Keshi opens door for Yakubu return Super Eagles' head coach, Stephen Keshi says he is ready to hand Yakubu Aiyegbeni a recall to the Nigerian men's team. Aiyegbeni, 28, scored twice in Blackburn Rovers' 3-3 draw at Wigan Athletic and his performance has not gone unnoticed by the Nigerian manager.
Keshi believes that the addition of Aiyegbeni to the Nigerian squad will give the younger players a chance to learn from the former Everton man. "Yakubu has always shown that he's a fantastic striker and any coach will be happy to have such a player of his quality in his side. I have followed his performances in recent times and he still has a lot to give to the national team. "Besides, I must say that with the kind of experience Yakubu has got playing in Israel and at different divisions in England one cannot turn a blind eye to that except we want to be sentimental," Keshi told SuperSport.com. On the 2010 World Cup miss by Aiyegbeni against South Korea, Keshi made it clear that "players do have their bad days on the pitch. "I must say every player do have their bad days on the pitch. That day was one of his own bad days. As a player I can recall countless times when I had my bad days but that doesn't mean you're a bad player or that you don't want to win. "As much as we are rebuilding we can't throw away the fact that we want to invite players to the team based on performance. If Yakubu or any other player deserves to be called up to the team, definitely I will call them up," the former Togo manager said. Aiyegbeni's brace against Wigan last Saturday took his total number of goals since arriving England in 2003 to over 100. The Blackburn Rovers' forward last appeared for Nigeria at the Fifa 2010 World Cup in South Africa. |
Sunday, November 27
KESHI COMMENT ON YAKUBU RETURN
Friday, November 25
FROM FAILURE TO SIX RICH MILLIONAIRES
From Oprah Winfrey to Steve Jobs to J.K. Rowling, entrepreneurial success stories are the stuff from which American dreams are made. Much like these famous names, the six self-made millionaires we're profiling have one thing in common: Thanks to hard work, determination and sound advice from mentors, friends and family, they've been able to build thriving businesses from the ground up.
The rise to the top can be bumpy. In fact, some of the entrepreneurs we talked to were homeless during the early years of their companies. That's why they all agree that it's important to help others in need. All, including Radio One's Catherine L. Hughes and Life is good co-founder Bert Jacobs, give back to the community by volunteering time, donating to charitable organizations or running their own charities.
Learn how these six diverse entrepreneurs -- from a t-shirt designer to a media mogul -- turned meager beginnings into multimillion-dollar success and what advice they offer to budding business tycoons who hope to follow in their footsteps.
Catherine L. Hughes
Age: 64
Occupation: Founder and chairperson, Radio One
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Sometimes the ones who love you the most will give you the worst business advice."
By conventional standards, Hughes wasn't destined to build a successful multimillion-dollar media company. She was a teen mom by 16 and a high-school dropout. However, she later completed high school, followed by brief stints at area universities in her hometown of Omaha, Neb.
Despite her limited formal education, Hughes, who credits publishing legend John H. Johnson as one of her mentors, worked her way up at Omaha's KOWH radio starting in 1969 before heading to the nation's capital to become a lecturer at Howard University. In 1975, she became general manager for the university's radio station, WHUR-FM. By 1979, she bought her first radio station, WOL-AM in D.C., with her then-husband and founded Radio One a year later.
Those early years were rough. Hughes, who was divorced by then, slept with her son on the floor of her radio station because she couldn't afford to live anywhere else. "My mother tried her best to talk me out of the radio business because of that," Hughes recalls. It's for this reason that she advises young entrepreneurs to be wary about who they divulge their challenges to -- even family. "If I had listened [to my mother], I would be a government employee right now and there would be no Radio One."
Thirty-two years later, in addition to the radio company, Hughes' empire includes her television network TV One and several interactive ventures, including NewsOne.com and HelloBeautiful.com. Her charitable efforts include serving as a board member and the main benefactor for the Piney Woods School, a boarding school located in Piney Woods, Miss., that serves students from financially strapped families.
Bert Jacobs
Age: 46
Occupation: Co-Founder and CEO, Life is good
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Try to shoot for a timeless business."
You've probably seen the beret-wearing, smiling face of "Jake," the Life is good logo, on the company's tee shirts and products. Co-founders Bert Jacobs and his brother, John Jacobs, 43, started peddling their tee shirts on the streets of Boston -- going door-to-door at college dorms and sleeping in their van to save money -- in 1989. It would take nearly six years, however, before their shirts finally caught on with consumers, thanks to "Jake."
The logo, which is infused with optimism, was created after a conversation about how the world was slammed with constant negativity. It became an instant hit. Now, the New England-based company has revenues in excess of $100 million, and each year more of it goes toward their charity, Life is good Kids Foundation, which helps children overcome life-threatening challenges.
"In the beginning, we made every business mistake in the book," says Bert. The brothers didn't have a business plan or growth strategy -- a formula for disaster, if you go by what's taught in business school. Bert credits part of their success to listening to their friends and customers as informal focus groups, rather than "experts." He advises budding entrepreneurs to: "Try to shoot for a timeless business that will work through good times and bad."
Ali Brown
Age: 40
Occupation: Entrepreneur, business consultant and publisher, AliBrown.com
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "It's important you seek out other business owners for information, advice, support and resources."
Fed up with her dead-end job at a New York City ad agency, Brown decided to quit in 1998. Armed with her brother's hand-me-down computer, she launched her first marketing agency, AKB Communications, from her kitchen table.
While having her own business was exciting, the uncertainty of self-employment had its challenges. Brown remembers all too well maxing out credit cards and draining her bank account to stay afloat in the early days. One night in particular, she tried to withdraw $20 from an ATM but was denied because her balance was only $18.56. Thirteen years later, thanks to her hard work and perseverance, Brown has achieved many successes: She earned her first million before the age of 35 and has appeared on ABC's reality show "Secret Millionaire," where she donated money to several organizations. She still actively supports three of them.
When it comes down to deciding if entrepreneurship is the right move for you, Brown says, "Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. Every definition of entrepreneur I've found includes the word 'risk'." For those who are willing to take the leap of faith, she advises: "It's important that you seek out other business owners for information, advice, support and resources. Today, would-be entrepreneurs have the Internet and social media, and it's a great place to get started learning more about how to grow a business."
Jill Blashack Strahan
Age: 52
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Tastefully Simple
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Having goals is absolutely critical."
For Strahan, starting her multimillion-dollar company, Tastefully Simple, a direct sales retailer of specialty food products, began with "a dream and a shoestring." She grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota and later started selling gourmet food baskets, which inspired her business.
In the beginning, the entrepreneur fed her fledgling company with $6,000 of her own savings and some loans from a friend and the Small Business Administration. Strahan's first headquarters was a 1,200-square-foot space with a concrete floor and no running water. Early orders were packed on a pool table. Today, the Tastefully Simple offices take up nearly 200,000 square feet on a 79-acre lot.
In addition to running a company that's valued at more than $100 million, Strahan finds time to give back to the community. Tastefully Simple has donated more than $5 million to local causes, and in 2009 teamed up with Share Our Strength, a group that seeks to end childhood hunger in America. If you're an entrepreneur with a good idea, she says to remember that there isn't an easy road to building a profitable business: "The secret to success doesn't involve pixie dust or a magic bullet. Having goals is absolutely critical."
Farrah Gray
Age: 27
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Farrah Gray Publishing
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Keep your business small . . . niche yourself."
When most 6-year-olds were worried about what time their favorite cartoon came on TV, Gray was already an entrepreneur. He was going door-to-door in his inner-city Chicago neighborhood selling hand-painted rocks as bookends to help his ailing mother make ends meet. "I can remember being very young and my mom having a heart attack. I wondered how we were going to pay the bills and thought to myself, 'I don't want to be poor like this anymore,'" he recalls.
Trying to figure out a way to improve his family's home life sparked something big: By the time he was 17, Gray had founded and operated several businesses, including Kidztel, a prepaid phone card company, and Farr-Out Foods, a food company targeting young adults, which grossed $1.5 million in sales before he sold it. At 20, his first book, "Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich Inside and Out," was published.
Now, Gray's focused on his latest venture, Farrah Gray Publishing, a boutique celebrity book publishing house he started in 2009, which includes titles such as "Transparent" by CNN's Don Lemon. Gray also spends his time contributing to charitable organizations, such as the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Marrow Donor Program. For anyone considering starting a new business, he suggests keeping things small: "A lot of times we get caught up in trying to be the next Facebook or Apple. That isn't necessary -- niche yourself."
Jesse Conners
Age: 28
Occupation: CEO and founder, PeppermintPark.com
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "There is constantly some fire that you have to put out . . . Don't let it discourage you."
Conners had an unusual childhood: When she was 9, her parents joined a cult and -- believing that the world was about to end -- sold all of their worldly possessions. From then until she was 18, Conners traveled across the U.S. and to Mexico with her family, following the cult's message and searching for work along the way. As unconventional as it was, she says her upbringing spurred the independence she needed to succeed in business.
While in high school, she started doing the marketing for her father's chiropractor practice, which eventually led to a job in real estate. At 21, she auditioned for and was cast in the first season of NBC's "The Apprentice." Although Conners didn't win, her stint on national television landed her a job on the real estate speaking circuit. In 2008, she began building PeppermintPark.com, a membership-based fashion and luxury brand online retailer. The Web site has been up and running for a little over a year and has a ten-person staff.
Earlier this year, Conners's "outside the box" approach to business helped her to surpass a $1 million net worth. In addition to running her company, she has offered charitable support to Elephant Human Relations Aid and provides resources to women who are victims of domestic abuse, according to her Web site. Conners advises budding entrepreneurs to be aware that daily obstacles are the norm, not the exception. "There is constantly some fire that you have to put out. That's what running a business is all about," Conners says. "Don't let it discourage you. Try again, start again."
More from Kiplinger.com:
The rise to the top can be bumpy. In fact, some of the entrepreneurs we talked to were homeless during the early years of their companies. That's why they all agree that it's important to help others in need. All, including Radio One's Catherine L. Hughes and Life is good co-founder Bert Jacobs, give back to the community by volunteering time, donating to charitable organizations or running their own charities.
Learn how these six diverse entrepreneurs -- from a t-shirt designer to a media mogul -- turned meager beginnings into multimillion-dollar success and what advice they offer to budding business tycoons who hope to follow in their footsteps.
Catherine L. Hughes
Courtesy of Radio One
Occupation: Founder and chairperson, Radio One
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Sometimes the ones who love you the most will give you the worst business advice."
By conventional standards, Hughes wasn't destined to build a successful multimillion-dollar media company. She was a teen mom by 16 and a high-school dropout. However, she later completed high school, followed by brief stints at area universities in her hometown of Omaha, Neb.
Despite her limited formal education, Hughes, who credits publishing legend John H. Johnson as one of her mentors, worked her way up at Omaha's KOWH radio starting in 1969 before heading to the nation's capital to become a lecturer at Howard University. In 1975, she became general manager for the university's radio station, WHUR-FM. By 1979, she bought her first radio station, WOL-AM in D.C., with her then-husband and founded Radio One a year later.
Those early years were rough. Hughes, who was divorced by then, slept with her son on the floor of her radio station because she couldn't afford to live anywhere else. "My mother tried her best to talk me out of the radio business because of that," Hughes recalls. It's for this reason that she advises young entrepreneurs to be wary about who they divulge their challenges to -- even family. "If I had listened [to my mother], I would be a government employee right now and there would be no Radio One."
Thirty-two years later, in addition to the radio company, Hughes' empire includes her television network TV One and several interactive ventures, including NewsOne.com and HelloBeautiful.com. Her charitable efforts include serving as a board member and the main benefactor for the Piney Woods School, a boarding school located in Piney Woods, Miss., that serves students from financially strapped families.
Bert Jacobs
Courtesy of Life Is Good
Occupation: Co-Founder and CEO, Life is good
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Try to shoot for a timeless business."
You've probably seen the beret-wearing, smiling face of "Jake," the Life is good logo, on the company's tee shirts and products. Co-founders Bert Jacobs and his brother, John Jacobs, 43, started peddling their tee shirts on the streets of Boston -- going door-to-door at college dorms and sleeping in their van to save money -- in 1989. It would take nearly six years, however, before their shirts finally caught on with consumers, thanks to "Jake."
The logo, which is infused with optimism, was created after a conversation about how the world was slammed with constant negativity. It became an instant hit. Now, the New England-based company has revenues in excess of $100 million, and each year more of it goes toward their charity, Life is good Kids Foundation, which helps children overcome life-threatening challenges.
"In the beginning, we made every business mistake in the book," says Bert. The brothers didn't have a business plan or growth strategy -- a formula for disaster, if you go by what's taught in business school. Bert credits part of their success to listening to their friends and customers as informal focus groups, rather than "experts." He advises budding entrepreneurs to: "Try to shoot for a timeless business that will work through good times and bad."
Ali Brown
Courtesy of Ali Brown
Occupation: Entrepreneur, business consultant and publisher, AliBrown.com
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "It's important you seek out other business owners for information, advice, support and resources."
Fed up with her dead-end job at a New York City ad agency, Brown decided to quit in 1998. Armed with her brother's hand-me-down computer, she launched her first marketing agency, AKB Communications, from her kitchen table.
While having her own business was exciting, the uncertainty of self-employment had its challenges. Brown remembers all too well maxing out credit cards and draining her bank account to stay afloat in the early days. One night in particular, she tried to withdraw $20 from an ATM but was denied because her balance was only $18.56. Thirteen years later, thanks to her hard work and perseverance, Brown has achieved many successes: She earned her first million before the age of 35 and has appeared on ABC's reality show "Secret Millionaire," where she donated money to several organizations. She still actively supports three of them.
When it comes down to deciding if entrepreneurship is the right move for you, Brown says, "Entrepreneurship isn't for everyone. Every definition of entrepreneur I've found includes the word 'risk'." For those who are willing to take the leap of faith, she advises: "It's important that you seek out other business owners for information, advice, support and resources. Today, would-be entrepreneurs have the Internet and social media, and it's a great place to get started learning more about how to grow a business."
Jill Blashack Strahan
Courtesy of Jill Blashack Strahan
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Tastefully Simple
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Having goals is absolutely critical."
For Strahan, starting her multimillion-dollar company, Tastefully Simple, a direct sales retailer of specialty food products, began with "a dream and a shoestring." She grew up on a dairy farm in Minnesota and later started selling gourmet food baskets, which inspired her business.
In the beginning, the entrepreneur fed her fledgling company with $6,000 of her own savings and some loans from a friend and the Small Business Administration. Strahan's first headquarters was a 1,200-square-foot space with a concrete floor and no running water. Early orders were packed on a pool table. Today, the Tastefully Simple offices take up nearly 200,000 square feet on a 79-acre lot.
In addition to running a company that's valued at more than $100 million, Strahan finds time to give back to the community. Tastefully Simple has donated more than $5 million to local causes, and in 2009 teamed up with Share Our Strength, a group that seeks to end childhood hunger in America. If you're an entrepreneur with a good idea, she says to remember that there isn't an easy road to building a profitable business: "The secret to success doesn't involve pixie dust or a magic bullet. Having goals is absolutely critical."
Farrah Gray
Courtesy of Farrah Gray Publishing
Occupation: Founder and CEO, Farrah Gray Publishing
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "Keep your business small . . . niche yourself."
When most 6-year-olds were worried about what time their favorite cartoon came on TV, Gray was already an entrepreneur. He was going door-to-door in his inner-city Chicago neighborhood selling hand-painted rocks as bookends to help his ailing mother make ends meet. "I can remember being very young and my mom having a heart attack. I wondered how we were going to pay the bills and thought to myself, 'I don't want to be poor like this anymore,'" he recalls.
Trying to figure out a way to improve his family's home life sparked something big: By the time he was 17, Gray had founded and operated several businesses, including Kidztel, a prepaid phone card company, and Farr-Out Foods, a food company targeting young adults, which grossed $1.5 million in sales before he sold it. At 20, his first book, "Reallionaire: Nine Steps to Becoming Rich Inside and Out," was published.
Now, Gray's focused on his latest venture, Farrah Gray Publishing, a boutique celebrity book publishing house he started in 2009, which includes titles such as "Transparent" by CNN's Don Lemon. Gray also spends his time contributing to charitable organizations, such as the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Marrow Donor Program. For anyone considering starting a new business, he suggests keeping things small: "A lot of times we get caught up in trying to be the next Facebook or Apple. That isn't necessary -- niche yourself."
Jesse Conners
Courtesy of FirednFabulous/YouTube
Occupation: CEO and founder, PeppermintPark.com
Advice to young entrepreneurs: "There is constantly some fire that you have to put out . . . Don't let it discourage you."
Conners had an unusual childhood: When she was 9, her parents joined a cult and -- believing that the world was about to end -- sold all of their worldly possessions. From then until she was 18, Conners traveled across the U.S. and to Mexico with her family, following the cult's message and searching for work along the way. As unconventional as it was, she says her upbringing spurred the independence she needed to succeed in business.
While in high school, she started doing the marketing for her father's chiropractor practice, which eventually led to a job in real estate. At 21, she auditioned for and was cast in the first season of NBC's "The Apprentice." Although Conners didn't win, her stint on national television landed her a job on the real estate speaking circuit. In 2008, she began building PeppermintPark.com, a membership-based fashion and luxury brand online retailer. The Web site has been up and running for a little over a year and has a ten-person staff.
Earlier this year, Conners's "outside the box" approach to business helped her to surpass a $1 million net worth. In addition to running her company, she has offered charitable support to Elephant Human Relations Aid and provides resources to women who are victims of domestic abuse, according to her Web site. Conners advises budding entrepreneurs to be aware that daily obstacles are the norm, not the exception. "There is constantly some fire that you have to put out. That's what running a business is all about," Conners says. "Don't let it discourage you. Try again, start again."
More from Kiplinger.com:
Sunday, November 20
PASTOR BENNY HINN PROFILE
Nov.5/2006; Benny Hinn was born Toufik Benedictus Hinn in the coastal city of Jaffa in Israel in 1952. He was one of eight children born to an Armenian mother and a Greek father. The family was Greek Orthodox. In 1968, they emigrated to Canada settling in Toronto and Benny, who by this time was a young teenager, began attending Georges Vanier High school, north of Toronto. While at school, Benny befriended a group of religious students who introduced him to prayer meetings and teaching of the Gospel. Benny eventually became a Born Again Christian, despite concerns and initial opposition of his family. When he was 21, he attended a healing service in Pittsburgh headlined by evangelist Kathryn Kuhlman. She would become a major influence on his life, so much so, that he emulates her style to this day. Benny Hinn began his healing ministry in Toronto by hosting his own evangelical program on local television. His success in Canada inspired him to travel with his healing missions. In Orlando, Florida he met and married Suzanne, the daughter of a local pastor and it was there that Benny Hinn began to build his evangelical empire. Today he is known as Pastor Benny . Without doubt he is one of the best known and possibly richest televangelists in the world. Each year he travels the world conducting so-called miracle healing crusades that are very closely patterned to a rock concert tour. Benny Hinn as a young pastor. He produces a daily television show called “This is Your Day” from his studios based in California and has written several books about his life and ministry, which he markets and sells, along with video tapes of his crusades, music CDs and bibles. Benny Hinn is also a proponent of the Prosperity Gospel or the Word of Faith movement. As is implied by the name "Prosperity Gospel" the supporters believe that faith works as a mighty power or force. That it is through their faith that they can obtain anything they want – such as health, wealth, or any form of personal success. However, this force is only released through their faith. According to Pastor Benny if a person expresses their faith by sowing a sufficient monetary seed into his ministry - that person will be granted divine physical healing. Jordie, the young man in Calgary is still on dialysis and still looking for his miracle. Little Grace is fine, says her Mom, but there's been no change in her physical condition. They haven't attended any more of Pastor Benny's crusades. Also, in his letter to his followers after our original broadcast, Pastor Benny suggests that our reporting on his hotel expenses was misleading. He claims that the hotels he uses often give him rooms for free, or "deeply discounted". Well, we checked on that and the two luxury hotels which appear in our story, the ones in London and Milan, both told us that they do not offer deep discounts or freebies on those rooms. Some Christian groups have been critical of Benny Hinn for preaching the Prosperity Gospel and for misinterpreting scriptures on a number of occasions. Read more on the Apologetics Index, it is an online resource on religions. He has also been criticized by a number of Christian watchdog groups for not joining the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability . The Council is the leading accreditation agency that helps Christian ministries earn the public’s trust through adherence to seven standards of accountability. It has over 1,100 members, including Pat Robertson and Billy Graham. Benny Hinn refuses to join. Roddy Allen, a forsensic accountant with the firm of Kroll Linquist Avey pores over financial records with the fifth estate's Bob McKeown. BENNY HINN'S FINANCES; Under U.S. tax laws the Hinn Ministry is not legally obligated to makes its finances public because it is a religious organization. Although most major American churches and ministries release financial information voluntarily there are no public records for how much the Hinn ministry makes or how that money is spent. Benny Hinn insists that every penny is spent on God's work. But the fifth estate obtained confidential financial records from inside the Hinn ministry. These documents were provided by individuals who say they want the public to know how Benny Hinn spends the money entrusted to him. The fifth estate asked Roddy Allan, a forensic accountant, to review the ministry's expense and travel records. He says, "I'm a mere bean counter, but it would be hard to persuade me that you had to incur that kind of expense in order to accomplish a business objective." The prestigious Lanesborough Hotel, next to Buckingham Palace, is frequented by celebrities such as Madonna and Micheal Jackson. Here is a very small sampling of financial records from the summer of 2003. At that time Hinn had crusades in St. Petersburg, Russia and Stockholm, Sweden then departed for a four day whirlwind trip to Italy and London, billing it as a simple layover. A hotel bill for room service and chauffeur services at the Lanesborough Hotel in London (see bill .pdf) Tips given to staff at Lanesborough Hotel in London after a one day stay (see chit .pdf) Tips given to the staff at the Savoia Hotel in Milan, Italy (see chit .pdf) $5000US dollars cash given to Pastor Benny Hinn (PBH), no details for the reason (see chit .pdf) A gift from Benny Hinn to a 'homeless woman with a baby' of $20US (see chit .pdf)
Justin Peters analyzed Benny Hinn's Ministry and its methods for his master's thesis in theology. Justin Peters was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The influence of two Christian parents coupled with the challenges of Cerebral Palsy led Justin to begin inquiring about Jesus at an early age. In fact, he became a born again Christian at age seven. As a teenager, Justin visited faith healers, hoping to be healed himself, but his hopes were unfulfilled. In November 1995, while attending Mississippi State University, Justin decided that his calling was to enter the ministry and become an evangelist. With that goal in mind, he set off to study theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. His Master’s thesis, completed at the end of 2002, was an examination of the life and ministry of Benny Hinn. As research for his thesis, Justin attended several Benny Hinn Crusades. However, his requests for interviews with Benny Hinn were denied. READ part of Justin’s thesis (.pdf) Justin is now a staff evangelist at the First Baptist Church in Vicksburg, Mississippi but he travels often to preach to other congregations across the United States. He is an avid hunter and fisherman. READ his interview with the fifth estate (.pdf)
FURTHER READING; On Tuesday, November the 9th, I watched the Benny Hinn documentary, for the second time. I am really appalled by his ministry. I can see how he his message appeals to people, especially ones in need. I am always suspicious of massive evangelical healing's in that I suspect "plants" in the audience. I think the fifth estate took the correct approach showing the various people that were in need and were shunted/steered away from the stage. - Mark Johnston
Thanks you for this program. People like Benny Hinn give Christian ministries a bad name. I'm glad you had the courage to expose his shenanigans. - Louise Swartz
You have successfully planted the seeds of doubt that will hopefully lead to exposing a major fraud. There's nothing wrong with believing and praying for a miracle....its' part of faith. I accept that. I have always been dismayed at the crowds I see and what I hear those odd times when I tune in and hear Benny being the Apostle of God....with a direct line, no less! What an act! - Tony G.
Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your show remains true to journalism and makes me proud to say that Canadian journalism is probably the most unbiased and balanced in the world. From your expose on Benny Hinn to your biography on Dick Cheney, to the conspiracy theories show that has become a classic, the Fifth Estate remains true to its aim. - Amar Sheth
I would like to congratulate you on the wonderful report in which you exposed Benny Hinn for the false prophet and liar that he really is. We are long overdue in sending a warning to the public about false televangelists like Hinn and many others who are only out to prostitute themselves and the Word of God for the almighty dollar. - Joanne Smith
Trinity Foundation Inc - leading watchdog of religious media Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability - DONOR ALERTS
TBN’s Response to ABC 20/20 Report Attempts to Mislead Donors, Transparency Grade Dropped to “F”
MinistryWatch.com Recommends that Donors Withhold Giving to Benny Hinn Ministries
ECFA Terminated Membership Ties with GUM
MinistryWatch.com advises donors to withhold support to Trinity Broadcasting Network; calls also for new leadership
Non-Transparent Ministries: Are they Faithful in Small Things?
Tsunami Disaster Scams
MinistryWatch.com calls for establishment of an independent commission to take over governance of Trinity Broadcasting Network
Claims by Leroy Jenkins Do Not Hold Up Under Scrutiny
Fraudulent Solicitation for Victory Orphan Center International
Where lies the Christianity of Christian Children's Fund?
Trinity Broadcasting Network's (TBN) hoarding too much cash
419/Nigerian Scam Targets Christians.
FATHER EMMANUEL EDEH PROFILE
PERSONAL PROFILE OF
VERY REV. FR. PROF. EMMANUEL MATHEW PAUL EDEH CSSp.
Name: Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Mathew Paul Edeh CSSp.
Resident: Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration Elele, Nigeria.
Date of Birth: May 20, 1947
Place of Birth: Akpugo, Nkanu West L.G.A, Enugu State, Nigeria.
VERY REV. FR. PROF. EMMANUEL MATHEW PAUL EDEH CSSp.
Name: Very Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Mathew Paul Edeh CSSp.
Resident: Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration Elele, Nigeria.
Date of Birth: May 20, 1947
Place of Birth: Akpugo, Nkanu West L.G.A, Enugu State, Nigeria.
EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENTS:
1976 - Ordained a priest of the Holy Ghost Congregation
1976 - Bachelor's Degree in Divinity, Urban University, Rome - Italy
1979 - Bachelor's Degree - (philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1981 - Master's Degree (Philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1984 - PH.D (Philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1999 - Professor of Philosophy of Education,
Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria.
1976 - Ordained a priest of the Holy Ghost Congregation
1976 - Bachelor's Degree in Divinity, Urban University, Rome - Italy
1979 - Bachelor's Degree - (philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1981 - Master's Degree (Philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1984 - PH.D (Philosophy), DE PAUL University, Chicago, U.S.A
1999 - Professor of Philosophy of Education,
Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria.
POSITIONS HELD:
1982 -1984
Staff of Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, U.S.A. 1984 - Date:
Founder/Spiritual Director of Pilgrimage Centre, Elele, River State.
1999- Date Founder/Chancellor & Visitor:
- Madonna University, Okija, and Elele.
- Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu.
- Osisatech Polytechnic and College of Education, Enugu.
1982 -1984
Staff of Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, U.S.A. 1984 - Date:
Founder/Spiritual Director of Pilgrimage Centre, Elele, River State.
1999- Date Founder/Chancellor & Visitor:
- Madonna University, Okija, and Elele.
- Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu.
- Osisatech Polytechnic and College of Education, Enugu.
RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS:
1984- Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration, also known as The
Pilgrimage Centre of Peace and Reconciliation, Elele, River State.
1985 - The Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour, Elele.
1991 - The Fathers and Brothers of Jesus the Saviour, Elele.
1991 - The Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour (Male) Elele.
2008 - The
1984- Pilgrimage Centre of Eucharistic Adoration, also known as The
Pilgrimage Centre of Peace and Reconciliation, Elele, River State.
1985 - The Congregation of the Sisters of Jesus the Saviour, Elele.
1991 - The Fathers and Brothers of Jesus the Saviour, Elele.
1991 - The Contemplatives of Jesus the Saviour (Male) Elele.
2008 - The
JOYCE MEYER AND THE VOICE OF GOD
Joyce Meyer and Hearing the Voice of God
Before we lay our praises upon Joyce Meyer, we want to let you know that we are not associated or affiliated with Joyce Meyer or Joyce Meyer Ministries. We are just huge fans of her work and want to support people in hearing God's Voice more fully in their lives.
Joyce Meyer is a true blessing to millions of people around the world who desire to deepen their relationship and communication with God. As a leading Christian evangelical teacher, Joyce Meyers demonstrates her deep and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. Joyce Meyer is a testament that God speaks to each of us, regardless of our personal backgrounds or our challenges in life.
God speaks to each of us "exactly where we are."
What does that mean, "exactly where we are?"
It means that God speaks to us right where we are on our spiritual journey.The
Let me give you an example...
Imagine a row of seven people sitting in front of you: a 6-year-old child, a physicist, a Catholic priest, a rebellious teenager, a mother of five children, a farmer in Nigeria, and a New York police officer. Now imagine that each one of these people asks God the same exact question. The question could be anything. For example, what would be in my highest good to say or do as I walk past this beggar on the street? Or, what is my true purpose in life? Or, can I best be of service in the world? Is it my highest good to invest in the stock market? What should I say or do when someone yells at me or threatens me?
Regardless of which question is asked, do you know what each person is going to hear when they ask God the same question that everyone else asks?
Each person is going to hear something totally unique to them.
The 6-year-old child will not receive the same communication from God as the rebellious teenager, the Catholic priest, or the police officer. The mother of five children will hear something different than the physicist or the farmer in Nigeria. Each person has their own background, education, life experience, and beliefs. Each one is learning their own unique lessons in life. As a result, God will speak to each person "exactly where they are" on their path. One person may be learning about kindness or compassion, while another person may be learning about forgiveness, abundance, or self-empowerment. What one person needs to hear in this exact moment to re-connect with God and their True Self is most likely going to be different than what another person needs to hear. This is true for all of us.
In addition, we are constantly evolving and changing in our understanding and awareness. The lessons we were learning 10 years ago are most likely different from the lessons we are learning today. In fact, who we are in this moment is different than who we were three months ago, three weeks ago, and even three days ago. Each time we open up to a deeper understanding and experience of Love and Peace in our lives, the fabric of our mind changes. We could probably ask God the same question every year for the rest of our lives and receive a slightly different answer every time we ask because what we are learning and assimilating in each moment is different. What we need to hear right now to restore ourselves to God is unique to this moment alone.
Joyce Meyer shares God's Voice with millions of people all over the world in exactly the right way for them. But what if it were possible for YOU to hear God's Voice just as clearly and intimately as she does?
What if you could experience God's unconditional love for you EXACTLY AS YOU ARE?
What if you could learn to love yourself unconditionally, let go of ALL self judgment, fear, and guilt, and experience the freedom and peace of knowing that you remain exactly as God created you to be? What if you could learn how to hear God's Voice within you in a very clear and recognizable way so that you can receive the comfort, guidance, and healing that you seek in your life?
If you want a deeper and more consistent relationship with God, and if you want tohear God's voice within you is very clear and recognizable way, now is the time for you to believe that you are worthy and capable of hearing His voice in your life.
You have the ability right now to feel God's Presence within you, to ask God questions and receive His answers. Take a moment right now to acknowledge this truth. Take a moment right now to ask God to guide and direct you in your life. Take a moment right now to be still and listen to the voice of Holy Spirit within you.
God is waiting to speak with you. All that is required for you to hear His voice is your sincere desire to do so. Ask, it will be done.C
FIVE MONEY MISTAKES THAT RUIN MARRIAGE
When I was a child, my father used to joke with me saying, "Nancy, remember, it is just as easy to fall in love with a rich guy as a poor one." There is always some truth in a joke and looking back on this saying as an adult, it is obvious that he was steering me toward what he hoped was a happy life rather than a life of what he perceived would be a struggle. He is old fashioned and didn't think that a girl could create her own financial security (that is fodder for another blog) but his intentions were good. In my career as a financial adviser turned financial educator, I have worked with hundreds of couples and have seen firsthand how money problems, worries and other financial issues can lead to unhappy marriages. If left unchecked, financial problems can ultimately destroy a marriage.
Money and marriage is an age old problem. I've seen many societal and economic changes over my 25 year career: incredibly high interest rates in the 80's, a raging bull market in the 90's, the stock bubble bursting in 2000, the rise of 401(k) plans replacing defined benefit pension plans, as well as the most recent financial crisis. However, during good or bad economic times some things never change — couples are still fighting about money. In many cases, they are the very same things couples were fighting about 25 years ago. According to research as well as my own experience working with couples and money, here are the top five money conflicts that lead to marital strife and ultimately divorce.
Materialism — valuing "things" or money over the relationship. Research on marriage has shown that couples who are materialistic rate at the bottom of the happiness scale. A recent study by BYU and William Jefferson University found that spouses who were BOTH materialistic were worse off on nearly every relationship measure they looked at. It wasn't the lack of money that was the culprit; the authors found that it was materialism itself that created much of the difficulty even when couples had plenty of money.
I saw this firsthand with a former client of mine named Yolanda who unknowingly fell into the materialism trap and nearly destroyed her marriage because of it. She is a first generation American with immigrant parents from Guatemala. She had a misguided notion in her head that if she had a beautiful home nicely decorated with a formal dining room and a landscaped yard for her family to live in then she would be happy. It was almost as if she had a picture of the American Dream and she had to step into that picture and become that person to be happy.
She insisted her husband buy a home they could barely afford along with Ethan Allen furniture and a landscaped backyard — going into debt to do it. This may not seem like materialism because we are not talking diamonds and furs here. We are talking about a dining room table but none-the-less, her focus was on accumulating things instead of on her marriage and family. Fortunately for her, this story doesn't end tragically. When her mother passed away, something triggered in her that completely changed her outlook on her values. She got a much needed wake-up call about what was really important in life before it was too late.
Having conflicting money values. Now I don't know about you but if I was married to someone who gambled away money I'd have a really hard time with that. I see gambling as foolish (unless you are good enough to get into the World Series of Poker.) Foolishly spending money is the number one financial cause for divorce. According to Jeffrey Dew'spaper titled Bank on it: Thrifty Couples are the Happiest, when a spouse feels the other spends their money foolishly, it increases the likelihood of divorce by 45%. What caught my attention in the report was the word "feeling." The researchers tell us that perceptions of how well one's spouse handles money play a role in shaping the quality and stability of family life in the U.S.
It isn't just about gambling either. A former client of mine, I'll call her Sandy, was married to someone who was incredibly frugal. Her husband used to check what she paid for groceries and compare them to the weekly ads to see if she got the best price. He actually would be angry and chastise Sandy because she paid too much for a block of cheese saying, "You could have gotten this cheaper at Safeway." He actually wanted her to go to two different stores to shop (even though she worked full time and they had two little boys.) Their marriage ended in divorce and not because she was a gambler by any means but because he perceived her spending as foolish.
The answer here is for couples to come together and decide on how to spend their money. Coming up with jointly held values obviously involves some give and take. If you like to buy lottery tickets, which your spouse sees as frivolous but you feel, "you can't win if you don't play," then jointly decide on a spending limit that you can agree on.
Adopting traditional roles when they don't fit. The commonly held belief that men should handle the financial planning and investments in the family and the women should take care of the day-to-day finances may not fit every couple. In fact, in my household, my husband manages the cash flow — he can be very detail oriented, which is painfully obvious when he is talking baseball with his buddies. It is amazing to me that he knows the batting average of players who retired 5 years ago! He is much better with our cash flow and I am more suited for our strategic financial planning. This is not simply because I have a financial background, but studies on the human brain have shown women to be hard wired to multi-task and those skills cross over to strategic planning. In our case, we switched roles and it works beautifully.
The key is to find the right person for the right role based on aptitude not gender.
Having opposing money styles. It is not uncommon to see financial opposites attract one another. Couples often have mismatched money styles — one is a spender while the other is a saver. Instead of having them work against each other, causing fights and tension, successful couples don't try to change each other. They adapt their money styles to work for both of them. In a previous blog, I mentioned how a newlywed couple set up a plan that made the most of their opposite tendencies. Paula loves her husband's sense of adventure and fun but on the flip-side he spends every dime he has doing it. He loves her stability and discipline since it balances his free and relaxed nature but he is always asking her for money and wanting to tap into her savings. There is tension and resentment on each side.
We came up with a plan that takes their natural money styles into account so they can work together toward common goals and they both contribute financially. The plan is — the spender spends and the saver saves. He is in charge of the short term emergency savings and unexpected expenses that come up. He doesn't feel concerned when he has to tap into the emergency fund and since he is saving monthly, it gets replenished regularly with automatic transfers from checking to savings. She is in charge of long term goals — retirement, saving for a down payment for a house and saving for annual vacations. She hates to part with their hard earned savings so she is best suited for the big goals that take more discipline in achieving.
The key here is instead of judging each other and essentially working against each other, row in the same direction.
Magical thinking — getting results without a plan. One of the most undervalued yet important reasons to work with a financial planner is to force couples to develop a plan together and, at minimum, review it annually. Some people have some of the individual pieces of their finances in order but having a plan puts the pieces together. Couples who don't have a plan don't have a chance of meeting their goals.
The do-it-yourselfer can do the same thing, of course, but it takes a little more discipline. Either way, developing a financial plan gets couples moving in the same direction toward goals they have developed together. Over the course of my 25 years as a financial planner, I've seen a significant difference with couples meeting their goals — being able to retire, touring Europe, investing in vacation properties, etc because they planned, reviewed their plans annually and worked as a team.
Couples who improve their attitudes about money and their communication can truly have it all. Since finances are the biggest cause of stress (a 2010 APA study found that 76% of Americans see money as a source of stress in their lives) and stress is a major cause of disease, improving financial literacy also has the added benefit of improving your health. Keeping your values in the right place and improving finances can actually bring health, wealth and happiness. What more can we ask for?
Saturday, November 19
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
President Barack Obama
Barack H. Obama is the 44th President of the United States.
His story is the American story — values from the heartland, a middle-class upbringing in a strong family, hard work and education as the means of getting ahead, and the conviction that a life so blessed should be lived in service to others.
With a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas, President Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. He was raised with help from his grandfather, who served in Patton's army, and his grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management at a bank.
After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked with a group of churches to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants.
He went on to attend law school, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he returned to Chicago to help lead a voter registration drive, teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago, and remain active in his community.
President Obama's years of public service are based around his unwavering belief in the ability to unite people around a politics of purpose. In the Illinois State Senate, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. As a United States Senator, he reached across the aisle to pass groundbreaking lobbying reform, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by putting federal spending online.
He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. He and his wife, Michelle, are the proud parents of two daughters, Malia 13 and Sasha 10.
MISS GHANA @50 TAKYI-MENSAH
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OBAMA GETS LITTLE PUNSH BACK AT ASIAN TRIP
BALI, Indonesia (AP) — An assertive President Barack Obama got much of what he wanted during his Asia-Pacific trip because the results didn't depend on negotiating with the world.
He mostly just announced them.
Obama expanded the U.S. military presence in southeast Asia, sent tough signals to China in its backyard, ordered his top diplomat on a breakthrough mission to Myanmar and presided over the jobs-creating sale of Boeing planes to an Indonesian airline company.
It was a trip on his terms, unlike the dynamic he has with the U.S. Congress.
Obama might as well have borrowed his mantra of "We Can't Wait" — a slogan from his re-election campaign — and applied it to his foreign agenda.
Still, Obama returns home without any firm commitments from Russia or China over stiffer penalties against Iran over its disputed nuclear program. Obama insisted that the three countries were unified on preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and he said in general terms that they would figure out the next steps together.
The president has few lasting images to show from the nine-day trip, which was ending Sunday with his return to the White House. One was the scene aboard a docked aircraft carrier in San Diego, where Obama saluted veterans and watched a college basketball game.
But much of his time was spent in summit ballrooms, without defining moments of diplomacy or much engagement with local citizens.
Far from Washington, Obama had few domestic distractions on his nine-day trip. That allowed him to stay on his message of trade, security and human rights.
The region was eager for America's presence and influence, often as a counter to China's might. So Obama held more sway and ran into less visible pushback, except for bristling from the Chinese. The White House was careful not to promise too much from this trip all along, making its goals all that much more possible to achieve.
This was not, for example, the Middle East, where Obama's many attempts to pull the Israelis and Palestinians back together have left him little to show.
It did not hurt that Obama had home-field advantage for about half the time he was away.
The United States hosted the yearly Asia-Pacific economic forum for the first in about 20 years. For the site, Obama chose Hawaii, the American foothold in the Pacific and his birthplace.
When he made time to squeeze in a political fundraiser outside Honolulu, Obama saw longtime friends and acknowledged the bias for "the hometown kid."
In Hawaii and across Australia and Indonesia, the goal was to show a deep U.S. commitment to the fastest growing part of the world. It is a message with major implications. For example, which region may suffer from coming U.S. defense cuts (not Asia) and how the Obama administration sees a way out of economic stagnation (definitely Asia).
Getting the relevance of that message through to voters at home was another matter.
Obama had stretches without much news and competed for media coverage with the Penn State child sex abuse scandal and the politics of the 2012 election.
To the degree Americans saw Obama on the world stage, he looked comfortable and confident. That was surely a picture the White House enjoyed. Compare that with Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry's "oops" debate moment when he forgot that the Energy Department was one of the agencies he wanted to eliminate or Herman Cain's bungling of a basic question about Libya in a videotaped interview.
Right before this trip came Obama's visit to France for a meeting of the world's major economies. There, Europe was the driver and Obama seemed secondary.
Not the next trip.
In Hawaii, Obama announced at least a framework of a deal for a new Pacific trade zone with eight other countries. Then Japan, Canada and Mexico showed interest.
Asked often about China, he offered familiar assurances that the U.S. wants to China to grow without containment, but he did so while admonishing the rising Asian giant.
Obama sent a message to China about its military buildup, following earlier signals from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. When Obama said the United States is a Pacific power, China was listening. That was especially true when Obama ordered Marines to start setting up a hub of operation in Australia.
As the president put it: "We will preserve our unique ability to project power and deter threats to peace."
That declaration came after he had already challenged China to show more maturity in its economic relations with other nations.
"That requires them to take responsibility, to understand that their role is different now than it might have been 20 years ago or 30 years ago, where if they were breaking some rules, it didn't really matter, it did not have a significant impact," Obama said. "Now they've grown up, and so they're going to have to help manage this process in a responsible way."
By the final stretch in Indonesia, where Obama joined East Asian leaders to talk about matters of disaster responses and security on the open sea, he had one more move to make.
He announced that he was sending Clinton to Myanmar to take stock of a fledgling reform movement after years of brutal repression. The U.S. had not made such an overture to Myanmar, also known as Burma, in decades, and Obama didn't need any legislative approval to seize what he called an historic opportunity.
"Millions of people may get the chance to live with a greater measure of freedom, prosperity, and dignity. And that possibility is too important to ignore," he said.
In other words, he won't wait.
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