“Four more years”: President Obama declares victory on Twitter,The Most Popular Tweet Of All Time!

US President Barack Obama swept to re-election on Tuesday, creating history again by defying the undertow of a slow economic recovery and high unemployment to beat Republican foe Mitt Romney.

In late September, Media Bistro’s All Twitter blog tabulated the most popular tweets of all time – as gauged by retweets. The winner was Justin Bieber, who as of this writing had 223,376 retweets for this tweet.

In the past hour, President Obama shattered that record with this tweet upon the media calling Ohio for him.

The retweets are still coming , but when I took a screenshot a minute ago, he had blown past Justin Bieber’s record, and I imagine that this will be tough to top.

That’s yet another victory for Obama’s social-media savvy campaign team, who dominated Romney in most social media metrics.

First 2012 Presidential Debate Saw 10.3M Tweets And Gave Politics A New Dimension!

Yes, we know that tonight was a record-setting night for Twitter. The first 2012 Presidential Debate was the most tweeted about political event in company history. Whether you care or not, this is significant and worth noting.

We’re seeing a shift in not only media, but in major historical moments like political campaigns. What Twitter does is add a new dimension of participation, allowing people from all over the world to share their thoughts and feelings in real-time about something that’s really important. In this case, it’s the next President of the United States.

Here’s what Twitter had to say about tonight’s action:

As conversation on the Denver stage and on Twitter ranged from Medicare to Big Bird, there were more than 10 million Tweets this evening, making this first of the 2012 presidential debates the most tweeted-about event in U.S. politics.

The specific moments that generated the most discussion on Twitter were:
-Moderator Jim Lehrer quips “Let’s not” when Governor Romney requests a topic
-President Obama quips “I had 5 seconds” when Lehrer gives time limit
-The discussion about Medicare and vouchers

The chart below plots the pulse of conversation throughout the debate:

What Twitter has done is removed the political trends and influence out of the hands of journalists and into the hands of regular folks like my Mom and friends in Philly. You don’t need a blog to be passionate and informative, you don’t have to be someone “special” with publishing rights at a big important publication like my stupid ass to make a difference.

All you have to do is be you. Tonight, I “met” a bunch of really smart, funny and insightful people during the debate. I also found some people that annoyed and challenged me, which is equally awesome.

We don’t have to wait for FOX to tell us what was “important” during the debates, because WE get to decide…as it happens, and that better scare the shit out of networks. I don’t have to wonder why Twitter is signing media deals left and right, it’s the networks that want to work with them, not the other way around.

Watching the debate on TV with the latest iteration of Twitter was like wearing 4D glasses. I saw things I’d never seen before, heard things I’d never heard before and met people I’d never met before. The walls fell down, and we had open discussions, laughed and created Big Bird memes. Real decisions could have been on hard-hitting political agendas for voters, and we all worked it out and explained it to one another.

In my opinion, the format and moderation of the debate were pretty bad. Future debates can learn from this, because networks will see the reactions from us, the viewers, in both real-time and in chronological fashion.

That. Is. Powerful.

I could be snarky about how Twitter touts numbers and engagement like this, but I won’t…because it gets me excited for the future of communication.

Lebanese of all faiths hope Pope visit heralds peace.

Lebanese from various religious backgrounds are eagerly awaiting Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to their country and hope that the trip could help bring peace to the nation.

“The pope can try to ease any religion’s collective tension,” said Sawsan Darwaza, a theater and film director who said she was very supportive of the visit even though she is not Christian.

“It’s very thoughtful and important that he chose Lebanon,” Darwaza added while walking in Gemmayzeh.

“The pope can say something to cause the people of the Middle East to be tolerant.”

Vatican officials have said the pope decided to proceed with his visit to Lebanon, the first by a pontiff in 15 years, despite the conflict raging in Syria. They say his main message will be one of religious coexistence between Christians and Muslims.

The pontiff will be in the country for three days and will visit a number of Christian sites and villages. He will also hold meetings with prominent Muslim, Christian and political leaders.

The last papal visit to Lebanon was in 1997, when Pope John Paul II came to the country.

A number of people said the pope, as a global figurehead, would bring hope for peace and reconciliation between disparate groups in the country.

In addition to Christian political groups, who have heralded the pope’s visit as a seminal moment for their community, Hezbollah has come out strongly supportive of the visit as an opportunity to renew dialogue and strengthen Lebanon’s pluralism.

Other religious leaders, including Salafists, have either endorsed the trip or expressed tolerance of it.

“All the region’s people respect the pope – it’s not about religion,” said 20-year-old Alaa Barakat. “He is not only a religious man.”

Others spoke about the significance of the leader of the Catholic Church taking the time to visit Lebanon, a relatively small country.

“Despite everything happening in Lebanon at the moment, the pope’s visit is like a puff of oxygen. We hope this visit makes people remember that this is a civilized country that important figures can visit,” said Tanya, who was walking down the street in Hamra. “It’s not about what the pope does; it’s about how the Lebanese people respond. Hopefully, he’ll be safe here.”

Many said they were apprehensive that the pope’s visit was taking place during a tumultuous political time and amid heightened religious tensions fueled by the conflict in Syria.

The killings in Libya and protests in Egypt and elsewhere in the region over an anti-Islam movie were a cause of concern for some, who worried a visit by pope to the Middle East could exacerbate religious tensions.

Security will be bolstered around the country during his visit, particularly along the pope’s traveling route.

Meanwhile, others saw the pontiff’s visit as an opportunity for unity.

Christians from around the region are expected to visit Lebanon to see the pope during his visit.

“I’m Jordanian, and I have many Christian friends there. Most of them are coming to Lebanon to see the pope,” said Rima. “It will make people want to come to Lebanon. I’d like to be present as well. I don’t know about others, but I wouldn’t miss it. He should be safe here.”

Balsan Hakkani, a store manager in Downtown Beirut, agreed. “I think it’s [the visit] very good and it’s coming in a very critical situation.”

Angelina Jolie visits Lebanon to assess Syrian refugees’ situation.

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie visited Lebanon on Wednesday as part of her tour of the Mideast region, during which she is scheduled to visit Syrian refugee camps.

Jolie also met with Prime Minister Najib Miqati at the Grand Serail and said following the meeting that she was “delighted to return to Lebanon… and to visit [Syrian] families who are being sheltered in Lebanese homes and not refugee camps, [and for that] they are grateful to Lebanon and its people,” the National News Agency reported.

Meanwhile, UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres, who accompanied Jolie on her Lebanese visit, expressed thanks to the Lebanese people and the government for their hospitality toward the Syrian refugees.

“[The visit to Lebanon] is an opportunity to assess ways of cooperation between the Lebanese government and the UN refugee agency regarding the Syrian refugees’ crisis,” Guterres said after the meeting with Miqati.

On Tuesday, the actress visited a refugee camp in Jordan where she appealed to the world to “do everything they can to support these refugees” fleeing the escalating conflict in their country, according to AFP.

More than 27,000 people have been killed since the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad broke out in May 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The UN and NGOs have said that there are currently more than 57,000 refugees in Lebanon who are being helped by the Lebanese government and other organizations.

Americans mark 11th anniversary of 9/11 attacks.

As the world prepares to mark the anniversary of the the 9/11 attacks, the New York skyline has been lit up with twin lights, filling the hole left by the World Trade Center.

The bright beams shooting up into the sky are turned on every September 11, and today’s 11th anniversary is no different.

Memorial services are set to take place at Ground Zero and hundreds of other venues around the globe.

Memory: The Manhattan skyline has been lit up with tributes to the victims of the September 11 attacks

Tribute: Every year beams of light are shot into the sky to commemmorate the anniversary of the terror attacks

Viewpoint: Japanese flautist Toshi Bota is photographed on the shore of Brooklyn looking over to downtown Manhattan

Light: A ground view of the Tribute in Light on the evening of September 10, ahead of the 11th anniversary

One tribute to the victims comes at Highland Memorial Park in Ocala, Florida, where 2,741 American flags – one for each of the attacks’ victims – have been planted in a moving act of remembrance.

On Monday, Leon Panetta attended a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The Secretary of Defense called the site ‘the final resting place of American patriots’, and said he was there ‘to extend our nation’s deepest gratitude to the heroes of Flight 93’.

Grief: A single flower inserted into one of the names on the 9/11 National Memorial located at Ground Zero

Contemplation: 10-year-old Stella Towers, from Sydney in Australia, on a visit to the memorial on September 10

Display: Another floral tribute to the victims of the attacks set up at the memorial in downtown Manhattan

Visit: Leon Panetta was in Shankville, Pennsylvania on Monday paying tribute to those who died on Flight 93

Ceremony: The Secretary of Defense laid a wreath at the memorial near to where the flight crashed 11 years ago

Heroes: Candles have been set up at the Shanksville site to honour the 40 passengers who overpowered their terrorist hijackers

For the first time, the memorial ceremony at the 9/11 National Memorial in Manhattan will not feature any politicians this year, in an attempt to focus it on the private grief of survivors and victims’ relatives.

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are expected to limit their campaigning, and to cancel negative advertising for the day.

The President has been briefed by top national security aides on what steps the government was taking to reduce the possibility of reprisal attacks on the 9/11 anniversary.

Flags: A lawn at Georgia Tech was covered in Stars and Stripes to commemorate the 9/11 victims

Field: A visitor at Victor Valley College in Victorville, California sits among the tribute there

Put out more flags: Military cadet Ted Sanchez, 16, lays out the flag display at Highland Memorial Park in Ocala, Florida

The White House said on Monday that Mr Obama and his advisers discussed specific measures the administration was taking to prevent related attacks.

They also discussed steps that were being taken to protect Americans abroad and U.S. forces serving in combat zones.

The President has instructed government agencies to do everything possible to protect the American people both at home and abroad.

The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 killed nearly 3,000 people and led to long-running U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Moving: 7th-grader Salvatore Giudice, from Florida, drew this memorial picture for the first responders who died in the September 11 attacks

Rebuilding: Four World Trade Center and One World Trade Center are close to completion, filling in the Manhattan skyline once more

Horror: Nearly 3,000 people died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon