UDC Hires Michael Riley as Men's Basketball Head Coach

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June 11, 2013

University of the District of Columbia Hires Michael Riley as Men’s Basketball Head Coach

WASHINGTON, DC – University of the District of Columbia Interim President, Dr. James E. Lyons, Sr. and Director of Athletics, Patricia Thomas, announced today that Michael Riley has been hired to lead the University of the District of Columbia Men's Basketball program. There is a press conference scheduled for today, June 11th at 4:00 PM in the UDC Gym in the Sports Complex.

"Mike Riley is an outstanding choice to lead our Men's Basketball program," said Patricia Thomas. "He has exceptional credentials and experience as a coach and administrator. Most importantly, though, he is a person of extremely high character and values. He is a tremendous leader of men. I have no doubt that he will take the University of the District of Columbia Men's Basketball program to new heights, and our student-athletes will benefit tremendously on the court, in the classroom, and in life by having him at the helm."

Riley has a distinguished coaching resume which includes more than 20 years as an assistant coach at Georgetown University. He was also an assistant coach on the 1988 Olympic basketball team that earned the bronze medal. Riley came to the University of the District of Columbia in 2009 and has served as the Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations during that time. 

"I am ecstatic to be able to take over as the new Head Men's Basketball Coach at the University of the District of Columbia," said Riley. "The Firebirds have a long and rich tradition.  As the University continues to move in a positive direction, I look forward to leading this program as one piece of the successful future of the University. We will recruit young men that will work hard and intelligently in the classroom and on the basketball court. We will be positive citizens on campus and in the community.  We will represent the Firebird family well in all that we do. It is an honor and a privilege to be selected as the Men's Basketball Coach at the University of the District of Columbia."

Riley is a Washington, DC native, having graduated from Cardozo High School, where he was a standout guard on the men's basketball team. Riley earned team Defensive Player of the Year honors while at Cardozo and was also selected Most Valuable Player during his senior year. Riley was inducted into the Cardozo High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.

After attending Cardozo High School, Riley served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Holland stationed in the Mediterranean. 

Riley went on to graduate from Georgetown University with a Bachelor's of Arts Degree in Sociology. While at Georgetown, Riley was a member of the Hoyas Men's Basketball Team where he was named the Defensive Player of the Year.

Riley went on to serve as an assistant basketball coach at Georgetown University from 1983 to 2004.  While at Georgetown, Riley coached the Hoyas to six Big East Conference Championships, four Big East Tournament Championships, two Final Fours, and the 1984 National Championship.  He also served as the academic coordinator during his tenure at Georgetown. 

In addition to his accomplishments at Cardozo and Georgetown, Riley also served as Athletic Director at St. Augustine Catholic School.  From 1980 to 1982, he was an Assistant Headmaster, Economics teacher, and junior varsity basketball coach at Gonzaga College High School. 

Big Train top T-Bolts

Big Train Best Bolts 5-4

The Big Train won their second straight game on Sunday night, downing the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts 5-4. Pitcher Michael Boyle (Radford) - pictured above - made his debut for the Big Train, and gave the team five solid innings. Boyle gave up just one run on two hits while striking out four. But perhaps the bigger story in the game was the day that Kevin Tatum(Cornell) had at the plate. Tatum would finish the day 2-4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, driving in the first two of the Big Train's five runs. Tatum's home run gave the Big Train a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and they wouldn't look back from there. After Tatum's homer in the first, the Big Train would add to their lead in the fifth, pushing across three more runs. RBIs from Harrison Bruce (San Francisco) and Johnny Cole (Coastal Carolina) would give the Big Train the 4-1 lead, before Tatum scored his second run of the day on a wild pitch. The T-Bolts would rally in the sixth inning, scoring three runs on a single play that included a few Big Tran mishaps. However, solid relief by Brock Larson(San Francisco) and Trevor Charpie (Tennessee) would close the door on any chance of a comeback. Charpie picked up his second save in as many days. The 5-4 victory pushes Bethesda's record to 2-1 on the season. The box score can be found here.

Divas win a record 10th division title

Perfect 10: Divas Clinch Division Title With 42-20 Victory 
Neal Rozendaal

Landover, MD – In a season filled with ups and downs, this game was one to remember.

Using perhaps their most balanced offensive attack this season, the DC Divas defeated the Columbus Comets, 42-20, to secure their fifth consecutive division championship. The division title is the Divas’ tenth overall in franchise history, tying them with the Sacramento Sirens for the most division championships in the history of women’s professional football.

As they have in several games this season, the Divas (5-3) got off to a slow start against Columbus. On the Comets’ first offensive possession, running back Shelley Gates carried the ball four consecutive times, going over the goal line on her final carry from two yards away. Columbus quarterback Crystal Davis then completed a pass for the two-point conversion, putting the Comets ahead, 8-0.

D’Ajah Scott helped turn things around by returning the ensuing kickoff to the Comets’ 44-yard line. The Divas then called on their top two running backs – Kenyetta Grigsby and Donna Wilkinson. Five straight runs by Grigsby and Wilkinson got the Divas on the scoreboard, with Wilkinson doing the honors by running into the end zone from two yards out. Wilkinson ended the game with 81 total yards and one touchdown, which cut the Comets’ lead to one point, 8-7.

The Comets (5-4) consumed over eight minutes of clock on their next possession, running out most of the first quarter. Although they failed to score, they pinned the Divas deep in their own territory with a punt, which led to a three and out for DC. The Comets got the ball back with great field position at the Divas’ 32-yard line.

But the Divas defense made a critical stop on Columbus’ next drive, capped by Cherre Marshall’s eight-yard sack of Crystal Davis on fourth down. Three plays later, Grigsby broke through the Comets’ resistance and raced 36 yards for a DC touchdown, giving the Divas their first lead of the game at 14-8.

Columbus put together another nice drive, advancing all the way to the Divas’ 27-yard line. But Callie Brownson swatted down a pass from Davis on fourth and eight, and the Divas regained possession. With time running out in the first half, Grigsby and Wilkinson got the call again, and both responded with huge rushing gains. Grigsby polished off the drive by plunging over the goal line from three yards out; Grigsby finished the game with 132 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns. Her second touchdown gave the Divas a 21-8 advantage, which was the score they carried into halftime.

The Divas took to the air in the third quarter. Quarterback Allyson Hamlin hit Kasee Hilliard for a twenty-yard touchdown strike on DC’s first possession of the second half; Hilliard caught the ball at the ten-yard line, juked a Columbus defender, and raced for the end zone to stake the Divas to a 28-8 lead.

The Comets countered with their second touchdown of the game to make the score 28-14, but the Divas got those points right back. Hamlin threw her second touchdown of the contest to Juliette Baker-Brice for a ten-yard score; Hamlin finished the game with eight completions on 14 attempts for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Hamlin’s second touchdown pass of the game pushed the lead back out to 35-14 as the third quarter expired.

Nikieva Perry scored the final touchdown of the Divas’ 2013 regular season, rushing into the end zone for a nine-yard score midway through the fourth quarter to increase the lead to 42-14. Davis threw her second touchdown pass with 29 seconds remaining to make the final score 42-20.

The Divas offense spread the ball around. Arica Walker, Elise Pittman, and Stacy Bruce joined Grigsby, Wilkinson, and Perry with rushing attempts. With the Divas playing their second straight game without Ashley Whisonant, Hamlin spread the ball around to several receivers, including Baker-Brice, Hilliard, Lakia Barber, and Melissa Mitchell.

Defensively, the Divas were led by Cherre Marshall, who logged eight tackles and two sacks. Melissa Washington recorded 5.5 tackles and a sack, while D’Ajah Scott also collected 5.5 tackles. Devon Goldsmith chipped in with 3.5 tackles, and Trigger McNair and Eleni Kostis added three tackles apiece.

With the victory over the Comets, the Divas clinched their tenth division title in franchise history, tying the record now shared by the Sacramento Sirens. The DC Divas also earned a first round bye in the WFA playoffs, which start next week. The Divas will have next week off before hosting a conference quarterfinal playoff game in Landover onJune 22.

Startling new discovery about chronic pain

A Startling New Discovery about Chronic Pain: It May Often be Caused by a Microbe     Whether pain is caused by cancer or a less dangerous condition like arthritis, the main thing people want when they're dealing with it is RELIEF. Today, I want to tell you about a startling new claim about the causes of some kinds of pain, and a solution, too. It might be worth a try.     This new theory targets a variety of other causes of pain besides cancer — for example, chronic fatigue, Lyme disease and lupus. I'm not sure it will be useful for cancer pain at all. But it bears a striking resemblance to some theories about what causes cancer, and that was enough to make me sit up and pay attention.     If these folks are onto something, it could be an important medical breakthrough. Keep reading and I'll explain. . . Continued below. . . Why Most Health Foods are a Waste of Money By Lee Euler     You can take vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants by the handful and stillsuffer poor health. Now we know why. Our diets lack a vital food -- a type of nutrient that even alternative doctors don’t know about. Thanks to this supplement, a mother’s lifelong migraines disappeared, and a man with "terminal" kidney cancer was alive 15 years later. He’s just one of thousands of cancer patients who have taken this supplement and seen remarkable results.     There’s more: It’s one of the most popular pain relievers in Germany, used by that country’s Olympic team to help athletes get rid of pain and accelerate healing from sports injuries. It outperforms prescription blood clot drugs — in my opinion, patients should take this supplement instead of blood-thinning drugs like warfarin. And it even helps 9 out of 10 autistic children. The mother of a 7-year-old autistic child starting giving him this supplement after reading my Special Report The Missing Ingredient — and he started speaking after having been nonverbal his whole life!     How can ONE supplement possibly do all this? Just ask yourself: What if you were getting NO vitamins in your diet? You’d be very sick. This nutrient is just as important and you’re getting almost none. Read more here about The Missing Ingredient, and consider trying it yourself.     Most cancer doctors' answer to pain management is simple: D-R-U-G-S!     The World Health Organization's pain management plan recommends starting with acetaminophen or aspirin for mild pain.     But if pain is more severe, they encourage doctors to prescribe stronger drugs like methadone, morphine, and oxycodone.     Naturally many folks worry about the prospects of becoming addicted to prescription painkillers.     And there are also other sickening side effects such as: Breathing problems Constipation Kidney failure Nausea and vomiting Sexual dysfunction     As if that weren't scary enough, sometimes doctors will prescribe more drugs to take with the pain medication to make it more effective. Who else wants a dose of PAIN with their painkillers?     According to the National Cancer Institute, some drugs that may be added to painkiller prescriptions include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, bisphosphonates, corticosteroids, local anesthetics, and stimulants.     NCI admits that side effects often result from doubling up the prescriptions. This is not rare; it's a common occurrence. For example, using bisphosphonates may cause chills and fever.     What's more, after several days of use, patients may even experience severe and sometimes disabling pain in the bones, joints, and muscles!     Imagine that—one of the very drugs used to enhance the painkillers actually CAUSES new pains to develop.     Fortunately, drugs are not the only option for pain management. A team of health professionals thinks they may have a non-invasive pain treatment remedy that could be helpful…     It's called the Jaffe-Mellor Technique (JMT) and is named for its originators: Carolyn Jaffe, D.Ac., Dipl. NCCA is a board certified doctor of acupuncture and a doctoral candidate in Naturopathy. She holds certifications in allergy elimination, enzyme therapy, herbology and many other techniques. Judy Mellor, RN, is a doctoral candidate in nutrition and has twenty-five years of Western medicine experience as a critical care nurse. She is a certified Oriental medical herbalist with certifications in numerous other modalities as well.     Their treatment technique is designed to address chronic degenerative disorders such as Crohn's disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, lupus, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, trauma-related and post-surgical pain disorders and more.     Many of these are autoimmune disorders—those caused when your immune system turns on itself and begins to attack its own tissues.     A compromised immune system can leave you wide open to cell-damaging free radicals.     Jaffe and Mellor said doctors treat nearly all autoimmune disorders with drugs that often suppress immune system function. This is not too surprising, when you consider these problems are caused by an overactive immune system.     These drugs are commonly prescribed in a three-tier approach: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) Experimental drugs, which can include anti-cancer drugs like Methotrexate     The originators say the Jaffe-Mellor Technique is a revolutionary way to significantly reduce pain… stop the body from attacking itself… and resolve symptoms associated with many autoimmune conditions.     If you're wondering how this could be—read on! A three-step, drug-free approach to pain management!     Jaffe and Mellor found some common factors in patients with arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.     For starters, they all had tiny bacteria in their bodies that Jaffe and Mellor called external pathogenic factors (EPFs). They also noted that these EPFs could easily invade bodies with compromised immune systems.     Finally, they noticed that the immune system launched frequent and continuous attacks on body areas where EPFs were located.     They theorized that many chronic, degenerative diseases result from EPFs' ability to hide from your immune system.     Because your immune system can't find these bacteria to eliminate them, they are always in attack mode. This causes the tissue destruction and pain that are common to chronic inflammation disorders.     JMT proposes this three-pronged approach to eliminating autoimmune diseases and chronic pain: Deactivate the pathogen. Desensitize the immune system to healthy tissue. Stimulate repair.     Jaffe and Mellor thought about the energy signature associated with these bacteria. This refers to the energy frequency or vibration that is unique to each pathogen.     Their treatment plan suggests that these energy signatures can be imprinted into vials of water. Practitioners can use different pathogen vials along with manual muscle testing techniques to identify the specific pathogen causing problems.     Once a practitioner has pinpointed the problem, treatment involves chiropractic and acupressure techniques to treat the body's negative response to that pathogen.     The JMT website says you don't need a specific chronic disease diagnosis to benefit from the technique.     Because some pathogens can reside harmlessly in your body for years before triggering immune system attacks, JMT can help destroy these bacteria before they cause chronic disease and pain.     And some anecdotal evidence suggests JMT provides a powerful pain management tool as well. For example, the JMT website reports the following positive cases: A chiropractor suffering with severe osteoarthritis received JMT treatments at a seminar in 2001. Within a week of the first of two treatments all knee pain was gone, and has not returned! A 21-year old male college basketball player with an injured knee continued to experience pain after two years of conventional medical treatments. He even tested positive for osteoarthritis and was restricted from playing basketball. After receiving JMT treatments, he noticed a remarkable decline in pain almost immediately. By his the fifth and final treatment, the young man was completely pain free and even resumed playing with his basketball team!     The JMT founders don't specifically promote the technique as a cancer treatment. But it does use some acupressure techniques that many cancer patients have embraced as an effective pain management method.     And because it can help diagnose bacteria that may be lurking in your body to cause future health problems—you might think it's worth a second look!     I find it fascinating that so many aspects of the Jaffe-Mellor technique resemble the theories and treatments of "fringe" alternative cancer therapies like Rife. The Rife theory holds that cancer is caused by a microbe that modern, mainstream science has failed to identify. By targeting and destroying the microbe, Rife advocates claim you can destroy cancer.     And likewise, the notion that you can "imprint" water with the energy signature of the bacteria that cause pain. Regular readers will see a resemblance to homeopathic medicine.     I don't want to make too much of these coincidences. We need to know far more. One day, I hope some fraction of the billions of dollars that are poured into mainstream medicine will be made available to alternative medicine so we can see what's the scientific basis for the success some patients enjoy with homeopathy and Rife.

Big Train Win Home Opener! 10 Big Train Players Selected in MLB Draft

Big Train Beat Gaithersburg 4-1 in Home Opener    One night after Mother Nature cancelled the Big Train's originally scheduled home opener, the weather cooperated  on Saturday night as Bethesda hosted the Gaithersburg Giants at Povich Field. Danny Mooney (Davidson) - pictured above - got the start for the Big Train and put together six quality innings in his season debut. Mooney would give up just three hits and two walks while striking out seven. Three innings of one-run ball from the bullpen and four runs of offense would help to get Mooney his first win of the season. The majority of the runs would come in the third inning. Four consecutive Big Train batters would reach base. Kevin Tatum (Cornell) would double home two runners and then be singled home by Tucker Tobin (George Mason) to give the Big Train a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth. Following the big inning, Big Train pitchers Mooney and Will Resnik (High Point) would combine to pitch four shutout innings and keep the game at 3-0. Tobin would later add another run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. The Big Train gave up one run late, but Trevor Charpie (Tennessee) came on to pick up the save. "We've got a group of guys this year that just want to win, want to play, want to get better and more importantly, just want to have fun," said manager Sal Colangelo. "Just the little things. Taking care of batting practice, getting that set up, getting the tarp set up. This is a great group of kids. Very talented, top to bottom." The 4-1 win brings the Big Train to an even 1-1 on the season, and they'll look to get over .500 tomorrow night on the road at Blair Stadium in Silver Spring against the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts. The Big Train return home to Povich Field on Monday for a doubleheader against the DC Grays, and will host fireman, policeman, and active and former service members on Hometown Heroes Night! Get your tickets to both of those games here or at the gate! 10 Big Train Players Taken in 2013 MLB Draft! Hunter Renfroe wasn't the only Big Train player drafted this week. In fact, ten former Big Train players were drafted which set a franchise record for a single draft. Here is the full list of draftees along with their Big Train highlight: Hunter Renfroe (BT '11-'12 / Mississippi State University) #13 overall in the 1st Round by the San Diego Padres One of just two Big Train players to have a jersey number retired.  Jimmy Reed (BT '10 / University of Maryland) #185 overall in the 6th Round by the St. Louis Cardinals  Had the second most appearances of any Big Train pitcher in 2010.  Brennan Middleton (BT '10-'12 / Tulane University) #316 overall in the 10th Round by the Washington Nationals Won the 2012 Big Train Hustle Award.  Ben Griset (BT '12 / St. Mary's College (CA)) #398 overall in the 13th Round  by the Tampa Bay Rays Posted a 1.77 ERA and was a CRCBL All-Star.   Daryl Norris (BT '11 / Mississippi State University) #666 overall in the 22nd Round by the Detroit Tigers Helped the 2011 National Championship team as a pitcher and hitter.  Ethan Miller (BT '12 / San Diego State University) #672 overall in the 22nd Round by the San Francisco Giants Earned a win in the 2012 CRCBL LCS in a 3-2 must-win game.  Brenden Kalfus (BT '11 / St. Mary's College (CA)) #685 overall in the 23rd Round by the Toronto Blue Jays Batted .314 in the summer of 2011.  Michael Bass (BT  '11-'12 / University of North Carolina at Wilmington) #808 overall in the 27th Round by the San Diego Padres Stole 40 bases over two seasons and was not caught in 2012.  Joe Mantiply (BT '10 / Virginia Tech) #816 overall in the 27th Round by the Detroit Tigers Earned the win in the 2010 CRCBL Championship Game.  Cole Norton (BT '12 / St. Mary's College (CA)) #1159 overall in the 39th Round by the Colorado Rockies Named to the 2012 CRCBL All-Star Game.

Home Opener / Homer's B-Day on Saturday; Renfroe Drafted 13th; Big Train Fall in Towson

Tonight's Game Postponed, Home Opener / Homer's Birthday on Saturday Night!    Tonight's scheduled Opening Night game against the Youse's Orioles has beenpostponed due to the inclement weather. The game is rescheduled forTuesday, June 11th at 5pm. The Big Train will face the Gaithersburg Giants at 7:30pm on Saturdaynight in what will be their first regular season home game. The Big Train are also happy to celebrate Homer's Birthday with a whole bunch of mascotscoming from all over to celebrate. Make sure you show up to Povich Field early as seats are sure to go fast! Not only that, but the Washington Kastles will be out to hold a pregame tennis clinic! And due to the rainout of tonight's game, the first 750 fans will receive Opening Night T-Shirts sponsored by Grossberg Company and McDonalds. Click here to get your tickets now!  Hunter Renfroe Drafted 13th Overall in MLB Draft The Bethesda Big Train would like to congratulate Hunter Renfroe (BT '11-'12 / Mississippi State) for being drafted 13th by the San Diego Padres inThursday night's Major League Baseball Draft. Renfroe, a native of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, led the Big Train to many victories over the last two seasons. His power, speed, throwing arm, and sportsmanship are everything that the Bethesda Big Train strives to be. A member of the 2011 National Championship team, Renfroe was the team's Most Outstanding Hitter and set the team record for home runs in the summer of 2011. Renfroe returned to Bethesda in 2012 and set league records for home runs, RBI, runs scored, slugging percentage, and total bases. For his efforts, the Big Train retired his #11. "Hunter is the best five-tool player I have ever coached and the greatest position player ever to play in this league," said Big Train Manager Sal Colangelo. Renfroe's selection at #13 sets the record for the highest a player has ever been drafted who played in the CRCBL the previous summer. It is also the highest a Big Train player has ever been drafted. Renfroe was named a First Team All-American by Louisville Slugger this season at Mississippi State (along with many other honors). His season continues as they face the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville in a best-of-three series in the Super Regionals of the College World Series.  Big Train Drop Season Opener in Baltimore, 0-2   The Big Train got their regular season underway last night in a rematch of last year's CRCBL Championship against the Baltimore Redbirds. While the Big Train ultimately lost the season-opener 2-0 in a weather- shortened game, there were certainly some positives that could be taken from the game. Big Train veterans Tucker Tobin (George Mason) and Mike Miedzianowski(High Point) each pieced together solid season debuts, collecting two hits apiece. Tobin also drew a walk and made two assists on defense. Starting Pitcher Zach Morris (Maryland) put together a solid start, bouncing back after Saturday's exhibition loss to the Mid-Atlantic Rookies. Morris recorded four strikeouts while giving up just three hits over 5.1 innings. Kit Scheetz (Virginia Tech) then came in to pitch the final two outs of the sixth inning, giving up no runs while striking out one.  For a box score of last night's game, click here.

BREAKING: Hunter Renfroe Drafted #13th Overall by San Diego in MLB Draft

The Bethesda Big Train would like to congratulate Hunter Renfroe (BT '11-'12 / Mississippi State) for being drafted 13th by the San Diego Padres in tonight's Major League Baseball Draft. Renfroe, a native of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, led the Big Train to many victories over the last two seasons. His power, speed, throwing arm, and sportsmanship are everything that the Bethesda Big Train strives to be. A member of the 2011 National Championship team, Renfroe was the team's Most Outstanding Hitter and set the team record for home runs in the summer of 2011. Renfroe returned to Bethesda in 2012 and set league records for home runs, RBI, runs scored, slugging percentage, and total bases. For his efforts, the Big Train retired his #11. "Hunter is the best five-tool player I have ever coached and the greatest position player ever to play in this league," said Big Train Manager Sal Colangelo. Renfroe's selection at #13 sets the record for the highest a player has ever been drafted who played in the CRCBL the previous summer. It is also the highest a Big Train player has ever been drafted. Renfroe was named a First Team All-American by Louisville Slugger this season at Mississippi State (along with many other honors). His season continues as they face the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville in a best-of-three series in the Super Regionals of the College World Series.

The Most Nutritionally Dense "Food" On Earth

The Chinese Single This Out as the "King of Plants" — And Modern Science Calls it the Most Powerful Antioxidant Yet Found     It's nearly as hard as wood, resembles a lump of coal, and has the highest antioxidant value of any food on earth, as measured by the ORAC scale.     The Japanese call it the "Diamond of the Forest"… the Siberians have bestowed on it the dual accolades of "Gift from God" and the "Mushroom of Immortality"… and the Chinese dub it the "King of Plants" (despite their centuries-long love affair with an amazing number of medicinal plants).     Still, most Americans have never heard of it. In fact, many would associate it with the name of an infection called Chagas disease, not a source of "immortality"…keep reading for more. . . Continued below. . . How Carolyn Reversed Her Alzheimer's by Disobeying Her Doctor     An all-natural protein melts away the brain-clogging mineral that triggers memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's — and cuts brain cell death in half! And yet this Nobel Prize-winning discovery is being ignored by 99% of doctors.     That's why I'd like to tell you about Carolyn.     Click here to see how she reversed her Alzheimer's without drugs — and in just a few weeks!     If you or someone you care about is suffering from memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer's, then you know how cruel these diseases can be. The emotional and physical toll they take on the patient — as well as on the entire family — can be devastating.     That's why the news of the breakthroughs I'm about to reveal could literally have a life-changing effect on you.     Best of all, these solutions are available and being used successfully right now — even while most doctors still throw up their hands when it comes to memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's, using words like "hopeless" and "irreversible." It's hard to believe, I know. . .     So please click here to see how Carolyn reversed her Alzheimer's with this remarkable discovery! It's a Mushroom — Not a Disease!     Actually, the chaga I'm talking about has nothing at all to do with Chagas disease, which is named for a Dr. Chagas and is caused by a nasty microbe.     Chaga is a non-toxic, parasitic medicinal mushroom with anti-cancer properties. It grows in birch forests in harsh northern latitudes — the kinds of places we associate with freezing to death fast, not "immortality."     In China, Siberia, Finland, Japan, and Poland, ancient and native peoples have long known about the benefits of chaga.     Older Asians use it for healthy natural balance. It is thought to support the life force or life energy they call chi (also spelled qi and pronounced "chee"). They believe consuming this mushroom extends youthfulness, prolongs life, and enhances immunity.     To get more scientific, chaga (Inonotus obliquus) is unusual among mushrooms. Instead of gills or caps, the chaga has pores. And inside, it's a brownish-yellow cork-like mass with beige veins. Its use has been documented in the oldest surviving official list of medicinal substances — the Chinese book Sennong Ben Cao Jing, which is 2300 years old.     Call it folk medicine or traditional medicine if you will, but modern science suggests the ancients were on to an amazing secret.     Isn't it time you got in on it too? Let's take a look. . . A wealth of phytonutrients in one food     Chaga's potency may be directly linked to the harshness of the climate it grows in. Some people believe its properties arise from the trees it grows on, mostly birch.     Researchers have even inoculated sick trees with it, to make them healthy again. So what might it be able to do for you?     Chaga is a dense powerhouse of 215 potent phytonutrients — including B vitamins, flavonoids, phenols, minerals, and enzymes. It contains one of the world's densest sources of pantothenic acid, and high amounts of riboflavin and niacin. Pantothenic acid is especially useful for supporting your adrenal glands and digestive organs.     Chaga is also rich in a set of phenolic compounds called chromogenic complex. Don't let the term scare you. What you need to know is that it protects your tissues and skin. And it's only found in chaga.     Looking for a great natural source of minerals? Chaga shines here too. It is especially high in copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, and iron.     One of the biggest claims made for chaga is that it's rich in a special substance called superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is available from very few sources.     SOD is a very potent enzyme that can stop oxidation in its tracks — especially the most dangerous type of free radical, called singlet oxygen, that causes rapid aging. (This is the same oxygen that makes nails rusty.)     Your body can make its own SOD — but by about the age of 30 your own levels may drop substantially. (Learn more about SOD in Issue #92.)     Chaga contains extremely high levels of SOD (about 10,000 to 20,000 active SOD units per gram). Generally, SOD taken by mouth is destroyed by stomach acid and the nutrient doesn't make it into the blood and tissues, but chaga's advocates believe the mushroom does deliver SOD to the body.     Besides SOD, chaga is the richest known source of polysaccharides, botulin and betulinic acid — and delivers them in a whole-food, bioavailable form. The Soviets declared chaga a national secret     Nobel laureate Alexander Solzhenitzyn is credited with informing the West about the health benefits of chaga in his book The Cancer Ward — where his character in the novel took it and was cured.     In the 1950s, chaga was endorsed by Moscow's Medical Academy of Science, and was widely used by their public. During these years, 1,200 of their most prominent scientists conducted more than 3,000 experiments involving 500,000 people to study the effects of adaptogens.     An adaptogen is a substance that has the ability to reduce your body's negative response to stress. Many studies suggest that up to 80 percent of ALL diseases have a root link to stress. So adaptogens can be critical to your health.     The findings from the Soviet research became a protected national secret for 40 years… one of the secrets behind the physical strength and power of people fortunate enough to get chaga, including cosmonauts and other members of the Soviet elite.     Russia fed its elite athletes chaga. And they were famously dominant in international competitions for decades. A secret of Chinese longevity     Chaga is a health food that can support your entire system.     The ancient Chinese held that it was a longevity factor. That's why they consider it the most complete of all foods.     In much of Siberia, Russia, and Eastern Europe it's considered an essential daily beverage, said to add years to lives of those who use it.     Many Japanese and Koreans reportedly prefer chaga to tea and coffee, because of its cleansing and adaptogenic factors. Some people describe its flavor as between tea and coffee. Protects against and kills cancer     Chaga is a natural cancer fighter — possibly thanks to betulinic acid. It prevents cancer from developing, and kills cancer cells without collateral damage to your healthy cells.     It is thought to work by indirectly activating various immune responses to cancer in your body that help kill cancer cells.     Chaga is also rich in beta glucans, which help support your immune system. Beta glucans allow your immune cells to identify cancer cells and deformed cells as "non-self".1 This enables the immune cells to go on the attack against them. Under normal circumstances, cancer cells are coated with a protein that masks them to immune cells, so the immune system has trouble identifying them.     Chaga is known to help protect against prostate, breast, ovarian, cervical, lung, stomach, spleen, brain and thymus cancers… and also leukemia, melanoma, and lymphoma. I'd call it an all-around cancer preventative.     Research in Seoul, South Korea2 found that chaga protects your cells from DNA mutations in the face of oxidative stress. In fact, chaga-treated cells experienced a whopping 40 percent reduction of DNA mutation, versus untreated cells.     The Japanese discovered that chaga offers higher levels of cell-protective antioxidants than other medicinal mushrooms in their study.     That's not to say you shouldn't eat a variety of medicinal mushrooms. You can discover more about the health benefits of beta glucans, which we reported on in Issue #177 and about the merits of maitake mushrooms in Issue #220.     As you probably know, radiation exposure can do irreparable DNA damage. But some research indicates that chaga can reduce radiation-related toxicity.     And wouldn't you know… Big Pharma wants in the game, now that these anti-cancer properties have come to light. Chaga is now being studied for use as a chemotherapy agent. Someday they'll probably introduce an "approved" version of chaga, at a very high price. Most powerful antioxidant known     The chaga mushroom sits high atop first place on the ORAC scale, a measure of antioxidant levels in your food. Goji berries aren't even close to chaga, yet they get more attention.     Besides being an antioxidant, chaga is known for its anti-cancer, anti-viral, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory properties.     There's one other benefit for you, if you're insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes… Chaga can help normalize your metabolism, which can provide a cascade of other health benefits. (See section on Warnings if you're on diabetic medication.)     Oh… and the Russians managed to formulate a joint cream out of chaga. Tiny microcapsules allow chaga ingredients to easily penetrate the skin and soothe your joints. The topical remedy is said to relieve pain, end muscle spasms, stimulate toxic and salt removal from the joint, and slow cartilage deterioration. Two warnings before you use chaga     Chaga has been used without problems for thousands of years.     But given today's culture where millions are on pharmaceutical drugs, you should be aware of two possible drug interactions. If you're not on these drugs, everything we've found suggests clear sailing. Chaga magnifies the effects of anti-clotting drugs like aspirin and warfarin (so-called blood thinners). So if you're on those, consult with your doctor before using chaga. A wide range of supplements are blood thinners, including fish oil and digestive enzymes, so this is not a big deal. If your doctor is cooperative, he should be willing to let you reduce or possibly even eliminate the pharmaceutical blood thinner because the natural supplement will do the job. Chaga also interacts with diabetes medications like insulin. It thereby raises your risk of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and could send your blood sugar levels into free fall. What's the best form of chaga? (There are many choices)     Chaga is bitter, so it's a bit tricky to find a way to enjoy it. But here are some ideas for you. Use raw chaga drops under your tongue. Enjoy a chaga birch bark tea. There are some that include milk and cinnamon. You can even enhance it with a teaspoon of raw honey and organic chocolate powder or a small square of organic chocolate bar. Some people enjoy adding chai tea to their chaga. Chaga is available as a face or body cream. Take it as a supplement, preferably made from mushrooms harvested the natural way and not lab-grown. Attempts to cultivate chaga reportedly yield a product that's doesn't have the same biological composition as the wild product.     The original chaga is truly wild — and free of chemicals and solvents.     Why not sooth yourself with your own personal wild, raw chaga experience? You just may decide you can feel the power of the wild forest… Footnotes: 1Caifa Chen WZ, Gao X, Xiang X, et al. Aqueous Extract of Inonotus obliquus (Fr.) Pilat (Hymenochaetaceae) Significantly Inhibits the Growth of Sarcoma 180 by Inducing Apoptosis. Am J Pharmacol Toxicol. 2007. 2(1):10-17 2http://www.naturalnews.com/036974_chaga_mushroom_anti-cancer_tonic.html

Health Disclaimer: The information provided above is not intended as personal medical advice or instructions. You should not take any action affecting your health without consulting a qualified health professional. The authors and publishers of the information above are not doctors or health-caregivers. The authors and publishers believe the information to be accurate but its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. There is some risk associated with ANY cancer treatment, and the reader should not act on the information above unless he or she is willing to assume the full risk. Reminder: You're getting this email because you purchased a special report or book from us, or signed up for our free newsletter and gave us permission to contact you. From time to time we'll alert you to other important information about alternative cancer treatments. If you want to update or remove your email address, please scroll down to the bottom of this page and click on the appropriate link. We're an online cancer bookstore offering Outsmart Your Cancer, Cancer Step Outside the Box, Stop Cancer Before It Starts, Natural Cancer Remedies that Work, Adios-Cancer, Cancer Breakthrough USA, Missing Ingredient For Good Health, German Cancer Breakthrough, How to Cure Almost Any Cancer for $5.15 a Day and Keep Your Gallbladder!

Exhibition Game Cancelled; Get Tickets for Home Opener on Friday!

Tonight's scheduled exhibition game against the Industrial League Senators has been cancelled due to unplayable field conditions stemming from last night's weather. The Big Train will open their CRCBL schedule on the road in Towson against the Baltimore Redbirds at 6:30PM on Thursday night at Carlo Crispino Stadium at Calvert Hall High School. The next Big Train home game will be in on Friday, June 7th at 7:30 at Povich Field against the Youse's Orioles and the stands are sure to be packed. In honor of the 15th season of Big Train baseball, the first 750 fans will receive 15th season t-shirtssponsored by Grossberg Company and McDonalds! Ronald McDonald will also be making his way to Povich Field on this night to throw out a first pitch. The Big Train will also welcome the RTTs to play some live music on the concourse during the pregame and there will be a face-painter on sight to give some of our younger Big Train fans a makeover. Tickets are available online here or at the gate. We look forward to seeing you there!

Exhibition Continues TONIGHT; Big Day at CWS; CRCBL Opener on Friday!

Exhibition Continues TONIGHT with FREE Admission!   Come back to Povich Field tonight for another exhibition game! Tonight's game features the Big Train taking on the Industrial League Senators andadmission is once again FREE OF CHARGE! Also, all fans in attendance get free Big Train 2013 Season Magnet Schedules. Due to last night's unfortunate rain out, this will be only your second and final chance to come out for one of our great exhibition match-ups. Be one of the first to check out all of the improvements to Povich Field and to relive all the great things from years past!  And don't forget to buy your tickets to this Friday's home opener against the Youse's Orioles! Get your tickets here or at the gate on game day!    FAU Has Big Day at CWS, Thanks to Big Train Past and Present   Florida Atlantic advanced to play North Carolina in a winner-take-all game for their Regional at the College World Series yesterday as they were able to win two games in one day to stay alive. In the first game, the Owls faced Towson and were helped by Mitch Morales(BT '12) - pictured above #2 -as he went 2 for 3 and scored a run. But it was Hugh Adams (BT '06-'12) - pictured above #44 - who came up really big as he shut down the Tigers for the final two innings (0ER, H, BB, HBP, 3K) and allowed his team to win the game at the plate. Adams earned his third win of the season. Later that day, the Owls faced the Tarheels of North Carolina, who were the #1 seed in the region, needed a win to force a one-game playoff on Monday. Though they went down 2-0, Bo Logan (BT '12) kept one of the best teams in the country under control for five innings (8H, BB, 2HBP, 3K) as the Owls lurked in wait.  "He was the key to the game," FAU coach John McCormack said. "To be able to come into this atmosphere, and do what he did, he was fantastic. It was more than we anticipated." Though they had no hits at the time, Ricky Santiago (BT '13) made their first hit count as he hit a three-run homer to take the lead for Florida Atlantic. Refusing to be unavailable for the game, Adams reappeared from the bullpen to pick up the save in the ninth inning to seal it for the Owls. "He would not let us not make him available," McCormack said of Adams. "He's one of the greatest competitors we've ever had in my 21 years at FAU." The Owls and 'Heels will face off at 6:00PM today for the right to play in a CWS Super Regional. Here are how some updates on other Big Train players in the CWS: Hunter Renfroe (BT '11-'12 / Mississippi St.) - 3/13, R, 2RBI, 2B Tyler France (BT '13 / San Diego St.) - 3/7, BB, R, RBI, 2B Ethan Miller (BT '12 / San Diego St.) - 1.2IP, 0ER, 3H, 0BB, K Michael Bass (BT '11-'12 / UNC-Wilmington) - 3/12, 2BB, 3R, 2B, 2SB Drew Farber (BT '10-'11 / UNC-Wilmington) - 3/12, BB, RBI Kelly Secrest (BT '11-'12 / UNC-Wilmington) - 2.1IP, SV, 0ER, 2H, 0BB, HBP, K Harrison Bruce (BT '13 / San Francisco) - 1/3, SB Brandan Hendriks (BT '12 / San Francisco) - 1/1 Nate Fury (BT '10 / LSU) .2IP, 0ER, 0H, 0BB, 2K Get Your Tickets for the Regular Season Opener!     The Big Train will face the Youse's Orioles on Friday, June 7th at 7:30 at Povich Field and the stands are sure to be packed. In honor of the 15th season of Big Train baseball, the first 750 fans will receive 15th season t-shirts sponsored by Grossberg Company and McDonalds! Ronald McDonaldwill also be making his way to Povich Field on this night to throw out a first pitch. The Big Train will also welcome the RTTs to play some live music on the concourse during the pregame and there will be a face-painter on sight to give some of our younger Big Train fans a makeover. Tickets are available online here or at the gate. We look forward to seeing you there!