mukina2:

the bot saw it as a scammers letter, and banned you. sorry about that.

OK, but stop banning me oh!

IMO the match MIGHT end 2:2
cos' Dortmund is still a shadow of itself from last season and Arsenal is yet to find its rhythm.

Sista Muki
I guess you OR the moderator that keeps banning me now finds it interesting to ban me as you like. I posted a write-up (Scammers at work) with a scam mail I received from a scammer so as to warn Nairlanders who might fall victim and voila, I was banned for about 3 days or so. WHY?

Gaddafi insists he is still in Libya and will never leave the land of his ancestors
A defiant Colonel Gaddafi today denied he had fled Libya claiming he 'won't leave the land of his ancestors'. From his hiding place the former leader told loyalist Al-Rai TV he has not escaped to neighbouring Niger and maintains he is still in the country he led for 42 years.
Despite the dramatic collapse of his rule he also said that his army is in place to wrestle the country back from the rebels.

In an angry outburst Gaddafi also blasted those who ousted him. 'All of these germs, rats and scumbags, they are not Libyans, ask anyone. They have co-operated with Nato , Gaddafi won't leave the land of his ancestors,' he said. We are ready to start the fight in Tripoli and everywhere else, and rise against them'.The five minute broadcast came amid conflicting statements and speculation about Gaddafi's whereabouts.He has not been seen in public for months, and has released only audio messages trying to rally his supporters and lash out at his opponents.

Convoys of former regime loyalists, including Gaddafi's security chief, fled across the Sahara into Niger this week in a move that Libya's former rebels hoped could help lead to the surrender of the last bastions of his support. Gaddafi went into hiding after opposition fighters swept into Tripoli on August 21. The former rebels are still battling regime loyalists in three Gaddafi strongholds - Bani Walid, Sabha and Sirte.

Surgery rebuilds face of teenager born with dozens of cysts in her face

A mother raised £50,000 for a series of operations to allow her daughter to smile. Katie Meehan, 15, feels she can finally face the world after pioneering surgery was used to rebuild her face. She was born with dozens of marble-like cysts in her mouth and cheek and doctors said she would never be able to talk. Her mother Dawn said the procedures, which began when Katie was just four-years-old, had been worth every penny.

Miss Mcintyre, 48, who lives in Newcastle, said: ‘I’m so proud of Katie. She is an incredible girl. After the operations her face is now smoother and she can talk a lot more clearly now.
‘She attends mainstream school and lives a normal life. When she was born with the condition I was frightened for her, that she wouldn’t be able to live a normal life. But thanks to the marvellous work of the surgeon, she can now do all that.’ Katie was born in October 1995 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, weighing a healthy 5Ib12.
Scans during Miss McIntyre’s pregnancy had shown an enlargement on the left side of her face. At 20 weeks into the pregnancy she had been diagnosed with cystic hygroma, where cysts grow in the head and neck area. Dozens of cysts had grown in Katie’s mouth and left cheek, and some were dangerously near her windpipe.

Miss McIntyre, who also has a daughter Rebecca, 23, and a son Peter, 11, said: ‘She was delivered by caesarian and has soon as I saw her i was shocked. ‘The left side of her face was double the size of her left, and her tongue was so large it stuck out and was folded double. ‘Her mouth and cheek was so full of these marble-like cysts that it had caused massive swelling. ‘Doctors said there were dozens of cysts of all different sizes and they told me she would never be able to talk, which was devastating.’ Doctors also told Miss McIntyre that the cysts would swell with every illness and infection that Katie suffered, which could prove deadly as they could suffocate her.

Miss McIntyre added: ‘It was very frightening for what the future held for Katie. Not only did she look so different from other children, but they were also a life threatening risk for her.’ After nine weeks in hospital Miss McIntyre was allowed to bring her daughter home, but she found it very upsetting when she took her out in public. Miss McIntyrre said: ‘People would stare and point and whisper about Katie and it used to break my heart. Some days she couldn’t even swallow and she had to be fed by a drip because the cysts were obstructing her throat.
‘But she had such a massive personality. She was such a happy baby and it was heartbreaking to wonder if she would ever find love, get a job or be a mother herself.’ When Katie was three years old doctors tried her on a new treatment trial where a drug was injected into the cysts to shrink them. But it was agonising for Katie and she was taken off the trial. Then when Katie was five, her family were put in touch with Professor Ian Jackson. Professor Jackson said he could help and local fundraisers helped raise the costs of £45,000 for Katie to have a series of operations. She had the first operation in spring 2000 at Guys and St Thomas’s Hospital in London. Professor Jackson sliced open her left cheek and tongue and during the five hour operation he cut out some of the cysts.

Miss McIntyre said: ‘Even after the first operation we could already see a difference. Katie could close her mouth and her tongue finally fitted inside her mouth. Her cheek was flatter too. It was amazing to see.’ In spring 2001 she had her second operation at the Portland Hospital in London and two years later, in 2003, she had a third operation. Miss McIntyre added: ‘It was amazing. Not only could Katie talk after these operations, but she could actually sing too. It was just wonderful to see. 'We had been told she would never talk, now she was chattering away just like any other normal little girl.’

Katie may have another operation in the future as she still has some cysts near her windpipe. But she now lives a normal life and is currently studying at school. Miss McIntyre said: ‘She has so much confidence now. She has so many friends and even some male admirers too. ‘When I look back at what she used to look like, it really is an incredible job what the surgeon has done. We can’t thank him enough. 'He has given our daughter her life back.’

Michael Jackson's Manslaughter Trial: Dr. Murray's Conduct "Egregious and Unconscionable"

A prosecution witness will testify , Dr. Conrad Murray committed "multiple egregious and unconscionable violations" in his treatment of Michael Jackson the day he died. Prosecutors filed the document because they want to shoot down the defense theory that MJ may have orally ingested the fatal dose of Propofol.

According to Dr. Steven Shafer, "There is a zero possibility that the propofol was orally ingested." Dr. Shafer believes, "There is almost nothing in Murray's care of Michael Jackson that reflected the actions of a trained physician." Judge Michael Pastor has not ruled on whether Dr. Shafer is qualified to testify about the oral ingestion of Propofol.

Soulja Boy: Army-Bashing Song WON'T Be On My New Album
Soulja Boy and his management team are SCRAMBLING to remove all traces of the rapper's army-bashing song from the Internet -- and they swear ,  it won't come anywhere near Soulja's new album. A rep for Soulja's management team, Debby Coda, tells TMZ, both the rapper's management and his record label have been working nonstop since Friday to take the video down off the Internet.

Debby says, the song "Let's Be Real" was hastily and foolishly posted to the Internet -- and was never approved for any album, including his upcoming "Respect My Hustle." Debby insists, the song will never be available for purchase. Soulja is willing to do whatever he can to make up for the song -- which contains the lyric "f**k all the army troops" -- including free shows for the military, and meet-and-greet sessions.

Soulja has apologized for the song, blogging, "I Am Deeply Sorry To All Members Of The United States Military Services And Their Families."

Federal Government plans 3 coal-fired power stations to generate 3,000Megawatts
The Federal  Government is to build three coal-fired power stations in Enugu, Kogi and Gombe states with the capacity to generate 3,000Megawatts, so as to diversify electricity sources in the country.

Minister of Power, Professor Bart Nnaji, disclosed the Federal Government’s new energy mix, yesterday, at a briefing organised by the Federal Ministry of Information to mark the first 100 days of the President Goodluck Jonathan administration. He said: “Not only does Nigeria have huge coal deposits in Enugu, Kogi, Gombe and  Benue states, but we have the world’s cleanest type of coal.” Though the government is spearheading the establishment of the new power stations, it was learnt that it will not own them outright, in line with the ongoing power sector reform.


The Federal Government will have about 25 per cent with state governments and private sector companies owning the rest of the coal-fired companies which may take about four years to complete. On whether the Ministry of Power will revive the Oji River coal-powered generating station in Enugu State which was destroyed during the Nigerian Civil War, Prof. Nnaji said the dilapidated station was obsolete and produced a mere 35MW “which might have been appropriated for an era when many communities did not have electricity and when neither the population nor the economic activity in the country was as high as it is today.”

Nnaji disagreed with suggestion that the country could face criticism from the international community over coal-powered stations because of the environmental implications. United States and South Africa, he noted, produce more electricity from coal than from any other source. He said: “We do not expect the international community, including environmental groups, to display double standards so glaringly against us. In any case, ours is clean coal, far better than what obtains in many parts of the world, especially Europe.”

Coal from Enugu and Benue, in particular, has low ash and is of high calorific value while that of Kogi is friable, or easy to use to form smokeless coal bricket.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/fg-plans-3-coal-fired-power-stations/

Lagos-Ibadan expressway to get 14 bridges
Bi-Courtney Highway Services Nigeria Ltd. said on Tuesday that it would build 14 pedestrian bridges to ease crossing after the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Mr Dipo Kehinde, the company’s spokesman, who disclosed in Lagos, said the bridges would make crossing the road safe for pedestrians. He said the bridges would reduce the carnage on the road, adding that the company was concerned about the challenges the highway had posed to road users. He denied that the rehabilitation of the road had been abandoned. “We have not allowed politics to stop our work because we are concerned about the horrors that road users face on that highway. “The work is ongoing; it has moved to Aramed area, near Ibadan,” he said.


He said that some state government officials were not co-operating as they had discouraged their citizens from clearing illegal structures erected along the road. “There is no way we can expand the road if we do not clear the structures on the Right of Way (ROW). But some state governments place public notice telling those who own the structures not to give way. “All we can do now is to apply palliative measures pending the time that all political issues will be resolved,’’ he said.

Kehinde said that the company had spent about N150 million on asphalt for the rehabilitation of the distressed portions of the expressway under its palliative measure.
“This is further compounded by the stalling of the take-off of our 6.5 million dollars (about N90 million) asphalt plant, forcing us to buy asphalt at a very high cost. “We have been using two gangs for overlay and two other gangs for patching. So far, we have used over 5,000 tonnes of asphalt. “We would have spent less, if we were producing the bitumen from our asphalt plant,” he said.

Kehinde said the company had cleared and back-filled about 600-metres stretch at Ibafo, the southbound carriageway. He said this had eased traffic congestion normally experienced along the stretch. “So far, we have overlaid about 100,000 sq metres at Fidiwo, Sapade, Alapako, Kilometre 90, near Ibadan, Fatgbems at Isheri, Ibafo, and RCCG areas,” he added. The company spokesman noted that the expressway, on completion, would have state-of-the-art facilities such as dawn lighting as well as improved and new interchanges. Other facilities, he said, would include a new drainage system, recessed service areas, lay-by emergency parking areas, weigh bridges, electronic traffic control and information signs.

8 year old Girl who cannot sweat due to rare condition
- she could die on a hot day
- she is one of only 30 people worldwide known to suffer from Hay-Wells syndrome

For most families, playing on a sunny beach is the perfect day out. But for parents Wendy Shires and Richard Harpin, they know that a hot day could kill their eight-year-old daughter. Hannah Harpin, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, suffers from genetic disorder Ectodermal Dysplasia, which prevents her sweat glands from working. The Lower Hopton Junior and Infant School pupil is one of eight people in the UK and 30 worldwide known to suffer from Hay-Wells syndrome, a type of Ectodermal Dysplasia.

If she gets too warm she could overheat and suffer a fatal fit. Her parents ensure she is kept cool by carrying around cold water spray, ice-packs and a fan. Banson Toolhire manager Richard, 40, said: ‘We have to be so careful that she doesn't get too warm, we use cold, wet towels on her and we often soak her baseball cap in water. ‘She always sleeps with a fan on and will not go outside on warm days and when she is out in the garden she has to be really careful. ‘If we didn't do this, we just don't know what would happen, she would fit which could be dreadful.’

As a result of the disorder, Hannah barely has any hair, her eyelashes are sparse and her left eye has never properly opened. She has webbed toes, uses a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), a new type of hearing aid that enters its sound output into the cochlea by vibrating the mastoid bone, and also has no tear ducts. Her mother, 37, said: ‘As a baby, we would only know that she was upset because she wouldn't settle as she couldn't produce tears.
‘Just after she was born we found that we had so many doctors to deal with, we didn't know what to think.
‘She was trying to cry and they discovered she had a cleft palate, so they carried out lots of tests and found out that she had this rare condition. ‘Doctors said it is genetic, so it could have been in the family for as far back as 100 years. ‘We don't know of anyone that has it but it could be there. It is a lot more common in women. ‘Her school is much better at dealing with her condition now and they know how to look after her. ‘We are so proud of her and are so amazed in the way that she copes.


‘Hannah is starting to know herself, how to deal with her condition and she regularly asks for her water bottle. ‘She has started to ask a lot of questions about her condition and because of her hair sometimes she will ask, 'mummy I don't have cancer do I?' and then we discuss Hay-Wells syndrome. ‘Our other daughter Amelia, who is only four, sometimes asks if she is special like Hannah and I explain that they are both very special in different kind of ways.’


The couple, who are due to marry on Hannah's ninth birthday in two weeks, have had lots of support from the Ectodermal Dysplasia society. Wendy said: ‘They have been so helpful and Diana Perry who runs the society is more of a friend, she offers such fantastic support.

‘I was in touch with other families suffering with the disorder, but we have so much to worry about that often it is better that we just concentrate on Hannah.’ They aim to raise awareness of Jeans for Genes, a support group that helps people cope with rare genetic disorders.

8 year old Girl who cannot sweat due to rare condition
- she could die on a hot day
- she is one of only 30 people worldwide known to suffer from Hay-Wells syndrome

For most families, playing on a sunny beach is the perfect day out. But for parents Wendy Shires and Richard Harpin, they know that a hot day could kill their eight-year-old daughter. Hannah Harpin, of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, suffers from genetic disorder Ectodermal Dysplasia, which prevents her sweat glands from working. The Lower Hopton Junior and Infant School pupil is one of eight people in the UK and 30 worldwide known to suffer from Hay-Wells syndrome, a type of Ectodermal Dysplasia.

If she gets too warm she could overheat and suffer a fatal fit. Her parents ensure she is kept cool by carrying around cold water spray, ice-packs and a fan. Banson Toolhire manager Richard, 40, said: ‘We have to be so careful that she doesn't get too warm, we use cold, wet towels on her and we often soak her baseball cap in water. ‘She always sleeps with a fan on and will not go outside on warm days and when she is out in the garden she has to be really careful. ‘If we didn't do this, we just don't know what would happen, she would fit which could be dreadful.’

As a result of the disorder, Hannah barely has any hair, her eyelashes are sparse and her left eye has never properly opened. She has webbed toes, uses a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), a new type of hearing aid that enters its sound output into the cochlea by vibrating the mastoid bone, and also has no tear ducts. Her mother, 37, said: ‘As a baby, we would only know that she was upset because she wouldn't settle as she couldn't produce tears.
‘Just after she was born we found that we had so many doctors to deal with, we didn't know what to think.
‘She was trying to cry and they discovered she had a cleft palate, so they carried out lots of tests and found out that she had this rare condition. ‘Doctors said it is genetic, so it could have been in the family for as far back as 100 years. ‘We don't know of anyone that has it but it could be there. It is a lot more common in women. ‘Her school is much better at dealing with her condition now and they know how to look after her. ‘We are so proud of her and are so amazed in the way that she copes.


‘Hannah is starting to know herself, how to deal with her condition and she regularly asks for her water bottle. ‘She has started to ask a lot of questions about her condition and because of her hair sometimes she will ask, 'mummy I don't have cancer do I?' and then we discuss Hay-Wells syndrome. ‘Our other daughter Amelia, who is only four, sometimes asks if she is special like Hannah and I explain that they are both very special in different kind of ways.’


The couple, who are due to marry on Hannah's ninth birthday in two weeks, have had lots of support from the Ectodermal Dysplasia society. Wendy said: ‘They have been so helpful and Diana Perry who runs the society is more of a friend, she offers such fantastic support.

‘I was in touch with other families suffering with the disorder, but we have so much to worry about that often it is better that we just concentrate on Hannah.’ They aim to raise awareness of Jeans for Genes, a support group that helps people cope with rare genetic disorders.

:d

Potato diet for LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE,  and NO WEIGHT GAIN!
They have long been maligned as fattening and shunned by those  following the Dukan and other low-carb diets. But potatoes could be the latest superfood. For eating a portion twice a day can lower blood pressure, researchers say. What is more, it seems there is no weight gain involved.

However, before you get out the roasting tin or rush to the chip shop, read on.


Microwaved spuds, free of butter, oil or ketchup, are best for health, scientists say. Baked potatoes and boiled spuds, including mash, are also acceptable. In the study, 18 men and women were asked to eat six to eight golf ball-sized potatoes with their lunch and dinner, as part of their normal diet. Most of those taking part were overweight or obese and on pills to lower blood pressure. After a month of the ‘tattie treatment’, their blood pressure readings dropped significantly – suggesting the potatoes were powerful enough to take over when the tablets could not do any more.

In addition, none of the volunteers put on any weight. Potatoes are thought to have a satiating effect but it is also likely that those taking part in the study cut back on other foods, the American Chemical Society’s annual conference reported. Those used in the U.S. agriculture department-funded study were purple and so small that they contained as few as 12 calories each, but the researchers believe that ordinary potatoes should also benefit health. They should be cooked – ideally in the microwave – with their skins on. This is because many of the health-boosting, blood pressure-lowering chemicals are in the skin.

Microwaving is preferred because, unlike the high temperatures used to fry and roast, it preserves most of the goodness. Researcher Joe Vinson, from Scranton University in Pennsylvania, said: ‘Mention “potato” and people think “fattening, high carbs, empty calories”. ‘We hope our research helps to remake the potato’s popular nutritional image.’ 
Dr Vinson, who likes his potatoes baked and topped with salad cream, added that lowering blood pressure cuts the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Previous research has shown potatoes contain phyto, or plant, chemicals similar to those found in blood pressure drugs.

I'm too old to play Mr Bean again: Rowan Atkinson
Mr. Bean is Rowan Atkinson’s most commercially successful creation. However, Mr Bean is unlikely to appear on our screens again in any new adventures. Atkinson, 56, says he believes he is too old to play the bumbling character.

Mr Bean first blundered on to television in an ITV series which ran for five years from 1990.
Despite the derision of some critics, the programme proved a huge ratings success, with viewing figures of more than 18million. The character proved such a draw – even in the notoriously difficult U.S. market – that two films were made of his exploits, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie in 1997 and Mr Bean’s Holiday four year ago. Between them the two films earned £305million worldwide.

However, Atkinson – who describes Mr Bean as 'a child in a grown man’s body' - says: 'I’ve got a feeling I probably won’t play the character [Mr Bean] again. 'Never say never, but I just feel I’m getting too old for it. I’ve always liked Mr Bean as a cartoon-like figure, who doesn’t really age much. 'I’ve always seen him as an ageless and timeless being and I’m clearly not ageless and timeless. 'The older I get, I feel I am less qualified to play him.'

I'm too old to play Mr Bean again: Rowan Atkinson
Mr. Bean is Rowan Atkinson’s most commercially successful creation. However, Mr Bean is unlikely to appear on our screens again in any new adventures. Atkinson, 56, says he believes he is too old to play the bumbling character.

Mr Bean first blundered on to television in an ITV series which ran for five years from 1990.
Despite the derision of some critics, the programme proved a huge ratings success, with viewing figures of more than 18million. The character proved such a draw – even in the notoriously difficult U.S. market – that two films were made of his exploits, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie in 1997 and Mr Bean’s Holiday four year ago. Between them the two films earned £305million worldwide.

However, Atkinson – who describes Mr Bean as 'a child in a grown man’s body' - says: 'I’ve got a feeling I probably won’t play the character [Mr Bean] again. 'Never say never, but I just feel I’m getting too old for it. I’ve always liked Mr Bean as a cartoon-like figure, who doesn’t really age much. 'I’ve always seen him as an ageless and timeless being and I’m clearly not ageless and timeless. 'The older I get, I feel I am less qualified to play him.'

One-month old baby died after babysitter collapsed on him

A TV reporter whose one-month-old son died after he was suffocated when his morbidly obese babysitter collapsed and died on top of him has spoken of his horror of discovering his dead baby.

Michael Baldwin II, who works at New York station News 12, said he had asked Teresa Coffey, 39, to look after his soon after he was called into work on Thursday. But after he made several calls home from work and got no answer he raced back to his home in Greenlawn, Long Island and found both the baby Michael Baldwin III and Ms Coffey dead.


Mr Baldwin told Newsday: 'This kid has been my life. And now, my boy is gone.' Ms Coffey, who was 5'6" and over 200 pounds, was found on top of the boy at around 9:30pm after Mr Baldwin rushed home fearing something was wrong. The TV reported found Ms Coffey collapsed on the sofa, but he could not find his son. 'I searched every room,' Mr Baldwin recounted yesterday. 'I was saying his name, "Michael, Michael".' When he failed to find his one-month-old son he returned to the living room where Ms Coffey was, 'slumped on the couch, face down, her knees on the floor,' he told the New York Post.

'I just had this funny feeling she was on top of him. 'I lifted her and he was underneath. He was lying on his back with his hands folded on his stomach. 'He was blue, I just grabbed him and called his name - I knew he was dead.'

Ms Coffey was a friend of his wife. After their baby was released from hospital - after suffering from medical complications at birth - she offered to babysit. Mr Baldwin said he got a message from the 39-year-old at work saying she needed to talk to him and could hear the baby in the background crying. After calling back 'dozens of times' with no response, he returned home to find Ms Coffey collapsed.

'The woman was described as extremely heavy,' Detective Lieutenant Gerard Pelkofsky told the New York Post. 'She was extremely large-breasted, Because of the amount of flesh, it could have caused the baby to suffocate.' A bottle of prescription pills was found next to Ms Coffey, who was known to have medical problems.

;d

^^sure IMO dating luda is clearly a plus than 50!

Music's newest Power Couple: Ciara & Ludacris
According to an article from MediaTakeout.com, Ciara and Ludacris may have a budding romance in the works. The website reports that Ciara and Ludacris actually dated for a while back in the day, but they called it quits. Now, the couple rumors are being fueled after the songstress and the rapper were spotted at a nightclub together. MediaTakeout reports that Ludacris’ former flame Eudoxie was nowhere to be found as he and Ciara partied it up together in Atlanta, Ga. A source told the site, “Ciara asked that Luda NOT bring [Eudoxie] to [club] Opera. And the two were kickin’ it all night together. Of course, they left together too.”

Apparently, Luda and CiCi were out and about the next morning to pose for pictures. If this gossip turns out to be fact rather than fiction, the duo would make one fantastic looking power couple. Ciara and Ludacris collaborated back in 2010 on Ciara’s super sexy single ‘Ride,’ and the duo were looking hot and heavy.