Navjot Sidhu's one liners

1. That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it.

2. There is light at the end of the tunnel for India, but it's that of an incoming train which will run them over.
3. Experience is like a comb that life gives you when you are bald.
4. This quote was made after Ganguly called Dravid for a run and midway sent him back and Dravid was runout in the third test against the West Indies at Barbados."Ganguly has thrown a drowning man both ends of the rope."
5. Sri Lankan score is running like an Indian taxi meter.
6. Statistics are like miniskirts, they reveal more than what they hide.
7. Wickets are like wives - you never know which way they will turn!
8. He is like Indian three-wheeler which will suck a lot of diesel but cannot go beyond 30!
9. The Indians are going to beat the Kiwis! Let me tell you, my friend, that the Kiwi is the only bird in the whole world which does not have wings!
10. As uncomfortable as a bum on a porcupine.
11. The ball whizzes past like a bumble bee and the Indians are in the sea.
12. The Indians are finding the gaps like a pin in a haystack.
13. The pitch is as dead as a dodo.
14. Deep Dasgupta is as confused as a child is in a topless bar!
15. The way Indian wickets are falling reminds of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala...one falls and everything else falls!
16. Indian team without Sachin is like giving a Kiss without a Squeeze.
17. You cannot make Omelets without breaking the eggs.
18. Deep Dasgupta is not a Wicket Keeper, he is a goal keeper. He must be given a free transfer to Manchester United.
19. He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.
20. One, who doesn't throw the dice, can never expect to score a six.
21. This was uttered after Eddie Nichols, the third umpire, ruled Shivnarine Chanderpaul 'NOT OUT' in the second test at Port of Spain, T&T. "Eddie Nichols is a man who cannot find his own buttocks with his two hands."
22. Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.
23. Nobody travels on the road to success without a puncture or two.
24. You got to choose between tightening your belt or losing your pants.
25. The cat with gloves catches no mice.
26. Age has been perfect fire extinguisher for flaming youth.
27. You may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
28. He is like a one-legged man in a bum kicking competition.
29. The third umpires should be changed as often as nappies and for the same reason

Some more..........................

Fattest pigs go to the butcher first."

"You don't kill a man who is hell-bent on committing suicide"

'In the orchard of opportunity, you can't wait for the fruit to drop'.

According to Navjot, Sourav Ganguly is "The Burden of Calamity"

"Money is like manure. Its no good unless you spread it!" (Talking about the distribution of money in the Indian cricket team)

"They are so timid, they wouldn't say boo to a goose!" (Talking about the tail of the Indian batting order)

Good intentions die unless utilized

"Statistics are like bikinis… what they reveal is suggestive, what they hide is essential!"

One comment he made that they picked up in the papers over here was regarding a shot Tendulker played off his toes... "he played that like a dwarf at a urinal"...

I lean on statistics like a drunken man leans on a lamppost, only for support, not illumination

When Dravid nicked Bond through the slips for 4 from a full half volley, Sidhu said....... that's Ok from Bond, in order to catch a trout you must be prepared to lose a fly

He has a backlift like an octopus falling out of a tree, all over the place!

There is always free cheese in a mousetrap

Come to my parlour said the spider to the fly

A dog kennel is no place to hide a sausage

You can never unscramble eggs

Call the bear uncle until you are safely across the bridge

"He's wallowing in foolishness like a rhino in an African pool."

Gamblers they Are like Toilets BROKE one Day Flush The Next (Navjot Sidhu Talks About The decision To Bring On Harbhajan Singh Into The attack During The 1st Test In Wellington New Zealand)

The Only Thing You Get In Life Without Trying is dandruff

Master blaster says no to Captaincy !

Sachin Tendulkar has declined the Indian Test captaincy, citing personal reasons, two days before the national selectors are scheduled to decide on the position. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed that Tendulkar turned down the offer as he felt a younger captain would be better.

"Sachin Tendulkar has conveyed to Sharad Pawar [BCCI president] that he was not in a position to accept the captaincy of the Indian team for the Tests," Niranjan Shah, the board secretary, said in a statement. "He [Tendulkar] was of the view that presently the Indian team was doing extremely well and the Board must think of appointing a younger person as the captain, looking at the future of the team."

The board also clarified that Tendulkar didn't reject the captaincy as a mark of protest, especially after the dropping of seniors like Rahul Dravid. "We wish to clarify that Sachin has not written any letter nor has he expressed anguish about anything as is being projected in the media."

Tendulkar, 34, was widely tipped to be named as India's Test captain - he was vice-captain during the Test series in Bangladesh and England - after Rahul Dravid resigned in September. "I don't feel right about it at the moment," Tendulkar told CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel, after it was earlier learnt that he had spoken to members of the board.

The Telegraph, the Kolkata-based daily, quoted an unnamed source as saying the selectors are set to hand the captaincy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has played 20 Tests. "My understanding is that Sachin is not keen and has made that known to some people," he said. "So Dhoni looks the favourite. It's a plus that he is already the one-day and Twenty20 captain."

However, Greg Chappell, who quit as India's coach in April, said Dhoni may be too inexperienced for the Test captaincy. "He [Dhoni] is doing his apprenticeship in the limited-over forms of the game," Chappell told the news channel Times Now. "Probably another 12 months or more I think before he is perhaps ready for all three of them. A tour of Australia behind him will finish him off nicely as a cricketer and as a potential leader."

Ravi Shastri, who was India's manager in Bangladesh earlier this year, felt that handling the Test captaincy to Dhoni would burden him. "It will put him under a lot of pressure. In future he may do it but not at this moment," he told PTI. "He has a lot of talent but I think he is not ready for this responsibility now."

Shastri also advocated having separate captains for the Test and ODI teams. As for India's coach, he said it would not be wise to rush the process. "There is no need to rush things to get a coach. We need to pick the ideal person. We just can't take anybody and make him the coach. And the team is winning, so why the tension? We'll wait for the right time and the right man for the job."

The selectors are due to meet at Mohali on November 8 to announce the team for subsequent one-day internationals in the current series against Pakistan, and pick a Test captain.

The Master Blaster

Name : Sachin Tendulkar
Full name : Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar
Nick name :The Master Blaster, The Little Champion, The Bombay Bomber
Height : 5′4”
Born : 24-04-1973
Birth place: Bombay, India
Test Debut: Pakistan at Karachi, 1st Test, 1989/90
ODI Debut: Pakistan at Gujranwala, 2nd ODI, 1989/90
1st Class Debut: 1988
Major Teams: Mumbai, Yorkshire, India
Known As: Sachin Tendulkar
Batting Style: Right Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Off Break, Leg Break, Right Arm Medium, Leg Break Googly
Marital Status: Married
Wife�s Name: Anjali Tendulkar
Children: Two (One Boy and One Girl)
Girl�s Name: Sarah Tendulkar
Boy�s Name: Arjun Tendulkar

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (born 24 April 1973) is an Indian cricketer. He holds several batting records, including the most Test centuries and the most one-day international centuries, and was rated in 2002 by Wisden as the second greatest Test batsman ever, after Sir Don Bradman[1]. He received the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest sporting honour, for 1997-1998, and the civilian award Padma Shri in 1999. Tendulkar was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1997.

Early days

Born in Mumbai (then Bombay) into a middle-class family, Sachin Tendulkar was named after his family’s favourite music director Sachin Dev Burman. He went to Sharadashram Vidyamandir School where he started his cricketing career under coach Ramakant Achrekar. While at school, he was involved in a mammoth 664 run partnership in a Harris Shield game with friend and team mate Vinod Kambli. In 1988/1989, he scored 100 not-out in his first first-class match, for Bombay against Gujarat. At 15 years and 232 days he was the youngest to score a century on debut.

International career

Sachin played his first international match against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989, facing the likes of Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Abdul Qadir, and Waqar Younis. He made just 15 runs, being bowled by Waqar Younis, who also made his debut in that match. It was an inauspicious start, but Tendulkar followed it up with his maiden Test fifty a few days later at Faisalabad. His One-day International (ODI) debut on December 18 was equally disappointing, where he was dismissed without scoring a run, again by Waqar Younis. The series was followed by a non-descript tour of New Zealand in which he fell for 88 in a Test match, John Wright, who would later coach India, pouching the catch that prevented Tendulkar from becoming the youngest centurion in Test cricket. The long anticipated maiden Test century came in England’s tour in 1990 but the other scores were not remarkable. Tendulkar truly came into his own in the 1991-1992 tour of Australia that included a brilliant century on the fast and bouncy track at Perth. He has been Man of the Match 11 times in Test matches and Man of the Series twice, both times in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

His first ODI century came on September 9, 1994 against Australia in Sri Lanka at Colombo. It had taken Tendulkar 79 ODIs to score a century.

Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to score a century while making his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debut.

Wisden named Tendulkar one of the Cricketers of the Year in 1997, the first calendar year in which he scored 1,000 Test runs. He repeated the feat in 1999, 2001, and 2002.

Tendulkar also holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it six times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003. In 1998 he made 1,894 ODI runs, still the record for ODI runs by any batsman in any given calendar year.

While not a regular bowler, Tendulkar has 37 wickets in 132 tests.

Highlights of Tendulkar’s Test career include:

* Rated as the second best batsman of all time (next to Don Bradman) by Wisden [1][3]
* Highest number of Test centuries (35), overtaking Sunil Gavaskar’s record (34) on 10 December 2005 vs Sri Lanka in Delhi.
* Played in the highest number of Cricket Grounds - he has played Test Cricket on 52 different grounds, ahead of Azharuddin (48), Kapil Dev (47), Inzamam-ul-Haq (46) and Wasim Akram (45).
* He is the fastest to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket history. He holds this record along with Brian Lara. Both of them achieved this feat in 195 innings.
* 4th highest tally of runs in Test cricket (10,668) (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Career Average 54.71 - Has the highest average among those who have scored over 10,000 Test runs (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Second Indian to make over 10,000 runs in Test matches.
* Has 37 Test wickets (14 Dec 2005)
* Second fastest player to reach 9000 runs (Brian Lara made 9000 in 177 innings, Sachin in 179.)

Highlights of Tendulkar’s ODI career include:

* Played more matches than any other cricketer, 381 matches. (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Most Man of the Match (52) awards (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Appeared on the most grounds (89 different grounds)
* Most runs - 14,783 (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Most centuries (41) (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Most centuries vs. Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
* First cricketer to cross 10,000-run mark in ODIs
* Only cricketer to cross 14,000-run mark in ODIs
* Only player to have over 100 innings of 50+ runs as of February, 2006
* Over 100 wickets - 147 (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Highest batting average among batsmen with over 10,000 ODI runs (updated on Feb 16 2007)
* Highest individual score among Indian batsmen (186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999)
* Holds the record for scoring 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year. He has done it six times - 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2003.
* In 1998 he made 1,894 ODI runs, still the record for ODI runs by any batsman in any given calendar year.
* In 1998 he hit 9 ODI centuries, the highest by any player in an year.

World Cup

* Most runs (1732 at an average of 59.72) in World Cup Cricket History
* Player Of The Tournament in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
* 673 runs in 2003 World Cup, highest by any one in a single Cricket World Cup

Miscellaneous

* Sachin Tendulkar is the first batsman to have been declared run out by a third umpire in 1992 against South Africa in South Africa.
* He was the first overseas cricketer to play for Yorkshire CCC in 1992.
* Oddly, Wisden does not include any innings by Tendulkar among its list of 100 greatest Test batting performances.

Criticism and recent performance

The case against Sachin Tendulkar’s recent performances was summed up by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack in its 2005 edition: “Apart from a glorious, nothing-to-lose 55 against Australia on a Mumbai terrortrack, watching Tendulkar became a colder experience: after his humbling 2003, he seemed to reject his bewitching fusion of majesty and human frailty in favour of a mechanical, robotic accumulation.”

The criticism must be seen against the backdrop of Tendulkar’s performance through the years 1994-1999, coinciding with his physical peak, at age 20 through 25. Tendulkar was told to open the batting at Auckland against New Zealand in 1994 [4]. He went on to make 82 runs off 49 balls. This was the beginning of a glorious period, culminating in the Australian tour of 1998-1999, following which Australian spinner Shane Warne ruefully joked that he was having nightmares about his Indian nemesis.

A chronic back problem flared up when Pakistan toured India in 1999, with India losing the historic Test at Chepauk despite a gritty century from Tendulkar himself. Worse was to come as Professor Ramesh Tendulkar, Sachin’s father, died in the middle of the 1999 cricket World Cup. Tendulkar, succeeding Mohammad Azharuddin as captain, then led India on a tour of Australia, where the visitors were comprehensively beaten 3-0 [6] by the newly-crowned world champions. Tendulkar resigned, and Sourav Ganguly took over as captain in 2000.

Tendulkar made 673 runs in 11 matches in the 2003 World Cup, helping India reach the finals. While Australia retained the trophy that it had won in 1999, Tendulkar was given the Man of the Series award.

The drawn series as India toured Australia in 2003-2004 saw Tendulkar making his mark in the last Test of the series, with a double century in Sydney. The series was tied 1-1, with Rahul Dravid taking the Man of the Series award.

Tennis elbow then took its toll on Tendulkar, leaving him out of the side for the first two Tests when Australia toured India in 2005. He played a part in the facesaving Indian victory in Mumbai, though Australia had already taken the series 2-1, with the Chennai Test drawn.

Of late, as Wisden noted, Tendulkar has not been his old aggressive self. Expert opinion is divided on whether this is due to his increasing years or the lingering after-effects of injuries over 17 years at the highest level. On 10 December, 2005, at Feroz Shah Kotla, he delighted fans with a record-breaking 35th Test century, against the Sri Lankans. But doubts were raised once again when he averaged a mere 21 over three Test innings when India toured Pakistan in 2006.

On 6 February 2006, Tendulkar scored his 39th ODI hundred, in a match against Pakistan. Tendulkar now has 16 more ODI tons than the man who is second on the list of ODI century-makers, Sourav Ganguly. He followed with a run-a-ball 42 in the second ODI against Pakistan on February 11, 2006, and then a truly masterly 95 in hostile conditions on 13 February, 2006 in Lahore.

On 19 March 2006, after scoring an unconvincing 1 off 21 balls against England in the first innings of the third Test in his home ground, Wankhede, Tendulkar was booed off the ground by a section of the crowd[7], the first time that he has ever faced such flak. While cheered on when he came for his second innings, Tendulkar was to end the three-Test series without a single half-century to his credit, and news of a shoulder operation raised more questions about his longevity. Geoffrey Boycott was brutal in his assessment: “Sachin Tendulkar is in the worst form of his career…Now that he’s going to sit out for a further two months, I don’t think he can ever come back to regain what he once had.”

Personal life

Sachin Tendulkar married Anjali Mehta, the paediatrician daughter of Gujarati industrialist Anand Mehta, in 1995, some years after they were introduced by mutual friends. They have two children, Sara (born October 1997) and Arjun (born 23 September, 2000). Tendulkar sponsors 200 under-privileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbai-based NGO associated with his mother-in-law, Annabel Mehta. He is reluctant to speak about this, or other charitable activities, choosing to preserve the sanctity of his personal life despite the overwhelming media interest in him. Tendulkar has been seen taking his Ferrari 360 Modena for late-night drives in Mumbai. (Gifted by Fiat through Michael Schumacher, the car became notorious when Tendulkar was given customs exemption; Fiat paid the dues to end the controversy.)

**********************************************

Batting and fielding averages

	Mat	Inns	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	BF	SR	100	50	4s	6s	Ct	St
Tests	140	226	23	11150	248*	54.92			37	45		42	93	0
ODIs	403	393	37	15707	186*	44.12	18422	85.26	41	85	1706	165	120	0
T20Is	1	1	0	10	10	10.00	12	83.33	0	0	2	0	1	0
First-class	239	373	38	19894	248*	59.38			63	91			160	0
List A	490	478	51	19259	186*	45.10			52	103			155	0
Twenty20	5	5	0	198	69	39.60	119	166.38	0	2	30	5	2	0

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	140	115	3718	2135	42	3/10	3/14	50.83	3.44	88.5	0	0	0
ODIs	403	261	7973	6753	154	5/32	5/32	43.85	5.08	51.7	4	2	0
T20Is	1	1	15	12	1	1/12	1/12	12.00	4.80	15.0	0	0	0
First-class	239		7077	4024	67	3/10		60.05	3.41	105.6		0	0
List A	490		10149	8381	201	5/32	5/32	41.69	4.95	50.4	4	2	0
Twenty20	5	4	57	65	2	1/12	1/12	32.50	6.84	28.5	0	0	0

*********************************************

Quotes by Sachin -

And that is the reason why this victory is great, because different players have made contributions to the win.

At least with me, the match starts much, much earlier than the actual match.

Beating Pakistan is always special because they are a tough team and we have a bit if a history regarding Pakistan.

Before coming here I had a minor back problem and I thought whenever I play Pakistan I get a back problem.

But eventually it is a game of cricket.

But it is not fair to blame a particular individual in a team comprising 11 members.

Every individual has his own style, his own way of presenting himself on and off the field.

From the spinners, Anil and I have been together for a long time and I respect him a lot.

I always had a dream to play for India but I never let it put pressure on me.

I am not thinking too far ahead, just want to take it one thing at a time.

I believe every era has its significance and the same holds true for players and coaches.

I didn’t want to prove a point, cause bowlers always want to make a statement and my job is to go out and score runs for India.

I feel when somebody has been playing cricket for a long time, he creates a separate identity for himself.

I find it difficult to sleep even after all these years because my mind is constantly working and that is the way I have always prepared.

I hate losing and cricket being my first love, once I enter the ground it’s a different zone altogether and that hunger for winning is always there.

I have never believed in comparisons, whether they are about different eras, players or coaches.

I have never thought where I will go, or forced any targets on myself.

I have never tried to compare myself to anyone else.

I have played for 15 years and it has been a dream.

I just keep it simple. Watch the ball and play it on merit.

I just want to continue the way I am going.

I myself want to learn to play the guitar because I just love music and I want to learn to play at least one good musical instrument.

I never played with a runner in my entire life, even in schools, because only I know where the ball is going and how hard, when I hit the ball, something my runner will never know about.

I want to give my six hours of serious cricket on the ground and then take whatever the result.

If one man is representing India in cricket, then yes, blame that person when things go wrong.

Imran Khan did not become Imran Khan overnight. He worked hard to become a legend.

Isn’t cricket supposed to be a team sport? I feel people should decide first whether cricket is a team game or an individual sport.

It doesn’t always happen according to the way you have planned things out but I feel if you have covered most of the aspects, it does help out there in the middle.

It has been very good here, but the World Cup game was different. It had a different significance to it.

It is my job to make runs for the country and win. That is the job I have to do.

Lara’s done very well recently and I never had any doubts about the abilities of Lara or Waugh.

Moment there is contact your sub conscious mind knows whether it’s a single or more. It’s that fraction of contact that matters.

My first strategy was not to give any wickets in first five to six overs because first 10 overs were important.

My point of view is that when I am playing cricket I cannot think that this game is less or more important.

New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori is a very good bowler.

Obviously after such a long gap, one itches to get back to the game and score big runs.

Shoaib Akhtar has been playing for 5, 6 years and is an experienced bowler.

The Australian tour was good for us; it was ideal preparation for us.

There are a few players who don’t like to think about the game.

Wasim and Waqar were amazing bowlers. I would put them right up there with the best in the world.

We defeated England in Natwest and also in Sri Lanka, but it’s was psychological game and I wanted to settle a score because of memories of losing at Wankhede Stadium were there.

When I was 15, I started playing first class cricket and always dreamt of being a Test cricketer, wanted to do something for the country, married in 1995, have 2 kids it’s been great.

When there is time to think about cricket, I think but when there is time to be with family, I try to do justice to that aspect of my life as well.

Sania Mirza

Born in City of Mumbai in India, and coming from Hyderabad, the youth icon of India is creating history in Tennis worldwide. She is the first Indian to get into Top 50 WTA Ranking. Sania Mirza is the first Indian woman to win a WTA (Hyderabad Open trophy) in February 2005

Name	Sania Mirza
Date of Birth	15th November 1986
Place of Birth	Mumbai, India
Residence	Hydrabad, India
Nationality	Indian
Weight	54 Kgs.
Height	1.53 Meters

Sania Mirza Profile

Hobbies	Swimming & Music
Favorite Tournament	WTA Indian Open
Favorite Surface	Hard Courts
Favorite Music	Rap and Hindi Remix
Favorite Tennis player	Steffi Graff
Coaching By	Narendranath, Vasudeva Reddy & C.G.K Bhupati

Tournament History

Tournament History : Aug 2005 Women's Singles Finalist, Forest Hills Womens Tennis Classic, N.Y., USA, WTA Tier IV
Jul 2005 Women's Singles Quarterfinalist, Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open, Cincinnati, OH, USA, WTA Tier III
Feb 2005 Women's Singles Quarterfinalist, Dubai Duty Free Women's Open, Dubai, UAE, WTA Tier II
Feb 2005 Women's Singles Winner, Hyderabad Open 2005, Hyderabad, WTA Tier IV
Aug 2003 G18 Dbles Finalist (with Anna Tchakvetadze RUS), Canadian Open, Repentigny, CAN, ITF G1
Jun 2003 G18 Dbles Champion (with Alisa Kleybanova RUS), The Junior Championships, Wimbledon, London, GBR, ITF GA
Jun 2003 G18 Dbles Quarterfinalist (with Sanaa Bhambri IND), Gerry Weber Open, Halle, GER, ITF G4
Jun 2003 G18 Dbles Winner (with Sanaa Bhambri IND), 11th Frankfurt Internation, GER, ITF G1
Jun 2003 G18 Dbles Semifinalist (with Sanaa Bhambri IND), French Open, Roland Garros, FRA, ITF GA
May 2003 G18 Dbles Quarterfinalist (with Beier Ko CAN), 39th Astrid Bowl, BEL, ITF G1
Apr 2003 G18 Dbles Winner (with Sanaa Bhambri IND), Shuzo Challenge Japan Open, Nagoya, JPN, ITF G1
Apr 2003 G18 Singles Quarterfinalist, Shuzo Challenge Japan Open, Nagoya, JPN, ITF G1
Apr 2003 G18 Singles Winner, 14th Mitsubishi Lancer, Manila, PHI, ITF G1
Apr 2003 G18 Dbles Semifinalist (with Yung-Jan Chan TPE), 14th Mitsubishi Lancer, Manila, PHI, ITF G1
Dec 2002 Singles Winner & Doubles Finalist (with Isha Lakhani IND), Asian Closed Junior Tennis Championships, ITF GB2
Sep 2002 16U Team India (with Ankita Bhambri & Kartiki Bhat), Junior Fed Cup
Sep 2002 Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Isha Lakhani IND) US Open, USA, ITF Grade A
Aug 2002 Singles Winner & Doubles Winner (with Tarryn Terblanche RSA), South/Central Africa Circuit, Botswana, ITF G3
Jul 2002 Doubles Finalist, Smash Tennis EGY, ITG G3
Jul 2002 Singles Winner & Doubles Winner (with Isha Lakhani IND), Pretoria University, ITF G2
Jul 2002 Doubles Winner (with Isha Lakhani IND), PIC Pretoria, ITF G2
May 2002 Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Micaela Moran ARG), Villach Cup Austria, ITF G2
Apr 2002 Doubles Finalist (with Lara Giltinana AUS) & Singles Quarter-finalist, Chinese Taipei Jo Jo Internation, ITF G3
Apr 2002 Singles Quarter-finalist, Mitsubishi Lancer, PHI, ITF G2
Jan 2002 Doubles Winner (with Linda Smolenakova SVK) & Singles Quarter-finalist, Victorian Champs., AUS, ITF G2
Dec 2001 Doubles Semifinalist (with Sanaa Bhambri IND), Asian Closed, ITF G B2
Oct 2001 Singles & Doubles Finalist, Hong Kong Open, ITF G2
Oct 2001 Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Hanna Nooni SWE) & Singles rd of 16, Osaka Mayor's Cup, Japan, ITF Grade A
Aug 2001 Singles & Doubles Semifinalist (with Sasha Abraham IND) KawZulu Natal, ITF G1
Aug 2001 Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Sasha Abraham IND), Dolphen Coast, ITF G2
Jul 2001 Doubles Winner (with Wana Mrazovic YUG) & Singles Finalist, Smash Tennis Internation G4
Jul 2001 Singles & Doubles Winner (with Sasha Abraham IND), Movenpick Internation G3
Apr 2001 Singles Semifinalist, Mitsubishi Lancer Internation G2
Mar 2001 Singles Quarter-finalist, Mali Milk Cup, 21st Thailand Open G2
Mar 2001 Singles Quarter-finalist, Malaysian Internation G3
Feb 2001 Singles Winner & Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Sasha Abraham IND), Bangladesh Internation G3
Feb 2001 Singles & Doubles Semifinalist (with Maya Rosa INA), Rajshahi Internation G4
Feb 2001 Singles Winner & Doubles Finalist (with May Rosa INA), India ITF Junior Circuit III - Calcutta G4
Jan 2001 Singles & Doubles Winner (with Sasha Abraham IND), Indian ITF Junior 11 - Chandigarh G4
Jan 2001 Doubles Winner (with Sasha Abraham IND) & Singles Quarter-finalist, Indian ITF Junior I - New Delhi G4
Nov 2000 Doubles Semifinalist (with Leila Cehajic CAN), T-Bar Internation, ITF G5
Nov 2000 Doubles Semifinalist (with Sasha Abraham IND) & Singles Quarter-finalist, Malaysia Internation 2 G4
Oct 2000 Singles & Doubles Winner (with Zahra Omer Khan PAK), Pakistan Internation Junior Championships G5
Sep 2000 Singles Winner & Doubles Semifinalist (with Reddhina Parekh IND), Indian ITF - Mumbai G4
Sep 2000 Singles & Doubles Semifinalist (with Priyanka Parekh IND), Indian ITF Junior -Chennai G5
Aug 2000 Singles Semifinalist, Internation Youth Tennis G4
Feb 2000 Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Anete Rozkalne LAT), Bangladesh Internation , ITF G3
Jan 2000 Singles Quarter-finalist, Indian ITF I - New Delhi G4
Jan 2000 Singles Finalist & Doubles Quarter-finalist (with Nichala Reddy Boda IND), Internation, Sri Lanka G4
Nov 1999 Singles Quarter-finalist, India ITF Junior Circuit III Grade 5
Nov 1999 Doubles Winner (with Nida Waseem PAK) & Singles Finalist, Pakistan Internation G5

Roger Federer

Began playing tennis at age eight...Mother, Lynette, is South African and father, Robert, is Swiss and they met on a business trip (they both worked for a pharmaceutical company)...Has one sister Diana, who is two years older...Idol growing up was Boris Becker and favorite player was Pete Sampras...Compiled outstanding junior results, finishing as No. 1 junior in the world in 1998...Won Wimbledon junior singles (d. Labadze) and doubles titles (w/O. Rochus) that year...One of four players (Edberg, Cash, Borg) to win junior and men’s title at Wimbledon...Also reached final at US Open (l. to Nalbandian) and SF at Australian Open in ‘98...Closed junior career with title at Orange Bowl in Miami (d. Coria)...Has a 33-11 career Davis Cup record (24-6 in singles) in 16 ties since 1999...Enjoys sitting on the beach, playing cards and table tennis, is a fervent fan of hometown soccer team FC Basel...Has a flair for aesthetics and class...In 2003, initiated Roger Federer Foundation which supports disadvantaged children in South Africa and promotes sport for young people...Enjoys being an ambassador for global promotion of tennis and is inspired by the cultural diversity of the world...Donated several autographed items to various fundraising auctions and made a personal donation to tsunami relief efforts in January 2005...In addition, helped organize All-Star Rally for Relief, an exhibition event in Indian Wells, Calif., with proceeds to benefit UNICEF’s tsunami efforts...In March 2005, he made a surprise visit to children in townships near Port Elizabeth, South Africa and in November 2005, his parents opened a multipurpose sports site that consists of two tennis courts, a basketball and netball court as well as a football ground in small municipality of Zwide...In September 2005, autographed racquet used in US Open final to ATP’s TennisKatrina.com on-line auction for the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and it fetched a winning bid of $25,665...In November 2004, was on hand at United Nations in New York to announce 2005 as ôInternational Year of Sport and Physical Education… with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan...In April 2006, named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador...Carried Swiss flag in opening ceremonies of Athens Olympics in 2004...Named ATP Player of Year, Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship award and ATPtennis.com fans’ favorite in 2004-06...I.T.W.A. Player of the Year and Ambassador for Tennis award winner in 2004-06...Named 2003 ôSwiss of the Year… by his country’s TV audience...Won 2004 Laureus World Sportsman of Year...Listed in People Magazine’s ôSexiest Men Alive… issue as an ôInternational Man of Sexiness… in November 2005...One year later, was featured in the same in the ôSexy Surroundings… category...Also featured in Vogue in December 2006...Is close friend of Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour...She has attended his matches at Wimbledon and the US Open and he accompanied her to Fashion Week in New York City following the 2006 US Open...Named GQ’s ôInternational Man of the Year… for 2005 in Germany...Speaks English, German, Swiss German, French and some Swedish and Italian... Fitness trainer is Pierre Paganini...Golf superstar Tiger Woods attended ’06 US Open final and both athletes met for first time...Parted ways with Aussie coach Tony Roche after Rome in May 2007...Received 2006 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of Year award and named 2006 BBC Sports Overseas Personality of Year (also in '04)...In October 2007, voted No. 30 in a list of "the 100 most influential people in the world of sports" in BusinessWeek Magazine in U.S. (one of six athletes in Top 30)...Named in Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in World" in May 14, 2007 issue...Had a stamp of him released by Swiss Post on April 10, 2007 in his birthplace of Basel.

Nancy Pelosi

Since 1987, Nancy Pelosi has represented California's Eighth District in the House of Representatives. The Eighth District includes most of the City of San Francisco including Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, and many of the diverse neighborhoods that make San Francisco a vibrant and prosperous community.Overwhelmingly elected by her colleagues in the fall of 2002 as Democratic Leader of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi is the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress. Before being elected Leader, she served as House Democratic Whip for one year and was responsible for the party's legislative strategy in the House. On January 4, 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

Legislative Record

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Pelosi fought for America's families. She has been a leader in increasing educational opportunity, protecting workers, and promoting health care, including women's health and the creation of a nationwide health tracking network to examine the links between environmental pollutants and chronic disease. She has been a strong proponent of increased investments in health research, and has secured funding to double the budget for the National Institutes of Health. Pelosi also has successfully defeated repeated attempts to reduce funding for international family planning programs.

One of Pelosi's first legislative victories was the creation of the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program. She has also worked to accelerate development of an HIV vaccine, expand access to Medicaid for people living with HIV, and increase funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative and other programs vital to people living with or at risk for HIV/AIDS.

Pelosi also successfully increased access to health insurance for people with disabilities by ensuring continuation of their health care coverage. She was instrumental in passing legislation to assist nonprofit organizations in the creation of affordable housing.

As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for 10 years (the longest continuous period of service in the committee's history) including two years as the Ranking Democrat, Pelosi worked to ensure that policymakers and military commanders are provided with the timely and accurate intelligence necessary to guide diplomatic initiatives, succeed in combat, and protect U.S. military forces.

In meetings around the world with U.S. and foreign intelligence leaders, Pelosi has urged for greater attention to the threats to international security posed by the proliferation of technologies associated with the weapons of mass destruction and global terrorism.

In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Pelosi led congressional reviews of the U.S. intelligence and security agencies and authored legislation to create an independent national commission to assess the overall performance of the federal government before, during, and after the attacks.

Pelosi has long been an advocate for human rights around the world. She has fought to improve China's human rights record, attempting to tie trade to increased human rights standards. She has also been a leader on efforts to free the people of Tibet.

A leader on the environment at home and abroad, Pelosi secured passage of a provision in the International Development and Finance Act of 1989 which requires the World Bank and all the regional multilateral development banks to review the potential environmental impacts of development projects for which they provide funding and to make these environmental assessments publicly available. Known as the "Pelosi Amendment," it has become a significant tool for indigenous, nongovernmental organizations around the world.

Pelosi has also served on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics) and the Banking and Financial Services Committee. She has chaired the Congressional Working Group on China and has served on the Executive Committee of the Democratic Study Group.

Personal Story

Pelosi hails from a strong family tradition of public service. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., served as Mayor of Baltimore for 12 years, after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, also served as Mayor of Baltimore.

Pelosi graduated from Trinity College in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Pelosi and her husband, Paul Pelosi, a native of San Francisco, have five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul and Alexandra, and six grandchildren.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary was raised in a middle-class family in the middle of America. From that classic suburban childhood in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary went on to become one of America's foremost advocates for children and families; an attorney twice voted one of the most influential in America; a First Lady of Arkansas who helped transform the schools; a bestselling author; a First Lady for America who helped transform that role, becoming a champion for health care and families at home and a champion of women's rights and human rights around the world.

Since her path-breaking election to the United States Senate, Hillary has been a steadfast advocate for middle-class families, working to help create jobs, expand children's health care and protect Social Security from privatization. As the Senator representing New York after 9/11, Hillary has fought to strengthen our approach to homeland security and to improve our communications and intelligence operations. As the first New Yorker ever named to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hillary has been a tough critic of the administration's bungling of Iraq and a fierce advocate for proper equipment, health benefits, and treatment for military families.

The promise of America was very real as Hillary was growing up. She learned that no matter who you are or where you're from, if you worked hard and played by the rules, you could provide a good life for your family.

Hillary's father, Hugh Rodham, was the son of a factory worker from Scranton, Pennsylvania. He trained sailors in the Navy during World War II and then returned to Illinois to start a small business selling draperies. He taught Hillary both a deep sense of patriotism and a strong belief in fiscal responsibility. He never took a dime of credit and was so frugal that he used to turn the heat off overnight during the winter to save money, waking up early to turn it back on so the house would be warm when everyone woke up.

Hillary's mother, Dorothy, the daughter of a firefighter, had a tough childhood. Her parents were young and felt unable to care for their children. So when Dorothy was just eight, she and her three-year-old sister traveled alone on a four-day train ride to Los Angeles. There they were raised by a strict grandmother. It was not until Dorothy was a teenager and worked as a helper to another family that she finally knew what a loving family could be. The stories of her mother's difficult childhood imbued in Hillary a fierce sense of justice and a belief that no child should be mistreated and that every child deserves to be loved.

The life that Hugh and Dorothy created for Hillary and her two brothers was a classic 1950s middle-class suburban childhood. Park Ridge in those days was the kind of place where everyone left their doors unlocked and the neighborhood kids all played on the block together. Hillary was a Brownie and then a Girl Scout. She started her political life as a Republican, like her father. She even volunteered as a Goldwater girl!

Faith was central to her family. Her mother taught Sunday school, and Hillary was a regular in her church youth group. She was deeply influenced by her youth minister who taught her about "faith in action." There were trips to the inner city, babysitting for the children of migrant farm workers, and an extraordinary night when Hillary was fourteen and her youth group went to hear a speech by Martin Luther King Jr.

Hillary went to Wellesley College, where she was chosen by her classmates to be the first-ever student commencement speaker. She talked about the tumultuous times that her generation was living through and said, "The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible."

Next came Yale Law School, where Hillary focused on questions about how the law affected children and began her decades of work as an advocate for children and families. As a law student, Hillary represented foster children and parents in family court and worked on some of the earliest studies creating legal standards for identifying and protecting abused children. Following graduation, she became a staff attorney for the Children's Defense Fund.

After serving as only one of two women lawyers on the staff of the House Judiciary Committee considering the impeachment of Richard Nixon, Hillary chose not to pursue offers from major law firms. Instead she followed her heart and a man named Bill Clinton to Arkansas. They married in 1975 and their daughter Chelsea was born in 1980.

Hillary ran a legal aid clinic for the poor when she first got to Arkansas and handled cases of foster care and child abuse. Years later, she organized a group called Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. When she was just 30, President Carter appointed her to the board of the United States Legal Services Corporation, a federal nonprofit program that funds legal assistance for the poor.

When Bill was elected Governor of Arkansas, Hillary continued to advocate for children, leading a task force to improve education in Arkansas through higher standards for schools and serving on the board of the Arkansas Children's Hospital, helping them expand and improve their services. She also served on national boards for the Children's Defense Fund, the Child Care Action Campaign, and the Children's Television Workshop.

She also continued her legal career as a partner in a law firm. She led the American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession, which played a pioneering role in raising awareness of issues like sexual harassment and equal pay. Hillary was twice named one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America.

When her husband was elected President in 1992, Hillary's work as a champion for women was recognized and admired around the world. She traveled the globe speaking out against the degradation and abuse of women and standing up for the powerful idea that women's rights are human rights.

In the White House, Hillary led efforts to make adoption easier, to expand early learning and child care, to increase funding for breast cancer research, and to help veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had too often been ignored in the past. She helped launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly. Thanks in part to her efforts, the number of children who have moved out of foster care into adoption has increased dramatically.

As everyone knows, Hillary's fight for universal health coverage did not succeed. But her commitment to health care for every American has never wavered. She was instrumental in designing and championing the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has provided millions of children with health insurance. She battled the big drug companies to force them to test their drugs for children and to make sure all kids get the immunizations they need through the Vaccines for Children Program. Immunization rates dramatically improved after the program launched.

Hillary's 1995 book It Takes A Village, about the responsibility we all have to help children succeed, became an international best seller. Hillary has donated the proceeds -- more than a million dollars -- to children's causes across the country.

Hillary's autobiography, Living History, was also a best seller. It has been translated into 12 languages and sold over 1.3 million copies.

*source - hillaryclinton.com

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Mr Ahmadinejad calls himself a friend of the people

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was elected Iran's president in June 2005, was an obscure figure when he was appointed mayor of Tehran in the spring of 2003.

He was not much better known when he entered the presidential election campaign, although he had already made his mark as Tehran mayor for rowing back on earlier reforms.

Since his election he has taken a tough stand on a number of foreign policy matters, in line with his hard-line background.

His comments that Israel should be "wiped off the map" and that the Holocaust was a "myth" drew widespread condemnation from the West.

Revolutionary credentials

Mr Ahmadinejad was born in Garmsar, near Tehran, in 1956, the son of a blacksmith, and holds a PhD in traffic and transport from Tehran's University of Science and Technology, where he was a lecturer.

There has been confusion about his role in the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Several of the 52 Americans who were held hostage in the US embassy in the months after the revolution say they are certain Mr Ahmadinejad was among those who captured them.

New leader in his own words

He insists he was not there, and several known hostage-takers - now his strong political opponents - deny he was with them.

His website says he joined the Revolutionary Guards voluntarily after the revolution, and he is also reported to have served in covert operations during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

When he became mayor of Tehran, the former revolutionary guard curtailed many of the reforms put in place by the moderates who had run the city before him.

Iran's outgoing reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, barred Mr Ahmadinejad from attending cabinet meetings, a privilege normally accorded to mayors of the capital.

Mr Ahmadinejad reportedly spent no money on his presidential campaign - but he was backed by powerful conservatives who used their network of mosques to mobilise support for him.

He also had the support of a group of younger, second-generation revolutionaries known as the Abadgaran, or Developers, who are strong in the Iranian parliament, the Majlis.

His presidential campaign focused on poverty, social justice and the distribution of wealth inside Iran.

Hard-line approach

During his campaign, he also repeatedly defended his country's nuclear programme, which has worried the US and European Union.

Once in power, he made a defiant speech at the UN on the nuclear issue and refused to back down on Tehran's decision to resume uranium conversion.

He continued his defiance despite the reporting of Iran's nuclear programme to the UN Security Council and the possible threat of sanctions.

He said no power could take away Iran's right to nuclear fuel technology.

Mr Ahmadinejad has maintained a hard line with the US, with whom diplomatic ties were broken in 1979.

At home, he banned Western and "indecent" music from state-run TV and radio stations in December 2005.

However, BBC analyst Sadeq Saba says there have been moves inside Iran to rein in the president.

'Confrontational'

Powerful figures such as former President Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani believe Mr Ahmadinejad's confrontational approach has backfired.

They say the US struggled to report Iran to the Security Council for a long time, but with Mr Ahmadinejad's help Washington got what it wanted in a few months.

Mr Ahmadinejad has now made some small-scale concessions to moderates. He said he would not be confrontational in enforcing a campaign in Tehran to insist women obeyed Iran's strict Islamic dress codes.

He has also allowed women into major sporting events for the first time since 1979.

Mr Ahmadinejad maintains a populist streak, calling his personal website Mardomyar, or the People's Friend.

He also has a reputation for living a simple life and campaigned against corruption.

Iran's new President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already given the world an idea of his plans for the country. The following are quotes from Mr Ahmadinejad speaking before and after his surprise win in Friday's election.

ON WINNING THE ELECTION

This is a great honour. But even greater is the honour to serve this nation, as mayor, president or road sweeper. It is no different. The greatest honour is to be certain that one is serving the great people of Iran.

ON GOVERNMENT POLICY

On the domestic scene, government policies will be based on moderation and any extremism will not only be avoided, but will be dealt with seriously.

ON RELATIONS WITH THE US

The policy of the Islamic Republic towards America has been stated repeatedly. With high self-esteem and self-confidence, our nation now is moving in the direction of development and perfection without really needing the United States.

ON US CRITICISM OF THE ELECTION

As for the US government calling the elections undemocratic, it is everyone's right to express their views. So many views are expressed around the world every day, but only those views that carry a bit of truth, reality and justice will be taken seriously.

ON RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

I think that the situation of the leaders of the regime occupying Quds [Jerusalem] is too well-known for me to try to say something to other nations about it... Those individuals are the root cause of insecurity throughout the Middle East. They do not have the right to impose their views on others.

ON NUCLEAR POLICY

Peaceful nuclear technology is the product of scientific progress by the young people of this country. The Iranian nation has the right to advance in all peaceful scientific fields and have access to all facilities. We need this technology in the fields of energy, medicine and engineering and for our scientific progress and will continue pursuing it.

ON TALKS WITH THE EU

We will continue negotiations with the Europeans with the aim of safeguarding our national interests and emphasising the right of the Iranian nation to use peaceful nuclear energy.

ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Liberty is the very essence of the Islamic nation... We do not confine freedom to just two limited categories. We believe that there are 360 degrees of freedom. That means, the freedom to get involved in political, economic and cultural affairs, as well as in the running of the country... We are also truly concerned about certain powers' violation of human rights in the world. Today we are really concerned about the violation of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities in Europe.

ON WOMEN IN GOVERNMENT

Women play the most important role in Iran... My government will make decisions on merit. Gender boundaries will not influence my decision [on positions in the cabinet] at all.

ON THE ECONOMY

One of the main topics of our economic policy is the expansion of foreign and domestic investment... We will especially use our dear Iranians [currently living abroad] who are ready to take part in developing their country... The stock market will definitely be promoted, but of course there should be some reforms.

ON THE EXPANSION OF THE INTERNET

We cannot shut the doors to the country... We have a strong culture and we should allow it to grow.

source - news.bbc.co.uk

Bill O'Reilly

O'Reilly was born in New York City to Irish Catholic parents William and Angela O'Reilly, from Brooklyn, New York and Bergen County, New Jersey. His father was an accountant for the oil company Caltex. In 1951, his family moved to Levittown on Long Island.^[4] After graduating from Chaminade High School, a private Catholic boys high school in Mineola in 1967, O'Reilly attended Marist College, a small, co-educational private (and at the time, Catholic) institution in Poughkeepsie. While at Marist, O'Reilly played punter in the National Club Football Association,^[5] and was also a columnist and feature writer for the school's newspaper, The Circle. An honors student, he majored in history. He spent his junior year of college abroad, attending Queen Mary College at the University of London.^[6] O'Reilly received his B.A. in History in 1971. He played semi-professional baseball during this time, as a pitcher for the Brooklyn Monarchs. He unsuccessfully tried out for the New York Mets. O'Reilly later earned a masters degree in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University (where he attended school with shock jock Howard Stern) and another Master of Public Administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Broadcasting career

Bill O'Reilly in 1975 as the "Action Consumer trouble shooter" for ABC affiliate WNEP in Scranton, Pennsylvania.^[7]

After graduating from Marist College, O'Reilly moved to Miami, Florida at age 21, where he taught English and history at Monsignor Pace High School for two years. After leaving Miami, O'Reilly returned to school, earning a M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Boston University in 1976. While attending Boston University, he was a reporter and columnist for various local newspapers and alternative news weeklies, including The Boston Phoenix. O'Reilly did his broadcast journalism internship in Miami during this time, and was also an entertainment writer and movie critic for The Miami Herald.

O'Reilly's early television news career included reporting and anchoring positions at WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he also reported the weather. At WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, O'Reilly was awarded the Dallas Press Club Award for excellence in investigative reporting. He then moved to KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado where he won a Local Emmy Award for his coverage of a skyjacking.^[8][9] O'Reilly also worked for KATU-TV in Portland, Oregon, as well as TV stations in Hartford, Connecticut (WFSB-TV), and in Boston, Massachusetts.^[9]

In 1980, he anchored his own program on WCBS-TV in New York where he won his second Local Emmy for an investigation of corrupt city marshals. In 1982, he was promoted to the network as a CBS News correspondent and covered the wars in El Salvador and the Falkland Islands from his base in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He later left CBS over a dispute concerning the uncredited use in a report by Bob Schieffer of riot footage shot by O'Reilly's crew in Buenos Aires during the Falklands conflict. (A 1998 novel by O'Reilly, Those Who Trespass: A Novel of Television and Murder, depicts a television reporter who has a similar dispute over a Falklands War report. The character proceeds to exact his revenge on network staff in a series of graphically-described murders.)^[10]

In 1986, O'Reilly joined ABC News as a correspondent for ABC World News Tonight.

In 1989, O'Reilly joined the nationally syndicated King World (now CBS) program Inside Edition, a tabloid/gossip television program in competition with A Current Affair. He started as senior correspondent and backup anchor for British TV host David Frost, and subsequently became the program's anchor after Frost's termination. In addition to being one of the first American broadcasters to cover the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, O'Reilly also obtained the first exclusive interview with murderer Joel Steinberg and was the first television host from a national current affairs program on the scene of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

In 1995, O'Reilly was replaced by former NBC News and CBS News anchor Deborah Norville on Inside Edition. He then enrolled at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received a master's degree in Public Administration. After Harvard, he was hired by Roger Ailes, chairman and CEO of the then startup FOX News Channel, to anchor The O'Reilly Report. The show soon moved to a new time slot, and was renamed The O'Reilly Factor.

O'Reilly's radio program reaches 3.25 million-plus listeners and is carried by more than 400 radio stations.^[11] Conservative magazine NewsMax's "Top 25 Talk Radio Host" list selected O'Reilly to the #2 spot as most influential host in the nation.^[12]

Personal life

O'Reilly married Maureen E. McPhilmy, a public relations executive, in 1995. They have one daughter, Madeline, born in 1998, and a son, Spencer, born in 2003.

The O'Reilly Factor

Main article: The O'Reilly Factor

O'Reilly's television show, The O'Reilly Factor, is routinely the highest-rated show of the three major U.S. 24-hour cable news channels.^[13] The show is taped late in the afternoon at a studio in New York City and airs every weekday on the FOX News Channel at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

American Red Cross and the United Way

After the September 11 terrorist attacks, O'Reilly devoted substantial time on his television show and wrote pieces on the subject of how the United Way of America and American Red Cross failed to deliver millions of dollars in donated money, raised by the organizations in the name of the disaster, to the families of those killed in the attacks.^[14][15] In O'Reilly's view the organizations misrepresented their intentions for the money being raised by not distributing all of the 9/11 relief fund to the victims.^[16] Actor George Clooney defended the United Way. Congressional hearings were called on the matter and an investigation by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer took place. Bernadette Healey, the president of the Red Cross, resigned shortly thereafter.^[17] In sworn testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee in November 2001, Congressman J.D. Hayworth asserted that media pressure, most notably from O'Reilly, helped cause the Red Cross to increase payments to affected people and helped cause other charities to participate in an oversight database established by Spitzer.^[18]

Political beliefs and points of view

Main article: Politics of Bill O'Reilly

The O'Reilly Factor is a show which focuses on news related to politics most of the time, which O'Reilly then offers commentary about. Given the amount of time O'Reilly has been on the air, it is not surprising that his beliefs and views have been well chronicled on a variety of subjects.

He has recently adopted the term "traditionalist" when describing his points of view on various topics, saying the term is not limited to the normal party lines. In an interview with NPR, O'Reilly stated that:

"I'm not a political guy in the sense that I embrace an ideology. To this day I'm an independent thinker, an independent voter, I'm a registered independent ... there are certain fundamental things that this country was founded upon that I respect and don't want changed. That separates me from the secularists who want a complete overhaul of how the country is run." Interview

Controversy and criticism

Main article: Criticism of Bill O'Reilly

Over the years, O'Reilly has been criticized by or had disputes with rivals including Al Franken, Bill Moyers,^[19] George Clooney, Joe Scarborough, Keith Olbermann, sometimes in response to commentary by him. He draws criticism from political media watchdog groups like Media Matters for America and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting.

Extortion/Harassment controversy

On October 13, 2004, O'Reilly filed a lawsuit against O'Reilly Factor producer Andrea Mackris, her lawyer Benedict P. Morelli, and Morelli's law firm for extortion, contending Mackris had privately threatened to charge O'Reilly with sexual harassment unless he paid her more than $60 million (USD).^[20] Later that same day, Mackris filed^[21] a complaint of sexual harassment against O'Reilly.^[22]Both parties reached a private settlement whereby the sexual harassment and extortion lawsuits were dismissed. All parties agreed to keep the terms of the settlement confidential, ending what Mr. O'Reilly called a "brutal ordeal".^[23] The complaint had also sought additional damages and described alleged actions of retaliation by Fox, et al.^[23]

Books and other media

O'Reilly's Culture Warrior

O'Reilly writes a weekly syndicated newspaper column that appears in hundreds of newspapers, including the New York Post and the Chicago Sun-Times.^[24]

• Those Who Trespass. Novel.
  Bancroft Press, April 1998; reprint, Broadway Books, February 2004. 288 pages. ISBN 0-9631246-8-4.
• The O'Reilly Factor: The Good, the Bad, and the Completely Ridiculous in American Life. Non-fiction.
  Broadway Books, September 2000; reprint, Broadway Books, March 2002. 224 pages. ISBN 0-7679-0528-8.
  Reached #1 on the New York Times' Non-Fiction Best Seller list.^[25]
• The No Spin Zone. Non-fiction.
  Broadway Books, October 2001; reprint, Broadway Books, March 2003. 208 pages. ISBN 0-7679-0848-1.
  Reached #1 on the New York Times' Non-Fiction Best Seller list.^[25]
• Who's Looking Out For You?. Non-fiction.
  Broadway Books, September 2003; reprint, Broadway Books, September 2004. 224 pages. ISBN 0-7679-1379-5.
  Reached #1 on the New York Times' Non-Fiction Best Seller list.^[25]
• The O'Reilly Factor For Kids: A Survival Guide for America's Families. Non-fiction.
  HarperEntertainment, September 2004; reprint, Harper Paperbacks, September 2005. 208 pages. ISBN 0-06-054424-4.
  Co-authored with Charles Flowers. Best-selling non-fiction children's book of 2005.^[26]
• Culture Warrior. Non-fiction.
  Broadway Books, September 2006. 240 pages. ISBN 0-7679-2092-9.
  Reached #1 on the New York Times' Non-Fiction Best Seller list.^[25]
  Achieved more than one million copies in print in its first three months.
• Kids Are Americans Too. Non-fiction.
  William Morrow (October 16, 2007). 160 pages. ISBN 0060846763.