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After his speech, we’re assuming Obama led those party animals at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in a rousing version of Hava Nagila. He may have even joined them in the circular Horah formation.  In fact, our bet is that Obama’s senior staffers are probably sitting on the “Change Talk Express” right now singing, “Hava Obama, Hava Obama, Hava Obama, He Really Likes The Jews …”
Will it work? We’ll see … with more Democrats voting against him than for him, Obama’s clearly got a tough road ahead.
Are we the sexiest blog ever? You better believe it, people. Even Amy Adams (above) says so. And if she didn’t actually say it, you can bet she’s thinking it.

fitsnews.com

TOKYO (AFP) — Japan, long seen as a smokers’ haven, could soon have a ban on lighting up in bars, restaurants and other public places in the country’s second largest prefecture, an official said Wednesday.
The proposed ban in Kanagawa Prefecture southwest of Tokyo would also apply to amusement venues, schools, hospitals and department stores in the region, home to Japan’s second-largest city, Yokohama.
The prohibition would be the first of its kind in Japan, which is slowly becoming less tolerant of smoking in public. Offenders may be fined.
Kanagawa authorities plan to submit a bill soon to local legislature so that the ban can take effect in March next year, said Kazuko Hara, the official in charge of the draft legislation.
“Smoking bans are a global trend. This is also part of our campaign to reduce the risks from passive smoking, which may cause lung and other cancers among non-smokers,” Hara said.
Japan passed a law in 2003 requiring public facilities to make efforts to fight second-hand smoke.
Smoking is still commonplace in Japan’s bars and restaurants, unlike in most other developed countries. But streets, trains and railway platforms are becoming increasingly smoke-free.
In January, almost all Tokyo’s taxis introduced a ban on smoking since fewer and fewer people light up in Japan, despite a relatively low tobacco tax.
Japan’s smoking rate fell to 26.0 percent in 2007, according to Japan Tobacco Inc, the country’s sole tobacco producer which is part state owned.
Some 14.3 percent of people in their 20s light up, compared with 32.7 percent in their 60s or older.
Kanagawa Prefecture is home to 8.9 million people, making it the second biggest prefecture by population after Tokyo. It is situated on the nation’s largest industrial belt and hosts some major US military bases.

afp.google.com

TIPS FROM THE MAGICAL KINGDOM
It has taken surprisingly little time for Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co., to emerge from predecessor Michael Eisner’s shadow. With a low-key lifestyle and a resolute focus on the business that doesn’t lend itself to mentions in the New York Post’s gossipy Page Six, Iger has boosted operating income 20 per cent since he took the top post in 2005, and overseen a 36 per cent increase in Disney’s long-lagging stock price – by such common sense steps as getting ABC hits like "Desperate Housewives" online.
So, how does Iger manage an ungainly entertainment conglomerate, one of the world’s five largest?
Rise before dawn. Iger is up at 4:30 a.m., seven days a week. "It’s a time of day when I can be very productive without too much interruption," he tells Fortune.
Demand punctuality. "Meetings need to start on time. I’m zealous about that because my day needs to be managed like clockwork. If people are late for meetings, the meetings tend to go late, which throws off my agenda thereafter. I frequently start the meeting even if all the people expected to be in attendance aren’t there."
Retire the chauffeur. Iger drives himself to and from work. "I love the privacy. It’s one less person to talk with."
Use positive reinforcement. Iger can’t meet with the hundreds of actors, directors and recording artists working on Disney projects, or the designers of innovative rides at its theme parks. "But I try to let our talent know if I’ve appreciated something they’ve done, like when Katherine Heigl from "Grey’s Anatomy" – whom I’ve never met – won an Emmy. I write a nice, simple note. I think that goes a long way with people."
Forget all those bonus-points schemes, here’s the ultimate credit-card plan: Buy the issuer’s stock. Investors in MasterCard’s initial public offering (IPO) two years ago have enjoyed a five-fold increase in share value. Now the far larger Visa Inc., the largest credit card firm, whose 44 billion transactions eclipse the total for MasterCard and #3 player American Express combined, aims to raise $17 billion (U.S.) in the biggest IPO in history.

thestar.com