THE BEST AND THE WORST OF THE YEAR. Part 1
By maximillien de lafayette. Contributors: peggy north, ruth sielberg, fabiola rossi.
FRONT PAGE BEST & WORST OF THE YEAR PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4 PART 5 PART 6 PART 7
THE BEST AND THE WORST OF THE YEAR. Part 1
By maximillien de lafayette. Contributors: peggy north, ruth sielberg, fabiola rossi.
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THE MOST AND THE LESS This is what, this year, people looked at, read most about, remembered, cared less and completely forgot about... If you want to know more about the character of a man, watch him playing cards, driving a car, treating an animal, eating out, tipping and observe what he notices first about a woman he just met. If you want to learn more about the occupants of a house, look at their backyard first. If you want to learn more about a nation, count how many public libraries, museums, schools, places of worship, animal shelters, literature and music centers, this or that nation has. If you want to learn more about the social values of a society, count how many couples divorce a year, how many domestic violence lawsuits are filed in each county, how many children and grown ups still revere their parents, teachers and the elderly. And finally, if you want to know more about the civilization and culture of a nation, find out what citizens of that nation read, search for, learn about, and value most. In other words, you got to know about the "most and less" important stuff they look at and or search for. Thanks to the Internet, your task becomes easy, because your computer set allows you to easily find out what people today visit most, read about and click on. And here is what I found about the preferences, priorities, choices, "the most and less" important "stuff" of people of our civilized world...quite revealing and chocking. Judge for yourself. MOST LOOKED AT: JANET JACKSON AND PARIS HILTON PHOTOS
The naked body of Paris Hilton. More than 7 millions clicked on this photo. In other words, it is 3 times the number of faithful Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy land in 2004 and 2005. The breast of Janet Jackson: Jackson stunt most replayed moment ever!
Photo: The famous and infamous Janet Jackson's breast photo which was seen on TV by approximately 129 million Americans and clicked on by 435 millions worldwide, making it the most famous stunt ever displayed and replayed in history. According to CNN, when Justin Timberlake tore at Janet Jackson's leather outfit during Sunday's Super Bowl half-time show, TiVo users took notice. Then they took notice again and again, using the digital video recorder to replay the event and to pause at the crucial moment in order to discern just what it was that Jackson had revealed to millions of Americans. TiVo said that particular halftime stunt was the most replayed moment not only of the Super Bowl but of all TV moments that the young company has ever measured. TiVo said it used its technology to measure audience behavior among 20,000 users during the Super Bowl. The exercise revealed a 180 percent spike in viewership at the time of the -- as Timberlake refers to it -- "wardrobe malfunction." One notable TiVo user apparently unimpressed with the performance of Timberlake and Jackson was FCC chairman Michael Powell, who launched an investigation into the bare-breasted matter. Powell is so taken with TiVo that he once referred to it as "God's machine." This marks the third year that TiVo has released details of its second-by-second review of how Super Bowl viewers used their TiVo units. Not only did users pause and replay the infamous portion of the halftime show more than any moment during the game, but they also did the same for some commercials. TiVo's top two commercials, based on user behavior, are both from Bud Light: a romantic sleigh ride interrupted by a flatulent horse and a sharp-toothed dog demonstrating his unusual way of scoring a beer for his master.
JANET'S OTHER BREAST ALLOWED TO PERFORM AT GRAMMY'S Photo: Janet Jackson in a CD promo "séance". Singer Janet Jackson's "other" breast has been given permission to attend the Grammy Awards ceremony Sunday, her publicist said. The pop star's left breast was given the greenlight to attend and present an award when it became clear it had no participation or prior knowledge of the R-rated incident involving Janet and her right breast at last week's Super Bowl. "Her left breast has been vindicated and is considering whether or not it will go to the event or stay at home," publicist Steven Huvane told reporters.
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"While we appreciate the fair consideration given to Janet's left breast, I do not know at this time whether it will appear or not. That is something Janet's left breast must decide for itself. Right now it is leaning towards staying home as a show of support." There was some speculation in the media as to whether the possible lone appearance of Janet's left breast was indicative of other problems and may eventually result in a permanent split." No, there are no plans at this time for any kind of solo album if that's what you're asking," Huvane said. "Please understand it would be inappropriate for me to comment on any personal issues between Janet, her right breast and her left breast. Questions about a possible relationship between Janet's offending right breast and singer Justin Timberlake also went unanswered by both parties. Timberlake's spokespeople also had very little to say on this matter. "This is a difficult situation between the parties and we ask that you respect their privacy. All we can say is they are spending a lot of time together and are very happy."
THE MOST AND THE LESS...
Photo: Gene Tierney, one of the most beautiful women and actresses of all time. Almost forgotten, today... IN CINEMA: In motion pictures, the less talked about or remembered are some of the greatest icons of the past and era legends: Gene Tierney, Doris Day, Lana Turner. And completely forgotten are: Carol Landis, Ida Lupino and Silvana Mangano. This year, fewer than 5 articles were written about Doris Day, 2 articles about Tierney in 2 obscure magazines, and 2 small pieces on Lana Tuner, in an entertainment gossips website, the other in a gossipy magazine tabloid. The most talked and written about are: Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron. Most watched movies shows host: TCM's Robert Osborne.
Photo: Actress Charlize Theron. IN ENTERTAINMENT: In entertainment, the most written and talked about are: Britney Spears and Madonna. More than 45,000 articles were written about Spears in 125 countries, and almost 30,000 articles on Madonna in 85 countries. The less talked about are: Peggy Lee and Joan Baez, and the completely forgotten are: The magnificent Louis Prima and the legendary Tino Rossi.
Photo, from L to R: Tino Rossi, Francoise Hardy, Sylvie Vartan. POLITIC: MOST WRITTEN ABOUT:
In politics, the most written about are: President George Bush, Ousama Bin Laden, Prime Minister Tony Blair, late Pope Jean Paul II, Condoleezza Rice and Mahmood Abbas. More than 750,000 articles were written about President Bush and almost 749,000 about Bin Laden in 175 countries. POLITIC: ALMOST FORGOTTEN: Almost forgotten are Benito Mussolini, former US Vice President Dan Quayle, Emperor Haile Selassie and the Shah of Iran.
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THE MOST AND THE LESS. PEOPLE AND PLACES OF THE YEAR This is what, this year, people looked at, selected as the best and the worst, read most, remembered, cared less and completely forgot about...
Photos from L to R: #1. Josephine Baker, #2. Margaret Mead, #3. Margaret Mitchell. The five most famous American women in 2005 on the international scene, are, in order of importance: 1-Britney Spears, 2-Madonna, 3-Condoleezza Rice, 4-Julia Roberts, 5-Hillary Clinton. On the national front: 1-Hillary Clinton, 2-Condoleezza Rice, 3-Oprah Winfrey, 4-Martha Stewart, 5-Britney Spears. The almost completely forgotten or unknown great American women to 97% of the new American generation (between the age of 10 and 25) are: 1- Emma Lazarus, 2-Sarah Bernhardt, 3-Josephine Baker, 4-Margaret Mead, 5-Margaret Mitchell.
In America, the year's 5 affairs or scandals most talked and gossiped about are: 1-Iraq's war, 2-Indictment of Michael Jackson, 3-George Bush's Weapons of Mass Destruction, 4-Trial of Martha Stewart, 5-Janet Jackson's exposed breast on national television, followed by Bin Laden ad infinitum terrorism connections and Bush-Chirac "feud". Americans choose their greatest Americans: Former US President Ronald Reagan has been voted the "greatest American" of all time by his fellow citizens. President Reagan, who died last year aged 93, topped a list of 10 contenders, which featured six former presidents. He edged out Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery, and civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Some of the most notable names of US history such as Albert Einstein and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, did not make the top 10. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is the highest ranked female contender at ninth place, making her the greatest American woman. George Washington, the first US president who is considered the father of the nation, comes in at fourth place. Current US President George W Bush and his predecessor Bill Clinton, whose presidency was tarnished by the Monica Lewinski sex scandal, are both in the top 10. More than 2.4 million Americans cast their vote by phone, text or e-mail in the poll, organised by the Discovery Channel and AOL. Some observers suggest the image of Mr Reagan, who was criticised as an intellectual lightweight during his presidency, has been enhanced following his death as millions of Americans cast a rose-tinted look back at his presidency. His two terms in office (1981-1989) coincided with a period of economic prosperity, the crumbling of the Soviet bloc and a renewed sense of pride among Americans still reeling from the Vietnam War.
Other greats: In a similar exercise held in the UK in 2002, wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was voted the greatest Briton. More than one million votes were cast to select the final 10 which included inventor Brunel and scientists Darwin and Newton. In France, where former President Charles de Gaulle finished first in April 2005, the final list also contained two scientists, Louis Pasteur and Marie Curie. In a poll held in Germany in 2003, former Chancellor Konrad Adenauer beat Reformation monk Martin Luther and political thinker Karl Marx into second and third place in a top 10 that included Albert Einstein and the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg. Top 10 greatest Americans as selected by Americans: 1-Ronald Reagan, 2-Abraham Lincoln, 3-Martin Luther
King, 4-George Washington, 5-Benjamin Franklin, 6- George W Bush, 7-Bill
Clinton, 8-Elvis Presley, 9-Oprah Winfrey, 10-Franklin D Roosevelt.
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On the international political arena, former South African President Nelson Mandela has topped a BBC poll to find the person most people would like to lead a fantasy world government. The second choice was former US President Bill Clinton. President George W Bush was placed 43, ranking below two of his fiercest adversaries on the world stage, Fidel Castro - 36th - and Hugo Chavez, 33rd.
1 - Nelson Mandela
2 - Bill Clinton
3 - Dalai Lama
4 - Noam Chomsky
5 - Alan Greenspan
6 - Bill Gates
7 - Steve Jobs
8 - Archbishop Desmond Tutu
9 - Richard Branson
10 - George Soros
11 - Kofi Annan
More than 15,000 people worldwide took part in the interactive Power Play game, in which players were invited to choose a team of 11 to run the world from a list of around 100 of the most powerful leaders, thinkers and other high-profile people on the planet. The second choice was former US President Bill Clinton. The winning 11 were exclusively male, with Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi the highest-ranking woman at 13th. Hillary Clinton was the next most popular woman at 16th. Entrepreneurs feature prominently in the selection. Microsoft head Bill Gates, Apple chief Steve Jobs, and Virgin boss Richard Branson all made the final 11, as did stock market billionaire and philanthropist George Soros. Players also placed emphasis on the need for financial probity - US Federal Reserve boss Alan Greenspan made the list at number five. And two religious leaders, both associated with challenges to dominant authority, found a place in the winning line-up - the Dalai Lama in third and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in eighth. Pope Benedict XVI came 28th. Politicians miss out: Perhaps the biggest surprise was the success of the American linguist and political activist Noam Chomsky, who came fourth. Another outspoken American, Michael Moore, was 15th. Other placings included Osama bin Laden, at 70th, and Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who was 49th. Serving politicians were generally absent from the winning list. British Prime Minister Tony Blair narrowly missed out, coming 12th. US President George W Bush was placed 43, ranking below two of his fiercest adversaries on the world stage, Fidel Castro - 36th - and Hugo Chavez, 33rd. And UN General-Secretary Kofi Annan just made the fantasy world elite in 11th place. A range of sports and entertainment celebrities were on offer, but few ended up in the higher placings. U2 frontman Bono came in at 14th, while Pele was the highest scoring sportsman at 25th. Footballer David Beckham limped in at number 72, with Kylie Minogue five places below him. Jennifer Lopez was almost at rock bottom in 92nd place. The game - modelled on the hugely popular Fantasy Football - was run as part of the BBC's Who Runs Your World season, which explores where power lies in the 21st century. More than half of votes came from users in the United States. Users were required to pick at least one each from a select list of leaders, thinkers and economists, and had a free choice of any other eight, including the option of selecting "wild cards" from areas such as sport, politics, arts and design.
A New Yorker new personality who made headlines this year is Dr. Ilil Arbel, thanks to her book "THE LEMON TREE" which was selected by the London Monthly Herald as the best short novel of the year. Unquestionably, Arbel is one of the most inspiring and accomplished writers of our time. Several articles were written about her book in national and international newspapers and magazines, to name a few "The Jewish Post", "The International Herald Daily News", "The World Jewish News Agency", "The International News Agency", "La Femme Magazine"
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Photo:
Former US Vice President, Dan Quayle. 
Photos
from L to R: #1. Emma Lazarus,
a nineteenth century American poet, world famous for her sonnet, "The New
Colossus," whose words, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free..." which are inscribed on the pedestal of the
Statue of Liberty. #2. The legendary Sarah Bernhardt, known also as "The
Divine Sarah". 
Photo:
Michael Jackson during his trial. 
Photo:
President Ronald Reagan.
