Toronto Maple Leafs sign Swedish rapper Markindapark to NHL contract

Mark Owuya had best save percentage in Swedish Elite League

Swedish hockey player and rapper Mark Owuya's father is from Uganda and his mother is Russian. Owuya is known in Sweden as a promising young professional hockey player and as an emerging hip hop entertainer, known first for rapping on popular talent show Idol as "Mark In Da Park," and more recently through his YouTube videos.

Please enjoy these photos and videos of new Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender signing Mark Owuya.



Mark Aloysius Opoya Owuya (born 18 July 1989) is a professional Swedish ice hockey goaltender, currently a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization of the National Hockey League, having been signed by Toronto on 28 April 2011.



Owuya began playing junior hockey with Djurgårdens IF in the 2005–06 season when he began playing with the U18 team. The following season Owuya played with both Djurgården's U18 and J20 team and also played most of the games with the Djurgården's J20 team in the 2007–08 season. While Stefan Ridderwall joined team Sweden for the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Owuya made his Elitserien debut on 3 January 2008, against Brynäs IF.






He was loaned out to Mälarhöjden/Bredängs IK during the 2007–08 winter, later was loaned out to Almtuna IS for the entire 2008–09 season. Owuya was also on loan during the 2009–10 season, first to Örebro HK and later Mora IK. In the 2010 pre-season, Owuya was moved up to Djurgården's senior team, to compete with goaltender Stefan Ridderwall to be the first choice in the goal.




Ultimately, Owuya played in 32 out of 55 games in the 2010–11 Elitserien season, with a 2.18 goals against average and league-best save percentage of .927. He also played in all of Djurgården's seven playoff games, with a 1.66 goals against average and .924.

Photos and videos of Gigi Ibrahim, Egypt's revolutionary journalist

"Nobody can hijack our revolution"

Gigi Ibrahim (Arabic: جيجي ابراهيم‎) is an Egyptian journalist, blogger and socialist activist. She has been credited as being a part of a new generation of "citizen journalists" who document news events using social media. For this she was featured on a cover of Time magazine as "one of the leaders" of Tahrir Square during the Egyptian Revolution in 2011. Ibrahim however states, that while the internet was important for coordinating people in the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, "it was the battles on the streets that were crucial... It was their power that made the revolution." She is a member of the Revolutionary Socialists and a graduate from the American University in Cairo[3] where she earned a political science degree.




Gigi Ibrahim - American University of Cairo student journalist



One of the most crucial citizen reporters in Cairo was 24-year-old Gigi Ibrahim, a major supporter of Egypt's Jasmine Revolution. Armed with little more than her Blackberry and a webcam, Ibrahim - who spent her high school years in California and recently earned a political science degree from the American University in Cairo - is on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and Vimeo. She tweets and posts, shoots stills and video, all in an effort to chronicle the unrest.



In a Skype interview with The New York Times, Ibrahim said her role "is to be part of this wave of change. I tweet a lot while at the protests; I tell everybody the security situation, how many people are at protests. I'm trying to spread accurate information and paint a picture at the ground for people who aren't here, via Twitter and Facebook."



Ibrahim's smartphone lacks an Arabic keybord, but she said "a lot of my followers are from outside of Egypt. I want to try to use a language most everyone would understand. It's important for me to be a citizen journalist, because with our press here... not everything gets broadcast."







Videos of PBS Frontline interview with Gigi Ibrahim

Her family is part of the Egyptian elite, but 24-year-old Gigi Ibrahim says she's fighting for her country's future. With thousands following her Twitter feed, Gigi has become something of a celebrity in Cairo's Tahrir Square. In this video, we see her attempts to convince her family of the righteousness of her cause. But will they come around?

Hollerado, Free Energy, and The Sheepdogs rocked the Sound Academy in Toronto

Pina the Inside Edge Chick threw a gargantuan and rockin' birthday bash this past Friday night, featuring Saskatoon's The Sheepdogs, Philadelphia's Free Energy and Ottawa's rapidly ascending Hollerado (Hey, Philadelphia, where'd you go) at the top of the bill.

Props to Pina, The Edge and all the bands for an amazing concert!


Americanarama, by Hollerado

Hey Philadelphia you used to exist
As a city in the North-East where the Power used to sit
There's no more Chicago
She went down with the last of the buffalo

Poor weak New Orleans
She went first and we didn't even hear her scream no
Denver U.S.A
you came down from the top of the mountain
Bet you didn't count on becoming what you are today

Doot doot doo doot do doo Doot doot doot doot do doo
Lord I miss you
Doot doot doo doot do doo Doot doot doot doot do doo
Lord I miss you
Hey Philadelphia where'd you go?

Oh New York City... you're so pretty in the dark
When all your lights are gone out
We're camping out in Battery Park

Denver.. U.S.A.
you came down from the top of the mountain
Bet you didn't count on becoming what you are today

Doot doot doo doot do doo Doot doot doot doot do doo
Lord I miss you
Hey Philadelphia where'd you go?

Hey Philadelphia...
Hey Philadelphia...
Where'd you go?

Nobel Women's Initiative a worthy, overdue venture

The Nobel Women's Initiative was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire. We six women -- representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa -- decided to bring together our extraordinary experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality.

Only 12 women in its more than 100 year history have been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is a great honor, but it is also a great responsibility. It is this sense of responsibility that compelled us to create the Nobel Women's Initiative to help strengthen work being done in support of women's rights around the world - work often carried out in the shadows with little recognition.

We believe peace is much more than the absence of armed conflict. Peace is the commitment to equality and justice; a democratic world free of physical, economic, cultural, political, religious, sexual and environmental violence and the constant threat of these forms of violence against women -- indeed against all of humanity.

It is the heartfelt mission of the Nobel Women's Initiative to work together as women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to use the visibility and prestige of the Nobel prize to promote, spotlight, and amplify the work of women's rights activists, researchers, and organizations worldwide addressing the root causes of violence, in a way that strengthens and expands the global movement to advance nonviolence, peace, justice and equality. We accomplish this mission through three main strategies: convening, shaping the conversation, and spotlighting and promoting.


Goal of initiative is global transformation

The Vision of the Nobel Women's Initiative is a world transformed, a nonviolent world of security, equality and well-being for all.

United by our desire to combat all forms of violence against women in all circumstances, we also recognize that specific issues for women vary around the world. One element of our work is to sponsor international gatherings of women every two years -- in a different region of the world -- to highlight issues of concern to women there. The objective of these meetings is to underscore our commonalities and differences by providing inclusive and energizing forums that ensure meaningful dialogue and networking by women's rights activists around the world -- but with a view to action.

It is our commitment to action that brings us together. Therefore, our meetings are linked with concrete work in the target region leading up to the conference, along with post-conference plans of action to address the issues addressed at the conference. In this way, the Nobel Women's Initiative supports meaningful work on the ground.

We believe profoundly in the sharing of information and ideas. By networking and working together rather than in competition, we enhance the work of all. The Nobel Women's Initiative is committed to supplementing and enhancing existing work and is determined to avoid duplicating the work of others. We want to open new ground for discussion, debate and change.

We hope you share our excitement about the potential of the Nobel Women's Initiative to meaningfully contribute to building peace with justice and equality by working together with women around the world.


Get Involved:

Nobel Women's Initiative
430-1 Nicholas St.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 7B7
Canada

Tel: +1 613 569 8400
Fax: +1 613 691 1419

Official website of Nobel Prize Women's Initiative

Dylanology reigns in the Big Apple

Academics discuss Bob Dylan's influence at New York Conference

By KILEY ARMSTRONG - Associated Press
April 2, 2011 7:41pm EDT

NEW YORK — More than three decades have passed since Bob Dylan brought the plight of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter into the public consciousness: "Criminals in their coats and their ties are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise while Rubin sits like Buddha in a 10-foot cell, an innocent man in a living hell."



In this Nov. 6, 1974, former middleweight boxer Rubin “Hurricane" Carter stands near a desk at the old “Death Row” at Trenton State Prison in Trenton, N.J. Carter went through two trials and endured 19 years in prison before being cleared of a triple murder that happened in 1966. On Tuesday, April 4, 2011, more than three decades after singer Bob Dylan first brought Carter’s plight into the public consciousness; academics from around the U.S. will examine "Hurricane" and similar songs during a Manhattan conference called "Bob Dylan and the Law."

Dylan championed the case of Carter, a former middleweight boxer convicted twice of a 1966 triple murder. And in the end, Carter was freed after 19 years in prison; a federal judge found that the conviction was tainted by racial bias and that Carter and his co-defendant were denied their civil rights.

Now, academics from around the country will examine the implications of that song and others during "Bob Dylan and the Law," a conference presented by Fordham University's law and ethics center and Touro Law School.

"We basically said to people who write and think about the law and who also happen to like Dylan's music, 'find a way to put them together; tell us how Dylan relates to your academic work or your thinking,'" said Fordham professor Bruce Green, one of the organizers.

An academic session on Tuesday follows a Monday night public panel discussion at Fordham in Manhattan.

"We think it's important once in a while to have fun, and to free the scholarly imagination," Green said. "Good scholarship and good teaching require it. ... It's a lens through which to look at the relationship between law, society and culture. We hope it leads some scholars to think things they haven't thought before."

Green has been a Dylan fan since high school. "My parents couldn't stand it - they liked Frank Sinatra. They thought Dylan was just whining, and that listening to him was a waste of time," he wryly noted. "Now I am vindicated. I can say that, all along, I was setting the stage for future scholarship."

Another conversation topic at the conference will be "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll."

In 1963, tobacco farmer William D. Zantzinger was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six months in jail plus a $500 fine for killing Hattie Carroll, a barmaid at a society charity dance.

Zantzinger "killed poor Hattie Carroll with a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger at a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin' ...," sings Dylan. "In the courtroom of honor, the judge pounded his gavel to show that all's equal and that the courts are on the level. And that the strings in the books ain't pulled and persuaded and that even the nobles get properly handled."

The conference also offers intellectual counterpoints.

Dylan "wrote some very powerful songs about what happens to folks when the system, and when the law, fail them," said Richard H. Underwood, a professor at the University of Kentucky College of Law. But while Dylan was inspired by real-life cases, Underwood said, he "was not necessarily concerned with true facts. He took a lot of poetic license."

"I must say, Dylan never lets the facts get in the way of a good story," agreed Abbe Smith, a Georgetown Law School professor who's also an expert on Bruce Springsteen and the law.

Though "beautiful," she said, the Hattie Carroll ballad is "not exactly accurate." Among other things, Dylan misstated the charge; and there was "reasonable argument that the cause of the death was not a blow to the head," but Carroll's poor health.

Dylan has "a kind of stark, if not simplistic, view of guilt and innocence," said Smith. "It may be the stories he picks, or how the story gets told in something as relatively short as a song."

And how, Smith is asked, might Dylan view lawyers?

"I think he probably likes lawyers better than judges," she said with a chuckle. "I think he probably would like lawyers who fight for the little guy. He would not like Holden Caulfield from 'Catcher in the Rye.'"

Coincidental to the conference will be the April 12 release of a Dylan recording from a long-ago folk festival in Waltham, Mass.

The set list from that appearance included "Ballad of Hollis Brown," which relates what Dylan has said was the true story of how "seven shots ring out like the ocean's pounding roar. There's seven people dead on a South Dakota farm."
The new release's title? "Bob Dylan in Concert - Brandeis University 1963." The school was named for the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis.


Official Bob Dylan webpage

Calling all Greens; ACTION April 12th in Ottawa

Nonviolent civil disobedience to save our nation and planet

If the Canadian Government and the CTV Network are conspiring to keep environmental issues out of our national leaders debates, it is time for Greens to take direct action. The Green Party of Canada has ten times the support of the Bloc Quebecois outside Quebec, so why is Gilles Duceppe invited to the English-language debate and not Elizabeth May?

Either she should get the English debate and he gets the French, or they should both be able to participate in each affair.


What can Greens do to disrupt the debates?

Ottawa-area Greens should not give up on this, as we have a right to be there. Here are a few ways we can ensure the Green Party is heard, even while the established powers try to silence us:

A) Block all access to parking anywhere near the debate's location

(Not sure yet of location, however CTV's Ottawa studios are at 1500 Merivale Road, Ottawa Ontario, K2E 6Z5)

B) Picket the front entrance

C) Disrupt the proceedings with environmental / ecological questions


Remember, whatever the cops do to you, stay limp and force therm to drag you away. Always stay non-violent and be the change you want to see in this world!

Salut!

Toronto artist Lisa Keophila creates inspiring elegance

Her art is like wispy clouds on a warm sunny day, satin and lace on a beautiful lady, soothing balm on a gentleman's soul. Here, experience the pleasure yourself:

(Photos by Agata Piskunowicz except where noted)



Come Up To My Room, by Krona and Lion (Lisa K, Fiona, Jonathan, and Kristen)







Mural for young girl's room, Lisa Keophila





An Ontario College of Art and Design grad, Lisa is currently dividing her time between textile work, installations, exhibitions and drawing. Commission requests of all kinds are welcome, and Lisa can be contact via her website Keophila.com or The Lemon Collective.












Hungarian cutwork felt clutch bag



Novotel installation, under art direction of Ryan Ringer, photos by Suprotik Gupta


Keep up the amazing work Lisa, I'm intrigued as to what you will come up with next!

Arab League may host Hamas / Fatah unification talks

Palestinian Unity on agenda for Arab nations

By Mahmud Hams | AFP News

The Arab League is willing to host Palestinian reconciliation talks, Secretary General Amr Mussa said on Tuesday after a meeting with Hamas leader Mahmud Zahar in Cairo.

"The Arab League is willing to host any Palestinian meetings to push forward national reconciliation efforts," Mussa told reporters.

"There is no justification whatsoever for the continued Palestinian division," he said, stressing the need to "unify Palestinian ranks ahead the current challenges."

Officials from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah movement and its rival Islamist group Hamas held talks on Saturday in a bid to restart reconciliation talks.

The two have been at loggerheads since 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, routing Abbas loyalists.

In Cairo, Zahar said that another meeting would be held in Gaza "in the coming two days" with Fatah members. Egypt has in the past hosted several rounds of Palestinian reconciliation talks but with no success. Egypt "does not want to sponsor talks that would end in failure and we understand that," Zahar said.

The Arab League will therefore "host the talks for a defined time period until an agreement is reached, which will be announced in Cairo", Zahar said.
Gaza has been effectively cut off from the West Bank, which is under the control of Fatah, and repeated attempts at reconciliation have led nowhere.

The disunity of the Palestinians has prevented them from taking a common stance in peace talks with Israel, which are now off the table. Tens of thousands of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza and the West Bank last week to demand that the two factions end their long-running rivalry.


Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com

Syria News: Cabinet steps down, Assad remains for now

Over 60 dead as Syrian forces attack protesters

By Zeina Karam, The Associated Press | The Canadian Press

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syria's Cabinet resigned Tuesday to help quell a wave of popular fury that erupted more than a week ago and is now threatening President Bashar Assad's 11-year rule in one of the most authoritarian and closed-off nations in the Middle East.

Assad, whose family has controlled Syria for four decades, is trying to calm the growing dissent with a string of concessions. He is expected to address the nation in the next 24 hours to lift emergency laws in place since 1963 and moving to annul other harsh restrictions on civil liberties and political freedoms.

More than 60 people have died since March 18 as security forces cracked down on protesters, Human Rights Watch said.

State TV said Tuesday Assad accepted the resignation of the 32-member Cabinet headed by Naji al-Otari, who has been in place since September 23. The Cabinet will continue running the country's affairs until the formation of a new government. The resignations will not affect Assad, who holds the lion's share of power in the authoritarian regime.

The announcement came hours after hundreds of thousands of supporters of Syria's hard-line regime poured into the streets Tuesday as the government tried to show it has mass support. Protests that began March 18 and ensuing violence has brought sectarian tensions in Syria out in the open for the first time in decades, a taboo topic here because the country has a Sunni majority ruled by minority Alawites, a branch of Shiite Islam. Assad has placed his fellow Alawites into most positions of power in Syria. But he also has used increased economic freedom and prosperity to win the allegiance of the prosperous Sunni Muslim merchant classes, while punishing dissenters with arrest, imprisonment and physical abuse.

Many of the pro-regime demonstrators emphasized national unity Tuesday.

"Sectarianism was never an issue before, this is a conspiracy targeting Syria," said Jinane Adra, a 36-year-old Syrian who came from Saudi Arabia to express support for Assad.

"The Syrian people are one, there is no place for religious divisions between us," she said, flanked by her children, ages 3 and 5, carrying red roses and pictures of Assad.

Mohammed Ali, 40, said Assad was in touch with the Syrian people and aware of their need for reforms. "This dirty conspiracy will be short-lived, we are all behind him," he said, cradling an Assad poster on his chest.

The president of 11 years, one of the most anti-Western leaders in the Middle East, is wavering between cracking down and compromising in the face of the protests that began in a southern city and spread to other areas. The unrest in the strategically important country could have implications well beyond the country's borders given its role as Iran's top Arab ally and as a front line state against Israel.

Syria has long been viewed by the U.S. as a potentially destabilizing force in the Mideast. An ally of Iran and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, it has also provided a home for some radical Palestinian groups. But the country has been trying to emerge from years of international isolation. The U.S. recently has reached out to Syria in the hopes of drawing it away from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas — although the effort has not yielded much.


Full article about Syrian Cabinet resignation on News.Yahoo.com

Sammy Hagar recalls being Lost In Space

Former Van Halen and Montrose frontman claims abduction by aliens




According to an article on Yahoo.com today:

Hagar and the reporter are talking about dreams he claims to have had about UFOs, and when asked whether he believed he had been abducted, Hagar answers: "I think I have."

The reporter seemed surprised. "What? Really? I was kidding. You seriously believe that?" he asks.

Hagar laughs and goes on to explain that a passage in the book described as a dream in which he is contacted by aliens from outer space in California was, in fact, reality.

The tale describes how the beings tapped into his mind through a wireless connection.
"It was real," Hagar told the reporter, according to the story on MTV's Hive website. "They were plugged into me. It was a download situation ... Or, they uploaded something from my brain, like an experiment."

Hagar goes on to describe another experience at the age of four where he believes he saw an alien space ship in broad daylight hovering over a country field where his family lived.

The rock guitarist and vocalist is no stranger to wild times. He was a part of several bands, including Montrose, during the "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" era of the 1970s and 1980s, and during its heyday Van Halen was among the biggest acts in rock music.


Full story on Sammy Hagar being abducted by Space aliens

Foods and supplements to help prevent radiation sickness

Guide to reducing long term effects of radiation exposure

As many pharmacies around the world are quickly selling out of potassium iodide supplements such as Lugol's, Nascent and Iodoral, I decided to post some information about foods containing significant amounts of iodine. As 95% of North American diets are deficient in iodine, now may be a good time to start improving on this.

National Institute of Health (NIH) iodine dosage guidelines:

What dosage of iodine should be used for prevention of radiation sickness?

The following doses have been studied in scientific research:

BY MOUTH:

For radiation emergencies: potassium iodide (KI) should be taken just prior to, or as soon as possible after, exposure. Radiation is most harmful to pregnant or breastfeeding women and children, so KI is dosed according to amount of radiation exposure and age. Radiation exposure is measured in centigrays (cGy). For infants, babies, children, adolescents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, KI is given if radiation exposure is 5 centigrays (cGy) or more. Tablets can be crushed and mixed with fruit juice, jam, milk, etc.

For birth through 1 month, the dose is 16 mg of KI;
For babies and children over 1 month through 3 years, 32 mg;
For children 3 to 12 years, 65 mg;
For adolescents 12 through 18 years, 65 mg or 120 mg if the adolescent is approaching adult size;
For pregnant or breastfeeding women, 120 mg.
For adults 18 to 40 years with exposure to 10 cGy or more, 130 mg of KI is given.
For adults over 40 years with exposure to 500 cGy or more, 130 mg of KI is given.
The National Institute of Medicine has set Adequate Intake (AI) of iodine for infants: 0 to 6 months, 110 mcg/day; 7 to 12 months, 130 mcg/day.

For children and adults, Recommended Dietary Amounts (RDA) have been set: children 1 to 8 years, 90 mcg/day; 9 to 13 years, 120 mcg/day; people age 14 and older, 150 mcg/day. For pregnant women, the RDA is 209 mcg/day, and breastfeeding women, 290 mcg/day.

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL), the highest level of intake that is not likely to cause unwanted side effects, for iodine intake have been set: children 1 to 3 years, 200 mcg/day; 4 to 8 years, 300 mcg/day; 9 to 13 years, 600 mcg/day; 14 to 18 years (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), 900 mcg/day. For adults older than age 19 including pregnant and breastfeeding women, the Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 1100 mcg/day.


Understanding nutritional iodine deficiency

Whenever iodine is under-supplied, cells in the thyroid gland break down and hemorrhage....Because the thyroid gland controls the speed at which all body activities occur, an under-supply of thyroid hormone results in fatigue, lethargy, a feeling of coldness, loss of sex interest, slowed pulse, low blood pressure, and a tendency to gain weight rapidly on few calories.

- Adelle Davis


According to the World Health Organization, iodine deficiency is the leading cause of impaired cognitive development throughout the world. Other deficiency symptoms of iodine include poorly functioning metabolism, dry, scaly skin, unusual weight gain, constant fatigue, constipation, decreased fertility, frustration, anxiety and depression in varying degrees, goiters and growth abnormalities.

WHO Micronutrient Deficiencies - Iodine



Here is a list from Wikipedia of potential risk factors that may lead to iodine deficiency.
1.Selenium deficiency
2.Pregnancy
3.Exposure to radiation
4.Increased intake/plasma levels of goitrogens, such as calcium
5.Gender (higher occurrence in women)
6.Smoking tobacco
7.Alcohol (reduced prevalence in users)
8.Oral contraceptives (reduced prevalence in users)
9.Perchlorates
10.Thiocyanates
11.Age (for different types of iodine deficiency at different ages)

Wikipedia also mentions that iodine is required not only for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine and to prevent goiter, but also, probably as an antioxidant, for extrathyroidal organs as mammary and salivary glands and for gastric mucosa and immune system (thymus).

Wikipedia webpage about iodine deficiency info


Iodine Supplements Available

Iodine supplements are of two kinds: iodine and iodides. Iodine compounds as supplements aid in maintaining the correct level of estrogen hormone in women. Iodides on the other, hand have a direct effect on the functioning of the thyroid gland. Some of the common iodine supplements that are prescribed as hypothyroidism medication are:

Transformative Nano-Colloidal Detoxified Iodine: This iodine supplement is a nano-colloidal and nascent form of USP iodine crystals which are converted into a non toxic monoatomic iodine form. Once this is consumed, the monoatomic iodine is converted into carrier iodides inside the body. They get converted to the elemental form of iodine and bond with proteins in the muscle tissue, thus, enhancing the functioning of the immune system. Other activities of this iodine supplement include enhancing DNA integrity, maintaining metabolic and endocrine balance and boosting cardiovascular health.

Nascent Iodine: Nascent iodine is an electromagnetically charged form of iodine which is quite similar to forms of iodine naturally produced by thyroid gland.

Potassium Iodide: This iodine supplement is available as tablets, each containing about 0.23 - 130 mg of iodine. Potassium iodide usually blocks excessive intake of radio iodine by thyroid gland, thus, preventing chances of thyroid cancer symptoms. However, its assimilation into body tissues is moderate (20% approximately).

Lugol's Solution: Lugol's solution contains about 6.3 mg of molecular iodine for every drop. It contains 5% molecular iodine and 10% potassium iodide. This iodine supplement has proven to be effective in increasing respiratory tract secretions and inhibiting excessive thyroxine secretion. Overall, this supplement aids in stalling unwanted hormonal secretions in the body.


Iodine-based nutritional / medicinal products (pharmacies)

Lugol's
Nascent
Iodoral
Magnascent
Heritage
Zeotrex
Livatrex
Detoxadine
Prolamine Iodine
Iodomere


Supplements that include significant iodine (health food stores)

Nutriodine
LifeExtension – Sea-Iodine
LifeExtension – Vitamin D3 with Sea-Iodine
Cataplex F
Iodine Plus 2



Foods high in iodine

Some foods with naturally high iodine content include fish, garlic, onions, watercress, sea greens such as seaweed / kelp / dulse / wakame / kombu, Iceland moss, ager-ager, egg-yolk, mushrooms, fish liver oil, pineapple, low-fat yogurt, artichokes, sorrel, soybeans, navy beans, lima beans, potatoes, turkey breast, goat's milk, spinach, turnip greens, Swiss chard, sesame seeds, summer squash and strawberries.

Kelp / Seaweed

Kelp, also known as the sea vegetable, is one of the richest known sources of iodine. According to the World's Healthiest Foods, one-quarter cup of kelp has only 9 calories but provides 276.7 percent of your daily iodine needs.

Wakame, kombu and other seaweed types are all high in iodine.



Haddock Fish

Fish and seafood (incl. cod, shrimp, tuna) in general are high in iodine, and haddock is a very rich source.



Brown rice / Whole grains

Grains are low on the food chain. Although they may have been exposed to pollution and radiation, they do not have the concentration of contaminants found in meat and large fish. The high fiber and phosphorous contents in grains is important with respect to radiation protection, and the binding ability of these substances helps the body remove all poisons.

The natural bulking factor of grains lessens the intestinal transit time, speeding up the elimination of toxins. Whole grains are neither very acid nor very alkaline. They help us maintain the middle-range pH been long proven to increase resistance to radiation. Whole grains provide vitamin B6, which is very important for the thymus. Their calcium content guards against the uptake of radioactive strontium. The vitamin E and selenium in whole grains also helps prevent the cellular damage and aging caused by free radicals.


Foods to temporarily avoid if you are utilizing iodine supplementation for nutritional / medicinal reasons


Cabbage

Some foods contain excessive levels of the minerals manganese and cobalt which interfere with the thyroid gland, extracting iodine. If you are in the habit of eating large amounts of raw cabbage you must ensure you are also getting sufficient iodine.

If you are in an area exposed to radiation, it is possible that eating cabbage may actually reduce uptake of radioactive iodine. Readers, if you have advice on this, please post in Comments section below!

Webapge with links to articles about foods high in iodine


Sugary sweets / Candy / Soft drinks

Drastically the consumption of sugar and sweets to help prevent radiation sickness from pre-existing exposure.



As the research for this piece was done over a period of several hours, please report any errors or omissions by posting in the Comments section below. Any suggestions or other helpful hints on staying healthy in a radioactive environment will also be very much appreciated.

Tokyo, lyrics by Bruce Cockburn

Words to song "Tokyo" by Bruce Cockburn

They're getting prepared to haul a car out of the river
Noise and smoke and concrete seem to be going on forever
Grinding gears and drivers getting high on exhaust
I'm thinking about the water down below and what got lost

Pachinko jingle and space torpedo beams
Comic book violence and escaping steam
Grey suited business men pissing against the wall --
Cut to crumbling guardrail, slow motions car fall


Oh Tokyo -- I never can sleep in your arms
Mind keeps on ringing like a fire alarm
Me and all these other dice bouncing around in the cup
Did you have to show me that accident scene
Didn't I get enough shaking up?
Still I'm gonna miss you...


Dragon of good fortune struggles with trickster fox
Energy and patience and the power of the buck
Tonight I'm flying headlong
To meet the dark red edge of dawn
I know somebody will be crying
And somebody will be gone


Oh Tokyo -- I never can sleep in your arms
Mind keeps on ringing like a fire alarm
Me and all these other dice bouncing around in the cup
Did you have to show me that accident scene
Didn't I get enough shaking up?
Still I'm gonna miss you...

Wisconsin: "Absolute corruption of democracy"

Union-busting bill in Wisconsin meets fierce opposition

AFL-CIO Leader Richard Trumka believes trade unions and social activists should utilize this "Wisconsin moment" to transform their anger into positive change. Describing the rammed-through bill as an "an absolute corruption of democracy," Trumka was referring to the move made Wednesday night by Wisconsin's Republican-controlled Senate.

"It's our job, each and every one of us, it's our job to transform the outrage and to make this moment a movement, to make sure this corruption in the Midwest doesn't stand," Trumka said.

Read more Google News articles on Wisconsin workers

American Idol: Dangerous Durbin, Cool Casey rock the house

Right Now: Channel hopping between MSNBC and Fox (sorry, it's Idol night!)

With the Republican's war on civic workers in Wisconsin escalating tonight, we're switching back and forth between the 2011 American Idol Top 13 and the Rachel Maddow Show, featuring Michael Moore and I'm sure he's gonna be steamed.

So far, James "Dangerous Durbin" blew the roof off with his version of Maybe I'm Amazed, while "Cool Casey" Abrams charmed the house with his Joe Cocker inspired take on the Beatles classic With a Little Help From My Friends.

Still forty-five minutes to go on both shows!

CANADA: Online form to donate to or join NDP or Green Party

If you are a young Canadian who believes in human rights, social progress and environmental sustainability, consider joining the Green Party and/or the New Democratic Party. We can all work together and use the positive energy of liberation movements globally and forge a single, effective union of the progressive political forces here at home in Canada.

Join the NDP Party of Canada

Donate online to New Democratic Party of Canada

Join or donate to Green Party of Canada

Peace 2 All,

Yuya Joe College

Ethiopia: Soul-searching for true democracy

With 2011's growing democracy movements in the news day after day, Ethiopians at home and abroad are wondering what it will take to bring a free press and fair elections to the motherland.


Ethiopian Opposition Leader Birtukan Mideksa to leave politics


Addis Ababa journalist Eskinder Nega calls for resignation of Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi


Online profile of Dawit Kebede, Ethiopia's leading editor and free press advocate


Large numbers of Ethiopians trapped in Libya with no embassy

Vintage Vinyl records blog a joy to behold

A brother in Barrie named Justin has developed a very cool vinyl records blog, so I thought I would share some imagery and provide a link to it:

Vintage Sound Vintage Sound vinyl records blog

The fact that he's a Dylan fan is awesome, so I intend to check back regularly, and am now running a feed from his blog to mine, so everyone can share in Justin's trip down Vinyl Lane (look over this way and you should see it--->>> --->>>).

Here are a few vinyl records pics I grabbed off the Vintage Sound Vinyl Records blog:



Muse on vinyl, very scarce!!!






Robert Allan Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan

Full text of Gaza Youth Manifesto for a United Palestine

Palestinian youth seek Hamas-Fatah unity

Here is the complete text of the updated Palestine manifesto:

“On behalf of the Palestinian Arab people, on the blood of the martyrs, widows and bereaved, orphans and thousands of prisoners in Israeli jails and all our people in the Palestinian diaspora, we call on all the Palestinian factions to unite under the banner of Palestine, in order to reform the political system in Palestine, based on the interests and aspirations of the Palestinian people in the homeland and the diaspora.

“The seriousness of the current phase of Israeli settler incursions and looting of land in our Sacred Jerusalem and the violence of the siege against the Palestinian people in Gaza require us all to stand as one against this brutal occupation.

“We have heard that the Palestinian people call for legislative and presidential elections to end the state of division. Yes, we all want to end the division, but we also want a complete re-building of the Palestine Liberation Organization, to include within it all the colors of the Palestinian political spectrum, including Hamas, and to reform it in order to fight again for Palestine’s liberation, as it was initially intended.

“We, Palestinian people in the homeland and abroad, have always heard that peaceful actions would achieve victory and restore the land, but 20 years of negotiations have not achieved the leatest demands. Our people remains under a brutal and oppressive occupation that steals land, violate the Holy sites and kills our children, and all of this while the world that claims democracy and human rights is watching and hearing! On the other hand, the resistance is stalling, leaving more than a million and a half Palestinians under Israeli blockade, choking them to the point that our patients, including the sons of the leaders of the resistance, are sent to be treated abroad.

“We must agree; it is necessary that we unite for all Palestinians here and there and everywhere, still dreaming of six million Palestinian refugees to return to their homes stolen by the Occupation that only understands the language of force! Let us be strong, let unity be our strength and unanimously agree on a unified leadership that can lead us to freedom with all pride and dignity!”


"From here we call on the governments of the West Bank and Gaza to respond to the legitimate demands of the people:

1 - the release all political detainees in the prisons of the PA and Hamas
2 - the end of all forms of media campaigns against each others
3 - the resignation of the governments of Haniyeh and Fayyad to re-build a government of national unity agreed by all Palestinian factions representing the Palestinian people.
4 - the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organization to contain all the Palestinian factions and get back to its initial aim: Palestine's freedom
5 - the announcement of the freeze of negotiations until the full compatibility between the various Palestinian factions on a political program
6 - the end of all forms of security coordination with the Zionist enemy
7 - the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously in the time chosen by all the factions"


Events will start on Tueseday, 03/15/2011 at 11:30 pm and will continue until the achievement of all goals. We will be gathering in the following places (modifications possible):

Gaza: the Unknown Soldier Square

Ramallah: Manara Square

Tulkarm: Roundabout Gamal Abdel Nasser

Jenin: complex of garages near the old Cinema Jenin

Hebron: in front of the governor's office

Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity Square

Nablus: Martyrs Square

Jordan and Lebanon: no location yet

All over the world: in front of the Palestinian embassies, in coordination with the Palestinian communities abroad.

Please join our page.

Palestinians United Facebook webpage

Gaza Youth Breaks Out

Abu Yazan

Eve of Destruction lyrics, Eastern World is exploding

Eve of Destruction

by Steve Barri and Phil Sloan

As sung by Barry McGuire

The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flarin', bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill, but not for votin'
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin'
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'

But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve
of destruction.

Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say
Can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away
There'll be no one to save, with the world in a grave
[Take a look around ya boy, it's bound to scare ya boy]

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve
of destruction.

Yeah, my blood's so mad feels like coagulatin'
I'm sitting here just contemplatin'
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation.
Handful of senators don't pass legislation
And marches alone can't bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin'
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve
of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for 4 days in space
But when you return, it's the same old place
The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace
Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace

And… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend
You don't believe
We're on the eve
Of destruction
Mm, no no, you don't believe
We're on the eve
of destruction.

Twat or Tweet? Charlie Sheen's recent Twitter posts

Here are Charlie sheen Twitter posts from March 1st, 2011:

ChuckSheen: http://groups.myspace.com/dsotmprivate

ChuckSheen: I refuse Facebook..because, To all those who suggest it? Good to know.

ChuckSheen: I had the print..good friends in the movie, bad script. WTF was with Deadpool? Welcome to Hollywood. Better than most, I suppose.

ChuckSheen: Obviously, updating this..and screwing around on MySpace like I'm 18. (Wishful thinking)..hope everyone enjoyed the season. CS\

ChuckSheen: Hope everyone is having a good weekend. Just got the new Iphone..nice. How do I post a link?


Weblink to Charlie Sheen's Twitter page