A good read... 6 cancer-fighting superfoods

By Leslie Barrie

To reduce your risk of cancer, look no further than your fridge. "All the studies on cancer and nutrition point to eating plant-based foods for their phytonutrients and other special compounds," says Richard Béliveau, PhD, chair in the prevention and treatment of cancer at the University of Québec at Montreal and author of Foods to Fight Cancer.

Aim for five to nine daily servings of all kinds of fruits and vegetables—especially these six superstars.

Broccoli
All cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, cabbage, kale) contain cancer-fighting properties, but broccoli is the only one with a sizable amount of sulforaphane, a particularly potent compound that boosts the body's protective enzymes and flushes out cancer-causing chemicals, says Jed Fahey, ScD. A recent University of Michigan study on mice found that sulforaphane also targets cancer stem cells—those that aid in tumor growth.

Helps fight: breast, liver, lung, prostate, skin, stomach, and bladder cancers

Your Rx: The more broccoli, the better, research suggests—so add it wherever you can, from salads to omelets to the top of your pizza.

"Sabah crack down on murtads" tramples on Malaysian Ageement 1963 !

By Vox Populi
JESSELTON aka Kota Kinabalu, Sabah:The recent Malaysiakini report 'Sabah to Crack Down on Apostates' is one more of those steps that aim to completely erode the Malaysia Agreement of 1963.

The report stated that Sabah will open a Faith Rehabilitation Centre next year to enforce anti-apostasy laws. This is very saddening and even more saddening is that the statement was made on Christmas Day. A very beautiful Christmas gift indeed for Sabahans.

Section 64 of Title VI in the Malaysia Agreement says that the establishment or maintenance of Muslim institutions in Sabah should have the consent of the governor. This means that such an act should first be passed in the state assembly. Section 65 of title VI meanwhile says that Article 11(4) of the federal constitution which allows for states to prohibit the propagation on non-Islamic religions to Muslims shall not apply to Sabah.

If propagating non-Muslim faiths to Muslims is permissible in Sabah, then there is no reason why a Muslim person cannot convert out.

A very good read...On reaping what we sow

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on 

CBS Sunday  Morning  Commentary.

My confession: 

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish.  

And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those 

beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.  I don't feel threatened.  

I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. 

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me.  

I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto.  

In fact, I kind of like it.  It shows that we are all brothers and sisters 

celebrating this happy time of year. 

Most Malaysians against 100-storey project, poll shows

Najib had raised Warisan Merdeka in his Budget speech, before distancing himself from the project. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — The majority of voters in peninsular Malaysia are against the proposed construction of the 100-storey Warisan Merdeka project, a recent survey by the independent Merdeka Center has revealed.

The survey, conducted between November 30 and December 11, found that 65 per cent of those polled disagreed with the construction of what would be the tallest building in the country.

Opposition to the project was uniform across all three major communities.

Sixty per cent of Malay voters polled disagreed with the project while 76 per cent of Chinese opposed its construction. Among Indians, 58 per cent were against it.

The findings suggest that a recent online protest on the Facebook social networking site was a fair reflection of public opposition to the project.

Mahmud Abbas joins crowds at Bethlehem Christmas Eve Mass

By Sara Hussein Sara Hussein – Fri Dec 24, 6:41 pm ET

BETHLEHEM, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – The Middle East's senior Catholic cleric called for peace and reconciliation in a traditional Christmas Eve midnight mass before thousands in the birthplace of Jesus Christ.
"During this Christmas season, may the sound of the bells of our churches drown the noise of weapons in our wounded Middle East," Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal told an audience that included Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Pilgrims from around the world gathered in St. Catherine's Church on Bethlehem's Manger Square to hear the traditional address in the city where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

As peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians remain stalled, Twal offered a vision of a better, more peaceful future.

"Our hope for Christmas is that Jerusalem not only becomes the capital of two nations, but also a model for the world, of harmony and coexistence of the three monotheistic religions."