Gore's greatest gesture

The United States government and Western rights groups protested* today after North Korea’s highest court sentenced two American journalists to 12 years of hard labo(u)r [and re-education; sj].

The two journalists [from Current TV; sj] — Laura King and Euna Lee — were detained by North Korean soldiers at the Chinese border on March 17 and charged with illegally entering North Korean territory and "hostile acts," but not with the more serious charge of espionage as some had feared**.
Full NYT-article here.

You'll find mentioned that Al Gore, the knight in the rainbow-coloured armour who's greatest success in his struggle to save the planet is to be found on his different bank accounts, is co-founder of Current TV.
Further you'll read that Mr Gore claims he has been 'deeply involved every single day' [since March 17th; sj] to free the journalists, and is being mentioned as a possible special envoy.

What is not mentioned is that the honourable Mr. Gore after consultations with his PR-advisors is going to offer serving 24 years in said labour and re-education camp, in exchange for the two ladies.
A noble gesture, would you agree?

- - -

* Now that will teach them!

** Well why else would they've got such a mild punishment?

A Fortune for Talking Blairney

What might, f.e. an engine-driver grossing about 2.100 Euro think when reading this?

500.000 pound plus an offer to give Tony Blair a 2,4 million-villa for "talking Blairney"?!

As one who would not envy a Ronaldinho or any other "star", because being offered such sums I should not deny, I do just ask:

Why would people pay such astronomic sums for ... almost nothing?

Why would - to give just another example - the German power company ENBW while announcing the necessity of rising energy prices, offer Al Gore 180.000 Dollars to appear in front of a handpicked audience?

Why would Al Gore demand: No photos during the event, no quotes, no articles?

Did he tell something different to his handpicked audience?

If not: why did ENBW-chairman Utz Claassen not charter a cinema for his "friends" / clientele? Would have been a tiny bit cheaper, wouldn't it?

Thus: Cui bono?

Who does get what advantage / profit when paying a fortune for ... almost nothing?

Apropos Al Gore: A well deserved laudation on (of? - ah these prepositions!) the "Peace"-Nobel Prize Winner and on the Nobel Prize Committee you will find here.

As for the rest:
Well, it's said the devil would always relieve himself on the biggest heap.

The Peace of the Night!