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SCANDALOUS : Jeff Perry: Something Is About To 'Change The Course' Of 'Scandal'

Scandal Abc

Caribbean Airlines pilots fed up.... JAMAICANS join TRINIDADIAN colleagues in expressing disgust over non-payment of incentives...."The Trinidad pilots presented their letters on Tuesday to the management there, expressing their disgust that they haven't been paid their variable incentive pay from as far back as 2010,"

Friday, April 11, 2014    
Caribbean Airlines (CAL) pilots in Jamaica yesterday joined their colleagues in Trinidad in registering disgust at the company's failure to pay them their full salaries over the past four years.
CAL Pilots
"They went out to the airport today (yesterday) and they issued letters addressed to the chairman, who is stationed in Trinidad, but they delivered them to the general manager here," Gordon Woodstock, executive administrator of the Jamaica Airline Pilots Association, told the Jamaica Observer last night.
"The Trinidad pilots presented their letters on Tuesday to the management there, expressing their disgust that they haven't been paid their variable incentive pay from as far back as 2010," Woodstock added.
The move by the Jamaican pilots, he said, was a show of solidarity and unity with their Trinidadian colleagues, as the variable incentive payments to the Jamaicans have been long outstanding.
Woodstock explained that the incentive, which is a part of the pilots' compensation, has three components — corporate, departmental, and individual — and, when paid in full, works out to 20 per cent of the pilots' salaries.
The corporate component, he said, is paid if the company makes money, the departmental component is disbursed if the department makes money, and the individual component represents "things that each pilot has control of".
"So, you can score on one and lose on two, or score on two and lose on one, or you can score on all three or lose on all three," Woodstock said, adding that in the past when the payments were made they were a year late.
"But they haven't got it for a while. The last time it was paid in Jamaica was for up to September 2012," Woodstock said. more

IN JAMAICA: Four of eight accused 'death squad' cops denied bail for 40 Murders? A death squad in Clarendon are being investigated for unlawfully killing 40 civilians..."I am mindful that INDECOM said they are investigating some 40 cases that these men are linked to. These assertions must not be taken lightly," RM Pusey said.

BY PAUL HENRY Co-ordinator - Crime/Court Desk henryp@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, April 11, 2014    
THE eight policemen allegedly involved in a death squad in Clarendon are being investigated for unlawfully killing 40 civilians, it was revealed in court yesterday, where four of the accused were denied bail.
01Senior Corporate Area Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey, in explaining why she would not be giving the four accused men bail, cited the figure from Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) documents submitted to the court.
"I am mindful that INDECOM said they are investigating some 40 cases that these men are linked to. These assertions must not be taken lightly," RM Pusey said.
The magistrate said further that there was evidence that witnesses were "afraid or reluctant" to come forward, and that "the possibility of interference [with witnesses] is massive".
The magistrate, after denying bail for the four Clarendon-based policemen — Sergeant Leeford Gordon and constables Romaine De La Haye, Damon Robinson and Pete Samuels — set a June 23 date for preliminary enquiry into the killings.
The magistrate's decision left the accused cops' colleagues and family members in tears as they left the courtroom in Half-Way-Tree, St Andrew.
Following the proceedings, attorney Peter Champagnie, who appears for Samuels, told the Jamaica Observer that his client would be appealing Pusey's decision.
"Samuels is a fit and proper person for bail," Champagnie said. The attorney said he would be filing the appeal as soon as he gets the magistrate's written reasons for the denial of bail.
Gordon, De La Haye and Robinson are charged with the murder of Marvin Shand on the night of January 4 at New Longville Park in Clarendon, while Samuels is charged with the May 25, 2011 killing of Sylvester Gallimore. Another police officer, suspected in the killing of Gallimore, has fled the island, the court was told yesterday.
It's alleged that Gordon, De La Haye and Robinson ambushed and shot Shand, who was carrying bags of ground provisions and other items on his head and in his hands.
Allegations are also that a photograph of the dead man's body was found in De La Haye's cellular phone, which supported reports that Shand was travelling with loaded bags and had no weapon.
Yesterday, the defence said that a gun had been recovered from Shand and that the witness, Shand's girlfriend, was in no position to tell if Shand had a gun in his hand when he was shot.
The other four policemen, who are being investigated along with yesterday's four for the extra-judicial killings of 40 civilians are Constable Collis 'Chuckie' Brown, who is facing four counts of murder, conspiracy to murder and wounding with intent; Detective Corporal Kevin Adams, who is charged with four counts of murder; and constables Carl Bucknor and Jerome Whyte, who are both charged with one count of murder. They are to also appear before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on June 23 for the preliminary enquiry.
According to INDECOM Commissioner Terrence Williams, these fatal shootings were initially reported as civilian-on-civilian attacks, but investigations later allegedly uncovered that the killings were done by the police. more

CALIFORNIA: 10 high school students Killed in California Bus Crash, Leaves Multiple Injured.....I just heard this loud boom," he said. "We knew we were in major trouble." Many escaped through a window that someone had kicked open, running for their lives to the other side of the freeway before hearing an explosion and seeing the bus burst into flame. The students were travelling to Humboldt State University

AP  | by  FENIT NIRAPPIL and LISA LEFF Posted: 04/10/2014 10:43 pm EDT Updated: 04/11/2014 2:59 am EDT
ORLAND, Calif. (AP) — A FedEx tractor-trailer crossed a grassy freeway median Thursday in Northern California and slammed into a bus carrying high school students on a visit to a college. At least nine were killed in the fiery crash, authorities said.
View image on TwitterMassive flames could be seen devouring both vehicles just after the crash, and clouds of smoke billowed into the sky until firefighters had quenched the fire, leaving behind scorched black hulks of metal. Bodies were draped in blankets inside the burned-out bus.
CHP Officer Lacy Heitman said the driver of the tractor-trailer was among the dead. CHP dispatchers initially said the bus driver also died, but Heitman said investigators were working to identify the eight victims on the bus, which carried between 44 and 48 students, four chaperones and the driver.
The crash happened a little after 5:30 p.m. on Interstate 5 near Orland, a small city about 100 miles north of Sacramento.
Steven Clavijo, 18, a student at West Ranch High School in Santa Clarita, told The Associated Press that he was on the bus during the crash.
For hours during the long drive north, the students — from several different schools in the Los Angeles area — watched movies and listened to hip-hop on the radio, Clavijo said.
But just as he was trying to get some sleep in his seat in the back of the bus, he said he felt the vehicle shake from left to right. "I just heard this loud boom," he said. "We knew we were in major trouble." Many escaped through a window that someone had kicked open, running for their lives to the other side of the freeway before hearing an explosion and seeing the bus burst into flame.
The bus was one of two that the admissions office at Humboldt State University had chartered to bring prospective students from Southern California to tour the Arcata campus, Humboldt's Vice President of Administrative Affairs Joyce Lopes said. The bus was owned by Silverado Stages, a tour bus company based in San Luis Obisbo. The company said in a statement on its website Thursday night that it was assisting authorities in gathering information.  "Our top priority is making sure that the injured are being cared for," Silverado Stages said.
Humboldt State's President Rollin Richmond issued a statement on the school's website. "Our hearts go out to those who have been affected, and we are here to support them, and their families, in any way possible," Richmond said.
Humboldt State spokesman Simon Chabel said the school was working to confirm where in Southern California the students on the wrecked bus are from.
"There is still a lot of information to be gathered, and we are working as hard as we can to gather that information and communicate it as best as we can to parents and other family members during this terrible tragedy," he said.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent John Deasy said an unknown number of students from Manual Arts Senior High School and Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools were on the trip. He did not know whether they were on the bus involved in the crash.
A high school senior from Alliance Renee & Meyer Luskin Academy High School in Los Angeles said she and a few of her classmates who were accepted to the university were invited to go on the tour.  more

Usain Bolt donates sports gear to Alpha Boys' School through the Usain Bolt Foundation on Wednesday donated footwear, football gear and T-shirts to students at the Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston...Bolt spoke to students about discipline and values (GREAT STORY)

Students excited about their gift from Usain Bolt
 Thursday, April 10, 2014 | 6:02 PM
 KINGSTON, Jamaica — Sprinter Usain Bolt through the Usain Bolt Foundation on Wednesday donated footwear, football gear and T-shirts to students at the Alpha Boys’ School in Kingston.  
Bolt spoke to students about discipline and values after making the donation, the school administration said.  
“The benefit of being successful on the track means I can be of help to those in need off the track,” the legendary sprinter said at the handing over of the gear. 
Usain Bolt and Janet Grant,
principal of Alpha Boys' School
Meanwhile the school administration thanked Bolt for the donation saying that the Puma running shoes will be a valuable item to Alpha students who “increasingly participate and come out on top in their age groups, in running events in the Kingston Metropolitan Area”.  
“The donation is extremely timely in light of the upcoming activities being staged next week, April 16, for Alpha’s Sports Day,” the school, known for its achievements in music, said in a release Thursday. more

My Family Stopped Eating Sugar for a Year and This is What Happened.....We'd cut out anything with an added sweetener, be it table sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, agave or fruit juice. We also excluded anything made with fake sugar or sugar alcohols. Unless the sweetness was attached to its original source (e.g., a piece of fruit), we didn't eat it.

By Eve O. Schaub, Special to Everyday Health
Once upon a time, I was healthy - at least I thought I was.
Sure, I lacked enough energy to get me through the day, but with all the commercials on TV touting energy drinks for America's tired masses, I always assumed I wasn't the only one suffering. And sure, everyone in my family dreaded the coming cold and flu season, but again, I thought come January everyone develops some degree of germophobia.
At least, that's what I thought until I heard some disturbing new information about the effects of sugar. According to several experts, sugar is the thing that is making so many Americans fat and sick. The more I thought about it the more this made sense to me - a lot of sense. One in seven Americans has metabolic syndrome. One in three Americans is obese. The rate of diabetes is skyrocketing and cardiovascular disease is America's number one killer.
According to this theory, all of these maladies and more can be traced back to one large toxic presence in our diet… sugar.
A Bright Idea
I took all of this new found knowledge and formulated an idea. I wanted to see how hard it would be to have our family - me, my husband, and our two children (ages 6 and 11) - spend an entire year eating foods that contained no added sugar. We'd cut out anything with an added sweetener, be it table sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup, agave or fruit juice. We also excluded anything made with fake sugar or sugar alcohols. Unless the sweetness was attached to its original source (e.g., a piece of fruit), we didn't eat it.
Once we started looking we found sugar in the most amazing places: tortillas, sausages, chicken broth, salad dressing, cold cuts, crackers, mayonnaise, bacon, bread, and even baby food. Why add all of this sugar? To make these items more palatable, add shelf life, and make packaged food production ever cheaper. more

IN JAMAICA: ASAFA POWELL BANNED for 18 months says it's 'unfair and unjust'......I took a legal supplement—Ephiphany D1. As it turns out, that supplement was contaminated with oxilofrine.

Thursday, April 10, 2014 | 11:57 AM    
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Asafa Powell on Thursday said that the 18-month suspension handed down by the Jamaica Anti Doping Commission’s (JADCO) disciplinary panel exploring the circumstances under which his samples tested positive "is not only unfair, it is patently unjust".
A statement on his website iamasafapowell.com reads:
Asafa Powell, banned for 18 months
A short while ago, the independent disciplinary panel exploring the circumstances under which my samples tested positive for the stimulant oxilofrine handed down a sanction. I will confirm that the panel handed down an 18-month suspension.
This ruling is not only unfair, it is patently unjust. Panels such as these, I understood, were assembled to allow athletes who, consciously or unconsciously come into conflict with the rules of sport, a chance at equitable redemption. Unfortunately, this was not the case.
As an athlete, I took a legal supplement—Ephiphany D1. As it turns out, that supplement was contaminated with oxilofrine. My team commissioned two private laboratories that confirmed that oxilofrine was present in the supplements, despite it not being listed as an ingredient on the bottle nor on its website. I would also like to share that upon realizing that the supplement contained oxilofrine my team made contact with both The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) who not only ordered samples of the supplement from the manufacturer, but also tested and confirmed our findings. The USADA has also since issued a warning on their website for athletes to avoid the product as it contains banned substances. more

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND Showing For Jamaican Play: Jamaica's theatre industry is again earning international notice. Daughter of the late Professor Barry Chevannes is making strides in the industry internationally with her play titled The Last Bloom.

Published Thursday | April 10, 2014 
Jamaica's theatre industry is again earning international notice. Daughter of the late Professor Barry Chevannes is making strides in the industry internationally with her play titled The Last Bloom.
Amba Chevannes - Contributed
Amba Chevannes - Contributed
The play, written by Amba Chevannes, is showing in Glasgow, Scotland at the Oran Mors Theatre as part of their lunchtime theatre programme titled 'A Play, a Pie and a Pint'.
According to the theatre's official website, they "produce the work of many of Scotland's best-known writers, as well as presenting the work of new young playwrights"....
It describes Chevannes' work as that which "takes us into the hidden spaces of our societies and invite us, through laughter and tears, to face our own humanity."
The Last Bloom is a gripping drama that records the events in the life of the character Cynthia, who moves into a nursing home where she shares a room with the overbearing Myrtle.
A battle ensues between both women, with each struggling over the right to each other's pasts and memories.
Chevannes told The Gleaner she felt honoured by the whole experience. more

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IN JAMAICA: ‘Sparrow’ keeps the beat at Alpha Boys' School for over 50 years....the famed Kingston institution seemed in jeopardy when Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna announced Tuesday that, "antisocial and psychotic behaviour" at the 135-year-old institution has made it impossible to continue housing hundreds of boys.

BY HOWARD CAMPBELL Observer senior writer  Thursday, April 10, 2014    
IT'S been over 50 years since Winston 'Sparrow' Martin learned to play the drums at the Alpha Boys' School. Now in his late '60s, he is still there, teaching music and encouraging students to stay the straight and narrow.
Winston "Sparrow' Martin
Martin's 28-year tenure as music director at the famed Kingston institution seemed in jeopardy when Minister of Youth and Culture Lisa Hanna announced Tuesday that, "antisocial and psychotic behaviour" at the 135-year-old institution has made it impossible to continue housing hundreds of boys.
Martin says because of the school's remarkable music history, it was widely believed his department would be closed. That is not the case, he said during an interview with the Jamaica Observer yesterday.
"It's not breaking down. The music programme is still there. It will always be there," he said.
Alpha's South Camp Road location house over 100 boys and all of Martin's charges live at the location. Most play horns, an hallmark of its music programme. Despite the negative revelations given for the school's pending closure, Martin says his students, whose ages range from eight to 16, remain focused.
"They are willing to learn, there's a lot of enthusiasm and dedication. That's very important." more

MISS Lou: Louise Bennett and Jamaican Culture, is a new biography by professor Mervyn Icon....'Miss Lou' covers Miss Lou's work as a poet, performer, storyteller, singer, actress, writer, broadcaster and children's television show host. That diverse career spanned 50 years.

Thursday, April 10, 2014  
MISS Lou: Louise Bennett and Jamaican Culture, is a new biography by professor Mervyn Icon. Distributed by Kingston's Ian Randle Publishers, it will be released this month.
'Miss Lou' covers Miss Lou's work as a poet, performer, storyteller, singer, actress, writer, broadcaster and children's television show host. That diverse career spanned 50 years.
According to a release from IRP, "the book is brief and affordable, and captures the life of a woman whose actions and life's work instilled pride in Jamaicans in their language and culture".
Bennett-Coverley is a standard-bearer for modern Caribbean literature. She appeared in many pantomimes and wrote numerous poems and scripts. She also hosted radio and television programmes in Britain and at home, championing Jamaican culture.
She died in Toronto — where she lived for several years — in 2006 at age 88.
Morris is professor Emeritus of Creative Writing and West Indian Literature at the University of the West Indies (Mona).

Jamaica wants to expand use of concrete roads....Minister of Transport, Works and Housing Dr. Omar Davies confirmed yesterday

Thursday, April 10, 2014    
MINISTER of Transport, Works and Housing Dr Omar Davies confirmed yesterday that his ministry was looking at expanding the use of concrete in road construction and repairs.
Dr Davies, speaking at yesterday's final meeting of the Standing Finance Committee (SFC), said his ministry would be meeting with representatives of companies involved in the use of concrete in road construction and rehabilitation.
DAVIES… I have been engaged with
proposals for cement roads
The minister was responding to questions from Opposition spokesman on finance and planning, Audley Shaw, on the rapid deterioration of roads in his constituency, including the recently built Christiana Bypass.
Shaw said that, because there was no proper road maintenance programme, a number of the roads that were recently repaired or built were rapidly deteriorating.
"I have heard exactly the same complaints, but in recent months I have been engaged with proposals for cement roads," Dr Davies told the SFC.
He said that the use of concrete would cost approximately seven per cent more, but that the payback would be earned from the extended life of the roads. more 

IN JAMAICA : They were more concerned about looting the goods than about me..... Truck driver laments behaviour of residents after Mount Rosser crash...The vehicle was loaded with energy drinks, salt fish, and cereal estimated to value millions of dollars.

Thursday, April 10, 2014   
THE look of bewilderment on the face of the truck driver said it all. He had just escaped a scary accident without losing a limb.
The white Isuzu truck the man was driving developed mechanical problems and careened over a ledge before landing on the Church of Jesus Christ at Mount Rosser in St Catherine, yesterday.
Residents stand among two cops
 protecting a small quantity of goods
recovered at the crash site.
"As I approached the corner the timing belt broke and the truck stalled. When I tried to pull up the hand brake that failed too, and the truck rolled back so fast I couldn't believe it," said the still shaken driver, while asking that his name be withheld.
The vehicle was loaded with energy drinks, salt fish, and cereal estimated to value millions of dollars.
The crash was bad enough, but what followed was even more heart-rending.
In a matter of minutes a horde of looters converged on the scene and, with scant disregard for the safety of the driver, began emptying the storage area of the truck.
"They were more concerned about looting the goods than about helping me. Only a few wondered aloud if the driver was not injured. I am glad neither me or anyone else was injured," the driver told the Jamaica Observer.
It did not take long before the truck was emptied. The looters were still not satisfied.
They then turned their attention to scrapping the truck and removed the front and back right wheels before emptying the gas tank.
Wisely, the driver did not try to stop them as he could have been harmed by the marauding herd of callous looters.
One man acted threateningly when the Observer arrived on the scene.
"Don't come down here. Stay right there. No picture right here," the man barked.
The shattered wall and destroyed
furniture inside the Church of Jesus Christ.
 (PHOTOS: KARL MCLARTY)
When the police arrived on the scene they managed to retrieve a small quantity of the goods. They cops also managed to retrieve a quantity of the fuel that was stolen. However, it was not clear whether anyone was arrested in connection with the theft.
The truck, meanwhile, damaged a section of the church roof and a side wall.
The incident caused a major traffic pile-up which only eased after a wrecker hauled the disabled truck from the
accident scene.

BREAKING NEWS: At least 20 students were injured Wednesday morning in a stabbing incident at Franklin Regional Senior High School in the Pittsburgh area, said Dan Stevens,

BREAKING NEWS: MASSIVE STABBINGS AT HIGH SCHOOL IN PITTSBURGH, PA......At least 20 students were injured Wednesday morning in a stabbing incident at Franklin Regional Senior High School in the Pittsburgh area, said Dan Stevens, an emergency management agency spokesman.
Authorities in Pennsylvania responded to reports of a stabbing Wednesday morning at Franklin Regional High School.Four people were flown to hospitals by helicopter, he said.
Dr. Chris Kaufmann at Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, spoke to CNN on air. He said the facility is treating seven teens with stab wounds to their torso, abdomen, chest and back areas. He said that the injuries were "quite serious" and that "some are clearly life-threatening." An adult is also being treated there, he said.
A message on the Franklin Regional School District's website said all of its elementary schools were closed after the incident, and "the middle school and high school students are secure."
 Students stabbed at Pennsylvania school
Stevens said a suspect was in custody.
Information on what led to the stabbings and the conditions of the injured were not immediately released. The students range in age from 14 to 17, Stevens said.
The school is in Murrysville, about 15 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh.
Students were being released to their parents, Stevens said.
CNN first learned of the stabbings on Twitter. https://www.facebook.com/RulaBrownNetwork
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/09/justice/pennsylvania-school-stabbing/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

IN JAMAICA: Young entrepreneur, 27 y-o RAVN Rae eyes first medical ganja dispensary in Jamaica.....Rae's store, Mez Jamaica, is one of Kingston's first established alternative smoking supplies shops. Ironically located just a stone's throw away from the Office of the Prime Minister on Devon Road

BY JULIAN RICHARDSON Assistant Business Co-ordinator richardsonj@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, April 09, 2014    
RAVN Rae aspires to launch the first boutique medical marijuana dispensary in Jamaica. But for now, she settles on being just an apparatus supplier complementing an industry still operating outside the law locally.
"Marijuana is not legal, so I cannot have the product in the store," she stressed to the Business Observer when our news team visited her store on Monday.
Ravn Rae makes a point in discussion at
 her store, Mez Jamaica, on Devon Road
 Turn to DISPENSARY on Page 16 in Kingston.
Rae's store, Mez Jamaica, is one of Kingston's first established alternative smoking supplies shops. Ironically located just a stone's throw away from the Office of the Prime Minister on Devon Road, Mez offers a wide variety of 'pot-friendly' items such as water pipes or 'bongs', chalices and vaporisers.
The store has been open since October last year and its brand has been gaining traction in the nation's capital.
"It was derived out of inconvenience, people having to order online or travel to some other part of the island to get an apparatus," Rae, 27, told the newspaper.
"It was surprising that there was no store of this nature in Jamaica, considering how heavy we use marijuana and how well known we are for it," she added.
Clients vary across a wide demographic of adults 18 and over, with differing preferences in smoking accessories. The vaporisers are among the most popular products, and are especially a hit with the corporate white-collar workers, according to Rae, who noted that the trend has been fuelled by the government's ban on smoking in public spaces.
Vaporisation is an alternative to burning used for the inhalation of the active ingredients from
ganja or tobacco, thus avoiding harmful by-products. There is no second-hand smoke, tar or ash involved, when using vaporisers, as they function similarly to electronic cigarettes.
"I focus heavily on wellness, and with the new smoking ban in place, it has led people to looking at vaporising which is definiely a healthier option than combusting herbs," Rae said.
With decriminalisation of marijuana possibly around the corner, Rae is positioned to capitalise on her dream. Government plans to decriminalise ganja this year, paving the way for the establishment of a medicinal marijuana industry estimated to be worth billions of dollars. more

West Kingston gangsters using young boys in deadly feud.....12-y-o shottas said fearless, do not respect age or gender says Senior Superintendent Steve McGregor....

Wednesday, April 09, 2014    
CRIMINALS locked in a bloody feud in West Kingston are using boys as young as 12 to carry out their deadly attacks in the area, the police have confirmed.
“We have had reports that the men involved in this feud are using youth as young as 12, 13 and upwards to carry out these deadly attacks,” Senior Superintendent Steve McGregor told the Jamaica Observer, adding that the boy killers were fearless and had no respect for age or gender.
The information was first passed to the Observer on Monday by a resident of Tivoli Gardens, one of the communities in the constituency.
“The man dem who a do the killings nuh have nuh respect for law and order or people; dem even a use some young boys as young as 12 and over to carry out their attacks,” the resident said.
According to the resident, the latest victim of such an attack was Edward Black, a senior member of the community, who was gunned down in broad daylight along Chestnut Lane.
On Monday, during an operation that resulted in the recovery of one firearm and several rounds of ammunition, Senior Superintendent McGregor pointed out that the attacks are not confined to one side.
He also confirmed that the actions of the criminals have left members of the religious community in fear, especially after a Christian man was shot dead by gunmen when he told them that he was on Jesus’ side in response to their demand that he state which side he was supporting in the feud.
Monday’s police operation was staged two days after a 12-year-old boy and a 28-year-old man were shot dead and 10 other people shot and injured by gunmen who attacked a group of people in Denham Town.
Since that incident last Friday night, the police have released the names of several suspects who are also believed to be involved in several other incidents in the area. more

Dr. LAWRENCE WILLIAMS says more success for Guinea Hen Weed which is grown wild in JAMAICA.....and its potential for curing certain types of cancer, including those of the prostate, brain, breast, skin, lung and bladder, is also proving to be effective against degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease,

BY KIMONE THOMPSON Features Editor — Sunday thompsonk@jamaicaobserver.com
YOU'VE no doubt heard about the Guinea Hen Weed and its potential for curing certain types of cancer, including those of the prostate, brain, breast, skin, lung and bladder.
Dr Lawrence Williams points to a chart in his lab
 explaining how DTS attacks cancerous cells, without
 harming healthy ones. (PHOTOS: LIONEL ROOKWOOD)
But that's only half the story. The weed, which grows wild in Jamaica, is also proving to be effective against degenerative diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, according to the scientist driving the research, Dr Lawrence Williams, a consultant at the Scientific Research Council (SRC).
Williams isolated a compound from the plant, called dibenzyl trisulphide (DTS), which he said is more potent than the other forms in which the weed exists on the market. He currently has a group of about 40 people using the compound — as well as a liqueur made from soaking the leaves of the plant in wine — in local trials, and said that the formulation was proving to be "very effective".
"I isolated a pure compound — the DTS — which is far more powerful than the capsules made from the guinea hen weed. When DTS is absorbed through the intestine walls and binds to the albumin, the anti-cancer properties go up 2,500-fold," he told the Jamaica Observer.
Albumin is a protein in the blood which transports hormones and fatty acids, regulates acidity levels, among other things..
"It's very effective against prostate and breast cancer," Dr Williams said.
Outside of that, however, Dr Williams said that DTS had implications for diseases associated with ageing.
"The key breakthrough is that DTS can reprogramme the thymus. We think it is going to change the face of medicine," he told the Sunday Observer in a recent interview. "It could be a broad spectrum cure for disease," he added.
Guinea Hen Weed Plant
The thymus is an organ in the chest which produces T-lymphocytes — a group of white blood cells which are critical in the adaptive immune system.
Perhaps the best news is that the DTS formulation zeros in on cancer cells and does not attack healthy cells, unlike other forms of treatment, like chemotherapy. "Research showed further that the compounds in anamu (the South American name for Guinea Hen Weed) were able to differentiate between normal cells and cancer cells, killing only the cancerous cells. In addition, other substances in the herb stimulate the body's natural defences," according to excerpts from a scientific paper on the wall in Dr Williams' lab.
"DTS is not toxic to normal cells, but any cell in the body that is pathological it will destroy, so it is selective mode of action that the DTS has when it is isolated from the Guinea Hen Weed," he stated.
"It doesn't seem to be toxic, which means there are no side effects," the scientist continued.
Williams, who is credited with developing the Bovine Serum Albumin assay — which replaces the use of animals in laboratory testing, and which was instrumental in developing the DTS — is now seeking to raise US$20 million for clinical trials and is partnering with an American scientist to that end. more

JAMAICA can be leader in ganja research, says Colorado lobbyist.....He cited, as an example, his home state of Colorado which had been experiencing an economic recession and is now making US$20 million (JA$2.1 Billion) in profits after decriminalising ganja....Apart from brain disorders, medicinal marijuana has been used to cure post-traumatic stress disorder, heart disease, arthritis and type l and ll diabetes.

BY KARYL WALKER Editor — Crime/Court Desk walkerk@jamaicaobserver.com  Wednesday, April 09, 2014  
 FOUNDER of the United States-based Strains of Hope, Josh Stanley, is urging Jamaica to grab the opportunity to become a world leader in scientific research on the marijuana plant, as the world moves towards the decriminalisation of the plant for medical uses.
Stanley's Strains of Hope is a non-profit organisation formed to assist in the accessing of cannabis.
According to Josh Stanley, Jamaica’s two leading
 universities can collaborate to lead the research on
 medical marijuana. (PHOTO: AP)
Speaking at the Jamaica Observer's weekly Monday Exchange, Stanley, a native of Colorado, said the 'economic fruits of ganja are ripe for picking' and a delay to decmiminalise the use of the weed for personal uses could be detrimental to the country's fight to rebuild its ailing economy.
Jamaica has been a world leader in medical marijuana research with the drugs Canasol and Ashtmasol, used in the treatment of glaucoma and asthma, respectively, developed locally since the 1970s.
"Jamaica has an opportunity and must not give it up; if they don't pass the torch they can become the epicentre [as] UWI (The University of the West Indies), UTech (The University of Technology)... can become the epicentre of medical marijuana research. It can revive the nation," Stanley told Observer reporters and editors.
He cited, as an example, his home state of Colorado which had been experiencing an economic recession and is now making US$20 million in profits after decriminalising ganja.
"What Jamaica stands to gain right now? Everything. But you don't just have it from a decriminalisation perspective. This industry has so many gamuts -- industry, economic, social, health and medical. It's an economic stimulator if it's industrial hemp, medicinal hemp or industrial ganja. If you look on the litmus test, Colorado is your petri dish. So, I am here to help Jamaica step out of puddles that Colorado stepped in which were many," he said.
Stanley said there was initial opposition to the move by some sections of the Colorado community. But when people heard the 'miracle stories' of children -- with severe cases of brain seizures who had no motor skills and doctors had sent them home to die after all conventional treatment had failed -- completely recovering after being treated with medicinal ganja, the mood changed dramatically.
"I want to treat every paediatric epileptic child in Jamaica. That's how it gonna start. You are going to win hearts," he said.
Apart from brain disorders, medicinal marijuana has been used to cure post-traumatic stress disorder, heart disease, arthritis and type l and ll diabetes.
According to Stanley, diabetes has affected more than 10 million Chinese who traditionally consume a lot of rice, so the Chinese Government reached out to Strains of Hope and granted them land to grow marijuana with the aim of producing pills to help stave off an impending epidemic. "They have given us 2,000 acres of land to grow the plant and produce pills to give to the younger Chinese," he said.
He also said war veterans who take opiates -- narcotic opioid alkaloids found in the opium poppy plant -- have been giving them up for a marijuana by-product and have seen significant improvement in their mental health and are now proving to be less of a danger to society as they recover from their traumatic experiences on the battlefield which results in post-traumatic stress disorder.
But Stanley's advocacy is dependent on how soon Jamaican legislators banish the law criminalising the possession of ganja for personal use from the law books, which head of the National Council on Drug Abuse Professor Wendel Abel said would be prudent if done soon.
In 2001, the Ganja Commission recommended that marijuana be decriminalised for personal, medicinal and religious use but 13 years later the Government has not budged.
Minister of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Phillip Paulwell, however, indicated earlier in the year that by the end of the year marijuana would be decriminalised for personal use.

IN JAMAICA: Nine listed as ‘persons-of-interest’ surrender to West Kingston police......Andrew Coke, otherwise called ‘Livity’, Kirk Stephenson, otherwise called ‘Titus’ , Alex Omar Johnson, otherwise called ‘Singer J’, Michael Coke, otherwise called ‘Titty Man’, Lanchester Coke, otherwise called ‘Bomber’ ,Kemar Cole o/c Flex Devon Brown, Ricardo Medley o/c King Gratino Green

Tuesday, April 08, 2014 | 8:53 PM    
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Nine ‘persons-of-interest’ wanted for questioning in connection with the deadly feud in West Kingston turned themselves over to the police Tuesday afternoon.

SSP Steve McGregor
Head of the Division, Senior Superintendent of Police Steve McGregor said some of the individuals surrendered to the police along with their attorneys while others were accompanied by family members.
The nine are:
Andrew Coke, otherwise called ‘Livity’
Kirk Stephenson, otherwise called ‘Titus’
Alex Omar Johnson, otherwise called ‘Singer J’
Michael Coke, otherwise called ‘Titty Man’
Lanchester Coke, otherwise called ‘Bomber’
Kemar Cole o/c Flex
Devon Brown
Ricardo Medley o/c King
Gratino Green
"These persons turned themselves in earlier today (Tuesday, April 8) and arrangements are now being made for them to be questioned in the presence of their attorneys," SSP McGregor told OBSERVER ONLINE.
Police also confirmed that the only female suspect on the list, Deborah Golding, otherwise called ‘Foxy Brown’, has been questioned and released. Investigators report that four others on the police list remain on the run.
They are: Shamal White, otherwise called ‘Gov’ or ‘Omar White’; Dillon Lobban, otherwise called ‘Kaka’; Javaein Coke, otherwise called ‘Ticko’; and Andrew Coke Jr, otherwise called ‘Poclerles’.
Kimmo Matthews

 
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Jay Z Sparks Controversy With Five Percent Nation Bling Medallion....sparking outrage and general confusion about whether reverse racism is a thing (spoiler: it definitely isn't).

During a recent Knicks game at the Barclays Center, Jay Z sported a Five Percent Nation medallion, sparking outrage and general confusion about whether reverse racism is a thing (spoiler: it definitely isn't). The impractically-sized necklace is a symbol for the group, which was founded in 1963 by Clarence 13 X, when he broke from the Nation Of Islam.
JAY ZAlthough there are no direct comments about white people in the tenets of Five Percent Nation, their public perception is certainly affiliated with not really loving white folks or, as Michael Muhammad Knight explained in an essay for Vice, "The first lesson I learned from the Five Percent was simple: F--k white people. Seriously. White people are devils."
As NPR explained in a 2006 article on the group, the founding concept is that "Ten percent of the people of the world know the truth of existence, and those elites opt to keep 85 percent of the world in ignorance and under their controlling thumb." Other essential ideas include the belief that "black people are the original people of the planet Earth" and "the fathers and mothers of civilization."
This is not the first time Jay Z has worn the eight-pointed star with the number seven in the middle. The Christian Post reports that he wore the symbol while promoting "Magna Carta Holy Grail." It has also been noted that the phrase "Peace God" in "Run This Town" is likely a nod to Five Percenters. more

DUMB CRIMINAL: 37 y-o Evelyn Hamilton Allegedly Calls Cops To Complain About Weed Quality....Hamilton said Monday she spent $40 on "seeds and residue."

LUFKIN, Texas (AP) — Police in East Texas have arrested a woman after she called them to complain about the quality of the marijuana she had purchased from a dealer.
MARIJUANALufkin police Sgt. David Casper said Monday that an officer went to the home of 37-year-old Evelyn Hamilton to hear her complaint that the dealer refused to return her money after she objected that the drug was substandard.
Casper says she pulled the small amount of marijuana from her bra when the officer asked if she still had it. She was arrested Friday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Hamilton said Monday she spent $40 on "seeds and residue." She says she called police when she got no satisfaction from the dealer's family.

'How about demonstrating against the killers?' JAMAICA Observer online readers are largely in support of West Kingston Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie for his stance against criminals in the troubled constituency..... online comment "I find the level of ignorance in these communities astounding"

A T-Shirt bearing the image of West
 Kingston MP Desmond McKenzie burns on
Sunday. (PHOTO: MICHAEL GORDON)
JAMAICA Observer online readers are largely in support of West Kingston Member of Parliament Desmond McKenzie for his stance against criminals in the troubled constituency. On Sunday, a handful of residents burned T-Shirts with McKenzie's image and gave him a 48-hour ultimatum to leave the constituency. Their action followed McKenzie's call on Saturday for the police to bring the criminals responsible for a fresh round of shootings in the constituency late Friday, which left two people dead and at least 10 others nursing injuries. Here are some edited comments:
Lucea Hanover
'Something is rotten in the country of Jamaica'.
mcintash
I find the level of ignorance in these communities astounding. They are burning a T-shirt of the member of Parliament because he supposedly "took sides". Shouldnt they be venting their anger at the killers and murderers in their communities? Surely they know who these people are. Why don't they provide the police with the information.
Dane mcintash
Don't forget this: they accuse the MP for taking sides, yet they're painting "PNP" all over the place. Isn't that, you know, taking sides? Plus, do they really think the PNP will do better? Ha!
Meggie Dane
Don't forget there are PNP voters in the constituency too. Interestingly, except for one man, all the faces were hidden. That demonstration could be a strategy — they probably have to do it for the gunmen.
Ricardo
This is why Jamaica has so much murder in it. We turn our anger at all times in the wrong direction. Desmond didn't killed or order the killing of anyone. He is doing the right think by exposing the wrongdoers. more

WASHINGTON, D.C: Miriam Carey Autopsy > Connecticut Woman Killed In DC Chase Was Shot 5 Times From Behind, Lawyer Says including a shot to the back of the head.....Her 1-year-old daughter was in the car but escaped serious injury.

AP  | by  WILL LESTER Posted: 04/08/2014 5:32 am EDT Updated: 04/08/2014 5:59 am EDT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The attorney for the family of a Connecticut woman killed by police on Capitol Hill six months ago says her autopsy found she was shot multiple times from behind, including a shot to the back of the head.
MIRIAM CAREY DC CHASEAttorney Eric Sanders said on his law firm's website that the autopsy found Miriam Carey was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Carey was shot to death after a car chase that went from the White House to near the U.S. Capitol in October of last year. The report from Sanders said the "Carey family is understandably upset."
Calls to Sanders' office and to the U.S. Capitol Police were not immediately returned late Monday.
Carey, a 34-year-old dental hygienist, tried to ram her car through a White House barrier on Oct. 3 before leading police on a chase that ended with her being killed. Her 1-year-old daughter was in the car but escaped serious injury.
Carey's relatives have challenged law enforcement accounts that she was delusional and raised questions over whether police used an appropriate level of force. Sanders has said he believes officers who shot Carey mishandled the encounter and should be prosecuted.
Carey, who had been diagnosed with postpartum depression and psychosis, told officers who responded to her Stamford, Conn., apartment prior to the Washington incident that President Barack Obama communicated with her and had set up cameras to record her life for national news outlets, police said.
In an interview Monday with the National Journal, Sanders portrayed the autopsy findings as bolstering his theory that Carey's shooting was not justified.