Windowless Airplanes Of The Future Look Exciting... And Terrifying....The new aircraft design concept from the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) does away with tiny airplane windows, thus allowing for a thinner and lighter fuselage, lower airfare maybe. Would Board A Windowless Airplane? (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post | By Ed Mazza Email Posted: 10/28/2014 3:15 am EDT 

There's some new concept art out showing a possible airplane of the not-too-distant future. And depending on how you feel about flying, these images will either be exhilarating or terrifying.

The new aircraft design concept from the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) does away with tiny airplane windows, thus allowing for a thinner and lighter fuselage. But if you're afraid of heights, don't celebrate just yet because the interior walls themselves would become video displays for cameras mounted outside, essentially turning the entire aircraft into one giant window.

You can see more in the clip above.

Then again, the displays don't have to show what's really outside. Some people are already having fun with the concept on Twitter:Along with revealing thrilling/frightening views of the world (or the Death Star), the giant displays can highlight landmarks and provide important flight information. Of course, they can also be used to show ads: more

Toronto Elects John Tory As Mayor, Ending Rob Ford Era....John Tory had 40 percent of the vote, compared to 34 percent for Doug Ford, brother of outgoing Mayor Rob Ford.

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto has elected a moderate conservative as mayor, ending the scandal-ridden Rob Ford era.

John Tory had 40 percent of the vote, compared to 34 percent for Doug Ford, brother of outgoing Mayor Rob Ford. Left-leaning Olivia Chow was third with nearly 23 percent. The results were announced Monday night with more than 90 percent of polling stations reporting.

Rob Ford's four-year tenure as mayor of Canada's largest city was marred by his drinking and crack cocaine use. He announced last month that he wouldn't seek re-election as he battles a rare form of cancer. His brother, a city councilor, ran in his place.

Despite the cancer, Ford opted to seek the City Council seat from the Etobicoke district where he launched his political career. He won his old seat in a landslide.

After months of denials, the mayor in 2013 acknowledged he had smoked crack cocaine in one of his "drunken stupors," but he refused to resign. The City Council stripped Ford of most of his powers but lacked the authority to force him out of office because he wasn't convicted of a crime. more

WHITE HOUSE WANNABES WALLOPED: 2016 hopefuls, Governors Cuomo (NY) and Christie (NJ) catch Ebola flak

Potential 2016 hopefuls are facing political peril as they grapple with the spread of Ebola in their backyards.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) encountered those exposed risks this weekend as he faced fierce criticism from a nurse who was quarantined in his state after treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), considered a possible Democratic contender or vice presidential pick, appeared with Christie on Friday to emphasize the risks of the virus. After facing criticism, on Sunday night he walked back a stringent Ebola quarantine protocol and said medical workers with no contact to Ebola patients could self-quarantine at home.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry was initially derided for traveling abroad while the first diagnosis was made in Texas, though he eventually cut his trip short to address the situation.

More broadly, Democrats have used the Christie and Perry incidents to argue Republicans are going too far on Ebola, saying that their calls for travel bans amount to fearmongering intended to turn a health crisis into a political advantage in the midterms and beyond.

"To the extent that this is going to be an issue for the 2016 field, when folks are running around scaring people, being hyperbolic, for what they perceive as their own short-term political gain, that leaves a bad taste in voters' mouths," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Michael Czin. more

RUEL LOWE'S EDITORIAL (10/28/14): Have we been failed by our parents? Are we failing our children, by preventing them from thinking freely? Is Christianity a natural religion for African peoples? These are some of the questions raised in this editorial by Jamaican, RUEL LOWE in trying to unravel the reason for the myriad of problems we are having today. WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHT?

Ruel Lowe

Those are the big questions we need to address immediately, because the answers will determine whether we continue to be mired in the slavery mentality engrain in us by our captors in the past, or move on to enlightenment and progress. 

A person, who is a free thinker, is a threat to the ruling class’ orderly society and the status quo! The ruler looks upon such a person as a mal-content and a rebel, which must be subdued, before his ideas awake the subjected/ruled and create a problem for him. 

How many of us have sat down and asked ourselves the questions, why am I here and what am I doing? If we did, we would see a picture that’s not pleasing! So many of us forget that our ancestors were kidnapped/captured and brought here (the western world) for a purpose! That purpose was and is to serve the captors!! more

38 y-o Elephant Man’s rape trial now for March 16, 2015.

Monday, October 28, 2014 | 6:14 AM

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The rape trial of entertainer Elephant man has been pushed back to March 16, 2015.

Elephant Man

The date was set when the entertainer, whose real name is Oniel Bryan, appeared in the Home Circuit for trial today.  The case could not start due to other ongoing cases.

The artiste's bail was extended.

The 38-year-old artiste is charged with rape stemming from a January 2012 incident involving a 31-year-old woman at his Hillcrest Avenue home in St Andrew. more

JAMAICAN WOMAN IN ENGLAND PROVIDES INTERESTING LAUGHTER READING THE SUNDAY SCRIPTURE IN CHURCH.....FUNNY

Post by Rulabrownnetwork.com.

U.S. Soldiers Quarantined: In Italy After Returning From Aiding Ebola Patients...The soldiers being monitored include Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams, There are currently 11 soldiers in isolation.

By Mollie Reilly Email Posted: 10/27/2014 12:15 pm EDT The Huffington Post  

American troops returning after aiding Ebola patients in Liberia have been isolated in Italy, CBS News and CNN reported Monday.

As CBS correspondent David Martin reports, troops are being isolated in Vicenza, Italy, home to a U.S. Army post:The soldiers being monitored include Maj. Gen. Darryl Williams who was the commander of the U.S. Army in Africa but turned over duties to the 101st Airborne Division over the weekend, Martin reports. There are currently 11 soldiers in isolation.

They apparently were met by Carabinieri in full hazmat suits. If the policy remains in effect, everyone returning from Liberia - several hundred - will be placed in isolation for 21 days. Thirty are expected in today, Martin reports.

Read the full CBS News report here.

Reuters later reported that none of the troops under isolation have shown Ebola symptoms.

CNN notes that the Pentagon declined to describe the isolation as a quarantine, instead describing it as "controlled monitoring." However, they are not allowed to return home to the United States until the 21-day monitoring period is over.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to The Huffington Post's request for comment on the matter.

In September, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would send 3,000 military personnel to help treat the victims of West Africa's Ebola crisis, which has claimed approximately 5,000 lives in recent months. In a press conference earlier this month, U.S. Army Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, assured that the soldiers would not be a threat to public health upon returning home to the United States. Rodriguez said at the time that the military would use "careful reintegration" to protect the troops, but did not elaborate on what that entailed. more

The many moods of Holt...UNLIKE most of his rocksteady contemporaries, John Holt's career thrived in the 1970s

Monday, October 27, 2014   
 UNLIKE most of his rocksteady contemporaries, John Holt's career thrived in the 1970s. After leaving The Paragons, he released several well-received albums for small British record companies that kept his star shining in Britain.

In the early 1980s, Holt began working with hot producer Henry 'Junjo' Lawes and the Roots Radics band. They recorded a number of hardcore songs that won him a following among dancehall fans.

Those songs include Fat She Fat and Police in Helicopter. The latter is an anthem among marijuana advocates in Europe.

Holt's live set in Jamaica and the United States differed from his performances in Britain and Europe. Fans in Jamaica and the US were into his rocksteady classics while the Brits favoured songs from his 1974 1000 Volts of Holt album.

Europeans, however, love his work with Lawes and the 'Radics'. more

Seven for Best Reggae Act.... The Urban Music Awards is scheduled for November 15 in London

Morgan Heritage

THE 12th annual European Urban Music Awards nominations have been announced, with seven acts up for Best Reggae Act 2014.

They are Mavado, Gyptian, Demarco, Morgan Heritage, Sean Paul, Stylo G and Popcaan.

Stylo G, a Spanish Town-born, London-based deejay, copped the award for Best Reggae Album last week at the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards.

The Urban Music Awards is scheduled for November 15 in London. Winners are decided by fan votes.

Men: Why we’re afraid of Christian women... Jamaican men tend to seek the path of least resistance.

By KIMBERLEY HIBBERT  Monday, October 27, 2014 

THEY'RE usually seen as the cream of the crop -- saved, sanctified, untouched and ready to commit for life. They won't cheat, won't yield to temptation and won't crave the things worldly women do. They will love, honour, obey and see you as the man of the house, the king. But many men shy away from Christian women despite these attributes, leaving the church pews filled with eligible women and very few takers, and this week they're telling why.

File Photo

Richard G, non-Christian:

It's more like not wanting to touch the Lord's anointed. Christian women like to talk about marriage and most men don't like to feel as if they are being forced into something they're not ready for. Also, most men want to test the water, to see if it's what they expected. What if you run into marriage and you can't satisfy her needs? What if she can't satisfy yours?

Damion G, non-Christian:

Lots of women in the church are there because they have gone through some kind of emotional relationship or financial issues. Sometimes they are in church to clear baggage. This baggage is bound to show up in other relationships. The idea of holding out on sex is another thing, and also wanting to take the man to church. Jamaican men tend to seek the path of least resistance.

Sean J, Christian:

We're all humans and if we fall, she's going to come with something like, 'Let us pray together and ask for forgiveness'. If it was a non-Christian woman she would just leave it alone and let me deal with my sins.

Christopher B, Christian:

You can't get to do what you want to do. When you really think about it, a worldian woman is not afraid of anything, but a church girl will behave like if she sins, the world will end, or she will be a hypocrite about it. Furthermore, you have to go get approval from pastor, mother, father, and even her dog. I'm not about that life! more

IN JAMAICA (VERY INSPIRING): How Michelle Watkis Robinson beat breast cancer....For strength, she relied on her mother, now deceased, who was battling brain cancer at the time....."I don't overindulge. Though I love my pork and my pork skin, I eat a lot of green, leafy vegetables to get my body in an alkaline state. I drink a lot of alkaline water and green juice. Also, I drink guinea hen weed tea, prepared in a wine-based solution and that is very potent,"

By KIMBERLEY HIBBERT  Monday, October 27, 2014  

A  trip to Texas in 2010 for a wedding ended up changing Michelle Watkis Robinson's life. She was conducting a random breast self-examination when she found a lump.

Michelle Watkis Robinson
(PHOTO: KARL MCLARTY)

"I have a thing where I say anything foreign in my body has to come out, so I went to see my doctor when I returned to Jamaica," she said.

She was told to do a mammogram, which confirmed the presence of a suspicious growth, initially misdiagnosed as benign.

"I told them to just remove it," she said.

But things took a turn when Watkis Robinson was told she also had to do a pregnancy test before any procedure could be conducted. She thought of the request as ludicrous, but followed protocol.

"Lo and behold, I was pregnant. I couldn't do anything and I couldn't be exposed to radiation. I was told to ride it out and after the baby I could have it removed," she said.

By the time she was six months pregnant, Watkis Robinson said the lump grew to the size of a golf ball.

"I was very concerned and when the baby was born I was willing to not breastfeed my daughter Marissa, but I was told the lump was benign and what I had was an infected breast duct so I should continue breastfeeding. However, breastfeeding was painful and after four months I had to stop."

She decided on another biopsy, and just by glimpsing the slides with the naked eye, the doctor was able to determine that something was indeed wrong -- the lump wasn't benign. more

PALAS Medical Student, Julene Barrett with SaveAbee_Medical Out Reach providing well needed healthcare to the Guyanese people

IN JAMAICA: No working fire extinguisher at Jubilee’s nursery.... Maintenance staff praise ‘Carlos’ for bravery Sunday, October 26, 2014

There is no functioning fire extinguisher at the nursery of the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, the Jamaica Observer understands.

The matter arose after a fire broke out at the facility last Thursday night, leaving one nurse with a fractured wrist, and other workers having to be treated at the Accident and Emergency department of the adjoining Kingston Public Hospital.

Jubilee Hospital

The nurse fractured her wrist in a bold bid, along with other staff members, to save over 20 babies who were being treated at the nursery, following the fire, caused by an air-conditioning unit which exploded.

“There is no fire extinguisher here just in case a fire breaks out, so if a fire starts, unless we move fast by using some skilful measures, we could be in trouble,” one maintenance worker told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Those ‘skilful measures’ relate to the quick-thinking, fast-acting push by maintenance staff, headed by one popularly called ‘Carlos’ who kept the blaze in check and took the babies to safety.

“The maintenance staff was responsible for putting out the fire, while the nurses removed the babies and some of the other stuff. But one man stood out — Carlos. So by the time the fire brigade came, the firefighters had little to do, because the blaze was put out,” the worker said. more

IN JAMAICA (NICE STORY): Law breakthrough for 26 y-o Cieanna Smith, after sitting CAPE/CXC exams in hospital.... Young St Ann professional urges volunteerism by more Jamaicans....Imagine sitting several examinations in a hospital bed while in pain and facing discomfort.

BY RENAE DIXON Sunday Observer staff reporter dixonr@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, October 26, 2014    

CIEANNA Smith is a true representation of determination.

There were many dark clouds which hung over her life, but the 26-year-old, who is expected to be called to the legal bar soon, was always determined to achieve.

Cienna Smith

Imagine sitting several examinations in a hospital bed while in pain and facing discomfort. That was what Smith endured during her final year at the Brown's Town Community College. She was involved in an accident just a day into sitting her second units of CAPE exams. Smith said that she believed she recognised most of her strengths following her car accident in 2007.

"I had my first CAPE exam the Monday and I had my next exam the Tuesday morning," said Smith.

She was involved in the accident the Monday night but was determined to do the exams despite being in hospital and so she insisted that her mother bring her books to her.

"It felt like a dream. When I woke up in the hospital, I said, 'Oh my God, I really met in an accident', but all that was on my mind was that I had exams for the week," she recalled.

Not wanting to repeat the year, she called her mother who in turn telephoned college principal James Walsh who contacted the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) governing body in Barbados explaining that she had been involved in an accident and wanted to sit her exams in the hospital.

"I did all my other exams in the hospital and when I was leaving Brown's Town Community College I was named top performer," she said, adding that it was a big surprise to many. more

IN JAMAICA: HAPPY BIRTHDAY Neressa Graham, 100 y-o, makes nothing bother....Born in Chantilly, Manchester on October 18, 1914...."Me and my brother used to play cricket. I was a little tomboy," Graham said, laughing. "I used to climb tree, pick orange and tangerine."

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, October 26, 2014    

FAMILY members of Neressa Graham, who celebrated her 100th birthday on October 18, strongly believe that because she does not worry about things that would generally affect others, she has experienced long life.

"She live this long because she has never made anything bother her up to this day, no matter what happen," the centenarian's eldest grandchild 46-year-old Garfield Peart told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday. "When grandfather died she didn't cry, she didn't do anything, that's how she has been ever since. No matter what, it doesn't bother her.

"January made one year since she lost her leg and she didn't really worry about losing it," said Graham's son, Azariah Graham, 59, who journeyed from England where he lives, for his mother's birthday. "She don't worry about anything," he went on.

Born in Chantilly, Manchester on October 18, 1914, the centenarian grew up with her sole sibling, Leford, and parents Georgiana Campbell and Charles Webster. She attended the Zion Hill Baptist School in Bombay, Manchester.

"Me and my brother used to play cricket. I was a little tomboy," Graham said, laughing. "I used to climb tree, pick orange and tangerine."

And that 'tomboy' attitude was still a part of Graham's way of life until she was in her 80s and had to be encouraged by family members to stop climbing trees. more

5 Things About Slavery You Probably Didn't Learn In Social Studies: A Short Guide To 'The Half Has Never Been Told' The Huffington Post...1) Slavery was a key driver of the formation of American wealth 2) 2) In its heyday, slavery was more efficient than free labor, contrary to the arguments made by some northerners at the time & more....

 By Braden Goyette Email Posted: 10/23/2014 3:49 pm EDT 

Edward Baptist's new book, "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery And The Making Of American Capitalism", drew a lot of attention last month after the Economist said it was too hard on slave owners.

What you might not have taken away from the ensuing media storm is that "The Half Has Never Been Told" is quite a gripping read. Baptist weaves deftly between analysis of economic data and narrative prose to paint a picture of American slavery that is pretty different from what you may have learned in high school Social Studies class.

The whole thing is well worth reading in full. Baptist positions his book in opposition to textbooks that present slavery like a distant aberration of American history, cramming 250 years into a few chapters in a way "that cuts the beating heart out of the story." To counter that image of history, Baptist devotes much of the book to depicting the lived experience of enslavement in a way that's vivid and immediate.

But for those of you who are strapped for time, or who want a peek into the book before committing to the full 420 pages, here are five of his key arguments:

1) Slavery was a key driver of the formation of American wealth.

Baptist argues that our narrative of slavery generally goes something like this: it was a terrible thing, but it was an anomaly, a sort of feudal throwback within capitalism whose demise would inevitably come with the rise of wage labor. In fact, he argues, it was at the heart of the development of American capitalism.

Baptist crunches economic data to come up with a "back-of-the-envelope" estimate of how much slavery contributed to the American economy both directly and indirectly. "All told, more than $600 million, or almost half of the economic activity in the United States in 1836, derived directly or indirectly from cotton produced by the million-odd slaves -- 6 percent of the total US population -- who in that year toiled in labor camps on slavery's frontier."

By 1850, he writes, American slaves were worth $1.3 billion, one-fifth of the nation's wealth. more

WHO SEH SATURDAY MAWNING FINGA LICKING MAAAD FOOD! Yummy JAMAICA NATIONAL DISH: "ACKEE & SALTFISH" DUMPLING, WID BRESHE & CALLALOO BREAKFAST and a Touch of Pineapple Juice. Aaah Bwoy!

WHO SEH SATURDAY MAWNING FINGA LICKING MAAAD FOOD!
Yummy JAMAICA NATIONAL DISH: "ACKEE & SALTFISH" DUMPLING,
 WID BRESHE & CALLALOO BREAKFAST and a Touch of Pineapple Juice. Aaah Bwoy!

East Kingston residents protest police treatment...."Since gunmen killed three men in the area on Wednesday police dem come in di area and a pressure di youth dem, but them not going out to look for who carried out the attacks in the area," said one man, who was among the dozens of residents protesting on Windward Road.

Saturday, October 25, 2014    

NOISE erupted in East Kingston yesterday as residents voiced their disgust at how the police were handling the investigation into Wednesday night's deadly shootings by gunmen in the area.

The residents claimed that since the attack, which left three men dead and several others injured, young men in the area were being unfairly targeted while it appeared that no attempt was being made to collar the killers

Police patrol a street in Rockfort, east Kingston on Thursday,
 a day after three men were shot dead by gunmen in the
 community. (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

"Since gunmen killed three men in the area on Wednesday police dem come in di area and a pressure di youth dem, but them not going out to look for who carried out the attacks in the area," said one man, who was among the dozens of residents protesting on Windward Road.

They threatened to block the thoroughfare if the police did not change their approach.

Yesterday, the police said that the protest followed the detention of two men from the area. They, however, assured the residents that their rights would be upheld as they continue their investigation.

"What happened is that police went to the area and apprehended two men," a senior detective told the Jamaica Observer. "Since then we have visited the area and spoken to the residents and assured them that we will be working to maintain a professional relationship with residents but at the same time will also be executing our duties to ensure that law and order is maintained," he added. more

WEST INDIES CRICKET....Dwayne Bravo: All players in the loop, shocked at Marlon Samuels' statement if true

Saturday, October 25, 2014 | 1:21 AM    

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - 

West Indies ODI captain Dwayne Bravo, in a letter sent to the media yesterday, stated that all correspondences sent and decisions taken by the West Indies squad in India was “in concert with all of the members of the squad” and he was nominated and accepted the responsibility to correspond on behalf of the players on the tour.

Dwayne Bravo (left) and Marlon Samuels 

He also noted that Marlon Samuels “contributed vigorously to the discussions held and indicated clearly, at that time, that he would stand with any decision taken by the team,” contrary to media reports that the batsman wanted nothing to do with one-day team’s plan to abandon the tour.

The decision of the team was to withdraw their services following a bitter wrangle with the Wavell Hinds-led West Indies Players Association (WIPA) over the new terms of the recently negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement, which they have claimed results in a drastic reduction in their earnings.

Bravo’s letter comes in response to media reports which he said seemed to be concentrating on him. “Much of the reporting on this situation seems to be concentrating primarily on me and not on the fact that the action taken was in concert with all of the members of the squad,” the all-rounder wrote. more

Mek Yu Smile- Dancing by Afrikan Kids....These kids dance moves will amaze you. (Absolutely magnificent)

Post by African Muzik Magazine.

Symposium To Examine Multifaceted Peter Tosh - Protagonist, Activist, and Pan-Africanist: A Focus on the Man, The Music, The Message and the Herb....

Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writer Published: Friday | October 24, 2014 

On Monday, October 27, this year's edition of the annual Peter Tosh Symposium takes place in the Multifunctional Room of the Main Library,University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona campus. Put on by the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work as well as the UWI National Heritage Month Celebration Committee, both at Mona, it is titled Peter Tosh - Protagonist, Activist, and Pan-Africanist: A Focus on the Man, The Music, The Message and the Herb.

Peter Tosh

It starts at 6 p.m. and admission is free.

The title suggests a multi-dimensional assessment of Tosh, who was killed in Barbican, St Andrew, on September 11, 1987, and Dr Michael Barnett confirmed this as he previewed what speakers Miguel Lorne, Taitu Heron, Dr Clinton Hutton and Evah Gordon will be addressing.

"Lorne will be speaking about the comparisons between the Mario Deane case and Tosh," Barnett said, noting that Tosh was also arrested for a spliff and ended up being badly beaten in the Half-Way Tree Police Station. Unlike Deane, "he survived, but at the end of the day it is based on the argument that it was a spliff."

Noting Tosh's renowned advocacy for the legalisation of marijuana, Barnett reflected on his Legalise It album of nearly four decades ago. "We are looking at where we are now with the apparent decriminalisation soon to come into effect, if it will make any tangible difference," Barnett said. more

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) commends Jamaica for 'miracle' performance....because of the financial "miracle" that the Government has performed, the local economy is turning in a positive direction.

 Friday, October 24, 2014 Jamaica Observer    

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF's) Deputy Managing Director Min Zhu says Jamaica's achievements so far under the Extended Fund Facility agreement with the fund can only be described as miraculous.

Min Zhu (centre), the International Monetary Fund’s
deputy managing director, in discussion with
Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Finance
Minister Dr Peter Phillips yesterday at the start
 of the two-day 2014 High Level Caribbean Financial
 Forum at Montego Bay Convention Centre in
 Rose Hall, St James. (PHOTO: MICHAEL GORDON)

Addressing students at Montego Bay Community College in St James after a tour of the facilities on Wednesday, Min said because of the financial "miracle" that the Government has performed, the local economy is turning in a positive direction.

"By our forecast, the growth this year will be stronger than last year, and even more important, for next year the growth will be stronger than this year. Meanwhile, the fiscal deficit will drop to almost zero... so I think it's absolutely a miracle. It's a great achievement by the Jamaican Government," he said.

Min, who is in Jamaica attending the two-day 2014 High Level Caribbean Financial Forum which concludes today at Montego Bay Convention Centre in Rose Hall, St James, said the IMF is committed to moving forward with Jamaica.

"For the future, the key issue is we need the support of growth... we need the young people, we need the leaders of the future," he told the students.

Min, along with other IMF representatives and Finance Minister Dr Peter Phillips, Bank of Jamaica Governor Brian Wynter, and finance ministry officials toured the Electrical Technology and Food Technology departments of the community college, where they observed final-year students participating in laboratory activities. more

IN JAMAICA: Rockfort residents deny turf war behind murders - say gangs demanding rent from homeowners....On Wednesday evening, Loxley Brown, Terrence Dixon and 23-year-old Aboyonei Stratchan, also known as Abba of Norman Terrace, were shot dead by gunmen

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, October 24, 2014    

ROCKFORT residents yesterday rubbished a claim by the police that a fight for turf between criminal gangs was at the heart of Wednesday evening's murder of three men in the community.

Police patrol a street in Rockfort, east Kingston yesterday,
a day after three men were shot dead by gunmen in
 the community. (PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON)

According to the residents, the shooting of the men had its genesis in an extortion racket operated by gunmen whose ability to engage in criminal activities outside the east Kingston community has been stanched by police anti-crime measures.

"Police a seh a turf war; no turf war not taking place in here, extortion is at the heart of all of what is going on," said one woman, who requested anonymity.

"Police seh dem clamp down on extortion; nothing don't go so. It went away for a while, but it slowly returning," she added as she stood with a group of residents. "What is happening in this community is more than meets the eye."

On Wednesday evening, 32-year-old Loxley Brown of Harbour Road in Rockfort; 31-year-old Terrence Dixon, otherwise called Fidel, also from Harbour Road; and 23-year-old Aboyonei Stratchan, also known as Abba of Norman Terrace, were shot dead by gunmen at a bar in the community.

When the Jamaica Observer asked why the men were killed, the residents said the gunmen shot them to send a message that no one should resist their demands for cash.

They explained that the killings did not necessarily mean that the three men were approached for money, instead, the gunmen were sending a warning to the community. more

BREAKING NEWS (Dr. Craig Spencer NOW tested Positive for Ebola)....New York City Dr. Craig Spencer, Who Treated Ebola Patients In Guinea Taken To Bellevue Hospital With High Fever....He is in his mid-30s and an employee of Doctors Without Borders, reported a 103-degree fever and nausea.

 The Huffington Post | By Alana Horowitz & Anna Almendrala Email Posted: 10/23/2014 3:13 pm EDT

A New York City doctor who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Guinea was taken to the hospital on Thursday with Ebola-like symptoms.

Dr. Craig Spencer

According to the New York Post, the doctor, who CBS New York confirmed is male and in his mid-30s and an employee of Doctors Without Borders, reported a 103-degree fever and nausea.

Both CBS New York and the New York Post reported that the doctor's name is Craig Spencer.

The New York City Department of Health confirmed that a patient who had recently traveled in Africa was being tested for Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan. Test results are expected within the next 12 hours.

Ebola Virus

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) also confirmed that a person in New York who had recently worked with the organization in West Africa reported a fever to them Thursday morning. The organization immediately notified the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene with the news. As with all Doctors Without Borders staff who return from working with Ebola patients, the person had been monitoring his health daily since returning from his trip.

At this stage Doctors Without Borders said it will not be providing any further details about its colleague. HuffPost reached out to officials from Bellevue and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but did not receive immediate comment. more

CONGRATS HIGH SCHOOL GENIUS: Veteran Reggae Icon, Daddy U-ROY makes a presentation at the PALAS award ceremony @ UWI-Mona Campus to JAVANNEY CAMPBELL, PALAS Gold Star Recipient from Clan Carthy High in Kingston.

CONGRATS HIGH SCHOOL GENIUS: Veteran Reggae Icon, Daddy U-ROY makes a presentation at the PALAS award ceremony @ UWI-Mona Campus to JAVANNEY CAMPBELL, PALAS Gold Star Recipient from Clan Carthy High in Kingston. Javanney also received a computer from Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Lisa Hanna. PALAS awarded 72 scholarships in 2014 and has a new goal to award 125 scholarships in 2015. PALAS awarded 187 scholarships in 4 years valued J$8.9 million. Please donate at www.PALAS1.org

Multiple Shootings Near Canadian Parliament In Ottawa, Soldier Killed

Multiple shootings rocked Ottawa on Wednesday, bringing Canada's capital to a halt.

Ottawa police confirmed shots were fired at two locations in close proximity to one another: the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill. Twenty-four-year-old Cpl. Nathan Cirillo was shot and killed in the attacks.

Chaos in Canada

At a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Canadian officials said one male gunman was killed. An official later identified the shooter as 32-year-old Michael Zehaf-Bibeau.

Canadian officials would not confirm or deny reports of multiple suspects during Wednesday afternoon's press conference. However, a spokesperson for Ottawa's police told The Huffington Post earlier on Wednesday they were looking for at least one other suspect.A little before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, police received several emergency calls reporting a gunman had opened fire at Ottawa's National War Memorial, fatally shooting a Canadian soldier who was standing guard.

Witnesses told Reuters that the gunman then ran towards Parliament Hill, which is located across the street from the Memorial. Construction worker Scott Walsh told the news service that he saw a man dressed in black with a scarf over his face running towards parliament. He added that the masked man was carrying a double barreled shotgun. He saw the assailant hijack a car and drove it to the main Parliament building. more

My interview with a CHIKV-laden mosquito by Mark WIGNALL....How did you penetrate my defence, bite me, transmit your pain to me, and leave me so low, helpless and, at times, just confused?

Thursday, October 23, 2014    

Mark Wignall (MW): I tried most desperately to avoid you, using Vape mats, coils of burning stuff, spray insecticides, and the electric fan at the foot of my bed on rapid. My point is this. How did you penetrate my defence, bite me, transmit your pain to me, and leave me so low, helpless and, at times, just confused?

CHIKV (C-V): Like most members of the human race, as huge in mass as you are, and as miniscule as I am to you, you are basically a fool.

My interview with a CHIKV-laden mosquito
The Aedes aegypti mosquito

MW: Don't annoy me! I spent all of Sunday night and Heroes Day totally decked out. You hammered nails into my knee joints, rendered my arms and hands useless and, if that was not bad enough, while I was spending five minutes to make a 6-metre trip to the bathroom, you arranged that the objective was met just before the trip was concluded.

C-V: (laughs) You mean, you wet yourself?

MW: I am asking the questions here! I captured you yesterday and you are here in my personal glass case. First question. What are you doing here? When did you get here? And, why are you attacking us so? And, what would you like to be called? more