WASHINGTON — Israel and the Palestinians will resume long-stalled direct peace talks in Washington early next month with the aim of reaching a settlement in a year’s time, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday.

The breakthrough after a nearly two-year hiatus in face-to-face negotiations marks a small but important step forward in the Obama administration’s efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East. It brings the two sides back to the point where they were when the last direct talks began in November 2007 during the Bush administration.

Making the announcement at the State Department with special Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell at her side, Clinton acknowledged that, as in previous negotiations to create an independent Palestinian state, the process would be rocky. But she urged the two sides to be patient.

“There have been difficulties in the past, there will be difficulties ahead,” she said. “Without a doubt, we will hit more obstacles. The enemies of peace will keep trying to defeat us and to derail these talks. But I ask the parties to persevere, to keep moving forward even through difficult times, and to continue working to achieve a just and lasting peace in the region.”

Indeed, soon after Clinton’s announcement the militant Hamas movement that controls the Gaza Strip, which along with the West Bank is supposed to be part of an eventual Palestinian state, rejected the talks, saying they were based on empty promises.

Under the agreement reached after months of painstaking shuttle diplomacy by Mitchell, President Barack Obama will hold separate discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sept. 1 and then host a dinner for the pair.

Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose countries have peace deals with Israel and will play a crucial support role in the upcoming talks, will also attend as will former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the special representative of the “Quartet” of Mideast peacemakers – the U.S., the U.N., the European Union and Russia.

On Sept. 2, Clinton will bring Abbas and Netanyahu together for the first formal round of direct talks since they broke down in December 2008. At that point the parties will decide where and when to hold later rounds as well as lay out the parameters for the talks. U.S. officials have said later rounds are likely to be held in Egypt.

Predicting a tough slog ahead in dealing with thorny issues such as borders, the fate of Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem, Clinton called on the two sides to demonstrate “good faith and a commitment” to the success of the talks

Mitchell said the United States would step in to offer proposals to bridge gaps “as necessary and appropriate.” “We will be active participants,” he said.

In a choreographed sequence of events, Clinton’s announcement came as the Quartet simultaneously issued a statement backing direct talks that “lead to a settlement, negotiated between the parties, that ends the occupation which began in 1967 and results in the emergence of an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors.”

The statement said that senior officials from the Quartet would meet in the third week of September on the sidelines of the upcoming U.N. General Assembly session in New York to review the situation.

Netanyahu’s office quickly issued a statement welcoming the plan.

“Reaching an agreement is a difficult challenge but is possible,” it said. “We are coming to the talks with a genuine desire to reach a peace agreement between the two peoples that will protect Israel’s national security interests, foremost of which is security.”

A formal statement from Abbas’ office accepting the invitation was expected later Friday. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said he hoped the Quartet and others would work diligently to ensure the one-year timeframe was achieved and would press Israel to end “provocative acts”

“We hope that the Israeli government would refrain from settlement activities, incursions, siege, closures and provocative acts like demolishing of homes, deporting people from Jerusalem in order to give this peace process the chance it deserves,” he said.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri rejected the invitation.

“We … consider this invitation and the promises included in it empty, and it’s a new attempt to deceive the Palestinian people and international public opinion,” he said.

U.S. allies in Europe were far more positive.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner welcomed the resumption of talks in a statement that urged the two sides “to refrain from any action susceptible of jeopardizing advances to come.” Italian Foreign Minister Ranco Frattini hailed the move as “an extremely positive development” and said the Italian government would furnish “all possible support.”

The Obama administration has been pushing for a speedy resumption of the face-to-face negotiations that broke down in December 2008. The Palestinians had been balking at direct talks until Israel froze the construction of Jewish settlements, and the Quartet in its invitation to talks reaffirmed a March statement demanding an end to such activity.

But Israel had rejected that, saying it amounted to placing conditions on the negotiations, and has been demanding a separate invitation from the U.S. A temporary freeze on Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank is to expire on Sept. 26.

Canadian police officers were in for a bit of a fright when they arrived for what was expected to be a routine drug raid in a remote area of British Columbia on July 30 to find black bears roaming the area.

When the cops arrived at a farm alongside Christina Lake in southeastern Canada, they found two fields containing approximately 2,300 cannabis plants — all carefully guarded by 13 black bears on the premises.

Though the officers were nervous at first, they soon discovered the bears to be docile and acted almost oblivious to their presence, according to reports. The farm’s owners are believed to have used the bears alternately as pets and as protection for their marijuana crops, and regularly fed them dog food.

“The owner tried to assure, ‘Don’t worry, they won’t become aggressive towards you, just don’t approach them and things will be fine,” Dan Moskaluk, one of the officers on the scene, told the Toronto Star. “Certainly it’s a little bit of an odd situation to be in.”

Turns out the bears weren’t the only inhabitants of the marijuana farm’s menagerie — a pot-bellied pig also roamed the scene, while a raccoon was found napping in one of the farmhouse’s bedrooms. Though two middle-aged adults were arrested at the scene, no animals were harmed during the raid.

I would like to share with you the Trick or Vote videos that I’ve been working on for the past several weeks. I was project manager on these videos, along with co-writing the scripts. Hope you enjoy and please forward to others.

If you were a marketer hoping to sell your product to teens, this year’s Teen Choice Awards made your campaign strategies very, very clear: Justin Bieber or Glee. Take your pick. Katy Perry was there, too, but the night was truly about celebrating the publishing industry’s future savior (that would be when Biebs publishes his first “memoir:” First Step 2 Forever: My Story) and the show on FOX about the little glee club of misfits that could. 

Amidst all the Glee and Bieber, some awards were given out, too, and some inspiring moments occurred that showed us older folks that the future may be filled with high-pitched squeals, but at least the kids in America have opinions and strong voices. Here are a few of our faves:

1. The best news from the Teen Choice Awards came to us yesterday, when we found out that Staples and DoSomething.org had turned the idea of the celeb swag bag completely around. Stars like Lucy Hale, Zachary Levi and Nikki Blonsky all lent their efforts to stuffing bags full of school supplies for underprivileged children on the red carpet.

Learn more about what you can do at StaplesGiveBackPack.com.

2. The Power of Bieber Prevailed: Justin Bieber wasn’t even at Sunday night’s awards, which aired on Monday. Yet his name was invoked more times throughout the evening than that of any celebrity who was actually in attendance (including Taylor Lautner). The Biebs received shout-outs from everyone ranging from Justin Long and Kristen Bell, who joked about having contracted actual, physical Bieber Fever, to George Lopez, who said — while dressed as the fourth Kardashian sister — that he had a blister the size of Justin Bieber on his foot. So winner number one of the night, even without his four surfboards (which were presented to him at a concert in Phoenix by Shaq), was clearly Justin Bieber. But we already knew that.

3. Katy Perry is not, uh, my favorite, but she did sort of show, in her own, odd, Katy Perry way when she played different high school stereotypes that you can be anyone you want to be in high school and still host the TCAs with a hot stud from Glee on your arms. At least I hope that was her message. You never know with that one.

4. Ellen DeGeneres, who won “Choice Comedian” for the upteenth time in a row, delivered the perfect acceptance speech to start off the night: “I hope to not only be a comedian, but also to be a role model, because I feel that there are not too many women who are role models to teens, and I am talking about one woman … Betty White. I would like to impart some wisdom on you: stay in school — I know, it’s hard, to listen to your parents and don’t pierce that.”

5. The guys of Glee (the would be Cory Monteith, Mark Salling, Chris Colfer and Kevin McHale) were Perry’s cohosts for the evening, but it was Colfer who truly rose to the occasion and showed true, Neil Patrick Harris-esque hosting chops. “In my teenage dream, I’m hosting alone,” he said as they all talked about their teenage dream (in honor of Perry’s song of the same name), getting the biggest laugh from the audience. The kid’s got future Tony and Emmy gigs lined up, mark my words. 

6. Taylor Lautner won many, many awards, one of which was for “Choice Smile.” In his speech, he thanked his “smile trainer” and his orthodontist. Cue millions of teens begging their parents for braces. Bet you never thought that day would come.

7. David Beckham won “Choice Athlete” for the third time. He was happy not only for being recognized by teens for the third time, but also because “Each of my boys has a surfboard now!” He also brought his kids, Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz. Awwws were heard around the world.

8. Instead of having a voiceover announce the nominees in each category, the TCAs filmed real teens saying the name of each star. It definitely added more gravitas to the notion that this was an award ceremony for teens that they voted on and controlled every element of.

9. Selena Gomez, the ever-charming, ever-giving, beloved teen idol, picked up an award for “Choice TV Actress: Comedy.” In typical humble Selena fashion, she got up there and said “Lea Michele so deserves this award.”

10. Sandra Bullock went to the stage to give a speech for one award, “Choice Movie Actress: Comedy;” however, she was more interested in talking about the other award she’d picked up that night: “Best Dance Scene,” which she won for her dance with Betty White in the woods in The Proposal.

“I’m really excited about that dance award for that number in The Proposal, especially because it was with my friend Betty White. Now Betty hasn’t been a teen since what, 1919? So she’s not really invited to these things.”

Betty White, of course, was not having that. She burst onto the stage, shimmying to Lil’ John’s “Get Low.”

After the two danced around a bit, Sandra signed off with: “We thank you, and we’re happy that us old ladies got to come to The Teen Choice Awards.”

Idea: freeze coffee in ice cube trays to add to your iced cappuccino/coffee/latte/etc. Bye bye to those last few watered down sips and hello to a more intense caffeine jolt!

Last week marked the launch of Sambazon’s new media and advertising campaign aimed at spotlighting some special people that fight to make this world a better place. These change makers pay it forward everyday in a big way, and through the work they do, thousands of lives are touched.

Social entrepreneurs and founders of Sambazon, Jeremy and Ryan Black have built a multi-million dollar business and created a force in the Amazon that enriches the lives of thousands of local families, aids in the economic growth of the region and protects the biodiversity of the rainforest through Market Driven Conservation. All this while also bringing the health benefits of the acai berry to the world. But these brothers are just two men in a new generation of social entrepreneurs who successfully use business to create positive economic change for the planet. Warrior Up celebrates the work of Southern California’s leading social and environmental activists. The founding team of the Black brothers and their friend Ed Nichols are launching the campaign in San Diego because they delivered their first box of açaí there in early 2001.

In a press release Jeremy Black said, “Warrior Up is based on Sambazon’s triple bottom line business model and highlights the positive social, environmental and economic change our Warriors are creating every day. Through our campaign, we are celebrating these warriors and trying to motivate others to make a positive impact in their communities.”

Sambazon Warriors include:

• Raw food expert Ani Phyo, Pedal Patch Community.
• Surf legend Rob Machado, The Rob Machado Foundation.
• Surf long-boarder Kassia Meador, Keep a Breast Foundation.
• Surfer and activist Bethany Hamilton, Beating the Odds Foundation.
• X Games skateboard gold-medalist Bob Burnquist, Action Sports Environmental Coalition.
• Bio-fuel entrepreneur Buster Halterman, Buster Bio-Fuels.
• Ecology educator Evan Marks, The Ecology Center.
• Yogini and social activist Seane Corn, Off the Mat, Into the World.
• Extreme cyclist legend Hans Rey, Wheels 4 Life.
• Enviro-entrepreneur Stephanie Bernstein, To-Go Ware.
• Father-son surfers and eco-warrior team Jon and Jack Rose, Waves 4 Water.

In the next phase of the campaign, Sambazon is partnering with Off The Mat to create a contest in which you will be able to nominate a warrior in your own community who you feel is making a positive change in this world. They will award Warrior of Change grants to people who demonstrate the ability to most effectively create positive change. Sambazon and Off the Mat will accept Warrior of Change nominations from September 1, 2010 – February 28, 2011.