Lupita Nyong'o Covers Dazed & Confused, Proving Yet Again She Is Fashion's New 'It' Girl (PHOTOS).
Fashion's (and pretty much everyone else's) love affair with the stunningly flawless actress Lupita Nyong'o continues with the Febraury issue of Dazed & Confused.
The "12 Years A Slave" star is certainly securing her "it" girl status while striking a pose for the glossy's “Girls Rule the World” issue, which was shot by Sharif Hamza and styled by Robbie Spencer.
It also helps that she's currently on the cover of W magazine and one of the faces of the Miu Miu Spring 2014 campaign. Major! Oh, and we can't forgot how shecompletely shut down the Golden Globes red carpet this past Sunday in Ralph Lauren. Has Lupita stolen your heart yet? If not, just check out these amazing photos from her Dazed & Confused editorial and get ready to fall in love. more
Maya Angelou Tells The Story Behind This Touching Photo......Amiri Baraka Photo
A few days after poet Amiri Baraka died, Maya Angelou shared the humorous story behind a famous photo of the two friends dancing.
According to her telling, they were attending a tribute to the late Langston Hughes in 1991 when photographer Chester Higgins, Jr. snapped the image. The caption, published in the New York Times, described Angelou and Baraka as performing an "African Custom of ancestral return." But, as Angelou explains below, that wasn't exactly how they remembered it.
Amiri Baraka was already the people’s poet when he answered to the name LeRoi Jones. We had a very famous photograph taken in 1991 by Chester Higgins, Jr. The photograph appeared in the New York Times. At the time the legend under said in effect, two of America’s great poets dancing a traditional African rite dance over the remains of Langston Hughes at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black C...
CHRISTIE CAUGHT WITH CAPO DURING DEBACLE.......GOV. LAST WEEK: 'I Have Had No Contact With Him In Long, Long Time'... Gives 'State Of State' Address Tonight Amidst Widening Scandal... Will Address Fiasco... NYT: 'Fired Aide Called Loyal Team Player, Not Rogue Operative'... Lawmakers Push Prosecutor To Investigate...
UPDATED | Gov. Chris Christie was with the official who arranged the closure of local lanes leading to the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 11, 2013 — the third day of the closures, and well after they had triggered outrage from local officials beset by heavy traffic.
It isn’t known what, if anything, Mr. Christie discussed with David Wildstein that day, when the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey official was among the delegation of Mr. Christie’s representatives who welcomed him to the site of the World Trade Center for the commemoration of the 12th anniversary of the terrorist attacks there.
Christie spokesman Colin Reed said, “Of course, Governor Christie attended the September 11th ceremony as he has done every year since he took office. He had numerous interactions with public officials that morning, including representatives of the Port Authority. They were all there for one reason – to pay tribute to the heroes of 9/11.”
Mr. Wildstein did not respond to a request for comment through his attorney.
Also present with Mr. Christie that day were Bill Baroni, the authority’s deputy executive director, who was helping Mr. Wildstein manage the fallout from the closures among local officials, subpoenaed documents show. Also there was David Samson, the Port Authority chairman and close Christie ally, who has said he didn’t learn of the lane closures and traffic in Fort Lee, N.J., until an email from a New York port official ordered the lane closures reversed. Messrs. Samson and Baroni didn’t respond to requests for comment. more
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Jamaicans Soon To Know The Sweet Reggae Wine
Jamaicans Soon To Know The Sweet Reggae Wine
Excellent, awesome, fruity, sweet, those were just some of the words used to describe the newest sweet wine soon to be on the Jamaican market. Reggae Wine is a product of Easley Winery in Indianapolis, Indiana. ...
Massive Crowd Welcomes Tessanne Back - Homecoming Concert A Resounding Success
Fireworks and confetti were the perfect end to a jam-packed event that to celebrate Tessanne Chin's major achievement.
Jamaicans from all walks of life apparently wanted to welcome Tessanne Chin home, packing Ocean Boulevard in downtown Kingston. People stood in the road and some even made their way on to the tops of high buildings just to get a proper view of proceedings on Sunday evening.
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| Tessanne Chin performs during her homecoming on the waterfront. |
The sea of people on the street and on the waterfront screamed as Tessanne took the stage, singing The Reason, while confetti filled the air.
She went quickly down memory lane with older songs like Black Booksand Messenger, the audience singing along.
The mayor of Kingston, Angela Brown Burke, also got in on the act, presenting Tessanne with a gold medal of recognition for her winning display in American talent competition, 'The Voice'. read more
ARIMA, Trinidad: Gunmen shoot and kill pregnant mom in T&T
ARIMA, Trinidad - A GUNMAN shot and killed a pregnant Arima mother of two on Sunday night, moments after she and her husband arrived at their home in Maturita Village, Arima.
Police said that around 8.45 p.m., the victim, Abigail Persad, 34, along with her husband and six-year-old daughter returned to their home on Manhattan Drive when her husband exited the car to open their gate.
As he did so, the car was approached by a gunman dressed in all black.
The man drew a pistol and opened fire on Persad, hitting her five times about the body.
Her husband reportedly ran off when he saw the gunman..
The gunman fled after he fired the shots, following which the husband returned to the car and took Persad to the Arima District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. read more
Damning evidence in Kartel trial Lizard texted he feared being murdered
BY PAUL HENRY Co-ordinator – Crime/Court Desk henryp@jamaicaobserver.com
DAMNING texts painting a picture of events leading up to the disappearance of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams on August 16, 2011 were read in court yesterday during the murder trial of entertainer Vybz Kartel and his four co-accused.
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| Vybz Kartel ( second right) and co-accused Shawn ‘ Shawn Storm’ Campbell entering the Supreme Court for their trial last year |
In a flurry of texts, believed to have been exchanged between Williams and his girlfriend Onieka Jackson, Williams said Vybz Kartel was going to kill him and repeatedly begged her to call the police and a person he referred to as Nadine. “U have to save me,” he said in one message.
Williams said he was running scared and that he was in a car heading to Havendale and begged desperately for Jackson to “hurry”.
Kartel and his co-accused sat in the prisoners’ dock straight-faced as the texts were displayed and read by Corporal Sean Brown of the Organised Crime Investigation Division to an attentive jury in the Home Circuit Court. read more
Shooting Over Movie Theater Texting Leaves 1 Dead, 1 Injured (UPDATE)
UPDATE 5:45 p.m. -- According tomultiple reports, the shooting occurred after an apparent argument over an audience member texting during a screening of "Lone Survivor."
The suspect was identified as Curtis Reeves, a retired Tampa police officer,according to News 13. He has been charged with second-degree murder.
The Orlando TV station website identified the victims as Chad and Nicole Oulson, a married couple.
ORIGINAL STORY -- An argument between couples over cellphone use at a Florida theater Monday led to one man being fatally shot and woman wounded, according to police who said a suspect was in custody. read more
WALLS CLOSE IN ON Chris Christie Facing Federal Investigation Over Sandy Funds: Frank Pallone
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) is facing a federal investigation into whether the governor used Hurricane Sandy relief money to produce tourism ads starring himself and his family, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) told CNN Sunday. The New Jersey lawmaker said the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted a preliminary investigation, and concluded that a full investigation is warranted.
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| Christie |
The investigation comes as the New Jersey governor is facing a separate federal probeinto revelations that his top aides engineered the temporary shutdown of access lanes to the George Washington Bridge as political retribution.
Pallone wrote a letter to the inspector general of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in August, asking why a firm with a more expensive pitch won the project to make a New Jersey tourism campaign with Hurricane Sandy relief funds. The winning firm's bid was $4.7 million, while a comparable firm cost $2.5 million. The more expensive idea included the Christies, while the cheaper pitch did not. read more
Beyoncé Pens AMAZING Essay About Gender Equality
Beyoncé Pens AMAZING Essay About Gender Equality
Steve Granitz via Getty Images
If Beyoncé's video album left any question as to her feminist credentials, the pop star'scontribution to The Shriver Report has us bowing down all over again.
Led by journalist and former first lady of California Maria Shriver, The Shriver Reportis a media initiative which documents the influence cultural trends have on American women. The 2014 special report, "A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back From The Brink", examines the financial insecurity among American women and the impact it has on the U.S. economy.
"We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet," Beyoncé wrote in the excerpt. She goes on to address men and their roles in promoting gender equality:
Why indeed should Jamaica lose out on the ganja medicine industry?
Why indeed should Jamaica lose out on the ganja medicine industry?News this week out of Uruguay that foreign firms have expressed great interest in opening laboratories there to study the potential medicinal uses ...... Read More
COLUMNS: SHAGGY & FRIENDS... First, the good news...
COLUMNS
First, the good news...
First, the good news. Shaggy & Friends, supported by corporate Jamaica, showed that if we gather top talent, if we have a convincing message, and if we are well-organised we can galvanise wid .... Read MoreENTERTAINMENT: SHABBA RANKS, Making of the 'Grammy kid'.
ENTERTAINMENT
Making of the 'Grammy kid'
THE Grammy Awards are scheduled for January 26 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. Five nominees (Beres Hammond, Ziggy Marley, Sizzla, Alpha Blondy and Sly and Robbie) are up for Best Reggae Album ....Read MoreBahamas police seize drugs worth US$3 million
Bahamas police seize drugs worth US$3 million 7:44 AM
NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) – Bahamas police say they have seized over three million US dollars worth of drugs and arrested two men during a police operation on Sunday. They said that the two men, ages 49 and 36, will appear in court later this week after the cocaine and marijuana drugs were found in a house in the capital. According to the police, acting on a tip-off they went to the house where a black duffle bag and three boxes were discovered and found to contain 102 kilos of taped packages ... Read MoreJamaica sitting on medicinal plant potential......"We have about 3,000 different plants in Jamaica and about 27 per cent, just over 800 of that, are not found anywhere else"
DEAN of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of the West Indies Professor Paul Reece said that Jamaica needs to tap into the huge medicinal potential that exists in its natural products.
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| Researcher Dr Roger Laine of Louisiana State University in the United States (right) captures the attention of (from left) Dr Andrew Lamn of the University of Technology in Kingston, researcher Professor Reinhard Neier of the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland and Professor Ishenkumba Kahwa, deputy principal at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Mona, Kingston during the opening day of last week’s four-day Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry symposium at UWI. (PHOTO: ASTON SPAULDING) |
"We have about 3,000 different plants in Jamaica and about 27 per cent, just over 800 of that, are not found anywhere else, but very few plants have been studied and even then, over 2,000 that are found in other countries, sometimes in Jamaica, produce different products because it is dependent on the soil and climate that it is grown in," he said.
"We have barely scratched the surface and there is so much more to be done," added Professor Reece, who was speaking to the Jamaica Observer following the opening ceremony for the Natural Products and Medicinal Symposium hosted by the Chemistry Department in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the university in Mona, Kingston, last week. read more
Kerry Washington Is Pregnant And Glowing On The Golden Globes Red Carpet
Kerry Washington confirmed her pregnancy news as she stepped out on the red carpet at the 2014 Golden Globes on Sunday (Jan. 12). The "Scandal" star's baby bump made its big debut as she posed in NBC's 360 cam.
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| Kerry Washington-Getty Image |
"I'm enormously grateful to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this honor," she said of her Golden Globe nomination. "It's humbling to be nominated alongside such great talented and hard-working women whose work inspire me." more
'12 Years A Slave' Wins Best Picture Drama At 2014 Golden Globe Awards (VIDEO CLIP)
"12 Years A Slave" was named Best Picture - Drama at the 71st annual Golden Globes awards. Steve McQueen's film, based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped into slavery in 1841, was the most-nominated drama of the night with seven total nods. The Best Picture win was its sole award of the night.
"12 Years A Slave" first debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in August, and had its official premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. McQueen's film, his third feature following "Hunger" and "Shame," is favorite to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards in March.
The other Best Picture - Drama nominees were "Captain Phillips," "Gravity," "Philomena" and "Rush." Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted the 71st annual Golden Globes, which were held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. Last year, "Argo" won Best Picture - Drama at the Golden Globes. Ben Affleck's film went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards as well. read moreSteve Kornacki Floats New Theory About Chris Christie's Bridge Scandal (VIDEO)
MSNBC host Steve Kornacki floated a new theory as to why New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's staff and appointees engineered the closure of two lanes leading into the George Washington Bridge last year.
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| Kornacki |
"It wasn't just the everyday lives of commuters and residents that were altered or in some cases jeopardized by what happened in Fort Lee," Kornacki explained. "Something else was affected and possibly jeopardized, something of enormous economic and political significance."
Kornacki explained that there is currently a billion dollar development project in Fort Lee, right next to where the lane closures occurred. The project is a keystone of Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich's tenure. As Kornacki explains, the closure of two of the three access lanes may have been part of a larger effort to shut them down for good, which could have significantly diminished potential investors' interest in the project. Close the lanes, and the entire project could be derailed. read more
Sujari Britt, kid cellist with White House show under her bow......Most professional musicians dedicate at least a decade to their instruments before being invited to perform at high-profile venues in front of dignitaries. But at age 9, classical cellist Sujari Britt has already played for a packed house before President Obama and members of Congress, becoming one of the youngest musicians ever to perform at the White House.
George Thompson, 104, still puffs away at his cigar Father of 18 recounts a lifetime of struggle
AT 104, George Thompson seems to be debunking medical beliefs that smoking kills, as he continues to puff away at cigars, a habit that he picked up over 47 years ago.
"Yes man, mi still smoke. When my wife left me, that is when I started the hard smoking," Thompson stated as he sat in his kitchen at Greenwich Town last Wednesday, six days after celebrating his birthday.
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| George Thompson at his home in Greenwich Town, along with neighbours (from left) Martina Rowe and baby Michael, Carolyn Bailey and Iona Masters. (PHOTO: KARL McLARTY) |
"That was when my last daughter was one year and two weeks. My daughter died nine years ago and she was 39," he said.
Thompson insists that he only smokes tobacco, and believes that smoking marijuana could be a killer.
"Mi nuh smoke ganja, but mi will drink the tea because I find use in it," he said. "You see why I might live so long? I don't mix myself with ganja, just tobacco mi smoke. And I will only smoke cigarette if I'm here now and I see somebody out the road have a cigarette I will take it and smoke, but mi not smoking it off, mi just take a draw and give it back. It is just a dirty habit," Thompson said as he reached for a small 'scandal' bag with tobacco which he was about to prepare for smoking. "Now I just smoke when I feel like I want to smoke," he said. read more
Jamaica For Us! Majority Of Jamaicans Would Turn Down The Chance To Migrate
It appears that most Jamaicans would turn down the chance to migrate despite the many problems facing the country, with a little more than 30 per cent saying they would pack up and leave today if given the chance.
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| Jamaicans hoping to visit the United States wait outside the United States Embassy on Old Hope Road in St Andrew. - File |
A recently concluded national survey has revealed that despite the tough economic conditions, the high levels of crime and corruption, and several other problems, just over six in every 10 Jamaicans would not leave if they had the chance to migrate today.
For those who would leave, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Cayman Islands are the countries of choice.
ISLANDWIDE POLL
That's according to an islandwide poll commissioned by the Jamaica National Building Society and conducted by Bill Johnson Survey Limited between December 7 and 15, 2013. The poll used a sample size of 1,008 Jamaicans age 18 years and older.
According to the findings, 62 per cent of respondents would not leave the 'Land of Wood and Water' to take up residence abroad, while 36 per cent of respondents said they would leave today if possible. Only two per cent were flat-footed, vacillating between the two options. read more
NAIROBI, KENYA: Africa Sees Violent Start To 2014......The death tolls are huge and the individual incidents gruesome. One estimate says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in South Sudan in a month of warfare, while in neighboring Central African Republic combatants in Muslim-vs.-Christian battles have beheaded children.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The death tolls are huge and the individual incidents gruesome. One estimate says nearly 10,000 people have been killed in South Sudan in a month of warfare, while in neighboring Central African Republic combatants in Muslim-vs.-Christian battles have beheaded children.
Sub-Saharan Africa has seen a very violent start to 2014, with raging conflicts in South Sudan and Central African Republic, as well as continued violence in Congo, and attacks in Somalia and Kenya.
Compared to decades past, Africa and its people are suffering from fewer conflicts today, but several recent outbreaks of violence are cause for concern, said J. Peter Pham, director of the Washington-based think tank Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. The conflicts also lack strong international peacekeeping, he said. read more Why You Should Consider Adding Avocado To Your Lunch.......Half An Avocado At Lunch Helps Overweight People Feel Full For Longer, Study Finds
Avocado lovers, good news for you.
A small new study in the Nutrition Journal shows that eating half of a Hass avocado at lunchtime can help overweight adults feel full for longer in the hours following. This could be useful in combating hunger pangs between lunch and dinner -- which can lead to the urge to eat unhealthy snacks.
The study was funded by the Hass Avocado Board, but the board did not have a role in the design or conduct of the study, nor the interpretation of the results.
"Avocados are a very popular and delicious fruit, and from the results of our study, may also be helpful for people who are looking to better manage their weight," study researcher Dr. Joan Sabate, a professor of nutrition at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, said in a statement. read more
SCANDAL: INVESTIGATOR: CHRISTIE COULD BE IMPEACHED...........More Mayors Consider Foul Play... New Subpoenas Coming... Christie's Office Targeted For Investigation... 'Laws Have Been Broken'... Port Boss Feared Deaths...
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie speaks during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014,
Two days after New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) claimed he had no knowledge of a political scheme conducted by his aides to cause traffic jams, the lawmaker heading a probe into those actions unraveled a new thread.
New Jersey Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D) told NBC News Saturday that if Christie was at all aware of his aides' actions, impeachment could emerge as a potential issue.
"Using the George Washington Bridge, a public resource, to exact a political vendetta, is a crime," Wisniewski said. "Having people use their official position to have a political game is a crime. So if those tie back to the governor in any way, it clearly becomes an impeachable offense."
How the Mediterranean Diet Alone Can Fight Diabetes......Now a new study shows that the Mediterranean diet alone may be enough to reduce the risk of diabetes, without the need to lose weight or exercise......Mediterranean Diet Alone Lowers Risk of Diabetes, Research Says
There is no ultimate diet, but if there were, the Mediterranean plan would come darn close.
Featuring staples like olive oil, nuts and vegetables, the Mediterranean diet has been heralded as a game changer for health and longevity. Countless studies have connected the eating plan to lower risks of heart attack and stroke and some have suggested the diet can even slow or prevent memory loss. Researchers speculate that the protective benefits likely stem from the combined effect of the diet’s healthy fats and nutrients.
Now a new study shows that the Mediterranean diet alone may be enough to reduce the risk of diabetes, without the need to lose weight or exercise. Read more:
Study: Marijuana Compounds Can Kill Some Cancer Cells.....Taking pills with the non-psychoactive elements, not smoking it.
Compounds derived from marijuana can kill cancerous cells in patients with leukemia, according to a recent study.
The study, published in the Anticancer Research journal, was partially funded by GW Pharmaceuticals. which already produces a cannabis-derived drug to help people with multiple sclerosis. Dr. Wai Liu studied six different non-psychoactive cannabinoids (compounds derived from marijuana that don’t get the user high like its THC component does). He found that certain non-psychoactive cannabinoids “resulted in dramatic reductions in cell viability” and “caused a simultaneous arrest at all phases of the cell cycle,” according to the study summary posted online.
Leukemia will take the lives of an estimated 23,720 people this year. This isn’t the first time marijuana has been linked to deterring cancer: In 2012, researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco found that CBD — a non-psychoactive chemical compound found in cannabis — can stop metastasis in some kinds of aggressive cancer. Liu told the Huffington Post that smoking cannabis is unlikely to have the same cancer-inhibiting effect. Read more: Even Rush Limbaugh Thinks Fox News Is Too Pro-Christie The Huffington Post | By Jack Mirkinson
Rush Limbaugh took Fox News to task for what he said was its blinkered, "predictable" coverage of the Chris Christie bridge scandal.
The network has drawn attention for the relative lack of air time it's given to the Christie story, but Limbaugh had other issues with the way Fox News was handling it.
"Fox has always been unpredictable, but now they're starting to become [predictable]," he said. He added that it had been easy to predict what the "Republican line" about Christie's Thursday press conference would be: "Man oh man, this guy, greatest leader, greatest potential leader the Republican party has fielded in who knows how many years...he buried the thing!"
Limbaugh wondered aloud how "learned" pundits on Fox News could think Christie had put the bridge scandal behind him.
'I’m reading some of these comments they’re making, and I’m in disbelief!” he said.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has died at 85 y-o.
JERUSALEM (AP) — The son of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his father has died.
The 85-year-old Sharon had been in a coma since a debilitating stroke eight years ago. The Sheba Medical Center that has been treating Sharon said last week that his health has been declining. Sharon had been suffered from failure vital organs including his kidneys shortly before his death'.
His son Gilad Sharon said: "He has gone. He went when he decided to go."
The hard-charging Sharon was one of Israel's most iconic figures. After a distinguished, and controversial, military career, he went into politics and held a number of Cabinet posts. read more
Entertainment Crosses Borders.....Education minister, late politician, Tessanne Chin, Snoop feature prominently in October
Education minister, late politician, Tessanne Chin, Snoop feature prominently in October
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| Tessanne Chin |
The month of October provided many examples of the way the Jamaicanentertainment scene impacts other areas of endeavour and the way the music, in particular, influences other forms of expression.
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| Gregory Issac |
Tessanne Chin explains her reason for entering United States 'The Voice', pointing out that it serves to expands her opportunities..
Performing-arts practitioners launch The Theatre Arts Company of Hanover to boost the genre's representation in the parish.
Christopher 'Johnny' Daley, using himself as an example, points out the importance of relationships between corporate Jamaica and the creative industries.
'Jonkanoo Jamboree', a production put on by the University Singers, enjoys huge support at the Philip Sherlock Centre For The Creative Arts.
Yasus Afari launches Public Secret but the event held at Red-Bones Blues Café, suffers from poor turnout.
Social Network users bash Television Jamaica for airing 'The Voice' delayed. The station subsequently airs the show live on RETV. read more
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