Monday, February 22, 2010

KNN's Celebrates 4 Blessed Years!

KNN: Realizing the Need & Timing of the Seasons
Celebrates 4 Blessed Years of Divine Servitude
Ahtur Keymah B.N. Aharon
KNN-Cleveland

Greetings to our beloved family, friends and read-ience. We at KNN are humbled that this month we've made it to the 4-year mark of reporting on breaking news from around the world!

We feel greatly privileged to have been able to serve you in our capacity, and we look forward to continuing to keep you up-to-date on current events occurring in all sectors of society as well as within the Hebrew Israelite Community at large. It is our prayer that our articles have been informative, enlightening, refreshing and thought-provoking.

Within these past 4 years we has been blessed with over 100,000 visits to our site and we are excited about reaching even more people in the years to come. It is our goal to continue to provide you with up-to-date news articles that will give you a broader understanding about the world in which we all live.

We thank you for all of your love and support, and again for making the choice to plug in to KNN!

Peace and Blessings.



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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Yom L'Mokereem Celebration 2010-Village of Peace

Please click on poster for larger view.

KNN-Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel

Yom L'Mokereem Celebration 2010-Atlanta, GA

Please click on poster for larger view.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

In the Season of Divine Appreciation

KNN Staff -Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel







All praises to Yah, we greet you in perfect love & peace.
Shalom, shalom. (Greetings of peace unto you.)
Yah Khai!!! (Yah Lives!!!)


The observance of Yom L'Mokereem (The Day of Appreciation) the most festive annual celebratory season observed by the African Hebrew Israelite Community (AHIC) in Dimona Israel, as well as throughout its satellite communities around the world, at underway. This is the time of year wherein all Community members take time demonstrate even greater acts of love, kindness and appreciation to and for one another throughout the entire month of February.

It is in the spirit of this season of Yom L'Mokereem that KNN would like to take this opportunity to officially recognize merely a fraction of the AHIC's many noteworthy international institutions, through whose tenacious advocacy in disseminating the Sacred Seeds of Truth to the four corners of the earth, we witness the steadily increasing testimonies and yield in the changing of socio-spiritual paradigms and policies towards the restoration of health and sanity to a world which more often than not suffers from, is plagued by, is dis-eased and dying SO NEEDLESSLY from the effects errant and preventable lifestyle-related health challenges.

A few of those agents of change are:
-the Ministry of Divine Health
-the Joy of Living Live Live Foods website
-the African Hebrew Development Agency (AHDA)
-the AHIC's official online audio/visual portal YahKhai.com
-the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem's official website
-the Ministry of Divine Information & the Audio Visual Truth Center
-and last but not least, the Soul Vegetarian, A Taste of Life, and Asasse Pa Vegan Restaurants worldwide.

For your unyielding efforts to nourish, feed and enlighten literally millions of people around the world regarding this alternative social system and its healthy lifestyle practices,
KNN humbly salutes you!!!

If you would like for KNN to post your extension's Yom L'Mokereem activities and events, on our site, please email them to Ahtur Keymah at keymah777@aol.com for publication ASAP!

Todah rabbah (thanks) for allowing KNN to serve you and
Yom L'Mokereem Samehyahk!
(Happy Day (Season) of Appreciation!)


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Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Cali town's birth defect rate 'not unusual'

Expansion of toxic waste facility OK'd by board despite increased rate of birth defects, infant deaths in Kettlemen, CA-a town of mostly Spanish-speakers

By GARANCE BURKE
Associated Press


California State health officials said Tuesday they found nothing unusual about the rate of infant birth defects in an impoverished San Joaquin Valley farm town located next to the West's largest toxic waste dump. The officials told a packed meeting of the Kings County Board of Supervisors that they had discovered no common cause for the birth abnormalities and facial defects among children in Kettleman City, prompting anguished comments from the audience.

"It's important to keep in mind that this is a preliminary finding, and we are going to be in the community gathering additional information," said Kevin Reilly, chief deputy director of the California Department of Public Health."Our interest is trying to find some answers for these families if we can." California's two U.S. senators pressed for answers as well, calling for a halt to the proposed expansion of the Chemical Waste Management Inc. landfill until a cause is found for the birth defects.

"I am very concerned about the recent surge in birth defects," Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. Sen. Barbara Boxer also said the health concerns deserved a closer look. Kettleman City saw an average of 1.09 birth defects per 100 live births between 1987 and 2008, Reilly said. The rate was not unusually high when compared to a rate of 0.94 for the surrounding five-county region between 1987 and 2007, he added. Regional data for 2008 is not yet available.

A survey done by Greenaction, an environmental justice group, found that of 20 children born in the area from September 2007 to November 2008, five had defects including clefts in their palates or lips. County officials recently said a sixth child was born with birth defects in roughly the same period. Community members blasted officials for drawing conclusions before interviewing mothers whose children have undergone surgeries to repair cleft palates.

"This was a bunch of guys up at the state fiddling around with statistics on the computer and slapping it together in a rough report," said resident Maricela Mares-Alatorre, whose niece's son was born two years ago with severe birth defects."This wasn't an in-depth look at anything going on in town." Many residents have said the health problems were caused by the hazardous waste landfill and have rallied to stop its proposed expansion, which needs state and federal approval.

Officials of Chemical Waste Management Inc. said they welcomed the state scrutiny and were confident it would show their operation was not causing health problems. "Our Kettleman Hills facility is safe, and we are proud of our 30-year legacy of safety and environmental stewardship," company spokeswoman Helen Herrera said. "With so many other potential environmental exposures in the area, this is just the first step in an ongoing process."

The landfill is one of the largest employers in the largely Spanish-speaking community of 1,500 people along Interstate 5, the main artery linking Northern and Southern California. Every day, thousands of diesel trucks pass by Kettleman City on the highway. In addition, the town is bisected by high-tension power lines, and many residents work in nearby fields sprayed with pesticides and chemical fertilizers.

Last month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered the health department and the state EPA to conduct a full investigation, including interviews with residents, and reviews of soil samples and medical records. Reilly said his team planned to speak with relatives of children with birth defects. Last week, Jared Blumenfeld, regional administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, visited the area, toured the dump and promised to ensure all regulatory, enforcement and permitting procedures had been properly followed. The EPA did not immediately comment on the state health study.

Please click here for to read article entitled "Board OKs expansion of California toxic waste facility".

Third-hand smoke endangers child health

A new study shows increased vulnerability in babies, toddlers to effects of carcinigenic residue from third-hand smoke
by Kathleen Blanchard RN
emaxhealth.com

A new study warns that third hand smoke is especially dangerous for children. Parents need to be aware of how toxins in extinguished cigarettes intermingle with fabrics, skin, hair, and other surfaces where children can easily get a dose of poison from third hand smoke that lingers.

The findings come from researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) and colleagues. Jonathan Winickoff, MD, MPH, assistant director of the MGHfC Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy warns that smoking anywhere – outside or when babies and children are not in the home – still puts them at health risks because they come in contact with toxins in cigarettes.

Children are especially vulnerable to third hand smoke as they crawl, touch and put their mouths on potential neurotoxins found in cigarettes that can also lead to cancer. "When you come into contact with your baby, even if you're not smoking at the time, she comes in contact with those toxins. And if you breastfeed, the toxins will transfer to your baby in your breast milk”, says Winickoff who also clarifies that breast milk is still preferable to bottle feeding.

Some of the chemical in cigarettes include toluene, used in paint thinner, lead, a known neurotoxin, chromium that might increase risk of lung cancer, polonium-210 that is a potent cancer causing chemical, and arsenic that is also cancer causes and can cause a variety of health related problems.

The scientists investigated how members of households perceive the dangers of third hand smoke. A survey of 1500 households showed that 95.4 percent of nonsmokers, but only 84.1 percent of smokers said they know about the health harm that could occur to children from third hand smoke. Non smokers were most likely to have stricter rules about smoking inside.

The researchers say education is needed to make people aware that third hand smoke is especially dangerous to children and lingers in the environment. Clinicians are urged to teach parents, and anti tobacco campaigns should also include information about the health dangers of toxins from third hand smoke to promote smoking bans in the home and give people another reason to quit smoking altogether.

Please click here for more details.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Mekodshet Announcement

The Prophetic Priesthood
at Jerusalem

Shalom beloved family!

We are pleased to announce that the following couples have now entered into the sacred and holy cycle of Mekodeshet:


Ahk Chashavyah Ben Israel (Texas extension) & Akhote Oreet Baht Yehuda

Ahk Nisiel Ben Israel & Ahkote Ameetiyah Baht Aviav

Ahk Aminome Ben Israel & Ahkote Matanyah Baht Yaaziel (Both of the Atlanta extension)

Ahk Odayd Ben Israel & Ahkote Zoheret Baht Israel (Both of the Southern Eden extension)

Ahk Nahkoom Ben Israel & Ahkote Tseedkeeyah Baht Israel (Both of the Southern Eden extension)

Ahk Shamah Ben Israel (Antigua extension) & Ahkote Maskelah Baht Shlomo


Please govern yourselves accordingly upon the hearing of this special announcement.


HalleluYah!!!
Yah Khai!!!

Saturday, February 06, 2010

US East & West Coasts Battle the Elements
















Washington shuts down, buried in record snowfall

Peter Nicholas-latimes.com
Alexandria, VA

Flights are grounded and power outages are widespread as the capital slumbers under more than 32 inches of snow.

A prolonged blizzard covered Washington, D.C., and the mid-Atlantic states in a smothering canvas of snow Saturday, grounding planes and triggering widespread power outages as people across the region turned to skis and sleds to traverse icy roads.

The storm proved a major disruption, with above-ground subways and buses in the Washington area shutting down and stores closing en masse in the face of a storm destined to go down as one of the major snowfalls in the area's history.

As of late afternoon, a total of 32.4 inches was recorded at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, according to the National Weather Service. That two-day accumulation topped the previous record, compiled during the blizzard of January 1996, the weather service said.

Hundreds of thousands of homes in Maryland, Virginia and elsewhere lost power. Trees toppled under the snow's weight, blocking roads. Snowplows worked overtime to keep the streets cleared. Flights were canceled at Washington's major airports.

Not even the presidential motorcade was able to navigate the city's streets unscathed. An ambulance hit an SUV in the motorcade before President Obama's entourage left the White House on Saturday morning to address the Democratic National Committee at a hotel several blocks away. No one was hurt.

At the event, Obama asked after the whereabouts of Rep. Michael M. Honda (D-San Jose). "He's on his way," Obama said. "He's still shoveling."

While the president normally portrays himself as a hardy Chicagoan accustomed to bad weather, even he seemed impressed by the storm's ferocity. He called the blizzard "Snowmaggedon."

















California Flash Floods, Mudslides Cause 500-Home Evacuation

Melvin Baker-AllHeadlinesNews.com
Los Angeles, CA


More than 500 homes were ordered evacuated Saturday after torrential rains led to mudslides that clogged roads and filled living rooms of homes nestled on hillsides already charred by last year's wildfires.

More than an inch of rain was expected in Los Angeles and Ventura counties by sundown Saturday, causing eroded hillsides to slough off soil that slammed into homes, rendering at least 12 of them uninhabitable, according to Los Angeles County officials. Debris basins designed to snare mud, rocks and trees had already been filled from two inches of rain that fell in previous hours.

At one home in Pickens Canyon, crews trying to find a gas leak dug through at least four feet of mud. In nearby homes, mud flowed through their interiors, muscling garage doors outward.

Several highways were closed by the flooding and mudflows.

Protective concrete barriers placed to reroute the water and mud failed, slamming into at least 25 vehicles.

A flash flood watch issued by the National Weather Service expired at 7:45 p.m. Eastern time.

Even so, more weather was on the way. The weather service predicted between 5 and 10 inches of snow would fall Saturday night in the mountains. Above 7,000 feet, accumulations of 8 to 14 inches were forecast.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The Joy of Living Live

A Raw Food Journey
by Akote Zakhah
KNN-Dimona

Close your eyes and imagine a community of 100% vegans living a holistic lifestyle. A community virtually free of disease, crime, and immorality. A healthy environment where animals have no fear of being eaten. What would you call this place? Heaven? Paradise ?

Now you don’t have to just imagine it anymore. It is here on earth. Open your eyes and see the Village of Peace in Dimona, Israel . This is a community of former African Americans who moved to the Holy Land to establish a peaceful, harmonious, self-sustaining environment. According to the Ministry of Health of this 40-year young community, the cases of diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, cancers, STDs, HIV and AIDS are so minimal to non-existent that they are considered to be virtually eradicated. Meanwhile, these illnesses are among the top 10 killers of their African American counterparts in America.

Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee tested adult members of the Village of Peace and found that the community has essentially eliminated high blood pressure even if they had a family history of the disease. There are no nursing homes and the elders of the Village have been known to defeat the younger teams in sports activities. Since the community’s establishment in 1967, there have been fewer than 40 deaths in this community of over 2,500 residents.

The leaders of the Village of Peace see the value of a natural diet for healthy people and have incorporated it in their lifestyle. They eat only fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, and seeds. Each week, the adults in the community have 3 no-salt days, 2 raw food days, 2 no-margarine days, and one day of fasting.

Four times a year with the change in seasons, the community prepares to elevate their diet even further with the observance of a “Sugarless Week” where the only sweeteners consumed are maple syrup, date syrup, and the stevia herb; and a “Live Foods Week” where they consume 80% to 100% raw and living foods and cleanse their digestive systems.

As a result of changes in diet and lifestyle, evidence has emerged that this may be the healthiest group of collective humans existing on the planet today. And did I mention that they own the largest chain of vegan restaurants in the world? They have 13 Soul Vegetarian restaurants on 4 continents.

The “secret” to their diet and lifestyle now has been revealed in a new book called The Joy of Living Live: A Raw Food Journey by Zakhah (www,joyoflivinglive.com). This full-color photographic book explores over 100 raw and living foods tasting experiences from various regions of the world, including the Mediterranean, Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas . Complete with recipes for health drinks, breakfast, lunches on the go, desserts, and spices; recipes such as Live Spring Rolls, Pizza Wraps, Brazilian Nut Milk, Kale & Avocado Salad, and Orange Cake with Maple Cream Icing will make you want to lick the pages. Instructions are simple and easy-to-follow for food items generally found at local markets and health food shops.

They are designed for raw foodists no matter the stage of development: 50%, 80% or 100% live. These delicious pages share wisdom on diet transitioning, eating organic, exercise, meditation, prayer, fasting, food combining, sprouting, healing properties of food, low-cost superfoods, detoxification, holistic dental care, gourmet food preparation,… WHEW! In other words, this book is a powerhouse for your practical raw food needs.

One of the most exciting features of this book is the testimonies from long-time raw foodists who have been raw 5, 10, 20, to over 30 years. They are doctors, raw food restaurant owners, celebrities, raw moms and their raw children, community leaders, and more.

They answer questions like what physical health changes can be expected by eating live foods, how vegans and raw foodists can prevent nutritional deficiencies, and how to have a raw pregnancy. The Joy of Living Live: A Raw Food Journey will make you scream and jump for JOY.

Sunshine Cashew Cheese

2 Cups Cashews, soaked
¼ Cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
½ Cup Purified Water

Place all ingredients except water in a blender or food processor and mix on high speed. Slowly pour in water until texture reaches desired consistency. Store in a refrigerator.

Sea Vegetable Salad

2 Cups Wakame Seaweed
1 small Onion, chopped
1 large Tomato, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, sliced
2 tablespoons Mixed Herbs
1 tablespoon Granulated Garlic
2 teaspoons Onion Powder

Chop seaweed in a food processor using slicer blade. Soak for about 1 hour and drain. Add remaining ingredients. Enjoy!

The Joy of Living Live: A Raw Food Journey is now available from www.joyoflivinglive.com and several book and health food shops throughout the US, UK and Israel . For a listing in your area, e-mail thejoyoflivinglive@yahoo.com.

Zakhah is a graduate of the Institute of Regenerative Truth as well as the School of the Prophets Institute of Jerusalem (Israel) with a degree in Divine Nutrition. She is also a raw and living foods chef and the author of the world-reknown raw food recipe book The Joy of Living Live: A Raw Food Journey, winner of the Holy Jerusalem Writers Conference Award. Zakhah is co-founder of the Elements of Truth Magazine and Catalog and a freelance health writer for various independent publications in the US and United Kingdom.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Institute of Regenerative Truth Goes Online


The Institute of Regenerative Truth is a extension of the Holy School of the Prophets at Jerusalem (SOP). The School of the Prophets began in 1975 with a mission to spread truth, re-discover our biblical heritage and restore alignment with the Creator. This task was undertaken by His Excellency Prince Shaleahk Ben Yehuda, Head Master and Dean of the School of the Prophets. His wisdom and understanding remain the foundation of this historic institution.

The Institute of Regenerative Truth online university is specifically designed to offer access to the teachings to the universal principals that govern the Creation and form the tenants of the African Hebrew Israelite Community. The current dean of the School of the Prophets, Dr. Khazriel Ben Yehuda has commissioned the institution.




“About the time of the end, a body of men will be raised up who will turn their attention to the Prophecies, and insist upon their literal interpretation, in the midst of much clamor and opposition” Isaac Newton (English Mathematician and Physicist, "father of the modern science", 1642-1727)
.

Click here to see more: http://www.instituteofregenerativetruth.org/
.

CLASSES Start February 15, 2010 - Register Today!

Monday, January 25, 2010

Stem Cell Pork

Scientists Grow Artificial Meat In Lab
by Maria Chang
Huffington Post

Submitted by Ahk Nahum


Call it pork in a petri dish – a technique to turn pig stem cells into strips of meat that scientists say could one day offer a green alternative to raising livestock, help alleviate world hunger, and save some pigs their bacon.

Dutch scientists have been growing pork in the laboratory since 2006, and while they admit they haven't gotten the texture quite right or even tasted the engineered meat, they say the technology promises to have widespread implications for our food supply.

"If we took the stem cells from one pig and multiplied it by a factor of a million, we would need one million fewer pigs to get the same amount of meat," said Mark Post, a biologist at Maastricht University involved in the In-vitro Meat Consortium, a network of publicly funded Dutch research institutions that is carrying out the experiments.

Post describes the texture of the meat as sort of like scallop, firm but a little squishy and moist. That's because the lab meat has less protein content than conventional meat.

Several other groups in the U.S., Scandinavia and Japan are also researching ways to make meat in the laboratory, but the Dutch project is the most advanced, said Jason Matheny, who has studied alternatives to conventional meat at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and is not involved in the Dutch research.

In the U.S., similar research was funded by NASA, which hoped astronauts would be able to grow their own meat in space.. But after growing disappointingly thin sheets of tissue, NASA gave up and decided it would be better for its astronauts to simply eat vegetarian.

Full story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/15/stem-cell-pork-scientists_n_424759.html

Sunday, January 24, 2010

China's Weather Manipulation Brings Crippling Snowstorm to Beijing











The Chinese government employs the controversial practice of cloud seeding in an attempt to force precipitation in and around Beijing
PopularScience.Com

Submited by Ahsaf Ben Naseek Rahm

In The People's Republic of China, it's no secret that the Party controls just about everything. But as Beijing suffers through its second major snowstorm this season, residents are growing weary of their leadership's control-freak tendencies. After all, while the storm came as a surprise to residents, the government knew about it all along. In fact, the government caused it.

China has long tinkered with Mother Nature's waterworks, even establishing a state organ -- the Beijing Weather Modification Office -- whose sole purpose is to meddle with the weather. The purpose behind weather modification is less megalomaniacal than it sounds at first pass; a large swath of northeast China, including Beijing, has been mired in a drought for nearly a decade, and the party leadership would like to reverse that trend for both practical reasons and to show the Chinese people exactly who is in charge.

To do so, they've turned to cloud seeding, a controversial practice that involves launching (or dropping) chemicals into the atmosphere -- silver iodide in China, though dry ice and liquid propane also work -- that cause water vapor in the air to crystallize at temperatures it otherwise would not. Its effectiveness is dubious; while it's generally accepted that it works to some degree, it can only increase precipitation by 20 percent. Sometimes.

Weather manipulation is actually not as rare as one might think. Currently, 24 countries practice some kind of cloud seeding. Moscow's mayor keeps the Russian Air Force on cloud seeding duty to make sure it never rains on his parades (literally). The U.S. has dabbled with weather manipulation in attempts to curb the intensity of Gulf hurricanes back in the '60s, and the military seeded clouds over North Vietnam during the war there to extend the monsoon season. Oh, and the CIA seeded clouds in 1969 in an attempt to rain out the hippies gathering at Woodstock, but they partied right through it anyhow (that instance is unconfirmed, but groovy to think about).

For More Info See: China's Weather Manipulation Brings Crippling Snowstorm to Beijing

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Obama, Bush, Clinton stand 'united' for Haiti

By coming together in this way, these leaders send an unmistakable message to the people of Haiti
Yahoo News

President Barack Obama on Saturday brought together his White House predecessors, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton, for a joint appeal for victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake.

"By coming together in this way, these two leaders send an unmistakable message to the people of Haiti and to the people of the world," Obama said in the Rose Garden, flanked by the two former leaders.

"In these difficult hours, America stands united. We stand united with the people of Haiti who have shown such incredible resilience, and we will help them to recover and to rebuild."

The United States was launching "one of the largest relief efforts in our history" to bring aid to Haiti following Tuesday's devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the heart of the poorest nation in the Americas.

Bush, who congratulated Obama for his "swift and timely response to the disaster," said he was pleased to work with Clinton "to mobilize the compassion of the American people."

The challenges in Haiti "are immense, but there's a lot of devoted people leading the relief effort," he said.

"The most effective way for Americans to help the people of Haiti is to contribute money. That money will go to organizations on the ground who will be able to effectively spend it.

"I know a lot of people want to send blankets or water. Just send your cash," added Bush.

Clinton, the United Nations special envoy for Haiti, said the priority for now is to ship food, medicine and water to Haiti.

"But when we start the rebuilding effort... we want there to be a place where people can know their money will be well spent, where we will ensure the ongoing integrity of the process. And we want to stay with this over the long run," he said.

Obama and the ex-presidents directed people to the website www.clintonbushhaitifund.org to make donations.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Haiti earthquake relief arrives; thousands of survivors suffer without medical treatment, water

Hundreds of thousands of people feared dead in Haiti
By Brian Kates
Daily News Staff Writer


With possibly hundreds of thousands of people feared dead in Haiti, aid groups from around the world were fighting against time to save the living.

"There's no water," said Jimitre Coquillon, a doctor's assistant at a makeshift triage center in a hotel parking lot. "There's nothing. Thirsty people are going to die."

Bodies - their faces contorted in grimaces, half covered by plastic tarps or white cotton sheets covered with blood and dust - were strewn about the streets. Survivors used sledgehammers and clawed through rubble with their bare hands to try to find victims.

They turned pickup trucks into ambulances and doors into stretchers to rush victims to makeshift triage centers in the capital.

As ambulances and U.N. trucks raced toward Port-au-Prince, refugees fled to the countryside, where the devastation was less severe, balancing suitcases and belongings on their heads.

See: Haiti earthquake relief arrives; thousands of survivors suffer without medical ...


Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Delta, Continental Raise Fees For Checked Bags

The new fees apply to flights within and between the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Puerto Rico
By Christopher Hinton
Wall Street Journal

Delta Air Lines (DAL) and Continental Airlines (CAL) will begin charging customers the highest fees in the industry this week for checked bags, tempting other legacy carriers to follow suit.

The new fees apply to flights within and between the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Excluded are premium-class fliers, frequent fliers and active U.S. military members.

With a recovery in passenger revenue growth projected for later this year, the airlines appear to be taking no chances with coming up short with the cash they need to turn a profit. Ancillary fees, such as those for check-on luggage, have become an important driver for revenue growth.

Putting pressure on the industry is a recent jump in benchmark crude prices, which hit a 15-month high earlier this week.

"We have a real focus on growing the ancillary revenues in our business to act as a temper against the volatility of the business," said Delta Chief Executive Richard Anderson, during an investor meeting last month.

Anderson reckons total ancillary revenue, which include baggage fees, administrative fees, the frequent flier program, global services and ground handling businesses, will be in excess of $4 billion this year.

For 2010, analysts polled by FactSet Research predict Delta will swing to a profit of $1.13 a share on sales of $30.9 billion, on average, up from an estimated $28 billion in 2009.

Continental is expected to swing to a profit of $1.36 a share on sales of $14 billion, up from an estimated $12.7 billion last year.

Altogether, the global airline industry faces a $5.6 billion loss in 2010, an improvement from the estimated $11 billion loss last year, according to data provided by the International Air Transport Association.

Delta Air Lines raised its checked-on luggage fees to $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second, from $15 and $20, respectively. Continental said it later matched them.

The carriers offer a small discount for passengers that check their luggage on line, but they are still the highest in the industry. Delta and Continental have been trail blazers in past when raising their checked-on fees, with United Airlines, American Airlines and US Airways (LCC) raising their fees soon afterwards.

Last year, domestic airlines raked in more than $700 million from checked-bag fees during the third quarter, up 111% from last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

For Delta, the new rules apply to standard economy-class tickets purchased on or after Jan. 5 for flights beginning Tuesday. Continental's rules apply for tickets purchased on or after Jan. 9 for travel beginning Saturday.

Legacy carriers have the biggest check-on baggage fees in the industry in part because they focus more on the premium-paying business traveler and not the budget-conscious holiday traveler. Vacationers are often able to get discounted tickets when the airlines scramble to fill vacant seats, but airlines try to make up for the cheaper fare through extra charges such as the check-on baggage fees.

That's why budget carriers, who rely more heavily on leisure travel, often have the lowest check-on bag fees. And carriers such as Southwest Airlines (LUV) and JetBlue Airways (JBLU), avoid the extra charges altogether, at least for the first bag.

The airlines also don't offer discounts for checking bags online because most leisure travelers book their tickets through the carriers' websites, rather through a global distribution system such as Sabre or Amadeus, which are popular among corporate travel offices.

American and United are units of AMR Corp. (AMR) and UAL Corp. (UAUA), respectively.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The Hidden Benefits of Exercise

Even moderate physical activity can boost the immune system and protect against chronic diseases
By Laura Landro
Wall Street Journal

As millions of people flock to the gym armed with New Year's resolutions to get in shape, medical experts are offering an additional reason to exercise: Regular workouts may help fight off colds and flu, reduce the risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases and slow the process of aging.

Physical activity has long been known to bestow such benefits as helping to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress, not to mention tightening those abs. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise can boost the body's immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. And exercise has been shown to improve the body's response to the influenza vaccine, making it more effective at keeping the virus at bay.

See: The Hidden Benefits of Exercise - WSJ.com

Global Economy's Next Threat: China's Real Estate Bubble

The popping of China's housing bubble could have widespread consequences
By Charles Smith
Daily Finance

We might be tempted to envy China's spectacularly resilient real estate boom: After sagging in the global financial meltdown of 2008, property values in China's urban centers skyrocketed in 2009. Shanghai's Pudong district, for example, experienced a 57% rise in a matter of months.

By comparison, residential real estate in the U.S. is up 3.4% on average from its bottom in May, but still almost 30% below its peak in April 2006.

However, those admiring China's reflated housing bubble might be careful what they wish for, as the new real estate bubble in China is even more precarious than the one which imploded in 2008.

The popping of China's current housing bubble -- considered inevitable by regional experts such as Andy Xie -- could have widespread consequences. If housing turns down in China, China's growth could slow or even decline. And since the entire world is looking to China to lead global growth, then that could spell major trouble for the "global economy is recovering" story.

See: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/global-economys-next-threat-chinas-real-estate-bubble/19302329?sms_ss=email

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Green Leafy Vegetables - Nutritional Powerhouses

Eat Your Greens!
By Laura Dolson
About.com Guide

A nutrition professor once told me that it was common for our ancient ancestors to eat up to six pounds of leaves per day. He imagined them walking along from one place to another, just picking and eating leaves as they went. Can you imagine eating a grocery bag full of greens each and every day? Few of us even eat the minimum USDA recommendations of 3 cups of dark green vegetables per week. And yet, these veggies deliver a bonanza of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.

Health Benefits

Dark green leafy vegetables are, calorie for calorie, perhaps the most concentrated source of nutrition of any food. They are a rich source of minerals (including iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium) and vitamins, including vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They also provide a variety of phytonutrients including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from damage and our eyes from age-related problems, among many other effects. Dark green leaves even contain small amounts of Omega-3 fats.

Perhaps the star of these nutrients is Vitamin K. A cup of most cooked greens provides at least nine times the minimum recommended intake of Vitamin K, and even a couple of cups of dark salad greens usually provide the minimum all on their own. Recent research has provided evidence that this vitamin may be even more important than we once thought (the current minimum may not be optimal), and many people do not get enough of it.

For more info click here: Greens are Nutritional Powerhouses - Benefits of Green Leafy ...

Sunday, December 06, 2009

“The Power of the People”

KNN-The Village of Peace
Dimona, Israel


The Power of the People was on full display November 25th at the 2009 People's Ball in Dimona.
Like all gala events in the African Hebrew Israelite Community, the ball featured divine inner-attainment provided by top community recording artists, exquisite cuisine, home-grown comedy in a royal and wholesome atmosphere.

But what made this night so memorable was a return to the roots of the Peoples’ Ball – that is, all proceeds were donated to the upgrading of one particular entity within the Dimona community, also known as the Shomrey HaShalom Kibbutz.

“We knew it would be the best,” exclaimed Elyeefah E. Nasik Danyel, one of the coordinators.

“In challenging economic times many service areas need a boost. Our history has shown that collectively we can do anything. So for us it was an opportunity to turn toward each other and accomplish this worthy objective.”

The annual event originated in 1988, she explained, as a formal event in the community to assist in improving one selected national institution. Over the years that principle idea had given way to sponsoring entities. The time had come to revive a good idea and the result was better than expected.

For the equivalent of $8 entry fee, those in attendance were treated to command performances by top artists from within the Hebrew Israelite Community, including, Ahdaiyah; Kasadyah; Taviel’s Dance Troupe; and Rinaht of the Chosen Band.

The show was masterfully headlined by Nadeev with a special accompaniment by the renowned Shadaiyah, who happens to be his mother. It was a night they will not soon forget.

But that’s not all. There were door prizes for ticket-holders, donated from several community businesses and your choice of two after parties – all for the price of admission.

The result: smiles on everyone’s faces and more than $1000 raised toward the renovation of the Hilltop Manor auditorium and multi-purpose center.

“Needless to say, when two or more gather for a righteous purpose, there also Yah will be,” Elyeefah continued. “You know you’ve met the mark when the following day everyone who was absent says they wish they were there. And those that were are still smiling. It was the best ever!”

Donations were received from individuals and community entities in Israel and abroad and everyone will share in the benefits of an improvement to a national institution.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Atlanta's Red & Black Affair

Is back again!!!
Ahk Ahmeenohn
KNN-Atlanta

Attention Saints & Friends of the Kingdom of Yah!

On behalf of the Brothers and Sisters on the Move on the Southern Region, we humbly invite you to enjoy a divine evening in royalty and elegance at this year's'Red & Black Affair'.

The Red and Black Affair is an annual function which is organized and hosted by the joint efforts of Brothers on the Move (BOM) and the Sisters on the Move (SOM) entities.

This year's Red and Black Affair will take place Mohtsai Shabbaht (Sat. night) December 19th, 2009, from 9:00 PM-until at the Return to Royalty Banquet Hall located at the Soul Vegetarian Restaurant South (Atlanta, Georgia).

Please stay tuned to KNN for more information on this upcoming event, or call Soul Vegetarian Restaurant at (404) 752-5194.

Sponsored by the Brothers and Sisters on the Move