At this point, there is quite a bit of speculation about the arrest and its timing, as well as the fact that Pakistan forces played a key role in the process. Some of that speculation is coming from inside the Afghan parliament. “If Pakistani officials had wanted to arrest him, they could have done it at any time,” said Sher Mohammad Akhud Zada, the former governor of Afghanistan’s Helmand province and a member of the Afghan parliament. “Why did they arrest him now?”

This speaks to one of the primary problems with the military operations in the region. Pakistani officials and military operatives are well connected to key Taliban members and often know of their whereabouts, while remaining unwilling to share that information with U.S. and NATO forces. That is why some are quick to question why such an operation was able to occur smoothly and without any real fanfare.

Some believe that Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar may have agreed to be captured in an effort to broker some sort of agreement with U.S. and NATO forces. This speculation is tied to recent announcements that a major initiative was under way to attempt to bring moderate Taliban to the negotiating table. The plan offers economic and educational incentives for moderate Taliban who lay down their arms.

The post Top Taliban Commander Captured in Pakistan first appeared on River View Observer.

source NJ.COM  HUDSON RESPONDS TO HAITI QUAKE

The post Haiti Earthquake -Hudson County Responds first appeared on River View Observer.

Steve Roberts Born and Raised in Bayonne, NJ

By Evelyn Bonilla

They say that home is where the heart is, and with that so is the true meaning of family. In retrospect life is a measurement of  “home and family” which in turn creates strong generations with amazing stories passed on from generation to generation.

Steven Roberts knows first hand the wonderful power of stories told from the past generation. Born and raised in Bayonne, NJ, he gathered inspiration from stories told to him by his father and grandfather, his grandfathers dreams and stories inspired the young Roberts to pursue his passion for writing and pushed him to explore the power of the written word. Robert explains, “I come from a family of great storytellers, my grandfather shared with me his many stories and dreams and my father also wrote.

 Writing is in my blood, I felt the need to write at a very early age.”

Writing seems to be the gift that was handed down to the young Roberts, and looking back over the years, it seems he has used his gift well. Roberts worked at the New York Times for twenty-five years and at U.S. News & World Report for seven. Now a syndicated columnist, a commentator and a guest host on both National Public Radio and television, he continues to share his insight and knowledge with the public. A dedicated journalist for the past 40 years. he has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Dirksen Award for covering Congress, the Wilbur Award for coverage of religion and politics and the Bender prize as one of GW’s top undergraduate teachers.

In 2005, Roberts wrote a book entitled, “My Fathers’ Houses: Memoir of a Family” the book is a memoir of growing up in Bayonne, New Jersey, in an immigrant community. Within this book Roberts shares with his readers how he grew up in a house his grandfather built, growing up in an immigrant community in the shadow of the Statue if Liberty, and the story of how his father and his grandfather’s dreams and their own passion for writing and ideas influenced Robert’s future, and inspired him to seek his fortune in New York City, the media capital of the world.

In his new book, “From Every End of This Earth” Steven Roberts follows the stories of thirteen immigrant families and brings to life, their stories, struggles and how they make new lives in America. The most amazing thing about this book is how Roberts enters into the lives of these families and brings to fruition the true values and hardships that all of these families face.

Although these families are of diverse cultures, Roberts through his writing shows how each family is affected by leaving their country, culture and most of the time other family members behind. He explains, “It takes tremendous drive and ambition to try and make it in America”. “Imagine making the journey to America, planning and saving and then surviving.”

Drive and ambition is something that this talented writer certainly has, a true writer Roberts has shared of himself in his book, “My Fathers’ Houses: Memoir of a Family” and shared the stories of others in “From Every End of This Earth”. Dedicated to his roots and all that America has to offer, Roberts has continued the legacy his family started years ago and that is becoming one of America’s great storytellers.

The post Steven V. Roberts Opens the Doors of Generations in his New Book “ From Every End of This Earth first appeared on River View Observer.

The New Jersey Comedy Festival, which has been holding preliminary events at college campuses through the state this fall, encourages the state’s most comical college students to compete for the title of the “New Jersey King or Queen of Campus Comedy.” This year, the NJCF will visit nine college campuses on its search, with the Stress Factory added as an additional venue for all students who missed their school’s event or whose school is not a host campus.

“Our partnership with Vinnie Brand and the Stress Factory Comedy Club allows us to invite each and every New Jersey college student who dreams of becoming a comedian, to perform on a stage that has been graced by some of the biggest and best names in comedy, something we’d otherwise be unable to do,” said Dennis Hedlund, founder and executive producer of the NJCF.

The comedians are judged based upon originality, stage presence, material and audience reaction. As with each of the campus preliminary events, three students from the Stress Factory event will be chosen to compete at the Championship Finals on Saturday, January 30, 2010 in the Rutgers Student Center on Rutgers University’s College Avenue Campus in New Brunswick. In addition to being crowned the “New Jersey King or Queen of Campus Comedy,” the winner will receive the Good Humor Award, a scholarship from the Manhattan Comedy School, the opportunity to perform at The Stress Factory Comedy Club in New Brunswick and a $1,000 cash prize.

According to Vinnie Brand, owner of the Stress Factory Comedy Club, “New Jersey has an amazing number of talented young comedians and the Stress Factory has a history of shining a light on the newest up-and-coming comics. We look forward to working with NJCF and helping young comics to showcase their talents.”

 The public is invited to attend the NJCF performance at the Stress Factory Comedy Club, located at 90 Church Street in New Brunswick, for an admission fee of $6.  For a complete schedule or event registration visit www.newjerseycomedyfestival.com <http://www.newjerseycomedyfestival.com/>.

The post The New Jersey Comedy Festival Brings Student Comedians to The Stress Factory Comedy Club first appeared on River View Observer.