Why James Bond is AskMen’s Most Influential Man of 2012

With a new movie on the way in November, the 50th anniversary of his namesake franchise, and a buzzed-about appearance at the London Olympics, James Bond is having a pretty big year. And today it just got even bigger, as 007 took home the No. 1 spot on AskMen’s list of the Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2012.

AskMen’s annual feature, now in its seventh year, received over 500,000 votes from men around the world. The votes determined the men who have had the biggest impact on their lives over the past 12 months, and while it may surprise some that a fictional character can rank higher than real-life role models like Bill Clinton (No. 3) and Barack Obama (No. 11), there’s certainly past precedent for Bond’s win. Back in 2010, "Mad Men’s" Don Draper was similarly named No. 1.

Reinvention stands out as a common denominator among the men who made the list, from Jay-Z (No. 22), who’s taking on a larger role as a businessman and political activist, to the newly crowned Snoop Lion (No. 36) and the ever-evolving Howard Stern (No. 37). And who better exemplifies this trait than James Bond, a character who has undergone multiple reinventions over a period of 50 years and 23 movies, with six different actors portraying him.

Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2012

Through it all, Bond has remained a bastion of cool, an influential style icon and tastemaker. So it’s maybe not quite as surprising as it might at first seem that the British super-spy was voted No. 1 by men everywhere.

James Bassil, AskMen’s editor-in-chief, says, “Despite the regular reminders that our gender has reached its end, AskMen's Top 49 list offers up plenty of examples of men who have sustained success – and others who found it anew through reinventing themselves, just as many of our readers have had to in recent years.”
[Related: 50 years of James Bond - photos, videos, and more]
Bond wasn’t the only fictional character to make the Top 49 either: Christian Grey came in at No. 13, proving that men everywhere have benefited from their spouses’ lower inhibitions and more open minds after reading 50 Shades of Grey.

It’s also an election year, and AskMen voters tagged Obama as their clear pick, with the president coming in 13 spots ahead of Mitt Romney (No. 24). Both politicians, however, were outdone by Clinton, who placed third, behind Bond and Usain Bolt (No. 2).

And while Bolt may have been the runner-up in the Top 49, he was second to none at the London Olympics, where the sprinter’s record-breaking performance showed men everywhere the hard work and sheer determination needed to stay at the top of your game.

Rounding out this year’s Top 5 were "Family Guy" and "Ted" creator Seth MacFarlane (No. 4) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (No. 5), both part of Hollywood’s new wave. Notably absent was a member of the acting world’s old guard, George Clooney. Clooney’s absence means Kanye West (No. 31) is the only man to make the Top 49 all seven years in a row, and LeBron James (No. 32) joins Obama with five appearances apiece.

CPC Calls Killing of Uniport Students “Untrammelled Barbarism”

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has joined in the nationwide horror over, and condemnation of, the gruesome killing of four University of Port-Harcourt (UNIPORT) students in the Aluu community of Rivers State.
“The footage of this act of untrammeled barbarism reveals a sad commentary within the current Nigerian state: death is cheap and ubiquitous,” the party said in a statement signed by Rotimi Fashakin, its National Publicity Secretary, adding that it reveals that studentship in Nigeria is fraught with inherent danger because of the near absence of governance in the Country.”
It said: “The question is: where was the Nigeria Police while this fire of primitive justice raged? Indeed, the Police was nowhere! The defective organizational, crime-fighting thrust of the Nigeria Police is seen in its reactivity rather than pro-activity. Globally, policing is first and foremost about maintenance of law and order. The prevention of crime comes to the fore in the discharge of this responsibility by the police.”
It noted that this is why officers of the New-York Police Department (NYPD) are seen patrolling the streets in all the five boroughs of the City of New-York, and crime is thus detected and prevented. In the case of the Nigeria Police, CPC observed that it is hamstrung to do this efficiently because a considerable number of its insufficient personnel is devoted for the protection of the chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
“Truly, arrests have been made in connection with this heinous crime, we insist that there should be a paradigm shift in the organizational strategy of the Nigeria Police to crime prevention,” it said.
The CPC also criticized the vigilante culture in Nigerian communities, characterizing it as evidence of waning public confidence in the Nigeria Police.
“First, the spontaneity of the response to distress calls is still a sore point in the performance of the Police,” CPC said. “Second, the delay or absence of prosecution and conviction makes for eroded public confidence in the Police.”
It recalled the case of a man who was arrested by the Police who had evidential trappings of an armed robber, but who made his way up and became an elected Senator, having escaped prosecution and conviction.
It said this may partly explain, but is not a justifiable reason, for why communities now mete out jungle justice to criminals or perceived criminals.
“As a Party, we believe that all these institutional foibles of the Nigeria Police are not enough for communities to resort to self-help,” the party said, suggesting that the operation of vigilante groups should henceforth be structured to work in tandem with the police, to whom they would turn over accused criminals.
Expressing its condolences to the parents, siblings, family members and friends of the deceased, CPC noted that the gory pictures of the gruesome killings evoke feelings of anguish.
“The murderous violence on these young Nigerians should therefore elicit a collective desire in us as Nigerians for a safer, tranquil and better-governed polity,” it said.

Boko Haram: JTF Tighten Security In Kaduna, Zaria, and Suleja

Security has been fortified in the cities of Kaduna, Zaria and Suleja to forestall attacks by the Boko Haram sect, following the emergence of new intelligence to that effect.
A top security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Saharareporters a short while ago that armed personnel have been dispatched to some selected churches and other places of worship that are being targeted by the militants.
Last Sunday, the security agencies, acting on a tip, were able to avert a series of attacks in both Zaria and Kaduna, and in Suleja, Niger State. Soldiers and members of the State Security Service clashed with the sect in Zaria, following which some suspected Boko Haram members were killed or arrested.
The source said, “We have deployed more men around the three towns, and we are combat ready though we will not say much, and cannot tell you in detail. But tomorrow you will see, let people just tip us immediately they sense strange and unusual activities. You remember that we met them last week on their way to targets.”
He also stated that they have made arrests in Kaduna and Zaria. “We got them this passing week with evidences and they confessed,” he said. “We recovered guns, IEDs and their flags, and so we are not celebrating it for a party but to show we can crush their insurgency.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who has been in Kaduna since Friday, also today assured residents of Kaduna and other parts of the north of greater security, claiming that the government is winning the war against terrorism.
He said, “Our effort at maintaining peace is yielding the desired result as government is tackling the menace in a multifaceted manner. The various security agencies’ efforts have also yielded positive results as they have drastically reduced the potency of the aggressors. We can achieve more successes only if we have the full support of all and sundry and I call all citizens of the state and the country in general to partner and participate in fighting this menace.”

Moscow court frees one Pussy Riot member

JTF Tighten Security

Security has been fortified in the cities of Kaduna, Zaria and Suleja to forestall attacks by the Boko Haram sect, following the emergence of new intelligence to that effect.
A top security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Saharareporters a short while ago that armed personnel have been dispatched to some selected churches and other places of worship that are being targeted by the militants.
Last Sunday, the security agencies, acting on a tip, were able to avert a series of attacks in both Zaria and Kaduna, and in Suleja, Niger State. Soldiers and members of the State Security Service clashed with the sect in Zaria, following which some suspected Boko Haram members were killed or arrested.
The source said, “We have deployed more men around the three towns, and we are combat ready though we will not say much, and cannot tell you in detail. But tomorrow you will see, let people just tip us immediately they sense strange and unusual activities. You remember that we met them last week on their way to targets.”
He also stated that they have made arrests in Kaduna and Zaria. “We got them this passing week with evidences and they confessed,” he said. “We recovered guns, IEDs and their flags, and so we are not celebrating it for a party but to show we can crush their insurgency.”
Vice President Namadi Sambo, who has been in Kaduna since Friday, also today assured residents of Kaduna and other parts of the north of greater security, claiming that the government is winning the war against terrorism.
He said, “Our effort at maintaining peace is yielding the desired result as government is tackling the menace in a multifaceted manner. The various security agencies’ efforts have also yielded positive results as they have drastically reduced the potency of the aggressors. We can achieve more successes only if we have the full support of all and sundry and I call all citizens of the state and the country in general to partner and participate in fighting this menace.”

Moscow court frees one Pussy Riot member

Appeals court reconsiders its decision over Yekaterina Samutsevich's part in protest against Putin in Moscow cathedral inSha

Russian Orthodox church members believe that the Pussy Riot protest was against their faith and not political [AFP]

An appeals court in Russia has freed one of the jailed members of punk band Pussy Riot while upholding the sentences handed down to the two remaining members in prison. The court judge said on Wednesday that he would suspend the sentence for 30-year-old Yekaterina Samutsevich, while leaving the two-year jail sentences for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Maria Alyokhina, 24, unchanged. In August the three band members were jailed for two years on grounds of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred after performing a "punk prayer" in Moscow's main Orthodox cathedral imploring the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Vladimir Putin, the president. The judge ruled that Samutsevich's sentence should be suspended since she had been thrown out of the cathedral by guards before she could participate in the performance. The three women had maintained that their performance was a political protest and that they did not have anything against the Orthodox contingent of Russia. While the reaction to the protest within Russia was met with shock by many, the controversial case sparked a global outcry with Western governments condemning the sentencing. Madonna lent support during one of her own concerts condemning the decision as disproportionate. Describing the scenes outside the courtroom, Al Jazeera's Robin Forestier-Walker said: "There have been cheers regarding Yekaterina's freedom and obviously disappointment as well for the two girls who will serve out their two-year sentences. He added that there were also Orthodox Christians outside the court saying that the women were influenced by "the Devil". "As they would put it, this court was effectively recognised as the hand of god and effectively this is a decision that should stand," he said. Earlier this week, Putin said in an interview to mark his 60th birthday that the band members had got what they deserved. 'Political interference' After Putin’s comments, relatives and lawyers for the punk band complained that political interference would mar and ruin their chances of a fair hearing adding that Putin's comments on the case had compromised the appeal. Samutsevich's father, Stanislav, told the Reuters news agency on Tuesday: "After Putin's comments, I don't think lawyers can do anything anyway," Their protest was intended as an acerbic comment on the close ties between the Kremlin and Russia's dominant church. Church leader Patriarch Kirill had given Putin, then prime minister, unofficial but clear support in his successful campaign for a third presidential term earlier this year. Opposition to the Kremlin said the jail terms were part of a clampdown on dissent that has produced restrictive laws and criminal cases against critics of Putin since he began his latest six-year term in May.

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Bakaka, Top Boko Haram Commander, 30 Others, Killed By JTF In Damaturu Posted: October 8, 2012 - 00:35 By SaharaReporters, New York Bakaka, the one-eyed top commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu, Yobe State, and about 30 other elite fighters of the sect were killed today in a fierce gun duel with men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that lasted several hours. A top security source in Yobe State who talked to SaharaReporters described today’s development as one of the most important achievements since the killing of Habibu Bama few months ago. He said the confrontation occurred in the Kandahar area of Damaturu, and that at least 10 sect members were also captured alive and some arms recovered. When contacted, the JTF spokesperson in Damaturu, Lt. Eli Lazarus, confirmed the story. In a statement, he said as follows: “In the early hours of Sunday, 7th October 2012, men of JTF in Damaturu, Yobe State on a cordon and search operation in suspected Boko Haram hideout at Kandahar and the cemetery areas of Damaturu engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists. About thirty (30) suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours. In the battle, the notorious, one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed. Ten (10) others, arrested during the battle, are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group.” On the weapons recovery, he said, “Six rifles, ninety rounds of ammunition, several handsets and sim packs were recovered. Other items recovered include; knives, bows and arrows, diggers, and two keke napep tricycles. Also, three cans of IEDs recovered were detonated. “JTF wishes to appreciate the support so far received from the peace-loving and law abiding people of Yobe State urging them to volunteer more information that will lead to arrest of other suspected terrorists. JTF further requests that people should remain calm and go about their lawful activities as efforts are geared towards ensuring the safety of lives and property.”

 

 

 

 

Bakaka, the one-eyed top commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu, Yobe State, and about 30 other elite fighters of the sect were killed today in a fierce gun duel with men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) that lasted several hours.
A top security source in Yobe State who talked to SaharaReporters described today’s development as one of the most important achievements since the killing of Habibu Bama few months ago. He said the confrontation occurred in the Kandahar area of Damaturu, and that at least 10 sect members were also captured alive and some arms recovered.
When contacted, the JTF spokesperson in Damaturu, Lt. Eli Lazarus, confirmed the story.
In a statement, he said as follows:
“In the early hours of Sunday, 7th October 2012, men of JTF in Damaturu, Yobe State on a cordon and search operation in suspected Boko Haram hideout at Kandahar and the cemetery areas of Damaturu engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists. About thirty (30) suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours. In the battle, the notorious, one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed. Ten (10) others, arrested during the battle, are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group.”
On the weapons recovery, he said, “Six rifles, ninety rounds of ammunition, several handsets and sim packs were recovered. Other items recovered include; knives, bows and arrows, diggers, and two keke napep tricycles. Also, three cans of IEDs recovered were detonated.
“JTF wishes to appreciate the support so far received from the peace-loving and law abiding people of Yobe State urging them to volunteer more information that will lead to arrest of other suspected terrorists. JTF further requests that people should remain calm and go about their lawful activities as efforts are geared towards ensuring the safety of lives and property.”

Five ways Obama can bounce back

President Barack Obama addresses supporters during a campaign event at The Ohio State University on Tuesday, October 9.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• David Rothkopf: It's the consensus that President Obama had a bad first debate
• He says the president needs to take the debates more seriously but resist some advice
• Rothkopf says people who urge Obama to attack Romney are making a mistake
• He says Obama should take the high road, talk of big ideas for America's future

Editor's note: David Rothkopf is CEO and editor-at-large of the FP Group, publishers of Foreign Policy Magazine, and a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

(CNN) -- Ok. There's no denying it. Barack Obama had a really, really bad debate. The New Yorker has ridiculed him on its cover. "Saturday Night Live" took its shots.

From Jon Stewart to David Letterman, the comedy community has worked the president's belly-flop from his podium at the University of Denver so hard that if you set up a joke with the words "Obama" and "debate" you don't even need a punchline.

David Rothkopf

 

 

The results of the debate were not just a source of late-night hilarity either. Pollsters have also been worked up into a lather.

Romney's win was by an unprecedented margin. It helped close yawning gaps nationally, in swing states and among key groups like women. Pundits, depending on what flavor they were, wringed their hands or gloated. Wise men just shook their heads in knowing silence.

So the question is what can the president do to rebound? Although the White House hasn't called me yet asking for tips, here's a few of the tidbits of advice I'd give if they did:

1. Panic

I know this is what everyone is telling you not to do. But, listen to me, they are the people who got you in trouble in the first place. By far the biggest benefit of getting clobbered in the debate is that it should be a wake-up call for you. Time to study up (like you didn't do last time). Time to stop believing your campaign's cartoonish characterizations of Romney. He's a real, formidable, guy. A serious opponent. Take him seriously this time.

2. Don't panic, nothing has changed

I got your attention with the line about panicking. But the reality is you have every reason to remain calm, starting with the fact that you are a preternaturally calm person. First, it was inevitable given your lead in the polls that you would be on the losing side of the expectations game and post-first debate spin. Next, you know as well as anyone that even after spending a billion on this campaign, you and Mitt Romney are going to end up with America roughly split as it was before this whole dog-and-pony show started.

Finally, you're still the president, and you still have everything going for you that you had going for you to begin with, from the good bits in your record to an electoral college and a shifting American demographic reality that will give you a healthy tailwind at the polls.

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3. Show up

I don't just mean this in the sense that you should be there and mentally engaged in the next debate. Given Romney's win in the first debate, the natural story for the lazy ladies and gentlemen of the press will be to write about your comeback. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but you are going to have to try really, really hard to screw up this next debate, at least.

4. Take the high road

Again, I know this is not what your brain trust is telling you. Well, it's not what many in the universe of your scared and angry supporters are calling for. Everyone is saying you should hit back hard. (No, I mean harder than the lame attacks on Romney for threatening to "fire" Big Bird.) Don't play that game.

What wins campaigns is offering the most optimistic, credible vision for the future. Don't be a self-hating Democrat. You have a strong record on many fronts. By all means emphasize your successes. But focus on the future.

Focus on big ideas for creating jobs, making America competitive, promoting growth and making us stronger from the inside out. Romney has turned his race around largely by letting people see that he's actually a good guy on many levels. Acknowledge it. Challenge him when he is misleading but don't get sucked into name calling. The facts matter much less than how you make people feel. (Sorry, it's true.) Just make sure people know you have a better vision for more people. And by people, I mean swing voters. The others have all made up their minds.

So, despite the temptations, veer away from the partisan. Americans want solutions, not more gridlock and name calling.

5. Try to avoid an October surprise

If you follow the four steps described above both in debates and on the road (and spend a lot of time in Ohio, Florida and Virginia) you will probably still win this thing. Of course, there's still time for some October (or early November) surprise that will be a game changer. But you're the president of the United States for goodness sake. You have some influence. Try to avoid disasters (on and off the debate stage), and you will soon be able to go back to grappling with the hardest problems in the world all day long.

For Gov. Romney, the advice is simpler. Keep doing what you did the other night. Well-prepared, moderate, likeable and presidential is not exactly a losing combination. But expect the next debates to be somewhat more challenging. It's highly likely the president of the United States will actually turn up the next couple of times around.