Sabah: Unresolve Thousand Stateless Childrend

SANDAKAN: Sabah’s image is getting a severe beating as a result of the increasing number of stateless children, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, VK Liew, said.

He added that it was imperative that the government give this issue its urgent attention.

“We must find ways to resolve this outstanding issue once and for all.

“Al Jazeera (news channel) showed ugly scenes of stateless children sniffing glue in Sabah. These scenes were taken in the city (Kota Kinabalu) and the nearby Pulau Gaya.

“These stateless children do not represent the Malaysian society in Sabah.

“They are here because many of their parents, who are illegal immigrants, have either abandoned them or left them when they were arrested or deported to their countries of origin.”

Stateless children are a by-product of the massive influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah.

According to an Asia Foundation December report, the demand for cheap labour in Sabah’s palm oil plantations and its labour-intensive production processes have kept the migrants coming since the 1970s.

The report noted that as at 2009, Sabah was home to about 52,000 stateless children and the numbers were steadily increasing.

These children were mainly from Indonesian and Philippines plantation workers who grew up on palm oil plantations.

“Others spend their childhood on the streets, as child labourers, and are exposed early to social ills like glue sniffing, drugs, petty crime, or child abuse,” noted the report.

Serious issue

Speaking to reporters here after his “Bringing service to people” programme, Liew said the central issue was the massive illegal immigrant population in Sabah.

“This issue has plagued us for decades. We can no longer pretend and hope that the problem will go away one day.

“These children are a serious issue. They will grow up in our society. The issue is not going to disappear if we don’t do something.

“We need a pro-active approach to these children without names. They must be identified and pursued without fail,” said Liew, who is also Sandakan MP.

Liew, who is also Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president, is among a rare few Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders who have openly called for a solution to the perennial issue which has ripped apart Sabah’s socio-political and economic fabric.

Another BN ally, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), had recently warned the federal and state governments that the people of Sabah would no longer stand idly by if the security situation within the state degenerates into chaos due to illegal immigrants.

Sabah has the highest number of poor in the country and an increasing crime statistic.

PBS had also warned that BN stood to lose Sabah over the illegal immigrant issue.

The illegal immigrants population currently exceeds native Sabahans.

Call for RCI

According to Common Interest Group Malaysia (CigMA)chiarman Daniel Jambun, there are currently “1.7 million illegals in the state and this is the mother of all issues in Sabah”.

“Today, the 1.5 million Sabahans have effectively been marginalised and disenfranchised in their own land by the illegal immigrants because the federal government chooses to do nothing.”

Both CigMA and opposition PKR have called for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry to resolve the illegal immigrant issue.

But the federal goverment has refused to response to the call. Many believe that this is primarily because Umno was allegedly involved in legalising illegal immigrants in the 1990s.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman was allegedly the director of Sabah Umno Task Force from 1919-1993 and charged with recruiting foreigners as voters by granting then Malaysian citizenship.

Currently, many of the theories being bandied around is that both Sabah Umno and PBS need the illegal immigrant votes to stay in power and ensure a BN win in the parliamentary polls. - source

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Halaw: What happens now to the children of Sabah?

Commentary

Halaw in Malay-Bahasa means “driven away” and until very recently had not been given a face until news of the Lahad Datu standoff hogged the headlines in early February. In the early 80s, halaw was used to describe persons whose heads were shaved to identify them as those to be “deported” from the port of Sendakan in Malaysia.

Students of the Stairway to Hope Learning Center in Kota Kinabalu, an alternative learning center for Filipino

Recent news on Filipinos fleeing Sabah over reports of police brutality and random crackdowns, while alarming and disturbing, remain unchecked, and so has the plight of the children that have been driven away from this island off the Sulu-Celebes seas.

In 2011, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas reported a 124 percent increase of irregular migrant Filipinos in Malaysia from 200,000 in 2010 to 447,590 in 2011. The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur last year reported that 569,451 or 18.2 percent of the 3,117,405 total population of Sabah are Filipinos, both documented and undocumented. A Federal Task Force in Sabah, in turn, estimated that there are more than 30,000 children of undocumented Filipinos in Sabah whose births were not registered by their parents.

Being undocumented, most of these children are denied access to education as the Malaysian Ministry of Education almost exclusively offers schooling to Malaysians.

Why Sabah?

Apart from the historical and cultural nuances of the Sultanate of Sulu's claims on the disputed island, Sabah, a boat ride away from Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, contributes 23 percent of Malaysia's Gross National Product or (GNP). More than 80 prcent of the 1,669 hectares have been developed with industries ranging from wood, rubber products, food, metal, plastics, ceramic and automotive parts.

These industries have lured many Muslims from Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan as well as other parts of Mindanao to take on jobs they would otherwise not find in the desolation of the region amid the insurgency and banditry that continue to plague some areas.

Malaysians since the 1990s have viewed the growing number of Indonesians and Filipinos in the islands as a threat to job opportunities intended for Malaysians. Thus the massive crackdowns and document checking that Malaysian police are known to conduct. Those found with “no documents” are loaded on boats toward the wharf in Zamboanga and are called halaw.

Stateless children

Most of these Filipino workers arrive in Sendakan, the second largest city in Sabah, with no papers or identity cards and move onward to find work through a network of kinship and easily mix in with the local residents. Most go to Sabah in their twenties and start receiving 400 to 600 ringgits (P5,000 to P8,000) a month with two free meals a day as they work for plantations, factories or restaurants and hotels.

Since their ancestors used to move from Bongao and Jolo port with no worries about legal papers or border crossing, many continue to believe what has been culturally ingrained in them that Sabah is part of the Sultanate of Sulu.

While they learn Bahasa for work, among themselves they speak Tausug or Sama and, intermittently, Tagalog.

And in the island and the network of Filipinos in the community, they marry among themselves, bear children and fail to go through the trouble of the mundane task of birth registration—leaving their children stateless with no passports and no rights to their basic requirements such as basic health and education.

Bayanihan for the stateless children

From Kota Kinabalu to Lahad Datu, Filipinos have pooled their resources to address the problem of the lack of access to education of Filipino school-age children.

Informal learning facilities managed by Filipino community leaders have been set up. They have put up makeshift classrooms, called for volunteer teachers, and continue to find ways to go beyond the basic reading, writing and arithmetic classes they now provide.

The Philippine Embassy has even made arrangements with an Indonesian foundation that operates in Lahad Datu. A number of the Filipino children go to these Indonesian learning centers that are funded by the Indonesian government, follow the Indonesian curriculum and are recognized by the Ministry of Education in Indonesia in view of the large number of Indonesian workers in the plantation.

In Semporna, the nonprofit Humana Child Aid Society started operating alternative learning centers in plantations in Lahad Datu in 1991. It provides basic informal education that serves Indonesian and Filipino children, children of the Bajau Laut (an ethnic group of Malay origin whose members have for centuries lived out their lives almost entirely at sea, plying a tract of ocean between Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia), construction workers, drivers and plantation workers. Of the 10,000 children in their schools, 1,500 are Filipinos.

Beyond ceasefire toward more uncertainty

While the Aquino administration and the Kirams fight it out in the media, the glaring truth is, many of those displaced by the standoff face more uncertainty.

Not exactly OFWs or overseas Filipino workers because they left using the backdoor without registering with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, the halaw cannot qualify for emergency assistance and face the difficult task of reintegration.

The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) has set up emergency desks that are expected to provide about P20,000 to 30,000 in financial assistance to families arriving from Sabah but with no homes, no work and nowhere to go.

The uncertainty can be difficult to bear. And sooner or later, many of those who arrive will find ways to go back to Sabah not only for work but because they have left family behind in the mad dash for safety.

The children, on the other hand, while born to Filipino parents have never set foot in Mindanao and, worse, are not even considered Filipino. Onsite birth registration centers from National Statistics Office and an inter agency team from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education and the NCMF would be helpful to assess their emotional, health and educational needs.

Already, talks abound that an emergency Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program where conditional cash transfers will be provided to those arriving from Sabah is being put in place by the DSWD. But with 400,000 irregulars coming from Malaysia, will this be a tenable solution?

Beyond the registration and CCTs, government should look at facilities at the Zamboanga, Bongao, and Sulu ports for health centers, shelter units and alternative learning centers for these children and their families.

Moreover, multilateral organizations such as United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration would best look at their portfolios to look at realigning their 2013 budgets toward becoming more responsive to this vulnerable group's needs.

With the numbers expected to increase as the standoff continues, local government units at the receiving end of newly arrived, displaced Filipinos should also be assisted in improving their capacities to address the increasing needs of their “new constituency.”

(Cherry Joy Veniles has more than 10 years experience in Filipino migration and was head of the Policy Planning and Research Division of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is Latin for "true.")

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Filipino refugees claim of police brutality in Sulu roundup

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 ― Thousands of Filipinos are reportedly fleeing Sabah for the Philippines, gripped with fear over horror tales of torture and violence allegedly used by the Malaysian police on Suluks and suspected followers of the Kiram clan.

Refugees interviewed by The Philippine Daily Inquirer yesterday claimed they fled their homes in east Malaysia after witnessing aggressive acts used by authorities here during widespread operations to flush out the Sulu invaders earlier this week.

One refugee said Filipino men were dragged from their homes and beaten, then forced to run while the police shot arbitrarily at them, even after they produced immigration documents to prove their stay in Malaysia was valid.

Reports have also reached the self-proclaimed Sulu “Sultan” Jamalul Kiram III, whose brother Agbimuddin Kiram is leading the armed incursion in Sabah, that Malaysians of Tausug descent were being singled out in the operations and brutalised at the hands of the police, including those who held MyKads.

The Tausug are also known as the Suluk people, who come from Sulu in the Philippines.

“[The Malaysians] claim they are enforcing maximum tolerance, but there’s no truth to that. Instead, maximum violence is what’s happening. Even women, pregnant women, and children are being fired upon by Malaysian forces,” Jamalul’s daughter, “princess” Jacel Kiram, was quoted as saying in a report on Manila Standard Today.

The Sultanate’s spokesman, Abraham Idjirani, claimed that a pregnant woman, who was rounded up during the operation, even went into labour while under arrest in Kampung Tanduo, Lahad Datu, where the Sulu army’s hideout was at the time.

“The pregnant woman gave birth at the police station, but the newborn died shortly after… People are being manhandled by the police,” Idjirani said, according to Manila Standard Today. “They are arresting not only Filipinos and supporters of the sultanate, but also rounding up even their own citizens.”

In the Inquirer, a 32-year-old Filipino named Amira Taradji said her brother was killed at the hands of the Malaysian police during their rounding-up of suspected supporters.

“They dragged all the males outside the house, kicked and hit them,” she told the daily in a phone call from Patikul, Sulu, shortly after she arrived in the Philippines on Friday night along with some 200 other refugees.

Taradji claimed that Malaysian security forces stormed villages in the coastal constituency of Sandakan where she was staying on Monday night, and in the ordeal, her brother Jumadil was allegedly gunned down after he was forced by the police to run as fast as he could.

According to the Inquirer, officials said there are now close to 1,000 refugees who have fled Sabah for Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, while more are expected to arrive over the next few days as Malaysia continues operations flush out the Sulu invaders.

Taradji also reported of horror tales that Malaysian authorities are deliberately starving those currently detained on suspicion of their connection or support for the Sulu incursion.

“Even if you have valid immigration document, you will not be spared. If you are lucky to reach the jail, you will die of starvation because they will not feed you,” she said, according to the Inquirer.

Taradji is reportedly a MyKad holder and has lived in Sandakan since she was six-years-old, but said she still decided to flee Sabah after witnessing the use of aggression by the police on Filipinos.

Another refugee, 47-year-old Carla Manlaw, told the Inquirer that she left Sabah after news spread like wildfire through the villages that the police were rounding up Filipinos and arbitrarily shooting at them.

“My employer has no problem with having a Filipino employee. But what bothered me was the police,” she was quoted as saying.

Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin told the Inquirer that he had spoken to many of the evacuees from Sabah and was told repeatedly of the alleged abuses by the Malaysian security personnel.

“Soldiers and policemen stormed their houses and even those with legitimate working papers like passports and IC papers were not spared. These documents were allegedly torn down before their eyes. Men were told to run and were shot if they did. Those who refused were beaten black and blue. Filipinos inside the jail were executed,” he said.

“We are asking our government to investigate now. Refugees from Sandakan and Sabah share [the same] ordeals. If indeed what they have been telling us is true, then Malaysian authorities were not just targeting the Kirams in Lahad Datu,” Amin added, according to the Inquirer.

The Malaysian government repeated its stand yesterday that it will continue hunting down Sulu invaders in Lahad Datu until every single militant is flushed out of the country.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein pointed out that the militants have refused to back down despite the all-out assault on their group by Malaysian security forces, The Star Online reported.

“They have not laid down their arms unconditionally, so this will go on,” he was quoted as saying yesterday, before adding that all those on duty to clear the bodies off the gunmen must prioritise their safety.

“We heard about people saying there were booby traps on the blast sites so my advice is plan your moves properly and make sure safety is the top priority on the list,” he added.

Hishammuddin also confirmed that the current Sulu death toll was at 53 but said there may be more lives that have yet to be accounted for.

Malaysia launched an all-out assault on the Sulu group on Tuesday morning, using fighter jets to rain down bombs on Kampung Tanduo where the Sulu group had been hiding.

After the airstrike, ground troops moved in for the “mopping up” operations, going from door-to-door and advancing slowly over the uneven terrain surrounding the coastal village to hunt down the armed militants.

Despite reports of the rising number of Sulu deaths, however, the Kiram clan said on Friday it believes that only 10 of its men have fallen, suggesting the use of propaganda by Malaysia to claim success over its attack on the Filipinos.

Spokesman Idjirani said the family wanted Malaysia to permit foreign journalists, including those from the Philippines, to enter the conflict zone in Lahad Datu, Sabah, to confirm the Sulu death toll.

“You must allow the foreign and local media into the conflict areas to verify their claims. Until that is done, everything is subject to debate,” he was quoted in The Philippine Star as saying in a Friday report.

Agbimuddin last contacted his family in the Philippines at 2.30 pm Friday, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, saying he and his men were still alive and on the run but were suffering from hunger. - source

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Researchers publish open-source tool for hacking WiFi Protected Setup

On December 27, the Department of Homeland Security's Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued a warning about a vulnerability in wireless routers that use WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) to allow new devices to be connected to them. Within a day of the discovery, researchers at a Maryland-based computer security firm developed a tool that exploits that vulnerability, and has made a version available as open source.

WiFi Protected Setup, a standard created by the WiFi Alliance, is designed specifically for home and small business users of wireless networking to easily configure devices without having to enter a long password. Offered as an optional feature on WiFi routers from a number of manufacturers, it automates the setup of the WiFi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) authentication between the router and a wireless device. One of the standard's methods of establishing connection that is supported by all WPS-capable routers is the use of a personal identification number, usually printed on the wireless router itself, to authenticate the device.

But as security researcher Stefan Veihbock found and reported to US-CERT, the PIN implementation is susceptible to "brute-force" attacks because of the way routers respond to bad requests, and the nature of the PIN itself. When a PIN request fails, the message sent back to the wireless device attempting to connect contains information that can help an attacker by revealing whether the first half of the PIN is correct or not—reducing the number of guesses that an attacking system would have to make. Additionally, the last number of the PIN is a checksum for the the rest of the PIN. As a result, an attacker could get the PIN within 11,000 guesses. Veihbock demonstrated the vulnerability with a proof-of-concept tool he wrote in Python, available for download from his site.

That wouldn't be as much of a problem for security if wireless access points locked out devices after repeated bad PIN entries. But on many WPS wireless routers, there is no lockout feature. That means attackers can continue to attempt to connect at their leisure.

And unlike passwords, the PIN is something that can't usually be changed by the router's owner. That presents a huge security loophole for attackers—once they've gained the PIN, they can reconnect at will to the network, even if the administrator has changed the password or service set identifier (SSID) for the network. And on access devices that have multiple radios in them providing network connectivity for different SSIDs with different passwords, the PIN can provide access to all of the wireless networks on the router.

According to a blog post by Tactical Network Solutions' Craig Heffner, this type of attack is one that researchers at the Columbia, Maryland based security firm have been "testing, perfecting, and using for nearly a year." Now the company has released an open-source version of its tool, Reaver, which Heffner says is capable of cracking the PIN codes of routers and gaining access to their WPA2 passwords "in approximately 4 [to] 10 hours." The company also is offering a commercial version of the tool that offers features like a web interface for remote command and control, the ability to pause and resume attacks, optimized attacks for different models of wireless access points, and additional support.

The routers most vulnerable to these attacks—the ones without PIN lockout features—include products from Cisco's Linksys division, Belkin, Buffalo, Netgear, TP-Link, ZyXEL, and Technicolor. None of the vendors has issued a statement on the vulnerability, or replied to inquiries from Veihbock.

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Reaver: guide to brute forcing Wifi Protected Setup

I thought I would share how easy it is to take down a router that is vulnerable against WPS attacks like my own. Reaver is an open source tool that brute forces WPS (Wifi Protected Setup). This is the pin (usually printed on the bottom of your router) that you can use to authenticate other devices to your wireless network without typing in a password. With enough time, reaver can crack this pin and reveal the WPA or WPA2 password.

Getting Started

To get started you will need to be on Linux, you will need the aircrack suite and reaver installed, and your wireless nic will need to be put into monitor mode. I’m using Ubuntu for this post from a friends computer. You’ll notice I’ve masked some personal details in the images below to hide my router details. I’ll explain as we move along.

In Ubuntu(debian) you can install aircrack and reaver just like you install everything else.

If you need to download, and need help installing Ubuntu, you can use this page for help.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop

sudo apt-get install aircrack-ng reaver

Next you need to put your wireless card into monitor mode (mon0). I’m using an internal wireless card so my wireless interface is wlan0, however you can run ifconfig to ensure your using wlan0 or wlan1. To put your interface into monitor mode you would run the following:

sudo airmon-ng start wlan0

Next you need to obtain the unique identifier for the router you wish to crack. Here’s a screenshot of me running airodump to grab my access points bssid. Masked for privacy reasons but you get the point.

airodump-ng mon0

Now you can start up reaver.

reaver -i moninterface -b bssid -vv

Now reaver runs for a while, trying to bruteforce the WPS pin.

In After about 2 hours, reaver hits my pin and gives up the password for the router. In the screenshot I re-run reaver with my pin used first to save time. And that’s it. It’s that easy.

If you need any help with the commands you can ask for help, or read the man pages.

command --help
reaver --help
wash --help
man reaver

Protecting yourself

The easiest way to protect yourself is to turn WPS off, however some routers don’t have an option to turn it off, and some routers are still vulnerable even if the feature is turned off. Personally I would recommend using a third party firmware on your router like DD-WRT. DD-WRT doesnt support WPS, so no worries there.

Further reading:

If your looking to learn more about wireless hacking and reaver here are some links I would suggest.

http://www.aircrack-ng.org – aircrack suite

http://code.google.com/p/reaver-wps/ – Reaver webpage, also has a point and click commercial version.

Here is a spreadsheet of vulnerable routers, i’m not sure how current this is so the best route to see if your (or others) router is vulnerable will be to use reavers “wash” tool.

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Bajau Severely Abused During Interrogation?

KOTA KINABALU: The family of one of the security personnel accused of aiding the armed group of Filipinos and detained, Corporal Hassan Ali Basari claims he is being severely abused during interrogation and should be released.

They are concerned about his health and fear he is being denied medical attention.

The family also claimed that Hassan was forced to admit that he had conspired with the armed terrorists, and was being blamed for the deaths of the eight policemen, web news portal The Borneo Insider reported.

Hassan, a member of the Special Branch, was first detained on Monday and then again on Friday on suspicions of corruption.

Detained along with Hassan was one Maritime Enforcement Agency personnel and two Navy personnel stationed in Semporna.

The Borneo Insider quoted his nephew Salleh Berindi Othman as saying that the family became concerned after not hearing from him and rumours circulated that he was somehow involved with the Filipino group who had taken over Kg Tanduo in Lahad Datu and attacked and killed six policemen in Semporna.

Salleh lodged the police report at the Tanjung Aru police station here on Friday because he believed that his uncle has been wrongly detained and that he had been abused while in detention.

He said after being given the run-around for several days, he was finally allowed to meet his uncle at the Kepayan police headquarters.

“An officer told us that we could not speak to one another in our mother tongue, which is Bajau Semporna, when conversing with Hassan.

“We were also warned not to take any pictures during the meeting, as it was evident our uncle had bruises on his body,” he told reporters after lodging the police report.

“I hope the police will conduct a thorough investigation on my report and I also hope that they will allow my uncle to obtain treatment at the hospital,” he said.

Allegations out of sync

Recalling the family’s plight, he said he tried calling his uncle on March 3 but his calls went unanswered.

The Special Branch office in Lahad Datu then informed him that his uncle had gone to Kepayan in Kota Kinabalu for duty.

“But the next day when I went to the office in Kepayan, I was told that he had been detained and that nobody is allowed to see him,” said Salleh.

However on Friday, Salleh said someone from the Kepayan police headquarters phoned him and said that the family could meet his uncle.

Accompanied by his brother, Abdul Fattah Othman and Hassan’s daughter, Maryati, they rushed to Kepayan and met the Special Branch officer who has been a policeman for 40 years and is now said to be a member of the anti-terrorist unit.

The family cites his commendations by superiors and excellence awards as being out of sync with the allegations.

Salleh also said that his uncle told him that the investigating team could not find any evidence against him.

Hassan is being investigated under Section 130C of the Penal Code for allegedly giving information and being involved in the planning and intrusion of Kg Tanduo by the armed group of Filipino current being pursued by security forces.

Family members have demanded the police to either release Hassan or to charge him for any crime he has committed.

Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar has said that police have detained 79 people under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (or SOSMA) 2012. - source

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Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper: 8 Serious Health Issues You Can Easily Avoid

Cayenne pepper has never been as popular as it is now. And the reason is quite simple: not many people knew about the health benefits of cayenne pepper. Today it is added to foods and even some drinks to improve heart health, eliminate cancer risks and cure diabetes. But first things first.

Let’s talk about its nutritional value. FYI, cayenne pepper is rich in vitamins A, B and C, calcium, potassium and a great number of minerals. Vitamin C, for example, keeps one’s immune system strong, whereas vitamin B assists in stress elimination and A – in the epithelial tissue reproduction.

Calcium that is contained in cayenne pepper, works not only for bones and teeth strengthening, but also as a pain reliever. Potassium keeps the body tissues in optimum health.

Prevent Cancer with Cayenne Pepper

Did you know that cayenne pepper contains capsaicin, which assists in elimination of cancer cells? This is why this product treats cancers of lungs, prostate gland, pancreas and leukemia.

Eat to Protect Your Heart

Health benefits of this pepper for one’s heart are really multiple. According to the latest researches, cayenne pepper can reduce blood cholesterol and:

• lower blood pressure
• inhibit dietary cholesterol absorption
• reduce bad cholesterol levels (LDL cholesterol)
• cure abnormal heart rhythms

It Works for Proper Digestion

Health Benefits of Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne is helpful in the process of stomach tissues rebuilding. It also helps intestines to function properly. If you consume it regularly, it assists your body in getting rid of waste and creating hydrochloric acid that is important for proper digestion. As the digestive system helps the human body function in a proper way, cayenne is one of essential products to be consumed.

Cayenne Pepper for Diabetes

Diabetic conditions can also be treated with cayenne pepper. Capsicum that is extracted from cayenne pepper is used for depletion of substance-p in the pancreas, which makes the islet cells start working again and producing insulin.

Though cayenne pepper has been used as a folk remedy for many years, it is finally a scientifically approved cure.

Anti-Cold Agent

If you have flu or cold, cayenne pepper may assist in breaking up congested mucus and getting it moving. There is also one popular opinion that when dissolved in water and gargled, it relieves sore throat symptoms. This happens due to the fact cayenne pepper contains much vitamin C and performs as an antioxidant. It also has vitamins that assist in avoiding mucous membrane infections. The result is such that the pain is lessened by capsaicin, which reduces the substance that transmits signals to one’s brain.

No Heartburn

There are certain foods that lead to heartburn. This is the condition that mostly occurs in those, who like spicy foods. However, if you want to treat the condition that brings discomfort, you’d better try cayenne pepper.

Blood Clots Prevention and Treatment

Cayenne pepper is helpful in the process of blood clots prevention and treatment. It reduces atherosclerosis and encourages fibrinolytic activity, thus preventing blood clots formation. If their formation is prevented, a person can successfully avoid chances of stroke and heart attacks.

Improve Your Cardiovascular Health

Here is another cayenne pepper benefit. The spice regulates one’s high blood pressure, thus keeping one’s heart healthy. Why not try this natural remedy and refuse from a bunch of chemical solutions?

Knowing health benefits of cayenne pepper, you can use it to improve your health and prolong life.

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10 Health Benefits of Blueberries

What to say, berries are low in calories, full of vitamins/minerals and high in fiber. Consequently, they help your body to function more than normally. Thus, 1 cup of blueberries can offer a certain amount of vitamin C, as well as a plenty of phytochemicals and minerals.

Of course, you can choose other berries, though with similar nutrition. But no currants, gooseberries and lingonberries can compete with ‘blue berries’. Beautiful blue and red hue pigments are so good for your health that you can probably prevent any disease! Blueberries contribute to curing bladder infections, several types of cancers and poor vision. Those berries can be found in the section of frozen foods, but they are still delicious and nutritious.

Dried fruits can be used in other recipes, as far as raisins benefit the same! By the way, blueberries are sweet enough to be served simply as they are. Nevertheless, you may get some additional ideas, how to enjoy their unbelievable taste and aroma. Anyway, they are above words, in terms of health!

Blueberries: Some Amazing Facts

1. In terms of fruit consumption, blueberries rank 2nd to strawberries in popularity.
2. These berries have probably the highest antioxidant capacities, speaking of all fruits & vegetables, spices & seasonings.
3. The fruit provides you with either the best flavor or the greatest nutritional benefits.
4. They have been enjoyed by Americans for hundreds of years. However, the world cuisines enjoy them significantly.
5. You can freeze blueberries without any damage to their delicate antioxidants. They include different types of anthocyanins, which are colorful pigments, giving wonderful shades of purple/blue/red.
6. All those antioxidants are great news for people who grow, buy or pick fresh blueberries.
7. Along with other berries, they definitely have a favorable impact on type 2 diabetes. That’s why it’s great to see them providing those health benefits for blood sugar regulation.
8. After all, you might be surprised about the blueberries’ number in 1 cup! The average weight of a small blueberry is close to 1-2 grams. That means a weighed cup is worth 100-150 wild berries!
9. If you want to know how many nutrients are in 1 cup, here you are: vitamin K 36%, manganese 25%, vitamin C 24% and fiber 14%.

Health Benefits of Blueberries: Super Status

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries have reached a unique status in terms of their health-supportive benefits. Most properties are associated with phytonutrient content. All phytonutrients function as antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds in your body. They are responsible for well-documented health benefits from regular consumption of these berries. So, blueberries:

• protect from oxidative stress of cardiovascular system.
• reduce damage to muscles from extra exercising.
• show antioxidant protection of blood sugar regulatory system and digestive tract.
• improve blood fat balances, including total cholesterol and blood itself.
• decrease the risk of inflammation.
• support healthy blood pressure.
• improve cognitive function of memory and fight aging.
• maintain the work of nerve cells.
• favorably impact the retina, protect from its unwanted oxygen damage, particularly sunlight and oxidative stress.
• focus on anti-cancer benefits.

To make a conclusion, blueberries are real nutritional stars, which burst with nutrition, flavor and low calories. Just try those fruits and you’ll not regret!

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Health Benefits of Broccoli

The Health Benefits of Broccoli, or 100% Nutritional Wonder in Your Diet

Eating broccoli is always a good idea, our parents are right. The 1st thing to remember is that it packs the most nutritional collection of any vegetable. Among the broccoli’s noteworthy nutrients are vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber. Thus, the veggie calcium content almost equals a glass of milk, being a perfect alternative for those, who cannot consume dairy products. Except building strong bones, this mineral controls high blood pressure and prevents colon cancer.

Beta-carotene (in the form of vitamin A) is also an important antioxidant, which reduces the risk of cataracts and heart diseases. In fact, broccoli is a fiber of both types: insoluble and soluble. The story of success goes on with numerous protective substances and other health bonuses. So, let’s discover a famous member of the cabbage family: cruciferous vegetable broccoli!

Miracle Broccoli: What Else Could You Ask for?

1. Nervous System & Muscles – High amounts of potassium maintain your healthy nervous system, as well as optimal brain function. Besides, broccoli promotes regular muscle growth.
2. Blood Pressure – Magnesium and calcium regulate your blood pressure.
3. Antioxidant Power – This is a powerful antioxidant, because of huge vitamin C concentrations, carotenoids and others. For example, vitamin C fights against free radicals and eases the discomfort of common cold.
4. Bone Health – Both calcium and vitamin K are important for your bone health and osteoporosis prevention.
5. Sun Damage – Broccoli works wonders with different skin conditions, due to repairing substances. No wonder that the vegetable is strongly recommended for eczema.
6. Health Benefits of Broccoli
7. Immune System – Just 100 g of this cabbage representative boosts your immune system with a powerful dose of beta-carotene. As for such trace minerals as zinc and selenium, they strengthen immune defense actions.
8. Cancer Prevention – Broccoli contains anti-cancer and antioxidant compounds plus anti-carcinogens, which also boost liver function! Needless to say why all cruciferous vegetables are must-have foods several times a week. They are directly linked to your lower rates of cancer, especially cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
9. Diet Support means high levels of fiber, helping in digestion, preventing constipation, maintaining low blood sugar, controlling diabetes, curbing overeating.
10. Cholesterol Reduction – The same as many other whole foods, broccoli’s fiber draws out cholesterol.
11. Eye & Heart Health – Carotenoids prevent macular degeneration and cataracts, being essential for both color and low-light vision too. Vitamin A also fights against heart disease and stroke, while B6 and folate reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
12. Allergy & Inflammation – Anti-inflammatory phyto-nutrients and omega 3 fatty acids lessen all the harmful impact of allergic and other substances on your body.
13. Detoxification – A special combination of phytonutrients controls detox processes at a genetic level.
14. Metabolism of vitamin D – Broccoli is an unusually good source of vitamins K and A, required for keeping your vitamin D balance proper.

Conclusion

Well, love it or hate it, but ‘broccolo’ (from Italian) is extremely good for you. This is your healthy friend from ancient Roman times, proudly cultivated in the New World. The healthiest way of cooking broccoli is steaming, for maximum nutrition and flavor. But both cooked and raw vegetables make good additions to your healthy meal plan. Today this veggie is at the forefront of truly global consciousness. Yes, it is hard to argue that broccoli pretends to be one of the healthiest foods you can eat.

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Biotin for Hair Growth

Biotin for Hair Growth 5 Primer Sources of Biotin for the Beauty of Your Locks

Biotin is found in many cosmetic products and there’s no wonder about that: it improves hair condition, making it stronger, longer, thicker and glossy. You may say there are lots of products with other ingredients that lead to the same result, BUT when speaking about biotin, one should never forget its primer benefit – it is a natural element, which can be found not only in shampoos and conditioners, but also in foods we eat daily. Choose biotin for hair growth and find out what it is like to have great hair without any chemical application.

Biotin Deficiency

Vitamin H, or biotin as it is now referred to, is one of the most important vitamins for proper hair growth. It plays a rather great role in maintaining the levels of blood sugar and ensuring a normal body’s energy cycle.

It’s hard to state that its deficiency is a common condition, as biotin is present in lots of products. When the deficiency occurs, it mainly affects those people, who have had parts of stomach removed or in people, who have an increased need for it (pregnant women, patients healing from wounds and injuries).

An average adult needs about 30 micrograms of biotin daily. To get the needed amount he/she shouldn’t look for additional supplements, but normalize a diet plan and include more biotin-rich foods.

Where is Biotin Found?

Let’s start with natural sources, and not well-advertised commercial products offered by today’s market. You’re going to be surprised, but this vitamin is present in almost all products we consume daily. If you are aiming at preventing hair loss, consider the following list of foods:

• Liver and kidney. Specialists say that 3 ounces of cooked liver contain the daily amount of biotin a person needs. The question you should ask is “When was the last time I ate liver?”. Of course, let’s take into account the fact that most people can stand the way liver smells and tastes. In this case they should look for alternative sources: salmon, pork, halibut, etc.
• Biotin for Hair Growth
• Eggs. A single egg contains a great amount of biotin, which is primarily found in yolk. Raw white also contains the vitamin, but it also has the enzymes that reduce the ability of the body for Biotin consumption. When you’re cooking an egg, enzymes separate.
• Nuts (mainly almond and walnut) contain the vitamin as well. In addition to biotin, these nuts are also rich in omega-3 fatty acids that cure the dry skin of scalp, giving one’s hair a shiny appearance.
• Wheat products should be considered as well. It is hard to believe, but a whole wheat bread has about 6 micrograms of biotin. Don’t forget about oats as they are another good grain source of biotin.
• To other biotin-rich foods belong soy, red beet, spinach, cabbage, mushrooms, beans and Swiss chard.

How Does Biotin Shampoo Work?

When used regularly, biotin shampoos work in three main directions. They:

• make hair stronger
• treat disorders
• promote healthy growth

Biotin strengthens brittle hair that is about to fall out. When composed of biotin and protein, it becomes healthy and strong. Biotin-based shampoos help to regrow lost hair. The vitamin the shampoo contains penetrates the scalp, improving not only the appearance of hair, but also scalp skin.

People worldwide benefit from the usage of such shampoos and conditioners, because they strengthen hair follicles and promote healthy growth. The absence of split ends and hair breakage are additional benefits to consider. In 2 months one notices that the hair is a lot thicker and fuller.

If a person doesn’t suffer from biotin deficiency, shampoos won’t help. The body will not store it, so there is no need to count on long-term benefits.

However, don’t rely on shampoos only, if you want to improve your hair. Eat more biotin-rich products and eliminate stress. Only in this case biotin for hair growth will be a beneficial option.

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Health Benefits of Grapes

Health Benefits of Grapes: Their 3 Varieties to Power Your Organism

In many cultures and since centuries grapes have been regarded “the queen of fruits.” Do you know that these are berries (!) in clusters botanically? Anyway, this is so beautiful and juicy wonder by nature, which also comes as a real storehouse of health.

Today, grapes are widely cultivated all over the world, giving us pleasure of tasting that semi-translucent flesh in smooth skin. Interestingly, but there are white/green, red/purple and blue/black varieties of these fruits, either with edible seeds, or seedless. The color means presence of different pigments.

The most amazing is that antioxidant compounds of grapes are densely concentrated on their skin and seeds! Commercially, they are grown for various purposes: eating as fresh table fruit or as dried raisin/currant/sultana, and using in wine production. So, you have a wide choice how to get all the health benefits of grapes.

What’s Useful to Know about Grapes?

• Grapes, eaten/used in recipes, are ‘table’ grapes. They are opposed to ‘wine’ grapes, which are used in viniculture; as well as ‘raisin’ grapes, used to make dried fruits.
• Grapes’ intake has long been connected with a better blood sugar balance, and thus, better insulin regulation.
• Several grape phytonutrients play a proven role in longevity and healthy aging.
• Only a few fruits have deserved as much attention in health researches as grapes.
• Grapes are present in all the diets worldwide.
• Except Antarctica, grapes are cultivated on every continent.
• Grapes can boast of probably the most amazing nutrient composition, which provides all the body systems with benefits (cardiovascular/respiratory/immune system/inflammatory/blood sugar regulating/nervous systems).

6 Key Benefits of Grapes: Enjoy & Stay Healthy

1. Grapes are rich in powerful antioxidants, which protect against colon/prostate/breast cancers, heart/nerve/Alzheimer’s diseases and viral/fungal infections. Such constituent as resveratrol reduces stroke risks, elevates high blood pressure and relaxes blood vessels. Anthocyanins are some other type of antioxidants, abundantly present in red grapes. Those phyto-chemicals have an anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-allergic and anti-cancer activity. As for catechins in white/green grapes, they also possess health-protective functions.
2. Grapes are very low in calories and provide 0 cholesterol levels.
3. Grapes are rich in copper, iron, manganese, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, carotenes, vitamin C, A, K and B-complex vitamins.
4. Grapes treat constipation, kidney disorders, fatigue, cataract, asthma, migraine.
5. Grapes contain flavonoids that reduce free radical damage and aging.
6. Grapes provide instant energy, boost the immune system, enhance brain health, bring down cholesterol levels, protect from infections and viruses.

As you can see, grapes play an essential role preventing numerous disorders and diseases, being used as a tasty home remedy all year round.

A Few Rules on Selection, Storage & Serving For More Amazing Nutrient Composition

• Choose fresh grapes, which feature plump, free from cracks/leaking juice, and firmly attached to a green stem.
• Buy ripened grapes: green – with a slight yellowish hue; red – with a pinkish-red hue; blue-black – with deep and rich color.
• Always store grapes in the fridge, washed and wrapped in a paper towel. This way, the fruit will keep fresh for several days.
• Wash grapes in cold water for a couple of minutes and a few times. Pat dry with a soft cloth.
• If not consuming the whole bunch at once, separate it into clusters. Thus, you’ll prevent the stem from drying out.

Well, all the wealth of healthy benefits in grapes is somewhat indescribable! Just eat them and forget about diseases.

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10 Health Benefits of Celery

10 Health Benefits of Celery: What about High-Nutrition & Low-Cal Powerfood?

‘What’s so beneficial in celery?’ you may ask. Well, first of all, you protect your digestive tract against inflammation the very next moment you’re eating this veggie. Then, in addition to inflammatories you are getting loads of painkillers, antioxidants, anti-ulcer compounds and sedatives.

This speaks for itself, doesn’t it? As a result, a vegetable offers huge support for your cells and blood vessels, as well as organ systems. Generally, 100 g or 1 cup of celery contains vitamin K, A, B, C, potassium, fiber, manganese, calcium and magnesium. By the way, as far the veggie stalk is 95% water, there are 0 calories in it.

As you can see, it’s a good and just excellent food source of nutrition. So, enjoy celery seeds, root, leafy stalks, oil, and juice – in short, the whole food itself!

Amazing Celery & Its 10 Healthy Links to You

• Antioxidant & anti-inflammatory support – Numerous substances in the vegetable decrease the risk of oxidative damage to body and blood vessel walls. Besides, any inflammatory reaction in the digestive tract and liver is prevented. The most interesting aspect here is that while growing, celery produces specific antioxidants in great amounts. This way, the veggie responds to stress and becomes protected in natural living conditions. But, being chopped on your kitchen countertop, it still increases the production of phytonutrients for the same reason!
• Digestive tract protection – Your stomach gets special benefits, including improved integrity of the lining, decreased risk of ulcer, better control of secretions, and constipation relief. Hungarians have been using this vegetable to calm indigestion for ages.
• Health Benefits of Celery
• Cardiovascular benefits of celery mean no oxidative stress and bloodstream inflammation. In fact, they are both critical in the development of most cardiovascular diseases, particularly atherosclerosis. Researchers have identified that this vegetable acts as a smooth muscle relaxant. As a result, such relaxation of muscles around blood vessels helps to avoid high blood pressure.
• Fighting bad breath, or ‘halitosis’ – Celery seems to be custom made for it. Chewing this vegetable stalk is helpful in 2 ways: (1) its roughness scrubs bacteria from the tongue back and (2) its natural fiber assists in teeth cleaning. In short, this is like using some edible toothbrush.
• Treatment of bladder infections is associated with celery seeds. They improve the quality and quantity of urine, being a useful diuretic for different urinary tract infections.
• Migraines, bursitis & various inflammatory conditions will definitely benefit from celery in the diet. Two of the best known natural ‘miracle aspirin’ are celery and its seeds, which contain high amounts of painkillers.
• Fungal infections in check – Celery naturally resists to pathogens during storage, due to a melting pot of fungicides. So, if being prone to microbe infection, eat a celery stalk every day.
• Hay fever & Asthma can be relieved with this top vegetable from the list of proven allergy helpers.
• Menopausal symptoms – Phytochemicals of all the celery family are mildly estrogenic herbs. These compounds are extremely good for menopausal hot flashes, along with preventing heart disease and osteoporosis.
• Pneumonia – This is a vegetable, well-known for stimulating the immune system and fighting bacteria, viruses and inflammation.

Well, now you may think of how to enjoy multi-beneficial celery. In fact, it can be eaten raw or cooked, whole or in parts, juiced or in recipes. The experts say that juicing is probably the best way to get all the health benefits of celery. Even if you do not like its specific taste, add the veggie to other fruit & vegetables, and you won’t even notice it!

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10 Health Benefits of Carrot Juice

10 Health Benefits of Carrot Juice, or Why Choose This ‘Golden Drink of Healing’?

It’s a matter of common knowledge that juicing is one’s fast track to good health. Besides, this process allows us to take in more vegetables at once, as we cannot eat tons of raw and cooked vegetables all the time. More so, liquid vegetable mass is easily assimilated. In other words, juices are ideal solution for daily solving of health problems.

Carrots are really great as a base for regular fresh vegetable juice. What is more important, it’s unbelievably nutritious and healing by itself. So, get a bunch of carrots, and juice them with apples, celery or beets. Don’t store the carrot juice, better drink it immediately! Now, you are ready to find out how many benefits you’ve drunk.

Let’s Drink Juices! Discover 8 Health Benefits of Carrot Ambrosia

• Actually, there is 1 main nutrient in carrot juice: beta-carotene. This is an antioxidant, which helps to improve your vision. Why, have you ever seen rabbits in glasses? The thing is that they just love carrots! So, the old myth that carrots help you see better is absolutely true. Also, beta carotenes maintain epithelial tissues, which surround your internal organs and control cancerous growths. Yes, carrots do help in keeping cancer away. In addition, beta carotene gives the body essential vitamins A, B and E.
• As far as carrots are those deep soil root vegetables, they can absorb an abundance of minerals. Carrot juice is a drinkable source of potassium. Its deficiencies are bad for your body, resulting in acne, dry skin, muscle spasms and high cholesterol levels.
• When juiced, carrots have perfect regenerative capacities. Drinking their juice either cleanses or restores your liver. That’s why this drink has been called the ‘golden juice of healing qualities.’
• Juicing from carrots is probably the healthiest lifestyle choice possible. The proven health benefits of those vegetables are: reproductive health, eyesight health, bone health, teeth health, liver health, nail health, skin health and hair health. Well, drinking carrot juice contributes to different parts of your body.

Mega Carrot Beverage: A Few Tips

• The darker color is the carrot, the more carotene it has.
• Carrots taste surprisingly sweet, because of high concentration of natural sugar. So, people with diabetes should drink the juice carefully.
• 8 ounces of carrot juice contain: 800% of daily vitamin A dosage; 35% of recommended vitamin C; 10% of potassium intake level; 6% of needed calcium.
• Pure carrot juice is an extremely low calorie drink. That’s why it is an excellent helper for weight loss. If you are a dieter, athlete or weightlifter, carrot juicing + dairy blending will be true protein power.

Why Must You Drink Carrot Juice?

1. It will do good for your overall health and such organs as skin and eyes, digestive system and teeth.
2. You will purify and revitalize your blood.
3. You will keep your blood pressure and blood sugar under control.
4. You will reduce cholesterol, blood clots and heart diseases.
5. You will kill harmful germs in your mouth and prevent your tooth decay.
6. You will help your digestion and prevent gastric disorders.
7. You will reduce the risk of cancers.
8. If you are a mother, you will improve the quality of your breast milk.
9. Having periods, you will increase your menstrual flow.
10. You will improve your skin/hair/nails appearance, as well as your eyesight.

Let’s conclude that carrot juice is a real wonder, with powerful healing virtues for many diseases. Just start loving it! Remember that a glass of this juice daily will benefit you much more than a whole bottle of supplement tablets!

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Baking Soda Teeth Whitening

If you are looking for an exact answer to the question “Does baking soda whiten teeth?”, then YES, it does whiten them. From the 18th century it has been used as the primer cleaning agent, and now it is an ingredient in the majority of modern toothpastes we’re using.

How does it work? When it is dissolved, it scrapes off the brown and yellow stains that form in all people due to wear and age. Soda’s free radicals work not only from the outside, but also penetrate the teeth’s enamel and work lightening the stains from the inside, thus giving a much whiter appearance to one’s teeth.

Speaking about Its Chemical Structure…

What are the secret compounds of baking soda that make it both very effective and rather safe? From the chemical point of view, this product has a pretty weak base – amphoteric – which means it reacts to both bases and stains. This is why baking soda becomes perfect in acids neutralizing purposes. A good dentist always uses it to eliminate bacteria that can destroy tooth enamel, if it is not treated and cared in a proper way.

Having a mild abrasive, it removes surface stains carefully, and possessing polishing agents (dicalcium phosphate and hydrated silica), it eliminates teeth stains. Its crystals are really unique: they can be easily dissolved in water and are able to penetrate much deeper into the grooves of one’s teeth, which can’t be done by other abrasives.

However, tooth stains removal is far not everything baking soda is capable of. It also helps with a number of tooth problems and the effects they lead to, including sores, toothache and gingivitis. If you feel constant discomfort because of bad breath, clean teeth with baking soda and soon you’ll forget about this sort of problem.

6 Ways to Clean Teeth with Baking Soda

If you want to have white teeth, brushing them with a regular toothbrush is not enough. Use baking soda as well. It’ll remove plaque, freshen your breath and prevent tooth decay. It can be used alone or combined with other natural products to ensure a better effect.

Baking soda and vinegar

This is perhaps one of the most effective teeth cleaning solutions. To use it you are to mix a pinch of baking soda, some salt and just a few drops of white vinegar. Brush your teeth with the mixture, using a regular toothbrush.

Baking soda and lemon juice

Another simple method is mixing baking soda with some lemon juice. Why lemon? It is known for high Vitamin C content and bleaching properties. Having made the paste, apply it for 3 minutes and then simply rinse your mouth with water. NB. A rather frequent usage of this paste harms enamel coating. That’s why make sure you use it not more than once per month.

Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide

Be careful, choosing this very cleaning option. You are not to mix these two ingredients, but only dip your toothbrush into hydrogen peroxide before dipping it into baking soda. This adds to the whitening effect.

Baking soda and toothpaste

This is the simplest way to go. Mix equal amounts of toothpaste and baking soda to make a paste. Brush your teeth with the made solution for 2-3 minutes and rinse with water.

Baking soda and salt

If the previous option is considered to be the simplest, this one is the safest. Add three teaspoons of baking soda to one teaspoon of salt, mix and apply to teeth. Wait for 3 minutes and rinse. How does it help? It assists in getting rid of stains that are caused by excessive coffee or tea drinking, or by smoking.

Baking soda and strawberries

Surprised? Who could possibly tell this is an effective teeth cleaning solution? However, it is true. You need one fresh ripe strawberry, mashed into a pulp. Mix it with baking soda, dip your toothbrush into the paste and then brush your teeth for 2-3 minutes.

Rinse with water.

Does baking soda whiten teeth? Yes, it really does, but using it regularly isn’t a good idea. Frequent use contributes to worn off enamel. Choose any of the above described options and follow the recommendations once per month to ensure health, strength and beauty of your teeth.

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D-Link DIR-615 DD-WRT Firmware Flashing

Here I want to share an example of a D-Link DIR-615 how to flash the popular alternative DD-WRT router firmware. Basically, you should bring some experience in dealing with firmware updates. One of the golden rules: If you are not absolutely sure of what you're doing, leave it! I extended countless router with DD-WRT. Rarely there are problems. To destruction, it is not gone too! Check out the tutorial at your leisure. If you need help at some point, just let me know.

First, we determine if the existing model is at all compatible. In this case it is a D-Link DIR-615 router. We get the best data on the nameplate: Important here is the hardware version.

By knowing the hardware version of the D-Link DIR-615  we may now proceed to DD-Wrt database router and enter the last three characters of our model.

Here we must take special care to choose the correct hardware version! An incorrect version can possibly transform the barely functioning router into a paperweight 1A, inshort we may bricked the device by loading the improper firmware to D-Link DIR-615 !

There is a special version (initial flashing) for flashing the DD-Wrt firmware. If there is such a version for your model, choose the smallest existing version (size) of the DD-Wrt firmware. Save the file, and then we go. Open the web interface of your router. In the model shown here, D-Link, select the item maintenance / firmware update.

Next, "Select file" to the point, we open the saved firmware file.

Then, Select the previously saved firmware file and press Open.

By clicking "Upload" the flash starts. During the flash process, you should leave the router alone. Connect. Example to any network cables or pull out what

You see, as long as the flash process is running, a status page.

During Falshvorgangs not the current should be separated! This could mean the demise of the router.

After the end of the flash process, there is a error message in the browser. The dd-wrt firmware used in the standard configuration a different IP range.

Now we can use the router by entering the default DD-Wrt IP address http://192.168.1.1. We are asked to change the user name and password. In this example, the username "admin" and "+? / M3in-75" the password (without the ""). Then click on "Change Password".

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TMnet D-Link DIR-615 Username Password

The default username/password combinations for TMnet DIR-615 routers between firmware versions 7.01 to 7.05b are :

Username : admin
Password :             ( you can not see because there is no password at all )

Username : admin
Password : telekom
However, there is also a secondary account which must have its password changed in order to fully secure your network :

Username : operator
Password : telekom

Username : operator
Password : h566UniFi

Username : operator
Password : (your Unifi username in reverse order)

Firmware 7.12 and above :

Username : Management
Password : TestingR2

Download TMnet D-Link version 7.15 firmware here

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config.bin reader/editor

This is small tool which can convert config.bin format used in ArmA to human readable config.cpp. It has been tested extensively with Xbox version which should use same config.bin format but until amazon.de delivers my own ArmA, I can't guarantee ArmA will accept resulting files - they look valid to me however.

Download from FTP #1: ArmA UnBIN tool          Download from FTP #2: ArmA UnBIN tool

Mod writers might find this tool useful to take a sneak peek at config file structure since there is no official commented config out yet. I know there are few tools that can open ArmA config.bin out already, but this one comes with full source code for those that might want to customize it to their needs.  Update; an alternative tool to config-explorer it Laza you can get it from mediafire here.

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D-Link DIR-615 Snap Review

The DIR-615 looks very similar to the router bundled in the DKT-810 kit, except that this model works with cable Internet connections rather than ADSL, and the router only has two antennas.

Fortunately, it uses the same friendly CD-based setup wizard, so it's quick and painless to get your Internet connection working and a secure wireless network up and running.

D-Link DIR-615 Specification here  User Manual pdf

The web-based management tool is the same, too. This looks great, but some of the more advanced options, such as QoS, are tricky and a little confusing to set up correctly.

Performance using our Centrino laptop was very good. Throughput of 20.14Mbit/sec at one metre from the router was very quick, and 11.74Mbit/sec at 25 metres indicated that range wasn't a problem. You should be able to get good reception anywhere inside the average home.

Switching to the same-brand DWA-410 USB adaptor (around £38) was disappointing, though. At one metre we managed 46Mbit/sec, which is great, but we couldn't get a signal at 25 metres, no matter how many settings we tweaked manually.

While Draft-n performance wasn't as good as we'd hoped, this router is fine if you just want to share an Internet connection wirelessly with your Centrino laptop. If you're looking for fast file sharing or video streaming, Buffalo's Nfiniti is a better choice.

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D-Link DIR-615 Default Username Password

The DIR-615 looks very similar to the router bundled in the DKT-810 kit, except that this model works with cable Internet connections rather than ADSL, and the router only has two antennas.

Default router settings
IP: 192.168.0.1
Username: "admin"
Password: " " (leave the field blank)

Fortunately, it uses the same friendly CD-based setup wizard, so it's quick and painless to get your Internet connection working and a secure wireless network up and running.

The web-based management tool is the same, too. This looks great, but some of the more advanced options, such as QoS, are tricky and a little confusing to set up correctly.

Performance using our Centrino laptop was very good. Throughput of 20.14Mbit/sec at one metre from the router was very quick, and 11.74Mbit/sec at 25 metres indicated that range wasn't a problem. You should be able to get good reception anywhere inside the average home.

Switching to the same-brand DWA-410 USB adaptor (around £38) was disappointing, though. At one metre we managed 46Mbit/sec, which is great, but we couldn't get a signal at 25 metres, no matter how many settings we tweaked manually.

While Draft-n performance wasn't as good as we'd hoped, this router is fine if you just want to share an Internet connection wirelessly with your Centrino laptop. If you're looking for fast file sharing or video streaming, Buffalo's Nfiniti is a better choice.

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Asean all quiet on the Sabah Issue

Amid the spiraling chaos in Lahad Datu, Sabah, a crucial question has been raised which no one has yet explored: What can the Association of Southeast Asian Nations do? The answer is, put plainly and simply, nothing.

Asean is an intergovernmental organization. It emerged in the era of decolonization and postwar politics and was hence a pact among newly minted states who wanted to distance themselves from their colonial masters and build their nations in conditions of peace and stability. They fought hard to negotiate their borders between old imperial demarcations, ancient community kinships, and the strategic interests of emerging national elites.

The conflict before us today is ostensibly between Malaysia (a state) and Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu (a legal person). The former has effective sovereign control over a territory whose ownership is claimed by the latter. The fact that the incredible amount of P77,000 (said to be its annual “rent” money since 1878, or cession price, depending on who interprets the concept of “pajak”) goes to the sultan and his family and not to the Philippine government, methinks, uncovers the parties who are in direct discord.

Asean compelled its member-states to promise to renounce “threat or the use of force” with the adoption and ratification of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation of 1976. This contract was succeeded by the Asean Charter in 2008, which effectively gave the regional bloc legal personality and provided its members with the rules under which they can “resolve peacefully all disputes in a timely manner through dialogue, consultation and negotiation.” It is essential to note, however, that, in the event of a crisis, it is the member-states themselves who must be the parties in dispute (Chapter VII, Article 23). Now the heavy-handed manner with which Malacañang has warned Sultan Kiram and his followers, who are presently held captives in Sabah, seems to suggest that Prime Minister Najib Razak and President Aquino stand their countries on the same side of the thin red line.

Furthermore, in case a scenario of conflict does arise, it is also the member-states who must agree to a resolution. And here we encounter another problem: Any settlement will have to be left to the good intentions of the parties. Asean has no institutional device for enforcing decisions. If the articles on the settlement of disputes between member-states are half-baked, the institutional resolution of clashes between the distinct entities outlined above will still be a long time coming.

Do the present circumstances, however, exonerate Asean from all duty or action on the escalating conflict? No. I believe there is another way to phrase the initial question if we want to be more helpful (and hopeful): What can the member-states do for Asean?

There are three factors for the leaders to ponder.

First, Sultan Kiram has deployed his small but loyal following to reclaim what they hold to be their ancestral homeland. The move is charged with profound symbolism both for them and our Muslim brothers and sisters in the South and will reverberate long into history, especially when lives have been sacrificed. The sultan has himself admitted: “I am the poorest sultan in the world.” This is not just about fair economic compensation; it is also an appeal to clarify what his title means to him and his people in the context of present geopolitical realities.

Second, Sabah is the second largest federal state of Malaysia after Sarawak. It is home to rare fauna and flora, tracts of timberland, and palm oil plantations—a beautiful place, I am told, but it is ironically also one of the poorest regions in Malaysia. This is why it made sense for President

Fidel Ramos to push for the East Asian Growth Area (EAGA) in the 1990s, so that it may spur an “economic corridor” among Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP). The sociopolitical and economic costs for Prime Minister Najib are far too high for him to run away from this crisis, tail between his legs, like his detractors might wish.

Third, the Philippine claim to Sabah has not been “dormant”—it has been, in fact, erratic, subject to the vagaries of domestic and international politics, more than what should have been from the start a clear, consistent and firm conviction of Filipino ownership. Presidents Ferdinand Marcos dropped it, Corazon Aquino was somehow indifferent to it, Ramos wisely transformed it, up until the claims were overshadowed by the instability and corruption under the Estrada and Arroyo administrations. What is truly at stake for President Aquino in all this confusion is, I believe, the fate of the 800,000 Filipinos who are in Sabah and their future—whether they will continue to live peacefully or form an exodus to Sulu as economic refugees.

The house of Asean was built by states in order to keep the region stable and secure and inspire political, economic and cultural development. The problem of borders is not new. Indeed, one compelling reason for the birth of Asean was to end the konfrontasi between Indonesia and Malaysia for the control of the island of Borneo, where Sabah incidentally also sits. If the ingredients of peace and stability are threatened, then the heirs of Asean have all the reason to be perturbed: What is there to gain if the organization first falls short of its objectives and consequently delegitimizes its benefactors? A negotiated settlement will have to be more creative, preeminently humane, to unravel the deadly snarl on the region’s footsteps.

Asean member-states must first look to the Philippines, Malaysia and Sultan Kiram because those who are sure to stop further bloodshed are also those who stand to gain the most out of a promising future for Sabah. Creativity also requires calmness, stepping back, and gaining a new vantage point. They will probably be able to do this only if they take in a fresh mediator able and willing to listen, and listen again.

Brunei can be a silent, humble and confident go-between. It shares borders with Sabah (originally her own) and is knowledgeable in the gentle ways of Islam. Pure coincidence, perhaps, but Brunei also happens to be the current chair of Asean. This may be a case of crisis turned into opportunity. Will somebody in the house please—for the peoples’ sake—speak?

Kevin H.R. Villanueva is a university research scholar in East Asian studies and politics and international studies at the University of Leeds (United Kingdom). He was a member of the Philippine delegation under Ambassador Rosario Manalo to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights for the Asean Human Rights Declaration. - source

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