RAPALA HISTORY

With a history of 60 years as a business, 70 years of lure making experience and close to 300 world-record catches, Rapala and its products are clearly crafted from experience. With its track record and current unique distribution network, manufacturing platform and brand portfolio, the Group is well positioned for growth.

Crafted From Experience – Positioned For Further Growth

With a history of 60 years as a business, more than 70 years of lure making experience and more than 880 world-record catches, Rapala and its products are clearly crafted from experience. With its track record and current unique distribution network, manufacturing platform and brand portfolio as well as solid financial basis, the Group is well positioned for further growth.

Necessity – The Mother of Invention (1936–1945)

Lauri Rapala, the founder of the Rapala business, was born into poverty in Finland in 1905. To make a better living, Lauri started to develop a lure that would increase the productivity of his fishing. In 1936, he finally managed to carve a rough-looking lure that produced an off-centre and enticing wobbling action – the one that is still the basis for many Rapala lures. The story of Rapala lures had begun.

The Business Is Born (1945–1955)

After World War II, Lauri revived his small lure making business that had blossomed just before the war. Lauri first made all the lures himself but was soon joined by his family. Despite the increased production volumes, Lauri insisted on testing every single lure to make sure that the action was correct. Even today, all Rapala-branded lures are manually tested before packing.

The American Dream (1955–1965)

Foreign visitors to the Helsinki Olympic Games of 1952 were amongst the first to take Rapala lures outside Finland. In 1955, the first export sales started to Sweden and Norway and later to the USA. In 1957, the business was formalized and the Rapala-Uistin (Lauri Rapala and Sons) company was established. In 1959, Ron Weber and Ray Ostrom started to distribute Rapala lures in the USA, a business later to become Normark Corporation. In 1962 a long article of Rapala happened to be published in the Life magazine’s circulation record breaking memorial edition on Marilyn Monroe. This exploded the demand of Rapala lures in the US.

International Co-operation (1965–1975)

After export sales were expanded in the early 60’s from the US to Canada, Rapala strengthened the distribution in Sweden in the mid 60’s and made the first contacts with the French companies Ragot and VMC. Many new lure models were introduced in 60’s and the first Rapala fillet knives were launched in 1967 – the start of the co-operation with Marttiini. By the mid-1970’s, Normark, then still separate from Rapala, had established distribution companies in Canada, the UK and Sweden. At the same time, Rapala signed distribution agreements to Denmark and France. The new factory at Vääksy was opened in 1973.

Family Business to Next Generation (1975–1989)

After Lauri Rapala died in 1974, the company name was changed to Rapala Oy and the son Ensio was appointed as President of Rapala while his brothers Esko and Risto had their own responsibilities. Production methods and technology were further developed and the capacity increased markedly: while a total of 25 million lures were produced during 1936-1975, the total number of manufactured lures reached 100 million in 1988. The range of lures was further widened, the Blue Fox spinner brand was introduced and a manufacturing unit was established in Ireland. During this time, the Group acquired a boat company and a caravan business.

Time of Change (1989–1998)

In 1989, Esko’s son Jarmo Rapala was appointed as President of Rapala and Jorma Kasslin as Deputy President. Consequently, a major restructuring followed: in a few years Rapala sold both the boat and caravan business and acquired the Normark distribution companies in the USA, Canada, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Finland as well as the French company Ragot. In 1993, Rapala started a distribution alliance with Shimano. These changes were followed by a management buy-out, where the management together with some private equity investors bought the company from the family and listed Rapala Normark Oy on the Helsinki Stock Exchange in 1998. Jorma Kasslin was appointed as the President of the Group.

Expansion and Diversification (1998–2005)

Following the stock exchange listing Rapala’s expansion continued strongly. In late 1990’s and early 2000 Rapala bought Storm lures, French VMC hook business, Chinese Willtech lure manufacturing unit and Williamsson big game fishing business. Rapala lure manufacturing expanded in Estonia and Group’s own distribution company network expanded in Japan, East Europe, Switzerland and Brazil. Simultaneously, the product range was widened to include a variety of fishing accessories such as rods, reels and fishing lines.

Profitable Growth Continues (2005- )

A new phase in implementation of the profitable growth strategy started in 2005. In less than a year, the Group acquired or established distribution companies in South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, China, Thailand and Switzerland and bought lure manufacturer Luhr Jensen in the USA, knife manufacturer Marttiini in Finland, fishing line supplier Tortue in France and cross-country ski manufacturer Peltonen in Finland. Thereafter, Rapala has established a lure factory and several distribution centers in Russia, a distribution companies in South Korea, Romania, Iceland, Slovak and Belarus, acquired the Terminator spinner bait business and widened the distribution alliance with Shimano to several new countries. Group has also successfully entered into the fishing line business by acquiring the Sufix brand and just concluded a deal on Dynamite Baits to seriously enter into the carp fishing business and UK distribution. Simultaneously, the Group has developed a large variety of new products and product categories including clothing, sunglasses, pheromone attractants and many new lure families as well as expanded its gift business. The Group has also improved its profitability and strengthened its balance sheet by e.g. changing the operational business model in China, restructuring the lure manufacturing in Europe and developing its supply chain and working capital management.

With this product assortment, distribution network, manufacturing platform, brand portfolio and solid financial basis, the Group is well positioned to continue its profitable growth.

RAPALA LEGACY!

It all began with a hungry Finnish guy and a carving knife. It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded. So begins the greatest fishing story ever told.

It all began with a hungry Finnish guy and a carving knife. It was the 1930s when a simple fisherman made an observation of simple genius: big fish eat little fish, especially little fish that are wounded. So begins the greatest fishing story ever told. As Lauri Rapala fished the waters of Finland’s Lake Päijänne, he quietly rowed and watched. And what he saw was how hungry predator fish would dart into a school of minnows and attack the one that swam with a slightly off-center wobble. Over and over again.

Lauri realized that if he could craft a lure that mimicked the movements of a wounded minnow, he could catch more fish, earn more money, and not spend time constantly baiting lines. So Lauri set to work. He whittled. Carved. And shaved. Eventually a lure began to take shape. Using a shoemaker’s knife and some sandpaper, he created his first successful lure from cork in 1936. Tinfoil from chocolate bars formed the lure’s outer surface. Melted photographic negatives formed the protective coating. But most importantly, it perfectly imitated the action of a wounded minnow. Legend has it that Lauri sometimes caught 600 pounds of fish a day with that new lure. And as word of his abundant catches spread, the lure’s reputation grew. The rest, as they say, is history. That first lure was the forefather to the lure that has helped more fishermen experience the thrill of more big fish than any other: the legendary Original Floating Rapala.

As fishermen around the world began to catch more and bigger fish with Rapala’s lure, it became clear that what triggered them was the lure’s tantalizing wiggle and wobble. Because even though fish throughout the world were different, predators and baitfish always acted true to form. Big fish hammers wounded little fish. That’s why Lauri tested each lure to make sure it swam true to the unique “wounded-minnow action.” It wasn’t the fastest way to make a fishing lure. But it was the only way to make a Rapala. It’s an action as distinct to a Rapala as a fingerprint is to a person. An action no other company has been able to duplicate.

And so with every unforgettable trip of a lifetime, every successful Saturday afternoon with a kid at the local fishing hole, the Rapala legend grew. And a deep-seated trust began to form between anglers and Rapala. Weekenders became hardcore. Dads became heroes. And more and more fishermen began reaching for Rapala again and again.

For millions, success could be measured by the growing number of trophy fish caught on Rapala lures. And because we at Rapala are fishermen first, we know not only what our fellow fishermen need, but what they can’t live without. Like when the Shad Rap exploded onto the scene like a surface-to-air bass hellbent on dinner. Word of the Shad Rap’s amazing ability to catch fish spread like wildfire. Tackle shops sold out across the country. Resort owners and mom-and-pop bait shops rented out Shad Raps by the day. And even by the hour. Twenty years later it’s still one of fishing’s most successful lures.

Likewise, the moment Rapala introduced Fish ’n Fillet knives they enhanced the fishing experience for millions. Until then, fishermen had a long and grizzly history of clumsily whittling down a prized catch to something resembling a fillet of songbird. The tapered design and unique flexibility of the Fish ’n Fillet made filleting easier, which is why to this day they’re still the number one fillet knives in the world. And so a foundation was laid. The successes of the Original Floater, Shad Rap and Fish ’n Fillet were followed by other Rapala products that found their way into tackle boxes and history books. Lures like the Magnum, the Rattlin’ Rapala, the Fat Rap, the Count Down, the Husky Jerk, the limited edition Tail Dancer and the X-Rap.

There’s a reason more fishermen around the world put their faith in Rapala. It’s a confidence that stretches through 140 countries and is validated each year by more than 10 million Rapala lures and millions of other Group-branded lures sold. Simply put, Rapala products make better fishermen. Nothing rushed to market, but carefully crafted from years of experience. No shortcuts. No gimmicks. No flash in the pan, next greatest things. It is a legacy of unwavering quality that can be seen in every lure, every fillet knife, every tool, and every cast of our premium monofilament line. A legacy that continues with new Rapala offerings like premium graphite rods, the world’s first long casting line, and more new lures, new actions, new sizes, new colors, new finishes, and new ways of catching more fish.

The sweet smell of success lingers long after the scent of fish slime fades. Tens of millions of walleye, trout, bass, pike, trout, wahoo, snook and tarpon later, Rapala continues to stand the test of time. Through the industry’s ups and downs. Through the coldest cold fronts. Because through it all, one simple truth has endured. That which is irresistible to fish will always be irresistible to the fisherman.

How to perfectly Bait Casting!

The Tip of Borneo - Tanjung Simpang Mengayau Kudat

This dramatic headland is situated in the northern-most tip of BORNEO, the third largest island in the world, after Greenland and New Guinea. It is located in the Kudat Peninsula, about three and a half hours (or 215 kilometres) drive from Kota Kinabalu City.

Simpang Mengayau means 'lingering junction' as it is here that the South China Sea lingers and meets the Sulu Seas flowing from the east ... Enjoy the stunning view. The sunsets and full moons are just beautiful ... The Pulau Kalampunian lighthouse is a reminder of treacherous coastline and past shipwrecks. On the left is the beautiful beach of Pantai Kalampunian.
It's a lovely easy stroll to the flagpole, the Globe and the rocky outcrop that forms the "Tip of Borneo".

The Best of Rooney!

USHER RAYMOND IV

Usher Raymond IV (born October 14, 1978; pronounced /ˈʌʃər/), who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American recording artist and actor. He rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit, "Nice and Slow". His followup album 8701 (2001) produced the Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits "U Remind Me" and "U Got It Bad". Both albums sold over 8 million copies worldwide, establishing Usher as one of the biggest selling R&B artists of the 1990s.^[1]
Usher's success continued with his 2004 album Confessions, which has sold over ten million copies in the United States, and been certified diamond by the RIAA. Confessions has the highest first week sales for an R&B artist in history,^[2] and sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It spawned a record breaking four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits—"Yeah!", "Burn", "Confessions Part II", and "My Boo". Usher's 2008 album Here I Stand sold over 5 million copies worldwide,^[3] and its lead single "Love In This Club" peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100.
On March 30, 2010, Usher released his sixth studio album Raymond v. Raymond, which became his third consecutive album to debut at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.^[4] It has been certified platinum by the RIAA^[5] and spawned another Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit "OMG". The song became his ninth number one in the United States, making him the first 2010s artist to collect number one singles in three consecutive decades, and only the fourth artist of all-time to achieve the feat. He later released an extended play and deluxe edition of "Raymond v. Raymond", entitled Versus, which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart. Its lead single "DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love", achieved international success and has reached number-five on the Billboard Hot 100.
To date, Usher has certified sales of over 45 million albums worldwide.^[6] He has won numerous awards including five Grammy Awards,^[7] four World Music Awards, six American Music Awards, and nineteen Billboard Music Awards.^[8] In 2008, Usher was ranked as the 21st most successful Hot 100 Singles Artist of all-time by Billboard magazine.^[9] The RIAA ranks Usher as one of the best-selling artists in American music history, having sold over 23 million copies in the United States alone.^[10] Billboard Magazine ranked Usher the number one Hot 100 artist of the 2000s decade.^[11] They also named him the second most successful artist of the 2000s decade,^[12] and his 2004 album Confessions was ranked as the top solo album and second most successful overall album of the last decade.^[13] Usher has attained nine hot 100 number-one hits (all as a lead artist) and has attained sixteen hot 100 top-ten hits.^[14][15] Aside from his musical career, he is regarded as a sex symbol. In 1998 People Magazine named him the sexiest R&B artist alive.^[16] In 2010, Glamour Magazine named him one of the 50 sexiest men alive.^[17]

JOHN LENNON

John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Along with fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most successful songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.
Born and raised in Liverpool, Lennon became involved as a teenager in the skiffle craze; his first band, The Quarrymen, evolved into The Beatles in 1960. As the group disintegrated towards the end of the decade, Lennon embarked on a solo career that produced the critically acclaimed albums John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine, and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". Lennon disengaged himself from the music business in 1975 to devote time to his family, but re-emerged in 1980 with a new album, Double Fantasy. He was murdered three weeks after its release.
Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, his writing, his drawings, on film, and in interviews, and he became controversial through his political activism. He moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.
As of 2010, Lennon's solo album sales in the United States exceed 14 million units, and as writer, co-writer or performer, he is responsible for 27 number-one singles on the US Hot 100 chart. In 2002, a BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons voted him eighth, and in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the fifth-greatest singer of all-time. He was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

KENNY DALGISH

Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE (born 4 March 1951) is a former Scottish footballer and currently caretaker manager of Liverpool. Throughout his 20-year career, he played for just two teams, Scottish Premier League club Celtic for eight years and English Premier League side Liverpool for twelve years. Dalglish is known for achieving successes at both teams; most notably winning the European Cup with Liverpool on 3 occasions, in 1978, 1981 and 1984. In 2009, he was named by FourFourTwo football magazine as the greatest post-war British striker, and he was placed first in Liverpool's list of "100 Players Who Shook the Kop". Having made 102 appearances, Dalglish is the most capped player in the history of the Scottish national team. He and Denis Law also share the record for most goals for Scotland, with 30 strikes each.
Dalglish began his career as a youth player at Celtic and broke into the first team in 1971, becoming a prolific striker for the club. He was made the team captain in 1975 and between 1971 and 1977 he won four Scottish First Division titles, four Scottish Cups and one Scottish League Cup. His performances led to call-ups for the national team; he was part of the undefeated 1974 FIFA World Cup Scotland team which was knocked out in the first round of the world cup, and scored to bring victory over rivals England in both 1976 and 1977. Bob Paisley paid £440,000 to bring Dalglish to Liverpool in 1977, a British record at the time.
His years at Liverpool marked one of the club's most successful periods: he won seven league titles, three European Cups and five domestic cups. For these achievements, he is nicknamed King Kenny. He also played for Scotland in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. By the time his career had wound down in the late 1980s, Dalglish had set Scottish records for international appearances and goals, and become one of the most successful strikers in Liverpool's history. Dalglish became player-manager of Liverpool in 1985 following the Heysel Stadium Disaster and brought the team a league and FA Cup double in his first year, beating Merseyside rivals Everton in the process. During his six-year tenure from 1985–1991, Liverpool won the league championship three times and the FA Cup twice.
Dalglish joined Blackburn Rovers in 1991 and, through Jack Walker's patronage, he turned the Second Division side into Premier League winners, breaking transfer fee records along the way. His move to Newcastle United in 1997 was less successful. Although he finished as Premier League runner-up in 1996–97, the team's league performance the following season was lacklustre and he was sacked by Freddie Shepherd at the start of the 1998–99 season. He was appointed Director of Football at Celtic in 1999 but a brief stint as caretaker manager ended in an acrimonious departure the following year. There followed a period of ten years during which he kept away from football management and instead focused on charitable concerns, founding The Marina Dalglish Appeal with his wife to raise money for cancer care. However, on 8 January 2011, Dalglish became Liverpool's caretaker manager, after the departure of Roy Hodgson.

JOSEPH KEVIN KEEGAN

Joseph Kevin Keegan, OBE (born 14 February 1951) is a former international footballer and former manager of the England national football team and several English clubs, most notably Newcastle United.

As a player in the 1970s and 1980s he has been described as "arguably the first superstar English player to attract the modern media spotlight". He began his playing career at Scunthorpe United in 1968, before moving to Liverpool of Division One in 1971. At Liverpool, Keegan won three First Division titles, two UEFA Cups, one FA Cup and the European Cup. He also gained his first England cap in 1972, and moved to German top-flight club Hamburger SV in the summer of 1977. At Hamburg he was crowned European Footballer of the Year in both 1978 and 1979, won the Bundesliga title in 1978–79, and reached the European Cup final the following year. Keegan moved to Southampton that summer, and spent two seasons at the club before a transfer to second-tier Newcastle United in 1982. He helped Newcastle to promotion in his second season, and retired from football in 1984, having been capped 63 times for England, scoring 21 goals.
He moved into management at Newcastle in 1992, again returning the club to the top flight, as First Division champions. After promotion, Keegan's Newcastle finished second in the Premier League in 1995–96, after leading the table most of the season. After a spell at Fulham, he took charge of the England team in 1999 but resigned in the autumn of 2000, following a loss against Germany in World Cup qualification (this was also the last game at the old Wembley Stadium). He then became manager of Manchester City in 2001 and spent four years at the club before resigning in 2005. He had been out of football for almost three years when he returned to Newcastle United for a second spell as manager in January 2008. This spell lasted only eight months, however, as Keegan resigned on 4 September 2008 following days of speculation regarding a dispute with the club directors.

THE BEAUTY OF MOUNT KINABALU, SABAH, PART II

8 MOST AMAZING AND SCARY HOLES IN THE WORLD

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ANDREI SERGEYEVICH ARSHAVIN

Andrei Sergeyevich Arshavin (Russian: Андрей Сергеевич Аршавин; sometimes romanized as Andrey; born 29 May 1981) is a Russian footballer who plays for English Premier League team Arsenal and captains the Russian national team. He has won both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup with Zenit.
The 2006 Russian footballer of the year is a versatile attacking midfielder who can also play as a second striker. Arshavin gained international attention during his breakthrough performance at the UEFA Euro 2008 championship in Austria-Switzerland which resulted in his inclusion in the Team of the Tournament.
Signing for Arsenal in 2009, Arshavin enjoyed a successful start to his career with the Gunners, becoming Premier League Player of the Month in April 2009 and Arsenal's player of the month in March and April 2009. During the 2008–09 season, he scored six goals in 12 league appearances for Arsenal. In a match against Liverpool, Arshavin became the first player to score four league goals at Anfield since 1946. Former Arsenal forward Dennis Bergkamp has speculated that Arshavin has "every chance of becoming a favourite of the London fans".

GEORGE TAWLON MANNEH OPPONG OUSMAN WEAH

George Tawlon Manneh Oppong Ousman Weah (born 1 October 1966) is a Liberian politician and former football forward. He spent 14 years of his professional football career playing for clubs in France, Italy, and England, winning titles in these three countries. In 1995, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year, European Footballer of the Year, and African Footballer of the Year. Weah has since become a humanitarian and politician in Liberia, and ran unsuccessfully in the 2005 Liberian presidential election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting. Weah is the only FIFA World Player of the Year who failed to qualify for FIFA World Cup with his national team.

LENOVO - TRUSTED LAPTOP BRAND!

Lenovo Group Limited (SEHK: 0992, OTCBB: LNVGY) is a Chinese-based multinational computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures and markets desktops and notebook personal computers, workstations, servers, storage drives, IT management software, and related services. Incorporated as Legend in Hong Kong in 1988, Lenovo's principal operations are currently located in Beijing, China, Morrisville, North Carolina in the United States, and Singapore, with research centers in those locations, as well as Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiamen, and Chengdu in China, and Yamato in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Lenovo acquired the former IBM PC Company Division, which marketed the ThinkPad line of notebook PCs, in 2005 for approximately $1.75 billion.
In 2009, Lenovo was the fourth largest vendor of personal computers in the world. For the year ending with third quarter 2010, its market share increased from 8.6 percent to 10.4 percent. The company is the largest seller of PCs in China, with a 28.6% share of the China market, according to research firm IDC in July, 2009. It reported annual sales of $14.9 billion for the fiscal year ending 2008/2009 (ending March 31, 2009).
Lenovo markets its products directly to consumers, small to medium size businesses, and large enterprises, as well as through online sales, company-owned stores (in China only), chain retailers, and major technology distributors and vendors.
On September 4, 2009, Oceanwide Holdings Group, a private investment firm based in Beijing, bought 29% of Legend Holdings, the parent company of Lenovo, for 2.76 billion yuan ($404.1 million). Legend Holdings is the asset management unit of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
On November 27, 2009, Lenovo Group announced its intention to purchase Lenovo Mobile Communication Technology. Lenovo Mobile now ranks No.3 in China’s mobile handset market.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great (Greek: Μέγας Ἀλέξανδρος, Mégas Aléxandros), was a king of Macedon and the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history. He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time. Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander was tutored by the famed philosopher Aristotle. In 336 BC he succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon to the throne after he was assassinated. Philip had brought most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian hegemony, using both military and diplomatic means.
Upon Philip's death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He succeeded in being awarded the generalship of Greece and, with his authority firmly established, launched the military plans for expansion left by his father. In 334 BC he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of campaigns lasting ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. Subsequently he overthrew the Persian king Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire. The Macedonian Empire now stretched from the Adriatic sea to the Indus river.
Following his desire to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", he invaded India in 326 BC, but was eventually forced to turn back by the near-mutiny of his troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, without realizing a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In the years following Alexander's death a series of civil wars tore his empire apart which resulted in the formation of a number of states ruled by the Diadochi - Alexander's surviving generals. Although he is mostly remembered for his vast conquests, Alexander's lasting legacy was not his reign, but the cultural diffusion his conquests engendered.

Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic culture, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire until the mid-15th century. Alexander became legendary as a classical hero in the mold of Achilles, and features prominently in the history and myth of Greek and non-Greek cultures. He became the measure against which generals, even to this day, compare themselves and military academies throughout the world still teach his tactical exploits.

OPRAH GAIL WINFREY

Oprah Winfrey (born Oprah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist, best known for her self-titled, multi-award winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century,the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and was once the world's only black billionaire. She is also, according to some assessments, the most influential woman in the world.
Winfrey was born into poverty in rural Mississippi to a teenage single mother and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She experienced considerable hardship during her childhood, including being raped at the age of nine and becoming pregnant at 14; her son died in infancy. Sent to live with the man she calls her father, a barber in Tennessee, Winfrey landed a job in radio while still in high school and began co-anchoring the local evening news at the age of 19. Her emotional ad-lib delivery eventually got her transferred to the daytime talk show arena, and after boosting a third-rated local Chicago talk show to first place she launched her own production company and became internationally syndicated.
Credited with creating a more intimate confessional form of media communication, she is thought to have popularized and revolutionized the tabloid talk show genre pioneered by Phil Donahue, which a Yale study claims broke 20th century taboos and allowed LGBT people to enter the mainstream. By the mid 1990s, she had reinvented her show with a focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality. Though criticized for unleashing confession culture and promoting controversial self-help aids, she is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to others.
From 2006 to 2008, her support of Barack Obama, by one estimate, delivered over a million votes in the close 2008 Democratic primary race.

HISTORY OF AIRASIA!

Establishment

AirAsia was established in 1993 and commenced operations on 18 November 1996. It was originally founded by a government-owned conglomerate DRB-Hicom. On 2 December 2001, the heavily-indebted airline was purchased by former Time Warner executive Tony Fernandes's company Tune Air Sdn Bhd for the token sum of one ringgit. This was after great deliberation as the initial offer was fifty sen. Fernandes proceeded to engineer a remarkable turnaround, turning a profit in 2002 and launching new routes from its hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport at breakneck speed, undercutting former monopoly operator Malaysia Airlines with promotional fares as low as RM1 (US$0.27).

Second hub

In 2003, AirAsia opened a second hub at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru near Singapore and launched its first international flight to Bangkok. AirAsia has since started a Thai subsidiary, added Singapore itself to the destination list, and commenced flights to Indonesia. Flights to Macau started in June 2004, while flights to Mainland China (Xiamen) and the Philippines (Manila) started in April 2005. Flights to Vietnam and Cambodia followed later in 2005 and to Brunei and Myanmar in 2006, the latter by Thai AirAsia.

Expansion Abroad

On August 2006, AirAsia took over Malaysia Airlines's Rural Air Service routes in Sabah and Sarawak, operating under the FlyAsianXpress brand, the routes were subsequently returned back to MASwings a year later citing commercial reasons. AirAsia's CEO Tony Fernandes subsequently unveiled a five-year plan to further enhance its presence in Asia. In the plan, AirAsia will strengthen and enhance its route network by connecting all the existing cities in the region and expanding further into Indochina, Indonesia, Southern China (Kun Ming, Xiamen, Shenzen) and India. The airline will focus on developing its hubs in Bangkok and Jakarta through its sister companies, Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia. Hence, with increase frequency and addition of new routes, AirAsia expects passenger volume to hit 18 million by end-2007.

F1 partnership and AirAsia X

On 5 April 2007, AirAsia announced a three-year partnership with the British Formula One team AT&T Williams. The airline brand is displayed on the helmets of Nico Rosberg and Alexander Wurz, and on the bargeboards and nose of the cars.
AirAsia X was launched the same year as a separate but affiliated entity of AirAsia. Its first route was Gold Coast, Australia. AirAsia X has grown tremendously and currently serves 15 international cities.

Route expansion

On 27 September 2008, has on its list 106 new routes to be added to its current list of 60 over the next few years. The number of old routes discontinued has not been publicly disclosed.

Operations

AirAsia operates with the world’s lowest unit cost of US$0.023/ASK and a passenger break-even load factor of 52%. It has hedged 100% of its fuel requirements for the next three years, achieves an aircraft turnaround time of 25 minutes, has a crew productivity level that is triple that of Malaysia Airlines and achieves an average aircraft utilisation rate of 13 hours a day.
All scheduled AirAsia departures out of Kuala Lumpur International Airport are operated via the Low Cost Carrier Terminall. AirAsia abolished fuel surcharges on November 2008.

The airline and disabled passengers

Air Asia 737 with illustrations by Lat (Mohammad Nor Khalid)

Disabled passengers from BEAT 'The Barrier-Free Environment and Accessible Transport Group' protested against the airline for its refusal to fly passengers who were completely immobile. The protesters, headed by the group's co-ordinator Christine Lee, asserted that the disabled were discriminated against when booking AirAsia tickets online, where an icon would appear on the website asking if the ticket purchaser would require “special assistance”. According to Lee, the passenger clicked 'yes', then they would not be able to proceed with the booking. Lee also said that AirAsia charged RM12 for renting out a wheelchair, which a passenger could use to go from the ticketing counter to the departure hall. When interviewed by Malaysia's Daily Express, AirAsia Chief Executive Officer Datuk Tony Fernandes denied that the low cost airline turned away wheelchair using passengers.
He said, the airline's ground staff take the disabled to the aircraft and physically carry them onboard, "We do not even charge for this service and there is certainly no discrimination against them," he claimed. AirAsia's 'Service Fees' post a charge of RM12 Malaysian Ringgit for wheelchair service fees. Several consumerist groups have rallied behind the disabled and wheelchair-using travellers, lobbying to bring about changes in Malaysia's anti-discrimination legislation; among them the 'Fly Air Asia? Not Me' website utilizes viral advertising to pressure legislators. In 2007 the activist group used AirAsia's sponsorship of the Williams Formula One Team and the fact that team owner Sir Frank Williams uses a wheelchair to garner public attention and apply pressure upon legislators and the carrier. It is unclear whether such groups have had any measure of success. AirAsia has provided two ambulifts, however, one in its LCC Terminal hub at Kuala Lumpur and another in its Kota Kinabalu hub. A year after the BEAT protest these remain the two hubs that are equipped - while the airline's December 2007 Annual Report affirms that AirAsia flies over 100 routes across 11 countries in Asia and states, 'AirAsia has a firm commitment with a purchase order for 225 Airbus A320 aircraft.' It does not stipulate whether it has any plans to expand access for disabled passengers beyond the two domestic ambulifts.
Rights-based advocate for an inclusive and accessible Malaysia and former assistant coordinator of BEAT, Peter Tan writes from The Digital Awakening, 'Despite assurances by AirAsia CEO Datuk Tony Fernandes on 20 July and again on 4 August this year [2007] that disabled passengers will be treated with dignity, the airlines is still subjecting disabled passengers to discriminatory policies.' after he was required to sign an indemnity releasing AirAsia from all liabilities before being allowed to board the aircraft at Kota Kinabalu International Airport's Terminal 2, agreeing to surrender rights to hold AirAsia liable for damages, injuries or other claims.

Fees

The airline claims 'No Admin Fee', but has introduced a number of fees for services that are free on many airlines. Its fees and charges are: seating fee (charged for pre-selecting seats, higher for 'hot seats' near the front or exits, with priority boarding), 'convenience fee' (a per passenger, per flight charge imposed for all means of payment other than direct debit (only available for customers of certain Malaysian banks)), marked-up airport tax charges, a charge for in-flight entertainment including use of seat-back video, a checked luggage fee (charged by weight, not by piece, with excess baggage charges payable for carrying baggage exceeding 15 kg, if not pre-booked), charges for food, for use of a wheelchair and for amenity kit (pillow, blanket and eyeshade).

Subsidiaries

Thai AirAsia

Main article: Thai AirAsia

Thai AirAsia (Thai: ไทยแอร์เอเชีย) was established on 8 December 2003 as joint venture with Shin Corporation. Flight operations commenced on 13 January 2004 from its base in Don Mueang International Airport. Since 25 September 2006, the airline is based at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Indonesia AirAsia

Main article: Indonesia AirAsia

AirAsia (Indonesian: Maskapai AirAsia) acquired the then defunct Awair in 2004 with a 49% stake in the airline. Awair commenced services on behalf of AirAsia in December 2004; full rebranding to Indonesia AirAsia was completed on 1 December 2005. The airline is based at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport with a secondary hub at Denpasar (Bali) Airport.

VietJet AirAsia

Main article: VietJet AirAsia

On February 2010, AirAsia announced that it has purchased a 30% stake in VietJet and changed the name to VietJet AirAsia. VietJet AirAsia is based in Hanoi, and plans to fly to Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.

AirAsia Philippines

AirAsia is expected to establish a Philippine subsidiary in the first half of 2011 in partnership with Philippine businessman Antonio Cojuangco.

MY REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE about LIFE, LOVE, FAITH & GOD.

Hello friends, far and near. Happy New Year 2011. May this 2011 will bring lots of joys in your daily life, personal or family. I thank the Almighty God for giving me the opportunity to experience yet another new year, 2011. I was born in 1972 and coming 17th January 2011, I will be 39 years old. 38 years had passed, my life journey was like a wood, floating and being pushed away by the sea waves. However, I felt so lucky as no matter how tough and challenging the situation was, at the end of the day I was able to light at the end of the tunnel.

At times, such life challenges were to much to bear, but when we really have faith and surrender the whole issues to God, things would turn to be OKAY. I mean perfectly OKAY!. I realize that, God works in perfection and in mysterious way. He knows what best for us, when to execute such help. Simply God knows the perfect timing. All we have to do is to have faith, believe and never doubt.

Sometimes, we blame God due to non responsive from HIM. We pray hard but no answer from HIM. I personally experienced this many times. Again, God works in mysterious way and once HE extends HIS helps, everything will be just fine and we feel peace.

To all my friends out there, let us love each other, no matter what races and religions we came from, in the eyes of GOD we are all the same.

Let us all have faith and never doubt. Let all rich people on this planet share their joy to less fortunate people so the less fortunate will be able to experience once and for all the beauty of living as rich people even for one day.

"Love each other as I have loved you".

May 2011 will be a blessed year for all of us.

MICHAEL JOSEPH JACKSON, KING OF POP!

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The eighth child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5 in the mid-1960s, and began his solo career in 1971.
In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs including "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, contemporary R&B and rock artists.
Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him one of the most-awarded recording artist in the history of music. He was also a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes and supporting more than 39 charities.
Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury ruled him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series This Is It, Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. Before his death, Jackson had reportedly been administered drugs such as propofol and lorazepam. The Los Angeles County Coroner declared his death a homicide, and his personal physician pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a US$250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death. His first posthumous album of new material, simply titled Michael, was released on December 14, 2010.