Michael Jackson wore an abaya, a traditional Arab women's veil, in Bahrain

The singer, who was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, converted to Islam in a ceremony at a friend’s house in Los Angeles.

He is said to have sat on the floor and worn a small hat while an imam officiated.

According to The Sun, the ceremony took place while Jackson, 50, was recording an album at the home of Steve Porcaro, a keyboard player who composed music on his Thriller album. (Source: Telegraph)

For the first time, Katie Couric talks about her interviews with Sarah Palin.

Late Show - Katie Couric Post-Palin

“Clearly she was struggling with some of the answers.”

Hillary Clinton to accept Obama’s offer of secretary of state job

Hillary Clinton plans to accept the job of secretary of state offered by Barack Obama, who is reaching out to former rivals to build a broad coalition administration, the Guardian has learned.

Obama’s advisers have begun looking into Bill Clinton’s foundation, which distributes millions of dollars to Africa to help with development, to ensure that there is no conflict of interest. But Democrats do not believe that the vetting is likely to be a problem.

Clinton would be well placed to become the country’s dominant voice in foreign affairs, replacing Condoleezza Rice. Since being elected senator for New York, she has specialised in foreign affairs and defence. Although she supported the war in Iraq, she and Obama basically agree on a withdrawal of American troops. (Source: Guardian)

I wonder if it’s a good decision to place Clinton as Secretary of State.

Westboro Baptist Church will be picketing the funeral of Obama’s grandmother

WBC to picket the funeral of Madelyn Payne Dunham, - pursuant to the picketing laws of Hawaii or Kansas or, etc., wherever burial occurs, - in religious protest and warning to the living; to wit: “Prepare to meet thy God.”
Amos 4:11.

Yes. Dying time is truth time, and reflection time, and time for meditating on the weighty issues of life: getting right with God, life, death, Heaven, Hell, sin, righteousness, judgment to come, etc. Obama says his grandmother Dunham raised him, and, her “influence on his manner and the way he viewed the world was substantial.” If so, then she has much to answer for as she stands before the Lord. Obama says he will use the White House as a Bully Pulpit to advance the cause of murdering more babies and same-sex marriage. “God hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by Christ.” Acts 17:31.

“And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry to him day and night?”
Luke 18 .

“For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompence, saith the Lord. It is afearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God…”
Reb. 10:30,31.

(Source: Democratic Underground)

I don’t think anyone deserves this.

McCain himself rarely spoke to Palin during the campaign, and aides kept him in the dark about the details of her spending on clothes because they were sure he would be offended. Palin asked to speak along with McCain at his Arizona concession speech Tuesday night, but campaign strategist Steve Schmidt vetoed the request. (Source: Newsweek)

Let’s put it in this way, she’s not exactly my favorite speaker. McCain is very gracious in his concession speech. Much better than John Kerry’s concession speech in 2004.

John McCain Concession Speech

And for Sarah Palin, she probably return to Alaska and would be not remember favorably. She’ll be remembered for spending lots of money for her clothes though.

NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin’s shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain’s top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy.

Palin is quite defiant too it seems:

Palin launched her attack on Obama’s association with William Ayers, the former Weather Underground bomber, before the campaign had finalized a plan to raise the issue. (Source: Newsweek)

All these little things cost Republicans to lose votes. Choosing Sarah Palin as the veep is the worst decision the GOP has made in this election.

Obama’s grandmother dies 2 days before election

HONOLULU: Barack Obama’s grandmother, whose personality and bearing shaped much of the life of the Democratic presidential contender, has died, Obama announced Monday, one day before the election. Madelyn Payne Dunham was 86.

Obama announced the news from the campaign trail in Charlotte, N.C. The joint statement with his sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said Dunham died peacefully late Sunday night after a battle with cancer.

They said: “She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility. She was the person who encouraged and allowed us to take chances.”

Obama learned of her death Monday morning while he was campaigning in Jacksonville, Fla. He planned to go ahead with campaign appearances. The family said a private ceremony would be held later.

(Source: International Herald Tribune)

Hamster On A Piano (Eating Popcorn)

Sarah Palin Got Pranked

A Quebec comedy duo notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of state has reached Sarah Palin, convincing the Republican vice-presidential nominee she was speaking with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Awesome Electric Violin - Ed Busking Chester

ed alleyne-johnson - electric violin

Ed Alleyne-Johnson is a British electric violinist and prolific busker. He has been busking for over 20 years, since he was a Fine Art student at Oxford University. He uses an electric violin that he carved with a kitchen knife [1], a custom pedal-board, and an amplifier which he modified to run off rechargeable batteries. This setup has enabled him to perform on the street in almost every major city in Europe, and across the United States and Canada.

He collaborated with New Model Army on their Top 40 single “Vagabonds”, and toured with them for five years, with several concerts in Germany. (Source: Wikipedia)

We need more of these talented buskers in Singapore. Many aren’t that qualified to be buskers and are creating nothing more than trash. It upsets me a little when underqualified destroy my Orchard road experience.

I find funny O’Reilly complains, “the bottom line on this is there may be some big-time cheating going on in the ratings system, and we hope the Feds would investigate. Any fraud in the television rating system affects all American.”

He drags all Americans into the picture now. Honestly who is that concern with television ratings? Probably just Fox News and Bill O’Reilly.

O’Reilly Blames Olbermann’s & MSNBC’s Ratings Climb On Wide Spread Conspiracy

Bill O’Reilly is the main reason why I didn’t like Fox News. That guy’s just crap and he has the 8 o’clock time slot. You could turn on the TV to laugh at him if you’re really bored and watch him DO IT LIVE!

Palin said if she and husband Todd had had a sixth child, they had already picked a name for a boy joining siblings Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig.

“I always wanted a son named Zamboni,” she said. (Source: Washington Post)

Eminem: “I’ll vote for Barack”

Eminem has turned his attention to the forthcoming presidential election, announcing: “I’ll vote for Barack.” Speaking with characteristic frankness to DJ Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1, he said: “I know we are going into a recession. Pardon the cliché but we need something to change. I think Barack would be a breath of fresh air, to get in there and actually get what’s left of the Bush administration out the door.” (Source: Prefix Mag)

What struck me is not so much the insensitivity of the question but McCain’s answers. McCain seemingly suggested that Arabs aren’t decent family men.

Colin Powell recently gave Obama his endorsement. Powell remarked the accusations of Obama being a Muslim.:

Powell: I’m also troubled by, not what Sen. McCain says, but what members of the party say, and it is permitted to be said such things as: “Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.” Well, the correct answer is: he is not a Muslim. He’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian.

But the really right answer is: What if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is: No, that’s not America. Is there something wrong with some 7-year-old Muslim-American kid believing he or she can be President?

Yet I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion: he’s a Muslim, and he might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

He’s right. So what if Obama is a muslim? Does it make the president less American? Whatever happened to liberty? Wasn’t it stated in the Bill of Rights that all men are entitled to exercise religion of their choice?

God Wins In Nebraska Court

Nebraska state Sen. Ernie Chambers sought an injunction against God last year for widespread death and destruction. Judge Marlon Polk threw out the suit, saying there’s no way to properly notify the defendant. You can’t serve papers on a suspect with no address. Chambers says he may appeal. He says God is aware of the charges because he is all-knowing. (Source: NPR)

Hayden Panettiere PSA: Vote for McCain

how to win a sword fight

Hockey mom Sarah Palin boo’d at hockey game.

What a badass, hahaa…

Here’s Bill O’Reilly visibly pissed off but we know that’s his normal look anyway.

Bill O’Reilly - Sarah Palin Email Hack

Palin Sued for Private E-Mails About State Business

In a lawsuit filed in Alaska Superior Court, a Republican activist seeks to force Gov. Sarah Palin to produce copies of official correspondence she sent and received on private e-mail accounts.

Andrée McLeod filed the suit Wednesday and publicized it in a news release today. “Rather than using her state e-mail account, throughout her two-year tenure as Governor of Alaska, defendant Sarah Palin, as a matter of routine, has used, and, on information and belief, continues to use, (at least) two private e-mail accounts… to conduct official business of the State of Alaska,” the suit alleges. (Source: The Trail)

A Republican activist filed a suit? That’s interesting.

Firstly, it was a misquotation, she can’t read her cup well. But the cup says “There’s a place in Hell reserved for women who don’t help other women.”

The crowd cheered while Palin predicted the media going to turn this around. They probably are going to, probably did. But thing is, Madeleine Albright responded.

Albright responded to Palin’s remarks in a statement to the Huffington Post on Sunday. “Though I am flattered that Governor Palin has chosen to cite me as a source of wisdom, what I said had nothing to do with politics. This is yet another example of McCain and Palin distorting the truth, and all the more reason to remember that this campaign is not about gender, it is about which candidate has an agenda that will improve the lives of all Americans, including women. The truth is, if you care about the status of women in our society and in our troubled economy, the best choice by far is Obama-Biden.” [via Huffington Post]

That’s what she said!

Obama 2008.