Vybz Kartel: Dancehall Is In Jail......The incarcerated deejay says as long as he remains behind bars, so too does the success of dancehall music

The incarcerated deejay says as long as he remains behind bars, so too does the success of dancehall music. TO SAY it was a surprise to get an interview with Vybz Kartel would be an understatement.

STAYING STRONG: Vybz Kartel

Even upon hearing that the dancehall superstar would be doing press to support his new album, there was reason to be sceptical. After all, he is behind bars – where he’s been for the past two years – awaiting trial for murder. In such circumstances, it would be fair to assume that media duties wouldn’t be at the top of his priorities.

But on the contrary, the Jamaican deejay born Adidja Palmer, was keen to speak out about what he describes as the “injustice” of the Jamaican legal system, and the “repetition” of life behind bars. In addition, the star, famed for hits including Clarks, Ramping Shop and Pon Di Floor, lambasted the current state of the genre in which he found fame.

Granting Life & Style with an exclusive interview, Kartel says that dancehall has suffered a huge decline since he’s been behind bars – and insists that there is no artist in the market at present that can take his throne.

“Dancehall is in jail,” Kartel firmly insists. “And although the fact remains that if I die tomorrow, dancehall will continue, it’s also a fact that the next artist to bring the energy, panache and ‘vybz’ to dancehall, isn’t here yet.” read more...

BBC NEWS: Kenya's Westgate siege mother and children 'played dead' (VIDEO)

Kenya  

Faith Wambua was in the mall with Sy, nine, and her 21-month-old son Ty when the attack happened.

Faith spent four-and-a-half hours ''playing dead'' on the floor while protecting her children, before they were all finally rescued by a Kenyan policeman. read more...

VIDEO: Landmark ruling Attorney says Shanique Myrie judgement significant for Caricom travel.....CCJ rules in favour of Myrie

KATHY-ANN Brown, the lawyer representing the Jamaican Government in the Shanique Myrie case, has hailed yesterday’s ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as significant for every Jamaican travelling throughout the Caricom region.

The court held that where a Caricom national is refused entry into a member state, that national should be given the opportunity to consult an attorney or a consular official of his or her country, or to contact a family member.

Read more: 

IN JAMAICA:Arson! JUTC says Sept 5 bus fire deliberately set

THE State-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) says the first of two recent bus fires in the Corporate Area, which sent frightened passengers fleeing, appeared to have been deliberately set.

The Jamaica Urban Transit
Company says a motor
vehicle fire expert has determined
that this fire was
deliberately set. (OBSERVER FILE PHOTO)

 

The bus company said yesterday that the determination was made by a motor vehicle fire expert, whom the company had engaged after the Jamaica Fire Brigade had ruled that the cause of the September 5 blaze, which occurred on Mona Road, "was undetermined". The Jamaica Observer reported then that the bus burst into flames while transporting passengers.

Meanwhile, the bus company said the second bus fire on September 17 was triggered by "an electrical short circuit in the engine area". The latter incident — which involved a No 88 bus that plies the Downtown to Cross Roads route, via Mountain View Avenue — occurred while the bus was being driven along Arthur Wint Drive, in the vicinity of the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew. read more...

Kerry Washington, Best-Dressed Star, Admits To Wearing Sweatpants

Kerry Washington's best-dressed status is practically set in stone at this point (no matter what we say), thanks to top honors from People and Vanity Fair. Still, the "Scandal" actress remembers to keep it real -- and really down to earth.

At the show's season premiere this week, Kerry opened up to our friends at Fashionista on her best-dressed designation, admitting, "When that was announced, that day I went to work in sweats."

Olivia Pope dressed down? We can hardly imagine. Still, the show's costume designer Lyn Paolo corroborates Kerry's story for People: "She came in her husband [Nnamdi Asomugha]'s giant football player sweatshirt and said 'Look, I'm the best dressed!' It was pretty funny." read more...

5 high fiber foods you should be eating Fiber is essential to a healthy digestive system. Find a place for these foods throughout your day and you'll get plenty.

Fiber helps feed beneficial gut bacteria. It speeds up digestion. It can change how other nutrients and chemicals are absorbed by the body. And some types of fiber absorb water in the digestive tract and help avoid constipation.

 

In fact, eating enough fiber is absolutely crucial to maintaining a healthy digestive system. And maintaining a healthy digestive system is central to overall well-being. 

 

The average healthy male under the age of 50 is supposed to eat as much as 38 grams of fiber a day — the equivalent of 5 full portions of kidney beans — and for women, the figure is 25 grams.

 

But there's more to think about than just how much fiber you are getting, namely how many different types. Because the term "dietary fiber" covers a wide range of different plant-based substances that your body needs to function healthily, I recommend to my clients that they eat a broad mix of different high fiber foods. Incorporating the following foods high in fiber into your diet is a great place to start. read more...

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA: Anxious job seekers crowd Pier 1.....Close to 200 job seekers converged at Pier 1 in this tourist resort city

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Close to 200 job seekers converged at Pier 1 in this tourist resort city yesterday in hopes of securing employment. They were responding to a newspaper ad by Ocho Rios-based tour company Bamboo Beach Club. 

A section of the crowd of job
 seekers at Pier 1 in Montego Bay
 yesterday waiting to be
 interviewed by a
 Bamboo Beach Club representative

 

One woman to whom the Jamaica Observer spoke said she didn't know which company was recruiting, but came anyway because she badly needed a job. She even asked if the Observer was hiring. Another young woman, who asked that her name not be used, said it was the second time in two weeks that she was responding to the ad.

"The last time they took our documents but they didn't call or anything and they put back the ad in the paper, so I decided to come again today," she said, explaining that she recently graduated from a tertiary institution with qualifications in hospitality and tourism management, and was therefore eager to snag one of the jobs. read more...  

 

IN JAMAICA: Police Swarm Denham Town.....Cops vow to take back the streets from criminals

A massive deployment of police and soldiers blanketed the west Kingston community of Denham Town yesterday, as the security forces try to take back the streets from gangsters who have engaged in a bloody feud in the area.

"We are going to secure this community so that the residents can enjoy peace in their homes as they have a right to do," declared Deputy Commissioner of Police Glenmore Hinds yesterday, as he watched the police men and women at work in the heart of Denham Town.

Hinds was addressing members of the media amid reports that some 300 cops and more than 100 members of the Jamaica Defence Force were in the area conducting a cordon-and-search operation.

He said the police would be targeting the criminal gangs which have embarked on a murderous trail across the community.

Police intelligence have identified the criminal groups as the Strikers, Scare Dem and Four Storey gangs. Reports suggest that they have been responsible for several murders in the community. read more...

Miriam Carey Identified As Woman Killed By Police Near Capitol in Washington, D.C

Miriam Carey, Killed in DC

Law enforcement officers have confirmed the identity of the woman shot by police outside the Capitol building on Thursday.

The woman who attempted to drive through White House barriers and set off a Capitol Hill police chase was identified as 34-year-old Miriam Carey of Stamford, Conn. According to ABC News, Carey had a history of mental health issues and suffered from post-partum depression.

The suspect's sister, Amy Carey, was in disbelief when she told The Washington Post, “That’s impossible. She works, she holds a job." Miriam Carey has been identified by authorities as a dental hygienist in Connecticut. Former boss Dr. Barry J. Weiss told The New York Times that he and his partner fired Miriam Carey from their periodontics practice last year and cited her "temper" but would not go into detail. read more...

BOEHNER BLINKS NYT: Speaker Says He Won't Let Country Default... Still Makes Hostage Demands... White House Fears GOP Doesn't Grasp How Serious Obama Is... Treasury Warns Of 'Catastrophic' Damage If Congress Doesn't Act... Obama: Wall Street 'Should Be Concerned'...

WASHINGTON — With a budget deal still elusive and a deadline approaching on raising the debt ceiling, Speaker John A. Boehner has told colleagues that he is determined to prevent a federal default and is willing to pass a measure through a combination of Republican and Democratic votes, according to multiple House Republicans.

Enlarge This Image

Doug Mills/The New York Times

Representative John A. Boehner, the House speaker, arrived at the Capitol on Thursday with his security personnel on the third day of the government shutdown.

One lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Boehner had indicated he would be willing to violate the so-called Hastert Rule if necessary to pass a debt-limit increase. The informal rule refers to a policy of not bringing to the floor any measure that does not have a majority of Republican votes. read more...

BREAKING NEWS: GUNSHOTS OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL in Washington....U.S. Capitol In Lockdown After Gunshots Fired Outside

The United States Capitol is in lockdown, the Associated Press reports.

Shots were reportedly fired outside the Capitol Thursday afternoon. A shooter isreportedly in custody. Televisions inside the Capitol showed the following warning: Police say the U.S. Capitol has been put on a security lockdown amid reports of possible shots fired outside the building.

People standing outside the Supreme Court across the street from Congress were hurried into the court building by authorities. read more...

2-Year-Old Boy, Xiao Feng, Gives 'Birth' To Own Twin In China: Report.......AMAZING STORY

YouTube

A 2-year-old in China is reported to have "given birth" to the undeveloped fetus of his twin.

Xiao Feng, of Huaxi, was taken to the hospital after his parents noticed he had a bloated stomach and was having trouble breathing, News.com.au reported Monday.

Doctors found that Feng was carrying an undeveloped fetus inside his stomach, and removed it through emergency surgery, according to Inquisitr's translation of newscast from a China Central Television, a state-run media outlet.

The fetus, doctors say, was Feng's twin. Identical twins occur when a fertilized egg splits in two. Conjoined twins occur when a fertilized egg begins to split, but fails to do so completely. In Feng's case, the fetus was his conjoined twin that had been absorbed into his body inside the womb. read more...

Cocaine, HIV Linked In Research That Suggests Use Of Drug Boosts Vulnerability To Virus

Cocaine may not only rewire the brain after one use, but could also increase users' susceptibility to HIV, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that a specific type of immune cell becomes susceptible to the virus after cocaine use.

"Our studies focused on a unique population of immune cells (cells that constitute our body's defenses against infection), quiescent CD4 T cells, which can be targeted by HIV but are resistant to the virus," lead researcher Dr. Dimitrios Vatakis, co-director of UCLA's CFAR Virology Core Laboratory, told The Huffington Post in an email. "We have shown that cocaine exposure sensitizes these cells and increases their susceptibility to infection."

To test their hypothesis, the researchers collected samples of these dormant immune cells, which constitute the majority of T cells in the body, from healthy human donors. The samples were then exposed to cocaine and infected with HIV in a laboratory setting. read more...

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'WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DISRESPECTED. WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING OUT OF THIS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT EVEN IS.'

AP

Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) (AP Photo/Indiana Republican Party)

House Republicans are continuing to play hardball in negotiations over the spending bill that precipitated the government shutdown on Oct. 1, apparently out of fear that compromise would weaken their power.

"We're not going to be disrespected," Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) told The Washington Examiner. "We have to get something out of this. And I don't know what that even is."

The GOP spent much of Wednesday blaming President Barack Obama and the Democrats for the effects of the shutdown, which led to the furlough of 800,000 workers and the closure of numerous government services. They failed to mention that the spending bill didn't pass because they loaded the bill with restrictions on theAffordable Care Act, a law that passed in 2010 and was found constitutional by the Supreme Court in June 2012. read more...

JAMAICA'S OLYMPIAN, Veronica Campbell-Brown is cleared by disciplinary panel for competition......It ruled Campbell-Brown "committed an anti-doping violation" but did not use the banned substance for performance enhancement.

KINGSTON, Jamaica — KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — A Jamaican disciplinary panel gave sprinting star Veronica Campbell-Brown a public warning Wednesday and cleared her to return to competition some five months after she returned a positive doping test on the Caribbean island.

Campbell-Brown

The three-time Olympic gold medalist, one of the cornerstones of Jamaica's wide-ranging sprinting success, returned a positive test for banned diuretic at the Jamaica International Invitational meet in May. She was suspended from competition while the disciplinary committee reviewed the case and missed the island's national championships to try and qualify for this summer's worlds in Moscow.

In a statement, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association said its disciplinary committee "recommended that a reprimand without any period of ineligibility would be appropriate." It ruled Campbell-Brown "committed an anti-doping violation" but did not use the banned substance for performance enhancement.

The full text of the ruling by a former judge, an attorney and the head of the island's medical association was not publicly released.

In June, a spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations, the sport's world governing body, said the case involving Campbell-Brown appeared to involve a "lesser" offense of unintentional use of a banned substance. read more...

A FATHER TELLS THE STORY OF HIS 2 y-o DAUGHTER WHO DIED OF CANCER: A Comedian Silences A Room For 9 Minutes. It's Not An Awkward Silence.....The Moth Presents Anthony Griffith: "The Best of Times, The Worst of Times" (MOST GRIPPING VIDEO)

Comedians spend years honing their stage persona, but when all-star comic Anthony Griffith tells the story of his life as a comedian and as a father, not even he can keep it together. To be honest, I couldn't either when I watched this video. It's so important to remember that the people we idolize aren't the two-dimensional, easily digestible caricatures that we see of them in the media. I've seen some breakdowns before, and this was the first one that felt real. read more...

OBAMACARE or AFFORDABLE CARE ACT (Healthcare.gov): Welcome to the Marketplace The Health Insurance Marketplace is open! Enroll now in a plan that covers essential benefits, pre-existing conditions, and more. Plus, see if you qualify for lower costs.

Create an account

First provide some basic information. Then choose a user name, password, and security questions for added protection.

Apply

Starting October 1, 2013 you’ll enter information about you and your family, including your income, household size, and more.

Use this checklist now to help you gather the information you’ll need.

Pick a plan

Next you’ll see all the plans and programs you’re eligible for and compare them side-by-side.

You’ll also find out if you can getlower costs on monthly premiums and out-of-pocket costs.   read more...

Enroll

Choose a plan that meets your needs and enroll!

Coverage starts as soon as January 1, 2014.

7 Amazing Facts About Tomatoes

Tomatoes rarely come up in conversation unless I'm ordering a salad or veggie burger. But after senior style editor Ellie asked me about the beauty benefits of the juicy red fruit, I've discovered more than enough reasons to make it a part of my daily routine.

It turns out that tomatoes contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that work wonders when you slice them open and put them on your hair or face. Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives the tomato its red color, is key in reversing signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin A also helps to heal and repair damaged skin cells. And it gets even better! Behold, seven amazing uses for tomatoes.

1. Cleanse and tone skin. Get your hands messy and mash one tomato and one avocado into a facial mask. Smooth onto your skin and leave on for 15 to 20 minutes. (Tip: Because tomatoes are highly acidic, it may sting or burn. I always recommend testing a small area first.) The tomato deep-cleans dirt and debris, while the avocado restores moisture. Wash off with lukewarm water and pat face dry......read more

Protecting The Prostate Of The Jamaican Man

Cut out intake of excessive
alcohol and fatty foods

It is a well-known fact that prostate cancer is the number-one cause of cancer deaths in Jamaican men. I wish the cure could be found because many have lost loved ones and many more of our men are ailing from this dreaded disease.

There is no scientific evidence that any particular food or nutrient can cure or prevent prostate cancer. Most researchers and health professionals worldwide have agreed that choosing a healthy lifestyle, which includes making healthy food choices, will lower the risk of developing prostate cancer.

The following lifestyle habits practised in our Jamaican culture may be the cause for our men being at such high risk of developing prostate cancer:

Consumption of high-fat foods such as fried chicken, escoveitched fish, oxtail, fried dumpling/plantain/ breadfruit/fritters, ackee and salt fish/mackerel /corned pork, bread and butter, and patty. read more...

Dancehall Cleared For Boarding - Wayne Marshall, Tifa, Denyque, Sasco Named Fly Jamaica Ambassadors

Denyque

Fly Jamaica officially unveiled its four brand ambassadors in a ceremony for the airline's inaugural flight from Jamaica to Guyana. The function took place at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana.

All four ambassadors - Agent Sasco, Wayne Marshall, Tifa and Denyque, were on-board the flight. They also delivered impromptu performances at the ceremony.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Agent Sasco said it is a pleasure to be associated with the airline. "I came to Guyana on previous occasions, so I can truly appreciate this direct flight from Kingston. In the past, you would have had to do a lot of island hopping and stopovers, and that was like a seven-hour ordeal. With this direct flight it's less than three hours, so I really appreciate that," he said. read more...

Bolt, Fraser-Pryce Named Among IAAF Athlete Of The Year Nominees For 2013

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (left) and Usain Bolt.

Two Jamaicans are among the 10 men and 10 women shortlisted by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) to take the coveted 2013 World Athlete of the Year Award. 

The Jamaican athletes named in an announcement by the federation today are Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. 

An email poll involving the world athletics family begins today, and will close on October 27, at midnight. The IAAF say the candidates have been selected by an IAAF panel of athletics experts made up of representatives from all six continental areas of the IAAF. read more...

'Bolt Inspired Me': I Really Respect And Appreciate Him - Gatlin.

Gatlin, Bolt and Carter

Justin Gatlin was an emotional man at the London Olympics in 2012, not because he had finished behind Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake in the 100 metres final, but because he had lined up beside them in the first place.

"I got emotional at the Olympics because my goal was to line up next to this guy and I was lined up next to him and Yohan Blake - between them, actually. I felt like, 'You  may not like me, but you are going to respect that I am here; we are going to battle today.'"

They say one's biggest rival is sometimes also their biggest admirer.

When Jamaica sprinting superstar Usain Bolt announced himself to the world in 2008 at the Beijing Olympic Games, winning three gold medals in world record fashion, American Justin Gatlin was watching from afar in astonishment - at home, serving the second of a four-year drug ban. read more...

World's Gentlest Dog Befriends Little Boy With Down Syndrome, Melts Our Hearts (VIDEO)

This is a dog called Himalaya. She's refusing to give up on a toddler who doesn't want to play.

Little Hernán, from Buenos Aires, has Down Syndrome, which, according to comments posted by his mom Ana, causes him to shy away from physical contact.

But Himalaya is persistent and gentle, and Hernán ends up giving her what looks like a hug around the 3:12 mark. We've been watching it on repeat. (read and watch video)...

POISON PILL PASSES, SHUTDOWN LOOMS Senate Kills... 12 House Republicans Abandon Ship... 'Rebellion' Fails... Boehner Personally Lobbied Potential Dissenters... GOP Congressman Blasts Colleagues: 'Lemmings With Suicide Vests'... BOEHNER SET TO FOLD?... Obama: 'You Don't Get To Extract A Ransom For Doing Your Job'... 2 HOURS TIL SHUTDOWN... 'About Every Other Lawmaker I Talked To Smelled Like Booze'

WASHINGTON -- The House and Senate played ping-pong with funding for the federal government Monday night, hours before cash for much of Uncle Sam's operations was due to run out.

The GOP-led House passed its third measure that would keep government open after midnight, but only if Senate Democrats and the president agree to hamstring Obamacare.

The Senate promptly took up the bill and voted to table it, 54 to 46. The action also stripped out anti-Obamacare provisions that Democrats and President Barack Obama found objectionable.

Before doing so, House Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declared the House was insane for repeatedly targeting Obamacare in a government funding bill, when there's no chance Democrats would help them gut Obama's signature health care law.

"Albert Einstein said when defining insanity as follows, quote, 'Doing the same thing over and over again and thinking you're going to get a different result,'" Reid said. "Einstein was a genius, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the proof is watching the House Republicans, because they've lost their minds." read more...

Samantha J - Tight Skirt (HypeTV Behind The Scenes)

Motorcyclists Assault SUV Driver In NYC After Fender Bender, High-Speed Chase (VIDEO)

An annual New York City motorcycle ride and rally, called the "Hollywood Block Party," turned violent Sunday after a motorcyclist was involved in a minor fender bender with a black Range Rover. Both the initial accident, and the high-speed chase that followed, were caught on tape via the mounted helmet camera of another biker. Motorcyclists, after catching up with the car, assaulted the driver. read more...

12 HOURS & counting....Obamacare Challenge Leaves Senate Scrambling, U.S. Government On Brink Of Shutdown

WASHINGTON -- A conservative challenge to the president's health care law has the federal government teetering on the brink of a partial shutdown.

The Senate has the next move on must-do legislation required to keep the government open past midnight on Monday, and the Democratic-led chamber is expected to reject the latest effort from House Republicans to use a normally routine measure to attack President Barack Obama's signature health care law.

Congress was closed for the day on Sunday after a post-midnight vote in the GOP-run House to delay by a year key parts of the new health care law and repeal a tax on medical devices as the price for avoiding a shutdown. The Senate is slated to convene Monday afternoon just 10 hours before the shutdown deadline, and Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has already promised that majority Democrats will kill the House's latest volley.

A House GOP leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, said the House would again rebuff the Senate's efforts to advance the short-term funding bill as a simple, "clean" measure shorn of anti-heath care reform provisions. read more...