BETWEEN ACADEMIC SKILLS AND FIELDS - A MUST READ

This recent piece, written by Todd Hirsch, the Calgary-based chief economist of ATB Financial and author of "The Boiling Frog Dilemma: Saving Canada from Economic Decline", will serve our young graduates as they navigate the job market, even in this most difficult time. The message is simple: whatever your hand finds to do, begin from there. I am well aware that the Nigerian terrain is quite different from the Canadian one on which the author based his thesis but the inherent lesson cuts across boundaries as it simply teaches that fresh graduates should be wise. Here is what Todd Hirsch wrote:



Dear Applicant: Thank you for your letter inquiring about positions in our economics department. At this time, we have no openings. However, I will keep your letter on file should an appropriate job become available. At least, that's what I am required to tell you. But here's what I'd really like to say to you - and to every recent economics graduate who sends me the same letter.



First, I know it's lousy for bachelor of arts graduates looking for a job "in their field." Twenty years ago, it was lousy for me too. It's almost always lousy. In a way, it's kind of supposed to be - a small rite of passage to welcome you into the working world. It's sort of like being froshed.



But if I may, I would like to offer some advice.



Don't be too fixated on landing a job "in your field." The truth is, you don't yet have a field. In university, you majored in economics, but that may or may not be your eventual field of professional work. The world is full of possibilities; limiting your search to an economist job is a terribly narrow way to start out.



You chose to study economics, which doesn't necessarily imply that you'll be an economist. Rather, it implies you have an aptitude for problem solving. You're probably good at analyzing data. You can see different sides of an argument. And I'll bet you're excellent at finding solutions to problems. These are essential skills required in hundreds of rewarding (and lucrative) fields of professional employment.



Your ultimate field may actually be in sales for a biotech firm. It may be analyzing crime statistics for the city police. It may even be a rock star (just ask Mick Jagger). The world is full of "fields."



What you're facing is a common problem: BA graduates confuse their major area of study with what they expect to be their eventual careers. It doesn't matter if it's a degree in history, film studies, sociology, or comparative feminist literature.



You've successfully navigated your way through a four-year degree. Congratulations! That is no small accomplishment. But now you're embarking on a totally different program of learning - one that will last the rest of your life. It's called "What am I here for?"



That may sound all spiritual and existential, but don't let it throw you off. It just means that your challenge from here on is to find what you're good at, and keep getting better and better at it.



An apology, by the way, on behalf of society: We are sorry if we led you to believe that attending university would land you a good job. That's not actually true. A polytechnic college will do this - and the job opportunities available right now are fantastic. A good option for you might be to continue post-university studies at a polytechnic.



But your university education, at least at the bachelor of arts level, was never intended to land you a job. It was intended to make you a more complete thinker. It was intended to teach you how to absorb complex information and make reasoned arguments. It was, quite simply, intended to teach you how to learn. Those are skills that you'll use in any field of work.



Open your mind to all sorts of job possibilities. Don't be too proud to start out in the service industry, or where you might get your fingernails dirty. Talk to as many people as you can about their career paths. But never, ever, allow yourself to think you've wasted your time in university if you don't land a job as an economist.



Meanwhile, be encouraged and stay positive. And yes, I will keep your letter on file. But my guess is that when a position in my economics group eventually opens up, you'll no longer be available.



Source: Thisday

TRIBUTE TO THOMAS SANKARA

"When Thomas Sankara was killed after four years as President of Burkina Faso (on October 15, 1987), it was at the orders – if not at the hands – of one of his oldest friends, now President Blaise Compaoré. Echoes of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar as much as Disney’s The Lion King. Why should we care about this particular African tragedy?

We should care because the revolution Sankara led between 1983 and 1987 was one of the most creative and radical that Africa has produced in the decades since independence. He started to blaze a trail that other African countries might follow, a genuine alternative to Western-style modernization – and, like other radical African leaders such as Patrice Lumumba and Amilcar Cabral, was shot down as a result. Whereas his murderer, still in power twenty six years later, has pursued self-enrichment and politics as usual – and has been fêted by the West for his compliance." - Adapted from Mathaba

"Thomas Sankara took over from French occupation in what was known then as Upper Volta in West Africa. Landlocked with no access to the sea and and a desert to the north, it didn’t have much in natural resources. One of the first leaders in the world to stand for women’s rights, and certainly the first in Africa. He banned opposition parties and trade unions but even his detractors did not know him to use violence like other military leaders. Some of his other reforms as part of his revolution program include:

- Boosted cotton production by imposing a national shirt compulsory for public servants made from Burkina Faso cotton
- An environmentalist at heart before it was hip, he saw to the planting of thousands of trees to counter desertification
- Built railway lines and roads connecting rural Burkina Faso to developments in city with many people volunteering
- Confiscated Mercedes Benzes from public servants and replaced them with cheaper cars and banned them from using first class flights
- Went on a mass national vaccination program to curb polio. It was so successful that it prompted WHO to congratulate him
And oh he always looked so sharp and stylish even in his military garb.

At an AU summit in Addis Ababa, he called called on fellow African state heads to refuse to pay the national debt to their former colonial masters remarking that in that way they’d avoid being assassinated as individuals if they stand together.
After three years of the revolution the neocolonial upper class were becoming weary and accusing Sankara of not respecting individual rights. At the height of this growing dissatisfaction, about 1200 teachers went on strike and were dismissed only to be replaced by so called “revolutionary teachers” who were actually just volunteers from the civil and military ranks.

Furthermore he was accused of not being able to delegate following his program of mass military training aimed at checking civilian enthusiasm from over-pouring.

As the peak of Western dissatisfaction towards him at an event where Sankara had invited the the French president, he blasted France for allowing South African Apartheid president, Pieter Botha, for allowing Botha to visit France and thus “dirtying France with his bloodied hands and feet.”

He was assassinated at the order of his close friend and French collaborator, Blaise Comapaore. He was 39 and had always predicted he’d die before 40, just as Malcolm X. Another missed opportunity for Africa to come out of its abyss."

- Malik Mahlangu

12 STEPS TO PREVENTING & TREATING BREAST CANCER

By Jess Ainscough

October 19, 2010

Thinking back to when I was first diagnosed with cancer, I can’t believe how far I have come. Not just in my health, but in my whole perception of the disease. I’ll paint you a little picture: I was diagnosed with Epithelioid Sarcoma in my left arm in 2008. This is an extremely rare and very aggressive cancer, and one that those in the medical industry believe can only be beaten with amputation of the whole limb. To a completely vain 22-year-old writer, the idea of losing an arm was simply unthinkable. I remember being so distraught by the situation and actually wishing that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer so that I could just “have my boobs removed and replace them with a nice set of fakies”. I actually said that. Fast forward a little over two years and here I am, waxing lyrical on my blog about how mastectomies are not only extreme mutilation but completely unnecessary. Luckily for me I also smartened up pretty fast to the fact that having my arm cut off was not the answer to beating cancer. Today, I still have two arms and I am powering along the road to complete wellness. Since being graced with a diagnosis I have gone from being in fear of the disease to embracing it and all the lessons it offers. What was it that helped changed my mind? I now understand that in order for cancer to be reversed, we just have to thoroughly address each of the issues that contributed to its manifestation.

In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, here is my guide to preventing and treating breast cancer (without chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or buying a pink-ribbon emblazoned bucket of KFC):

1. Opt for a thermogram instead of a mammogram: A mammogram blasts you with radiation while painfully squeezing your breasts (damaging tissue in the process). A safer option is a breast thermogram, which has the ability to identify a breast abnormality five to ten years before the problem can be found on a mammogram. Plus, a thermogram does not use radiation, and can be done as frequently as anyone thinks is necessary. Thermograms work by creating infrared images (heat pictures) that are then analyzed to find asymmetries anywhere in the chest and underarm area. Breast thermography detects patterns of heat generated by the increased circulation produced by abnormal metabolic activity in cancer cells. This activity occurs long before a cancer starts to invade new tissue.

2. Educate yourself: Education equals empowerment. If you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, there is no need to rush into a treatment decision. Take the time to gather ALL information so you can make a decision you are completely comfortable with.

3. Change your diet: Studies show that eating a plant-based diet that is void of salt, refined sugar and bad fats will not only reduce your risk of breast cancer, but will also play a vital role in the treatment of the disease. Your diet should also be organic as the pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on conventional fruit and vegetables are toxic to your system and make the food nutritionally impotent. Changing your diet in this way will help you to achieve alkalinity in your body. The body needs to have a pH reading of between 7.35 - 7.45 in order to be alkaline. Anything below 7 (which is neutral) means your body is acidic. An acidic body does not absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and reduces our ability to repair cells. Acidity also prevents the blood from carrying oxygen. Cancer and ill health thrive in an acidic, oxygen-deprived environment. However, if your body is alkaline it will heal readily, be more oxygenated and cancer will not being able to survive.

4. Get stuck into veggie juices: When you drink veggie juices, your body will receive loads of nutrients without having to do any work. This is because the juicing process removes all the fiber, giving your digestive system a break and delivering all the nutrients straight to your cells.

5. Move your body every day: Studies show that exercise actually has a greater effect on treating breast cancer than chemotherapy. Crazy, innit! According to Dr Craig Hassed, author of The Essence of Health, chemotherapy only reduces the five-year mortality rate of breast cancer by 2.1 to 6.8 percent depending on the patient’s age and the stage of the cancer.

“Several studies have come out saying that if a person has cancer and they exercise regularly there are much more substantial reductions in mortality," said Dr Hassed. "For example, a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a halving of the 18 year mortality from breast cancer if women were regularly physically active after the time of diagnosis. If that was a new chemo drug that had had those effects it would have been the biggest break through in cancer therapy for those common cancers and yet it gets widely ignored.”

6. Detoxify your body with coffee enemas: If you want to rid your body of cancer, you must detoxify your liver and the most effective way to do this is with coffee enemas. Coffee enemas help to stimulate the liver and increase bile production to excrete toxins more rapidly. This is so important when embarking on a major detox. If the harmful toxins you are eliminating from your body aren’t flushed out, they will overburden the liver.

7. Include meditation in your daily routine: Regular meditation helps to nullify stress, balance your emotions and will create an environment in your body that is conducive to healing. Stress is a major culprit in the contraction of disease. It throws everything out of whack and prevents your body from absorbing any goodness. In his book, You Can Conquer Cancer, Ian Gawler speaks about how meditation played a vital role in recovering from his extremely advanced bone cancer. I can’t recommend meditation highly enough. Click here for a step-by-step guide to mindfulness meditation and here for a detailed breakdown of its benefits.

8. Give up alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine: This one is a bit of a no-brainer, but logic doesn’t make these habits any easier to kick. However, they are all highly toxic to your body and you will not be able to heal unless you say goodbye to them.

9. Detox your beauty routine: Everything you put on your skin is absorbed straight into your blood stream. This includes all of the toxic ingredients found in conventional beauty products. Everything from make-up, shampoo and body wash to deodorant, perfume and moisturizers are full of harmful ingredients. Don’t rely on products that claim to be “natural” or “organic." Always study the labels and make sure everything you are using is 100% natural. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t put it on your skin. If the product is stamped with an organic certification, you should be safe.

10. Detox your cleaning cupboard: The conventional cleaning cupboard is a danger zone. It is full of toxic chemicals and harmful detergents. Go through your cleaners and swap everything for a natural alternative. Vinegar, bi-carb soda and borax are great natural products to use to clean your bathroom, kitchen and surfaces. Click here for more tips on detoxifying your home.

11. Install an appropriate water purifier: Fluoride and chlorine are just two of the harmful ingredients burdening most water supplies and leading to a host of health problems. It will be very difficult to get well if you are drinking, bathing and brushing your teeth in contaminated water. Find out what your water has in it and source a purification system that will remove all the nasties.

12. Sort out all stressful relationships: It is time to put yourself first. You will not get better if the people around you do not support you. Emotional unbalance is another strong contributor to diseases like cancer. Now is the time to assess all of your relationships. Ask yourself which ones are loving and supporting, and which are draining and destructive. Forgive others, release resentment, let go of bad relationships and, most importantly, love and forgive yourself

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-1532/12-Steps-to-Preventing-Treating-Breast-Cancer.html

NEW DISCOVERY! Common Foot Cream Prescribed For Treating Nail Fungus Kills HIV by Tricking Cells To Commit Suicide

Though the research has yet to be performed on people, Ciclopirox completely eradicates HIV from cell cultures -- and the virus doesn't bounce back when the drug is stopped. - Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

by Elizabeth Armstrong Moore

September 24, 2013


A common drug, Ciclopirox which is currently approved by the FDA as a topical antifungal cream, and which dermatologists prescribe to treat nail fungus appears to come with a not-so-tiny side effect: eradicating HIV.

In a study performed at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, not only does the drug Ciclopirox completely eradicate infectious HIV from cell cultures, but unlike today's most cutting-edge antiviral treatments, the virus doesn't bounce back when the drug is withheld. This means it may not require a lifetime of use to keep HIV at bay.

The same group of researchers had previously shown that Ciclopirox -- approved by the FDA and Europe's EMA as safe for human use to treat foot fungus -- inhibits the expression of HIV genes in culture. Now they have found that it also blocks the essential function of the mitochondria, which results in the reactivation of the cell's suicide pathway, all while sparing the healthy cells.

The researchers said that one aspect of HIV that makes it particularly persistent, even in the face of strong antiviral treatments, is its ability to disable a cell's altruistic suicide pathway -- which is typically activated when a cell is damaged or infected. In other words, infected cells that would normally commit suicide to spare healthy cells no longer pull any altruistic kamikaze missions. Ciclopirox tricks these cells back into their old ways with a double negative, disabling the disabling of the suicide pathway.
Related stories

'Blue Waters' supercomputer helps crack HIV code
Oral HIV test almost as accurate as blood test
Genetically modified tobacco plants to fight HIV?

It's obviously still going to take clinical trials on humans to study the safety and efficacy of Ciclopirox as a potential topical HIV treatment, but the fact that it's already deemed safe for one type of human use could make the regulatory process faster than usual.

In fact, the researchers note that another FDA-approved drug now thought to help subdue HIV, called Deferiprone, skipped studies in animals and went straight from tests in culture to a phase I human trial in South Africa, possibly paving the way for other FDA-approved drugs to move faster through the study phases. (Unlike Ciclopirox, which is approved for topical treatment, Deferiprone is FDA- and EMA-approved for systemic use, meaning it affects more than just one part of the body.)

The new findings on Ciclopirox appear in the current issue of the journal PLOS ONE.

About the author of the article:

Elizabeth Armstrong Moore is based in Portland, Ore., and has written for Wired, The Christian Science Monitor, and public radio. Her semi-obscure hobbies include climbing, billiards, board games that take up a lot of space, and piano.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57604460-76/foot-cream-kills-hiv-by-tricking-cells-to-commit-suicide/

QUESTION MARKS OVER WHO WROTE THE LETTER TO THE TARABA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ATTRIBUTED TO AILING GOVERNOR DANBABA SUNTAI WHEREIN HE STATED HIS INTENTION TO RESUME OFFICE

Barely 24 hours after returning from the United States where he was bedridden for months, ailing governor of Taraba State, Danbaba Suntai has reportedly ‘written’ to the State House of Assembly seeking to resume office as the state governor.

DailyPost gathered the letter was received by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Honorable Istifanus Gbana on Monday.

Suntai, who has been abroad for medical attention after last year’s plane crash, yesterday returned to the country aboard a chartered Gulfstream jet.

The embattled governor in the said letter claimed that he had fully recovered from his injuries and was ready to resume office as the governor of the state.

Sources said the letter is being treated with disdain by members of the House; who have been barred from seeing or hearing from the governor after 24 hours of his return.

Danbaba Suntai came back to Nigeria after a prolonged medical treatment in Germany and America due to injuries he sustained in the plane crash accident in Yola, Adamawa State in October 2012 but it is still quite obvious that the ailing governor could still not walk unaided. Suntai was helped down from the aircraft even after 10 months of treatment in both Germany and the USA. It is quite obvious from the pictures in the media that Mr. Suntai could still not walk on his own.

On whether he could run the affairs of Taraba State, Mr. Rime Shawulu, a friend of Mr. Suntai and former NDDC board member, said it would be up to his doctor to determine when he could resume.

“He was prevented from talking to newsmen because he was weak, but when he must have rested, he can talk to journalists. Though doctors say he is okay, he still has physical challenge on his legs.

“When he goes back to Jalingo and maybe transmits a letter to the House, he can resume, but if he cannot, there are constitutional provisions to follow. However, he is not in any competition with his deputy,” Shawulu explained.

Mr. John Dara, a personal friend to the governor, also told journalists in a chat that he had been in touch with him since the accident and had fully been in the picture.
When asked to assess the governor’s situation, Dara said he was excited but explained that after the long flight from America, he was weak and tired.

He however, stressed that Suntai was able to recognize everyone that came around which, according to him, indicated that he was still mentally alert contrary to speculation in some quarters.

DailyPost gathered that the letter is obviously the handiwork of his wife, Mrs. Hauwa Suntai and some of his loyalists who are hell bent on creating a political crisis in the state that would enable President Goodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency there.

Meanwhile, the Taraba State House of Assembly has said it would invite the governor to appear before the Assembly and address them regarding his health and plans to resume work.

The picture of a man being helped by aides down the gangway of an aircraft fuels the speculation that Governor Suntai is gravely ill, incapable of discharging the functions of his office. The failure of Governor Suntai to address the media or the people of Taraba state since his arrival in Jalingo also appears indicative of a more serious medical case.

We have travelled the beaten path before. Recall President Yar’Adua’s saga. As it was then, so it is now: a public servant, feeling very poorly, is corralled by criminal cabal intent on subverting the spirit and letters of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

Today, like yesteryear, Governor Suntai is imprisoned by his aides and a wife who is more interested in power than that the desire to help her husband deal with his fate, the circumstances he has found himself, away from prying and inquisitive public. Nigerians must help Governor Suntai out of his misery.

The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) is very clear. Section 189 provides that:

• The Governor or Deputy Governor of a State shall cease to hold office if:

• By a resolution passed by two-thirds majority of all members of the executive council of the state, it is declared that the Governor or Deputy Governor is incapable of discharging the functions of his office; and

• The declaration in paragraph (a) of this subsection is verified, after such medical examination as may be necessary by a medical panel established under subsection (4) of this section in its report to the Speaker of the House of Assembly

• Where the panel certifies in its report that in its opinion the Governor or Deputy Governor is suffering from such infirmity of body or mind as renders him permanently incapable of discharging the functions of his office, a notice thereof signed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly shall be published in the Official Gazette of the Government of the State.

• The Governor or Deputy Governor shall cease to hold office as from the date of publication of the notice of the medical report pursuant to subsection (2) of this section.

• The medical panel to which this section relates shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the State, and shall comprise five medical practitioners in Nigeria.

The above section doesn’t need the adumbration of the court, nor does it elicit interpretation beyond what the Constitution charges named statutory bodies to give it its simple and plain meaning. Therefore, we call on the executive council of Taraba state and the Speaker of the Taraba state House of Assembly to give effect to the Constitution; and to without delay:

• Pass a resolution declaring Governor Suntai incapable of discharging the functions of his office;

• Appoint a medical panel as directed by Section 189 (4) to investigate the true medical state of Governor Suntai

Pursuant to the foregoing, we call on the Attorney-General of the Federation, as Chief Law Officer, and the Attorney-General of Taraba state to immediately initiate steps to protect and secure the sanctity of the Constitution. We shall serve no other notice of our intention to approach the court to compel them to discharge their constitutional functions if they fail to do so within seven (7) days of the publication of this press statement.

For those who ask: what is it with Taraba state and why Governor Suntai? Our response is that constitutional infractions undermine the integrity of constitutional democracy everywhere. And for a nascent democracy like ours, Taraba state poses a dangerous precedent; and it behoves us as Nigerians to resist this clear abuse and subversion of our constitution.

Excerpts from DailyPost, SaharaReporters, and Sunnewsonline

ON WHAT GROUNDS SHOULD WE OPPOSE CHILD MARRIAGES AND THE ADVOCATES OF CHILD MARRIAGE LIKE AHMED SANI YERIMA?

By Idris Oluwadare Aliu



Lately Senator Ahmed Yerima of the Nigerian senate convinced some of his colleagues in the senate into accepting the clause, Section 29, 4 (b) of the 1999 Constitution, into the amended constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Section 29(4)(b) 1999 CFRN states: “Any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.”

The 35 Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who endorsed the bill, led by former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Yerima, who married a 13 year old Egyptian minor, did this under the guise of religion.This issue has in no small way caused some uproar on the Internet and in the media in general.

Yerima and his colleagues who endorsed the introduction of this clause into the amended Constitution are still been lambasted in the media up til this very hour from some quarters of the media and the country as a whole.

This buzz in the media, the Internet in particular, was what prompted me to put up this article. After going through most of the posts and comments I had come across on this particular issue here on Facebook and on other social media, I could not but ask myself where the whole thing originated from and why? I had to ask myself just where did this limit of 18years, which is the norm today, originate from and why? Other questions that crept my mind were these: On what grounds could we say that the age of 9, 11, 13, or 16 is inherently wrong? Are we (whatever sides we belong to) just defending our side of the debate as part of our culture? These made me ask if people in any particular society would come to accept or defend a concept that had no religious connection or moral justification, simply because they just had to “defend the concept or their culture.”

The truth is that we cannot simply push away the past simply because modern times and ideas see things this way or the other way. We need to provide some historical background to this discourse to facilitate an understanding of different cultures and the clash of civilizations. After all, many of our modern ideas about marriage only evolved during and prior to what is called the “Romantic Period” of history, in the 18th and 19th centuries. That period marked a substantial shift from the prevailing ideas of that time to what we have today.

WAS CHILD-MARRIAGE AGAINST THE NORM BEFORE NOW?
Today in most countries in the West, the minimum age for marriage is 18, although there are places and circumstances where 15 and 16 are allowed. Some countries in the West allow an age as low as 16 (and a few have 15, but only under special circumstances, and require special court approval). In the UK, the youngest age that one can marry is 16, but this requires written parental consent. In the USA in 1880 the State of Delaware’s minimum age for marriage was 7. Most other US states in existence at that time had minimum laws ranging from 8 to 12. In fact, it was not until the 1920s that the age of marriage was “raised” to 14. Child brides as young as 8 years old were also common among the Byzantine and Roman emperors and nobility. The child empress Agnes of France (daughter of the king of France) was the spouse of two emperors of Byzantium, the boy emperor Alexius II Comnenus, and subsequently Andronicus I Comnenus, the latter’s first cousin once removed. According to William of Tyre, Agnes was only 8 on her arrival at Constantinople, while Alexius was 13 as of then. Child brides, whether Byzantines or foreign princesses, were the norm then rather than the exception, especially from the late 12th century. Irene Ducaena, wife of Alexius I Comnenus, was 12 at her marriage, and empress before she was 15; the Byzantine princess Theodora Manuel’s niece, was in her 13th year when she married Baldwin III of Jerusalem; and Margaret-Maria of Hungary married Isaac II Angelus at the age of 9. During the reign of Alexius (24 September 1180 to prior to 24 September 1183) shortly before he (Alexius) completed three years as emperor, Manuel’s first cousin Andronicus made himself co-emperor and then usurped Alexius’s position altogether, putting him out of the way by having him throttled. Nicetas Choniates then, with morbid relish, claims that Andronicus (who was born c. 1118 and was thus 65 years of age) sexually exploited the 11-year old princess. According to Eustathius of Thessalonica, the match was repugnant to her (Agnes), as she regretted Alexius’ death and loathed Andronicus.

Thus, back then amongst the Byzantines and Romans it was customary to import imperial brides from overseas at a young age to enable them to become acquainted with Greek and with their future ceremonial duties; certainly it was unusual under normal circumstances for Byzantine girls to marry before the age of 12. (visit http://www.roman-emperors.org/aggiefran.htm ).

THE POSITION OF ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY, AND JUDAISM ON CHILD-MARRIAGE



To people who are ultra-conservatives (whether Muslims, Christians, or Jews) and who are really concerned about preserving the tradition of marriage, there is no crime in showing support for polygamy, child-marriages, and arranged marriages – in as much as the liberalists and modernists would oppose them.

Indeed, neither the Bible nor the Qur’an makes any over statement on the right marriage age. According to MarcGravell’s statement, “It is usually accepted that Mary (the mother of Jesus Christ) was around 14 when giving birth, and was married at that time.” Historically, it was common then for girls to be married at puberty to older men.

Christian and Jewish conservatives would even let you know that one of the best-known “love stories” in Biblical scripture is about Isaac and Rebekah, a couple in an arranged marriage with Rebekah being a child bride at the time of their marriage. According to the traditional counting cited in the Bible, Isaac was 40years (Genesis 25:20) when he married Rebekah – who was probably 3 years old at the time of the marriage. But according to a second opinion, Rebekah was 14years old at the time of their marriage. [“Torah Insights: Parshat Toldot.” Orthodox Union].

Rashi (a Jewish commentator of the Bible) gave some evidences which strongly suggested that Rebekah was 3 years old girl at the time of her marriage to Isaac. Rashi says it outright in his comment on Genesis 25:20 and seals the deal with some Math:

This is the Math that he uses to support his claim that Rebekah (Rivka) was 3 when she married Isaac (Yitzchak).

1. Sarah was 90 years when Isaac (Yitzchak) was born.
2. Sarah died at 127 immediately after the Akeidah, so Isaac (Yitzchak) was 37 at the Akeidah. (Genesis 23:1)
3. Immediately after Sarah’s death Abraham (Avrohom) hears the news of the birth of Rebekah (Rivka), so she was born when Isaac (Yitzchak) was 37.
4. Isaac (Yitzchak) was 40 when he married Rebekah (Rivka), so she must have been 3 when they married. (Genesis 25:20)

Not everyone would agree with Rashi’s arguement but the truth we will all agree with is that she was an underage girl (whether 3 or 14) when she married Isaac because Biblical references clearly indicated she was still under the custody of a nurse at that time (Genesis 24:59 – 67) and as at then Isaac was 40 years old (Genesis 25:20).

Contemporary Rabbis have however unanimously forbidden such practices (i.e. underage-marriages). Some commentaries, in the Talmud and Sifrei (Jewish scriptures), also indicate Rivka (Rebekah) was 14 at the time of her marriage. Today, it is unacceptable amongst the Jews and Christians for girls to marry at that age, but in historical context it was a reality. This is just one of those differences we see between modern society and ancient society.

Many non-Muslims would want to opine that Islam has a glitch here, in that it needs to accommodate the marriage of Aisha – often taken to be around 9 years old when she married Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. This they believe makes it rather hard for Islam to make a statement that underage-marriage is inherently wrong. But to those of us who are Muslims, we see no wrong in the Prophet’s marriage because that was the culture back then before the commencement of Islamic laws, and even today in many parts of the world!

Yes, there are Muslim scholars (who mainstream Islamic scholars may identify them as “distortionists”) who refute the claim that Aisha was actually 9 at that time but 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage but that’s another discourse open for discussion some other day. If you want to follow their arguement, you can do so by logging onto the following link: http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=4604&CATE=1

According to reports in the Nigerian media, Senator Yerima felt the clause to peg marriageable age at 18 is un-Islamic. So he and some of his Muslim colleagues in the Nigerian senate voted and amended it to refer to any girl who is married to be of age.

And that covers the acts of Yerima himself whose under-aged wife at the time of his marriage sparked a lot of outrage. So the question is, what does the Muslim Holy Books, the Qur’an and Ahadith, have to say about this nagging issue?

While the Holy Qur’an is silent about the age, at which a woman can get married, it however states in Qur’an 4 verse 6: ‘And test the orphans [in their abilities] until they reach marriageable age. Then if you perceive in them sound judgement, release their property to them. And do not consume it excessively and quickly, [anticipating] that they will grow up. And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor – let him take according to what is acceptable. Then when you release their property to them, bring witnesses upon them. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant’.
Shedding more light on this passage of the Qur’an, journalist and Islamic cleric, Haroon Ishola Balogun says, ‘the inference we can draw here is that there seems to be an affinity between being of marriageable age and the age of mature intellect and sound judgement. Under this verse, four basic conditions of marriage are established in Islam.

These are (1) proposal and acceptance (al-Ijaab wa al-qubuul), (2) approval by both parents (ridaa waalidayn), (3) payment of a dowry by the groom (al-mahr) and (4) the presence of at least two male witnesses at the ceremony (shaahidayn ‘aadilayn).

Even when a minor is given out in marriage by her parents, there is protective solemnisation of marriage where the girl remained untouched until she attains marriageable age according to the Qur’an and at that point; if she decides otherwise; the marriage becomes invalid. So, if a minor whose hand has been given out in marriage upon attaining puberty declines to marry the man, the marriage becomes invalid. That is what the Qur’an means about sound judgment’.

But the truth remains that a 12, 13 or even 14 year old girl is only a child whose judgement cannot be fully considered to be sound neither can she make informed choices at that age. Even if she had reservations about the man, can she truly say no under the circumstances and as a Muslim?


According to Mr. Haroon, "My personal view is not different from what the Qur’an says about marriage. The Qur’an did not specify age, it talks about maturity. If my daughter is mature, yes, I will give her out in marriage. But I must add that although the Prophet got married to Aisha at a tender age of 9, that wasn’t a religious thing. It was more cultural than religious because it was the practice of the Arabs to give out their daughters in marriage early. The Yorubas (Mr. Haroon's ethnic group) don’t give out their daughters in marriage that early but I think I will stick with the Islamic injunctions’.


Furthermore, Islam like Christianity and Judaism has not really prescribed an age limit for marriage. However, the absence of an age limit for marriage should not be taken to mean that a Muslim girl should marry as soon as she reaches the age of puberty through the commencement of menstruation. Such a conclusion is contrary to the Qur’anic teaching which identifies the age of marriage with “rushd”, which is the ability to discern or make sound judgement (Qur’an 4:6). Therefore, a Muslim girl who has attained physical puberty but who is not mentally able to exercise rushd cannot be said to have attained the age of marriage. The personal example of the Prophet with his daughter (Fatimah) also supports this Qur’anic teaching. Fatimah did not marry Ali until 2 years after the Hijrah when she was 20years old. (Salahdeen, I.M. (1987) A Handbook of Islam for West African School Certificate, Agege, Darul-Aftal Nigerian Enterprises pp. 70 - 71).

Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha before puberty may be cited in support of underage-marriage in some quarters but it should be categorically stated that this incident cannot be used in support of underage marriage for some reasons. First, this marriage was borne out of a divine instruction in the Qur’an (Khan, M.M. (1994) Sahih Al-Bukhari (Arabic-English), Riyad, Maktabah Dar-S-Salam publisher and Distributors p. 744). It is a clear case of an exception to the rule. In addition, this incident happened in Mecca before the Hijrah and at least 3 years before the revelation on Islamic laws began; whereas, the marriage of Fatimah to Ali occurred after the Hijrah and commencement of the revelation on Islamic laws. Thus, it can be concluded that the Prophet’s latter practice as was in the case of Fatimah abrogated the former practice. (Uthman, I.O. (1998) The Gender Problem and the Muslim Society, Al-Mubasheer Publications pp. 78 - 79).

But even if we succumb to the idea of this practice of underage marriages not being abrogated in Islam, we need to know that child brides were cultural norms in both Israeli and Arabian cultures. In addition, Josephus tells of several instances where children were married, sometimes for political advantage (Josephus, Antiquities 16.221-228 and 17.12-18; Josephus, Wars 1.555-560).



DO CONSERVATIVE MUSLIM, CHRISTIAN, AND JEWISH SCHOLARS SEE THINGS RELATING TO CHILD-MARRIAGE THE SAME WAY?



Controversial as this may seem, a Saudi conservative scholar and marriage official Dr. Ahmad al-Mu’bi once told Lebanese television viewers that it is permissible for girls as young as 1 to marry – as long as sex is postponed! Al-Mu’bi’s remarkable comments also included an explanation that “there is no minimal age for entering marriage.” “You can have a marriage contract even with a 1-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of 9, 7 or 8,” he said. “But is the girl ready for sex or not?” What is the appropriate age for sex for the first time? This varies according to environment and tradition,” al-Mu’bi said in an interview with LBC-TV.” (Fox News, Wednesday, June 25, 2008).

Controversial as Mu’bi’s statement may seem, Canadian based Christian website www.bible.ca which is a site “critical of Islam” supported his view, it stated: “Today in Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam, child brides as young as one year old are permitted as long as the girl is not consummated until she is older. Notice the language of “marriage contract” is EXACTLY what we see in the Bible.” (See Marriage in the Bible, retrievable from the site through the following link http://www.bible.ca/marriage/ancient-jewish-three-stage-weddings-and-marriage-customs-ceremony-in-the-bible.htm ). But in another place on this particular webpage, the Christian site said “the father of the bride would use his wisdom to look for the best interests of his daughter.” It went on to say, “At this stage, the bride was seen as being completely under her father’s control.” And in another place, it supported its stance with the Biblical verse: “So then both he [father of the bride] who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.” (1 Corinthians 7:38). Here we have a website that has articles on its pages accusing Muhammad of being a pedophile and womanizer taking sides with conservative Muslims!

CONCLUSION
Now many of us may object to this practice (of child-marriage) because of the opinions or interpretations we hold but we must also understand that centuries ago and now are quite very different. We must also understand that cultures are also quite very different. Times and culture have changed and so have humans, what we are witnessing today is only but a resurgence of clashes of cultures and clashes of civilizations (Arabian Marriage Culture vs. Modern Marriage Culture, Bible Marriage Culture vs. Modern Marriage Culture, and so on). Bible/Talmud Marriage Culture just like Arabian/Muslim Marriage Culture sets no age limit besides allowing the father to control the marriage of the daughter, although these cultures would let her tell her parents who she wanted to marry. [see 1 Corinthians 7: 38; Rebekah’s case in Genesis 24:33, 24:51-53, 24:57-58; Leah’s case in Genesis 29:15-19; Rachel’s case in Genesis 29:27; Aisha’s case in Sahih Bukhari Volume 5, Book 58, Nos. 234, 236, and Sahih Muslim Book 008, Nos. 3310, 3311). Thus child brides were not considered young girls back then, rather they were considered young women. It is a historic fact that girls from ages of 9 to 14 were being married in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in fact even in the United States (just more than a century ago), and amongst some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also called the LDS Church or informally the Mormon Church) in the United States up till this very hour!

N.B.: Please take note that this post is no way intended to support or oppose the practice of child marriage or arranged marriage, or anything else for that matter. This post is only intended to provide some historical background to the discourse in order to facilitate an understanding of some of the functional roles of marriage throughout history and to water down the uproar caused by the Yerima issue here in Nigeria.

Neem – A Natural Remedy for Hypertension

A very common disease with equal distribution worldwide. It is more commonly known as blood pressure. In general terms blood pressure is that pressure or tension which blood exerts on its arterial wall while flowing through it. Normal value of blood pressure is 120/80 mmHg (systolic /diastolic) accepted worldwide. Term systolic means the pressure in the arteries as the heart contacts and pumps blood into the arteries and diastolic means minimum pressure to which the arteries are exposed.

Blood pressure value varies from person to person and from time to time. Blood pressure between 120/80 to 139/89 mmHg is called pre-hypertension stage i.e. the phase where it is not considered a disease but suggests as a risk factor.


Ayurvedic Treatment For Mild Hypertension:

Ayurvedic herbs, remedies, dietary suggestions and lifestyle management work best with mild hypertension. Every person can benefit from them and can hope to get rid of high blood pressure without taking any conventional medication.

Actually this is the first stage or first warning sign of a disorder that could literally cause havoc and dispose us to fatal conditions. Most people don’t feel any sign or symptom with hypertension that is why it is called ‘silent killer’.

This first stage warrants dietary and lifestyle modification. If we assume that we are able to control slightly raised blood pressure with natural herbs and at the same can indulge in unhealthy living and eating. That is wrong approach that will soon leave us helpless.

So focus your life for positive changes if you are able to notice blood pressure rise in early stage.


Ayurvedic Treatment For Moderate Hypertension:

Usually you must be taking some medication under some medical expert if your blood pressure levels are in this range. Or any doctor will ask you to follow medical regimen. And you should do the same. This will help to settle down the blood pressure level to normal or optimum levels.

Now there are two roads – one road leads to more and more drugs and despite that your blood pressure will rise with age and you will end up with more medication and their side effects.

The second road might lead you to freedom from raised blood pressure and resulting grave disorders. But, and it is a great but, here your commitment should be business like if you want to normalize blood pressure.

The practical advice is to follow ayurvedic remedies and lifestyle along with modern drugs. Your doctor should be aware of this option so that if you would be having improvement, he could adjust your drugs.

Most of ayurvedic or herbal remedies don’t have any serious side effects or drug interactions. There is almost never any life threatening incidence.


Ayurveda's Preventive Approach For High Blood Pressure:

This is the really preventive and beautiful aspect of Ayurveda. If you feel that you have many risk factors of hypertension – smoking, fatty foods, obesity, sedentary habits, family history and like – you should proactively bring about positive changes in your life.

You can also proactively use ayurvedic herbal remedies to keep away high blood pressure from you. Ideally by making healthier adjustment, one can keep away high blood pressure or can realistically hope to be free from severe hypertension.


Neem Tea For Hypertension / High Blood Pressure

There have been several studies examining the effect of neem leaves and neem leaf ingredients on blood pressure, blood clots and cholesterol levels. (Please note that most such studies are done on animals, not people).

Some of the studies showed positive results on high blood pressure. It is not clear if those results are due to a calming effect as seen in other herbal teas, or if it is due to a dilation of the blood vessels as observed for some neem ingredients.

The fact that intravenous application of a certain neem leaf extract has shown a significant drop in blood pressure, does not mean that neem tea is a wonder cure. It may be of benefit, but it certainly does not eliminate the need to make lifestyle changes. Neem tea will not eliminate the need to get off the lounge and get moving.

Often people who are struggling with high blood pressure are taking medication. Neem leaves and neem tea contain active substances that may interact with that medication. Anybody who is on any medication should talk to their doctor before starting any self experiments.

Neem tea is made like other herbal teas, by pouring hot water over the leaves and letting them steep. It is extremely bitter.

If you feel you would like to try neem tea, we suggest you do so carefully and closely observe your reaction to it. Let common sense rule and do not expect miracles. If used sensibly, neem tea may benefit you.

Credit: http://www.productosdeneem.com/neem-hipertension2.htm

DON'T LET KIDNEY FAILURE KILL YOU: Caring for Kidneys

Here are several science-supported methods of caring for your kidneys and reducing your risk of kidney disease:

1.Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol and caffeine.

2.Maintain normal blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

3.Keep your cholesterol in check.

4.Drink plenty of water (at least eight glasses daily).

5.Stay at a healthy weight.

THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE COMMISSIONED INTO THE NIGERIAN ARMY!

There are 5 types of commission in the Nigerian Army (NA) - Not Armed Forces. They are:

1. Regular Combatant (RC). Training takes 5 years.
2. Short Service Combatant (SSC). Training takes 6 - 9 months.
3. Direct Regular Combatant (DRC). Now attained on conversion from DSSC.
4. Direct Short Service Combatant (DSSC). Training takes 6 - 9 months.
5. Executive Commission (EC). Training takes 2 - 3 months.

Details of such commissions are to be found in the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of
Service (TACOS) for officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces but a summary goes thus:

RC and SSC are combatants, trained to fight battles. Others are not meant to be combatants.
Both SSC and DSSC are of relatively short durations (not more than 12 years I think,
excluding extension of service) and must convert to RC and DRC respectively to enjoy a
longer career. Theoretically, RCs and DRCs can rise to become generals ie Brigadier Generals,
Major Generals etc. (Remember the pyramid structure? The higher it gets, the smaller it
becomes. In other words, many are called but only a few are chosen). DRCs are mainly
professionals - surgeons, pharmacists, chaplains, surveyors etc. - and are usually not found
in the core combat arms of Infantry, Armour and Artillery but are be found in the Army Engineers
and Signals. ECs are made up of former soldiers and do not usually exceed the rank of Major.

There are varying criteria for the various commissions. In reality the advantage is more on
the side of those who were originally RCs than those who were originally SSCs in terms of age,
rank, numbers etc. However, anything can happen, for instance Lt. Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (rtd.)
rose to become Chief of Army Staff (COAS) even though he wasn't originally an RC.

Although DRCs may never become COASs or General Officers Commanding (GOCs), they can apart from
being Staff Officers also hold command posts in corps or services in which they predominate.
These include Education, Medical and Finance among others.

Life in the Army here in Nigeria can be promising, particularly now that efforts have been made
to consolidate emoluments but achievement of success or wealth in the Army (here in Nigeria as well
as is in other countries) is a product of motivation and determination. If you want to live well,
you will. If you don't, you won't. The choice is really yours!


For RC or DRC, mininum years of service is about 15 years and life as a cadet can be quite strenuous.
Generally, training is in the Infantry Corps Centre and School (ICCS), Jaji, Kaduna State. As for the
DSSs and ECs, their training is usually less strenuous, not as in NDA where RCs and SSCs are trained.
Cadets are usually humourously welcomed with the euphemism, "Unfortunate Nigerians, you will nearly die
but you will not die!" But you should survive if you are physically fit afterall, many have gone before
you. As a cadet, you are entitled to allowances which may not really cater for your family if you have one but could go a long way to help you sustain yourself.

If you wish to obtain more information on the Nigerian Army and the types of application forms available,
you can check with the Army Public Relations Department in any military barracks near you. For RC, you
need at least 5 credits including English and Mathematics. For SSC, DRC and DSSC, you must be a
graduate. Lawyers in the army are usually found in the Army Legal Services and the Military Police.
They can also be found in lesser numbers in other corps and services. As for your private practice,
it all depends on what type but you won't be expected to have your private practice as a lawyer alongside your military career.

Lastly, it is also noteworthy to say that the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) now offers some post-graduate
courses for those in the military as well as for those not in the military.

RELATIONSHIP TIPS: here are more than one ways the man in your life can torture you

Love him or hate him, but you can’t ignore him – yes, we are talking about the man of your life. He’s probably the most loving creature in your life, but he can also be the perpetual torture in ways more than one.
Black Couple Issues
Here, we bring the top 10 cruel things that men do to women …

1. Having the biggest ego: Ever wondered why men hate taking directions and prefer hunting out the place on their own, even if it means 2 hours delay and waste of gas. Well, the answer is the big ego they walk around with. This was the pettiest exemplar of a man’s ego, which gets hurt at the drop of the hat and needs a massage whenever possible.

2. Living with a ‘selective memory’: They’ll not only remember the name of every cricketer and football player on the planet but will also know their scores by heart. But, the moment the deal is about remembering birthdays and anniversaries of people close to them, their brain suffers an ailment called ‘selective memory syndrome’.

3. Ogling (read at breasts): ’Men do stare at women’s breasts’ has been stamped as official by a world wide survey. But how we wish they knew that their drooling at the sight of a well endowed woman is cruel not only to the victim of that gaze, but also to the woman sitting beside them. Yes, they don’t miss any chance, even if it is when they are on a date!

4. Being overtly possessive: Where in the world did men get that insecurity from? (Their mother? )They blame women for being jealous but a mere mention of another man from their girl can turn them into an ever clinging magnet.

5. Taking pride in their hypocrisy: Men can’t get more cruel than this! They love hanging around with the coolest and sexiest babe in the town, but when it comes to meeting mom, it’s a ‘homely’ girl they start hunting for. You loved her dressing style and carefree attitude when she came for night-outs with you, what’s with that marriage material hunt now?

6. Showing extra care: How does it feel to take his ’where-about’ calls every 15 minutes after you step out of the home? The care in that gesture goes out of the window and irritation takes charge. Don’t they realise that we lived safe, sound and perfectly well in this world before they came into our lives. Hope someone is listening.

7. Throwing their ‘superman’ self everywhere: Yes, it feels nice when men are around for some help. However, their ‘I-can-do-everything-under-the-sun’ attitude does more harm than good, especially when they think themselves to be exalted beings – a plumber, electrician, carpenter and a financial adviser all rolled into one.

8. Consider emotions to be crap: Women might be emotional but having a constant practical point of view, like men doesn’t, score well always. Men will become better beings for sure, if they stop making fun of sentiments and ignoring them as useless.

9. Being the friend worshippers: It is very torturing for women when men don’t learn to priorities their life post marriage. They blame her for being a clinging vine when she asks for his time, but how sane is it to have a bunch of friends in the backseat on a long-drive, which was planned to be a romantic one?

10. Being the sex monster: Undoubtedly, women love zest in bed, but it’s very cruel of men to demand their partners to play the porn star they saw in that flick last night. It’s better to let her be herself in a sexapade rather than putting her in an uncomfy situation and then blaming her for being non-cooperative.

source: times of india

The bee venom as HIV, cancer cure

By Ebele Orakpo On May 18, 2013

If reports from the researches of a team of medical practitioners at the Washington University School of Medicine, USA, and the testimony of an Ibadan-based apitherapist are anything to go by, perhaps the world should get ready to heave a sigh of relief from AIDS and cancer.

Unlike most other ailments where the bodyfs defence apparatus fights foreign objects thereby protecting the body, in the case of HIV, it attacks the soldiers, the T-helper lymphocytes, also called CD4 or T4 cells. Noted Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia; gThese are white blood cells that are essential part of the human immune system. They are called helper cells because one of their main roles is to send signals to other types of immune cells, including CD8 killer cells.

T4 cells send the signal and CD8 cells destroy and kill the infection or virus. But as a popular Igbo adage says, when the lion is incapacitated, the antelope visits to settle old scores, so if CD4 cells become depleted, as is the case in untreated HIV infection, or immune suppression, the body is left vulnerable to a wide range of infections that it would otherwise have been able to fight.

Following the report of the US-based medical scientists (Hood J.L, Jallouk A.P, Campbell N, Ratner L and Wickline S.A) that a toxin (melittin) found in bee venom could destroy HIV and tumor cells without harming nearby cells, there have been varied reactions from the public. Some described it as a miracle, others were skeptical while a few said it was impossible. Sunday Vanguard sought opinions of experts.

Bee venom as a weapon:
Engr. Ayodele Salako, an Ibadan-based apiculturist/apitherapist, said although most orthodox medicine practitioners do not believe in alternative medicine, the answer to most diseases of man lies with nature and, unless we go closer to nature, we will not discover its many wonders.Bee-venom

He added, gHoney bee venom , also called apitoxin, is one of the major products of the bees and they use it to defend themselves, the queen bee and their territory, it is their weapon. Also God has put something in the bee venom for healing so once a bee stings you, 45 minutes or one hour later, it dies and that venom, within your body system, begins to do a lot of wonders. The introduction of that venom through the stinger into your system may cause some pains and that pain is the pain that kills pains, he said.

Bee venom therapy (BVT):
Salako reeled out a number of ailments that could be combated with bee venom which include headache, insomnia, osteoarthritis, fractures, inflammation, high blood pressure, skin problems, back pain, infertility in women, eye problems, wounds that have refused to go for about two-three years. gThe best remedy for arthritis is Bee Venon Therapy, BVT,h he stated.

Mr. Ndubuisi Okwum , a staff of Scripture Union, Nigeria, echoed Salako’s view. He said: gI learnt a bit of apiculture at Umudike, Abia State and since the 90s, I have known that bee sting can cure malaria (apipuncture), so I am not surprised at this recent research development.

Mr. Harry Porter , reacting to the story, HIV, cancer: Bee venom to the rescue on Vanguard website, said; gThis is what we call nature signature. This is the suggestion of what a fruit or leaf or animal or insect can cure by looking at its structure and what it resembles. Taking a good look at bees, you can see that the comb resembles a DNA structure and a virus. So itfs a great possibility that the cure for HIV can come from it. More research is needed to get a pure sample that will do this without rendering the surrounding cells useless or dead.

If you have a severe headache and I administer BVT via a bee sting, there will be quick relief. As an apitherapist, I studied body anatomy so I know at what points to apply the bee sting so that the venom can be carried through the required route to the targeted site. If you complain of insomnia and I give you BVT, within 20 minutes, you will sleep off,” said Salako, noting that “a farmer who goes to the farm and is being stung by bees will not fall ill easily. He is free from having fever regularly, free from insomnia, high blood pressure, skin problems, eye problem, back pain, HIV etc. Bee venom is very powerful against many ailments.”

Bee venom against HIV
Salako, who claims to have been treating HIV-positive people with bee venom, said; gI have used bee venom to treat some HIV positive patients. I say it on live broadcast but many people donft believe it. If Vanguard can just look for one confirmed HIV-positive patient, they should send him/her to me. After 8 ? 12 weeks of treatment, the person will go for another test. Usually, after the first 8-12 weeks of treatment, he will notice a decrease in the viral load. Then we continue the treatment for another 4-5 weeks and the patient goes for another test until there is no more AIDS virus in the system. Apart from the BVT, I also apply other bee products like propolis with honey. 

The researchers had said that gbee venom contains a potent toxin called melittin that can poke holes in the protective envelope that surrounds HIV and other viruses. It has even shown melittin-loaded nanoparticles to be effective in killing tumor cells.h

Asked if any kind of bee could be used for BVT, Salako replied in the negative saying; gThe female bees are the only ones that can sting so only female bees are used in BVT.

The male bees are called drones; the mature female bees are called queens which lay the eggs. The drones cannot sting; their main function is to fertilize the virgin queen during her mating flight after which they die.

Extinction of bees:
Some people argue that if the anti-HIV./cancer activities of bee venom proves to be true, then bees may become extinct sooner than later but Salako allayed this fear saying that a queen can lay about 2,500 ? 3,000 eggs per day, adding that it will rather create the much needed job for the youths.

Credit: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/the-bee-venom-as-hiv-cancer-cure/

5 Features That Black Women Have, That White Women Pay For

Black women have features that other women pay thousands for.

Originally written by Amanda Anderson on the 11th of October, 2010

As the media continues to push down its played and tired agenda of European beauty as the superior form of beauty, African American women are forced to either challenge it or succumb to it, and accept our place of inferiority. Sadly, most black women have obliged to the standards of a hate infested media, and are taking many routes to look more European. We’re destroying our natural and God given hair because they said our hair isn’t beautiful, lightening our skin since they believe lighter skin is better, and opting for smaller noses since apparently ours are “too wide.” We keep giving in to their lies and we hate our God created selves. All the while, the features that whites claimed were ugly and unattractive are secretly the most desired, and the reason behind a billion dollar industry of plastic surgery and cosmetics.

We were originally hated because of our skin, lips, and curvy physiques; and now Caucasians are willing to spend thousands for tans, full lips, and new asses.

Sometimes it’s as if whites secretly love and appreciate our God given features more than most of us do.

Need an ego boost or a few reasons to appreciate what you have, naturally? Here are five features you were born with that white women would pay for.

1. Your Skin Color

Our darker skin color has always been cited as the number one reason we are one of the most hated people on the face of the earth. While most say it’s out of intimidation and ignorance; I’m convinced that the increasing popularity of tanning practices and procedures proves that it’s actually just a bad case of jealousy.

White women spend hundreds of dollars a year on tanning products and tanning salons. You’re naturally blessed with melanin, and your skin looks like it’s been kissed by the skin without any alteration.

2. Your Butt

Most black women have been blessed with some junk in their trunk, and it’s refreshing compared to women who are known to lack plenty back there. Since a little booty is all the range now in Hollywood, with celebrities from A-List to the Z-List buying booty pads or new asses all together, it’s no surprise that regular white women are spending thousands on butt injections. Unfortunately for them, their purchased fixations aren’t completely fixed; they’ll continue to spend thousands to keep up the shenanigans. Meanwhile, you were born with a bubbly derriere.

3. Full Lips

White women aren’t known to have fuller lips, and have to depend on lip pumpers and lipsticks, and even lip injections to get a full set of luscious lips. Our lips are so in right now, that most of the lip sticks and glosses on the cosmetic scene claim to have lip pluming formulas.

Clearly we have gorgeous, kissable lips that cost quite a penny for the less equipped.

4. Hair

Oh yes, you’re not tripping, your natural, coily, full, thick hair is desirable to white women.

Not convinced? Well why do you think they spend so much money on curly perms in the hair salon? They desire a thick head of curls, and you yourself have been born with that. Unfortunately, if you have a relaxer, you’ve opted for straight and thinner hair.

As a natural diva myself, I can tell you that when I wear my natural coily, thick hair out in public, most of the compliments I get on my hair come from whites. They even ask how they can get curly, thick hair like mine.

Your natural hair is way more fabulous than that relaxed hair you’ve been rocking for over a decade. In fact, it’s guaranteed to turn more heads and create more admirers. Be proud of it.

5. Your Ageless Skin

Smooth as silk, and slow to crack; there probably isn’t a woman alive who wouldn’t want our skin.

Black people as a whole, age pretty damn good. My mother is in her mid 50s, and her skin is flawless, and wrinkle free. No offense to my white sisters, but they start to see facial lines before they even hit their mid 30s. They rely on expensive skin care products, botox, and outrageous beauty routines to have the skin we have naturally.

Now this is by no way or means a diss to Caucasians, but a wake up call to all of my mocha sisters about the natural beauty that we’ve been blessed with, but rarely appreciate. When most of us think of our features, we’ve allowed the media to plant seeds of self-hate so deep in our consciousness that we subconsciously attempt to change the things about ourselves that are representation of our ethnicity. Why should we continue to allow anyone else to define what beauty is, when God himself decided that what He gave us would be good enough. Are we that pompous to question God’s decisions?

It’s a new day, and it’s about time we love every little detail about ourselves. After all, it’s all God given. And if people are willing to fork out thousands to get what we already have, we must be kind of fabulous.

Update: I wrote this two years ago and it’s still making non black people angry. Why can’t I praise black women? Oh that’s right, because that’s not what this country is used to. When I do it, it’s racist. I wrote this to also prove that there’s a superiority complex that some of you have against black women. Point proven! But the shunning of black women happens everyday on those mainstream magazines that only feature white women, but that’s okay? Please. If you’re offended by this article, sorry, that’s too bad. Now you see why it’s never cool for beauty to be one sided or limited to one race. Rarely are African American women EVER praised for our features. I set out to do this with this article because I never see anything positive about OUR features. For too long, the European standard of beauty has been pushed down our throats and we are expected to look and meet those standards. And just like I expected, the people who are supposed to be that standard are angry about what I have written. Tough cookies.

You proved that due to your anger from an article that never made any racist remarks to white women, that we have a long way to go. But you’re the same people that refer to black magazines as racist, while praising Vogue for its hundreds of glossy pages full of white models. Frankly put, you’re mad because black women were praised..for once! Grow up. And there’s not an angry comment that can change how I feel or the facts regarding the double standard of European “beauty.” Hit that “X” in the corner of your screen and be on your way if you have a problem with me finally praising the beauty of women who don’t meet that tired European standard of beauty. I love being a black woman, and it felt good to put the shoe on the other foot. Stay mad!

Via Urban Belle Mag

Sweet Potato – The New Food for Long Life!

Originally published on Monday, December 31st, 2012
in HEALTHY EATING by Dr. Wong for Bel Marra Health


Consuming lots of fruits and vegetables in our diets is important for good health and we
shouldn’t overlook the sweet potato. Many fruits and vegetables are known as “super
foods”. Super foods have a significantly higher nutritional value than most foods and provide
various health benefits. Sweet potatoes are a fantastic super food, not only providing
sweetness into our diets, but providing numerous health benefits as well.

Sweet Potatoes in Diets

Sweet potatoes are low in sodium and low in saturated fats and cholesterol. They are also
high in dietary fibre, vitamin B6, potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and
manganese. According to www.nutritiondata.self.com, 200g of sweet potato contain 180
calories, with only 3 calories coming from fat. In the search for optimal health, adding sweet
potatoes as well as other fruits and vegetables that are super foods into our diets is a logical
first step.

Sweet potatoes have a number of components that make them such a great super food,
including:

1. Antioxidants – sweet potatoes, like many fruits and vegetables, are packed with
antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are packed with Vitamin A, with one medium sweet
potato providing the recommended daily allowance of this vitamin. Vitamin A helps
to prevent certain types of cancer and also helps to protect your skin from sun
damage. It is also important for eye health, and may help to protect vision loss and
macular degeneration. Sweet potatoes are also rich in Vitamin C and E which help
with disease prevention.

2. Rich source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E - all of these vitamins help to
maintain a beautiful complexion and gorgeous hair. In addition to Vitamin A, Vitamin C and E,
purple-fleshed sweet potatoes also contain cyanidins and peonidins. These two antioxidants may
help to lower the potential risk of heavy metals and oxygen radicals as they pass through the
digestive tract.

3. Anti-inflammatory agents – sweet potatoes contain phytonutrients that help
to reduce inflammation in the body. These phytonutrients may also have a positive impact
of fibrinogen which is a glycoprotein that is required for blood clotting in the body.

i. Manganese – consumption of sweet potatoes in our diets helps to improve blood sugar
regulation, even in people that have Type II diabetes. This is the result of the high
level of manganese that is found in sweet potatoes. Manganese also helps to generate
energy and helps the body to utilize antioxidants.

ii. Fibre – sweet potatoes have a high fibre content which will help to satisfy your
hunger and the energy you get from eating a sweet potato is used more slowly than
low-fibre food options.

iii. Vitamin B6 and Potassium – the high content of Vitamin B6 helps to keep blood
vessels healthy and unclogged, allowing blood to flow easily through them. The
potassium that is found in sweet potatoes helps to play a role in lowering blood
pressure and helps to rid the body of un-needed sodium which helps to regulate fluid
balance in the body. Potassium is also important for regulating a normal heart
rhythm, and helps to maintain brain and nervous system function.

Adding Sweet Potatoes to Our Diets

A simple way to add this super food into our diets is to replace regular potatoes with sweet
potatoes. Sweet potatoes can be substituted in most potato recipes and you may find that you
end up preferring this nutrient rich potato to your regular choice. Adding sweet baked
potatoes into our diets instead of baked white potatoes is simple. The sweetness of the sweet
potato may allow us to skip seasoning it with butter and sugar. This will lead to decreased
calories in our diets from fat and sugars. Try adding this delicious super food to your diet,
you’re sure to love it.

Adapted from: http://www.belmarrahealth.com/healthy-eating-2/sweet-potato-the-new-food-forlongevity/

HEAR GRAMMER! Celebrating Obahiagbon, Master Of Bombast, At 53

AT the twilight of the sixth session of the National Assembly, Patrick Obahiagbon (who represented Oredo Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) switched platform in a bid to ensure his political survival.

He moved over to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Edo State. It would appear, overall, a good move, but within the ACN enclave, he lost the bid for party nomination to a combination and conspiracy of factors.

The import of this “short-circuiting” was that Obahiagbon, the master of bombast, the sartorially elegant ambassador of the Bini culture (the royal Bini regalia), which was why he was always dressed in the attire, bowed out of the House of Representatives when his followers were just beginning to enjoy his interventions on the floor during debates. That marked the terminus of the verbal razzmatazz of the profoundly eventful gladiator. The House has since been missing Obahiagbon and his Obahiagbonese (his own peculiar coinages).

His defeat at the primaries of his party was not enough to stymie the flow of his usual bombasts in times of deep emotional outbursts. When asked to react to the development and the rejoicing in the camp of his opponent, he said: “This has made me suffused with emotional narcolepsy that the homo-sapiens in the metro-political geographical enclave of Edo have opted for owambe-ing over legislative quo modo dicis. Such a reckless display of narcissistic and flamboyant hedonism is capable of encumbering our nascent democracy with insidious, repercussive and cataclysmic exigencies.”

But while he was in the Lower Chamber, Obahiagbon defined a unique character for himself, using the instrumentality of his swanky outfits as well as esoteric grammar (his peculiar manner of speaking). This is the uniqueness of Obahiagbon, the self-styled “son of Igodomigodo”, a sobriquet he has adopted since 1999, when he was elected into the Edo State House of Assembly.

A lawyer and holder of two Master’s degrees once said: “I have deployed the nomenclature of Igodomigodo as a political sobriquet for ten years now, particularly as a vehicular nexus with my culturico-spiritual fons et origo and this emanated from anadvertent primus mobilus to cosmopolitanise my genealogical matrix since it was not by accident that I originated from the land of Igodomigodo.”

According to him: “Igodomigodo was the original, first ever, and pristine name of the Binis. From Igodomigodo, we were known as Ile-Ubini before the transmogrification into modern day Bini or Benin. So, you can now see that when I togarise my identity with the Igodomigodo aura, I am invoking the visible and invisible gods of my progenitors and at the same time luxuriating in an ancestral aqua of pristine Risorgimento.”

Obahiagbon had become a phenomenon in the House of Representatives. He could titillate to no end with his fecundity, coupled with the razzmatazz that accompanied his submissions. Answering a question on his forceful contributions on the floor, he had said: “…You cannot succeed as a parliamentarian if you are not cosmopolitan. You must be prepared to immerse yourself in societal dialectics for you to be able to contribute efficaciously in a utilitarian modus. So, if you are a parliamentarian and you don’t go through the ritual of even reading newspapers, you don’t bathe yourself in the aqua of the political cross currents, then you are going to be deuced, you are going to be paralytic in your contributions…”.

His mode of dressing (traditional Bini attires) was also very unique. He was once asked why he was always clad in his traditional Benin dress with beads round his neck and wrists. His response: “I have dressed like this from 1999 without any hiatus. As a student of mysticism, I believe nothing happens in the life of a mystic by chance and I know it was not by accident that I was born a Bini man. I entered into a covenant with myself when I was seeking political visibility that if God gave me the visibility, I was going to propagate the Bini heritage and culture. When it pleased God to give that to me in 1999, I had to keep faith with that covenant and I have dressed in full panoply of the royal Bini regalia.”

Obahiagbon never ran short of big dictions or coinages that defined his peculiar style. Answering question on the need for his colleagues to up the ante of contributions on the floor, he had advised: “They must avoid regular big stouting, suyaing, andpepper-souping. Those are not the real issues. They must be prepared to immerse themselves in societal dialectics. They must put their nose to the grind stone. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Ikene philosopher, once said ‘the difference between my other colleagues and I, is that when my other colleagues are cavorting in the dark alleys, I am in my library working myself nineteen to the dozen’. You cannot succeed in life if you are not disciplined. You must be puritanical in your predisposition; you must engage in an exercise of self-purification and mortification; you must engage in an exercise of self-abnegation; you must engage in an exercise of spiritual emulation. You must discipline the flesh. You must conquer the flesh. You must allow the spiritual aspect of you preponderate the material aspect, especially when you have been chosen to represent the people, so that at the end of the day, you can really say: Vendi, vidi, vicki (I came; I saw; I conquered).”

On the achievement of the House of Representatives, Obahiagbon had once said: “…The House of Representatives has not fallen short of its vivacious commitment in acting as the moral policeman over agencies of government. We have taken our oversight functions very responsively and responsibly. The emotional, visceral commitments, the messianic zeal and the quixotic temper with which we have taken our oversight responsibilities had, to a large extent, assisted in cleansing the Augean Stable while a number of structural deficiencies have, through this parliamentary metamorphosis, been brought under focus…”.

Yes, there are so many other instances when this self-acclaimed verbal contortionist mesmerized his audience, which space cannot permit me to recall; even as the current Chief of Staff to the Governor of Edo State, Obahiagbon has, within the scope of his mandate, been speaking in his trademark “language” and dazzling all and sundry as usual, including yours sincerely. Is there, therefore, any other way that is better than this tribute to celebrate Obahiagbon, one of those who were born in 1960, on his birthday (April 12), the day (April 12) I married my heart-throb, Pat, in 1997? Happy birthday, my brother, and many happy returns!

Culled from Gistmania

Unnecessary Evil: Bras Are No Longer A Girl’s Best Friend

Bras, brasseires, over-the-shoulder boulder holders — whatever you call them, they have been a socially accepted clothing standard for the greater part of 100 years. Yet one man believes these garments which are seen as a necessary evil are more evil than necessary.

Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon is a sports medicine specialist from France who believes bras are doing more harm than good to women’s breasts. In fact, Rouillon believes breasts would be healthier and stronger if they never come in contact with a bra at all. Many women feel the need to wear the undergarment to fight the effects of sagging, but according to Rouillon’s extensive research, forgoing the bra will actually help breasts stand up against sagging naturally.

“Our first results confirm the hypothesis that the bra is a false need,” said Rouillon in an interview with FranceInfo explaining his study. “Medically, physiologically, anatomically, the breast does not benefit from being deprived of gravity. Instead, it languishes with a bra.”

The French sports medicine specialist has spent the last 15 years armed with a caliper and ruler, regularly taking measurements of 330 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35. Though it’s slow going, Rouillon observed that women who did not wear a bra saw their breasts lift by as much as 7 millimeters (0.275 inches) each year. The braless women also reported firmer breasts, disappearing stretch marks and reduced back pain. According to Rouillon, women gain no anatomical, medical, or physiological benefit from having their weight supported by a bra.

The French researcher also said wearing a bra can prohibit the growth of supportive tissues under the breast. If a woman wears a bra every day throughout her youth, these tissues could begin to degrade, thereby causing the breasts to sag. When women skip the bra, these tissues and muscles are given a chance to become stronger as evidenced in the lift observed.

Professor Rouillon isn’t suggesting a bra-fueled bonfire, however. His research has found that ditching the bra is best for younger women who haven’t spent much time in the underwear. Older women who have been wearing a bra for many years won’t see any benefit by giving up now.

“It would be dangerous to advise all women to stop wearing their soutien-gorge as the women involved were not a representative sample of the population,” said Rouille in an interview with Connexion, an English-language French newspaper.

Yet one 28-year old volunteer who has been working with Rouillon throughout this study says she’s been experiencing multiple health benefits by losing the bra.

According to the woman referred to only as “Capucine,” going braless has helped her stand more upright, relieved her back pain and has even helped her breathe more easily.

Source: Michael Harper for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

NEW STUDY INDICATES THAT TAKING TAMOXIFEN PREVENTS BREAST CANCER IN WOMEN AND ALSO EASES PROSTATE CANCER SIDE EFFECTS IN MEN

A recent study has indicated that women 'should take tamoxifen' to prevent breast cancer. Many women around the world are at risk of breast cancer because of their family history; thus they need to be taking tamoxifen as preventive measure, 'historic' new guidance has said for the first time.

This is the first time that the drug has been officially recommended as a preventive measure in women who have not yet been diagnosed with breast cancer and the new guidelines could save thousands of lives.

The move has been hailed as a 'historic step in the prevention of cancer'.

Families with a strong history of breast cancer should be offered genetic testing to establish the risk to younger women, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence said.

According to their individual risk women between the ages of 30 and 49 should be offered tamoxifen for five years which has been shown to reduce the chances of developing cancer.

A recent study showed that 29 cancers and nine deaths could be prevented for every 1,000 women taking tamoxifen for five years.

It means just over 500,000 women in England and Wales, covered by the Nice guideline, could eventually be offered the drug.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with around 50,000 women and 400 men diagnosed with the condition each year. The guidance also applies to men.

One in 20 breast cancers are caused by BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes that can be passed down through families and other genes have also been linked to the disease.

Professor Gareth Evans, an oncologist at Christie Hospital, said only about 1% of the female population were considered "high-risk".

But for some of those women, taking tamoxifen could be an alternative to having a preventative mastectomy, or breast removal.

"That surgery can reduce the risk by 90-95%, so it doesn't eliminate the risk. It's impossible to remove every last breast cell and depending on whether women keep their nipple or not, and that's a big decision for some women, the risk may only be reduced by about 90%," he told BBC Breakfast.

"We think that in about half of women, tamoxifen actually reduces the risk by 70% - if we can actually identify which women get that extra benefit, that may be enough for those very high-risk women to change their minds and say 'I'll go for the tamoxifen instead'."

But Prof Evans said these drugs were not vaccines.

"We're a long way from a vaccine, the problem is breast cancer isn't one disease really, it's many different types of breast cancer through many different genetic routes," he said.

"The likelihood of developing a single vaccine against breast cancer is many, many years away.

"But it has something akin to a vaccine in that it reduces your chances of ever getting the problem."

Women at high or moderate risk should also be offered annual screening tests instead of the standard three-yearly and may be advised to start them at an earlier age.

Women carrying the gene have opted for preventive mastectomies because they are at such high risk of developing breast cancer.

The guidance said the risks and benefits of this surgery should be discussed and they should be referred for counselling before the operation. This surgery should only be carried out by specialist cancer plastic surgeons, it said.

The new draft guidance said where possible the family member who has suffered cancer should have genetic tests to determine if they are carrying a fault that could have been passed on. Where that is impossible, the nearest family member at risk should be offered the test, it said.

Women at high risk of an inherited cancer should be offered annual mammograms from the age of 40, the guidance said.

Annual MRI scans, which are more accurate at detecting tumours in younger women, should be offered to those as young as 20 if they have a certain faulty gene, are at more than 30 per cent risk of having that fault.

Annual MRI scans should be offered to women who have been confirmed as having BRCA1 or BRCA2 faults from the age of 30 to 49 along with those calculated as being at a 30 per cent or greater risk of carrying either fault.

Chris Askew, Chief Executive of Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: “This draft guideline represents a historic step for the prevention of breast cancer – it is the first time drugs have ever been recommended for reducing breast cancer risk in the UK.

"This is exciting as, even though most women do not have a significant family history of the disease, it’s crucial that those who do have an array of options to help them control their risk.

"An update to this guideline is long overdue and we’re especially pleased it has been extended to include both women who have had breast cancer, and men, for the first time.

"Once finalised, this guideline will pose new challenges for the NHS as it will need to deliver on its recommendations, including a potentially large increase in genetic testing.

"Breakthrough Breast Cancer will strive to ensure the final recommendations are implemented swiftly. We urge women with concerns about their family history of breast cancer to speak to their doctor.”

Professor Mark Baker, Director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at NICE, said: "The causes of cancer are complex and not fully known.

"However, we do know that having a family history of breast, ovarian or a related cancer can significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer, including developing the cancer at a younger age.

"It is also more likely that people with family members affected by cancer who then develop breast cancer themselves could develop a separate tumour in the other breast following initial treatment.

"This is why it’s wise for any person with a family history of cancer to receive appropriate investigations and screening that would otherwise be unnecessary if a family history did not exist.

"This guideline was last updated in 2006. Since then there has been new evidence published and new advances made in a number of clinical areas.

"All of our guidelines are reviewed in line with regular practice to ensure they remain based on the most up-to-date evidence.

"New recommendations for this guideline – which are still in draft form – have been developed as a result and we now want to hear the views of registered stakeholders in order to aid the development of this guideline update."


To cap it all, another study also indicated that tamoxifen may ease prostate cancer side effects in men! This new study, published in BMC Medicine, has found that this breast-cancer drug (tamoxifen) may help ease some of the side effects of prostate cancer, such as the development of breast tissue and breast pain.

The study, which actually tracked four studies of men with prostate cancer, found that patients who used tamoxifen were less likely to have breast growth and pain than those who did not use the drug. In one study, men who took tamoxifen for six months were 10 percent less likely to have breast development and 6 percent less likely to have breast pain than men who did not supplement their prostate cancer treatment with the drug.

Many of the treatment methods used for prostate cancer suppress testosterone in an effort to hinder prostate cancer growth. But by suppressing testosterone, the body responds by producing even more hormones, many of which are converted in the body to estrogen. This in turn causes breast tissue to develop and pain in the breast area.

Researchers found that tamoxifen prevented prostate cancer side effects about 20 percent better than other treatments, such as the drug anastrozole, a medication which counteracts estrogen in the body.

According to the study, the growth of breast tissue and breast pain has been cited as reasons why men stop their prostate cancer treatments.

Tamoxifen was discovered by pharmaceutical company Imperial Chemical Industries (now AstraZeneca) and is sold under the trade names Nolvadex, Istubal, and Valodex. However, the drug, even before its patent expiration, was and still is widely referred to by its generic name "tamoxifen."

Tamoxifen is currently used for the treatment of both early and advanced ER+ (estrogen receptor positive) breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. Additionally, it is the most common hormone treatment for male breast cancer. It is also approved by the FDA for the prevention of breast cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease. It has been further approved for the reduction of contralateral (in the opposite breast) cancer.