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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Curry Crew 22 - Sylhet - Ely

After a short break from The Cambridge Curry Crew events we decided to boot up and start again. Having nearly every Curry Crew meet up in the city of Cambridge I thought it would make a refreshing change to come to the city of Ely (where I now live) and see what it has to offer in terms of Indian cuisine.

The Cambridge Curry Crew Facebook group has been getting very active lately with a lot of new members coming in. I have had quite a few suggestions from the group, Twitter, and on local sites recommending The Sylhet which seems to have a very popular reputation within the city. Run by a Mr Ahmed, a man clearly very passionate about his restaurant and the work he does here, its the attention to small details which clearly makes this restaurant what it is and gives it the reputation is clearly deserves from people in the city.

Located on the busy road of Market Street, next door to the Montaz Indian restaurant and The Hereward pub, the place is quite easy to miss, yet once inside you realise that is quite spacious and well equipped to take any number of people. The Sylhet is one of the oldest restaurants in the city and has been open for decades, so clearly they have been doing something right all this time, which has only made me want to visit it a lot more.

We booked a table for 8 o clock, so we were all pretty hungry by the time we got in to the restaurant. We were warmly greeted and shown to our table. While walking through I notice that the place is divided up in to two parts. The bar, which comes across as a take away in its own right, then a room to the left which is the restaurant, this separates the two parts of the business nicely. I also noticed that they had the two kings of Indian beer on tap, Cobra and Kingfisher, which is great to see after my visit to Zahza the other week where it was all bottle only.

We were handed our menus while we chatted and settled. I ordered myself a Cobra beer and the gang ordered a large plate of papadums with their drinks. The drinks came out quickly and the papadums not too soon after that.

The papadums came with the four side sauces you would expect to see - Mango chutney, lime pickle, onion salad and yoghurt. Each one was presented in white china pots and were prepared very well. There were no complains from anyone here and though the portions were small, they gave out several portions for each side of the table so there was enough for everyone. The onion salad, mango chutney and lime pickle were all chopped very well with good texture. There was a few comments about the yoghurt being a little runny but I felt it was absolutely fine and tasted great.

The Menu:
Looking at the menu I noticed priced were about average here. Curries coming to around £7-8 each and to have the curry tikka'd came to approximately a pound more. Rice was averaging at about £3 each and the naans were around £2.50.
All the classics were on there from the popular curries, to tandoori grill, to dansaks and biryanis. There were a decent selection of specials too, though nothing overly exotic or unusual on the menu.
Nobody should leave feeling disappointed either way.

Once we were finished the staff took our plates away and Mr Ahmed came out and greeted us personally. He told us a lot about the restaurant, his cuisine and a lot about himself too. You can tell that he is a very friendly and proud man who puts customer service at the forefront of his business ethos, and we could see how well it works with a full restaurant around us that evening. He was kind enough to tell us about his family history, the history of the restaurant and how he came to be here which for me added a real personal level of trust which is so important when dining at a restaurant and this only makes me want to come back here again.

Braille menu - Incredibly impressive!

Disabled Access:
Mr Ahmed also showed off (and rightly so) the excellent disabled access he had in the restaurant. The front door doesn't even need a ramp for wheelchair users as it is level with the street, and though The Sylhet isn't the biggest of restaurants, it was still equipped with a disabled toilet. He even had a braille menu for the blind which really impressed a lot of us at the table. It seems the man who thought of everything here and goes back to my point earlier about his attention to detail which makes The Sylhet Indian restaurant so popular with the locals of Ely. A lot of places could learn a thing or two from The Sylhet and I highly recommend anyone who uses a wheelchair to come on down and visit.

Disabled toilets with lots of space for access.

While we were taking our main order the staff brought out some complimentary starter platters for us. An incredibly pleasant and welcomed surprised which consisted of what I assume was potato bhaji, chicken tikka and fried aubergine. All garnished with a side salad.
Surprisingly it was the aubergine which stole the show at the table being so crispy and full of flavour, yet still managed to be light on the belly. I think the oil they used to cook it was a very high quality and it seemed to be the conversation piece of the table.

For me though, the potato was the best. Cutting through it you see the spices and flavour go right through the middle and the soft fluffy texture coupled with the crispy outer shell was a perfect balance. I have never had this dish before but I could tell that they absolutely nailed it.

A complimentary starter platter.

The Chilli challenge:
Mr Ahmed knows I enjoy spicy food so he took it upon himself to toy with me and bring out some Naga chillies and Scotch Bonnets presented on a cucumber for me to try. For those unfamiliar, they are two of the hottest chillies around so my good friend Caoimhin and I decided to give them a go being the hot heads we are! This was a bad idea in hindsight as I struggled to taste my main course afterwards but it was great fun!

Nagas and Scotch Bonnets - Try and your peril!

The chillies certainly lived up to their reputation and were incredibly hot! I managed to consume 4 naga chillies and a scotch bonnet before starting to feel an incredible burn in my mouth and a torrent of hiccups which lasted the ENTIRE NIGHT (much to my girlfriends amusement).

The Mains:
Our main meals came out shortly after the chillies were eaten... and everything came out together! Which is something a lot of Indian restaurants still fail to grasp (Are you listening, Raja?).

The food was presented well and all looked very nice. Portions looked a good size and the texture of my onion rice was spot on. I wish I was able to comment on the spiciness of the lamb tikka vindaloo I ordered as my mouth was still burning from the naga chillies, but the texture of the lamb was decent, though a little dry, but the rich smokey flavour of the vindaloo was all there.

 Lamb tikka vindaloo and onion rice.

There seemed to be no complaint from anyone at the table which was a positive sign. I was also shocked to hear how quiet it suddenly got after all the fun and laughing talking to Mr Ahmed and the chilli challenge. Everyone really seemed to enjoy their food and I had little complaints on my end either.    I tried some of my friends chickpeas which were some of the nicest I have ever had. I ended up bringing some of their left overs home to have with me the next day.

Chickpeas curry!

Once our meal had finished the staff started to clean up. We asked for the bill and they were presented with hot towels and chocolates (as you would expect). The hot towels were good quality and the chocolates were very nice too. Both were exactly what I needed after a massive meal and some spicy chillies! Phew!

The bill came to roughly what was expected for a group our size and the staff let us pay in cash or cards respectively. Once we started to leave we were seen out by the waiters who all took the time to shake our hands and wave us out. We left feeling like the evening was a fantastic success and not a single bad word was breathed about the service at The Sylhet Indian restaurant so I conclude that this was a night of success for us and the restaurant.

The Sylhet Indian restaurant has really impressed us tonight, me especially. They seem to do everything, and do it well. The staff are incredibly friendly, helpful and warm. They take the time to talk to you and nothing is too much trouble.  In fact, I don't think I have seen customer service on this level in my life and I wish to thank Mr Ahmed and the staff at the Sylhet Indian restaurant for showing us such a warm welcome.

The food was all very good and for an average market price. I really cannot imagine anyone leaving the restaurant feeling disappointed and I highly recommend their cuisine to anyone inside or outside the area.
Everything was presented well and there were no complains from the entire table. The service was fast, polite and efficient with no mistakes being made, which for a table our size can be quite common.
The starter platters was delicious and showed us some new types of cuisine which broadened our horizons in Indian cooking. Not to mention the chilli challenge which certainly put me in my place and I would love to try again!

The disabled facilities were some of the best I have ever seen and living proof that a small restaurant can cater for the disabled. Now I am aware of The Sylhets disabled facilities I look forward to coming back soon with my friend who just so happens to be a wheelchair user.

Its good to know that there is a place in my city of Ely which can compete with some of the Cambridge giants. I look forward to seeing Mr Ahmed and the staff of The Sylhet Indian restaurant again very soon.

For anyone thinking of looking up The Sylhet Indian restaurant (01353669669). They have a take away service too which is only £1 for delivery.

Thanks for reading!

Monday, September 28, 2015

The Indian Ocean - Histon

I got a surprise phone call from my son yesterday begging me to take him out for a curry. Wiping away a tear from my eye, I realised that my son was going to turn out to be a little curry fiend like his dad, naturally, I couldn't resist.

What better way for a father and son to bond than going out for a good old fashioned curry?

Tonight we decided to hit a place which I haven't been too since before my son was even born. Yes, its been 5 years since my last visit to The Indian Ocean in Histon and its a place which I drive past nearly every day. The main reason for my late return is that it opens half hour later than its rivals (the Curry Palace in Cottenham and Bollywood Spice in Waterbeach) so when I have had the choice I haven't really been willing to wait.

From the outside the restaurant is easy to miss hidden behind the Tesco on the main road. It comes across as a very small and basic looking establishment which doesn't look very enticing. Upon entering I noticed the place has two double glazed doors which are quite close to each other which will no doubt make wheelchair access impossible...this was disappointing as I have a good friend who I like to dine with who just so happens to use a wheelchair.

The staff were incredible warm and greeted us on entering. We were shown to our table and they placed napkins on our lap. The first thing I notice about The Indian Ocean is the white pillars located along the restaurant for that renaissance feel. I can see some people enjoying this touch and I can see others finding this a little tacky.

Looking at the menu I noticed that the prices were very reasonable with a basic curry for only £6.25.
Beer prices were quite respectable too, though we were limited to only Cobra beer on tap.
There was a small specials menu with nothing too experimental on there but it still had a good varied choice for the every day customer.

We ordered some drinks and papadums while we studied the menu for our mains. Joanna and Jack had an orange and pineapple juice while I had a pint of Cobra beer.

When they brought out the papadums they only came with three sides - mango chutney, onion salad and lime pickle. The portions were HUGE and were served in a convenient spinnable metal container which made sharing incredibly easy. The sauces taste great and went down well, though the lime pickle and onion salad were very poorly cut and quite chunky which made it hard to spread on the papadums.

Lime pickle, mango chutney, onion salad with papadums.

Once we were done the staff came over, cleaned up and took our order. We decided to go for a chicken tikka biryani, a chicken tikka vindaloo, onion rice, a side vegetable curry, saag aloo and a peshwari naan.

The staff here were incredibly attentive and polite. They were friendly and very good with my son who was chatting their ear off the entire time. They even let him help with the clearing of the table which for some reason he found enjoyable. That being said, the place was very empty with only one other couple coming in to collect an order so we did get their entire attention, this might not be the case when it is busier.

We were pleasantly surprised when our food came out. All our plates were laid out pre warmed and everything was presented extremely well in metal bowls. All portions looked very generous and the colour and texture of the food was very vivid and exciting. We all couldn't wait to get stuck in!

Chicken tikka vindaloo with onion rice.

Once I tucked in to my meal I was glad to see the vindaloo had that rich spicy taste i've come to expect, though I was disappointed to see that it was quite mild for a vindaloo. The chicken seemed to be tikka'd, and by tikka'd I mean it had holes in the chicken. I saw little sign of any the red colouring which was a bit disappointing.

The onion rice was a generous portion though the texture was a little dry. It tasted fine once it soaked up the the curry sauce which was the important thing.

Joanna and Jack both devoured their dishes. Joanna particularly enjoyed her chicken tikka biryani which looked absolutely fantastic from across the table. In fact, her tikka'd chicken looked really well done compared to mine.

Smiles all round!

The peshwari naan was very decent. It was a good size and it had a generous amount of the sweet peshwari inside. My only criticism would be that it came out a little oily which then got on to all our hands. This with a 5 year old was a bit of a disaster!

The saag aloo was a generous portion (especially considering it was only a side portion for £3.50). It was large enough for all three of us to share with all our own dishes and it was prepared perfectly. The flavour, texture and colour of the dish was all absolutely spot on. Top marks here!

 Chocolate and a respectable bill.

Once we were finished they were quick to clean up our table and ask us if we wanted a dessert menu. We politely declined and requested the bill which they handed to us with chocolates and a very basic wet wipe. I was a little underwhelmed by the wet wipes which were cheap, thin, and didn't stay hot for very long.  The chocolates tasted great and the staff were kind enough to load Jack up with a handful extra despite the terrible mess he had left for them to clean up. Thank you guys!

"Hot towels" (Wet wipes!)

The bill was very reasonable considering there were three of us dining. Granted, my son is only 5 but he eats as much as most adults I know, so it was still a pleasant surprise to see our total bill at exactly £40.

The staff walked us out the restaurant and shook our hands upon leaving. I have really enjoyed their formal and polite service which is something I have come to love and respect about Indian restaurants, yet is something I do not always see so much now days.

I look forward to visiting again soon, hopefully I wont wait another 5 years this time!

Conclusion:  The Indian Ocean provided a very friendly, professional and polite service tonight. The food is  good value and incredibly competitive though its probably not good enough to win any awards. The important thing to remember is all the food was prepared to a decent standard with generous portions, and with prices like a vindaloo for £6, what can you really complain about?

I assume The Indian Ocean serves the village of Histon very proudly and is popular with quite a few locals as the staff are incredibly approachable and friendly, though I cannot see myself recommending it to people from out of the area, especially since there is such stiff competition in the area.

The problem for me being that the place lacks that extra mile which most places are willing to offer now days. The interior is basic with a limited menu, the papadums only come with three side sauces, they only have one beer on tap, and the "hot towels" were very poor.

Sadly for people who are wheelchair bound the place is simply inaccessible all together. There is a double glazing frame along the bottom of the door which makes it almost impossible to get in, and even if you manage it there is an awkward two door system in the entrance which complicates things. There is also no disabled toilets, though someone in a smaller chair might be able to use their reasonably wide toilets (if they can get in the front door in the first place).

A  friendly, good value, reliable, text-book Indian restaurant. Just don't expect all the bells and whistles of some of the other establishments in the area.

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

A quick curry at Zahza - Trumpington.

My pal and I went back to the Zahza Grill in Trumpington for a quick curry after being turned away at Vujon in Harston because they had no wheelchair access.
Known as a bit of a cursed establishment, this place has changed hands more times than I can count. Either way, it got a decent enough review last time so we thought we would swing by and see if it has stayed consistent.

We decided to come to Zahza not just because it was close to Vujon and we were very hungry, but also because it has decent (and free) parking. It is also located out of town so it was easy to enough to get there without the horrible ordeal of getting in to Cambridge traffic.

The place didn't have disabled access as you can see from the photo. It has a few steps and an awkward double doors which makes access impossible. Luckily they had a side door we could use which only had one step so we made it work.

We were pleased to see that the restaurant was very clean and modern. They have really improved the place since the dark times of the Spice Merchant.

I apologize for the poor photos, I have already broken my new phone!

We ordered some papadums and sauces which were brought out quickly. We got the usual four sauces. Lime pickle, mango chutney, yoghurt and onion salad. Each one was to a good standard so we were both pleased.

We took a look at the menu, and like last time we were very impressed with the wide selection of curries, burgers, grill and other types of cuisine.  This is clearly Zahza's strong suit - choice. We went for a text book curry, which were all listed at the standard price of between £7-8. I went for the lamb tikka vindaloo and rice. My friend had the prawn bhuna and chips.

Our food came out very quickly. A little too quickly. The vindaloo had chunks of garlic and some odd bits of...fruit?  I had to pick them out which was not too appealing. The lamb tasted fine though was a bit fatty. The vindaloo was very mild. I was incredibly disappointed.

The rice was fine and quite a generous portion.

My friends bhuna went down well. He let me try a bit and I noticed that the sauce was quite good, though nothing phenomenal. The prawns were tiny and very crunchy, almost maggot size. The curry was mild, as it should be. I was not really impressed. I am aware this is more of a grill place (which is why I had the mixed grill special last time) but it really felt like no effort at all was put in this main course.

When we asked for the bill they brought out some chocolate mints and a hot towel. I was really glad to see the proper hot towel rather than a wet wipe like a lot of places.

The bill came to about expected and we were on our way.

Conclusion: We were not blown away by Zahza this time around. Granted, this is a grill establishment which clearly doesn't specialise in curries. That being said the curry was clearly rushed and not much care was put in to it. The meat quality was not as good as it should be for a place which clearly celebrates meat, which is something I noticed last time too.

The service was polite and fast, the restaurant was very modern and clean. We were happy to get the full after care too with the mints and proper hot towel. Prices were competitive too.

I would not recommend this place for any wheel chair users as there is no disabled toilets, ramp or much space to move around.

For curries - 5/10

For grill 7/10


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These little chocolate disks are exactly why we love Chef Jeffrey Nimer. He makes clean eating so fun. As personal chef for some of the coolest healthy Los Angelenos we know – just trust – Chef Jeffrey and his culinary crew at Haute Chefs LA buzz about Hollywood day and night to create custom menus for both special events and everyday healthy meals. While he specializes in the kind of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food we personally die for, Chef Jeffrey is probably best known for creating delicious meals that bend to any and every dietary restriction under the sun. As a private chef in Los Angeles, we can only imagine that he’s seen it all.

Chef Jeffrey’s simple take on these delicious vegan chocolates are the perfect cooking project for dads and their kids as a Mother’s Day surprise – they’re so quick and easy, they turn out rather elegantly, and kids can add their own toppings. They’re also a great go-to for home cooks like us who are always on the hunt for the simplest route to healthy snacks and desserts. These chocolate disks are packed with nutrition and as versatile as can be – we’re all about the pomegranate and hemp seeds he’s used here, but if you’re looking for different flavors or even colors, anything from organic rose petals and lavender to pink salt and granola would work here. Go crazy with them and share what you’ve made with us!  Whip up a batch of these disks immediately and you can blame us for your new form of chocolate fixation.

Haute Chefs Vegan Chocolate Discs

1 lb Venezuelan El Rey Chocolate Discos
1/4 cup extra-virgin coconut oil
1/4 cup almond milk

Melt the Chocolate Discos (or your favorite vegan chocolate bar) with a almond milk and extra-virgin coconut oil for extra melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

Dollop and form thin disks on a wax-paper- or parchment-paper-lined tray. Gently press hemp or pomegranate seeds into the chocolate (or whatever toppings you’d like). Chill in freezer and eat.

From our friends

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

More cheese adverts

The Nolan's cheese advert made me think of this one. Not sure that I would like panda cheese, but the advert is brilliant.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

I was asked yesterday how it was going, settling back into London. I had to confess that it took remarkably little time to get back into the swing of London life. It’s busy, expensive and the transport system is frustratingly crowded but, there’s loads to do and see and the food is getting better and better all the time.
One of the seemingly unavoidable aspects of living in London seems to be the presence of mice - they’re all over the place and seem to affect most houses at some point or other.

So it was without too much surprise that found myself face-to-face with a mouse in the kitchen yesterday evening (before clumsily chasing it around the kitchen like something out of a Tom & Jerry cartoon). Our kitchen is pretty clean, and we keep our food up high having had problems before, but hey, mice happen...
As I was laying out the traps, I was reminded of two things.

First was the amazing video for Nolan’s cheddar – not a cheese that features significantly (if at all) in my life but I do like the advert.

Second, I remembered back when I was in the caves and had been sent out to the Savoie on the weekly trip to collect cheeses maturing in the caves. We had set out at midnight to make sure that the cheese was back in time to be put away by the day shift, meaning that our last farm on the trip coincided with breakfast at about 7am.

The warm farm kitchen was packed with family, employees and the neighbours who had come down from the mountains to drop off some of their cheese to us. It was a typical farm breakfast: thick black coffee, strange pappy French cake-things in their individual plastic wrappings, homemade charcuterie and of course, cheese.

The cheese on the table, smallish at about 1.5kg, showed some interesting marks, it had been gnawed by mice - turns out that a mouse had got into the ageing room and had a go at one of the cheeses. Of course, it’s unthinkable to sell a cheese that a mouse has chewed, so they kept those for themselves.

Naturally this became a topic of conversation and I was impressed to find out that in taste tests, the nibbled cheeses were also the ones that humans would consider to be the best – showing that there’s not so much of a difference between us after all. I’m not sure if there’s truth in it, but I love the story.

Mice are pests and spreaders of disease and they absolutely need to be removed, particularly from areas of food prep and storage. That said, it’s hard to hate on a serious cheese connoisseur.


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MONTREAL — Tim Clark recovered from a first-hole bogey to overtake Jim Furyk on the 15th and hang on to win the US$5.7 million RBC Canadian Open on Sunday afternoon.

Clark shot five-under-par 65 to finish at 17-under-par 263 to claim his second career PGA Tour victory and the $1.026-million winner’s prize.

Furyk, who has now lost seven tournaments in a row in which he led after 54 holes, went into the final round with a three-stroke cushion but never found traction and shot 69 to come second at 16-under 264.

Clark, who trailed by four strokes after bogeying the par-4 first, passed Furyk with a birdie on the 15th after a short rain delay. Both players birdied the 17th, setting up a final hole showdown.

Clark left a 44-foot putt about six feet short, but Furyk missed left on a 12-footer and Clark sealed the win by holing a six-foot putt.

Furyk has not won since a victory at the 2010 Players Championship gave him the FedEx Cup title and PGA player of the year honours. He fell short in a bid to become the fourth to win the Canadian Open three times after victories in 2006 and 2007.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., fired three birdies on the back nine for a 68 to finish as the low Canadian at 10-under and a tie for seventh place with Dicky Pride, who tied the course record with a 63.

Justin Hicks shot 64 to leap into third place alone at 13-under 267 in his best performance of the season.

Matt Kuchar (65), Michael Putnam (66) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (66) finished tied for fourth at 11-under 269.

Organizers moved up the starting times by two hours and had the players go out in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees to try to fit the final round between forecast rainstorms.

It almost worked to perfection. Most of the field had finished their rounds when a cloudburst halted play for 26 minutes with the final group — including Furyk and Clark — had only four holes left to play.

After DeLaet and Furyk both tied the course record with 7-under 63s in the second round, Pride matched it with a bogey-free round.

Pride had the course record at 64 the last time the event was held at Royal Montreal in 2001 only to see Scott Verplank and David Morland go one shot better the next day.

“I had to get my course record back,” said Pride, who birdied the 17th and 18th for the record. “So to tie them and go back and get it, I’m pretty happy about that.

“And I was thinking about it on 18 too, which is an idiotic thing to do, but I made the putt anyway.”

Brad Fritsch of Ottawa had a 10-foot putt on the 18th for a share of the record, but missed by perhaps a centimetre for a 64.

But the 36-year-old in the Ottawa Senators golf shirt used his 64 to finish the event at 9-under. His bogey free round included three birdies and an eagle on the back nine. Fritsch just made the cut on Friday with a birdie on the 18th.

“We made the most of the weekend,” said Fritsch. “We felt like we were playing with house money this weekend just because we felt lucky to even be playing.”

“I played great today. On the back nine, I made a bunch of putts and made some good shots coming down the stretch.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., capped a strong first Canadian Open experience with a 69 to finish as the low amateur at 3-under.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbottsford, B.C. both shot 71s and finished at 2-under. Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont. had 71 to finish at 2-over par.


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Bishop Eddie Long Funeral Service Full Video

Bishop Eddie Lee Long funeral service was held on January 25, 2017, at 11: 00 a.m. at the Newbirth Missionary Baptist Church.

Bishop Eddie Long lied-in-state from 8 a.m. until the service began.

Visitation was held from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Jan. 24, at the church, according to Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, who was in charge of arrangements.

The family requests that any floral arrangements be in white or off-white.

Bishop Eddie Long died on Sunday, January 15, 2017, after battling cancer. While he announced several months ago that he was dealing with a health crisis, Bishop Long refused to believe to give in to the spirit of fear, he believed and trusted in God that He would be alright!

Bishop Eddie Long was able to attend several services and even preach a few sermons since October 2017 including “Untouchable, Unstoppable, Unbreakable” on November 10, 2016.

His last sermon was preached on January 1, 2107

To show how confident Bishop Long was in his belief in God’s will for his life, he mentioned to his congregation during Watchnight Service:

that the devil wanted him to stay at home and not come to church that night.

The devil, he said, asked him “why you going to church? You need to rest. You’re in recovery. I said, let me tell you something. I said if I was going for my ego, I’d lay here. If I was going trying to prove something, I’d lay here. I said God ain’t through with me and sometimes you need to see the skinny Eddie and the big Eddie and all that. It ain’t got nothing to do with physical appearance, it’s what in your heart…You are a Scripture… I want to see you struggle I want to see you fight the devil and get victory.”

He reminded the congregation that there were more folks with them than against them.

Bishop Eddie Long also recalled a time he had “preachers running away from me. Now they’re running towards me. They were running away from me because of mess. They’re running towards me because they say now if God can keep him, teach me how to stand.”

And that Bishop Eddie Long did do and well as there is no other pastor in history that was able to maintain his ministry under such circumstances!

It has taken me some time to write about his passing because I wanted to make sure that I was not tempted to be part of “mess” this time. I wanted to make sure that I authored Bishop Eddie Lee Long, an appropriate tribute to his work in ministry. I wanted to make sure that I could separate his “mess” from his good works as a faithful servant. ” I wanted to make sure that I could show you his resolve to stand on the word of God in spite of “mess” and terminal illness!

Here we go:
Bishop Eddie Long grew New Birth Missionary Baptist Church from 300 members to 25,000

Bishop Eddie Long was a national figure and one of the most innovative and polarizing pastors in the contemporary church.

Bishop Eddie Long was a man who gave away cars, helped people purchase homes and paid the college tuitions for those in need.

Bishop Eddie Long ensured his members were taken care of inside the church and outside in the community.

He as a loving father to three sons and one beautiful daughter (included in photo below)

Bishop Eddie Long was a global religious leader housing many New Births in several countries across the world including Asia and Brazil.

Bishop Eddie Long was able to build a legacy in New Birth that will ensure the church lives on, here is what a couple of members mentioned:

“I’ll be here, I’m not going anywhere,” said Yolanda Stewart, a business owner and member who described Long as a father figure. “I enjoy the fellowship, the teaching, the community outreach and the engagement. I think whoever he has to be the next leader, is going to be that and more.”

Another member, Marquise Goldwire said that “honestly, for the future, I see New Birth continuing on. Bishop may not be here on earth with us, but he will always be with us in spirit. New Birth isn’t going anywhere.”

Bishop T.D. Jakes offered this official statement on facebook:

We are deeply saddened by the passing of a mighty man of valor, embattled warrior, learned and beloved pastor and man I call friend, Bishop Eddie L. Long.

We will miss his enigmatic catchphrase uttered just above a whisper, “watch this…;” his love for the Gospel shared liberally and a ministry that impacted lives around the globe.

To the New Birth family, no words can ease the pain of your loss. I pray for the balm of Gilead to heal your broken hearts.

To his beloved widow, Vanessa and his children who feel the brunt of the loss most deeply and profoundly, we pray for you especially. You have not a high priest who cannot empathize with your present circumstance.

We stand in the gap for you in your time of suffering, waiting patiently for the glory that is to be revealed to us.

And pray that the God of all comfort would fill you to overflowing with a peace that passes all understanding.”

It is rumored that Bishop T.D. Jakes will offer the eulogy although this has Not been confirmed.

I think this is an appropriate time to be respectful of Bishop Eddie Long’s immediate and church families, don’t you? Let us focus on the good works of this servant Lord knows we all crucified Bishop Eddie Long in the last few years of his life!

Here is the official statement offered by New Birth regarding Bishop Eddie Long’s death:

LITHONIA, GA – Sunday, January 15

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church celebrates the life and legacy of Bishop Eddie L. Long who is now spiritually healed and home with the Lord. Bishop Long, Senior Pastor of New Birth, transitioned from this life early Sunday morning after a gallant private fight with an aggressive form of cancer. As a man of God with unyielding faith, Bishop Long maintained his commitment to our Heavenly Father as he proclaimed that cancer would not kill his faith nor his spirit. First Lady Elder Vanessa Long, Bishop Long’s wife of 27 years offered the following.

“I am confidant through my belief in God that my husband is now resting in a better place. Although, his transition leaves a void for those of us who loved him dearly, we can celebrate and be happy for him, knowing he’s at peace.”

Deeply committed to his church, even in his last days, Bishop Long delivered his final message to New Birth as we ushered in 2017. He told the church that God was already working in our favor and what we have been praying for was already manifested. In his departure, we receive that and as faithful members of New Birth, we praise God for the life of Bishop Long. Bishop Long was known as one of the most influential faith leaders in the world. He stood strong as a Kingdom Builder, pioneering leader, and revolutionary mind changer. Long was a family man and spiritual leader who was well respected and loved for his passion to unapologetically and courageously preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Long inspired thousands of believers around the world through his global ministry that literally changed lives. Through his earthly battle, Bishop Long believed that God was once again using him to help others see the power of the Holy Spirit through the love New Birth displayed to him and the countless prayers sent up by others from every corner of the earth.Bishop Eddie L. Long was 63 years old. He is survived by his beautiful wife, First Lady Elder Vanessa Long, 4 children Eric, Edward, Jared and Taylor and 3 grandchildren. The Long family thanks you for your prayers, condolences and messages of love. The family appreciates your support and respect of their privacy, as they prepare along with New Birth, for the homegoing service to honor Bishop Long. The date and other details will be announced in the near future.

    There is once appointed men to die and after that the judgment.There is no naming it and claiming it away!

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The 5 Most Underrated Singers and Bands

There are singers and bands that we all know well, and some of them – let’s face it – we wonder how on earth they got the success they have. At the same time, there are a multitude of singers and bands who either haven’t made it to success, or who have had limited success, but whose voices or performances are seriously underrated.

This article is dedicated to them. Please feel free to add names of bands and singers who you think are underrated to the guestbook towards the bottom of the page.

Thea Gilmore:

theagilmoreThea Gilmore is a British singer-songwriter of Irish origin. She has been well-thought of in the music press but has had limited chart success. She has opened for Joan Baez , and Uncut magazine described her as “the best British singer-songwriter of the last 10 years…and then some”.

Kate Nash:

Kate Nash is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist, whose song “Foundations” reached number 2 in the UK charts, and whose album “Made of Bricks” reached number 1. At the Brit Awards in 2008 she was named “Best Female Artist”.

Her career began by performing local gigs and uploading her music to MySpace, After solo success, she has since joined a punk band, The Receeders, as a “side project”, but she continues to be a solo musician as well.

Marina and the Diamonds:

Marina Lambrini Diamandis is a Welsh singer-songwriter, better known by her stage name Marina & the Diamonds. The stage name is from a translation of her Greek surname, and although many people believe “the Diamonds” are her backing group, it refers, in fact, to her fans.

Her fame began when she reached number 2 on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll. She was also nominated for the Critics’ Choice at the 2010 BRIT Awards, and came 5th in SHREDnews’ “Ten Artists To Watch in 2010” list. In addition she won the award for Best UK & Ireland Act at the 2010 MTV awards.

She has described her own music as “an indie artist with pop goals”, and has been compared to Kate Bush and Florence and the Machine.

Regina Spektor:

Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian-born, American singer-songwriter and pianist. She lived in the Soviet Union until she was 9, when Soviet citizens were permitted to emigrate. They chose to leave the country because of the ethnic and political discrimination that Jewish people faced in the Soviet Union.

Having settled in the USA, Regina studied classical piano with Sonia Vargas, practicing on a piano in her Synagogue, as well as tabletops and other hard surfaces. She began writing her own songs, and her talent gradually began to be recognized in performances in the anti-folk scene in New York City.

In her songs, Regina plays creatively with lyrics, pronunciation, language, accent, and literary allusions.

The Dresden Dolls:

14_320x240The Dresden Dolls is an American band from Massachussetts, consisting of two artists: Amanda Palmer and Brian Viglione. The pair formed a band in 2000 after meeting at a Halloween party where Amanda had sung solo, and soon gained a cult following.

Due to a fear of being described as “goth”, they invented the phrase “Brechtian punk cabaret” to describe their musical style, and the “cabaret” element of this is represented by the way they dressed up with dramatic make-up, and encouraged audience members to get involved with the show by doing performance art.


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Sunday, September 30, 2012

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA at a depth of 35 km (21.7 miles), the quake hit at 23:04:43 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 94 km (58 miles) WSW of Kuqa, China
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.4 Magnitude Earthquake MOLUCCA SEA - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake has struck the MOLUCCA SEA at a depth of 58.1 km (36.1 miles), the quake hit at 22:47:25 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 142 km (88 miles) NNW of Tobelo, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.6 Magnitude Earthquake NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake has struck NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN at a depth of 15.8 km (9.8 miles), the quake hit at 22:39:16 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 74 km (45 miles) ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.5 Magnitude Earthquake KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has struck KOMANDORSKIYE OSTROVA, RUSSIA REGION at a depth of 30.4 km (18.9 miles), the quake hit at 21:49:27 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 116 km (72 miles) East of Ust'-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

4.7 Magnitude Earthquake NORTH INDIAN OCEAN - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake has struck the NORTH INDIAN OCEAN at a depth of 15 km (9.3 miles), the quake hit at 20:43:38 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 685 km (425 miles) WSW of Banda Aceh, Indonesia
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Taiwanese warships heading to Diaoyu / Senkaku Islands, Special Forces contemplating landing on islands to prevent Japanese police actions, bringing region precipitously close to war

In connection with the recent largest-in-history people’s protest for the protection of the Diaoyu Islands, Taiwan’s “Coast Guard” has dispatched over 10 naval ships in escort, including 100 ton, 500 ton, 1000 ton, and 2000 ton warships as well as established an emergency contingency center and command headquarters, to protect the fishing vessels.

With regards to the people protesting for the protection of the Diaoyu Islands, Taiwanese authorities have also given approval and support. Ma Ying-jeou expressed on the 24th that Taiwanese fishermen have been catching fish in the waters around the Diaoyu Islands for hundreds of years but now often suffer interference from Japan’s Coast Guard, which makes the fishermen extremely angry. He said, “If this problem can’t be resolved, it may also be very difficult to sit down and discuss other issues”. The Ma Administration emphasized on the 24th that the Yilan fishermen heading towards the waters of the Diaoyu Islands were sailing out on “legal/lawful” fishing operations and that the “Coast Guard” would definitely protect them, also dispatching multiple warships to escort them. more

String of deadly attacks kill at least 32 in Iraq

Sept. 30 - Emergency service workers try to contain damage in the aftermath of deadly bomb attacks in Iraq which have killed at least 32 people.

D-FOX: Please contact us if you can read this

To D-fox: if you're reading this, please contact us at It's important -- we believe.

Major quake hits Colombia, no reports of death or damage

(Reuters) - A large earthquake shook Colombia on Sunday, rattling residents in the southwest of the Andean nation, but there were no reports of deaths or major damage, authorities said.

The 7.1-magnitude quake had its epicenter in the southwestern province of Cauca with a depth of about 103 miles, Colombian officials said.

"So far there are no reports that there has been damage to any part of the country, only reports that it was felt," Jaime Raigosa, coordinator of the National Seismological Network, said. "Fortunately, the quake was deep."

The U.S. Geological Survey had reported a 7.4-magnitude earthquake but then downgraded it to 7.1.

The quake was felt in neighboring Ecuador but authorities reported no damage there. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that no tsunami was expected. Source

Muslim protesters torch Buddhist temples, homes in Bangladesh

COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Hundreds of Muslims in Bangladesh burned at least four Buddhist temples and 15 homes of Buddhists on Sunday after complaining that a Buddhist man had insulted Islam, police and residents said.

Members of the Buddhist minority in the Cox's Bazar area in the southeast of the country said unidentified people were bent on upsetting peaceful relations between Muslims and Buddhists.

Muslims took to the streets in the area late on Saturday to protest against what they said was a photograph posted on Facebook that insulted Islam.

The protesters said the picture had been posted by a Buddhist and they marched to Buddhist villages and set fire to temples and houses.

Police said they had deployed extra security forces and banned gatherings in Buddhist-dominated areas.

"We brought the situation under control before dawn and imposed restrictions on public gatherings," said Salim Mohammad Jahangir, Cox's Bazar district police superintendent. Read More

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake COLOMBIA - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake has struck COLOMBIA at a depth of 150.4 km (93.5 miles), the quake hit at 16:31:34 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 9 km (9.3 miles) WNW of Isnos, Colombia
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Gone with the Typhoon: Car blown away by wind in Japan

Tropical Storm Churns Through Central Japan

A tropical storm is sweeping across central Japan with high speed winds and torrential downpours.

As a typhoon, Jelawat has already sparked chaos in the south of the country, injuring more than 100 people, flipping vehicles and causing power cuts.

This morning it made landfall in the Aichi prefecture with less intensity, but winds of up to 112mph, and is currently moving up the main island Honshu and central areas.

The storm is expected to churn northeastwards later in the day, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

It warned high waves of up to 10 metres (33ft) could hit islands and the Pacific coast near Tokyo, while up to 50cm (20ins) of rain is expected in some areas in the next 24 hours.

More than 2,000 people in the central Mie prefecture have been told to evacuate their homes, while residents in the capital have been urged to stay indoors, although Jelawat is not now expected to pass through the city.

Dozens of high-speed train services have been suspended across the country and some 500 flights cancelled. Read More

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake EAST OF THE VOLCANO ISLANDS - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake has struck EAST OF THE VOLCANO ISLANDS at a depth of 18.6 km (11.6 miles), the quake hit at 15:35:51 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 869 km (540 miles) North from SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Pakistan holds anti-blasphemy protests

Tornado destroys funfair in Valencia, Spain

Huge forest fires hit Turkey-Syria border

A huge forest fire has hit the Turkish border, threatening refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin.

Texas: Dead Crickets Kick Up A Stink In US Town

The smell of decaying cricket carcasses is plaguing several businesses in a Texan town and they do not seem to be able to get rid of the problem.

A bank and a chemist are among the firms struck by the foul odour from the dead insects that have apparently been trapped inside walls and have also been found on pavements in Waco.

Bank manager Jani Rodriguez said he had used several scented products to try and mask the stench in his branch.

The firm has also had the carpets cleaned and covered up openings where crickets might sneak in, like the small space around its glass doors.

But the bad smell remains and the problem seems to get worse when it rains.

This is because the insects are flushed out of cracks and crevices in the dirt where they normally live. Read More

China: 50ft tsunami of foam sweeps through village after chemical spill

This wall of foam sparked widespread panic among locals as it rushed along a river in southern China.

The mass of soapy suds blanketed the water in Xintang, in China's Guangdong province, leading to evacuations along the banks of the river.

But officials have now said the only threat posed by the foam - thought to have been caused by chemicals washed into the river - was the possibility of 'one or two dead fish' lurking in the bubbles.

'Panic': A local man is dwarfed by the mass of suds floating down a river in southern China

The bizarre scene is thought to have been caused after heavy rainfall washed a non-toxic chemical deodorant from a household rubbish tip into the river.

The bubbles were created when the chemical was swept over a waterfall, officials said.

A spokesman said: 'People are right to be cautious but it is harmless. It made very large bubbles when it went over a waterfall, but apart from one or two dead fish, it is harmless.' more

Thoughts: Besides, those Chinese could use a third arm anyway to faster knit our Gucci socks for us. It's win-win, right?

Fire engulfs pesticide factory in India

Sept. 30 - Chemicals are reduced to ashes as sudden fire engulfs pesticide factory of India's eastern state of Bihar. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

Supreme Court to consider jurisdiction for rights abuses

(Reuters) - For more than three decades survivors of human rights abuses in foreign countries have turned to U.S. federal courts to seek justice. On Monday the U.S. Supreme Court hears a case that could make that impossible.

The case pits a Nigerian widow against a multinational oil company. Esther Kiobel and others say Royal Dutch Petroleum (Shell) helped the Nigerian government commit human rights violations against her husband, who was executed in 1995. Shell has denied the allegations and argues that cases involving foreign governments committing atrocities in their own countries do not belong in the U.S. court system at all.

That the justices are considering the sweeping question of whether an entire class of lawsuits can be heard in the United States can be traced to briefs filed by three lawyers whose clients aren't even involved in the case.

How their briefs came to be sheds light on one of the most closely watched cases before the Supreme Court this term and shows how the efforts of private lawyers pursuing a public policy goal can have momentous consequences. Read More

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake PANAMA-COLOMBIA BORDER REGION - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck the PANAMA-COLOMBIA BORDER REGION at a depth of 48.8 km (30.3 miles), the quake hit at 09:30:14 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 26 km (16 miles) East of Acandi, Colombia
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Deadly Kenya grenade attack targets children in church

One child has been killed and six critically hurt, the Red Cross says, in a grenade attack on a church's Sunday school in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The attacker targeted St Polycarp's church on Juja Road.

A police spokesman said they suspected sympathisers of Somalia's al-Shabab Islamist militants were to blame.

Kenyan troops are at present part of an African Union force that has forced al-Shabab from its last Somali urban stronghold of Kismayo.

The Daily Nation quoted local police as saying that a number of those hurt at the church were injured in a stampede after the attack.

The police spokesman, Charles Owino, told Reuters news agency: "We suspect this blast might have been carried out by sympathisers of al-Shabab. Read More

Diana Dudas Body Found after going missing during Spanish Floods

The body of a British woman who went missing amid severe flash floods in Spain has been found, according to a friend.

Diana Dudas was reported missing in the town of Vera, Almeria, after torrential rain hit the area leaving at least 10 others dead.

The 52-year-old had a Spanish husband, Javier, and had lived in Spain for several years.

She had her own holistic therapy clinic and hairdressers in the town and had just written a book.

Her friend, Genny Sutcliffe, 56, said she was "absolutely devastated".

"I was told that her body was found washed up in the lagoon," said Mrs Sutcliffe. Read More

Tens of thousands of people have rallied in inner Melbourne to mourn Jill Meagher, grieving her horrific death, and urging harmony and an end to violence in the community.

Police closed Brunswick's Sydney Road to traffic for more than an hour on Sunday as people of all ages walked where the 29-year-old ABC staffer spent her final moments before her alleged abduction and murder last weekend.

Hundreds laid flowers and notes, lit candles and signed a condolence book for Ms Meagher's family at makeshift memorials outside the local Baptist church, as well as the boutique where CCTV footage captured the moments before she disappeared.

Local resident Philip Werner, who organised the march, led the procession with a banner that read "Choosing peace, hope, non-violence and solidarity with all women".

Mr Werner said he had felt compelled to unite people, many of whom had never known Ms Meagher but shared in the shock and sadness of her death, which occurred as she walked from a bar on the popular nightlife strip towards her nearby home. Read More

UN ridiculous, cover for US hypocrisy as force for democracy

US aims to destabilize Iran by dropping opposition group from terror list

'Iran neighbors arming up, Bahrain "a good customer" of US unlike Syria'

Web Wars of Secrecy: Hackers for hire in demand by govts

Video: Violent clashes erupt as Madrid cops squelch austerity protest

US seeks black flag operation in Syria

Algeria at UN: Limit Free Speech, Protect Islam

Upset auto workers storm Paris Motor Show

Portuguese protest austerity measures

China: Internet has dismissed the name of 'Bo Xilai'

On September 28, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
announced that Bo Xilai,
the former CCP Secretary in Chongqing was expelled
from the CCP and dismissed from position.
His alleged crimes and evidences and clues have been
transferred to judicial organs.
Meanwhile, micro blog in China lift up ban on names of
Bo Xilai, Gu Kailai and Wang Lijun.
In a short time, netizens' comments had piled up.

People in China had never posted on micro blogs
so freely to discuss about Bo and Wang's case.
Enter Bo Xilai online, you could find over 6.5 million results;
if enter Wang Lijun, more related articles show up, about 7 million results;
even enter Gu Kailai, you will find 1.65 million results.

About possible prosecution and sentencing of Bo Xilai,
a media person Shi Kefei said, "If you read carefully through the draft,
you can see the current problems are divided into
two categories- one is alleged crime, and the other clues.
The latter is worthy of concerning,
and it's a very dramatic mystery."

An youthful writer, Zhang Chunjiang raised such a question,
"In addition to the superficial offenses,
how will the CCP explain Bo's crimes on organ harvesting
from living human beings?"

Sensitive Word "Organ Harvesting Alive" Lifted

On the very day of Bo's sanction, "living organ harvesting",
which is closely related to Bo's case, was also lifted on microblogs in China. Read More

US disguises MKO terrorists as heroes

US Embassy issues terror warning for Americans in Egypt

The US Embassy in Cairo issued a terrorist threat warning on Friday for American citizens living in Egypt.

The diplomatic mission stated on its website that it has “credible information suggesting terrorist interest in targeting US female missionaries in Egypt.”

The embassy urged US citizens to “exercise vigilance, taking necessary precautions to maintain their personal security.” Americans in Egypt were also advised to maintain valid travel documents and to regularly monitor the US Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which lists updated travel warnings and alerts.

On August 4, the US issued a travel warning to Americans to “take precautions in travel to the Sinai.” It warned that “overland travel from Israel to the Sinai in particular is strongly discouraged.” That warning came soon after Israel urged its citizens to get out of the Sinai. The next day, Sinai terrorists killed 16 Egyptian border guards in an assault at the Egypt-Gaza-Israel border.

Also on Friday, the chairwoman of the House of Representatives committee that oversees foreign aid said she would block $450 million in US assistance to Egypt in light of tense relations between the two countries. Read More

Christians 'flee Egypt town after death threats'

AFP - Several Christian families have fled their homes in Egypt's Sinai peninsula after receiving death threats from suspected Islamist militants, officials and residents told AFP on Friday.

Last week, flyers began circulating in the town of Rafah on the Gaza Strip border demanding that its tiny Coptic population move out, residents said.

Officials at the local church informed the authorities of the threats, but no actin was taken, they added.

Days later, a shop belonging to one of the families was fired on with automatic rifles, witnesses said.

The events prompted the families to leave Rafah but there were conflicting accounts over whether they had done so voluntarily or been evicted.

"The families have left Rafah and gone to El-Arish," one official said on condition of anonymity.

Another official denied that any Coptic families had left at all. Read More

The Obama administration notified Congress on Friday that it would provide Egypt’s new government an emergency cash infusion of $450 million, but the aid immediately encountered resistance from a prominent lawmaker wary of foreign aid and Egypt’s new course under the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The aid is part of the $1 billion in assistance that the Obama administration has pledged to Egypt to bolster its transition to democracy after the overthrow last year of the former president, Hosni Mubarak. Its fate, however, was clouded by concerns over the new government’s policies and, more recently, the protests that damaged the American Embassy in Cairo.

The United States Agency for International Development notified Congress of the cash infusion on Friday morning during the pre-election recess, promptly igniting a smoldering debate over foreign aid and the administration’s handling of crises in the Islamic world. Read More

Surreal: Clinton Pledges $45 Million in Aid to Al Qaeda in Syria

US inundates terrorist legions with cash & support after regional embassy attacks and death of own ambassador.

by Tony Cartalucci

September 28, 2012 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that the US would be providing an additional $45 million in "non-lethal aid" to the "opposition" in Syria, reported the Associated Press. The Western press chose their words carefully, ensuring that the term "civilian opposition" was repeatedly used to describe the armed terrorist forces attempting to violently overthrow the Syrian government.

In reality, the "opposition" in Syria constitutes foreign terrorist legions flowing across Syria's borders, and in particular, staging and crossing over from NATO-member Turkey. In fact, it was recently admitted by the terrorist legions themselves that their headquarters has been located within Turkish territory for the duration of the conflict. In a recent France 24 article titled, "Free Syrian Army move HQ from Turkey to Syria," armed militants claimed they had only just recently "moved from Turkey to within Syria."

Clinton's Aid is Going to Al Qaeda, Not a "Civilian Opposition."

While the Western media attempts to portray heavily armed foreign terrorists as "Syria's civilian opposition," it has been revealed that entire brigades are led by Libyan terrorists drawn from the ranks of the US State Department (#29), UK Home Office (page 5, .pdf), and UN-listed terror organization, the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).

The presence of LIFG in Syria was first announced by the Western press in November of 2011 when the Telegraph in their article, "Leading Libyan Islamist met Free Syrian Army opposition group," would report:

Abdulhakim Belhadj, head of the Tripoli Military Council and the former leader of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, "met with Free Syrian Army leaders in Istanbul and on the border with Turkey," said a military official working with Mr Belhadj. "Mustafa Abdul Jalil (the interim Libyan president) sent him there." Read More

50 Countries Label Genetically Engineered Foods – When Will Americans have the Right to Know and Choose?

By Dr. Mercola

The greatest opportunity to give people the right to know if their food is genetically engineered will occur with the California ballot initiative – officially known as Proposition 37 – which is coming up for vote on November 6. Proposition 37 will require labeling of genetically engineered foods, and end the routine industry practice of labeling and marketing such foods as "natural."

Your support, regardless of what state you live in, can make all the difference between winning and losing.

As summed up by Mark Bittman in a recent New York Times piece:1

"Polls show Prop 37 to be overwhelmingly popular: roughly 65 percent 'for', to 20 percent 'against', with 15 percent undecided. Nationally, on the broader issue of labeling, in answer to the question of whether the Food and Drug Administration should require that:

'Foods which have been genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered ingredients be labeled to indicate that,' a whopping 91 percent of voters say 'yes' and 5 percent say 'no'. This is as nonpartisan as an issue gets, and the polls haven't changed much in the last couple of years.

...Prop 37 isn't a ban on foods containing genetically engineered material; it's a right-to-know law. As things stand, you can find out whether your salmon is wild or farm-raised, and where it's from, but under existing legislation you won't be able to find out whether it contains the gene of an eel.

That has to change. We have a right to know what's in the food we eat and a right to know how it's produced. This is true even if food containing or produced using GMO's were the greatest thing since crusty bread.

...If genetically engineered food is so terrific, persuade us; if it's not, well, fine. In any case, it should be up to us to buy it or not, but first we have to know what it is." Read More

Pepe Escobar: ''Why Qatar wants to invade Syria''

Make no mistake; the Emir of Qatar is on a roll.

What an entrance at the UN General Assembly in New York; Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani called for an Arab coalition of the willing-style invasion of Syria, no less. [1]

In the words of the Emir, "It is better for the Arab countries themselves to interfere out of their national, humanitarian, political and military duties, and to do what is necessary to stop the bloodshed in Syria." He stressed Arab countries had a "military duty" to invade.

What he means by "Arab countries" is the petromonarchies of the Gulf Counter-Revolution Club (GCC), previously known as Gulf Cooperation Council - with implicit help from Turkey, with which

the GCC has a wide-ranging strategic agreement. Every shisha house in the Middle East knows that Doha, Riyadh and Ankara have been weaponizing/financing/providing logistical help to the various strands of the armed Syrian opposition engaged in regime change. Read More

Berlusconi: euro is a 'swindle' and Germany wants ''hegemony"

BRUSSELS - Italy's derided and populist ex-PM Silvio Berlusconi is trying to make a comeback ahead of general elections due in spring 2013.

Speaking at a book presentation event in Rome on Thursday (27 September), he called the euro a "big swindle" and said that it would be no "tragedy" if Germany - which has displayed "hegemony, not solidarity" in the crisis - left the common currency.

He also criticised the eurozone bailout fund, the ESM, which was ratified by Berlin the same day.

Belrusconi said that it only contributes to the vicious circle of recession and debt: "To receive aid you have to sign a memorandum with austerity measures, which bring the economy to collapse and into a recessionary spiral." Read More

Why An Islamic Revolution In Saudi Arabia Is A Surefire Way To Send Oil To $300 A Barrel

There is little that would rock the oil world more than a revolution in Saudi Arabia.

But with a coming leadership crisis, it is becoming all too likely.

Saudi is facing major economic challenges as dramatic increases in social spending and domestic fuel consumption eat through the kingdom’s all-important oil revenues.

Saudi Arabia is smack in the middle of the Middle East, an ever-tumultuous region currently rocking and rolling more than usual as the Arab Spring challenges longstanding autocratic assumptions, while war-torn Syria and defiant Iran tip the delicate Sunni-Shia religious balance in the world’s most important oil region.

While the House of Saud might present itself as a stable, strong, and cohesive royal family, in truth the king and his successors are growing old and incapacitated in a throne room full of competing contenders. Meanwhile, the only other organized social group in the country – the Islamists – are waiting just outside the door.

Want to see oil at $300 a barrel?

To see $300/bbl oil, or to watch the news as Saudi troops attack Tehran, or to see a stranglehold on US oil imports, watch what a failed succession battle in the House of Saud that ends up destroying the whole family and ushering in an Islamist age in Saudi Arabia would do to the price of oil.

It could happen sooner than you think.

A Shaky House of Saud

The king of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Aziz bin Saud, is almost 90 years old. In Saudi Arabia’s royal system, the throne passes not from father to son but from brother to brother. The problem with the system is that none of King Abdullah’s brothers are exactly young and full of vigor.

Crown Prince Salman, next in line to the throne, is already 76. He got the Crown Prince nod after two of his elder brothers died. The remaining brothers now average 80 years of age. Read More

Max Keiser & Rob Kirby: ''Derivatives complex & international financial grid''

Powerful typhoon feared to make landfall on Honshu, Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- A powerful typhoon was traveling northeastward Sunday along the coast of western Japan, threatening to make landfall on the main island of Honshu after hammering the southern island of Okinawa, where it injured more than 50 people and caused extensive blackouts, the weather agency said.

Typhoon Jelawat is expected to make landfall later Sunday in the Tokai region in central Japan, with the season's 17th typhoon approaching the Kanto area in the evening, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Around 3 p.m. Sunday, it was moving past the tip of Shiono Cape in the western prefecture of Wakayama, packing winds of up to 126 kilometers per hour.

The agency is warning of torrential rain, thunderstorms and high waves, forecasting rainfall of up to 500 millimeters in the Tokai region, 400 mm in Kanto and 300 mm in Kinki over the 24-hour period through Monday noon. Read More

Investigators find cracks in second Dreamliner engine

(CNN) -- Just two months after an engine cracked and failed during test aboard a Boeing 787, federal plane inspectors have found a second engine problem on a different Dreamliner, the National Transportation Safety Board announced.

The NTSB identified the problem as a cracked fan midshaft on a Dreamliner General Electric GEnx-1B turbofan engine, the group said in a written statement posted on its website Thursday. The 787 had not yet flown when investigators identified the engine problem, investigators said.

Inspectors uncovered the cracked second engine during an inspection of all in-service engines of that type, the NTSB said. The statement included no further details of the discovery. The NTSB, which investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents, said its investigation of the engine troubles is continuing.

GEnx engines are manufactured at a General Electric facility in Cincinnati. Read More

China manufacturing continues to slump

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- China's manufacturing sector remains in a slump, renewing concerns that the world's second-largest economy is in the midst of a sharp slowdown sparked by Europe's debt crisis.

The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index, a key measure of manufacturing produced by global banking giant HSBC (HBC) and data research firm Markit, came in at 47.9 in September.

That was up slightly from 47.6 in August and higher than an initial estimate of 47.8 for September that was released last week. However, any reading below 50 is an indication that the manufacturing sector is contracting.

China's economy is still growing at a faster rate than the economies of the United States, Europe and Japan. But there are worries that the pace is slowing due to the problems in Europe as well as sluggishness in the U.S. Both Europe and the U.S. are key export markets for China. Read More

Hundreds killed in Pakistan flooding

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Floods resulting from monsoon rains have killed 422 people and left nearly 3,000 injured across Pakistan, a disaster agency spokesman said Saturday.

Some 350,000 people have been forced from their homes and another 4.7 million people affected by the flooding since August 22, Ahmed Kamal of the National Disaster Management Authority said.

More than 15,000 villages have been affected and many houses destroyed or damaged in the past five weeks, he said.

Pakistan has suffered a series of devastating inundations, affecting millions of people, in recent years.

Pakistan, India hit by deadly flooding
Flooding last year killed 470 people and impacted 9.1 million others, Kamal said. Read More

Police brace for trouble as thousands join Northern Ireland march

Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- Thousands of people are taking part Saturday in a march through the Northern Ireland city of Belfast that many fear could inflame tensions between Catholics and Protestants.

Over the course of the day, up to 30,000 people were expected to join the Ulster Covenant parade, held to mark the 100th anniversary of the signing of a pro-union document which helped shape Northern Ireland's history.

The parade left from Belfast City Hall Saturday morning, headed for the grounds of Stormont, beside the Parliament Buildings.

Concerns over potential disorder along the route center have focused on an area near St. Patrick's Church, where violence flared up between Catholics and Protestants earlier this month.
The parade passed near the flashpoint Roman Catholic church, near the city center, without incident Saturday morning but must still return along that route in the evening. Read More

Global stocks drop, euro falls on euro zone worries

(Reuters) - Stocks in the United States and Europe declined and the euro dipped on Friday after initial optimism about Madrid's debt-cutting plans gave way to anxiety over its troubled banks and faltering global economic growth.

Spain plans to ask for around 40 billion euros ($51.46 billion) in European aid to recapitalize its weak banks, Bank of Spain Deputy Governor Fernando Restoy said on Friday.

An independent audit of Spanish banks by consultancy Oliver Wyman showed the country's troubled lenders would need 59.3 billion euros in extra capital to ride out a serious economic downturn.

Spain will remain in focus, analysts said, with Moody's Investors Service expected to finish a credit rating review soon that may cost Madrid its sovereign investment-grade status.

"At some point that (Spanish) credibility issue is likely to come back," said Derek Halpenny, European head of FX research at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in London. "This is the fifth package - so the history of previous packages is that they weren't enough and lacked credibility." Read More

Khadr transferred to maximum-security prison in Canada.

Sept. 29 - The youngest prisoner and last Westerner held in Guantanamo, Omar Khadr, arrives in Canada.

Spain anti-austerity demo turns violent

Sept. 30 - Protesters clash with riot police wielding batons as an anti-austerity demonstration continues into the night in Madrid. Sarah Charlton reports.

Germans hold nationwide anti-Capitalism protests

Rebels blow up Syrian army tank

Sept. 25 - Amateur video appears to show Syrian rebels using explosives to blow up a military tank in Aleppo. Sarah Charlton reports

Gunfire rages in Syria's Aleppo

Sept. 30 - Amateur footage shows Syrian rebels engaging fire in fierce gunbattles with government troops in the city of Aleppo. Sarah Charlton reports.

Can Assad be pushed out without U.N. help?

(Reuters) - Western and Arab states demanding Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit are under pressure to produce a plan to make that happen, but their unwillingness to act outside a deadlocked U.N. Security Council leaves them looking fractured and powerless.

Foreign ministers and senior diplomats from the "Friends of Syria" - a group that includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey - are due to meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Friday.

"I just expect ideas to be presented. There will be no concrete plans," Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Erabi told Reuters. "Governments are not ready to put plans into action and the Security Council is not agreeing on anything."

The 18-month uprising against Assad's rule has killed around 30,000 people, according to activists. The protests have further escalated into an armed insurgency fighting with sectarian overtones that could drag in regional powers. Read More

Venezuelan opposition activists shot dead

(Reuters) - Gunmen shot and killed two local leaders of parties backing presidential challenger Henrique Capriles on Saturday in the worst violence of a volatile campaign before Venezuela's election next weekend.

Capriles' party, Primero Justicia (First Justice), said the gunmen fired from a van that witnesses identified as belonging to state oil company PDVSA or the local mayor's office during a rally in the agricultural state of Barinas.

The government of President Hugo Chavez, who is seeking re-election, confirmed the deaths and vowed the perpetrators would be brought to justice. Interior Minister Tareck El Aissami said the circumstances of the attack were still under investigation.

Venezuela is awash with guns, and violent crime is frequently cited as voters' No. 1 concern. Read More

NATO soldier, civilian, killed in Another Afghan "insider" attack

(Reuters) - A member of NATO's Afghan force and a civilian contractor have been killed in the latest so-called insider attack by a member of the Afghan security forces, the NATO force said on Sunday.

The attack in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday came after the United States said joint operations with Afghan forces were returning to normal.

Joint operations were halted two weeks ago after a surge of attacks by Afghan allies. At least 52 members of the NATO force have been killed this year in so-called green-on-blue attacks.

It was too early to say what impact the latest incident would have on plans to restore joint-operations with Afghan forces to normal, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force said. Source

String of Iraq car bomb blasts kill at least 17

(Reuters) - A string of car bomb blasts targeting mainly police checkpoints killed at least 17 people across Iraq on Sunday, police and hospital sources said.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Violence in Iraq has eased since its height in 2006-2007 when sectarian fighting killed thousands of people, but Sunni Islamists and an al Qaeda affiliate still launch regular attacks, seeking to undermine the Shi'ite-led government.

The most deadly explosion took place in Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, where bombs in three parked cars went off separately, killing eight people and wounding 22.

A suicide bomber in a car blew himself up in the city of Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad, killing four policemen, police and local officials said. Read More

Fareed's Take: Is democracy part of Europe's economic problems?

Everyone is looking at Europe these days as economic and political protests mount across the continent.

The downward spiral has produced a great debate about the virtues of "austerity," the idea that governments with large budget deficits must reduce these deficits -– mainly by cutting spending. If they don't get their budgets in order, so the idea goes, they won't be able to borrow money and will face a fiscal nightmare of ever-rising interest rates.

The problem is that as these governments cut spending in very depressed economies, it has caused growth to slow even further -– you see government workers who have been fired tend to buy fewer goods and services, for example -– and all this means falling tax receipts and thus even bigger deficits.

So, economists like Paul Krugman urge: abandon the austerity program, spend more and get budgets in order once the economy has recovered. The problem, in the mind of Keynesians like Krugman, is that European elites, particularly in Germany, have embraced the wrong economic doctrine.

Now, having been in Europe briefly earlier this week, I don't think Europe's elites -– especially German elites -– have really embraced some alternative view of economics. Most do understand that cutting spending during a recession slows down the economy further. Read More

Ahmadinejad: US warnings don't affect our policies

Fareed Zakaria speaks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad about his statements on Israel, his country's nuclear program, and what he thinks about U.S. warnings. To watch the full interview, tune into GPS this Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET. You have indicated that you think that the Israeli prime minister's threats toward Iran are ones you don't take very seriously. But I was wondering how seriously you take the rhetoric of the president of the United States. President Obama said at the United Nations that he was determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Do you regard that as a bluff? You set forth two or three questions here. I have never used the word bluff. When we say we do not take it seriously, we mean that it impacts – it does not impact our policies in the slightest. Iran is a vast country. It's a great country. Let's assume a few terrorists come and assassinate some of our officials. Will the country be damaged? No. A couple of bombs will be set to explode. Will the country be destroyed? No. Read More

Japan Carriers Cancel Domestic Flights as Typhoon Jelawat Approaches

Typhoon Jelawat disrupted air traffic for tens of thousands of people as it approached the central Japan city of Nagoya today, packing winds gusting to 216 kilometers (134 miles) per hour.

All Nippon Airways Co. (9202) canceled 273 domestic flights affecting more than 43,000 passengers, the airline said in a faxed statement. Japan Air said it canceled 128 domestic flights affecting almost 25,000 passengers.

The storm was about 250 kilometers southwest of Nagoya, the hub of the nation’s third-largest metropolitan region, as of 1:45 p.m. local time, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its website. The storm was moving northeast at about 45 kilometers per hour.

Jelawat’s maximum wind velocity will probably be about 40 kilometers per hour when it makes landfall along the central Japan coast this evening, Kenji Okada, a forecaster at the agency, said by phone. Read More

First images of particle jets at edge of a supermassive black hole

Supermassive black holes appear to occupy the center of almost all galaxies. When they are actively swallowing matter, these black holes can power energetic jets that shine brighter than the entire rest of the galaxy, and can shoot matter free of it. Despite the mass and energy involved, however, the origin of these jets has been extremely hard to image, both because they're relatively compact, and because they're situated in the crowded centers of distant galaxies.

Now, however, researchers are putting together an array of telescopes stretched across the globe with the specific goal of imaging the environment near these supermassive black holes. The team behind the Event Horizon Telescope has now used it to image the black hole at the center of the M87 galaxy, and returned the first details of the disk of matter that is being sucked into that galaxy's central black hole.

It's difficult to imagine the environment near a supermassive black hole. These objects are typically over a million times the mass of our Sun, but all of that matter is crammed into a space that may only be a fraction of the Sun's radius. Any matter falling into one piles up into an orbiting disk of material (called an accretion disk) that increases in density and energy as you get closer to black hole. Any matter that crosses a critical point, however, rapidly spirals inward to the black hole itself. The inner area of the disk is so energetic that it actually sends matter away from the black hole in a wind of particles. Read More

Ancient statue discovered by Nazis is made from meteorite

An ancient Buddhist statue that was recovered by a Nazi expedition in the 1930s was originally carved from a highly valuable meteorite.

Researchers say the 1,000-year-old object with a swastika on its stomach is made from a rare form of iron with a high content of nickel.

They believe it is part of the Chinga meteorite, which crashed about 15,000 years ago.

The findings appear in the Journal, Meteoritics and Planetary Science.

The 24cm (9-inch) tall statue is 10kg (22lb) and is called the Iron Man.

Origins unknown
The story of this priceless object owes more perhaps to an Indiana Jones film script than sober scientific research.

It was discovered in Tibet in 1938 by German scientist Ernst Schafer. His expedition was supported by the Nazis, in particular by Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. Himmler was said to believe the Aryan race originated in Tibet and was keen to recover objects from the area. Read More

7 adults sickened at Riley Hospital with Mystery Illness, State of Indiana

Riley Hospital for Children is back in operation after a mysterious illness resulted in a lockdown on Thursday.

Seven adults got sick and four others were hospitalized Thursday due to an unknown substance they were exposed to inside the emergency room at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. All of those hospitalized have since been relased according to Riley spokeswoman, Abigail Gras.

It all started with an odd smell, which Riley staff members confirmed, prompting a call to the Indianapolis Fire Department. At approximately 11:50 a.m., an IFD hazardous materials team responded, along with members of the Department of Homeland Security, to investigate a possible chemical spill inside the hospital's emergency room. IFD spokesman Lt. Derrick Sayles later said there wasn’t a chemical spill.

Crews were still trying to identify the mystery subtance that caused seven adults to fall ill at Riley, even though investigators admit they may never know what made them sick.

"At this time, everything we found is inconclusive," said Indianapolis Homeland Security Director Gary Coons at a news conference Friday afternoon. Read More

Syria violence: Aleppo souk burns as battles rage

4.3 Magnitude Earthquake TAJIKISTAN - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake has struck TAJIKISTAN at a depth of 47.6 km (29.6 miles), the quake hit at 07:14:41 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 87 km (54 miles) North from Khorugh, Tajikistan
No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time

Amanda Clayton Dead: Michigan $1 Million Lotto Winner Who Was Charged With Welfare Fraud Found Dead

A woman who admitted to receiving food stamps after winning $1 million on a Michigan state lotto game show was found dead today.

The circumstances surrounding Amanda Clayton's death were not immediately released by police, but ABC News' Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV reported that sources within the police department said they suspect the woman died of an overdose.

An autopsy is pending on Clayton's body, which was found at a home in Ecorse, Mich., police said.

Clayton, who became a millionaire after her big win last September, caused outrage earlier this year when it was revealed she was continuing to get $200 in monthly food aid from the state.

According to the attorney general's office, Clayton failed to report her winnings and employment while receiving $5,475 in food and medical assistance. Read More

Protests Turn Violent Amid Huge Cuts In Spain

A protest in Madrid over spending cuts and Spain's sky-high unemployment turned violent, with demonstrators and riot police clashing for the third time in a week.

Thousands of Spaniards marched close to the parliament building on Saturday amid anger over austerity measures and a prolonged recession.

They protested peacefully for hours, but police with batons marched in before midnight to move on groups who were staying without permission to demonstrate.

Some responded by throwing bottles and rocks.

One press photographer at the scene reported seeing police severely beating a protester who was taken away in an ambulance.

Spanish state TV said two people were hurt and 12 detained near the parliament building. Read More

Spain: Tornado Hits Fair As Floods Kill 10

Ten people have been killed in flash floods in southern Spain and a British woman is missing, while dozens were hurt as a tornado ripped through a fairground.

A 52-year-old British woman is among those missing after torrential rain hit the Andalusia and Murcia regions, and hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes.

The hardest hit provinces are Malaga in the south and Almeria in the southeast.

Among the dead are seven men, two women and a 10-year-old girl who was found drowned in a car.

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it was investigating reports that the unnamed British woman has gone missing in Almeria.

In the region of Valencia, 35 people were reportedly injured after a tornado hit a fairground and flattened a Ferris wheel.

Local media said all the injured were fairground workers and 15 were seriously hurt.

The twister damaged several other rides and cut electricity in the temporary fairground set up in the town of Gandia.

The funfair was closed to the public at the time because of a thunderstorm, reports said. Read More

Miliband Threatens Bank Break-Up Under Labour

Ed Miliband has threatened to forcibly break up Britain's biggest banks if they do not go far enough with reforms intended to avert another crash.

The Labour leader was speaking on the eve of a Labour Party conference at which he is under pressure to set out his alternative to the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition.

Banks have been given until 2019 to ring-fence high street operations handling consumer and small business accounts from high-risk "casino" arms within the same group.

But the Opposition accuses Chancellor George Osborne of watering down reforms called for in the Vickers review in the face of lobbying by the industry, and moving too slowly to force change. Read More

4.2 Magnitude Earthquake GULF OF CALIFORNIA - 30th September 2012

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake has struck the GULF OF CALIFORNIA at a depth of 9.7 km (6 miles), the quake hit at 06:49:25 UTC Sunday 30th September 2012
The epicenter was 78 km (48 miles) ESE from Santa Rosalía, Baja California Sur, Mexico
No Tsunami Warning Issued - No Reports of Damage or Injuries at this time


text:
• The government is planning to rope in health and nutrition experts to study living pattern of tribals, including Jarawas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in an effort to reduce their susceptibility to diseases.
  • Observing that the immunity of tribals and forest dwellers in the country is an area of concern, Tribal Affairs Minister V Kishore Chandra Deo said that "utmost importance" should be given to their health needs.
  • Replying to a question on various tribes being susceptible to epidemics and genetic disorders, Deo said, "Basically, they would need to be immunised and probably the medical experts and anthropologists will have to study and tell us how they existed all these years and what needs to be done now."
  • Probably they (tribals) have their own medicines to deal with their diseases, unless some new disease have appeared in their areas, he added.
  • The gov emphasised that utmost importance should be given to that area to ensure that their immunity increases. Nutrition is another thing which can do benefits for their existence.
  • Tribal population in India is located in various states such as Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Mizoram, and other northeastern states, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Maximum tribal population density is found in areas of North East and faraway Union Territories such as Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.


text:
How cannabis was used to shrink one of the most aggressive brain cancers

Other uses. Jordan Greentree, CC BY-SA

Widely proscribed around the world for its recreational uses, cannabis is being used in a number of different therapeutic ways to bring relief for severe medical conditions. Products using cannabinoids, the active components of the cannabis plant, have been licensed for medical use. Sativex, for example, which contains an equal mixture of the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), is already licenced as a mouth spray for multiple sclerosis and in the US, dronabinol and nabilone are commercially available for treating cancer-related side effects.

Now, in a study published in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, we’ve also shown that cannabinoids could play a role in treating one of the most aggressive cancers in adults.

There are more than 85 cannabinoids, which are known to bind to unique receptors in cells and which receive outside chemical signals. These receptors feed into signalling pathways, telling cells what to do. Recent studies have shown that some cannabinoids have potent anti-cancer action. For example, both THC and CBD have been shown in a number of laboratory studies to effectively induce cell death in tumour cells by modifying the faulty signalling pathways inside these cells. Depending on the cell type this can disrupt tumour growth or start to kill it.

The psychoactivity associated with some cannabinoids, principally THC (which gives people a cannabis high), is also mediated via the same receptors. Because these receptors are found in the highest abundances in brain cells, it follows that brain tumours also rich in these receptors may respond best to cannabinoids.

We wanted to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Sativex in glioma cells. High-grade glioma is an aggressive cancer, with very low long-term survival rates. Statistics show that just over a third (36%) of adult patients in the UK with glioma live for at least a year, while the five-year survival rate is 10%.

Depending on the individual, treatment can consist of surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy with the drug temozolomide. However, due primarily to the intricate localisation of the tumour in the brain and its invasive behaviour, these treatments remain largely unsuccessful.

However, as our study showed, combining radiotherapy with cannabinoid treatment had a big effect.

Finding the right dose

We first had to perform lab tests on cells to optimise the doses of the cannabinoids, and showed that CBD and THC combined favourably.

We found that to achieve a 50% kill rate of glioma cells, a dose of 14mM (millimolar – a measure of amount-of-substance concentration) of CBD or 19mM of THC would be needed if each was used singularly. However, when used in combination, the concentrations required to achieve the same magnitude of cell kill is significantly reduced to just 7mM for each. This apparent reduction in the doses of the cannabinoids, in particular THC, without a loss of overall anti-cancer action is particularly attractive as unwanted side effects are also reduced.

Once we had these results, we then tested the impact of combining the cannabinoids with irradiation in mice with glioma. The efficacy of this treatment was tracked using sophisticated MRI technology – and we determined the effects on tumour growth of either CBD and THC together, irradiation, or the combination of both. The drugs were used at suboptimal doses to allow us to see if there was any improvement in the therapy from combining them.

Balancing anti-cancer with psychoactive

In principle, patients treated with THC could experience some psychoactive activity. But the secret to successfully exploiting cannabinoids as a treatment for cancer is to balance the desired anti-cancer effects with the less desirable psychoactive effects. This is possible, as some cannabinoids seem to function independently of the receptors and so do not engage the adverse effects. CBD is one such cannabinoid. The doses of THC we selected were below the psychoactive level, but together with CBD it partnered well to give the best overall anti-cancer effect.

Our results showed that the dose of irradiation we used had no dramatic effect on tumour growth, whereas CBD and THC administered together marginally reduced tumour progression. However, combining the cannabinoids with irradiation further impeded the rate at which tumour growth progressed and was virtually stagnant throughout the course of the treatment. Correspondingly, tumour sizes on the final day of the study were significantly smaller in these subjects compared with any of the others.

The results are promising. There may be other applications but for now it could provide a way of breaking through glioma and saving more lives.


text:
lunedì 26 novembre 2007

Cyber Monday

So today is Cyber Monday...a myth??? We'll see, hopefully!
For now I had no sales in my store but it's still morning in the US...go with holiday shopping!!!
I listed 3 new charm necklaces, pewter and polymer clay charms. This one is my favourite, I love gingerbread men!

Oh! And this is the first picture of my first mini hamburger :-)

Ok, back to work now...polymer clay cookies are still waiting for me ;-)

1 commento:

Christine Marie ha detto...

Such sweet delicious treats to wear!