PRESS RELEASE: INTRODUCING dISIP DE GAZZMAN COULEUR MUSICIANS

 

 

We in dISIP de Gazzman Couleur (dISIP) are pleased to announce the official members of our band. The task of choosing the right musicians was not an easy one and we are extremely satisfied with the team that we have put together.

 

The esteemed musicians who make up this team are: Gazzman Couleur--Co-founder & Lead Singer...

Gabriel Laporte--Co-founder & Lead Guitarist

Patrick Pluviose--Rhythm Guitarist

Marc "Sexy Beef" Celestin Jr.--Bassist

Lesly "T-Doo" Charles--Gongist

Jean Baptiste Louis--Drummer

Ricot "T-Tanbou" Amazan--Congas

Michel "Dobodo" Yves Clement--Keyboardist

 

Collectively, this team has nearly 100 years of musical experience. As a result, quality music is a guarantee. We know that the expectations are high for dISIP and we are confident in our ability to meet them. Our primary focus now is putting together an unforgettable grand premiere scheduled for Sunday, April 4th in Pembroke Pines, Florida.

 

Thank you everyone for your time and attention. We promise to continuously keep you updated on the progress of our band. Stay tuned for our group poster and a complete list of our scheduled performance dates as dISIP looks forward to meeting all of you at a grand premiere near you.

 

dISIP Management - Samille Vanessa Jean-Pierre J.P. Relations, LLC (516) 859-2484 www.jprelations.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 

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Dear members and Listeners,

 

 

Radio Continental would like once again to thank all its fans and members for their assistance and support. As we are striving to bring you the best of radio and committing our efforts in this long journey, we are also about to face a sudden roadblock. We will soon need a new tra...nsmitter within the next month or by April 5 to continue the transmission of our entire daily program.

 

As a non-profit radio organization, funds are hard to come by and we do have monthly expenses to keep the station transmitting 24/7 with limited advertisements and lack of support from local business/organizations. First, we are so grateful to all the animators, DJ’s, staff and board members for their hard work, dedications and continued endeavor in making this station a symbol in our community.

 

We are introducing a new pledge for collecting the needed funds from both the staff members and the public. Each board member has already pledged a contribution of $ 650.00 and each staff member of the station is required to come up with a contribution of $300.00. Also we are asking you friends on Face book for a donation of at least $25.00 for to cover the transmitter’s $10,000.00 bill. In return, a complete and transparent transcript/record will be available to each donated member ensuring as to how much is collected, a copy of all expenditure and projected plan for any remaining collected fund.

 

We are counting on each member’s diligence and assistance for solving this matter. Knowing how difficult it is to spare any extra cent lately, Radio continental is inviting all its members to weigh the significance of their participation and the importance of their much-needed help. Since our seventh anniversary party had been canceled due the catastrophe in Haiti, We had no alternative to turn our attention to each member while keeping our hope high that we will pull this through with everyone’s help. Donations can be make directly through “Power1021fm.com” or mailed to this address “Radio continental”. As a reminder, your donation is tax-deductible. Contact the management for more information.

 

We sincerely thank each member and looking forward to advancing Radio Continental’s slogan “One radio, one network, one community for a better future”. May God bless us?

 

Sincerely, yours

 

_____________           _______________

Chenet Nerette               Edwyn Labaze

Director                         President

 

 

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       March 5, 2010 | 6:52 PM ET

President Obama to Host Haitian President Wednesday

of Haiti to the White House 

On Wednesday, March 10, President Obama will welcome Haitian President Rene Préval to the White House. They will discuss relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, including the important contributions made by the United States and the international community.

 

 The President will speak with President Préval about how the international community can best support the government of Haiti and the Haitian people as they rebuild and create a foundation for a brighter future. A long and enduring relationship binds the United States and Haiti. Haitians are neighbors in the Americas, and Haitian-Americans have made extraordinary contributions to our country.

 

The President looks forward to welcoming President Préval to the White House to underscore his pledge to the Haitian people that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.

 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the visit of President Préval

 

 

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Azea Augustama Haitian American Boxer Gold Medalist Live on Power 102

 

 

Listen to power1021fm.com on Thursday march 4th from 12:00 PM to 1:00PM for a fascinating interview with the future light heavyweight champion of the world.

 

Listen to power1021fm.com on Thursday march 4th from 12:00 PM to 1:00PM for a fascinating interview ...with the future light heavyweight champion of the world.

Location: www.power1021fm.com

Time: 12:00PM Thursday, March 4th

 

 

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Michaëlle Jean retournera en Haïti, puis ira en République dominicaine

 

 

OTTAWA - La gouverneure générale du Canada retournera à Haïti pour voir la dévastation semée par le séisme qui a frappé sa terre natale en janvier. Michaëlle Jean a l'intention de séjourner dans ce pays de l'île Hispaniola les 8 et 9 mars. Elle se rendra dans la capitale haïtienne, Port-au-Prince, à Léogâne, ville durement touchée par le séisme, et à Jacmel. Mme Jean se rendra ensuite à Saint-Domingue dans le cadre d'une visite officielle d'une journée en République dominicaine, le second Etat situé sur l'île Hispaniola.

 

 Ce voyage devrait être très émouvant pour la gouverneure générale, dont la fille, adoptée, est également née en Haïti. Mme Jean s'était effondrée en larmes lors d'une conférence de presse tenue le jour suivant le tremblement de terre. D'une magnitude de 7 sur l'échelle de Richter. 

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Haitian - Americans Aid Quake Recovery, Eye Future

By REUTERS

Filed at 6:41 p.m. ET

MIAMI (Reuters) - When the January 12 earthquake hit Haiti and shattered its capital, Haitian-American artist Maeva Reynaud bought tents, energy bars and antibiotics and then flew them into the devastated country in a charter aircraft.

 

Expatriate engineering student Wally Mercidieu set about gathering 300 boxes of donated clothes, food, soap and medical supplies through a flier campaign on the streets of Orlando, Florida, to help those made homeless by the disaster.

 

"When I heard about the quake, I was just going crazy ... I had to do something," said Mercidieu, 34.

Over the years, about one in eight Haitians has settled outside the chaotic and impoverished Caribbean nation, seeking better opportunities or escape from repression and violence. Many live in Florida, New York, Canada, France and neighboring Caribbean nations.

 

Since the catastrophic quake killed up to 300,000 people and made more than a million homeless, Haitians living abroad have thrown themselves vigorously into the international recovery effort.

Within 24 hours of the 7.0 magnitude quake, community organizers in south Florida -- where some 200,000 Haitians live -- had found a warehouse to collect relief supplies, as well as donated space on ships and aircraft to ensure its delivery.

 

Immediate efforts focused on helping frantic expatriates trace family back in Haiti, and raising emergency aid for dazed victims in the smashed streets of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where many expatriates have relatives.

"When I went to Haiti, my family told me that I was the first person who had come to help them," said Reynaud, 27, who arrived in the capital with tents, sleeping bags and a suitcase full of granola bars.

"If I hadn't gone, what would have happened? They would still have been on cardboard boxes under sheets."

 

LOOKING TO REBUILD

Haitians living abroad are an economically powerful bloc, each year sending up to $1.8 billion home in remittances to the Caribbean nation -- the poorest in the Western Hemisphere -- where most live on less than $2 a day.

 

Last month, the U.S. government gave Temporary Protected Status to hundreds of thousands of Haitians who were in the United States when the January quake struck, allowing them to remain and work on U.S. soil.

 

Haiti's government has in the past not always welcomed involvement in the country's affairs by expatriates, who are barred from holding dual nationality and voting in elections back home.

But many expatriates say they are hoping in the aftermath of the quake to play an important role in their country's long-term reconstruction when the immediate crisis eases.

 

"It is essential that we, the diaspora of Haiti, organize mobilize and strategize with the international community, the U.S. and Haitian governments to help advocate for the renewal of Haiti," said Karen Andre, a lawyer who co-chairs the Haiti Relief Taskforce in Miami, a group coordinating community relief efforts.

 

"We want to partner with all the different players ... and help give voice to the people on the ground to help rebuild a sustainable Haiti," she added.

 

While most efforts are still focused on immediate recovery in the aftermath of the quake, community leaders say expatriates could benefit Haiti in the long term by sharing skills gained in a lifetime spent abroad.

 

"Haiti has a strong diaspora in the West ... (which) also has resources in terms of knowledge ... know-how and ... monetary resources," said Jean-Robert Lafortune, director of the Haitian American Grass-roots Coalition, Inc in Miami, who hopes one day to return and use skills learned abroad to set up a school in southern Haiti.

 

"I call it a game changer for Haiti. We have to seize the moment as an opportunity to build a better, much friendlier nation," he added.

(Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Peter Cooney)

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Note pour la presse

A LA RECHERCHE D’UNE ALTERNATIVE POLITIQUE
 
«  Face à l’imbroglio qui s’annonce, détonateur de tsunami politique un front de refus s’impose ».

 

   

           Justement alarmée par la détérioration croissante des conditions de vie de la population haïtienne au lendemain du cataclysme dévastateur du mardi 12 janvier dernier, l’Union Nationale des Démocrates Haïtiens croit devoir alerter l’opinion publique nationale et internationale sur l’impérieuse nécessité de constituer à bref délai un front de refus en voie de contrer les agissements anti-démocratiques de l’actuelle équipe au pouvoir.  

   

         Une telle démarche se justifie entre autres par l’obligation, hautement patriotique, de bloquer dans l’œuf toute velléité présidentielle de garder le pouvoir au-delà des limites fixées par la constitution, velléité qui couvait déjà dans la réforme annoncée de la Constitution et dans la formation de son fameux Conseil Electoral, Cheval de Troie de son parti l’Unité.  

   

         Sans vision et sans projet, ce Chef d’Etat de doublure dont la mission de rassembleur a été escamotée au profit d’un sectarisme outrancier se doit de s’effacer à l’horizon de la vue de la société haïtienne pour n’avoir été durant deux mandats consécutifs qu’un simple chien de garde du pouvoir d’un satrape qui continue à faire beaucoup de mal au pays.   Toutefois, il demeure évident que le séisme du 12 janvier a rendu pratiquement impossible la tenue d’une quelconque opération électorale.  Tout aussi évident le besoin de trouver une formule concertée et patriotiquement viable, permettant de remplacer René Préval au timon des affaires de l’Etat Haïtien au terme de son mandat.  Ce serait du reste la seule voie qui puisse éviter au pays un chambardement politique dont nous ne pouvons guère aujourd’hui assumer les frais.  

   

         A la limite, un simple coup d’œil sur la gestion désastreuse des lendemains du tremblement de terre convaincra l’observateur le moins averti de l’insouciance qui caractérise le gouvernement Préval-Bellerive.  Tandis que les millions ne cessent d’affluer au pays, René Préval  et ses sbires n’ont encore donné aucune preuve de leur capacité voire de leur volonté  d’affronter les grands défis de l’heure.  Alors que le Président est toujours entre deux avions, volant d’une conférence à l’autre, des tonnes de produits alimentaires et pharmaceutiques se vendent journellement dans les rues en dépit de la mention bien connue « A ne pas vendre ni échanger »  sous les regards complices des autorités haïtiennes,  Des dizaines de milliers de compatriotes, tenaillés par la faim, dorment chaque nuit à la belle étoile, guettant anxieusement les averses et les répliques  du séisme, dans l’indifférence la plus complète.  Le pire, par incurie administrative se retrouve bloquer gratuitement l’aide humanitaire dans les entrepôts de la Douane.  

   

         La grande presse internationale, présente en Haïti dès le 13 janvier, n’a point manqué de stigmatiser le comportement de ces éboueurs de l’ombre.  Mais cette même presse a bien noté comment, sous prétexte de reconstruction nationale, certains leaders dits de l’opposition, se sont déjà rangés aux côtés de René Préval.  Se rendent-ils compte, ces pseudo-leaders, qu’ils sont en train d’accorder un blanc-seing à ce dernier dont le peuple lui-même conteste la Présidence ? Ou se sont-ils vendus sciemment, dans l’espoir de décrocher un portefeuille ministériel, ou alléchés par ces fameuses commissions présidentielles dont l’administration Préval a le secret ?  

   

         L’UNDH, en ces moments douloureux de l’histoire nationale tient à rappeler aux uns et aux autres qui ont la mémoire courte le bilan totalement négatif des deux mandats du sieur René Préval sans oublier son passage à la Primature en 1991, bilan caractérisé par des violations systématiques de la Constitution.  Dilapidation des fonds publics, obstruction à la justice , crimes crapuleux, magouilles électorales, manœuvres déloyales, irresponsabilité, autant de traits caractéristiques de ce bilan.  Ajoutons-y les emprisonnements arbitraires, les assassinats politiques, les tortures infligées aux opposants et on se fera une idée de la personnalité trouble de l’ homme qui, de l’aveu même de ses compagnons de militance, avait choisi comme nom de code Beria, le tristement célèbre chef de la police secrète de Josef Staline.  

   

         Ce front du refus regroupera donc les leaders politiques non encore inféodés au régime en place, les membres de la société civile, les syndicats, les associations de femmes, les cultes protestants, le clergé, les adeptes du vodou, la presse, en un mot, toutes les forces vives du pays tant de l’intérieur que de l’extérieur intéressées à un processus de reconstruction au triple point de vue moral, légal et matériel.  Le front aura pour mission principale d’identifier des pistes de solution alternative au mandat de Préval à son expiration en février 2011.  Ce sera là le début d’une véritable coalition appelée  à travailler sur un programme commun de refondation des institutions nationales, de concert avec les pays amis et les instances internationales.  

   

         Parce que l’équipe actuellement au pouvoir n’a aucune carte à jouer que celle de la corruption, il nous parait de la plus haute importance que les cadres politiques encore sains  se distancient de ce bloc enfariné afin de ne point rater le grand rendez-vous historique paradoxalement déclenché par la tragédie du mardi 12 janvier.  Quant à nous, de l’UNDH, nous sommes prêts !!!  

   

         Pour l’histoire et pour la vérité, le citoyen ci-dessous mentionné signe avec indignation, courage et surtout son sang de patriote au nom de son regroupement politique ce texte né d’un constat douloureux de la problématique haïtienne et qui interpelle la conscience de nos concitoyens pour une alternative crédible, au 7 février 2011.  Toutefois, il se réserve le droit d’y revenir pour plus de détails pertinents.  

   

   

   

                                                                    Miami, le 26 février  2010.  

   

 

                                                                     Jean L. Théagène.

                                                                     Président de l’Union Nationale

                                                                     Des Démocrates Haïtiens.

 

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Massachusetts Haitian American Earthquake Task Force

www.haitianquakerelief.net

 

 

Press Advisory

 

February 26, 2010

                                                                                                 

Contact: Joseph M. Chery

 

 

617-306-6400 (day & evening)

 

 

Massachusetts Haitian Community Stakeholders Join Together to Assist the Survivors of Haiti’s Devastating Earthquake and Participate in the Long Term Reconstruction of Their Beloved Homeland

 

Haitian-American civic, religious and cultural organizations and other individuals in Massachusetts will announce the formation of The Massachusetts Haitian-American Earthquake Task Force to unify them as they respond, coordinate and positively effect efforts in the United States as well as in Haiti to rebuild  the Caribbean nation.

 

Dr. Nesly Metayer, Project Manager of New Immigrant Health Project for the John Hancock Research Center at Tufts University joined by several public officials, civic, religious and community leaders will articulate why the community came together and the vision of the Task Force.

 

WHEN:            Wednesday, March 3, 2010

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

 

WHERE:         Haitian Multi-Service Center

185 Columbia Road, Dorchester

 

NOTE:            You will have the opportunity to ask questions and take photos.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.jprelations.com

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DE L’EMOTION A LA REFLEXION

by Jean L Theagene

Malheur au peuple en qui il ne reste aucun soupçon de dignité, aucun sursaut de courage, aucune once de volonté collective pour se tenir debout face à l’adversité !!! Jean L. Théagène.

Tout est figé sous le beau ciel d’Haiti… L’histoire s’est recouverte d’un linge sombre courbée qu’elle est sous les bardeaux et les travées du catafalque mortuaire de ses deux-cents mille enfants, jetant au passage un regard de mépris sur le journaliste à la manque Patrick Lagacé et les autres attardés et nostalgiques des siècles de basse intensité intellectuelle.

Malheureusement, il faut de tout pour faire un monde. De tout et de rien. D’hommes de valeur, d’hommes d’honneur, mais aussi de malades mentaux et de salauds. C’est bien dans la nature humaine de se tenir au sommet comme de vautrer dans l’étron puant qui étouffe les êtres sans dignité. En effet, comme il fallait s’y attendre, le linguiste terminologue haïtien Robert Berrouet Oriol s’est élevé avec indignation contre les propos impudents et farfelus du journaleux de « La Presse » quotidien montréalais ». Il a rabattu le caquet à ce Lagacé qui, dans son insulte la plus gratuite, la plus imméritée à l’endroit d’une nation et d’une communauté ethnique ne nous laisse qu’un raisonnement boîteux à connotation raciste. Quoiqu’il en soit, aucun détergent ne peut laver cet anathème outrageux articulé par un homme qui, en voulant ressusciter le cadavre de Gobineau et son armada de racistes malodorants, s’est révélé le pire crétin en matière de sociologie.

Lagacé vient de réussir l’exploit tristement célèbre de remettre en question la démarche d’une nation dont le courage et l’esprit d’entraide viennent d’étonner le monde en ce 12 janvier 2010. Ce dont il n’arrive pas à se souvenir, c’est qu’il a en face de lui et de personne d’autre huit millions d’haïtiens que depuis plus de vingt siècles, des avortons de professionnels comme lui ne cessent d’acculer à ce que l’autre appelle « le désespoir d’être » .

Toujours est-il qu’une insulte en appelle toujours une autre ? En s’attaquant à Haïti, cet individu nous oblige à faire référence à l’histoire pour nous défendre. Car, si en tant que peuple noir des Caraïbes, nous affrontons les vents contraires avec la détermination de l’Ancêtre transplanté en Amérique, si nous avons pu survivre dans cet océan de mépris et de haine injustifiés pendant deux cents ans, ce n’est certainement pas grâce aux bons offices de quelques Las Casas déguisés en journalistes. Cela est essentiellement dû au dévouement inaltérable de nos hommes et femmes qui ne se sont pas gardés d’empoigner le fusil et de faire le coup de feu libérateur pour finalement enfanter 1804.Voilá, en brève hachure d’idées ce que Lagacé et les autres ne nous pardonneront jamais.

Au demeurant, nous autres haïtiens, nous avons été esclaves par la grâce des Puissances de l’époque et des Eglises qui étaient supposées être des gardiennes de la moralité. Mais antérieurement, nous étions des fils de guerriers et de rois, membres d’une civilisation planétaire qui a laissé au monde actuel des chefs d’œuvre que ne permettent pas de comprendre la petitesse, la mauvaise foi, le manque de compassion des Lagacé de la planète. Au lieu d’ânonner ou de braire de telles inepties, il eût été préférable pour cet imbécile heureux dans son besoin morbide de sensationnalisme d’aller s’extasier face aux Pyramides d’Egypte ou au jardin suspendu du Moyen-Orient. Exerunt Lagacé et tous ceux qui font profession de lui ressembler ! A la méditation de tous ceux qui ces présentes liront, je laisse ces mots de Sundari : » La faiblesse des animaux, c’est de ne pas savoir parler ; celle des hommes, de ne pas savoir se taire ».

A Robert Berrouet Oriol, qui par sa plume a sanctionné comme il se doit l’acte dolosif de ce malotru que dis-je, ce malséant qui semble ignorer la pugnacité tout comme l’habitude des victoires les plus ardues du peuple haïtien, mes accolades fraternelles. Car, l’histoire n’appartient qu’aux peuples qui n’ont pas tout perdu de leur âme et qui savent se tenir debout face à leurs adversaires et surtout face à l’adversité.

Jean L. Théagène
Président de l'UNDH
(Union Nationale des Démocrates Haïtiens)

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Ole Miss player collapses in practice, dies

Updated Feb 19, 2010 8:31 PM ET

A University of Mississippi football player has died after collapsing during the first day of team workouts.

The university says 20-year-old Bennie F. Abram died Friday at a hospital in Oxford. The non-scholarship junior transferred from Itawamba Community College last fall.

Trainers noticed that Abram was having difficulty early Friday shortly after the workout started. Officials say the trainers began first aid and called 911. Abram died several hours later.

Lafayette County Coroner Rocky Kennedy says an autopsy will be performed Saturday. He says there's no foul play involved. The high temperature in Oxford reached 57 degrees Friday.

Coach Houston Nutt called Abram a hard worker and fine young man.

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Coverage of Tiger Woods news conference Something To Talk About

At 11 AM, Tiger Woods will finally break his silence from this extra-marital affair and already the press is creating its own extra curriculum activity. 

It is found or not, Radio Continentale has a peak of his statement and we want you to have an idea.

Let s go Tiger...

"Directly to the point there is no one to blame but me for the mess I have put my wife and family through. I accept total and complete responsibility. My wife and I have been trying to work things out but sadly things have not worked out. Again all the blame is upon me."

"We have decided to live apart with me having mutually agreed upon times when I can be with our children. I know that the world wants all the details of what transpired in our marriage but that is between my wife and me and will remain that way. I have to get on my life and that means playing golf again. I have contacted The Masters and have informed them that my plan is to resume The Masters and they have said that they would welcome me with open arms. For that I am most grateful for I deserve nothing. Finally I want to thank all my fans around the world for standing by me when I let you down horribly. I failed all of you about as badly as a person can. I apologize to every one of you. I promise all of you that you will see a new Tiger Woods, a better Tiger Woods and I will not let you down. Now I'd like, by the grace of God and with His help, to get back to what I do best and that is playing golf. See you all at The Masters. God Bless you all. Tiger Woods."

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.

This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.

This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.

The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.

And here the first statement made by Tiger Woods on November 29, 2009 about the incident.

This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

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"Watch now: "We Are The World 25 Years for Haiti"”

Video: 'We are the World' for Haiti | Behind the scenes

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Darly Estinval gets 41 months for stealing checks

NEW YORK, Feb 11, 2010 A former New York City Administration for Children's Services employee has been sentenced to 41 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution.

The city Department of Investigation says Darly Estinval was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in September to conspiracy to commit bank fraud.

City investigators say the 37-year-old stole vendor checks issued by her agency between 2005 and 2008. The checks were then counterfeited or altered. She was arrested in July 2008 and then fired from the job, for which she was paid about $44,000 a year

Source: HaitianBeatz.

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Raul set to join New York Red Bulls - report

Real Madrid's record-breaking captain Raul will join MLS side New York Red Bulls next season, according to Spanish daily Marca.

The Madrid-based newspaper, that has close ties with Real, claims Raul is eager to play in America and will be paid the same wage he receives at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 32-year-old, who is Real's all-time top scorer, has been at Los Blancos since he was 17 and enjoyed a trophy-laden career. He has slipped down the pecking order of late as club president Florentino Perez builds another team of galacticos.

Raul recently admitted he was considering his future at Real. "For 15 years I have won practically everything, and in the last three months I have played less," he said. "It's not an ideal situation for any player."

The New York Red Bulls are reportedly trying to build their own team of superstars and have been linked with Barcelona striker Thierry Henry and a bid to tempt AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini out of retirement.

David Beckham left Real Madrid to join MLS side Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 and raised the global profile of the U.S. league.

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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Fourteen-month-old Abigail Charlot survived Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake but not its miserable aftermath. Brought into the capital’s General Hospital with fever and diarrhea, little Abigail literally dried up.

“Sometimes they arrive too late,” said Dr. Adrien Colimon, the chief of pediatrics, shaking her head.

The second stage of Haiti’s medical emergency has begun, with diarrheal illnesses, acute respiratory infections and malnutrition beginning to claim lives by the dozen.

And while the half-million people jammed into germ-breeding makeshift camps have so far been spared a contagious-disease outbreak, health officials fear epidemics. They are rushing to vaccinate 530,000 children against measles, diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.

“It’s still tough,” said Chris Lewis, emergency health coordinator for Save the Children, which by Tuesday had treated 11,000 people at 14 mobile clinics in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and Leogane. “At the moment we’re providing lifesaving services. What we’d like to do is to move to provide quality, longer-term care, but we’re not there yet.”

Haiti’s government raised the death toll for the Jan. 12 earthquake to 230,000 on Tuesday — the same death toll as the 2004 Asian tsunami. Communications Minister Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue said she expects the toll to rise as more bodies are counted, and noted the number does not include bodies buried privately by funeral homes or families.

The number of deaths not directly caused by the quake is unclear; U.N. officials are only now beginning to survey the more than 200 international medical aid groups working out of 91 hospitals — most of them just collections of tents — to compile the data.

Some 300,000 people are injured. At Port-au-Prince’s General Hospital, patients continue arriving with infections in wounds they can’t keep clean because the street is their home. The number of amputees, estimated at 2,000 to 4,000 by Handicap International, keeps rising as people reach Port-au-Prince with untreated fractures.

Violence bred of food shortages and inadequate security is also producing casualties. Dr. Santiago Arraffat of Evansville, Ind., said he treats several gunshot wounds a day at General Hospital.

“People are just shooting each other,” he said. “There are fights over food. People are so desperate.”

Nearly a month after the quake, respiratory infections, malnutrition, diarrhea from waterborne diseases and a lack of appropriate food for young children may be the biggest killers, health workers say.

Part of the problem is ignorance. Abigail’s mother, 20-year-old Simone Bess, waited a week after her child fell ill to bring her in, Colimon said.

Colimon ushered Bess into an adjacent tent when it became clear the Swiss doctors trying to hydrate and keep her child breathing would fail. Bess screamed in agony and crumpled to the paving stones when she heard.

“Please give me my child!” she wailed. “My one and only child. Tell them to do something for her! Tell them to wake her up!”

Twenty yards away, the child’s father, James Charlot, curled up against a wall, shaking with grief.

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Ellen DeGeneres on 'Idol': Change We Can Believe In?

Pondering how 'American Idol' will fare with life after Paula

By Bret Federigan
Special to MSN TV

Paula Abdul's announcement this past summer that she would be leaving "American Idol" was a particularly bitter pill to swallow for fans of TV's top-rated show. The choreographer-turned-pop singer landed on the show after a hiatus from her recording career and eventually regained her star power by playing compassionate and sympathetic foil to an acerbic Simon Cowell. Her reliably supportive and self-affirming feedback stood in stark contrast to the blunt and often caustic criticisms of the surly Brit, providing motherly reassurance to the competitors and a calming effect on viewers.

More "Idol": Read recaps | See contestant pics | Q&A with Kara

Even when she grew increasingly unpredictable during her later seasons with the show, where we'd often see a visibly loopy Abdul slur her words, offer up a smattering of random phrases amid her shouts of "You're authentic!" and flirt childishly with a teasing Simon, viewers didn't much care. They loved Paula because she chose to remain relentlessly positive and, even when her fellow judges disagreed with her, stuck to her guns. Fragile and quirky and saccharine as she was, Paula created a comfortable niche for herself on the show. But she's not coming back. Ellen DeGeneres has taken her spot. And like it or not, viewers must face a different dynamic on "American Idol " this season.

Change can sometimes be hard, I'll concede. But not all change is bad. And with the addition of DeGeneres, already one of TV's biggest and brightest stars, "American Idol" has seized the opportunity to find new contours and subplots and give itself the interesting, fresh coat of paint it needs to capture new fans and to combat increasingly sagging ratings.

We should probably get this out of the way: Ellen is not Paula. Viewers expecting the daytime TV star to somehow fill the former Laker Girl's shoes and perform the same role are missing the mark. The two could not be any more different. Ellen has no roots in the recording industry , never choreographed for the Jackson family and doesn't have a string of No. 1 singles on the Billboard charts. Her knowledge of what it takes to be America's next pop singer is likely no greater than yours or mine. And this is OK. Because that's precisely the point. Compared with Simon, Kara DioGuardi and Randy Jackson (who have all cut their teeth in the recording industry), she's a true outsider and comes to the judging table as just a seasoned viewer of the show. She'll approach her job as a fan would. Her eyes and ears are like ours. And what she'll choose to say will to a great extent mirror what we are thinking at home.

But how she'll choose tosay it, now that's the rub. Before she won those 12 daytime Emmys of hers, Ellen cut her teeth as a stand-up comic. All those years on the comedy club circuit perfected the quick-witted delivery that has made her one of Hollywood's funniest women. And it's this quality that, I suspect, viewers will find surprisingly welcome (and which also differentiates her completely from Paula). Even if you don't care for her talk show and her own particular quirks, there's no denying Ellen's a smart, out-of-the-box comedic talent. For "American Idol," a show that sometimes takes itself too seriously (just recall Kara's performance on the judging table last season), this is good.

Here's another thing: For too long, Simon has sat uncontested on the judging table. It's not simply because he's frequently boorish; it's just that no one bothers to call him on his brattiness. Randy's not going to take arms with a fellow dude. Kara pretty much is still finding her way, often appearing like she wants Simon's approval.

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For Immediate Release

January 28, 2010.ONE LOVE FOR HAITI – Kool Haus – Saturday, February 6, 2010One Love For Haiti is a fundraiser for relief in Haiti. The One Love for Haiti concert will mix the rhythms of Pop, Jazz, R&B, Hip Hop, Reggae and Gospel at the Kool Haus on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

Doors open at 7, show...time 9PM. Tickets are $20.00 and are available for purchase now at www.ticketbreak.com. Tickets are and $20 at the door. Funds raised will be donated to Haiti through UNICEF and the Haitian Consulate.

Guests and supporters include Haitian Consul General Dr. Eric Pierre, Jamaica’s Consul General to Toronto George Ramocan, and Toronto Mayor David Miller.

“I am grateful for the support of the "One Love For Haiti" concert and the approach of putting in place programs which will help the long term development of Haiti,” says Dr. Eric Pierre.Reggae icon Bob Marley who died in 1981 would have been 65 on February 6. His mega-hit One Love, the song of the century, is the perfect backdrop for the One Love For Haiti fundraiser which will take place on his birthday, February 6. Bob Marley Day has been declared by the City of Toronto for a number of years and the annual presentation is scheduled for City Hall on February 5.

“It is fitting that One Love For Haiti is being staged in Toronto on Bob Marley’s Birthday,” says special guest RITA MARLEY. “The nation of Haiti is in need and we should all show One Love for Haiti.”“The tragedy is massive and the need is dire in Haiti. We need to raise funds urgently, and on a continuing basis for Haiti,” says attorney Courtney Betty. Over twenty Canadian and International entertainers have donated their talent as Kool Haus rocks with One Love For Haiti.

The line up includes; Rita Marley, Etana , Jully Black, two time JUNO winner Blessed, Liberty Silver and Carvin Winans from the acclaimed Wynan gospel family and Sax player Ned Gold – 20 years with Harry Connick Jr. and more. www.oneloveforhaiti.com-30- ABOUT THE CHARITIESSince its inception in 1955, UNICEF Canada has grown into a recognized national symbol for the world’s children and the most visible United Nations presence across the country.

UNICEF Canada’s mandate is to raise funds in support of UNICEF’s work for children in more than 150 countries and territories and build awareness among Canadians about the issues facing the world’s children. www.unicef.caPierspective Entraide Humanitaire was founded in 2002 by Haitian Consul General Dr. Eric Pierre.

Pierspective Entraide Humanitaire is involved with sending monetary donations, medical and dental equipment, school supplies, book and toys to a variety of institutions in Haiti including orphanages, hospitals, a shelter for homeless elders and International Child Care.

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Like the CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship in January, all of matches from U-17 event will be streamed live free of charge at CONCACAF.com.  Each game will also be available on-demand shortly after its conclusion

Click on Video Below:

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Report: Michael Jackson’s Children to Accept Father's Grammy Award

Entertainment Tonight, January 30, 2010

Related: News, Michael Jackson, Prince Michael Jackson, Paris Jackson

Michael Jackson's two older children, Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, are reportedly scheduled accept a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on their late father's behalf.

RELATED: Michael Jackson photos

Jackson family sources tell CNN that although Prince and Paris are slated to take the stage, making their first public appearance since attending their father’s emotional memorial service in Los Angeles, 7-year-old Blanket is not expected to appear.

the sources say. The Recording Academy will honor the late King of Pop with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Special Merit Awards ceremony tonight in Los Angeles.

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Special Session on Haiti

Date: 28.01.2010

Time: 11:30-12:00

Location: Congress Hall, Congress Centre

The devastating earthquake on 12 January reminds us of the common humanity that we all share.

Join this session on how business can help Haiti over the long term

With Celso Amorim, Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil Helen E. Clark, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), New York

William J. Clinton, Founder, William J. Clinton Foundation; President of the United States (1993-2001);

UN Special Envoy to Haiti, Denis O'Brien, Chairman, Digicel Group, Ireland Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

Power 102 invites you to listen click this link and go to the Blog to submit your comment.

Here is the link: http://wef2010.unitec-media.tv/20100128/31102_EN_gb.html

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Facebook fugitive taunts British police

Authorities appealed to his more than 3,800 Facebook friends for help

By Raphael G. Satter

LONDON - An escaped British prisoner is taunting police and attracting a growing Internet fan base from his Facebook profile, mocking authorities for failing to find him and openly musing about moving across the Atlantic.

But police say the convicted burglar's antics on the popular social networking site haven't gone unnoticed and have appealed to his more than 3,800 Facebook friends to help track him down.

Craig "Lazie" Lynch, 28, escaped from the minimum-security Hollesley Bay Prison near the village of Woodbridge in southern England three months ago. Since then, he's been regularly updating his Facebook page with ungrammatical digs at police, as well as pictures showing him holding a "wanted" sign or making obscene gestures at the camera.

"i aint handin myself in," Lynch wrote in one post Tuesday. "why am i going to do their job for them. What do they get payed for. And does anyone have a cannon, i need firing over the atlantic."

Lynch's Facebook page is clogged with hundreds of messages from well-wishers, although a few occasionally write in to remind fans that they're cheering for a criminal. Police said that Lynch had been serving a seven-year sentence for committing a burglary with a weapon, but did not go into detail.

For his part, Lynch's updates typically center on what he's eating — pizza was recently on the menu — as well as complaints about the number of messages he gets from all over the world. His profile pictures show him shirtless while holding a well-roasted turkey.

"if any of you was doubtin my freedom. Here's proof," he explains. "How the (expletive) could i get my hands on a bird like this in jail. ha ha."

Lynch's Internet stardom has spawned several fan groups (and some hate groups) as well as customized T-shirts and even a song in Lynch's honor.

Fans have flooded his page with praise for his daring, but Suffolk Constabulary spokeswoman Anne-Marie Breach said there was nothing spectacular about Lynch's escape from the prison where he was held — a converted college on the English coast that she said had only minimal security.

"Basically it's an open prison," she said, calling it a place inmates "can virtually walk out of."

Despite the reference to going abroad, Breach said police believed that Lynch was still in Britain. She added that police were keeping close tabs on Lynch's updates.

"Everyone else is," she said.

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)

Colts owner Jim Irsay believes his team did the right thing by pulling their starters in Sunday's game against the New York Jets.

In a conference call with three local reporters, Irsay called the decision "courageous."

Though he acknowledged it was hard, even for him, to watch the undefeated season slip away in the final 20 minutes Sunday, he said coach Jim Caldwell and team president Bill Polian made a decision that was "best for the team." Irsay acknowledged he also approved the decision, which has drawn harsh criticism from Colts fans.

But Irsay believes fans will continue to support the team during their playoff run next month.< >