Mc Lokko's Blog: 2015-02-01

Saturday 7 February 2015

Photos from GEJ'S visit to the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Lagos

‎As part of his peaceful message, President Jonathan earlier today paid a visit to the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministry in Ijesha, Lagos. Continue to see more photos

The All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari in an interview published on Reuters on Friday has said it will be too bad if the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, allows itself to be compromised to shift the general election or allow irregularities in the voting process. According to Buhari he is very optimistic that he will be winning the forthcoming election.

Bobbi Kristina's brother/boyfriend/husband, Nick Gordon is now the target of a criminal investigation after injuries is found on the body of the 21 year old who was found face down in a bathtub in her home in late January. The TMZ report below;

There is an active criminal investigation underway in Georgia in the Bobbi Kristina case ... it centers on possible foul play and the target is her boyfriend.. TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... Bobbi Kristina had certain injuries that have piqued their interest. We do not know the nature of the injuries. Multiple sources tell TMZ there is a history of violence between Bobbi Kristina and boyfriend Nick Gordon.

What a cool design from Photos of the Giuseppe Zanotti Mrs. West biker style peep-toe booties designed for Kim Kardashian. Costs £900.

D’banj must be laughing so hard that he told us, he ain’t broke and won’t be broke so soon. D’banj and Banky W have just been announced as Ciroc Nigeria’s brand ambassadors. The announcement was made yesterday at the intercontinental Hotel. Big congrats to them.

Osun state election tribunal upholds Gov Aregbesola's election as governor

Osun state governorship election petition tribunal has upheld the re-election of Rauf Aregbesola as governor of the state. Senator Iyiola Omisore, the PDP candidate at the August 9th 2014 election had petitioned the tribunal over claims that the election was rigged in favor of the Governor.

At its sitting in the state today February 6th, the Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Elizabeth Ipejime, said the witnesses brought in by Senator Omisore did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the elections were rigged in favor of the governor.

In a new development! A Canadian University has introduced a programme that will see World Footballer of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo being studied by their students.

The University of British Columbia Okanagan says the sociology degree will focus on the cultural importance of Ronaldo’s fame and its effects on the society.

A professor at the University Professor Luis Aguiar told the Telegraph in an interview ‘Ronaldo is the centre and every discussion, class meeting revolves around Ronaldo initially. And then we explore, we broaden out to larger themes.

GEJ dressed in his full Ijaw regalia while campaigning in Bayelsa

Pres. Jonathan pictured all dressed up representing his Ijaw roots at his campaign in his homestate, Bayelsa yesterday February 6th. Continue to see more photos...

Fulfillment of career as Organizers of Headies Awards give out a brand new car to the winner of Next Rated category each year. In December 2014, wave making artiste, Patoranking won the award category and his brand new car has just been presented to him. It was presented to him by Sean Tizzle who won the category in 2013. See more photos after the cut.

Text from a press conference held by Presidential aide, Dr. Doyin Okupe in Abuja yesterday

It has become necessary to address this Press conference to correct some wrong information in the Mass Media concerning the outcome of the Council of State meeting which was held at the Presidential Villa held on 5th Feb 2015.

Firstly, President Goodluck Jonathan is not interested, neither is he engaged in in any form of subterfuge to pressurize INEC to change the dates of the 2015 Elections.

The world-class pharmacist Jimi Agbaje who is also the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)is now an household name in Lagos state and other states in Nigeria.

JK as known to his teeming fans,associates and supporters is now a jinx breaker in Lagos state political scene.Since his emergence as PDP Lagos governorship candidate,so many cheap blackmails have been published against him on social media but majority of Lagosians know their real messiah which is JK.

Nice posture as Governor Amaechi of Rivers state and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa state pictured above minutes after the Council of State meeting in Abuja on February 5th. So cool............

Why I Chose To Start A Record Label- Laide Bakare

Interesting moment as the new mom, Laide Bakare who has become a mom for the 3^rd time visited hiptv studio recently where she hinted that she attended New York film academy while away in the States. Laide also used the opportunity to talk about how the academy made her love music, something she was never interested in. Hear her;

Designer stunt! Supermodel Jessica White wore this black number to the 6th Annual Essence Black Women in Music in LA yesterday. Would you rock the outfit?

Olamide Gives Shout Out To GF For Having The Courage To Give Him A Child Despite Not Wedding Her First

Talented ingenious rapper Olamide in an interview has given a shout out to his girlfriend, now babymama for having the courage to give him a bouncing baby boy despite not wedding her or tying her down with a ring. Here’s what Olamide said about his precious babymama.

The president visited The Redeemed Christian Church of God camp yesterday during the church programm where pastor E.A Adeboye prayed for him. He also met APC VP candidate Prof. Osinbajo there. More photos after the cut...

The growing speculation that the elections might be postponed speaks volumes of someone’s election jitters. But who will it benefit most between Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and President Goodluck Jonathan if the elections are postponed? The Independent National Electoral Commission had four years to prepare for February elections. How come it waited till the 11th hour to start distributing PVCs? Nawa ooo.

People should know that no amount of scheming and manoeuvring can stop Nigerians now. The much clamoured change must be achieved, especially now that the masses have become more politically conscious and every discuss around the country over the past few weeks has been centred on politics. Politicians who have been blinded to the plight of the people should realise that mere rhetoric won’t cut it for them anymore. Nigerians are demanding for a change. The people are not smiling anymore. Whether it is a new regime taking over or a return of the incumbent, whoever takes the seat better know that a better Nigeria is non negotiable anymore.

American Man Sends over $100,000 to Wife in Nigeria He’s Never Met

Dollar notes

A 53-year-old man who has sent over $100,000 to a woman he has never met in Nigeria insists he is only providing financial assistance until she inherits $25.6 million from her dead parents.

Steve appeared on the talk show, Dr. Phil, to discuss his unusual relationship with 'Kelly' whom he met on an online dating website in 2012.

He says the pair are legally married in Nigeria, even though he has never met her and they usually only communicate online.

Steve says he has been giving her the money for the last few years to help her until she receives her inheritance from her parents - she claims they were killed in an Ohio car crash in 2012.

Steve sells his plasma - a yellowish liquid that has to be separated from blood - twice a week to ensure he can make payments to 'Kelly' who lives with 'James,' her 'attorney.'

I've sent Kelly about $103,000 in the last 29 months,' he said on the show as a flabbergasted audience listened.

'I've not met Kelly, but it doesn't matter. I love her just the same.

'She has an inheritance coming, and I've always wanted to be a millionaire, so it's like a match made in heaven.'

'I just love her. She is very beautiful and warm, kind, caring and loving.'

Steve says he has not met 'Kelly' as she needs to stay in Nigeria to help with signing the inheritance forms.

He said that 'Kelly' came back to the US he tried to meet her, but it didn't work out.

But when Dr. Phil's team analysed an email she sent Steve claiming she was in South Dakota, the IP address revealed it was sent from Nigeria.

'Kelly' told Steve she went to a nursing school in North Dakota, but when the show contacted the school they said no one with her name had ever been enrolled.

But 'Kelly' is not the only person Steve is sending money to - he says he is an accountant, and insists he is on the verge of becoming a multi-millionaire from several pending inheritance deals with overseas clients.

He says he is sending them money to cover their legal fees as they fight to obtain their inheritances.

But he is now on probation for cashing a fraudulent cheque that was sent to him from Africa - he was asked to cash it to help a 'client whose life was in danger' and then asked to send $5,000 to five people listed.

However the bank picked up on it and he was arrested.

Steve's sister, Tammy, says she is worried, as he has been scammed in the past.

She is asking him to cut ties with 'Kelly' - and his other so-called clients.

'My brother is delusional,' Tammy says.

''Kelly' could be a Nigerian man behind a computer.'
• Culled from the dailymail.co.uk

President Robert Mugabe falls down steps at Harare Airport

Photo credit: AP
Ninety-year-old Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe fell on Wednesday after addressing a crowd at Harare Airport.

The incident, witnessed by newsmen, increased concern about his health, but his Spokesman, George Charamba, said the president had ``just missed a step’’ when coming down from the podium.

Mugabe had just returned from Addis Ababa, where he had assumed the chairmanship of the African Union.

He was quickly helped to stand by his aides and escorted away. See photo after the cut.....

The Council of State meeting ended yesterday with members resolving not to postpone the 2015 general election scheduled for Feb. 14th.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, said;

Chocolate Is Not a Superfood (but It's Still Super)

We've heard the claims before, and now that it's February, they're back: Chocolate is full of antioxidants. Its many health benefits are proven. It's really good for you, right? Not quite. Let's take a closer look.

"Superfood" Is a Marketing Buzzword, Not a Nutritional Term

Chocolate Is Not a Superfood (but It's Still Super)

Nutritionally, "superfood" is not a meaningful term. Marketers and media like to drum up excitement about a food by spotlighting a nutrient or two, and then slapping on the "superfood" label. As Mother Jones reports, the food industry rides boom-and-bust cycles driven by health benefits, because otherwise selling food would be an economically boring endeavor: 300 million people need 300 million people's worth of food, every year. Yawn.

Studies have only ever shown small effects on health, specifically from cocoa extracts or sometimes dark chocolate, but marketers use those results to sell milk chocolate and products like smoothie mix, snacks, and really expensive candy. Health claims make us eat more of a product, and perceive it as healthier in ways that go beyond the package label. Researchers call this effect a health halo.

In Europe, the word "superfood" can't appear on labels unless it's backed up by some kind of scientific evidence. There's no such rule in the US.

Where the Chocolate Studies Come From

Guess who funds a lot of studies on the health benefits of cocoa? Nestle. Mars. The research arm of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association of America. Now, the source of funding doesn't guarantee that the results will be wrong or biased, especially if the researchers work for a university. One researcher in a different area, genetically modified crops, said at a conference I attended: "Industry funding doesn't bias the results, but it does buy the question."

So that explains why there's so much focus on chocolate, year in and year out, when it's hardly the only source of antioxidants in our diet.

There's a reason why you're reading about chocolate now. Interest in the health benefits of chocolate tends to peak around February each year. Valentine's Day is a convenient news peg, and companies would love to make you think about eating chocolate this time of year. You'd see chocolate in the stores anyway and consider the impulse buy, but you've just been reminded that chocolate is good for you. So it's not even an indulgence, right? It's practically a health food.

What Does the Research Actually Say?

There are so many studies on chocolate and cocoa that I can't possibly cover all the claims, but let's take care of some of the biggies.

Chocolate does have a lot of antioxidants. As measured in vitro (think test tubes, not human beings), dark chocolate has an oxygen radical absorbence capacity, or ORAC value, of 20,816. That puts it just above raspberries, pecans, and ginger but below sorghum, acai, rose hips, and a variety of spices. The only problem? The USDA stopped publishing ORAC tables in 2012 because ORAC values don't correlate with biological activity. They're meaningless trivia.
Is cocoa good for your heart? Yes, sort of. A Cochrane summary reports that cocoa products (including normal sized pieces of dark chocolate, in some studies) can reduce blood pressure by two to three points. None of the randomized controlled trials were long-term, and none measured the effects of cocoa products on important outcomes like heart attacks or mortality. But a couple points of blood pressure is better than nothing, right?
All the other claims...eh. There's no consensus of good quality evidence to support the idea that chocolate will help you lose weight, improve athletic performance, beat depression, or achieve other widely-hyped benefits. Yes, there are individual studies showing promise for this or that ailment. People who only skim this post will share them in the comments as some kind of ill-informed rebuttal. (Come on, prove me wrong here!) Is it possible that future studies will confirm these preliminary findings? Perhaps. Check back later when more research has been done.

To further disillusion you, I have to point out something sad about many of these studies: they don't always involve real chocolate.

One doctor who oversaw a trial of cocoa antioxidants on memory told CBC News, in their own excellent chocolate mythbusting episode:

"[The high-flavonol substance used in our study] is not chocolate. It is derived from cocoa beans so I can understand the confusion. Chocolate per se might have a little bit of these cocoa flavonols but at very minuscule amounts. So as a physician I'm a little worried about the headlines that say, 'Eat chocolate.' I am not suggesting that."

Buried in articles about health benefits of chocolate are often words like "cocoa" or "cacao" or "extract." These are clues that the substance tested was not actually chocolate in bar form, but a purified version that's not necessarily available for purchase.

What Kind of Chocolate Should You Eat For Health Benefits?

This is where, in most articles, comes the disclaimer not to eat a lot of chocolate because it's full of fat and sugar. I'll skip that. It's delicious, so I say eat all the chocolate you want. (Go ahead, I'll wait.) You ate it because it was good, right? Not because you think it's going to make you super healthy.

Let's say you do want to take advantage of the health benefits. Maybe you're trying to lower your blood pressure by two points, or maybe you're hedging your bets for the day they announce that chocolate really is a magic bullet for weight loss. Which chocolate is best?

Technically, minimally-processed cocoa powder has the most antioxidants. But recommendations to use cocoa powder instead of chocolate kind of ignore the fact that nobody eats straight spoonfuls of cocoa powder. If you're making it into a muffin, say, or a bowl of sweetened oatmeal, then we're not really comparing dark chocolate with cocoa powder, are we? We're comparing dark chocolate to chocolate-flavored muffins and chocolate-flavored oatmeal. One WebMD article on the health benefits of chocolate includes a recipe for chocolate raspberry pound cake.

By the time cocoa has been turned into chocolate bars, it's lost a lot of its flavonol content (a family of antioxidants that research has often focused on). So, as the researcher above described to the news program, the amount of possibly-beneficial chemicals in bars of chocolate has been reduced to almost nothing. Still, some of the blood pressure studies did show a real-world benefit from dark chocolate.

In the lab, at least, antioxidant content of chocolate correlates with cocoa percentage. The US FDA requires at least 35% cocoa content for a chocolate to be called dark. Fancy chocolate brands often label the cocoa content. At my supermarket, I found Green & Black's to contain 70% cocoa (60% for the flavored bars), Lindt in 70% and 85%, and a Ghirardelli "midnight reverie" at 86%. Hershey's Special Dark is a mere 45% cocoa.

Compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate has less sugar, more fat, and more fiber. Switching from Green & Black's milk chocolate (fairly high already, at 34%) to its 70% dark will take you from 13 to 17 grams of fat, and 19 to 11 grams of sugar.

Bottom Line: Is Chocolate Good For You?

It depends why you're eating it. If you're concerned about your blood pressure, and you're doing everything you can to manage it through diet and exercise but just want a little extra oomph to that effort, sure, have a square a day and see if it helps.

If you're trying to stay slim and healthy in a vague sense, or improve your memory or athletic performance or happiness or skin health, chocolate won't really help.

If you're using the health halo to justify stuffing yourself with chocolate, then the superfood label becomes harmful rather than helpful.

But you know what? You don't need anyone's permission to enjoy chocolate (or anything else, for that matter.) It's okay to decide you're going to eat chocolate because it's delicious, and plan that into your diet (or consider it a misstep and recover gracefully). You don't need to pretend that it's healthy. Just eat it.

Photos by Martin Cooper, Mike Mozart, Jim Bauer, US Navy, Clint Budd.

lifehacker

Three Unavoidable Reasons Why INEC Needs to Postpone The Elections

Like white noise, since the beginning of 2015 there has been something of a buzz in the air that suggested that the elections may not hold on February 14th as scheduled. Background chatter, hushed words from the grapevine and general political misdirection helped to heighten this tension, one that finally became embodied in the words of Nigeria’s national security adviser, Mr. Sambo Dasuki.

Dasuki, as we would remember, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to delay the election, and the reason he gave was that the PVC distribution wasn’t as pervasive as one would expect.

In a new development! The Department of State Services (DSS), said on Thursday that it had invited Mr Asari Dokubo, an ex-Niger Delta militant, several times over recent inflammatory statements credited to him.

The spokeswoman of the DSS, Marilyn Ogar, said this on Thursday while responding to a question at a news conference organised by the National Information Centre.

Photo Credit: @CAF_Online
Ghana have qualified for the finals of the 2015 African Nations Cup tournament but the disgraceful scenes from Equatorial Guinea fans dominates the headlines.

The Black Stars defeated the host nation 3-0, however the embarrassing chaos that ensued in the match undermined the semi-final fixture.

Crowd disturbances forced the match to be suspended after 82 minutes, with the rampant fans causing a melee having seen that the tie wasn't going their way.

Ghana had the upper hand in the match, outplaying Equatorial Guinea in the match, and it would have even been worse had the Black Stars converted their numerous chances, and also their goalkeeper, Ovono who pulled up some good saves.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja yesterday, the DG of the National Orientation Agency and Coordination of the National Information Center, Mr Mike Omeri, said they got intelligence report that female suicide bombers are planning to attack polling booths during Feb. election

Rapper M.I in an exclusive interview with EbonyLife Tv has revealed the five Nigerian women he has a crush on.

TMZ’s reports is slowly turning out to be the truth. According to another exclusive report by Dailymail, Bobbi Kristina Brown's life-support has been turned off. Here’s how they reported it on their website.

The 21-year-old daughter of Whitney Houston was found face down in a bath-tub at the Roswell, Georgia townhouse she shared with partner Nick Gordon on Saturday.

Her father Bobby Brown, whose birthday is yesterday, is at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta hospital with friends and relatives.

Pastor Adeboye reacts to alleged N6billion paid to pastors by PDP

Pastor E.A Adeboye has reacted to the allegations made by Rivers state governor Rotimi Amaechi yesterday, claiming that some pastors were paid about N6 billion by the PDP to discredit the APC and its presidential candidate, Buhari. Above is a message he shared on Facebook yesterday...

Pics: Patience Ozokwor, Ramsey Noah, Fred Amata, Omoni Oboli, others at GEJ's rally in Delta yesterday

Nigerian entertainers including Patience Ozokwor, Fred Amata, Ramsey Noah, Omoni Oboli, Ini Edo, Daddy Showkey, Omobabak Kingsley Ogoro, Gordons and others stormed President Jonathan's campaign rally in Delta state yesterday to support him. Continue to see more photos...

Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari

By Tobi Soniyi in Abujaâ€¨

Another suit seeking the disqualification of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Maj-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has been filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The suit which was filed on Wednesday, is the third of such suits filed against the ex-military ruler. The new suit filed by Dr. Ayakeme Whiskey is seeking an order declaring Buhari ineligible to contest the February 14 election.

Apart from the disqualification suit, there is a pending direct criminal complaint against Buhari before an Abuja Magistrate Court in Abuja asking the court to direct that the former Head of State “be brought to book” for allegedly claiming on oath that he had a certificate he did not obtain.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja has already fixed February 9 for hearing in the two previous suits.

Looks like the Kardashians feel the easiest way to get attention these days is to strip. Kim K's teen sister Kendall Jenner also joined her to strip for the February edition of Love magazine. Kim's full frontal shoot for the British mag leaked online yesterday. Kendall's pic leaked late last night. See the full pic after the cut...

Be careful the CHANGE you wish for: Northern Coalition for Democracy and Justice (NCDJ) is petitioning the International Criminal Court to Prosecute General Muhammadu Buhari for 2011 Post Election Violence in Nigeria. #BuhariGoToICC

As we count down to the 2015 Nigeria General Elections with 11 days to go, now might just be a good time to reflect on the agonizing incidents of the 2011 post-election violence that claimed about 800 innocent lives including NYSC members, to ensure we learn lessons enough to avoid a repeat election violence.

Top secret notes by Alan Turing's codebreakers survived 70 years in Bletchley Park's walls

The handwritten workings were used to insulate the unheated huts where chilly Turing and his colleagues raced to break enemy codes.

The race to crack WW2 codes was dramatised in "The Imitation Game", but the film failed to mention how cold it was in Hut 6.Jack English

Notes handwritten by Alan Turing's fellow codebreakers in pencil and crayon survived nearly 70 years stuffed into the walls of the draughty huts where they worked to crack German military codes. Discovered in a renovation of the WW2-era Bletchley Park base, the unique notes will now go on display at the museum that stands where Turing and his colleagues made their crucial contributions to the war effort, while, it seems, shivering.

Obanikoro leads Goodluck/Sambo Support Team road show in Lagos

The Goodluck/Sambo Campaign Support Team, Lagos on Wednesday staged a road show as part of efforts to drum up support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The road show, led by former Minister of State for Defence, Sen Musliu Obanikoro, kicked off around 9a.m. from the Costain Area of Western Avenue in Surulere, terminating at Mile 12 area Ikorodu Road in the afternoon.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that over 20 trucks and numerous buses, among other vehicles were used to convey supporters as they danced all through the route.
Thousands of supporters were on foot, dancing and displaying umbrellas, a situation which slowed down vehicular movement on the route for hours.

Canadian man, 64, kidnapped and tortured

A Canadian man charged with killing a two-year-old boy in an alleged drunk driving crash in 2013 claims he was recently kidnapped and tortured by three men, who beat him and cut off his finger with gardening shears.

Police say that Richard Suter, 64, shifted his SUV into drive instead of reverse and crashed into a restaurant patio in Edmonton two years ago, allegedly while under the influence of alcohol, killing toddler Geo Mounsef.

However Suter says that last Thursday he was abducted from his home in Riverbend about 11pm.

He said three men claiming to be police grabbed him, saying: 'You know what this is about.'

Tortured: Richard Suter, 64, claims he was kidnapped from his home by three men, taken to a field and viciously attacked, with his left thumb cut off with gardening shears

Battered: Suter was taken to hospital for his injuries, and says he believed he would die

Nuhu Ribadu defends Okonjo-Iweala, says N30trn can't go missing under her

Former EFCC Chairman and PDP Governorship candidate in Adamawa state, Nuhu Ribadu says the allegation by former CBN Governor Charles Soludo that N30trn had gone missing under the watch of the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala wasn't true

In an interview with NAN, Nuhu Ribadu said it was not possible to have such a huge amount of money go missing in an office she assumed about three to four years ago...

A TransAsia airways plane carrying 53 passengers & five crew crashed into a shallow river this morning February 4th in Taiwan, killing at least 12 people. 16 people have been rescued alive and about 30 are missing.

The crash was caught on the dashcam of a car driving through the bride. It shows the plane clipping a bridge shortly after take-off this morning from Taipei's Sungshan Airport and crashing into the Keelung river.

The plane's wings also hit a taxi on the freeway, seriously injuring the driver. Rescue workers are currently at the scene and have been able to pull people alive from the wreckage. But they believe most of the people in front of the plane are like to have lost their lives as they continue rescue efforts. See the dramatic photosof the crash after the cut...

Gov Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the DG of the APC campaign organization has accused the PDP of paying some Christian clerics N6billion to campaign againts the APC and its presidential candidate, Gen Buhari. Amaechi made the allegation during the state's APC governorship candidate, Dr Dakuku Adol Peterside's campaign in Emohua local government area of Rivers State today.

SALUTARY IMPACT

Saturday 7 February 2015

Friday 6 February 2015

"Superfood" Is a Marketing Buzzword, Not a Nutritional Term

Where the Chocolate Studies Come From

What Does the Research Actually Say?

What Kind of Chocolate Should You Eat For Health Benefits?

Bottom Line: Is Chocolate Good For You?

Thursday 5 February 2015

Wednesday 4 February 2015