One Great Sandwich: Soul Vegetarian East's BBQ Twist

Soul Vegetarian East, a well-known spot serving up plates of soul food seen through vegan lenses
Chicagoist.com

Soul Veg's owners, African Hebrew Israelites, may maintain a vegan diet for religious reasons, but the food itself draws a wide range of diners to 75th street. Everyone from local businessmen to families; from U of C students to North Side vegans can be found at the simple tables and chairs in the modesty-decorated restaurant for cheap plates of favorites like collard greens, carrot supreme salad and veggie gyros.

But don't let the promise of "vegan" food fool you into thinking this is necessarily diet food: if the delicious chicken nugget-esque "protein tidbits" are any indication, you might need to loosen up your belt if you're a regular visitor. But for vegetarians and vegans looking for a good guilty pleasure nosh, we'll see you at Soul Veg.

That said, a recent sojourn to the south side neighborhood of Chatham might have made us a mock meat convert. Soul Vegetarian East, a well-known spot serving up plates of soul food seen through vegan lenses. Although we sampled a few of the restaurant's varied sandwich offerings, the waitress's recommendation of BBQ Twist ended up being the big winner. The mock meat at Soul Veg is unlike any we've sampled elsewhere--even in the huge, riblet-like chunks that are served up on a simple bun and topped with lettuce, the pieces maintained a surprisingly fibrous texture. BBQ pork and chicken sandwiches were popular in this writer's house growing up, but slathered in Soul Veg's sweet and mild BBQ sauce, this incarnation retains a chewy, juicy quality that we'd venture to guess could even convert our meat-loving parents.

Soul Vegetarian East is located at 205 E 75th St.

Fingerprints are now being required for international travel

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors
Forbes.com

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it has begun collecting additional fingerprints from international visitors arriving at George Bush Houston Intercontinental Airport (Bush Intercontinental). The change is part of the department's upgrade from two- to 10-fingerprint collection to enhance security and facilitate legitimate travel by more accurately and efficiently establishing and verifying visitors' identities.

"Biometrics have revolutionized our ability to prevent dangerous people from entering the United States since 2004. Our upgrade to 10-fingerprint collection builds on our success, enabling us to focus more attention on stopping potential security risks," US-VISIT Director Robert Mocny said.

For more than four years, U.S. Department of State (DOS) consular officers and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers have been collecting biometrics -- digital fingerprints and a photograph -- from all non-U.S. citizens between the ages of 14 and 79, with some exceptions, when they apply for visas or arrive at U.S. ports of entry.

Bush Intercontinental is the next port of entry to begin collecting 10 fingerprints from international visitors. Washington Dulles International Airport began 10-fingerprint collection on November 29, 2007. Thus far, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport, and Chicago O'Hare International Airport have also begun 10- fingerprint collection. Five other airports will soon begin collecting additional fingerprints, including: San Francisco International Airport, Miami International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Orlando International Airport, and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The remaining airports, seaports and land border ports of entry will transition to collecting 10 fingerprints by the end of 2008. See: DHS Begins Collecting 10 Fingerprints From International Visitors at ...

Satellite is weeks away from hitting Earth

A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power & could hit the Earth in late February
CNN.COM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.

A senior government official says lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.

"Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council. "Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause.

He would not comment on whether it is possible for the satellite to be perhaps shot down by a missile. He said it would be inappropriate to discuss any specifics at this time. A senior government official said that lawmakers and other nations are being kept apprised of the situation.

The largest uncontrolled re-entry by a NASA spacecraft was Skylab, the 78-ton abandoned space station that fell from orbit in 1979. Its debris dropped harmlessly into the Indian Ocean and across a remote section of western Australia.

In 2000, NASA engineers successfully directed a safe de-orbit of the 17-ton Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, using rockets aboard the satellite to bring it down in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean.

In 2002, officials believe debris from a 7,000-pound science satellite smacked into the Earth's atmosphere and rained down over the Persian Gulf, a few thousand miles from where they first predicted it would plummet.

Ghana Health Ministry To Expand Regenerative Health Programme

The Ministry hopes to introduce it in 50 other districts this year
Source: GBC NEWS

The Ministry of Health, as part of its paradigm shift has introduced the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme which it has been successfully launched in 10 districts. The Ministry hopes to introduce it in 50 other districts this year. A statement issued by the Ministry said people from all walks of life including journalists have been sent to Dimona , Israel to understudy their concept and system.

It said beneficiaries of that trip assembled at the Manna Heights Hotel in Mankessim to review the concept and share their experiences and the way forward. After three-days of deliberation, participants came out with a communiqué which advocated the development of a national policy on cultivation of organically grown foods including vegetables and fruit and the production of regenerative health food and crops at reasonable cost.

It called for the introduction of health education and nutrition as examinable subjects in school curriculum and increasing access to potable water.

The Communiqué asked for a scale up in consultation with relevant stakeholders including establishing strategic partnerships with community radio stations, the programme of mass communication of the Regenerative health message at the national and district level including packaging the Regenerative message into local languages and the production of jingles as well as build capacity of change agents.

It noted that there is the need to explore options for setting up a National Commission on Regenerative Health and Nutrition and introduction of alternative and sustainable source of financing the programme.

The Communiqué suggested the empowerment of MPs, Chiefs and other opinion leaders to disseminate the Regenerative Health and Nutrition messages and lifestyles in collaboration with the Ghana AIDS Commission to promote the use of nutrition in the management of HIV and AIDS.