| Obama visits white grandpa's Kan. town
EL DORADO, Kan. For all the talk about Barack Obamas quest to be the first black president, his visit to his grandfathers hometown Tuesday was a reminder that it is only half the story. Obama is the son of an African father and a white mother from this heartland state, which holds its presidential caucus Feb. 5. Were family! Obama said as he took the stage in a packed community college gymnasium for an event that combined politics with a personal story that does not get a lot of attention in his campaign. The Illinois senator told reporters on the flight from Washington that the stop in Kansas would remind voters about his roots and that he was not born into privilege. It was his first visit ever to El Dorado, where his maternal grandfather, Stanley Dunham, grew up.
Downtown Partners dishes up tasty tourism bureau pitch
In truth, the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau has always been more about developing the city's lucrative convention business than it has ever been about attracting tourists. And in truth, the convention-development effort has become much tougher in recent years as other cities have grown savvier. Orlando and Las Vegas are two burgs that instantly spring to mind as aggressive competitors. So, it's not surprising the CCTB turned to Downtown Partners/Chicago to freshen up its marketing and advertising message and its logo, which has a suggestive lake wave woven through the word "Chicago." Jim Schmidt, a DP founding partner, the agency's chief creative officer and an ad man with a quirky sense of humor, has worked on campaigns for various other entities, including World Business Chicago, that were designed to spotlight Chicago amenities of interest to conventioneers.
Edwards: “Giuliani is Bush on Steroids”
I'm desperately trolling for teens" look.(When Giuliani isn't standing on street corners looking for fresh blood to suck or exploiting 9/11). McCain has white highlights added to his Do and goes for the "Snow White" look-better to attract the other seven political dwarfs, who march to Bush's War Drum. Bet 'ya that all these dupes pay more than Edwards for their "look" and with lousy results-Edwards looks good. Romney could be the new Ken doll. (lackluster with a big hint of chameleon)and plastic. Aren't observations fun? .
Silicon Valley VC's coolest investments
Along with looking for the start-up that will make a product that a billion people will want to have, Silicon Valley financiers put their dollars to work in companies building technologies definitely out of the mainstream. Some will change people's lives. Some will turn out to be, well, ahead of their time. (Remember Segway?) As Forbes.com surveyed investments made by venture capitalists this past year, we looked not just for big deals but for companies with unusual technologies or in surprising niches, which recently received additional rounds of venture financing. Those technologies ranging from gadgets that only the military could love to ones that could wind up in your neighbour's car show some of the diversity of Silicon Valley's financiers. In Pictures: Cool technologies getting millions .
Harley dealer says bids unfair
Getting the contract to outfit the Montgomery police in motorcycles isn't only about the hundreds of thousands of dollars added to a dealership's bottom line. Just as important are the prestige and the publicity that Harley Davidson or BMW gets every time an officer cruises down the street. The motorcycle manufacturers know both the money and the intangibles are important. The local Harley Davidson dealer, though, doesn't think he's getting a fair shot at either. Timothy A. Russom, president of Harley Davidson of Montgomery Inc., sent a letter to Mayor Bobby Bright and three other city officials pointedly questioning the fairness of the city's bidding process for the Police Department's motorcycle contract. Bright and the Police Department stand firm that the process is transparent.
Rival teams meet in second step towards peace
President Kibaki and rival Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Mr Raila Odinga, once again came face-to-face in under a week, as mediation talks kicked-off in Nairobi. And by their gestures and speeches, the two leaders appeared to demonstrate their willingness to haul the country out of the crippling political impasse brought about by the discredited December 27 presidential poll outcome. Sitting on either side of former United Nations chief, Mr Kofi Annan, the leaders said they would walk the necessary distance to arrest the countrys free-fall to self-destruction. "I will leave no stone unturned, nor fail to travel that extra mile to ensure that Kofi Annans mediation mission between PNU and ODM succeeds. This is the least I can do for our country," Raila said in a speech read before television cameras.
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