the fundamentals of America's
economy are still strong, then the worst thing you can do is increase taxes
at that time."

The video clip of this exchange may be viewed at

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I5Xvx17scJk

For two decades, ATR has asked all presidential and federal candidates to commit to their constituents, in writing, to oppose any and all efforts
to raise income taxes. Every Republican nominee since Ronald Reagan has made this commitment, as well as over 90 percent of incumbent GOP House and Senate members.

Meanwhile, neither of the two remaining Democrat candidates -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- has made any form of commitment, written or otherwise, to veto tax increases.

Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose all tax increases.

SOURCE Americans for Tax Reform

martes, 5 de febrero de 2008

Mike Huckabee Wins First Super Tuesday Contest

Little Rock, AR – Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee decisively won the first victory of Super Tuesday 2008 by winning West Virginia’s 18 at-large delegates this afternoon.

Earlier today, Huckabee spoke at the West Virginia Republican Convention, emphasizing his positive message of family, life, and freedom which he said “triumphed in the Mountaineer State” and will continue to resonate in numerous Super Tuesday states, from Alabama to Alaska.

“Two days ago, the New York Giants pulled off the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Today, as pundits write my political obituary, we won a key Super Tuesday victory. Time and time again, my campaign has defied conventional wisdom. We did so in Iowa, after being outspent 20:1, and we did so today by winning what I hope will be the first of many Super Tuesday victories.”

“Our campaign is testament that the American dream is alive and well,” said Huckabee. “Running for President isn’t about who spends the most money or who has the most support on Wall Street or on K Street. If that was the case, the nomination picture would look vastly different.

”This victory was a triumph of Main Street, sending a message that becoming President of the Unites States is about message not money, principles not politics, and courage not convenience. Luckily for America, in places like Iowa and West Virginia, voters lead example and do the right thing regardless of what the pundits might say,” said Huckabee.

Source: www.mikehuckabee.com

Hillary Clinton Encourages Americans to Report Voting Problems on Campaign Website

Hillary Clinton today encouraged voters to visit her campaign website to report any and all voting irregularities. Voters can report problems at www.hillaryclinton.com/pollingproblems.

"I ask all Americans to contact my campaign if they have trouble voting," said Clinton. "My volunteers and staff will make a best effort to respond and contact election authorities when appropriate. Americans should not be denied the opportunity to vote because of election problems or irregularities. All Americans deserve to have their voices heard."

Source: www.hillaryclinton.com

viernes, 1 de febrero de 2008

Hillary Clinton Statement on January Employment Report


Today's report that our economy actually lost jobs in January confirms my view that we are sliding into a second Bush recession. During the same month that President Bush declared that the state of our union was strong, the economy lost 17,000 jobs, the worst jobs performance in four and a half years.

This data shows what so many of the families I meet every day already know: this economy is failing middle class families. Washington must act immediately and aggressively to head off our growing economic crisis.

This report underscores why it is absolutely critical that we include in any stimulus package extended unemployment insurance for those who are losing their jobs and looking work in our ailing economy. And while I am heartened to see that the House moved quickly to pass a stimulus package, we need more than tax rebates and business incentives to fix our ailing economy. That is why I have called for expanding heating assistance for those facing skyrocketing heating cost, and enacting a comprehensive solution to the housing crisis, including a 90-day foreclosure moratorium and a 5-year interest rate freeze on subprime mortgages.

Source: www.hillaryclinton.com

Obama Statement On New Jobs Report


Chicago, IL - Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on this morning's jobs report.

"This morning's jobs report brings very troubling news for the economy and for working families who are struggling under the last seven years of George Bush's failed economic policies, as we lost 17,000 jobs and saw negative job growth for the first time in since August of 2003. This news comes after a day where we learned that we had the slowest economic growth since 2002. It underscores the urgent need for Congress to extend unemployment benefits for more time and to more people as part of any economic stimulus package, something I called for in my own plan three weeks ago. It is time to provide immediate relief to families who are struggling in this economy, and it's time to turn the page on the failed Bush policies of tax breaks for those who didn't need them and didn't ask for them so we can put America back on the path to prosperity and opportunity."

Source: www.barackobama.com