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To listen, click PLAY icon above then unmute speaker icon at bottom left on player after a brief commercial. Enjoy the sweet music.To chat below, please sign in with your RBN account. Scheduled shows are PALVS & SSSJamz w/ RULA BROWN, Sir ROCKWELL w/ Golden Sundays, Foundation Radio Networkw/ CLINTON LINDSAY is broadcast daily. WINSOME BENJAMIN w/ Winsome Benjamin Showcase every Mon-Fri. Pleasesupport the scholarship program by considering to donate at least $10.00 at www.PALAS1.org. Thank you very much.

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IN JAMAICA: ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATED Lupita Nyong'o enjoyed a four-night stay at the Round and was quite taken with the Jamaican hospitality and the hotel's renowned charm.

WHAT to do when you're one of the world's most photographed women? When you're this close to scoring Oscar gold as a Best Supporting Actress?
Lupita with Round Hill Hotel & Villa’s
General Manager Omar Robinson
'It girl' Lupita Nyong'o left the chilly climes of her Brooklyn home behind and jetted to The Rock's cashmere-chic Round Hill Hotel and Villas. Indeed, her choice of destination — Ralph Lauren's favourite getaway — could not be more ideal, as it was Nyong'o's defining red-carpet appearance in the Lauren vermilion-red cape dress that launched the actress to instant fashion fame.
Nyong’o in her vermilion-red Ralph Lauren
cape dress at last month’s
Golden Globe Awards
The Oscar nominee, who is tipped to win the Academy Award next month for her supporting role in 12 Years A Slave, enjoyed a four-night stay at the Round and was quite taken with the Jamaican hospitality and the hotel's renowned charm. more

Latest News : Kingston's Bob Marley Museum designated GRAMMY Museum affiliate.

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The GRAMMY Museum, on Thursday announced its first ever affiliate, the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston, according to NBC Southern California.
The entrance to Bob Marley Museum
in Kingston. (Photo: things-to-do-in-jamaica.com)
"As a Grammy Museum affiliate, the Bob Marley Museum will have access to Grammy Museum exhibitions, educational initiatives, research program (me)s, internship opportunities, collaborative marketing and promotions, technical support for interactive displays and more," NBC Southern California reported on Friday.
The news agency also said that more affiliates will be announced in coming months. According to www.grammymuseum.org, "the GRAMMY Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music; the creative process; the art and technology of the recording process; and the history of the GRAMMY Awards, the premier recognition of recorded music accomplishment."
Located in downtown Los Angeles, the website says the museum is "four floors of cutting-edge exhibits, interactive experiences and films" which provide a "one-of-a-kind visitor experience — engaging, educational, celebratory and inspirational". more

HELP NEEDED IN JAMAICA FOR: 18 y-o Kirby Campbell, young cancer patient of St.Hugh's High School (and now of UWI) cries out for help...cost is JA$1.9 million- JA$4.0 million.

HELP NEEDED IN JAMAICA FOR: 18 y-o Kirby Campbell, young cancer patient of St.Hugh's High School (and now of UWI) cries out for help...cost is JA$1.9 million- JA$4.0 million. Her mom Ms. Sophia Drummond called in from JAMAICA (Feb 7, 2014) to Rula Brown on the Peace and Love Vibration Show to appeal for help. PLEASE SHARE AND LIKE if you would like to help.....

RULA BROWN - "Peace & Love" from forthcoming CD, "Peace and Love, 1984-2014"

Rare Footage Of Jamaican Bobsleigh Team First Time Down The Track That Ended In A Crash (Walked Away With Pride)

I honestly hope you guys understand what these guys must have faced during that period of time. Not just as Jamaican men doing a sport out of the usual for them but as black men in a another world.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN : Sochi Opening Ceremony Includes Athletes, Flame Lighting And Olympic Rings Fail (PHOTOS)



SOCHI, Russia (AP) — A crowning achievement of Vladimir Putin's Russia kicked off Friday with a celebration of its past greatness and hopes for future glory, most especially for a raucous group of Russian athletes who marched into the rollicking opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics with a message.
Photo: Jamaica Bobsleigh Team during opening ceremony at Sochi 2014 Winter Games (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) #JamaicaBobsled #Sochi2014
Jamaica Bobsled Team
To the best athletes in the world, who they've invited to the edge of the Black Sea to compete on ice and snow, they sang: you're "not gonna get us."
Actors and dancers perform during the Opening Ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Fisht Olympic Stadium on February 7, 2014 in Sochi.
Just after the sun set over the Caucasus Mountains and along the seashore just outside Fisht Stadium in the wet-paint-fresh Olympic Park, Russian TV star Yana Churikova shouted to a crowd still taking their seats: "Welcome to the center of the universe!" more

IN JAMAICA: Police shooting sparks protest in Denham Town...."The man identified as Kevin Davis, Little Man, was at him house on Tulip Lane when the police shot and killed him, he was unarmed,"

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- A massive protest is now underway in Denham Town, West Kingston where a man was shot and killed in what police report was a shootout with cops.
Residents in the area are however strongly disputing the police’s claims. 
"The man identified as Kevin Davis, Little Man, was at him house on Tulip Lane when the police shot and killed him, he was unarmed," an obviously upset resident told OBSERVER ONLINE.
Police attempting to calm protesting
 residents after a man was shot
 and killed by the cops in Denham Town
He was one of several placard bearing residents who, in voicing their opposition to the police action, blocked several roadways in the community. Meanwhile Steve McGregor, head of the West Kingston Division said he received reports that the man was a member of the Scare Dem gang. McGregor said however that an investigation will be launched into the incident.
Kimmo Matthews. more

Passenger With Bomb Claim Tried To HIJACK Plane To Sochi: Turkish Official.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish official says a passenger claiming there was a bomb on board tried to divert an Istanbul-bound plane to Sochi, Russia, where the Olympics are kicking off.
Main Entry ImageHabib Soluk, the Transport Ministry undersecretary, told private NTV television Friday that the plane from Kharkov, Ukraine, to Istanbul, landed safely at Sabiha Gokcen airport.
He says authorities are trying to convince the passenger to give himself up.
News reports said the plan was a Pegasus Airlines flight. A spokeswoman for the airline declined comment. more

JAH CURE - WAKE UP (NEW MUSIC VIDEO) [Official Music Video] Jan 2014

The video for singer Jah Cure's latest single Wake Up has been released by Nature's Way Entertainment. Directed by Shanka, it was shot in Kingston.
The clip shows an animated Jah Cure interacting with locals.
Co-produced by Garfield and Sanya Cowan, Wake Up (the song) has been released digitally and on compact disc. It is featured on the compilations Strictly the Best 49 from VP Records, and The Hit List Vol 4 by Tad's Record.

IN JAMAICA: Life Changer for 24 y-o Horace Bailey Escapes Rough Bus-Loader Existence, Turns JPS Intern.....left high school with no subjects and lives in the volatile St Andrew community of Majesty Gardens, more popularly known as 'Back To'

For more than two years, the only employment Horace Bailey knew was to load buses on the streets of the Corporate Area.
The 24-year-old, who left high school with no subjects and lives in the volatile St Andrew community of Majesty Gardens, more popularly known as 'Back To', said the killing of several bus loaders made it a risky job, but underscored that it was better than the alternative. "It was a matter of survival and I did not want to turn to the gun or get involved in a gang," he explained.
Horace Bailey (left), intern in the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP)/Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) training and job-placement initiative, is congratulated by Simeon Robinson (right), CSJP programme manager, while JPS President and CEO Kelly Tomblin and Colonel Martin Rickman, commanding officer, First Engineering Regiment, Jamaica Defence Force, look on during the official signing of a partnership agreement at the JPS Sports Club in St Andrew yesterday. Gladstone Taylor/Photographer
Horace Bailey (left), intern in the Citizen Security
and Justice Programme (CSJP)/Jamaica Public
 Service Company (JPS) training and job
-placement initiative, is congratulated by
Simeon Robinson (right), CSJP
 programme manager
Yesterday, Bailey was among 20 at-risk young people from several inner-city communities who began working as interns at the JamaicaPublic Service Company Company (JPS), through a partnership agreement with the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) through the Ministry of National Security.
The 19 males and one female, according to JPS director for the eastern region Omar Sweeney, will be exposed to high-level training over a six-month period. It is estimated that this will cost the light and power company more than $5 million. more

The WILLIAM SKINNER report w/ RULA BROWN on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws to legalize the drug..... Friday Feb 7, 2014 on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com at 10:30am ET.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           













The William Skinner report on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws to legalize the drug.Cannabis, also known as marijuana[3] (from the Mexican Spanish marihuana[citation needed]), and by numerous other names,a[›] is apreparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.[4][5][6] Pharmacologically, the principalpsychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,[7] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),[8][9] and cannabigerol (CBG). more



JAMAICAN MAN IN GEORGIA BANNED FOR LIFE BY JUDGE FOR SPEEDING TICKET....."I asked him to lower it, but instead he give me a $1,000 fine, 12-month probation, driving school and he banished me from the county,” (VIDEO)



WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — 
A metro Atlanta man said he's trying to figure out how he went in to court to try and get a traffic ticket fine reduced, and wound up being banned from a local county. The trouble all started for Ricardo Riley when he got a ticket in Loganville last October. The police officer says Riley was going 40 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone.

Riley went to court to try and get the fine reduced, but the only way he could talk to the judge, who is the only one who could reduce the fine, was to go to trial.  Otherwise he could only plead guilty and pay fine as set.  He did, and now regrets it. There was no recording made of the courtroom proceeding, but records showed Riley received a much stiffer sentence than just a $250 fine. more

PORTIA SIMPSON-MILLER 40th Anniversay Interview: Workers' disputes, Cabinet wars and 9 years in the political wilderness

WHEN Michael Manley's office called Portia Simpson after the elections in December 1976, to say that he wanted to see her the next day, she was excited but apprehensive. Why did the prime minister want to see her? It could be for any number of reasons, she mused.
01In bed that night, a thousand thoughts swam in her head, some positive, some negative. Was it something she had done to displease him? Did he have some great plan for her? Sleep did not come easily. But before she drifted off, something told her that the morning would bring spectacular news and it would change her life forever.
Michael Manley
Michael Manley had pencilled in Portia Simpson's name among the people he wanted in his December 1976 Cabinet. Other MPs were there when she arrived, all of them in their Sunday best and expectant. The prime minister did not waste any time. He told her he was appointing her minister of labour, social security and sport, with responsibility for women's affairs.
Manley had been paying attention to the things he had been hearing about Simpson and he had been impressed with her unlikely victory in the Trench Town West Division in 1974 and the whipping she had given her opponent in Southwest St Andrew, a gritty inner-city constituency. He liked this woman. more

Pharrell Williams - Jamaica Happy (amaziiing). iF YOU ARE HAPPY THEN SHARE AND LIKE VIDEO

Latest News from JAMAICA: KPH cancer patients to benefit from J$2-m donation

KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Cancer patients at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) are to benefit from the proceeds of the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) Palisadoes Charity 5K Walk/Run, held last month.
Just over J$2 million was raised from the event, which will go towards the purchase of equipment for endoscopy treatment for cancer patients.
Senior Medical Officer of the KPH, Dr Patrick Bhoorasingh, said that “this well-needed equipment is used in follow-up to first treatment, to monitor for signs of new cancers”.
A record 1,300 people registered for the 10th staging of the run/walk, which took place on January 11 on the Palisadoes main road.
In 2013, J$1 million was raised from the event, which went towards the acquisition of a J$2.3-million cardiac ultrasound machine used in monitoring heart functions during chemotherapy. RBC Bank donated $1 million, with the supplier covering the additional $300,000.
Dr Bhoorasingh explained, “The KPH is the largest hospital in the English-speaking Caribbean. We get referrals from every other hospital in the island except Cornwall Regional Hospital and from as far away as Savanna-la-Mar. With this machine, we are able to offer specialised treatment to up to 70 cancer patients per week”. more

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL: Prosecution's Main Witness Arrives, Face Covered, Heavy Security Escort.......His face was covered while being led into the Supreme Court building

KINGSTON, Jamaica:
The main witness in the State’s case against entertainer Vybz Kartel arrived at the Supreme Court building in downtown, Kingston under heavy security escort moments ago.
 

His face was covered while being led into the Supreme Court building which is hosting the Home Circuit Court murder trial involving Kartel and four co-accused. The witness is being recalled by the prosecution as the trial enters its 45th day. 

The prosecution has so far called 24 witnesses at the trial, which began in November last year and is said to be one of the longest criminal trials in a circuit court in Jamaican history. 

The witness is expected to be asked questions in relation to electronic evidence submitted in the case. The prosecution has submitted text messages, video footage and messages allegedly taken from a BlackBerry cellphone attributed to Kartel. The witness has testified that he and Clive 'Lizard' Williams were taken in a taxi to Kartel’s Havendale house where the entertainer questioned them about two missing guns.  He also testified that they were attacked and that he saw Williams lying motionless on the living room floor of the house. The witness also testified that he was able to see what happened because of a light on a cellular phone. 

The Crown is alleging that Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer; entertainer Shawn Campbell, popularly known as Shawn Storm; André St John; Shane Williams; and Kahira Jones, murdered Williams on August 16, 2011. 

US revises application form for Caribbean immigrants

image
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services said the revised Form N-400 now includes additional questions to conform with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (IRTPA) of 2004 and Child Soldier Prevention Act of 2007.
WASHINGTON D.C., United States, Wednesday February 5, 2014, CMC – The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says it has released a revised form for Caribbean and other immigrants to apply for US citizenship.
USCIS said through the Federal Register it received numerous comments from the public that helped inform the revision of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization.
“The revisions to Form N-400 provide USCIS with additional tools to make important eligibility determinations, present customers with clearer instructions, and incorporate technology that improves efficiency and accuracy for both USCIS and our customers.
“Although the form is now revised, the eligibility requirements for naturalization have not changed,” it added.
more: 

IN JAMAICA: No Stopping Tajaun: Clarendon (KNOX COLLEGE) Speller Is Champion Bee.....H-Y-P-O-G-E-U-S-I-A! That's the word 12-year-old Tajaun Gibbison spelt correctly to win the 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee championship.

H-Y-P-O-G-E-U-S-I-A!
That's the word 12-year-old Tajaun Gibbison spelt correctly to win the 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee championship.
Tajaun Gibbison
Tajaun Gibbison,
Champion
Hypogeusia, which means a reduced ability to taste things, did not prove to be a challenge for the young speller as he reeled off the definition of the word for the judges and spellmaster Clive Lai with confidence.
Without getting a word wrong, Gibbison staved off stiff competition from 13 other parish champions to pull off an impressive win.
"I really expected this win, so it's nothing too exuberant for me. But I am very glad that God provided me with a chance and I capitalised on it," Gibbison stated.
The 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own Spelling Bee champion, Tajaun Gibbison (centre), is flanked by (from left) third-place finisher, Javane Johnson; Gleaner Managing Director Christopher Barnes; Nordia Craig, manager, business development and marketing; and second-place finisher, Chaunte Blackwood. - PHOTOS BY Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
The 2014 Gleaner's Children's Own
 Spelling Bee champion, Tajaun Gibbison (centre),
 is flanked by (from left) third-place finisher,
 Javane Johnson; Gleaner Managing Director
 Christopher Barnes; Nordia Craig, manager,
business development and marketing; and
second-place finisher, Chaunte Blackwood. -
 PHOTOS BY Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
The second-form Knox College student said winning the trophy had been a dream of his for several years. He got his first taste of the competition when he entered at 10 years old in 2011.
Gibbison was to enter again last year but did not manage to make it past the parish finals; however, he said he regrouped, got a different coach in the form of the Reverend Glen Archer, and dedicated more time to practising. more

IN JAMAICA: Banks Depleting Dormant Accounts......A parliamentary select committee on Tuesday demanded answers from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) about a raft of bank charges, including a $500 monthly fee for dormant accounts and charges for interim bank statements ranging from $1,800 to $2,200.

A parliamentary select committee on Tuesday demanded answers from the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) about a raft of bank charges, including a $500 monthly fee for dormant accounts and charges for interim bank statements ranging from $1,800 to $2,200.
Fitz Jackson
Fitz Jackson
Karl Samuda, chairman of the Economy and Production Committee, was concerned about small savers whose accounts might become dormant for unspecified reasons and which are gradually depleted by monthly charges.
"Not only have they made money on your deposit, but they have eliminated your deposit with a fee. The objective of encouraging savings is denied," Samuda told his colleagues during a committee meeting examining a private member's motion on bank fees.
"Where does the philosophy of the bank come into play as far as those charges are concerned? And what inconvenience to the bank is that sum of money in the account, which they obviously use to make money?" more

Debunking cancer myths BY DR CORY COUILLARD,,,,,,,,World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show that cancer claimed more than 8.2 million lives in 2012; ranking it as one of the leading causes of death. Cancer cases are expected to rise from 14 million in 2012 to 22 million within the next two decades.

WORLD Cancer Day was celebrated on February 4. Each year the World Health Organisation (WHO) supports the International Union Against Cancer and promotes ways to ease the global burden of cancer. This year's theme was "Debunk the Myths".
Symptoms of cancer metastasis
 depend on the location of the tumor.
The battle against cancer won't be won with treatment alone. Effective prevention measures are urgently needed to stem the ongoing cancer crisis. WHO statistics show that cancer claimed more than 8.2 million lives in 2012; ranking it as one of the leading causes of death. Cancer cases are expected to rise from 14 million in 2012 to 22 million within the next two decades.
The deadliest forms of cancer include lung, liver, stomach, colorectal and breast cancers. About one-third of all cancer cases can be prevented through improving one's diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors while reducing tobacco, alcohol and sugar use. If the current trends continue, cancer is expected to increase by more than 70% in developing countries.
Cancer myth 1 - Cancer is just a health issue. Cancer is not only a serious medical condition but it also has wide-reaching social, familial, economic and discriminatory implications. It is known to affect all ages and socio-economic groups. more

BOB MARLEY'S BIRTHDAY: BOB Marley died at the age of 36. Would have been 69 y-o today.... Born: February 6, 1945, Nine Mile, Jamaica Died: May 11, 1981, Miami, FL....Bob's 'chord-ial' request

February is designated Reggae Month and the Jamaica Observer is continuing its coverage of stories making the occasion.
BOB Marley died at the age of 36. IMAGES of Bob Marley with his acoustic or Gibson Les Paul rhythm guitar have been immortalised by photographers and sculptors. But just how good a guitarist was Marley? Because he worked with outstanding 'axemen' during the 1970s, his playing was usually overshadowed.
On most of his albums for Island Records, Marley is usually credited on rhythm or acoustic guitar. His distinctive rhythm strums can be heard on songs like Rebel Music, Rastaman Vibration, and Exodus; his unplugged skills stand out on the acoustic 'hymn' Redemption Song.Master guitarist Ernie Ranglin says Marley approached him in the late 1970s to tour with his band as musical director. Ranglin would also help the singer expand his guitar playing.
"I was with Jimmy (Cliff) at the time and I don't really believe in jumping ship. I do things in a uniformed way," Ranglin told the Jamaica Observer. Ranglin knew Marley since the early 1970s when he was a member of the Wailing Wailers at Studio One. He played the memorable jazz solo on their 1964 hit song, It Hurts to be Alone. more

The WILLIAM SKINNER report w/ RULA BROWN on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws to legalize the drug..... Friday Feb 7, 2014 on www.RulaBrownNetwork.com at 10:30am ET.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           













The William Skinner report on Marijuana (Ganja) and the current move to pass laws
to legalize the drug.Cannabis, also known as marijuana[3] (from the Mexican Spanish marihuana[citation needed]), and by numerous other names,a[›] is apreparation of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug and as medicine.[4][5][6] Pharmacologically, the principalpsychoactive constituent of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); it is one of 483 known compounds in the plant,[7] including at least 84 other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),[8][9] and cannabigerol (CBG).
Cannabis is often consumed for its psychoactive and physiological effects, which can include heightened mood or euphoria, relaxation,[10] and increase in appetite.[11] Unwanted side-effects can sometimes include a decrease in short-term memory, dry mouth, impaired motor skills, reddening of the eyes,[10] and feelings of paranoia or anxiety.[12] more

VYBZ KARTEL MURDER TRIAL: Cop Tells Court There Are Criminals In The Force....... “This is Jamaica and there are lot of criminals in some organisations.” Rogers: “Even in the police force?” “Even in the Jamaica Constabulary Force,”

A senior police investigator, testifying in the Vybz Kartel murder trial, this morning told the court that there are criminals within the ranks of the Jamaica Constabulary Force. 

Deputy Superintendent Vernal Thompson who headed the Criminal Investigation Branch of the St Andrew North Police Division at the time of Kartel’s arrest in 2011, made the admission during cross examination by defence attorney Pierre Rodgers, the lawyer for co-accused, Kahira Jones. 

Thompson was responding to evidence given earlier, that persons other than the dedicated forensic examiner were interfering with the phones taken from Kartel as well as the data in the instrument. .

READ: Policeman quizzed on unauthorised use of phone allegedly containing evidence 

“I am most concerned but not surprised,” Thompson said.  “This is Jamaica and there are lot of criminals in some organisations.” Rogers: “Even in the police force?” “Even in the Jamaica Constabulary Force,” Thompson responded. more

IN JAMAICA: Two entertainers among five people arrested for lottery scamming

KINGSTON, Jamaica -- The police have confirmed that two entertainers, a male and a female, were among five people taken into custody on Monday, February 3, suspected of being involved in lottery scamming.
Reports from the police are that about 4:00 pm members of the New Kingston Police Post were conducting a routine stop and search operation along Knutsford Boulevard when a motorist was cited for breaching the Road Traffic Act.
The motorist who did not have a driver's licence in his possession gave name which turned out to be fictitious. Further investigations were conducted that resulted in the Lottery Scam Task Force being called in.
As a result the driver and the two occupants of the motor vehicle were detained.
Consequently, a probe was launched and an operation conducted at a house in the Kingston 5 area, which is the residence of one of the occupants of the motor vehicle, the police said. more

Tessanne-Mania Is A National Embarrassment

Songbird Tessanne Chin with her winning trophy. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Songbird Tessanne Chin with
 her winning trophy. - Ricardo Makyn/
Staff Photographer

Keiran King, Gleaner Columnist

Let's get one thing out of the way: Tessanne Chin can sing. Not like your sister-in-law in the church choir. This girl can grab a note and raise your ancestors with it. After years of hard work - hustling restaurants, hotels, corporate soirees, soca fetes, Jazz & Blues - she deserved a break.

Thirteen weeks on American network television qualified big time. Her life will never be the same. She now has a bona fide recording contract with Universal Music Group and a guaranteed crack at the biggest media market in the world. That's awesome-sauce (I think that means 'really good'). We should all be so fortunate.

Keiran King
Kieran King
But this isn't about Tessanne. This is about us. The rest of us. The 2.8 million of us who aren't her, who sat glued to our screens every Monday night for months, who generated a never-ending stream of Facebook and Twitter posts like so many hyperactive schoolgirls, who bought T-shirts emblazoned with empty slogans, who plastered results in our workplaces, who harassed our relatives abroad to vote, who all in all behaved as if this privileged 28-year-old entertainer was the persecuted civil-rights leader on whose shoulders the very future of the country depended. more