"We just don't want him to hurt himself", was the sentence that characterised much of the conversation between THE STAR and family members of Desrine Irvin, the newspaper vendor who was one of two women killed in a motor vehicle accident on Hagley Park Road on July 4. The mother of six children was five months' pregnant at the time.

Janet Ffrench, sister of the deceased, said since getting wind of an article published in The Sunday Gleaner where the driver of the vehicle, Alston Williams, said he has been having suicidal thoughts since the horrific accident, the family felt compelled to assure him that he had no need to do such a thing.

Bring heartache

"We don't want him to hurt himself because that will only bring heartache to his family and we don't want that, we don't his family to have to go through that grief, we don't want him to end his life," Ffrench said. "And if my sister had survived, I'm sure she would not want him to hurt himself either because she is a people person."

Ffrench continued that harming Williams was far from their intention as the episode was a tragic accident.

"I feel sorry for him sometimes when I think about it, because I can only imagine the fear and shock that he is in," she said. "It was an accident that could have happened to any of us, it was not something that he did on purpose, so we don't want him to think that we are planning to hurt him."

Shackesha Wilson, the eldest of Irvin's children, said the family would even ask for leniency in the courtroom, even though the final word rested with the judge, as the family believed every man deserved a second chance.

Attempts to get an update from the police on the investigation were unsuccessful.

Desrine Irvin and Allison Burke, both 49 years old and both pregnant, were the victims of a fatal accident involving a garbage truck along Hagley Park Road on July 4. Irvin died on the spot while Burke later succumbed to injuries. Reports are that the driver swerved to avoid a collision and ended up on the sidewalk where both ladies were standing.

 

Beres

Dubbed the greatest reggae show on earth, Sumfest is not only limited to Jamaican music as international acts such as Lil' Wayne, Keisha Cole and T-Pain will also create a 'hype'.

The event, which started on Sunday with the beach party, will feature a host of local and international acts throughout the festival, which ends on July 19. While people are looking forward to the international acts, Jamaican hitmakers, Beenie Man, Mavado, Vybz Kartel, Bounty Killer, Busy Signal, Tarrus Riley, Beres Hammond and Jah Cure are still maintaining their strong presence.

Chart-topping album

With a Billboard chart topping album, Tha Carter III and single Lollipop, Lil' Wayne was included on the list of artistes people are 'hyped up' to see. According to Robert Russell, Chairman of Summerfest Productions that organises Sumfest, "I hear them (the public) talking about all the artistes on the show. Of course, there is Beres Hammond, T-Pain and Lil Wayne. There is a lot of buzz about Mavado as well."

Stampede, founder of Stampede Street Charts, also listed Lil' Wayne as one of the favourites for the show.

Serani

"Everybody a come fi see him (Lil' Wayne). Di younger youth dem a go crazy over him CD," he told THE STAR.

He noted that acts like Beenie Man, Anthony B, Bounty Killer and Macka Diamond will also be show-stoppers. In addition, he said I-Octane, Serani and Konshens are the new artistes that will do well.

"Beenie (Man) a di one weh a go tek da show deh. Anthony B a di black horse; him nuh have a hit tune right now but him a one a di man weh a go come out pon top wid him performance," said Stampede.

T-Pain

Although a featured act on the show, Serani says he is looking forward to performances from other artistes.

"Mi a go deh deh a watch and support the Alliance; Mavado, Bounty Killer, Wayne Marshall, Bling Dawg, Busy Signal," Serani told The Star.

"But T-Pain a mi artiste still," he said. "A him mi a look fi see. T-Pain is very musical and creative. People don't really think he can sing but he can. Him crazy."

Though he will be watching other persons perform, Serani said he plans to give a 'fresh' performance with his popular songs, Doh, She Loves Me and Everywhere I Go, as well as some of his newer tracks.

While this is his first time as an artiste on the Sumfest stage, he has played for Bounty Killer, Wayne Marshall, Mavado and Vybz Kartel in his own Anger Management band. Hence, he is mentally prepared for what to expect. He says he has prepared his outfit and is in the last stages of rehearsal for his performance on Thursday night.

Mavado

Grab a dictionary and read slowly, this clearly explains the deadly Human Immunodeficiency Virus

The Virus: Its History and Definition
The history of viruses probably began about 1886 when the Dutch chemist Adolf Mayer revealed that it was possible to transfer the tobacco mosaic disease from an affected plant to a healthy plant. In the past (1882) he had described the phenomenon as "a soluble, possible enzyme-like contagium" but by 1886 he had altered his opinion and reported that it is "bacterial, but that the infectious forms have not yet been isolated, nor are their forms of life known..."

Subsequently (1892) the Russian bacteriologist Dmitri Ivanovsky failed in his attempts to isolate the infectious agent by use of filtering and it was left to Dutch botanist Martinus Beijerink to voice the observation that the behavior, of the seemingly elusive causative agent, was different from that of bacteria. He fittingly coined the definition 'contagium vivum fluidum' or 'virus(es)' - the Latin for poison.

In and about 1935 two interesting events occurred that contributed immensely to our clinical understanding of virology. One was the American chemist Wendel M. Stanley isolating the tobacco mosaic virus and the other was the invention of an electron microscope which made viruses visible for the first time.

At approximately the same time (19th-20th Century) Leoffler and Frosch discovered foot and mouth disease virus. Almost immediately was the discovery of the first human disease- causing virus, yellow fever virus. By the end of the 1930's tumor viruses, bacteriophages, influenza viruses, mumps and many arboviruses had been identified. Since then and to the present, the discovery and isolation of viruses have intensified with the human immunodeficiency (HIV) and human T-cell lymphotropic viruses listed among the more recent (of the human disease-causing viruses).

Viruses are parasites too small to be seen by even a microscope, that can be found in all types of organisms. They can only reproduce with the help or indirect assistance of the host cell in which they reside. As a result of their inability to self replicate and their inert status outside the living host cell, they are not considered as living organisms. However, viral intercellular entry instantly activates the viral nucleic acids and viral multiplication results. Viruses have few or no enzymes of their own metabolism. To replicate, viruses must seize the metabolic machinery of the host cell.
Acquired immunity is essentially the protection an organism develops against specific types of microbes on foreign substances. When the human immune system recognizes a foreign substance- the provoked response is production of antibodies and specialized lymphocytes (white *lo** cells). An insufficient response results in varied deficiencies and many viruses are capable of infecting and killing lymphocytes thus lowering the response.

Discovery - Clinical Recognition
AIDS is an immune system disorder in which the body's ability to adequately defend itself is circumstantially diminished. When the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) invades certain white *lo** cells named T-Lymphocytes and multiples, it creates a systematic breakdown of the immune system, eventually leading to overwhelming damage and the production of chemicals and messenger molecules that kill the invading foreign material(s). The protective limits of the body represent those areas that come in contact with the external environment through: the skin, mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, nose and eyes the lung linings and so on.

Disruption of this defensive system or alteration in cellular membrane can cause invasion which will precipitate immediate activation of the immune complex. Immune cells are highly reactive metabolically and they exhibit a high turnover. A vigilant immune system is critical to the prevention of infection by viruses, fungi and bacteria and will even deactivate disfigured cancer cells (which form regularly) before they can become malignant disease states which can be fatal. Deaths among people with AIDS are not caused by AIDS itself, but by one of the many infections or cancers to which the syndrome makes the body vulnerable.

Origin of Virus/ Etiology
The origin of the HIV is probably the most controversial and most debated subject in the medical community and in society in general. At the 1996 Eighth Annual Houston Conference on AIDS in America, Howard B. Urnovitz, M.D, a microbiologist, challenged medical science to prove wrong his theory that the human immunodeficiency virus Type-1 (HIV-1) is a monkey-human hybrid that was created after 300,000 Africans were injected between 1957 and 1959 with quantities of experimental live oral polio vaccines contaminated with different monkey viruses. A similar stance was taken by journalist Edward Hooper in his book 'The River: Journey to the source of AIDS' in which he links the onset of AIDS to a mass polio vaccination in the 1950's when many Africans were injected with an experimental vaccine derived from monkey organs. In 1998 the media alerted the public to further evidence that AIDS started in Africa.
The proof consisted of an old (1959) stored frozen *lo** specimen discovered to be HIV positive. Researchers claimed that the tiny amount of serum contained fragments of HIV 'closely mated' to a virus found in the chimpanzees in the African wild and was in the frozen remains of a chimp named Marilyn, discovered in a freezer at the Fort Detrick biodefense laboratory. The 1959 specimen-obtained from a Bantu man living in Kinshasa, the Congo - was later heralded 'the worlds oldest HIV-positive *lo** sample.'

In October 2000 the Royal Society of London held a two day conference on the origins of HIV. A single declaration was "all human infectious diseases have an animal origin." However this only helped to ignite the debate as Boyd E. Graves discusses it in his book, 'State Origin: the evidence of the Laboratory Birth of AIDS.' He states that the true history of the origin of AIDS can be traced throughout the 20th Century and back to 1878. On April 29th of that year the United States passed a 'Federal Quarantine Act.' The U.S began a significant effort to investigate 'causes' of epidemic diseases. In 1887 the effort was enhanced with the mandate of the 'U.S. Laboratory of Hygiene.' This lab was run by Dr. Joseph Kinyoun. Two years later (1889) we were able to identify mycoplasmas a transmissible agent that is now found at the heart of human diseases including HIV/AIDS.

But did science create a genetic genocide machine? Dr. William Campbell Douglas (M.D.) wrote that HIV was finally produced or genetically engineered in 1974. In his report 'WHO murdered Africa', he tells us that the AIDS virus produced by the WHO (World Health Organization) was not just a diabolical scientific exercise that got out of hand, he said, "It...was a successful attempt to create a killer virus which was then used successfully in Africa. African AIDS was the result of the small pox eradication vaccine program conducted by WHO during the 1970's."

At the Royal Society's conference (2000) Dr. Kevin De c**k of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta Georgia criticized both theories. He expounded on the epidemiological principles required to ascertain the true origins of HIV, describing Hooper's book, 'The River: Journey to the source of AIDS,' that proposes an ecologic association between contaminated OPV (oral polio vaccine) and the emergence of HIV, as hypothetical discourse relying on data that indicated noticeable bias and irregularities of association in their assembly. De c**k was also critical of attempted analysis of SIV (simian[monkey] immunodeficiency virus) distribution among the chimpanzees in Central Africa as epidemiologically irrelevant to understanding what took place in the past, just as current HIV prevalence tells us nothing about the date of HIV's emergence in a population.

Dr. Leopold Zekeng of the Cameroon Laboratorie de Sante Hygiene Mobile reviewed HIV and SIV infections in Cameroon and the theory that monkey- hunting Pygmy tribes in the region might have been the vectors for the transfer of HIV from chimps to the wider population. Zekeng and his colleagues investigated HIV prevalence among two Pygmy tribes and found that HIV was lower than within the predominant Bantu and strongly linked to contact with urban centers suggesting that the theory that Pygmy hunters have acted as a bridge for HIV into the human population is probably fallacy.

In 1981 AIDS was identified as a new syndrome and the sudden appearance of epidemics of previously rare diseases such as Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia were recognized as a single syndrome due to their relation to immunosuppression. The people believed to be mostly affected at that time were homosexual men, indicating the AIDS epidemic might be caused by an infectious agent. Also, haemophiliacs, transfusion recipients and intravenous drug abusers appeared to be a high risk of developing the disorder, thus implicating a *lo** borne infectious agent as the causative element. CD4+ and T-cells were seen as the elements most likely involved in AIDS; the theory that AIDS was most likely due to a new human T-trophic retrovirus was proposed in 1982. The identification of a human retrovirus [human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV- I)] as the etiologic agent of AIDS soon followed.

A Lancashire man claims a tornado prevented a UFO from landing near where he stood.

Pat Regan claims he was nearly blown off his feet in Rufford as he photographed the tornado during a fishing trip.

When he got home he enlarged the picture on his computer and spotted the UFO.

Pat told The Sun: I noticed this weird speck. I blew it up and there it was - a UFO hovering right beside the twister.

Its a perfect disc shape and greenish in colour. If it was a little green man he probably took one look at the weather and thought twice about landing!

A Met Office spokesman said: Tornados occur about 30 times a year in the UK, but its the first time Ive heard of a UFO spotted close to one.

LIMA (Reuters) - Doctors in a coastal town in northwestern Peru have rescued the innards of a 38-year-old man by removing 17 metal objects -- among them nails, a watch clasp and a knife -- that he ate.

Luis Zarate was taken to the regional hospital of Trujillo earlier this week by his family after complaining of sharp stomach pains. Doctors took X-rays of his chest that showed his insides littered with screws.

"There were 17 strange objects found at the level of his stomach and colon," said Dr. Julio Acevedo, one of the surgeons who operated on Zarate.

The black-and-white scans showed Zarate's skeleton interlaced with things like bolts, barbed-wire and pens.

"The objects had caused the stomach to expand," said Acevedo.

Doctors said Zarate was mentally ill but it was not clear why he ate the metal.

FIVE women were kept as slaves for 20 years by an evil sect leader. He forced them to build him and his wife a house and chapel while they lived in a tiny ramshackle shed without heat, light or water. Police are now believed to be questioning the victims about sexual abuse at the hands of Jiri Adam, 74. He was held after one fled to find a doctor in Brno in the Czech Republic. Cop Oldrich Kriz said: Id compare the womens state to that of World War Two concentration camp victims. Adam is thought to have brutalised and brainwashed the women, all now pensioners, making them sign over £1million in property and cash. They worked from dawn to dusk, laying bricks and making stone paths for tractors on his vineyard. They ate just bread and water, with a spoon of honey for supper. In winter he gave them only old coats for blankets. And he raged at a concerned neighbour: We dont need God here. Im God. Adam now faces slavery and sex charges. His sect was said to be based on the secretive Grail Movement, with 10,000 followers worldwide including hundreds in Britain.

The 'fluffy one', Miss Kitty is getting set to return to radio, as she recently landed a prime time spot on RJR 94FM.

The popular personality is ready and raring to go with her new afternoon programme on Radio Jamaica (RJR).

After being fired from her show 'The Entertainment Office' on Nationwide News late May, following a disagreement with the heads of Nationwide News, Miss Kitty, whose real name is Khadine Hylton, is back on air again.

When THE STAR spoke with Miss Kitty she was ecstatic to be with RJR, revealing that her show will be in the prime-time spot of 2-5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.

While not confirmed, Miss Kitty believes the show will be called 'Ketch A Fire' and will follow the format of her last show bringing music and entertainment to afternoon radio. "I'm just coming with a little entertainment in the afternoon, bringing something different into it, I'm bringing myself cause I can't be anyone but Miss Kitty" she said.

Valued addition

When contacted Francois St Juste, RJR General Manager of Radio, confirmed that Miss Kitty will be on RJR 94FM and eluded that the show would begin 'very shortly.' He told THE STAR why Miss Kitty would be a valued addition saying, "we think she's fun, she'll be entertaining and it's partly about some of the things we want to do which is to inform and entertain, which I think she will do."

According to Miss Kitty, she is very grateful for the opportunity and would like to thank her fans and family who have supported her throughout her brief departure from radio. As for working on RJR, she sees this as coming full circle in her career, having begun in entertainment with a programme called 'Frank And Upfront' and 'Youth Factor' on RJR.

"I feel good about being on RJR, I started there and went elsewhere so it's back to where I started. I am also humbled because RJR is a foundation station, I know we will find a way to entertain everyone. Afternoon radio is RJR and Miss Kitty," she said.

As for viewers, Miss Kitty says they can expect her usual diva behaviour along with a few surprises as she has a few tricks up her 'sleeve and skirt.'

Outside of radio, Miss Kitty is busy working as a VJ for RETV, and is looking forward to a host of emcee duties for the summer and being a judge once more on Magnum Kings and Queens which resumes in November. She is also working on a show for the overseas market.

Santa Cruz

A 26-year-old man who was charged with larceny of goats was yesterday sentenced to four months' hard labour after he pleaded guilty to stealing the animals in the Santa Cruz Resident Magistrate's Court.

Damian Cameron of Warminister district, St Elizabeth, broke down in court after he was sentenced by RM Dionne Mayler-Reid.

It is alleged that on May 23, about 10 a.m., the police at the Nain Police Station received information about goats which were stolen. The police went to Swain Hill at Nain district, where they saw Cameron butchering one of the goats with three others tied under a mango tree. He was arrested and charged.

LAS VEGAS: Tempest Storm is fuming. Her fingers tremble with frustration. They are aged, knotted by arthritis and speckled with purple spots under paper skin. But the manicure of orange polish is flawless and new, and matches her signature tousled mane. She brushes orange curls out of her face as she explains how she's been slighted. She is the headliner, you know. She is a star. She is classy. "I don't just get up there and rip my clothes off," she says. Indeed, the 80-year-old burlesque queen takes her clothes off very slowly. More than 50 years ago she was dubbed the 'Girl with the Fabulous Front' and told by famous men she had the 'Best Two Props in Hollywood.' Since then, Storm saw the art that made her famous on the brink of extinction. Her contemporaries Blaze Starr, Bettie Page, Lili St Cyr have died or hung up the pasties. But not Storm. She kept performing. Las Vegas, Reno, Palm Springs, Miami, Carnegie Hall. Her act is a time capsule. She knows nothing of poles. She would never put her derriere in some man's face. Her prop of choice is a boa, perhaps the occasional divan.

NORWICH, England, July 9 (UPI) -- A Wroxham, England, woman who received 450 driving lessons has finally received her license after her 13th road test.

Teresa Clarke, 62, said she went though 20 driving instructors during her 27-year quest to become a licensed operator of motor vehicles, racking up a total $30,000 in fees over the years, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"It took a long time for it to sink in when I was told I had passed," Clarke said. "I kissed the woman examiner."

She said she tries to keep the amount of time and money she spent learning how to drive out of her mind.

"It was over so many years that I was able to spread out the money," she said. "I've been through a lot of driving instructors because some of them kicked me out. But I was determined to pass and kept going."

Clarke attributed her success in the June 26 test to improved concentration.

"My concentration is much better now -- I don't drink coffee or tea anymore and have no additives," she said.

Her driving teacher, Patrick Beasley, said he had to be "very firm" when teaching the woman but he was pleased that she finally obtained a license.

"She went absolutely bananas," he said of the moment Clarke learned she had passed. "I had to calm her down and the examiner was quite worried about her."

APPLETON, Wis. - A woman accused of planting a dead lab rat in restaurant food and demanding $500,000 to keep quiet was charged Monday with one felony count of extortion. Debbie R. Miller, 41, of Appleton, also faces misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.

Miller claimed to find the rat in her lunch April 17 as she ate at the upscale Seasons Restaurant in Grand Chute, according to the criminal complaint.

She threatened to alert the media unless the owners paid her $500,000, the complaint said.

The owners turned the rat over to their insurance company. Investigators there determined the rodent was a white laboratory rat, the complaint said.

Tests also suggested the rodent had been cooked in a microwave, but the restaurant doesn't use microwaves in cooking.

Miller said the incident caused her to seek unspecified medical treatment. She was being held Monday in the Outagamie County jail in lieu of $1,500 cash bond.

Court Commissioner Brian Figy said the bond amount reflected Miller's lack of a criminal record.

"The defendant may have some physical or mental issues and has no warrant history," Figy said. "But the allegations are rather disturbing."

Online court records did not list a defense attorney for Miller, who is due back in court Thursday for further proceedings. The extortion charge carries a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years in prison.

OKLAHOMA CITY, July 14 (UPI) -- An Oklahoma City church called off plans to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle at a weekend gathering of teenagers, the church's pastor said.

Plans called for Windsor Hills Baptist to give away the weapon as a way of encouraging attendance at the gathering but plans changed when one the event's organizers was unable to attend, KOCO 5, Oklahoma City, reported Sunday.

The church's pastor, Bob Ross, said officials anticipated hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada would attend.

"We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week," Ross told KOCO 5.

The church Web site featured a video showing the shooting competition from last year's conference. A gun was given away last year, but this year organizers decided to highlight the giveaway in promotions for the conference.

Ross told the TV station the church was not "putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn't respect it who are then going to go out and kill."

The gun giveaway has been taken down from the Web site, but Ross said the church will give the gun away next year.

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS - definitely a must read to save $$$

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... But here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon.

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA< /st1:State> we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tank s buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.
&nbs p;
When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. You should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up--most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the mo s t value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

This ebook is full of card tricks, over 120 of them in fact. But thats not all.. it also includes bar magic for you to do at the local pub or bar. Bar magic is great for starting up a conversation, or just having some fun.

Rapidshare:

http://rapidshare.com/files/128269853/Card.Tricks.rar

 

Easyshare:

http://w17.easy-share.com/1700858195.html

All you need to know to get the ABS you want and keep them forever. 48 Different exercises for men and women you can do to get that "6 pack" look. There is nothing worse than a beer gut or fat belly if you are a serious martial artist. This book will show you all you need to know to develop the perfect waistline.

Squads Bar and Grill, New York will be home to the debut of  the newest show to hit the Urban/Caribbean Market, "Da Dancehall". The show will be taped tomorrow Saturday, July 12th and this series will bring together the successful ideals of such shows as "Soul Train", MTV's "TRL" and CIN TV's "Reggae Top Ten." This special pilot taping will be attended by Tastemakers, Media and Executives in both the Dancehall and Hip Hop Community, and providing a unique promotional opportunity for all parties involved in the success of this event. A half hour TV series that captures the effect of Caribbean culture on today's urban audience, "Da Dancehall" is a new series that is tapping into the style, culture, and influence of the Caribbean Community, when directly target this market with a greatly increasing buying power. Set on location in a club-like atmosphere, it will feature a variety of dance segments by individuals and couples. In an attempt to interact with the viewers, segments will also teach dancehall dance moves by a popular dancers such as "The Myspace", "The Bogle", "Heel & Toe", "Blazay-Blazay", "Nuh Linga" "Pon the River Pon the Bank", "Spongebob", "Gully Creepa" "Cut Dem Off" "Hot f*k", "Willie Bounce", "Tek Weh Yuhself", "Whine Up" , "Boosie Bounce", "Drive By", "Shovel It", "To Di World" and the popular "Dutty Wine". Viewers will be exposed to various segments where they will learn the Caribbean patois in order to break the language barrier and introduce others to the culture. Select shows will feature performances by celebrity dancehall artists including, but not limited to Shaggy, Sean Paul, Machel Montano, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, Collie Buddz, Lady Saw, and Mavado. While there will be a  male host, female host and resident DJ, select tapings will feature special guest DJ's such as Tony Matterhorn, Noriega, Steelie Bashment, Robbo Ranx, Massive B, Mr. Cee, Cipha Sounds, Mighty Crown, Sentinel and DJ Spinbad.

The Miss Universe 2008 crown was given away on Monday (July 14) in Nha Trang, Vietnam, and Miss Venezuela was the victor, after Miss USA (this year, Crystle Stewart) tripped on stage during the evening gown competition for the second year in a row.

Miss Universe is Dayana Mendoza, and shes only 22.

Jerry Springer and Mel B announced Mendoza as the 57th crowned beauty queen. In some shocking news, just 18 months ago she was the victim of a kidnapping in her home country. But now, with the new title under her belt, she says she plans to spend her reign as Miss Universe speaking out on humanitarian issues.

I want to raise my voice and tell the world that violence is not the answer, she said.

Isnt that all pageant winners responses after they win?

Oh, heres Miss USAs fall too, if you didnt catch it:

( L - R ) Mavado, Ninja Man , Beenie Man

The three have been blacklisted by several of the upscale hotels, THE STAR has learnt.

"The indiscipline displayed by some of these artistes is the reason we don't want them on our property," one hotelier told THE STAR. "They show up with more people than we have reservations for and, in many cases, refuse to provide any form of identification for their entourage."

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. -- A man bit off another man's nose in a fight in a Burger King drive-through, and then bragged about it, deputies said.According to the police report, 38-year-old Gary Eastwood was behind Tommy Easterling at the Burger King on Folly Road in Charleston County on Tuesday.The fight started after Eastwood rammed his truck into Easterling's car, deputies said.Deputies said that when they arrived, they found 32-year-old Easterling with an extremely *lo**y face, and Eastwood with *lo** around his mouth, but no injuries. Deputies called for emergency medical assistance when they realized Easterling's nose was missingWitnesses said that they saw Eastwood bite Easterling's face and then raise up and spit out flesh

Emergency medical workers located the missing piece of Easterling's nose and transported it with him to the hospital. There was no immediate word if it could be reattached.Deputies said that as they were transporting Eastwood, he told them he intentionally bit off Easterling's nose because he was "at war."Deputies said that while on his way to jail, Eastwood described the taste of *lo** and appeared to be bragging about what he had done.He is charged with assault of a high and aggravated nature.

-- Edited by Crazypickney at 03:57, 2008-07-15

NEW YORK - Oil prices tumbled Tuesday as U.S. stocks sold off amid worries about the nation's economic health.

Prices dropped more than $10 a barrel from their highest point of the day. At midday, light, sweet crude fell $6.27 to $138.91 in an extremely volatile session.

The turnaround may not signal a lasting shift in sentiment prices have swung violently in recent days as they flirted with record highs. But it does underscore investor uncertainty about the sustainability of sky-high prices and their effect on the broader economy.

"They're slamming this pretty good. But remember, these $10 moves are becoming a little more commonplace," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. in Chicago.

Earlier, the contract rose as high as $146.73 and fell as low as $135.92.

The ingredients for further gains were in place early on.

The dollar fell to a new low against the euro, prompting investors to pour money into oil as a hedge against inflation and made crude cheaper for overseas buyers. Meanwhile, threats to supply from Iran, Nigeria and Brazil provided a solid floor on oil prices.

But neither were strong enough slow oil's rapid decline before noon.

"Traders are always looking for signals. When they see the market fail to respond to bullish news, they sometimes sell their positions," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates. "Traders get spooked."

Mounting worries about the health of the U.S. economy helped spur the sell-off.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress that "numerous difficulties" are racking the economy of the world's largest oil consumer, and warned that rising prices for energy and food are heightening the risk of inflation accelerating.

At the same time, the Labor Department reported that wholesale inflation jumped by 1.8 percent last month, a larger-than-expected gain. Over the past year, wholesale prices have risen 9.2 percent, the most since 1981.

Bernanke's sobering comments and lingering concerns about the health of the financial sector helped drive stocks down sharply. In midmorning trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 180.51, or 1.63 percent, to 10,874.68. Broader indexes also sank.

The oil market appears to be paying more attention to a 200 point drop in the Dow Jones rather that the new highs for the euro," Ritterbusch said.

A five-day strike by Brazilian oil workers that began early Monday also seemed to have less effect than feared. The action cut production of government-run Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, by only about 4 percent by Monday evening. Petrobras produces about 1.6 million barrels of oil a day.

"We are not making a big case of the strike in Brazil as it is well defined in time, hence carries little un-priced risk. Furthermore the output loss estimates have been continuously revised down during the day," Olivier Jakob, an analyst at Petromatrix in Switzerland, said in a research note.

Soaring oil prices are taking a toll on drivers the world over, stoking fears that sustained high fuel costs could crimp global demand.

General Motors Corp., the leading U.S. automaker, said it is assuming oil prices will hover between $130 to $150 a barrel next year. The company made the prediction as it laid out plans to slash jobs and truck production, suspend its dividend and borrow up to $3 billion as it grapples with an ailing U.S. economy and record high fuel prices.

Retail gas prices in the U.S. remained at a record near $4.11 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. Diesel rose six-tenths of a penny to its own high of $4.83 a gallon.

I've been a regular reader of your column for years and I really admire your work. Sometimes your answers make me laugh.

I am a married woman with four kids. Three are from my marriage. Back in the 1980s I was in love with a guy but I left him for my husband. I was young and didn't know what I wanted then, but there was always this special love I had for him. This guy respected and loved me very much. I migrated over 20 years ago, but on several visits back home to Jamaica, I tried to get in touch with him.

Rekindle love

We finally got in touch in 2002 and we started seeing each other. He, too, is married but has no kids with his wife. We rekindled our love for each other and have been together ever since. I try to visit him at least once or twice a year.

Pastor, I'm not in love with my husband because he has done so many things to hurt me. When we argue, he would tell me such bad things. I am not saying I'm a saint, but he has no respect for me. He puts his relatives first. He even went and fathered a kid one year younger than our son and, get this, my son didn't get his name (junior), but that little boy did, and this is tearing me up inside to the point where I resent this child.

The man I'm in love with in Jamaica is separated from his wife (not because of our relationship) and I would love to spend my life with him. He makes me laugh and relax. My husband and I don't share jokes or anything. If we have a conversation, it's about money. My husband is a very good provider, but I'm not happy. I need your help.

V.J., New York, USA

Dear V.J.,

I suggest that your husband and you go for counselling. You see there is always a place for forgiveness. People make mistakes and your husband has, but what have you done to mend the relationship? Nothing.

You have picked up your old boyfriend. I am not encouraging you in this direction. No way, madam.

Dear Pastor,

I am in love with a man who is with another woman. He has changed me so much and has been there for me when there was no one to turn to.

He has made every attempt to leave the other woman, but he told me that he doesn't want to do it just yet. He is still insisting that I wait until the time is right for us to have the life we both want.

He gets jealous when he sees me talking to other guys and gets edgy about the thought of me seeing another man. He told me the woman is doing some things against him that he doesn't see me doing and doesn't want me to hurt him. He loves the both of us, but he is not sure what to do.

Pastor, please tell me what to do.

K.C., Kingston, Jamaica

Dear K.C.,

This guy loves both of you. That I believe. What I don't believe is that he has made every attempt to leave her. That is 'man talk'. The truth is that he is involved with both of you and he needs to tell you things to keep you quiet and to make you feel comfortable with him.

Dear Pastor,

I am 20 years old. I have been involved with a guy for a year and two months, and now I'm six months pregnant. Everything was going OK until someone called me and told me that he is married and has a son and I must leave him alone.

Denial

I confronted him about it and he denied it, but my instincts are telling me that it's true. He says he doesn't have a son, but he was involved with a girl for three years who is in the States.

He said she was filing for him but he refused the offer. Now she wants them to get married so that they can be together. He has completely changed and whenever she calls him he always comes and starts an argument with me. I told him he should go because I can't take it anymore, but he refuses to. He says he is not leaving until his mission is complete.

Pastor, I am really confused and I await your fatherly advice.

S.H., St James, Jamaica

Dear S.H.,

I regret hearing that this man lied to you and you are carrying his child. Don't believe the nonsense that the young woman was filing for him to live in the USA but he was not interested. And she wants them to get married. He is trying to make you feel stupid. He is not telling you the truth.

Dear Pastor,

I'm scared of getting married. I have been in love with a really nice man who always pays for my plane tickets to go overseas where he is living. He is decent, kind, warm-hearted and caring. We communicate well, but the thing is I was with a married man for about three years until I ended the relationship. Because of this, I'm scared that if I should marry I'm going to get the same treatment (infidelity). So, I prefer to stay on the outside than to have a man of my own, to protect myself from getting hurt.

But, I really don't like to share my man. Yes, I'm selfish and I know it, but that's just me. I really need your advice because I am getting to love him, but I am scared of getting married to him even though we are engaged and plans are on for the wedding.

Pastor, what should I do?

A.N., St Catherine, Jamaica

Dear A.N.,

I suggest that you go for premarital counselling and lay your fears before the counsellor. Don't hide anything from him. Don't say 'I do' until every issue is cleared up.

The operator of Open Arm Shelter was in shock on Friday, when she appeared before the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court.

Charged for unlawful wounding is Yvonne Grant, owner and operator of the homeless shelter.

Allegations are that Grant used her finger to scratch the complainant in his face, causing a "little" *la*hd to run.

"She pushed the summons in mi pocket, your honour, and then her finger scraped the left side of my face causing a little *la*hd to run," the complainant said.

Grant went on to tell the court that she had taken the complainant into her care because he was deported from America after serving time in jail six times for wounding and assault.

"He approached the home and said he was homeless and I advised him he could stay here for a while," said Grant. She added that later in the night, the complainant got in an argument with a male resident, who, he claimed, injured his left eye and damaged his glasses.

Grant told the court that she gave the complainant a referral to have his eye treated at the Kingston Public Hospital. However, his glasses could not be replaced by the hospital. The complainant was obviously upset and he went to report the matter to the police. A summons was then served on Grant by the complainant and, it was at this point, he said, that Grant assaulted him.

When Resident Magistrate Glen Brown spoke on the matter he said, "How can you bite the hand that feeds you?"

The complainant replied, "She did not feed me your honour, I didn't even spend a full night there. Your honour, I am just here for the primary reason of the assault."

The complainant was regarded as being ungrateful. A no order was served and Grant was set free.

Ravers lose sight at Russian laser show

July 15, 2008, 3:09 am

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow last week have lost partial vision after a laser light show burned their retinas, Russian health officials said on Monday.

Moscow city health department officials confirmed 12 cases of laser-blindness at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic, and daily newspaper Kommersant said another 17 were registered at City Hospital 32 in the centre of the capital.

Attendees at the July 5 Aquamarine Open Air Festival in Kirzhach, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Moscow, began seeking medical help days after the show, complaining of eye and vision problems, health officials told Reuters.

"They all have retinal burns, scarring is visible on them. Loss of vision in individual cases is as high as 80 percent, and regaining it is already impossible," Kommersant quoted a treating ophthalmologist as saying.

Attendees said heavy rains forced organisers to erect massive tents for the all-night dance party, and lasers that normally illuminate upwards into the sky were instead partially refracted into the ravers' eyes.

"I immediately had a spot like when you stare into the sun," rave-attendee Dmitry told Kommersant.

"After three days I decided to go to the hospital. They examined me, asked if I had been at Open Air, and then put me straight in the hospital. I didn't even get to go home and get my stuff," he said.

Cosmic Connection, promoters of the Aquamarine rave, were unreachable and did not list contact numbers on their Web site.

Industry Web site www.laserfx.com said focused laser light can cause eye damage almost instantly.

The owner of a Moscow laser rental company told Reuters the accidental blindings were due to "illiteracy on the part of technicians".

"It was partly the rain, but also partly the size of the laser. Somebody set up an extremely powerful laser for such a small space," said Valentin Vasiliev, who said his company did not provide the Aquamarine lasers.

(Additional reporting by Tatiana Ustinova; Editing by Giles Elgood.)

-- Edited by RiddimRyder at 13:28, 2008-07-15

Scientists are examining cow farts and burps in a novel bid to c****at global warming.

Experts said the slow digestive system of cows makes them a key producer of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that gets far less public attention than carbon dioxide.

In a bid to understand the impact of the wind produced by cows on global warming, scientists collected gas from their stomachs in plastic tanks attached to their backs.

The Argentine researchers discovered methane from cows accounts for more than 30 per cent of the country's total greenhouse emissions.

As one of the world's biggest beef producers, Argentina has more than 55 million cows grazing in its famed Pampas gra**lands.

Guillermo Berra, a researcher at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, said every cow produces between 8000 to 1,000 litres of emissions every day.

Methane, which is also released from landfills, coal mines and leaking gas pipes, is 23 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Scientists are now carrying out trials of new diets designed to improve cows's digestion and hopefully reduce global warming. Silvia Valtorta, of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Investigations, said that by feeding cows clover and alfalfa instead of grain "you can reduce methane emissions by 25 percent".

With the Hilton Kingston and Pegasus hotels providing the perfect backdrop, it was a case of 'don't move, don't rush' at Equilibrium, which was held at the Liguanea Club, New Kingston.

The phrase "Don't move, don't rush" was repeated by the selectors throughout the night and the patrons adhered too well. Though the party was super-inclusive, some patrons did not rush to get to the bar, to eat the food or to move to the music.

For the entire night, the large venue was half empty, but five women took to the centre of the venue and became the centre of attention.

'Uptown girl'

They danced wildly, sometimes grinding on each other, hardly taking a minute for a drink or to catch their breaths. At intervals, the selectors made reference to them saying, "Look how dem uptown girl yah a gwaan bad."

It seemed more like an event for socialising rather than partying, as some patrons stood at one corner of the venue and chatted. In sections the party was so lifeless that a cameraman had very little to record and simply went outside.

Even with pleading from Coppershot DJ Marc Chin for patrons to "get involved" as he played Elephant Man's Higher Level and Sean Paul's Get Busy, there was still little or no movement. It reached the point where the bartenders were doing 'signal di plane' in unison as they had few persons to serve.

Stir

*la*hdline created a little stir when they played, but when DJ Nicco took to the turntable experimenting with 'gun', 'girl' and 'dance' songs, the waitresses from TGIF took to the dance floor to display their dancing prowess.

DJ Nicco introduced a 'semi-daggering' segment and for the first time, the party seemed lively.

A few couples got locked in passionate kisses while others danced on the ground or in sexually suggestive positions as Nicco played RDX's Daggering, Busy Signal's Pon De Edge, Tony Matterhorn's Dutty Wine and Aidonia's Hot Wuk. The women did the 'walk out' when he played Pamputae's women's anthem Good Good.

As it neared 3:30 a.m., the policemen's presence did little to cause the end of the party as the patrons were already on their way out.

By then, Coppershot returned to the turntable with Footloose and later,

some recent dance songs like Elephant Man's Nuh Linger and Gully Creeper on the same rhythm.

A little dancehall made its home at the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission's Festival 2k8, 'What A Bam Bam' finals at the National Indoor Sports Centre Saturday night.

In a night filled with the sounds of ska, rocksteady, and reggae and the garb of years gone by - plaid shirts and straw hats, dancehall showed its patriotism to good old Jamaican culture with the performances of youngster Shane O and veteran DJ Bounty Killer.

After the 10 contestants in the festival song competition had given it their all and while the judges tallied who would be the winner of $1 million, dancehall made its appearance on the festival stage.

Shane O came out calling for an end to killings before he delivered Lightning Flash, Crab Inna Barrel and other songs to give a decent performance.

Stole spotlight

However, it was Bounty Killer who stole the spotlight for the night. Though it seemed not his usual crowd, Bounty Killer had the audience out of their seats and running to the front of the stage.

And instead of the 'cross, angry and miserable' persona, the warlord was 'calm, cool and collected' throughout his performance.

While he kept his music lyrically 'clean', passing over songs he deemed "too bad" Bounty Killer could not resist the urge to speak out against what he believes to be wrong in Jamaica. He entered on stage saying, "I notice di place nuh full like how it suppose to ram, yet when the boogoyagga foreign artiste come, di place ram. We mus' rememba dat we are many, show some patriotism," Bounty said.

He went on to perform songs such as Anytime, Can't Believe Mi Eyes, and Look Into Ma Eyes before closing with Nuh Fren Fish.

No to gays

Although it was a family event, the artiste gave a running commentary on the prime minister's statement about having no homosexuals in his cabinet, applauding the PM's decision.

The presence of dancehall in a night celebrating Jamaica's festival heritage went down well and showed the evolution of the music and patriotism to the island.

:: FIGHT FI VIDEO LIGHT

Mi people mi deh yah again, Mi cyaah believe weh mi a hear, how some people seh dem corporate and hyper than blacker, yet still have dem big executive camera man a fight wid some likkle waste station from dung a country over video light down a Impy Skimpy inna Ochi. Mi think seh the video light was the gyal dem ting. Weh mi a get fi understand is that none a dem neva contracted fi di party but dem run-in and a try come run tings and the sad part is that none a dem neva a feature the real hot gyal dem a pure likkle batta ears and ah dat hot wud did a fling fah.

:: KARTEL VERSUS FULLYLOADED

Since 876radio drop the exclusive everbody a wonder how comes them move Fullyloaded gone back a Portmore and lef off the Teacha and him yute dem inna him owna place. People a seh a because a Alliance show but mi memba mi hear Bounty a big up Kartel and a seh him did inna di runnings fi 'Deejay A The Year' and all these thing, So even though him nuh like him mi  nuh tink a Killa seh fi cross him off. Some a seh a the boss lady, because Kartel did draw card inna song bout she fi go pay tax so a revenge time now. Black Chiney oonu corners look dark, look like oonu cyaah come back a Loaded since oonu drop duh dubplate deh... oonu neva haffi do har so enuh.(giggle)

:: ARTISTE KETCH A HYPE

A which upcoming artiste weh need a hit more than a crackhead, mi hear since likke farin breeze blow pon har, ketch a hype and all switch pon har good good publicist and gone over da side deh fi see if she can get a big buss.  Oooh deh! mam, yuh realize seh a pure pop dung artiste deh over deh so all when dem full yuh up ah Helium yuh still nah go float and buss. Yuh bite di hand and soon it ago tun roun and beat yuh .. yuh hear miss iron balloon. 

:: FESTIVAL CONTEST

Everybody ah ask if a bruk Roy Rayon bruk so or ah the rent money due, mek him haffi come back come enter Festival song contest and scrape up all the winnings, look how much time him enter and win already, lawd him coulda gi smaddy else a chance. Some people just want everything fi dem self, it nuh look good enuh, leave something fi di yutes dem nuh. Mek dem dream fi win one day too and get the likkle bikkle and video light.

:: QUESTION TIME

- A which party mi hear did ram but ah pure Bredrins did in deh hint hint anuh the one wid the Casino it was another for people who like to Drink?

- Who ago win the Political Presidential race, P or the one that PP at the last General Elections?

- Who next ago drop a sex tape? We taking bets, send your amounts plus answer to: cum_video_me@tvpersonality.com

- How so much artiste a bun fish and have dem as dem stylist and publicist? Mek sure nuh drop the soap or pen.

- A which artiste me hear cyaah go a beach cause dem woulda drown? Dats what happen when yuh bruk the one way and disobey the STOP sign.

 

DETERMINED Jack Dobson scoured the UK for two years and tracked down his stolen car for sale on eBay.

He recognised the 1964 Land Rover even though it had been resprayed from black to red and had false number plates.

Jack, 27, knew every inch of the rare IIA model he lovingly rebuilt as a teenager. He learned to drive in it, used it throughout his university studies and first job.

Jack, of Bath, Somerset, said: The old girl was a little beaten up, but I recognised her straight away. It was such a surprise Im still over the moon

FORT PIERCE, Fla. - Police arrested a couple after the woman allegedly hit her boyfriend with a toilet seat. The woman, 18, told police that she found her boyfriend smoking cocaine in their bathroom and turned on the shower to try and wash away the drugs.

The pair argued and when he refused to give up the drugs, authorities say the woman hit him with the toilet seat.

The boyfriend was charged with cocaine possession and later released on bond. The woman faces a battery charge and was released without posting bond.

Nervous wait Rudolph awaits work permit after Portmore agree £1m transfer to Stoke City

By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Portmore United's Rudolph Austin looks all set to join English Premier League club Stoke City after both clubs agree on a fee worth approximately £1m.

AUSTIN. has all the attributes to become an excellent signing for the club says manager Tony Pulis

But just like last year, Austin, 22, will have to wait nervously on a work permit to join fellow Reggae Boyz Ricardo Fuller and Demar Phillips at the newly promoted club.

Howard McIntosh, a director at Portmore United, confirmed to the Observer that Austin passed his medical and the deal has been finalised, but the sticky issue of work permit will have to be solved.

Said McIntosh: "There is a deal that we have with Stoke and we are anxiously awaiting to see what happens in terms of his work permit situation."

He added: "That's the critical thing that we are all waiting to hear of. We have every confidence that it will be done. But we do have a deal and an excellent relationship with Stoke."

Reports emanating out of England suggest that a fee of just over £1m has been agreed on, but McIntosh refused to divulge any financial information at this time.

"Not commenting on the figure, but we hope it will be close to that. The deal is a multi-year deal," he said.

Tony Scholes, Stoke City's chief executive, told BBC Radio that the deal is completed and they are waiting on the work permit to bring Austin to the Britannia Stadium.

"It wasn't a straight forward negotiation with Portmore because we had some competition," Scholes told BBC Radio. "We've done the deal to sign him. We now need to get the work permit."

Last year the deal fell through after the British Home Office denied Austin a work permit because he did not have the required number of international experience games under his belt.

Meanwhile, Stoke City boss Tony Pulis in an earlier interview was full of praises for Austin, who he has been tracking for well over a year.

"Rudolph Austin has all the attributes to become an excellent signing for the club. He's got everything in his locker," Pulis told BBC Radio.

"Rudolph's happy playing anywhere. Full back, centre half, attacking midfield. The crucial thing is getting him here," he said.

Austin has now made the required number of appearances for Jamaica, but the Reggae Boyz have since dropped out of FIFA's top 70 ranking of international teams - another stipulation for a player to gain a UK work permit.

"I really like him. He's very quick, has got two good feet and he's good in the air. Rudolph is only a young lad and so if he does well then we will make sure that they (Portmore United) are rewarded."

Pulis also believes that the current Jamaicans at Stoke would help Austin settle at the club.

"He's got Ricardo (Fuller) and Demar (Phillips) here, so knowing those two you would think he will settle a bit quicker than most."

Century-old family business gutted in Brown's Town

BY CARL GILCHRIST Observer staff reporter gilchristc@jamaicaobserver.com Tuesday, July 15, 2008

FIRE, believed to have been started by an electrical short circuit, destroyed one of St Ann's landmarks in the wee hours of yesterday morning, leaving damage estimated at several million dollars.

A and S Charley and Son Limited (Charley's Musgrave House) - a family-owned business on Main Street that has been in operation since 1905 and employed 25 persons - was completely gutted after fire, which lasted over 10 hours, raced through the entire building, destroying everything in its path.

Firemen pick through the rubble from A and S Charley and Son Limited in St Ann yesterday. Inset: a distraught Anthony Charley, one of the principals of the business, says loss is estimated in the millions. (Photo: Carl Gilchrist)

The fire, which disrupted the normal flow of activities in Brown's Town, attracted scores of onlookers, many of whom were there from before dawn when news of the fire began to spread. Several persons stared in disbelief at the burnt-out remains of one of the town's most popular establishments, while some showed their concern for the firefighters, shouting safety instructions to them when it seemed they might be endangering themselves.

At one stage when it appeared the fire was completely put out and cooling down operations had begun, a storeroom to which there was no access and which contained flammable material, suddenly erupted in flames, sending the frantic firemen into another round of fighting.

According to Assistant Superintendent Lloyd Hines of the St Ann Fire Department, the Brown's Town fire station received a call at around 1:40 Monday morning.

The station later requested backup which they got from St Ann's Bay and St Ann Jamaica Bauxite Limited in Discovery Bay, as well as from two private residents, as it took six units to fight the blaze.

The firefighters were, however, hampered by out-of-service fire hydrants, one of which is located a mere five feet from the entrance to the store, Hines explained. Another hydrant, about one hundred feet away, was also of no use - forcing the fire units to travel nearly two miles to Minard to refill.

"When we reached there was little we could do to save this building, as there were some sections that were inaccessible, so we had to concentrate on saving the surrounding buildings," Hines told the Observer.

But Anthony Charley, one of the principals of the business, could not contain his anger as he spoke about the problems encountered by the firefighters.

"The powers that be have failed us miserably! They have failed! Everything is just a show, it's just a façade. How can a heavily populated area like Brown's Town have one dilapidated fire truck? The firemen have no flashlights - when they reached here around 2:00 am, they couldn't see inside," said Charley, who disclosed that the building was insured.

Charley said the damage to the store, which sold haberdashery, furniture, hardware, electrical appliances among other things, was worth "millions".

Recounting what took place, Charley said when he arrived at the store there was a "small fire" near the back of the building, on the outside. While the firemen were concentrating on trying to prevent that fire from spreading, fire from a utility pole near the front of the store ran along the electrical wires, spreading to other sections of the building.

When the firemen turned their attention to this new challenge they were confronted with a lack of water. While the trucks journeyed to Minard to refill, the fire quickly engulfed the building. Nothing was saved.

The electrical problem, which started on the utility pole, also damaged appliances in several houses in close proximity to the burnt-out store. One businessman along Main Street showed the Observer a refrigerator in the lunch room of his establishment, which he said was burnt black by the electrical problem.

An abusive father who died after swallowing poison in front of a judge is believed to be the first person in Britain to kill himself in a courtroom.

Anandakumar Ratnasabapathy swallowed 60 crushed sleeping pills in Coca-Cola immediately after being found guilty of molesting his three-month-old daughter, an
inquest has heard.

Witnesses at the inquest told how the judge at Isleworth crown court called for a doctor following the trial in June last year, but within minutes Ratnasabapathy, 40, was having a fit on the courtroom floor. He died an hour later.

If the inquest jury sitting at West London coroner's court decide that the 40-year-old committed suicide, it would be the first such incident ever to happen in a courtroom in Britain.

The coroner's court heard that Ratnasabapathy had repeatedly expressed his desire to kill himself if a guilty verdict was returned in last June's trial.

His suicide warnings came after the court heard how his daughter had been left quadriplegic, epileptic and partially blind when her nose and mouth were deliberately blocked.

He was found guilty of grievous bodily harm and child cruelty on 28 June last year. His interpreter at the original trial, Milroy Rasiah, told the inquest: '

"He said if a verdict was given against him he would commit suicide. He mentioned it almost every day."

On hearing the verdict, Mr Rasiah recalled: "It was quiet. Mr Ratnasabapathy put his hand in the bag. He had something wrapped in a packet. He opened the bottle and started putting powder [from the packet] into the bottle.

"He shook the bottle then he started drinking it very quickly. He drank about half the contents." 

Mr Rasiah and a dock officer then wrestled the bottle from him, it was said.

Barrister Abbie Arnold, who defended Ratnasabapathy at the trial, told the inquest:
"There was a cloudy liquid foaming at his mouth. He was drinking it and the interpreter was trying to get somebody to do something about it."

The judge was alerted who told guards to call a doctor while Ratnasabapathy was taken down to the cells.

Ms Arnold said: "[Ratnasabapathy] was lying on the floor and he appeared to be fitting. It seemed it wasn't being taken seriously. [The staff ] did not know whether he was putting it on."

The inquest continues.

MUSIRI, India, July 7 (UPI) -- A remote Indian town has come up with a government-backed plan to teach people health safety by giving them cash for using the toilet, a resident says.

Residents of Musiri in the Tamil Nadu state can earn 14 cents a month by going to the bathroom in a specially made potty, CNN reported Monday.

The amount of cash involved may not seem large but it could help needy families supplement their income by simply doing nature's business, the report said.

In addition to promoting good hygiene habits, the program is focused on providing waste to fertilizer-testing research efforts.

"We're motivating people to know the value of their urine. The urine that is collected goes into fields for paddy crops, and of course the feces becomes good compost in a matter of months," said Marathi Subburaman, who thought up the plan.

LONDON, July 12 (UPI) -- A curry created by a London chef is so hot and spicy that it is accompanied by a health warning and a disclaimer, its culinary creator says.

The Cinnamon Club chef Vivek Singh said those daring enough to try his Bollywood Burner must first sign a disclaimer that they accept the risks associated with the mouth-scalding dish, Sky News said Saturday.

Singh said the key to the dish's fire is the Naga pepper, a pepper more than 100 times hotter than the average jalapeno pepper.

"We found a list of the 10 hottest chillies and decided to try and use some of them," Singh said. "I think it will be the hottest curry in the world."

Singh said the dish, which is being submitted to Guinness World Records in an attempt to earn the title of world's hottest curry, is so "extreme" it isn't even a regular menu item.

"I would create it on demand for customers but will not include it all the time, I think it's just too extreme a dish," he told Sky News.

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio, July 8 (UPI) -- Police in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, said they arrested a suspected serial burglar after he stopped to offer assistance to two officers.

The police said William Vickers, 46, stopped at about 1 a.m. Sunday to offer assistance to two officers who were attempting to help a woman who had locked herself out of her car, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday.

The officers told Vickers they had the situation well in hand but as the seemingly good Samaritan began walking away and into the light of a street lamp, one of the officers recognized him as a suspect in the After Midnight Burglar case.

Vickers is suspected of multiple burglaries four years ago as well as a break-in reported last week. Police fliers posted around the city bear the suspect's face.

"It was nice for Willie to offer to help, and he probably has more experience getting into cars than our two officers on the scene," Police Chief Martin Lentz said.

However, Vickers, who allegedly fought against the officers and damaged the woman's car, now faces multiple charges including burglary, assault on a police officer and resisting arrest. He was being held in Cleveland Heights Jail.

DESPAIRING David Phyall cut off his HEAD with a chainsaw after losing an eviction fight.

David, 58, plugged it into the mains and put a timer on the socket, then took a c**ktail of pills to knock himself out.

He rested the saw on his neck and once he passed out, the timer went off slicing through his neck in an instant.

Cops and paramedics found his *lo**-soaked corpse ten days ago after his dad John raised the alarm.

A Hampshire police source said: What greeted them was a horrific sight. The head was severed and there was a considerable amount of *lo**.

He seemed to have gone into a great amount of detail to end it all.

The campaigner had fought for several years to prevent developers bulldozing the block of 72 flats he rented in, and replacing them.

He was last to leave after all the other flats were boarded up in Bishopstoke, Southampton.

It is believed an eviction notice from housing association Atlantic Housing Ltd was the last straw.

 

Rejected

 

A spokesman for Atlantic said: We had given him 11 other offers of accommodation but he rejected them, basically because he did not want a property owned by us.

An inquest into the death was opened at Winchester Coroners Court and adjourned.

 

Tests were being carried out to see whether the tablets killed him first.

Ron Turtle, residents association chairman, said: They offered him several places that were similar but he just didnt want to move. They had to go to court. It is a very sad situation.

The flats were built in the 1960s but would cost more to repair than the £7.8million cost of rebuilding on the site.

Senegalese singer songwriter Akon has been added to this year`s Reggae Sumfest. The Grammy-nominated singer, who rose to fame in 2004 following the release of his single `Locked Up` from his debut album `Trouble` will make a second appearance on the Sumfest stage on Friday July 18, 2008.

He is set to share the stage with R&B singer, Keyshia Cole, known for hits like `Should A Let You Go,` `Heaven Sent` and `I Remember,` at International night along with reggae`s conscious voices, Richie Spice, Coco Tea, Queen Ifrica, Lutan Fyah and the almost soulful, Terry Linen.

Rap mogul Lil Wayne is now scheduled to hit the stage on the last night of the festival Saturday July 19, to collaborate with friend and colleague T-Pain.

Sumfest will heat up Jamaica on July 17th as dance hall stars Beenie Man, Spice, Elephant Man, Bounty Killer, Voice Mail, Macka Diamond, Vybz Kartel, Harry Toddler, Busy Signal, Munga Honourable, Ninja Man, Busy Signal, Wayne Marshall, Assassin, Mavado, D'Angel, Konshens & Alley Cat turn the temperature up on the world`s greatest reggae festival.

The curtains of Reggae Sumfest will come down on Saturday, July 19, as the legendary John Holt, reggae crooner Beres Hammond and T-Pain, get ready to thrill fans alongside Tarrus Riley, Rootz Underground and Etana. Tickets to the Saturday night finale is US$50 or J$3500.

Former "Flavor of Love 2" contestant Buckeey has stayed silent about a sex tape leaked to the internet back in June. There was speculation whether or not it was intentionally leaked as a publicity stunt to help boost her career, but in her first official response, she says otherwise.

Buckeey (real name: Shay Johnson) claims the tape was distributed across the net without her permission.

"It troubled me to find out that my intimate act of love was classified as a sex tape," she said. "I didn't speak on it because I knew how tender the situation was between me and my partner. I didn't want to point fingers at anyone or come out with any names because it was then and still is very much so my personal business.

"However, over these past few weeks, I have been tortured by strangers about what happened, who was I with, did I release the tape on purpose to get publicity, can I prove to them it was me and multiple other random and in decent requests and questions. So I am forced to make a statement," Buckeey continued.

Buckeey goes on to say that her celebrity status has made her a target for jealous individuals, and reveals that the tape was stolen by one of these people. She calls it another "case of bitchassness."

"Once you become a personality on television, you become the target of haters and I am no different," she explains. "The release of the tape was done by hater, stolen by a hater and is just another blatant case of bitchassness. At this point, I can't go out to eat, the grocery store or the gas station without someone stalking me with oral sex questions. I've had it, I did it and it's done and over with."

As far as the tape itself, it was done with her significant other, at the time, out of love, and was never meant for the public to see.

"The truth is what I did was out of love for someone and for he and I to share and reflect on," Buckeey exclaimed. "It was never meant for thousands of people to view and make comments on. So from this point, the concentration should be on where I'm going, not what I did. All I ask is for my fans to continue to love me and the haters can keep their job too."

Stainless (Supa Dupa Mod, Life Time Member) -- 1ST VICTIM.. stain cool but him need to show more respect to the zoners..especially the ladies..how the ra** him ago be a mod and him first role is to be nice and show respect to all zoners.no matter wat they may say..him dis the girls dem too much like him a maama man and him need to stop it. if the girls dem gone mi would be the first 1 to delete mi account.



CrazyPickney (Supa Dupa Mod, Life Time Member)-- supa wah...kmt..mi nuh care wat rank u ra** have..mi want to ask yes cp cool but wat is her role on the zone(to mek bag a comment on the ppl dem post and just stay in sleep mode)..well no no no. thats not wat the crtieria of a mods...the mods should always interacts with the viewers/zoners and mae dem happy.and mi nuh kno if a pay dem a pay amdin fi be mod  but u need fi shape up.


Glitch (Supa Dupa Mod) - GLITCH.. who you..mi never see you pon da zone..u a man or woman..secondly wat is your role..cuz you cant tel mi u should do wat everybody else does..cuz mi nuh think admin woulda mek 50 ppl a do one task unless a pay unnu a pay fi do it. suh glitch mi nuh kno u and mi nuh kno wat u role suh tlk up.


MassiveVybe (Supa Dupa Mod) - massive vybe..hmm..hold on deh your name nuh speack fi itself surely not to me..suh wat is your role as a mod..cuz mi see u on the zone suh tlk up mr mod man.


***DK*** (Supa Dupa Mod) - dk...hmmm.. well the mi finally reach some1 that mi see on the zone that serve a purpose as a mod..mi nuh kno exactly wat your role is but u actually didi nuff wrk and mi nah lie babes keep it up u interact with the zoners and u mek me well mi nuh kno bout nuh body else ..feell welcome.thnks keep up the owrk..and u post nuff interesting news and thing suh gwaan do u wrk girl.


JamaicaBwoy (Supa Moderator) - ok mr JB.- rite now it nuh matta wah u rank.if a supa or doppa...u do wrk and u actually have good things to say to the zonesr mi nah lie yute..however mi need to know exactly wat is your role.cuz u cant tell mi seh u ago do wat the above do.cuz mi nuh think it need so much ppl fi do one taks.afta a nuh one software unnu a build.but continue your great interactions mi boss.well done.


Gucci (Supa Moderator) - ok gucci...hmm.well nuh true u a mi fren mi ago give u priase you cuz this a nuh fren time now..you doing a fiar work on the zone cuz mi see u not like the others you actually chat to the zoners with respect and always try to be ope with every 1 ..however mi nuh see you regular pon the zone..suh mi guess admin nah pay u fi wrk as a mod....but just gwaan do your thing girl u did well ..however mi want to kno your role as a mod as well.


BlackSpyda (Supa Mod) - mr spyda..well mi meet a next mod at last that actually do something..well to be honest a nuff exclusive thing spyda post so mi affi commend him on that well done..but yute ..u need to stop watch wat the zonesr say and tek dem serious.......cuz memba thia virtuall werl yute.and i hope that 1 role as a mod is to be nice no matta wat the zoners say to u..the zoners are the zone suh if dem gone..the zone gone to.but well done yute keep up the good wrk.


Caloss (Supa Mod) - who you!!!!..where u from..who know you..well not me..suh wat your role mi boss.seriouly..tlk up.plz mi need fi know.and nuh tell mi seh u must do wat the rest of mods do.cuz mi nuh want to here.


Casino (Moderator) --hmm  who you boss man...mi sure nuh grambling room nuh deh pon the zone suh where you manage and wat is your role mi boss.tlk up.


RiddimDaddy (Moderator) - lol lol..welll mr RD..hmm..so much to say bout you but little time.suh hear wah..mi nah go be bias..RD a one a the most intergal person and committed individual on the zone and although him might call mi names..as mi seh zone is for fun and mi nuh mind cuz rd a dat a zoner role to make ppl happy.and yute grat think and management skills on the radio u deserve the congrats..and Rd mi rate..sometimes you need to just realise and mek the zoners kno that wat u do and say nuh real is for the zone ..cuz some zoners take things too serious.however you have been a vital person to the zone and i must say well done sir.


RiddimRyder (Moderator) - ok sir..well then you not on the zone interacting with the zoners however you mek some mad post suh mi affi seh well done mi boss..keep it up..i guess that your role as a mod..suh if a dats all well you a do your job good.suh all the best and well done..however if there is more to your thing well mek sure u mek teh zoners know.


ZJRohan (Moderator) - mr game man..well yungsta mi nah lie you deserve to be a mod... you have played a integral and interactive role on the zone as a mod..suh well done..and mi love dem post you made they were very helpful..thanks. and secondly if that your role as a mod well u a do good..suh jus mek the zone know your job description if its otherwise.


DJ Bundi (Moderator) --- who you mr ..u a newbie?..where u come from..mi cant seh nothing bout you cuz mi nuh kno u.


Pengo (Moderator) -- pengo..well mi nah lie pengo a cool yute him deserve to be a mod..and him post some intresting items and played a resonable role to help keep the zone.however resonable nuh always satisfactory enuh..suh jus mek the zoners kno wat your role mi boss.and well done tho..cuz mi nuh bias mi give congrats to where mi see you do wrk.


Ja_Cane (Moderator) --NEWBIE go sidung.. mi nuh kno u suh mi cant seh nothin bout you ..a wah u do pay admin..or u related to admin?..well mi nuh thing the zone need nuh more mods if you think u can do betta than who at the top..well then u might as well tek one a them place.


Owad Kelly (Moderator) - mr owad..yes yute mi nuh reallly chat much wid u suh mi nuh really kno u ..however to be honest you doing wrk and yes mi see some post that really helpful to me..suh mi affi thank you mi boss.secondly mi nuh kno you role as a mod suh you need to tlk up..and dont tell mi is to jus mek bag a comment on ppl post and be nice to the zoners..cuz that the role of all the mods.but well done you deserve this position mi boss.


Miggskill (Moderator) - mr miggs well mi meet a nxt yute pon da zone who actually do sumthing...and to tell you the truth he was the first person ont he zone who showed me wat the zone was all about ..and mi never did a look nuh fren or hope him never did a look none etiher..and hope a just him role him did a play..migs you deservse this yute keep it up mi boss.


Andre_Designz (Moderator) MR designer..hmmm.well mi hope you name speakc for it self..cuz if a you responsible for the design and look of the site well mi affi seh great job mi boss..and u derserve a higher rank cuz u actually chat to the zoners and mek dem feel welcome. well done dre and keep doing the great job mi boss the sky is the limit yute.


XForcex (Moderator)--- yute or woman who ever you may be..you a wha theadmin grandson..or him fren..who u..a wah ua wah motherboard..bout xforce...yute wah u role on the zone as a mod..mi nuh kno you and mi nah dis you suh dont take it too personal..mi jus need fi kno who you are..and if you think u betta than the one's at the top well u can tek them place.but you need to tell the zone who you are ok.

yes MR. Shem is a yute dat mi can say yes derserve to be and mod.cuz him post mnuhff things that helpful to me suh admin need to look on the lazy mods above a delete den.

Finale..admin mi affi commend you for being so interactive the zoners well done ..at least we kno the admin of the zone.
    
 Admin the VIP forums to me a f**kery..sorry mi language but thats how mi feel...cuz its unfair for the newbies to post new things and the mods dem tief dem and post it inna VIP..section and the nxt newbie dem cant acces it.suh as mi seh those forum need fi dash weh...everybody on the zone should be equal wh ..mi nuh kno bout the other zoners but them nuh VIP over me and 1 VIP mi have and a GOD..suh dem thing deh need fi dash weh.


Lastly..alll the comments made above is base on my opinions and does not speaks for the members of the zone.so if anyway questions come to me..and no mi nuh sidung fi wirte this bcuz mi want to be a moderator ..cuz mi nuh want to....mi have mi life fi moderate suh mi nuh think mi can manage that role..i just made these notations base on wat mi see a gwaan.suh just dont take my critics and make dem affect you negatively..however take them and improve on your role and responsilblities for the interest of the zoners.thanks much. AND BEFORE MI POST IT..MEK MI NOTE THEMODS DEM WEH NUH WANT AND HEAR OTHER COMMNETS FROM THE ZONERS PLZ NO DELETE THIS...YOU MUST TAKE CRITCS AS SOMETHING TO GUIDE YOU AND HELP BUILD YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

-- Edited by YUNG_BERRY at 11:43, 2008-07-13

-- Edited by YUNG_BERRY at 11:48, 2008-07-13

Do you think there should be a "re-up" button so if a link is not working we can select teh button and a "re-up" message goes to the person who made the post?

A man and his girlfriend, accused of beating the man's mother, are to return to the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on July 21 for sentencing.

Ernell Webb and his girlfriend, Fay Marshall, are both accused of assaulting Webb's elderly mother, Margaret Webb. When both appeared last Wednesday, they paid the elderly woman $2,000 for her medical expenses.

However, the woman told presiding Resident Magistrate Glen Brown that she would be returning to the doctor for another test and so RM Brown set another mention date.

Webb is accused of pulling his mother from her bed on to the floor, while Marshall is accused of beating the complainant in the head while she was on the floor, causing her to be hospitalised for one night.

The court was previously told that Marshall and the complainant had been feuding since Marshall accused her of 'setting obeah' on her and placing her panty in a grave. The complainant, on the other hand, accused Marshall of the same. The court heard that one of the complainant's panties had gone missing and has still not been recovered. Marshall said she further visited the doctor on several occasions and still had not been diagnosed.

She said she went to a "Zion church" to find out what her ailment was and claimed, "They tell me dat all my problems coming from where I live."

Webb and Marshall's bail was extended until the next mention date.

Marshall and the complainant had been feuding since Marshall accused her of 'setting obeah' on her and placing her panty in a grave.

http://www.zshare.net/video/14652523335942bf/

Garth Henriques, father of dancehall deejay Sean Paul survived an attack at gunpoint on Sunday morning, during which a friend and business partner, John Pops Dowling was shot and injured.

Both Dowling and Henriques are directors of Reggae Inc. Dowling is now convalescing at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

He is recovering but he still needs to do another operation. The bullet shattered the bone in his arm and his nerves are damaged, so he needs to do an operation to correct the damage to his nerves. He needs *lo**, his lungs are still bleeding, and he needs to replace that *lo**, Mr. Henriques said.

Jamaica, especially areas of its capital Kingston, has become a dangerous place where the populace has grown increasingly predatory, and the signs are troubling as the economy continues to flatline even while food and prices skyrocket. Last year,

The two men were at a house in Cassia Park, St. Andrew at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 13 when they were held at gunpoint by two men.

They never took anything from us, but they went into the girls room and got 3,000, I dont know what kind of valuables they had in the room. They put us both on the ground, but Pops got up and ran and they shot him at close range, the bullet shattered his arm went through his lungs and went straight into the other arm, he explained.

Dowling used to be an engineer and a producer for UB40.

When I spoke to Pops, he said he looked into the guys eyes and thought that he was going to kill him so he ran. After the guy shot him, they ran off, Mr. Henriques added.

Mr. Henriques, who operates a spring water business in addition to his role as a director in Reggae Inc., appeared to be in good spirits following his harrowing ordeal. Asked if he had been robbed before, he said:

I have had plenty of other jerk ups and scrapes before, but I guess, I never had Sean Paul as a son at the time, he said, laughing

Healthy fast food?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Food from some of the world's most popular fast food brands. (Photo: AFP)

Fast foods are quick, reasonably priced and readily available alternatives to home cooking, but they are typically high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt.

But in spite of the known nutritional inadequacies, fast foods are here to stay. Simply cutting them out of the diet seems unlikely for a variety of reasons. Fast food consumption has become an almost weekly, and in some cases daily, event in many lives.

This trend is worrying as increased consumption of these meals have been implicated in the rising prevalence of obesity and obesity-related diseases.
But can fast food truly be healthy? Is there such a thing as a healthy fast food? Of course.

What could be healthier than a fresh-picked fruit or faster for that matter ? Fruits and some vegetables may be eaten raw as part of a healthy well-balanced diet. However, while fresh fruits can be quite satisfying and are some times used to replace meals, very few persons see them as more than a snack or something to be eaten in addition to food.

Nonetheless there are healthy fast foods. All foods by virtue of the fact that they provide nutrients are nutritious and in the correct amount can in fact be part of a healthy well-balanced diet.

Fast food qualifies as a part of a healthy diet if it:

. Contributes to part of one or all of the basic food groups
1. Milk dairy products
2. Servings of breads cereals/grains
3. Servings of fruits/ servings of vegetables
4. Serving of meat or meat substitutes to equal six ounces

. Allows you to keep the following nutrients low in the diet:

1.Sugar
2. Fat, especially saturated and trans fat
3. Salt
4. Calories