Mirrors...Reflections From My Lenses

Church Business

2012-02-02T04:06:00.000-08:00

I’m not the biggest fan of going to church in Nigeria. Forone, the services tend to be long and tedious. To make it worse for as long as I canremember, I’ve felt that Nigerian churches are worshipers of money. At myAnglican church, countless thanksgiving sessions are held. My skeptical selfwould argue that this is to maximize the money the church earns. As if thisisn’t enough, Vicar has a slot at the end of the service where he givesnotices. This tends to turn to a speech where the numerous needs andrequirements of the church are highlighted. It won’t surprise you to hear Ionce overheard someone describe the Vicar as “a professional beggar”.

Paul Adefarasin

It’s common occurrence to hear people refer to churches asbusiness enterprises these days. The toppastor’s lives are resplendent in wealth and affluence. The well respectedEnoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Church is transported in a convoy. Remember thepublic outcry when it was reported the church took possession of a plane withpeople forgetting conveniently that the likes of the late Gabriel Oduyemi andDavid Oyedepo could lay claim to having been there already. Paul Adefarasin ofHouse of Rock is known to have made use of bodyguards in the past. He also hasa reputation of being “flashy and sometimes flamboyant”. In my younger years Irecall reading features on Matthew Ashimolowo and David Oyedepo in Ovationmagazine and staring in awe at the riches they had been able to garner forthemselves. The celebrity type lifestyles of these pastors push the notion thatthe ‘house of the Lord’ actually serves as a business vehicle.

Reverend King

Churches litter every nook and cranny of Lagos. Just take alook around. Every neighborhood is blessed with the usual suspects (theestablished churches i.e Popular Pentecostal churches and the typical Anglican, Catholic or Methodist church) andthen the ‘funkier’ ones. Amongst this include your ‘God is Power Ministries’and ‘Rapture Is Coming Soon Evangelical Mission’ type. I’m yet to pay a visitto this type of church and I’ll rather keep it that way. Remember Reverend King, the man who tookadvantage of the respect offered by members of his congregation, commandingnumerous women who played active roles within the church set up to sleep withhim? Years ago, I also remember reading of the story of a man who worked at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel as an Accountant. This man abused his position and made do with millions of naira belonging to his workplace. Upon his arrest, he would assert that the stolen funds had been offered as a donation to one of the leading churches where he worshiped, to help purchase generating sets and fulfill some of its other needs. When the bubble burst and Sheraton demanded the church return the stolen funds, the church refused. As a Christian with a basic sense of morality, I would assume that a church which aims to show its members the way to the promised land, the church would have been willing to practice what I see as the right thing and some attempt to appease the aggrieved Sheraton Hotel. If churches are comfortable collecting illegitimately derived money, one must surely wonder what’s next.

Matthew Ashimolowo

The idea that churches worship money is something that hasbeen on my mind for a long time. I mean, going to church all my life I’ve witnessedmany a time where the Pastor or Preacher speaking spends a chunk of the servicesucking up to and subsequently patronizing members or visitors who are known fortheir deep pockets. The wealthy man would have the first two rows reserved forhim and his family every Sunday. He would be welcomed and asked to stand up forrecognition at the beginning of the service. The rest of the congregation wouldthen give him a standing ovation. At everypossible opportunity the Preacher would refer to this wealthy man in a bid toboost and massage his ego. I would think this is borne out of a bid to curryfinancial favor from our visiting Otunba. As is common practice, churchbulletins contain the needs of the church. “800 KVA Generator and Toyota Hiace8seater bus” are the needs of our fictional church. This has remained unchangedfor two weeks. It is on the day that ourvisiting Otunba makes his appearance, that the Vicar would suddenly remember“The church is in dire need of a new pulpit. The one we presently have has beenhere for 6 years and it goes clickity clack every time I stand on it.” “We also need 8 air conditioning units toensure that our services are very cool. The ones we have now are not enough.” “The church also needs new pews to complement our status as a Cathedral.” Why isit the day the Otunba visit that the Vicar suddenly remembers these as needs ofthe church? Why wasn’t it in the bulletin all this while? I would also think that with the numerouslevies, tithes and offerings offered the church would not be in a position oflack and it shouldn’t even have the chance to practice ‘professional begging’. But then again, what do I know?

Chris Oyakhilome

In England, I’ve been to various churches. The services are much shorter than theNigerian services. The money worshipping I see in Nigerian churches is alsoabsent. I could sit in the front row if I wanted and could possibly not evenhave any money to give as offering. The Pastors are friendly and strive tocreate a first name basis relationship with worshippers generally. In Nigeria,I would say only the wealthy get this privilege of having the Pastors in their backpockets. The Pastor is at their beck and call. They can demand prayer sessions asthey so please.


David Oyedepo

Our Pastors need to display more humility. I struggle tounderstand why a Pastor who aims to win souls for Christ needs to own 3 planes.Air planes are one of the most expensive things to maintain. Having themgrounded costs a lot of money on one hand, not to talk of the price of air fueland paying the numerous salaries of the Pilots and Engineers employed to smooththeir operations. Surely, flying commercial would be by far a more practicaland cost efficient alternative. Even if they flew first class, the cost of owninga jet would still dwarf it comfortably. If our Pastors can’t be seen to followbasic common sense, why should their followers?

As a people, Religion is an area of sensitivity. We thinkthese things but it’s felt that they’re not worth saying. One would argue that the the public outcryand criticism from the followers of the religious leaders we dare to criticizeis definitely not worth it. But then again, that’s another problem. We want to show the world everything is righteven when it isn’t. Remember Dora Akunyili’s attempt to forcefully convince theworld that we’re a “great people, great nation”. Who are we fooling? The same ‘Christians’ arethe ones whose driving force is to outshine their neighbors. “Iya Lape down theroad bought a Ferrari, let’s buy a Rolls Royce”. In some cases, people live wayabove their means in this bid to keep up with the Iya Lape’s of the world. Weall think we’re religious ‘cos we go to church every Sunday convenientlyforgetting that we spend half the time there attempting to intimidate perceivedrivals and turning up noses at those who lack the wealth we do. “Lady Dianawore one gele last week, I have to go and buy my own. By the time I’m done withher, she’ll know she’s a small girl” “That Toyin girl sha. Always wearing thatwhite lace. I have seen her wear it twice this month. Ahan! Times are hard o. Is lace even that expensive?”We think we’re so religious yet we embody the very attitudes God won’t condone.Highly judgmental. Unwilling to acceptpeople ‘cos they’re sinners. As the Anti Gay Bill passed through Senate,the merits and demerits were under intense scrutiny. Personally, I hold nothingagainst homosexuals. But I was constantly met with “Oh! It’s a sin” as a reasonnot to condone it. And I thought Bollocks! It’s a sin. And so what? Is it thefirst sin that would be committed? While at it, don’t forget to implement lawsdisallowing people from getting piercings, tattoos and telling lies? Case ofdouble standards. So uptight and self-righteous. Anyone who tries to defend thegays is ridiculed.* “You must be gay, that’s the only reason you can supportgays” they would say. We want to fightgay people but are not willing to do anything about those who rob the treasury.Who’s the greater burden to society? They claim to practice the work of Jesusbut forget that Jesus interacted with sinners. They say “We shouldn’t succumbto the white man’s ways” forgetting that the very Christianity we suddenly holddear was imposed on us by the same white man. Chinua Achebe’s documentation ofthis in the classic ‘Things Fall Apart’ should remind people of this but thenagain we only look for evidence to suit our arguments and develop amnesia tocontradictory evidence.

* As Chude Jideonwo found out after his views were published on the CNN site. 'Why Nigeria's Anti Gay Bill Sickens Me'

Heart of a Woman

2012-01-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Made me think of my Mum and the important women in my life. Says everything I'll like to say. You're appreciated. May God continue to bless you.

Nigeria, its President and the many problems

2012-01-04T03:05:00.000-08:00

I'm a Twitter activist. Yes! You know those people who always make revolutionary type statements on the internet but never surface at the real life revolution. In my defense, I would say I live in England which makes it difficult to get involved with rallies and protests going on in Nigeria.

Over the past year, during my forays into Twitter activism, Goodluck Jonathan has borne the brunt of my displeasure. 2011 was always going to be an important year for Nigeria. After the Yar'Adua debacle of 2010, Goodluck Jonathan was able to gain the most important job in the land without standing for election. 2011 was the year we would discover if he had done enough to genuinely gain the mandate of the people. Elections did hold in April and he gained that mandate. It was in the buildup to this that my Twitter activism would gather pace. I was firmly anti Goodluck. The PDP have had numerous opportunities to effect some change in the country but it is worthy to note we have gradually regressed. Whilst I was initially unsure on whom I wanted Nigeria's next leader to be, I would support Nuhu Ribadu as the Elections came closer.

My anti-Goodluck stance was further helped when our presidential coward chickened out of the Presidential Debate. With that, the doubts I had over him were confirmed. I mean, which candidate worth his salt would duck the chance to go head to head with his opponents and pick holes in their ideas? After agreeing initially to participate and having the venue go through security checks worthy of his status as incumbent President, his campaign team declined participation saying that the NN24 debate did not possess “wide coverage and reach.” To make matters worse, an interview hosted by music artiste and self-anointed representative of the youths, D'Banj was staged. To say the interview was a joke would be stating the obvious. To make it more grating, D'Banj had already endorsed and made a campaign jingle for Goodluck. What ever happened to the principle of neutrality?

D' Banj and Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan fails to instil confidence in the average Nigerian. He has to be one of our more colorless leaders. Obasanjo was and still remains a very witty and intelligent character. Even Abacha had some form of 'swag'. Those aviators and tribal marks inspired by Adidas's '3 stripes' slogan would surely count for something. Mr. Jonathan's oratory skills are pretty ordinary. Intellect wise, I would also say he leaves a lot to be desired. However, I would acknowledge that there's an attempt to compensate for this with the selection of a leading light like Ngozi Okonjo Iweala in his cabinet.

'Her Royal Highness, Dame Patience'

I struggle to take Mr. Jonathan serious. His case is not helped by his wife, Patience popularly known as 'Dame', an allusion to the President's status as a knight who is well known for her numerous crimes against the Queen's language. Her rap sheet would include statements like “Our politics is without bitterness, my husband, Dr Goodluck Jonathan and Sambo is a very good people!”, “The people sitting before you here were once a children” and “A good mother takes care of his children” amongst others. It's an open secret that the Dame is quite the domineering figure. A leaked Wikileaks cable asserts that the First Lady “runs her own show and the husband has little or no control over her.” One story goes that she once slapped the President in the presence of aides and Aso Rock staffers. How true this is, is another matter entirely. Another source tells me that Diepriye Alamyieseigha, the man whom Goodluck served as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa and whose impeachment laid the foundation for Goodluck's rapid rise to power summoned him to a meeting where he chastised him for not being manly. "You're a man, how can your wife be controlling you? You have to take control". If our man can't even garner the respect of his wife, how could he possibly hope to have that of the nation and control it in the way he should?

On the 1^st of October 2010, the day of Nigeria’s 50^th Independence celebration a bomb blast took place. The Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta would go on to take responsibility for the bombing. Based on this, it is safe to assume that the right thing would have been for the President to direct the law enforcement authorities to go after the perpetrators of the crime. Imagine my surprise when I would read days later that Raymond Dokpesi, the popular businessman and media mogul behind Ray Power and AIT was arrested. The reason? Mr. Dokpesi was serving as the Campaign Director for Ibrahim Babangida’s presidential bid. Clearly, Goodluck and his cronies saw it as ample opportunity to undermine a leading political opponent by pinning the bombing on them.

That episode encapsulates a characteristic, the ‘right’ leader should not possess. The bomb blast recorded at least 10 casualties. Independence Day, our 50^th one at that should have been one where people put aside their grouses with the government and entered celebratory mode. Instead, people had to get their heads round the idea of never seeing people they held dear. I understand that MEND’s action wasn’t within the President’s control. However, he has to take responsibility for the mishandling of the Independence Day bomb blast. Meeting with the families of the lost and assuring them of his resolve to hound down the terrorists would have pacified them somewhat and earned him some goodwill. Instead, it was exploited to win a political battle. People’s lives should never be used for such. Before this incident I was open minded but I started reflecting and became highly skeptical. In fairness, arrests would go on to be made of a group of people which included Charles Okah, the younger brother of MEND leader Henry Okah. Court proceedings were instigated and are still going although hamstrung by Okah’s poor health. (He’s reported to be in a coma).


An arrested Charles Okah

Fast forward to 25^th December 2011, Boko Haram the Islamic extremist sect strongly opposed to the Western world, which has wreaked havoc on the nation in recent times would take responsibility for bomb blasts at churches in 4 different cities in the Northern part of the nation. The Boko Haram epidemic is one which has gone on for too long. Besides the Christmas day bombing, it has been responsible for bombings at the United Nations office building and the Police Headquarters in the capital city of Abuja. Again, I do not see the President as the cause of this. However, I find the situation poorly managed. In the case of the MEND Independence day bombing, some effort was put towards actually dealing with those behind it. The government has been largely passive towards Boko Haram. More effort and resources have to be put towards stemming this trend. It’s all too easy to take your time and then issue a press release which keeps in circulation the cliché “We would prosecute the people behind this crime”. We have to see some urgency in our leader. We have to see willingness towards curing the numerous headaches inflicted upon us. We need to know they care. At the moment, things are too lax and focus is being given to the wrong things. Upon rising to power, one of Jonathan’s initial moves was to initiate a bill promoting a 6 year single term of which he could possibly benefit from. Surely, there were more pressing needs to attend to. Until there’s some evidence to suggest Mr. Jonathan actually cares about us (the fuel subsidy removal does little to help this), I would advise my fellow Nigerians to brace themselves for hard times are here.

This brings me to our President’s New Year present unto us: the removal of the fuel subsidy. Nigeria’s a country built on erratic power supply. As a result of this, power generators serve as an alternative. These generators are maintained by petrol and diesel and are a key cog in the wheels of most business enterprises. Many a time, I’ve heard my father and his friends moan about how these costs affect their businesses negatively. And all this took place whilst the subsidies were being employed. Now, the subsidy has been removed fuel has risen from 65 naira to 145 naira per litre. This could have dangerous repercussions on the economy. With increased business costs, prices are going to rise left, right and center. Even in the unlikelihood that businesses are not affected by this, the free market economy system would see business owners increase their prices in a bid to exploit the situation and increase their profit margin. This could eventually stimulate a bout of Hyper Inflation. However, it’s argued that in the long run, the removal of the subsidy would serve the country well. It is believed that as soon as the nation’s refineries are in healthy conditions, the prices would have no way to go but down. Personally, I remain hugely skeptical. A report by Anthony Uche of African Oil and Gas Report declares “Nigeria’s state-owned refineries all have very poor maintenance histories, are technically inefficient, and are unreliable for uninterrupted domestic production of petroleum products, even at the very best of times.” Based on this, how can one then base the future of something as delicate as economic growth on something “inefficient and unreliable”? Wouldn’t that be like building your house upon shaky foundations?

Another issue I have a gripe with is the inactivity on the side of the opposition. The main opposition party, the ACN ideally would issue a statement through its PR Officer decrying the conditions in the nation. Besides that, what else do they do? In its stronghold, Lagos state, the Toll issue is threatening to undo all the credible work by the Fashola government. For years, the opposition and criticism of the establishment has come from the likes of Gani Fawehinmi, Fela Kuti, Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka. Fawehinmi and Kuti are now late. Achebe spends more time abroad and still rejected a national honor recently. Now, if the PDP were the ones behind the Lagos toll, Professor Soyinka would have been quick to talk. However, he’s a fan of the Fashola government thus making it easy to turn a blind eye to it taking the wrong steps as it has done recently. Based on this, one can judge that the opposition in Nigeria is poorly organized. Those who should know better have let the people and the values they stand for down. These days, no one is genuine in their opposition efforts and this has led to the super force that is the PDP being able to inflict such trauma on the people and getting away without facing much threat. Much is left to be desired and the polity requires a major shakeup. In the absence of that, I fear what would become of the land I call home.

A Little Prayer

2011-12-27T03:21:00.000-08:00

My Father and Heavenly Savior,

I thank you for granting me the privilege of having this blessing called life. I ask that you direct my path and guide me towardsmaking the best use of it possible.

I thank you for my parents. I want to ask that you continueto bless them. May their businesses prosper and may they continue to have the resourcesrequired to smooth the path of my brother and I. I also ask that you bless themto live in the way that suits you best. Father, grant them long lives. May theyage well and be immune to all forms of disease and ailment. May they alwaysreap the fruits of their toil.

I thank you for my brothers and family members. I ask thatyou continue to be with them. Bless the works of their hands. May they learnyour ways and execute them to the best of their ability. Father, grant us thegrace to accept when we’re wrong. I also ask that you grant us the spirit tofight all forms of stagnancy. May we always seek ways of improving as humanbeings.

Bless my relationship, O Lord. Help us to love each otherunconditionally. Help us to understand each other better and complement eachother. Grant us forgiving spirits, o Lord and may we have a long lasting andpleasurable experience together. (Preferably till death does us part).

Forgive us all the sins we’ve committed knowingly andunknowingly, in our thoughts and our actions and grant us the power to resistrepeating them.

I thank you for those I call my friends. Father, help me totreat them in a way that would please you. Help me to always put the ones Ilove first and do all within the power you grant me to make their lives better.Father, bless my relationships. Let them be built on solid foundations, O Lord.

I ask that you bless the works of my hands. Grant me themidas touch, O Lord: Let everything I touch turn to gold. Help me to make asuccess out of everything I do. Help me to build a name synonymous with you andthe principles you stand for. Father, grant me wisdom to say the right thingsat the right time and to constantly do that which is right in your sight.

I also ask that you grant me a forgiving spirit. Help me to letgo when wronged and to face the same when the guilty party.

I ask that you grant everyone I know the pleasure of agingwell, gracefully and elegantly.

Nurture in me a sense of calm, O Lord and help me to develop the knowledge and strength to face adversity.

Touch my country, Nigeria. Bless our leadersto have the wisdom to make the best decisions. It is my hope that we findprogress in the shortest time possible. May your blessings not elude us.

Thank you, O Lord for I know you shall answer my prayers.

Amen!

Gary Speed, Depression and Being A Man.

2011-11-29T17:53:00.001-08:00

Gary Speed was a great man. A consummate professional and role model. Sam Allardyce, presently West Ham United’s Manager and the man who signedhim for Bolton Wanderers was quoted as saying “To sum it up, if you had adaughter and she brought Gary Speed home you’d be delighted.” I think that’sthe ultimate compliment you can pay a guy. To the average member of the population, he had it all. Legendarystatus by virtue of making the 3^rd most appearances in the PremierLeague since its inception. As Manager of his native, Wales he has instilled a footballphilosophy pleasing to the eye. When he received the job in December last year,they were ranked 117^th in the world. Now, they’re 45^th.They were just beginning to do well and it’s generally believed that helaid the foundations of what could possibly be an appearance at a sanctionedinternational competition of note. That begs the question, what would lead him to takehis life? He had made an appearance on the BBC show, Football Focus the daybefore and was generally observed to be in good spirits. There’s an assumptionflying around that he was probably going through some form of Depression. Thatcould possibly be the reason why a man with so much to look for would take hislife.

In Britain, football is seen as yardstick for measuringmasculinity. Until recently, the quality of football could be seen as representative of the dark ages with little aesthetic value and more emphasis on physicality. Small players who were adept at the type of one touch football that is synonymous with the famed La Masia academy was frowned upon. Those displaying sheer brute and aggression were preferred.Ashley Young, the Manchester United winger was interviewed recently by the Daily Mail and he recalled not being offered a professional contract as a teenager becauseit was felt that he was too small. It’s a mindsetthat has caused many an accident. Eduardo da Silva’s leg break? Ryan Shawcrosson Aaron Ramsey? Ben Thatcher on Pedro Mendes? If there wasn’t such an emphasis on tackling hard, such wouldnever have occurred. Typical playground culture. “You’re a man, stand up.” “Don’tbe a sissy.” Such attitudes should not be found amongst 21st century minds.

Men are animals. The slightest sign of weakness is somethingthat’ll be preyed upon and used in making one the subject of ridicule. This lends itself towards promoting a culturebuilt on secrecy and silent suffering. People don’t want their insecurities outin the open 'cos they fear it’ll be used against them. The opposition could use such asammunition to taunt. We’ll rather suffer in silence than let the world knowwhat’s wrong. Behind that smile or bone up, lies so many doubts and worries butwe prefer to keep such to ourselves. Imagine what it is like, in a sport likefootball stuck in the donkey ages where sexist attitudes are still rife. This is a sport with hardly any recognized homosexuals. Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay footballer was disowned and cut off by his brother, John and would later commit suicide (Not caused directly by stigmatization). Not to suggest there won’t be any closet ones. Paul Eliot, an ex Premier League footballerbelieves there are at least a dozen gay footballers in England but argues thatthey’re afraid to come out as a result of a fear of negative reactions. MaxClifford, the leading PR Consultant to celebrities in the UK is on record assaying he’s represented two high profile gay Premier League footballers overthe last five years and advised them to stay in the closet because “footballremains in the dark ages steeped in homophobia”. Imagine someone bucking this trend. He’ll bemet week in week out with the words “Bloody Faggot” by wind up merchants like a Dennis Wise or Vinnie Jones. Imagine the crowd reaction every time they touchedthe ball. The tabloids would make their lives living hell in a bid to catchthem in unconventional scenarios. Their every move would be jeered. Maskingthis in silence is surely not a dumb move.

As a people we’re guilty of turning our noses up to certainillnesses and health challenges. “Depression ko? Overhappiness ni”. An old classmate of mine once said in a groupchat how he contemplated committing suicide the year after we graduated fromhigh school as most of us were already occupied with our next academic hurdleswhile he was at home still contemplating what his next move would be. When hesaid it, I laughed to myself and thought “This attention seeking spirit isstill in him”. For that, I apologize. Who am I to define whether he was seekingattention or actually meant it genuinely? That little incident encapsulates thestigma surrounding Depression. People who have it are scared to open up. Peoplewho don’t have it look down on it and find it difficult to empathize. Thatexplains why sufferers find it difficult to share. We’re humans after all. We likepeople to feel sorry for us once in a while. We like to hear soothing words. Welike assurances on our darkest days telling us everything would be alright andinstances where it seems the world is coming to an end are mere challenges. Ina mini essay via Twitter, Stan Collymore, a retired footballer and depressionpatient says “Patience, time, kindness and support. That's all we need. No “pullyour socks up”, No “get out of bed you lazy git”.

They say life episodes hand us different lessons. Gary Speed’s demise teachesus many things. To always look beyondthat smile for any signs of sadness or apathy amongst our loved ones. It oughtto urge the football industry where somuch is put at stake over little things to take a long look at itself and reflectwith regard to how it views and treats conditions as such. News stories overthe last two days would suggest there’s been some change. A leading sports clinichas said 5 footballers suffering from Depression have sought help in the wakeof Gary Speed’s death. People like Collymore should be praised for standing upand assisted as they seek to return to full health.

Stan Collymore's tweet

#1

2011-11-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

NiggasIn Paris (The Throne): Two of the greatest rappers of the last decade in boastmode. A catchy beat from an upcoming, Hit Boy. A Will Ferrell sample. Those aresome of the components of my song of the year. ‘Watch The Throne’ was a bigmoment in hip hop’s history and the duo behind it can only be complimented forpulling of the feat of ensuring it didn’t leak. It’s common to criticize ‘Hov’and ‘Ye for making music that doesn’t resonate with the common man. Whilst that’sa debate for another day, hearing Jay Z make those boasts (that sound liketaunts) that would be interpreted as an expression of cockiness but in realityare 100% true boosts the greatness ofthe man. He says “Ball so hard, motherf***kers wanna fine me” in reference tohis being fined by the NBA for entering the Kentucky Wildcats locker room violatingthe rule stipulating that team personnel aren’t allowed contact with playersnot yet draft eligible. He goes on to invoke the trinity of great Micheals (Tyson,Jackson and Jordan). And he’s earned the right to. As the artiste with the mostNo 1 albums in living history (Only topped by the Beatles) he can say whateversuits him. Step in Mr. West who drops the somewhat humorous line “PrinceWilliams ain’t do it right if you ask me/ If I was him I would have marriedKate and Ashley” in reference to the Olsen twins. Not to forget the coinage ofthe phrase ‘That shit cray”. There’s just something about the song that excitesthe listener. If you doubt this, check out the footage of the performance atthe recent Victoria’s Secret fashion show and pay attention to the crowdreaction. At the moment, it’s the No 1 rap song on Billboard and comes in at No1 on my Songs of the Year List.

#2

2011-11-21T11:35:00.001-08:00

Rolling InThe Deep (Adele): Adele’s 21 album built the blueprint for break up music in2011. ‘21’ is probably the closest 2011 saw to a mono culture moment. When itcomes to matters like ‘Watch the Throne’ vs. ‘Carter IV’ or J Cole vs Drake, wefail to agree and end up baying for each others' blood. With Adele, there areno gimmicks or debates, her greatness/awesomeness is undisputable. Yes, it’sdepressing and repetitive but her talent helps in turning a blind eye. In lessthan a month, Grammy Nominations would be released and Adele is guaranteed to beone of the big players. ‘Rolling In the Deep’ has been the biggest single of2011 thanks to all we emotional and sensitive people who’ve had it on replayanytime members of the opposite sex give us tough times and it’s on course tobe a modern day classic.

#3

2011-11-19T12:33:00.001-08:00

3) Marvin’sRoom (Drake): Drake is probably the most clowned on rapper around. He makesliving what would be a dream life for a couple of us sound like the coming ofSatan. ‘Marvin’s Room’ represents that alcohol fuelled outburst at the nowmoved on ex. It’s something people can relate to. In an Industry built onsupposedly tough people, Aubrey’s openness and willingness to document hisrelationship troubles serves as an alternate view point and a high point ofsome sort.

#4

2011-11-17T12:12:00.001-08:00

4) I’m ABoss (Meek Mill w/ Rick Ross): In 2009, hip hop’s stand out collective was theLil Wayne led ‘Young Money. 2010 was dominated by Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music.2011 saw the rise of Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group. Meek Mill, thePhiladelphia rapper was featured on XXL’s Freshman List and was gainingmainstream attention. His affiliationwith Ross’s new collective was the cherry on his cake. Ricky Ross’s improvementand elevation to people’s favorite with 2010’s ‘Teflon Don’ is the mostsignificant I’ve observed since I actually started paying attention to Rapmusic. How a ‘tough’ rapper could overturn the ignominy of having hisbackground as a correctional officer revealed in addition to a messy fall outwith 50 Cent and come out on top beats me. By far one of hip hop’s mostrelevant forces of the past 18months, he has tailored his music in a particulardirection and succeeded in making one of the most distinct sounds around. ‘I’m a Boss’ was particularly a particularly huge in the summer. *Rick Ross grunt*

End of the Year Music Review: #5

2011-11-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

My Top 5 Songs of 2011

The Year’s coming to an end and it’ll soon be time for anyone who’s anyone to make their End Of Year Lists/ Reviews. Well, I’ve decided to beat them to it. Find below No 5 on my 5 Songs of the Year List. The remaining would come on a day to day basis. Enjoy:

Special Mention to:

‘Someone Like You’- Adele

‘Moves like Jagger’- Maroon 5 w/ Christina Aguilera

I’m On One- DJ Khaled w/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne

‘E.T’- Katy Perry w/ Kanye West

‘Look At Me Now’- Chris Brown w/ Busta Rhymes & Lil Wayne

‘Blue Sky’- Common(My best song of the last few weeks)

‘Lighters’- Bad Meets Evil w/ Bruno Mars

‘Best Thing I Never Had’- Beyoncé

5)All of the Lights (Kanye West w/ Rihanna, Fergie, Kid Cudi etc): Towards the end of 2010, Kanye West was unavoidable. He dropped the critically acclaimed ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ and had his ‘Thriller’ moment with the short film ‘Runaway’. ‘All of the Lights’ was the most significant song on the album that hadn’t featured on the G.O.O.D Friday series. The instrumental’s amazing and the lyrics are pretty simple and easy to understand. The line “MJ gone/our nigga dead” particularly gave me chills. Officially released as a single in January, it also has an interesting side note to it with the list of credited vocalists also including Drake, Alicia Keys, The Dream, Ryan Leslie, John Legend, Tony Williams, Elly Jackson and Charlie Wilson. An epilepsy inducing video and A list remix later (Drake, Big Sean and Lil Wayne), ‘All of the Lights’ was one of the standout songs of 2011.

Anderson Cooper mocks the Kardashians.

2011-11-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

The Kim Kardashian divorce has been getting a lot of attention. CNN's Anderson Cooper mocks the Kardashians' in the video above. Russell Simmons puts up a defense for Kim. Click here.
Thoughts?

2011-10-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Found this on Facebook. I had an argument with someone recently and it's quite interesting that my stance was very similar. You know what they say about great minds? Enjoy

Cole World: The Review

2011-10-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is my first ever attempt at a Music Review. Kindly leave your feedback below.

Remember when Nas proclaimed hip hop was dead. Seems a long time ago right? In 2009, a new generation was born. XXL’s Freshman List featured the likes of Wale, Kid Cudi, Asher Roth, Ace Hood and B.o.B. Cudi had ‘Day N Nite’ and ‘Make Her Say’. Wale’s ‘Chillin’, Asher Roth’s ‘I love College’ and Ace Hood’s ‘Cash Flow’ were credible singles too. Not to forget Drake’s ascent which saw him earn a Grammy nomination without releasing an album. When Jay Z’s Blueprint 3 dropped in September that year, going through the track list I was familiar with every artiste featured bar one. Jermaine Cole. He was known as the only rapper signed to Jay Z’s Roc Nation label and that was as good as it got. Fans were curious to know if he was going to be the new Kanye West or Memphis Bleek. Track 9, ‘A Star is Born’ was Jay Z’s ode to the Industry. He dropped verses name checking and praising anyone who was anyone (If you didn't get a shout, your credibility needs to be checked). On that track, Mr. Cole held his own and dropped a remarkable verse that saw us rewind our iPods’ screaming “What?!”. Indeed a star was born.

Cole dropped another memorable verse on Wale’s ‘Beautiful Bliss’(He actually ate Wale up) and showed that he was indeed worthy of the attention he was getting. It was at this point that I went to search for his previously released mixtape ‘The Warm Up’. After one listen, I was hooked. I had not been excited about any new artist like that in my life. I told everyone who cared to listen he was the best thing since sliced bread. His story telling ability was spectacular and he actually had decent punch lines. And his raps weren’t necessarily based on having sex with every girl he’d met or how many kilos’ he’d sold. His music was actually based on things related to his life. Hustling to get a record deal? Student Loans (Sally Mae)? Studying for a degree he didn’t plan on using? Working a job he had no interest in? Getting disappointed? We could all relate. I remember saying he reminded me of Nas in the sense that he was a highly credible rapper who was comfortable in his lane and wasn’t too bothered with selling one million records or fooling us that Pop and Hip Hop are cut from the same cloth. My best track on that project was his remix of Kanye West’s ‘Last Call’. 7 minutes long, he shared the joys and pains he encountered as he marched towards gaining relevance.

“Yeah, look now to the few niggas out there who heard my last shit
Which if I must say so myself that was a classic
I never been the type to ride my own coat tail
But it's obvious I'm here to stay, a fucking hotel
I came up, I warmed up!
The next up, I blow up!
If you ain't peep the trend by now, with each rap I go up
Look all he wanted was a deal so when he got it he just faded
But tell me what's a deal when you want to be the greatest?
So Jay I appreciate it, hell of a stepping stone
Wonder if he see it in my eyes, I'm trying to get the throne
Wonder if the people know, how many nights I spent alone
Making beats, writing rhymes, thinking deep, fighting time”

Cole was finally reaching the mainstream. He’d opened for Jay Z on his 2009 ’Fall Tour’. He covered Source magazine and was also featured on XXL’s Freshman List in 2010 alongside of Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Nipsey Hussle, Freddie Gibbs and Pill. He built on his reputation holding his head high on the lyricists’ wet dream, Reflection Eternal’s ‘Just Begun’ alongside Talib Kwali, Mos Def and Jay Electronica. He took it a notch higher on the G.O.O.D Friday track ‘Looking for Trouble’ delivering the most remarkable verse. He then released the mixtape ‘Friday Night Lights’.

The demand for an album was growing. Fans and critics were getting impatient. There had been talk of a 2010 release after ‘Who Dat’ was released as a single. A year later, the album would finally arrive. September 27 2011, Cole World: The Sideline Story was released. A week later, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 after selling 218,000 copies. In a world where record labels are reluctant to take a punt on albums that don’t have Bruno Mars on the hook of the lead single, Cole’s success is a victory for the underdog.

Cole World: The Sideline Story begins with a piano accompaniment where he recounts his getting signed. He does this over two interludes. Cole sticks to his mixtape roots by reworking some old material and creating better tracks. ‘Dollar and a Dream III’ documents the feeling of being broke and staying optimistic despite the challenges. He asks “Tell me, what do you do just when you're on your last dollar/ and the stress of this mess you in can make your ass holla?” Do you fold, grow bitter and grow cold?/No longer fightin' now the only thing you grow is old/Or do you flip that fuckin' dollar to a dream?/Whether a scholar or a fiend, watch a pawn become a king/Cole! ” Cole isn't new to disappointment. His life goal was to get signed by Jay Z and the story goes, he once stood for three hours in the rain outside Baseline Studios hoping to meet Jay Z and hand him his demo. He would find out Jay Z would not be recording that day and left there more determined that his dream would come true. Months later, when his beat tape reached Jay and got rejected, he didn't give up. Cole’s story inspires. It shows that hard work and determination are the key to earning success. Cole teaches us to stomach disappointment and focus on the things we’re after. ‘Sideline Story’ also sees him express a sense of entitlement of some sorts.

J Cole’s said in the past that he wanted his debut LP to have minimal features. Of the 18 tracks, only four feature other artists. His Boss, Jay Z showed up on ‘Mr. Nice Watch’ and typically delivered a solid verse half screaming “show off”. He then passes the baton on to Cole “Uh, what up, Cole? /It’s yo’ time, let this niggas know/Adjust your Rollies on these mo’fuckin’ hoes/ Whenever you ready, go”. The ultimate cosign, right there. On the Caribbean infused ‘Can’t Get Enough’, Trey Songz does a decent job. Remember Missy Elliott? Arguably, the last woman to make great music in Hip Hop. Her appearance on ‘Nobody’s Perfect’ was a high point and made me somewhat hopeful that should she decide to make a proper comeback, it could turn out well. I’m not sure what I think of Drake’s appearance on ‘In the Morning’. I’ll assume that makes it ordinary.

When it comes to woman matters, Cole never fails to paint the perfect portrait. ‘Lights Please’, the song which got him signed sees Cole details a set ofmultiple sexual encounters where he tries to get all deep and mushy with hislady friend while her only interest lies in him ‘unzipping her jeans’ and‘unhooking her bra’. He then goes on to describe the joy gained from giving thefemale sexual organ a good time. *wink* He has a message for deadbeat dads.“And ain't it shameful how niggas blame hoes for givin' birth/ To a baby thattook two to make/ Coward nigga you a fake/How gon' look in your sons face andturn your back/Then go start another family dog what type of shit is that?”

My favourite: ‘Lost Ones’ is a deep number where he makes use of a double viewpoint technique in detailing the story of being a young and unfulfilled man who gets his girlfriend pregnant. He offers his view suggesting an abortion under the premise that they’re still young and unable to fend for themselves, much less a child. The second verse from the girls view sees her curse him for coming up with the suggestion and point out the self-contradictions of a man who claimed he didn’t want to be like his father and is on track to turn out just like that.

Jermaine Cole is on course to be a hip hop legend in his own right. He shares a lot of similarities with a certain Kanye West. Middle class ish backgrounds aside, Cole is the best Rapper/Producer to hit the mainstream since West. Not to forget, they’ve both been offered the path to greatness by the same person. Cole must take credit for shunning the trend of accumulating different Producers’ with clashing sounds and actually trying to tailor his sound in one direction. No I.D (Mr West’s mentor) assists him in doing this for the bulk of the album. Cole and West have similar setback filled stories and that similarity amongst others makes me view ‘Cole World’ in the same light as ‘College Dropout’. If in a couple of years’ time, Cole’s raps start to reference women who give blow jobs with shades on, then remember you heard it here first. With this, it’s only appropriate Cole takes a page out of the Kanye blueprint. ‘Work Out’ contains a sample of Kanye West’s ‘New Workout Plan’ off ‘College Dropout’.

Cole World: A Sideline Story is a winner. Yes, it could have been better if he was able to channel more of that X factor that saw it become one of the most anticipated albums of recent times. Listening to it, some of the songs could come across as boring. The average hip hop head would definitely play it back a couple of times while the untrained ear would probably trash it after the initial listen which begs the question: What was his motive when making the album? His production ability would also require some improvement.

The boy from Fayetteville, North Carolina has succeeded on one front. He’s delivered a standout freshman offering that’s been commercially successful and critically acclaimed. Come December, when Grammy nominations are announced, I would expect that Cole would earn a nomination for ‘Best Rap Album’ and if lucky, ‘Best New Artist’. If that comes to pass, the next challenge would be ensuring he doesn’t fall victim to the sophomore curse. Goodluck, Jermaine.

Anything.

2011-10-16T02:09:00.001-07:00

Good morning. Another Sunday's here. Time to thank the Almighty for constantly being with us. The song below is one I love as it has a message that comes to mind anytime we face challenges. Hope you like it.

Eko Ile

2011-10-15T09:48:00.000-07:00

I've lived away from Nigeria for the last set of years but if anyone asked me where I saw as home, 'Lagos' would be the answer. And I'll say it without batting an eyelid. I'm half Egba, half Ijebu(100% Ogun). I was born in Lagos. Schooled in Lagos and lived there for a SIGNIFICANT amount of time.

Lagos is a funny place and that reflects the ironies in the sleeping giant, Nigeria. If I remember right, geographically it's the smallest state in the country. But then population wise, it's No 1(or No 2, behind Kano if you choose to follow the much maligned National Census of 2006). People who live in Lagos LOVE Lagos. Those who don't, can't stand the place. I mean, it's the economic beehive of Nigeria. If you want to make it on the Music Scene, you can't be viewed as a success until your CD's highly in demand in Traffic or the Alaba marketers are willing to take a punt on it. As a Business man, if you're not in with the Polo or Boat Club boys, Thisday and City People won't view you as having 'arrived'. Lagos is like the New York of Africa. I remember hearing Jay Z(Jay Zed if you prefer) and Alicia Keys's 'Empire State of Mind' for the first time and hearing the words "Concrete Jungles where dreams are made of/ There's nothing you can't do" and Lagos coming to mind.

Those who don't live in Lagos and subsequently dislike the place see it as an embodiment of all that is wrong with Nigeria. It's a filthy place they say. And the Traffic? You can spend 6 hours (That's a flight to London) on a journey that ideally should last about an hour long. Not to forget the area boys who pop up at your window every now and then demanding your gadgets and wallet. And then those 'Owambe' parties that constantly pose parking problems. They do have valid points. My Father once got attacked twice within 40 minutes while in Traffic. If these weren't serious issues, organizations like LAWMA( Lagos Waste Management Authority) and LASTMA( Lagos State Traffic Management Authority) wouldn't exist.

Most Nigerians I know have some bond with Lagos. In 2007, when Babatunde Fashola got elected as Governor he naturally became the most relevant state governor in our eyes. To start with, the Lagos Gubernatorial elections had been one of the more keenly contested ones. Fashola wasn't exactly the most popular man around but he had the backing of the outgoing Governor, Bola Tinubu and a reputation as a silent achiever whilst serving in Tinubu's government as Chief of Staff. Musiliu Obanikoro had risen to power under the Alliance for Democracy (Tinubu and his allies too) umbrella. However, he decamped to the People's Democratic Party seeing the opposition as a more viable platform. Not to forget Jimi Agbaje, the Lagos Pharmacist who had some memorable Campaign tunes to go with his grassroots motivated brand. Fashola with Tinubu's backing conquered every hurdle in his path. Fashola lived up to expectations and made a name for himself early. Articulate and Intelligent( Something we Lawyers seem to have in abundance), he always gave a good impression when presented with the chance. Then he built on his electoral promises by acknowledging Lagos's status as a mega city and fulfilling some promises left behind by Tinubu which brought to existence the Bus Rapid Transit system which I'll simply describe as Lagos's take on those red buses that populate the streets of London. In Lagos, we've got them in red and blue. Fashola became the rock and roll Governor- Relatively young and understanding of the challenges citizens faced and genuinely concerned about bringing some change. He's someone we all want to see do well and thus far, he's been by far the standout Governor of the Yar' Adua/Goodluck years. He's so revered that even before he won his 2nd term ticket, he was already being spoken of as a potential Presidential candidate come 2015 (I'm pretty sure I expressed that on here). The odds of that are quite slim but time would surely tell.

Bringing me to my inspiration for this write up. Chibundu Onuzo called attention to the 'I See Lagos' project that the Fashola government put in place which gives Lagosians an idea of the plans they have to restore Lagos to the standard that made that luminary Fela Anikulapo Kuti sing "Ko ma sii mo re fo ri le o/A f'Eko ile".

Seeing Lagos progress fills me with Pride. As the economic hub of the nation, it suggests that all hope is not lost in fulfilling our ultimate desire that Nigeria would rise again. If Fashola can succeed in one of the most demanding and difficult jobs in Nigeria, expecting to see more effective political office holders in the future is surely not out of place. I shall take pleasure in returning home one day, raising my children in the same way my parents raised me there and telling them "Since I made it here, you can make it anywhere" whilst taking a chill pill and savoring the bliss Lagos would offer. (In case, you're wondering, No, the Fashola govt. isn't paying me to write this.

419 Reasons to Like Nigeria

2011-09-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

For toolong, Nigeria and Nigerians have been readily associated with the online scams,financial crime and impersonation - termed ‘419’.However, beyond the unfortunate stereotyping, there are several positive characteristicsand cogent intriguing traits of the country, Nigeria and its people, some ofwhich are highlighted below as part of the ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ campaign which enlisted 100 volunteersand bloggers to share reasons why they like Nigeria. These reasons echo thevoices of Nigerians, with resonating similar themes. The campaign is beingfacilitated in partnership with ‘The 419Positive Project’.

The full list of ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available here (www.419Positive.org)

The list of contributors to ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ isavailable here

If you would like to saysomething positive about Nigerians and Nigeria, please do so here.

NIGERIA - THE LAND OF POTENTIAL ANDOPPORTUNITY

v I like Nigeria because it is a land of endlessopportunities and possibilities. Nigeria is one country whose true potentials Ibelieve the world is yet to experience. I believe Nigerians are sharp,brilliant and accommodating people. Giving the right enabling environment the worldwill marvel at what Nigeria will become.

v Nigeria is the most populous black nation - and abuying one at that. From a capitalist point of view, this makes for greatinvestment opportunities.

v The fact that Nigeria currently lags behind so much -in infrastructure and developmental terms - hints at the size of the potentialfor innovation and transformation, and at the huge number of vacancies thatexist for 'transformers'. What I think this means is that the world will behearing a lot about Nigeria and high-achieving Nigerians (in the public andprivate sectors) in the near future.

NIGERIA - THE COUNTRY

v The Nigerian Green and White flag is a notablenational symbol. The green color symbolises agriculture, seeing that thecountry is endowed with masses of arable land, while the white colour signifiesunity and peace. Other national symbols include the Nigerian Coat of Arms,which depicts an eagle on a black shield, tri-sected by two wavy silver bands,and supported on either side by two chargers. The national motto underlies thecoat-of -arms: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress." Her nationalsymbols convey great meaning to its people.

v The Nigerian accent is currently ranked by CNN GlobalExperiences as the 5th sexiest accent in the world.

v Nigeria is home to Nollywood, one of the world'sbiggest film industries.

NIGERIA - THE CULTURE, THE FOOD, THE WAYOF LIFE

v Something great to like about Nigeria is our culturaldiversity. A strong affinity exists, despite our differences. Learning aboutother ethnic cultures in my country really helped me personally relate to othercultures when abroad.

v I think the food is tastier in Nigeria than that Ihave found in other countries.

v Nigerians live a communal life style. The extendedfamily is part of the immediate family in a Nigerian home.

NIGERIA - THE MUSIC, THE MOVIES, THEDANCE, THE ART

v Nigeria has produced many world class musicians. Anotable mention in this regard is Fela Anikulapo Kuti. A Broadway show titled‘FELA!’ was produced in 2009 depicting the life and times of the Afrobeatmusician.

v Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood, is reputedly the3rd largest film industry after Hollywood and Bollywood, and has growngradually into a $250 million industry in more than 10 years.

v Nigerian indigenous musical instruments are unique,soulful and rhythmic. They comprise the popular Talking Drum, producingproverbial and storytelling sounds, the Shaker (shekere), the Udu drum, theLute, the leg and arm Rattle, the Omele, the Ogene (Gong originating in EasternNigeria), the Ekwe drum and the Kakaki (A 4m metal trumpet popular in NorthernNigeria). Many of these instruments have been incorporated in South Americanmusic over the years

NIGERIA - GEOGRAPHY and NATURALRESOURCES

v Nigeria Nigeria is a nation blessed with rich humanand natural resources. As the 8th largest exporter of Oil in the world, withthe 10th largest proven reserves, our blessings cannot be overemphasised. Noearthquakes, no tsunamis, no droughts, an evergreen land. The rest of the worldshould live here.

v The beauty of the Nigerian state cannot but leave onein awe. Blessed with captivating physical features and abundant wild life. Fromthe rolling hills to the vast plains in the North Central Nigeria and theforests in the South, the beautiful scenery of the country is more thanbreathtaking and with the wildlife spread all over the country; Nigeria issurely a beauty to behold and a tourist's delight all year round.

v Nigeria is blessed with tremendous agriculturalresources. Cotton in the North, Cocoa & Oil palm in the south amongst manyothers. The flag is green for a reason

NIGERIA - WEST AFRICA, AFRICA and THEWORLD

v Nigeria has the largest population of any country inAfrica. Approximately 1 out of every 2 West Africans, 1 out of every 4Africans, and 1 out of every 5 persons of African origin is a Nigerian.

v Nigeria is the largest contributor of troops to theECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and by extension, is the largest force forpeace and stability in West Africa.

v A Nigerian will stand out anywhere you find him/her,from Libya to London, Tokyo to Timbuktu. Well known examples include HakeemOlajuwon (Houston Rockets, USA), Olumide Oyedeji (Seattle Sonics), TundeBaiyewu (Lighthouse Family), Sunday Adelaja (Ukraine), Chris Aire (US), etc.

NIGERIA - INDUSTRIOUS, INNOVATIVE and ENTERPRISING,with ACHIEVEMENTS

v Nigerians are intelligent, brilliant minds who haveproven their mettle in various fields - Wole Soyinka was the first African towin the much coveted Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. Chinua Achebe’sclassic novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ was ranked as number 14 in a list of top 100books in the world by Newsdesk in 2009. Others include Cyprian Ekwensi, MabelSegun, Chimamanda Adichie and Helon Habila whose literary works have won bothinternational and local awards at various times.

v We have budding fashion designers. Yes! It's a lineevery Bunmi, Amaka and Amina has decided to tow but to disregard the effort andoriginality of our Fashion Designers would be disrespectful. Tiffany Amber,Lanre Da Silva and Deola Sagoe are building world renowned brands, not tomention the legacy developed by the likes of Abba Folawiyo, Maureen Onigbanjo,Remi Lagos and Zizzi Cardow.

v Nigerians have excelled in the fields of economics andfinance, managing well established global bodies. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, thecurrent Minister of Finance, was until recently a Managing Director at TheWorld Bank. Obiageli Ezekwisili iscurrently the Vice President for Africa at The World Bank. Mr Adebayo Ogunlesiis a first class graduate of Oxford, and Managing Partner of Globalinfrastructure Partner (GIP), a concessionaire of London’s GatwickInternational Airport.

v We take technology and expand it in ways those whocreated it could not have imagined. For instance, take the BlackBerry Messenger(BBM) which allows you to send broadcast messages to all addresses on yourcontacts list; Nigerians recently found a unique way of advertising thedifferent businesses they do. Someone started a message highlighting the factthat many people in Nigeria are entrepreneurs or provide a service and includedhis BB PIN in the message and sent to all his contacts with the charge thatthey state the service they provide, include their PIN and send on to all theircontacts too. This seemingly small campaign has gone “viral” with whole listsof entrepreneurs and their BB PINs being passed from phone to phone. This is aclear sign of the ingenuity of Nigerians!

NIGERIA – GREAT PEOPLE

v Nigeria is the 7th most populous nation in the world(over 160 million) and most populous in Africa - a gold mine of energetic,determined and talented people in each and every field. From Lagos to Aba toKano, the Nigerian business spirit and desire to succeed is visible. Itrequires just proper harnessing of these human resources before Nigeria becomesthe super power she was meant to be.

v Nigerians are passionate, friendly, welcoming,hospitable, and well cultured people. The average Nigerian reflects acombination of vivacity, intelligence, energy, talent, and resolution.

v We are a nation of people that can hardly hide theirexcitement at seeing family and friends. Some misconstrue this thinking we areloud but let's just say we are EXPRESSIVE! If you see us on the streets of NewYork making a big ruckus and hugging? No sweat. We are just happy to see eachother.

NIGERIA – THE RESILIENT SPIRIT

v The Giant of Africa: Not ignoring the currentchallenges, eventually, when we get our act right, we will reign supreme on theglobal scene. We have the potential and as is much touted by the Warri people -"Naija no dey carry last"

v The 'survivor-mentality' hard-wired into the DNA ofNigeria's people. The fact that against all the odds (and there are many ofthem), Nigerians continue to live, hustle and seek to triumph. It is not bymistake that Nigeria is regarded as one of the "happiest" countriesin the world, despite its challenging economic and social conditions.

v We are hardy. The average Nigerian does business undercircumstances that are unimaginable to people from other parts. In a placewhere there is no power, no credit, and scant regulation, people do businessand do very well for themselves too. If you can make it in Nigeria, you canmake it anywhere in the world.

NIGERIA – TOURISM and SPORTS

v Nigeria is an amazing tourist haven and is home to theObudu Cattle Ranch, located in Calabar. It is only 45 miles from the Cameroonborder. The Obudu Plateau is spread over 40 sq. miles and is 5,200 feet abovesea level. The Obudu resort features a Gorilla Camp where tourists may observegorillas in their natural habitat.

v Nigeria has two UNESCO world heritage sites, the OsunOsogbo Sacred Grove and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa. UNESCO worldheritage sites are places designated as being of cultural significance.

v Nigeria has produced great footballers like Teslim“Thunder” Balogun (the first Nigerian to play for an English Club – QPR), SegunOdegbami, Muda Lawal, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini (who scored Nigeria’s firstever goal at the World Cup), Nwankwo Kanu, Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha, John MikelObi, Osaze Odemwingie, to mention but a few.

v Nigeria has excelled in athletics over the years,still holding continental records in the 100m men and women, 4x100m men andwomen, 400m men and women, among others. Over 100 skilled Nigerian professionalfootballers played in First Division leagues in different countries all overEurope in the 2010/2011 season, 9 in England; 8 each in Finland, Norway; 10 inUkraine and 7 in Sweden.

NIGERIA – UNITY in DIVERSITY

v Nigerians, despite our diversity are a united peoplewho always strive to help one another. With 774 local government areas, multireligious and ethnic affiliations, 36 States, and population of over 160million, we still stand undeterred to move forward together.

v Even outside the country, Nigerians remain united.This gives a quiet assurance somewhat that you can get on a plane and go to anycountry of the world and find a Nigerian there who will not only make you feelwelcome but will go out of their way to be of really good help. I haveexperienced this several times on my travels and each time it amazes me how allI need to be is a Nigerian, not Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa and once I run intoanother Nigerian, I will immediately feel at home.

v Our greatest strength lies in our diversity.

The ‘419Reasons to Like Nigeria’ Campaign is in partnership with ‘The419Positive Project’.

Charlie Rose Interviews Kanye West.

2011-09-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

Find above an interview of Mr West by Charlie Rose filmed in 2005. Yeah! You're probably not interested and bored of my obsession. I found it inspiring as he touches on Issues such as his life threatening accident, his greatest fears and his upbringing. Hope you enjoy it.

That word...Africa

2011-08-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Africa. It is not a country.
For the millions of people (other than Africans) who realize it's not a country, it is not a homogenous mass of land. Every country is unique and in most countries, the uniqueness can be classified for regions, tribes etc.

The word does not refer to only sub-saharan Africa. It encompasses all 54 countries so yes North Africa and the islands are included. So no saying your friend travelled to African is not a clear picture at all. If I said,'I travelled to Central America' the next question will be (and logically too), well where exactly?! Why then do people nod knowingly when they hear someone travelled to Africa?

I don't know if it is just me but the way most people use that word really grates on my nerve. No I will not describe myself as African. Americans don't call themselves North Americans, Indians don't say 'Hi. My name is Sharukh Khan and I'm from Asia' so why should I?

Because I live on the continent does not mean I know everything about everywhere. I bet very few Mexicans know every detail about the history, political atmosphere, natural and mineral resources of Canada (and yea Mexico is considered North American). So no, I cannot tell you why the war in Congo is still raging (actually I can but I don't want to discuss it).
The situations in the countries vary from country to country so no Lupe, don't draw comparisons between Africa and New York (I still love you though).

Africa does not equal evil, strife, sorrow and/ poverty. If I wasn't too busy (lazy) I'd start a petition against calling killer bees 'Africanized' bees. If they were purely African, I wouldn't care (would probably be proud of them) but they are hybrids of African and European bees. It's either a petition or I make a couple of killer 'mistakes' myself and name them after each region, just for equality sake.

I understand why they do it. I really do. It's not completely their ignorant faults. I don't mind people classifying us as Africans, it's the fact that it's done only to us and often in direct comparison with other countries *the horror*

2011-08-22T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hello world,

Sorry posts have been somewhat slow. I've been lacking in inspiration and direction and I apologize for that. I've been up to some 'boring' things. One of which involved a visit to Saatchi Gallery to see an Exhibition commemorating the 125th Anniversary of the greatest football team in the world. Yeah! You can take shots at me, I'm immune to all that. I didn't have a proper camera on me so I ended up taking pictures with my phone so they might be lacking quality wise.
Find below;

Starring: Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Wojciech Sczcesny, Marouane Chamakh and Theo Walcott.

Have a great week,
OluwaMayowa

Ralph Lauren by Oprah Winfrey

2011-08-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

I was messing around on Tumblr and found this Interview of Ralph Lauren by Oprah Winfrey quite interesting. Hope it inspires you as it did to me.

Oprah Interviews Ralph Lauren from The.Nobility on Vimeo.

What was I thinking Again???

2011-08-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have a 5-year-old cousin. She's loud, too playful, tiring and naughty. My grandmother insists that we pray for her. My mum thinks she needs a firmer hand. I just think she needs someone to play with her and expend her excessive energy. One day I was walking down a road in DC after having a discussion with my older sister about my little cousin and I was trying to think about what went through my cousin's head sometimes. And it hit me! I cannot remember my thought process from my younger days. I can remember many things from back then. Events, conversations and feelings but I can't remember thought processes. You know when you say ' I thought ...blah blah blah'. The blah blah blah does not include your thought processes, just the end product. The only person I know who includes thought processes in all their conversations is Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory and look how annoying he is (hilarious though).

What exactly is a thought process? It’s a series of formulaic calculations and conjectures that lead to a cohesive (or maybe not) idea that might lead to an action. It’s like an invisible flowchart in your head that leads to an idea or action. A great example is Sheldon’s friendship flowchart. I took this off blog http://www.nosewheelie.com/blogofthedarned/?p=52

I waded through some of my many memories from when I was little and tried to scrutinize it to see if my thought process then would suddenly become apparent. One story comes to mind. One holiday or my birthday (I'm not sure) my mother bought me a huge doll. To wrap it away from my prying eyes, she locked herself in our storeroom with our house help. I remember standing at the door, banging as hard as my little fists could and wailing 'Do you want me to die?' I was crying so hard, my mum had to leave her gift-wrapping to comfort me (although she was laughing at me at the same time).

I remember feeling abandoned and thinking my mum would leave me to starve. My question is how did I come to that conclusion? I was generally not a hysterical child (that would be my sister) so what went through my little brain? And it brought me to a shocking realization. I didn't just forget my thought processes from when I was 5; I've forgotten most of my thought processes. I only remember the most recent ones and I think it's a universal thing, exception being Sheldon.

So next time a faulty choice comes around to bite you, instead of trying to ponder on what you were thinking about when you made that decision and dwelling on a faded thought process, look to the future and try to be more thorough in your decision making. It's like walking down a path once and trying to navigate those turns 4 years later and wondering how you did it the last time. And next time you revisit an old memory and you start to think about questioning the other people involved in that memory, don't bother, they've forgotten. Their answer will probably be crap. *Shrug* just saying. I tried it recently and look where it landed me…irritated beyond words can explain.

26th July 2011

2011-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse's death teaches us many things. Ms Winehouse shall be regarded as a legend for many years to come off the back of just 2 albums; 'Frank' and 'Back to Black'. That in itself proves the long held cliche that Quality > Quantity. If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well. Also, it reinforces a view I've consistently favored. Artistes would always die, the Music they make on earth is what their legacies would be based on. If your Music can't/won't last the test of time, you should consider an alternative occupation.

Kanye West is my favorite musician. Jay Z is my second favorite artiste. So you can imagine how excited I was when Kanye tweeted around this time last year that an EP featuring both of them was in the works. With time, that changed to an LP which has finally received a concrete feasible release date. 'The Throne' as they've now asked to be known had a 10 minute mini documentary that details the recording process behind 'Watch The Throne'. For me, it was another opportunity to engage in my obsessed fan ways. However, I also picked up a valuable lesson. There's a clip of Kanye in 2002 where he says "When I do my album, I'm gonna take it to the next level." You're probably tired of hearing me say this but having Confidence is so essential in fulfilling our dreams. If you want people to believe in you, you've got to believe in yourself. The Documentary also highlighted a tweet from Kanye where he said "I was in the audience at the Hard Knock Life tour" in reference to Jay Z's 1999 tour and that dear friends, represents another cliche that's very valid. Hard work would help you accomplish your dreams and ambitions.

Pre Order The Album

With regards to people our age who make Music, it's worthy of note that most people make music rapping in American, Jamaican or 'Brap' Accents. Not too many problems with that but won't it be better if we did things that are more likely to strike a chord with our people? If D'Banj's G.O.O.D Music signing proves anything, it's that what we might term as 'local sounding' music CAN be successful. Keep it the way our people would be more familiar with. Rationally, I'll expect a defense along the lines of "Our Music isn't targeted for Nigerians. We're looking global". Nonsense. You have to start from somewhere. If you can't make Radio in your own backyard, there's no way you can go beyond that.

My views on Goodluck Jonathan's Single Term/Tenure Elongation proposed bill: NONSENSE!! By making it a maximum of one term, all motivation for the Politician's to sit down and come up with great ideas on how the nation could progress is gone. The main motive would be to gain Power and possibly steal as much as possible whilst ensureing that next election, the incumbent's favored candidate wins and subsequently offers protection for his 'godfather' thus possibly setting in motion a dangerous cycle of poor governance. With the maximum two term system we have, we can still vote out ineffective leaders. See the likes of Alao Akala and Ohakim losing their seats in the last elections. With Mr Jonathan's proposed bill, this goes out the window. Being stuck with the wrong leaders for a long time could be very damaging to the Democracy we're attempting to build.

The only thing that could possibly make my views budge is if the Immunity Clause is removed. And even then, I'm still highly doubtful those behind the anti corruption agencies would desist from using the threat of prosecution against people who oppose the mainstream political forces. I'm also disappointed that this represents Goodluck's first genuine proposal despite being sworn in as President about two months ago. In my opinion, it is pretty much equivalent to Obasanjo's 3rd Term Bid and would have been much better if it was set in motion halfway when his tenure could be judged and an idea of what his legacy as President would hold.

You could read the detailed release here

The Popular Is Seldom Correct

2011-07-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

I wrote this around the same time I wrote the post below so they're somewhat similar. It builds on things I've expressed in the past. Hope you find it a good read.

Those who know me well tell me I’ve got a rigid routine and I’m not your typical young adult. “Your idea of fun is to stay at home, sitting on your computer reading other people’s blogs and writing. If it’s not that, it’s to go to Brent Cross and buy stuff from H & M.” What this person failed to mention was going on YouTube, typing up ‘Kanye West interview 2010′, watching all of them and staring in awe at the greatness of my hero

If you’re familiar with the short film ‘Runaway’ which represents Kanye’s attempt at equalling Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, you’ll recall that Selita Ebanks plays the role of an alien (a very delicious one at that) who drops down to Planet Earth from the sky. Before making her return to whatever planet she descended from she says “Do you know what I hate most about your world? Anything that is different you try to change, you try to tear it down”. That encapsulates why I’m somewhat insular.

I take pride in being somewhat ‘different’. You know, clearly not the average boy. I’ll save you the burden of hearing me praise myself. Okay, my beef with the world stems from the constant barrage of attacks I get for staying true to the things I believe in. Leave me alone and stop trying to make me like you. I’ll never understand why Society beats people into a pulp for not conforming. It’s a silly thing. Diversity is something that makes the world tick. Interacting with foreigners helps you to broaden your horizon by gaining an understanding into why they do the things they do.

A quote I often use is “The popular is seldom correct”. If you beg to differ, kindly proffer a sensible reason why George Bush was able to earn the maximum two terms as President of the United States. After taking History at AS, I learnt that Hitler’s Antisemitic policies were actually not as far fetched as they seem as they were an apt representation of the times. Jews were made scapegoats for every and any thing possible. As a way of showing my Father that his money wasn’t a waste I’ll use another example. Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ was also a representation of Victorian attitudes towards Witchcraft. In times bygone, witches were blamed for unexplainable phenomena like sick animals or bad luck. Do witches even exist? I hate to sound like your primary school teacher scolding you but ‘cos everyone does something doesn’t make it right. Never ever get that twisted.

A view I’ve always held to be true is that all change comes from Deviance. And deviance comes from people doing things in a way that’s never been done. For the human race to advance, new ideas, values and beliefs must come into play. This is where ‘differentness’ comes in. Wasn’t Jesus Christ persecuted? Didn’t his ideas and values still flourish despite that? Nelson Mandela’s attempt to fight Apartheid in his native South Africa was initially taken as an act of Terrorism. It would later come to be acknowledged for the freedom fighting it actually was. We need to stop trying to force the things we see as right on the people around us. Let people think what they want and believe the things they want to believe. You can try and make them see your own viewpoint but don’t force them to conformity. Freewill is something that shouldn’t be compromised and suppressed. Isn’t the 21st century supposedly built on individualism?

This was a Guest Blog Feature for Amaka Onyemenam

Shout Out to my Best friend.

Dreams From My Father

2011-07-18T16:59:00.000-07:00

My Father is my hero.

He's the most rational person I've ever met. He thinks everything through and makes the most balanced decisions.

He's taught me so many things. In my life, he's beaten me only once. I think he believes that human beings are generally sensible and that the mouth is a much more effective purveyor of displeasure than the cane or gun.

He's also taught me that the ability to keep your cool when faced with adversity is essential. Emotion and anger only cloud our judgements and hinder us largely.

I've also learnt from him that a good name and reputation for positivity are key in attaining success in life. It's easy to get carried away by material things and forget who we really are. His words to me as he dropped me off at boarding school for the first time in Year 7 were; “ Remember the son of whom you are”. I do admit, many times I forgot myself and got carried away but, like the prodigal son, I found my way back and came through those phases with a stronger resolve to be the best son I could possibly be.

Mr Idowu never fails to tell me everything and how they affect him. what that has done in helping me mature is unparalleled. It's easy for us to make plans without thinking of the effects they'll have on those around us especially our parents. By putting me in a position of trust, he's allowed to me know how things affect him and improved my understanding of the world. There should be no no-go area between children and their parents.

My dad has also taught me to show interest in the things that affect the people around me. He believes knowledge is a powerful tool that anyone can offer so nothing is gained from being narrow minded. When I first started writing, he was always the first person I sent my write ups to. He would correct them and give me the best critique possible. As I've gotten better and more swollen headed , I've done this less. However, he's subscribed to the blog and gets an email with the content as soon as anything's published and is always the first to tell me what he thinks. It's possible he might have felt hurt when I stopped sending him things (I'll never know as he shows no emotion) but it's never stopped him. He guest blogs for me every now and then. (How cool is that).

He's got a book titled 'The Popular is Seldom Correct' and that title represents one of the most important lessons learnt. Public opinion isn't necessarily correct. Perception = Reality. We can't all see things the same way as we come from different backgrounds. The law of the majority isn't always correct. Remember that, anti Semitism was once common phenomena in Europe and inspired Adolf Hitler's racial cleansing policy which went on to cause the Holocaust. Humans base judgement on things they can see or know. Some things are hidden, some things are suppressed.. It's akin to criminality to build a house on shaky foundations. Shouldn't it be criminal to base opinions on basic limitations?

Happy Birthday Daddy. Wishing you many more years and the best in all you do. By the way, I'm broke and would appreciate you getting emotional after reading this and sending me a lot of money. God bless you abundantly.

Social Media: The Bad

2011-07-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

The pro's of Social Media have been weighed. Now it's time to consider the cons.

Social Media's got its downside(s). Having access to information isn't necessarily a good thing. When is it 'enough'? What defines 'enough'? Critics would say that with social media, the concept of privacy is being lost more and more. The virtual world is a tiny village of which we all happen to inhabit. Google your name and it's likely that you'll find a daft statement you made on Twitter, 6 months ago that you don't even recall typing up. (Unless you've got protected tweets) The wrong people could see these things and jump to a conclusion. Impersonators don't need to work hard anymore. The task is made easy for them by tweeters who were callous enough to tweet their complete names. If you go through my favorites, you'll notice I Favorited some of those tweets. No, not 'cos I'm an identity thief but 'cos I want to use it to tease 'Precious' when next he messes with me. But then, I might just be the exception. Some weirdo might have saved it and plans to use it to perpetuate his ulterior motive.

Public figures also find themselves under intense scrutiny as a result of the prevalence of Social Media. It's not rare to see Sportsmen targeted by fans after their latest loss. Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson's stay on Twitter was limited to 2 hours after he was victim of numerous abusive tweets. A striker with the England female national team, Eni Aluko has also been in the news after describing her discomfort with attacks against her on Twitter after missing a couple of chances in the World Cup match against Mexico, describing them as 'poisonous'. It is said that anonymity engenders polarization and hate. It's also not a rarity to see celebrities taking on each other. Chris Brown being particularly guilty of this after public disagreements with Odd Future, Raz B and Joe Budden. Piers Morgan has also been guilty of attacking Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy describing their transfer predicaments with Arsenal as being a result of 'disgusting mercenary greed'. Whatever that means. Everyone has access to these platforms and it's the most apt explanation of why such Irrationality and Inconsideration are rampant.


Abusive Tweets sent to Darron Gibson

Social Media is also viewed suspiciously by Lawyers who see it as an avenue through which people could spread their misinformed views which could possibly result in defamation and libel. Take for instance, the case of Ryan Giggs and his super injunction. It's argued that Social media gave people the platform to violate the law. A case against Twitter is currently pending in the courts with Twitter warning that it would inform users if it should become necessary that their information be passed unto the relevant authorities.

Social Media can also be seen as key in the rise of unverified news stories. Many a time, it has happened that something that's a figment of someone's imagination is let out and it starts to be taken as the truth. Kanye West never fails to make mention of the fact that post Taylor Swift, news made rounds that he had reached his death in a car accident. Nelson Mandela, Bruce Willis, Mick Jagger, Margaret Thatcher and Bill Cosby are examples of prominent figures who have also been victims of death hoaxes.

Social Media can also be described as a major source of distraction. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been inundated with essays to be submitted early the following morning and then makes a quick detour to his Twitter homepage with the plan of spending 5 minutes scouring for gems of knowledge and ends up spending 90 minutes going in on the overly recycled #dearfuturewife trending topic. Next morning, a half baked essay is submitted. Social Media's killing us slowly. We don't hold conversations anymore, preferring to tweet every thing that comes to mind. And when at meals with people we're TwitPicing the food to arouse envy. At what point would the right balance be found?

Random Thoughts

2011-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

Who said money doesn't make people appear finer? The person is a liar. It's not rocket science. With improved fortunes, one has access to quality make up artistes, better clothes, better soap, soothing sponges, top of the range hairdressers and all that.

Twitter Bio's contain the most rubbish in this world.

Of late, I've acted on impulse a bit and regretted some of the things I've done. It's vital that we think through things before acting them out so as not to make rash decisions we would end up regretting later.

The mind is the most important part of the body. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Girls could be quite peculiar. It's impossible to satisfy them. When you tell them you're attracted to them in a way that entails a 'one night stand' and nothing else, they'll attack you for not showing them respect, blah blah blah. With that, what choice are the boys left? Spinning a web of lies all for the sake of entering their sokoto. More one night stands= Less heartbreak/ Deception. (This is no reflection of my mindset, just an attempt at Rationality)

Blogs are abuzz with the story of Titilayo Oyakhire who had the misfortune of being killed by the man she said "I Do" to at the Altar. I'm not going to go in on that scenario 'cos that's been done everywhere. My take is inspired by the belief that Africans need a change in mindset. Our culture tends to frown upon things like Divorce as parents don't want to be judged for rearing children who couldn't see Marriage through. That's plain wrong. It's important that we realize that this false mindset can't get us far. People shouldn't have to put up with things they're not comfortable with to please their parents or society. We should live first for our God and then our well being. As sad as the story is, my hope is that it serves as a Reality check of some sorts and people learn that it's essential to break free from society's shackles and live Life to find their own Happiness. Anything other than that, would be a failure on our part. SAY NO TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SAY NO TO UNNECESSARY CONFORMITY

I'm a self admitted uptight person. I get annoyed by anything and everything. However of all the possible things that could get me annoyed, my greatest peeve of all time is Negativity.

I'll never ever understand it. Never ever. I don't understand what pleasure is gained from sitting down to think negative thoughts. I'll never ever understand what pride is gained from taking pride in seeing other people falter. I'll never ever understand why anger and bitterness would possess one to the extent that everything that's said is of no benefit to others besides creating sadness and possibly inducing Depression.

Instead of sitting down, looking for people's flaws and shortcomings, why can't one focus on the good things they do? Instead of sitting down to think of ways in which things can go wrong, why can't we focus on the ways in which they would go right and take pleasure in that? It's not exactly a difficult thing to do.

I'm of the belief that when one thinks negative thoughts, they gradually fester upon the mind and then act themselves out.

Wear a smile and think up good things.

1.20 AM.

2011-07-02T04:17:00.000-07:00

It's 1.20 am. I've just finished my exams so after catching up with my missed Kanye West google alerts and checking out my favourite blogs, I'm intent on attempting something that can pass as Writing. Something that could possibly inspire you and make you go and tell your friends how awesome my blog is. Thing is, nothing's coming to mind. So what do I do? Hit up my Twitter favorites in search of something clever sounding.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

I love Nigeria. Logically, it's safe to say I love Nigerians. However, there's something ingrained in most of us, I dislike. It's this belief and resignation to fatalistic attitudes and values. And if you're not familiar with the word fatalistic. It's a belief that all things are inevitable. i.e whatever will be will be. Try and have a conversation with the average Nigerian youth on Politics and they'll proceed to inform you how nothing would change and that government coffers would continue to line the pockets of politicians for as long as they remain in power . And when you tell them you're genuinely interested in Politics, they proceed to give you the long list of names of people who tried to take on the system and lost their lives or we're suppressed easily.

Whatever happened to the belief that with determination and the will to succeed, one can influence the future positively.

I've never been one susceptible to Fear. It's one of the reasons I enjoy Writing. I'm young so it's unlikely people would mention my name in the same breath as the greats so all I have to do is just write without the burden of a name or reputation to live up to. Maybe that influences my belief that our generation are truly the ones who can generate the change Nigeria requires. Think about it, we've got platforms like Twitter and Facebook that previous generations didn't have and this enables us to gain support for the numerous movements we have far and wide.

My 'brother' Kayode embodies the proactive mindset I want to see in young Nigerians. Like me, he's passionate about Politics. In the build up to the last elections, instead of ranting on Twitter about how bad the situation was and how ill fated the Elections were going to be, he developed the idea of a photo sharing website where people could upload any pictures of possible election malpractices with the hope that photographic evidence as such would enable the Election tribunals in detecting any 'mago mago'. Knowing that building the entire project round the Elections wasn't feasible as the Elections were bound to end one day, he designed the site to be receptive to other categories such as Lifestyle, Fashion, Sports etc. That project is Shutterfeeds. The Arab Revolutions would not have been possible if the people did not set their minds towards getting rid of their non productive leaders and ensuring that their political systems were restructured.

We must strive to break down our passive views. We are very capable of making change if we set our minds to it. Stop thinking about how things won't change. Why don't you think of ways in ensuring that thy change? With this type of attitude, I'm confident Nigeria would grow to fulfill the potential we all believe it's capable of.

Originally written on the 22nd of June.

Social Media: The Good

2011-07-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Social Media? Well, this refers to the use of technology as a medium for interaction. Yeah! Twitter, Facebook, Bebo, My Space. Whatever it is that rocks your boat all fall under that umbrella. These days, it's rare to find people who don't make use of Social Media. That's probably the greatest testimony of how importnat it is to wider society.

Ask anyone in Media, Business, Politics, Advertising and the numerous industries that rule our worlds and they'll tell you the web is a very significant influence and definer of their official policies. Barack Obama's rise to power was helped largely through the use of Social Media. One instance being the use of YouTube in documenting the campaign trail with one particular video 'Yes We Can' featuring celebrities like Will.I.Am, Scarlett Johannsson, Common, John Legend and Herbie Hancock reaching 10 million views within a month. The video of one particular speech reached 1.3 million views in a day. The Obama Campaign Team were also able to use Yahoo Answers into gauging public attitudes. Facebook wasn't left out in helping Mr Obama rise to power. Numerous forces built from Facebook groups were able to carry out grassroots campaigns. Social Media platforms were also used in generating funds with $6 out of $25 million of revenue gained in the first quarter of 2007 being raised through on line channels.

Yes We Can!

News organs and Personalities of note also make use of Social Media. Why? It's the quickest and most efficient way of getting news out. Not to forget, it's very cost effective. Of what cost is it to the New York Times to set up a Twitter account? It doesn't need to pay anyone anything. Followers would come easily. All it has to do is post links to its news items. Hits would go up and help it gain revenue as ad's would become sought after. And News is spread instantaneously.

For celebrities, it saves them the displeasure of having to sit through an interview with some 65 year old man whose mouth stinks and shows no regard for privacy with intrusive questions. It's also easy to dispel any misinformation making the rounds. Rio Ferdinand made use of Twitter in highlighting the manipulation of old quotes of his by the papers. It's also a simple form of interacting with fans. One can hold question and answer sessions. As a matter of fact, as I write this article Eldee's holding one using the hashtag '#Questions4Eldee'. Some also do giveaways to reward their supporters.

Social Media gives power to the powerless. Earlier this year, revolutions were taking place left, right and centre. The rise and growing prevalence in the use of social media as a way of expressing displeasure. In Egypt, the collaborationby Google and Twitter in launching Speak to Tweetrestored Egypt to cyberspace, after the Government's attempt at suppressing the people by allowing voice mails in Arabic to beshared to the world at large.

Whether you like it or not, Social Media influences our lives significantly and it's here to stay. The sooner we accept it, the better.

P.S Just as I was about to hit 'Publish Post' on this, News came in that Barack Obama shall hold the first of its kind White House Twitter Town Hall where he'll answer tweeted questions on Wednesday at 2pm. Ever questioned the importance of Social Media?

This was written for the Technology site Technesstivity.

He Used To Be My Hero

2011-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00


His Arsenal Debut

Around the time, I was in Year 8, the diminutive figure that was Cesc Fabregas stood out in the middle of the park for Arsenal. Bred at the famed La Masia academy alongside the likes of Lionel Messi an d Gerard Pique, he was blessed with vision that could only be matched by the legendary Paul Scholes. He was fresh. Nothing we we had ever seen or experienced. He was just 17 but stood out amongst some of his older colleagues.

The next season, he was to have more burden thrust upon his shoulders. Patrick Vieira, a midfield dynamo and Arsenal Captain had just made his departure for Juventus. Fabregas was given his No 4 jersey making him his direct replacement. He had only played one full season and he was being given such responsibility. He could have buckled under the pressure. No, he didn't. He flourished. Became a man and Arsenal's lynchpin. The man whom the team would grow to be built around. The crowning glory was to take place in the 2005/2006 Champions League Quarter Finals against Juventus when Robert Pires robbed Vieira of the ball and laid it on to Thierry Henry who subsequently set Fabregas to score.


Celebrates the Milan goal

I've got other pleasurable memories, the performance against AC Milan in the victory that made Arsenal the first British team to win at the San Siro. The goal against Spurs from the kick off at the Emirates the season before last was also a high point. His performance against Chelsea and Braga last season also stood out. It say a lot about his greatness that at the young age of 24, he's the 3rd highest on the Premier League Assists leaderboard of all time with 80 assists.

As Mr Fabregas's long mooted move to his hometown club, Barcelona gathers pace, I mourn the loss of someone who used to be my hero. I'll miss him but I wish him happiness and prosperity as he embarks on the quest to write his own bit of History with arguably the greatest football team of all time.

Guest Blogger: Sorry, Excuse Me, Did you forget how to say Thank you? By Amaka Onyemenam

2011-06-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

Now when I was younger, my mom would get me stuff; and I would be too consumed with studying the item; whatever it was; to see if it measured up to my standards and wrinkling my nose if it didn't, to utter a simple thank you.

On numerous occasions, that would happen and she would chastise me, until she assured me she would stop buying me things. Well, obviously I didn't take that seriously.

And then she came back one day from the U.S. Mybrothers all got things. I stared at her; expectancy written all over my face and she didn't even glance my way.

Needless to say, I cried that night. *insert embarrassed smiley here*

It went on that way for a while till she thought the lesson was learned.

My point? Gratitude goes a long way despite what you think. The age we live in is becoming so progressively tactless and post- modernized that the little things that actually matter. e.g thank-you, sorry, etc are becoming virtually in existent.

My friend had a dinner to celebrate her birthday a while ago. Strictly by invitation it was, as she was footing the bill. So we all showed up and we saw this guy, who she hadn't even invited, sitting calmly talking with his friends. Me, I did a double take but kept my mouth shut. Maybe plans changed right?

Asked her about it afterwards. And she goes "Oh I didn't invite him. Just saw him there, paid for him, no biggie. But he didn't even say thank you when he left".

I suppose its not my place to get miffed about that. I mean it wasn't my bill right?

There seems to be a trend with boys and this sort of tactlessness. So someone had a house party at mine. Won't name names. Spent money on the food, everyone ate and had fun; now time to leave; all the girls said thanks and left. The boys? Only one came back to say "Hey! I'm leaving, thanks for the food"

Not a big deal is what you're thinking? But what motivation is there for such person to spend any money on you next time if you won't even show gratitude. Said person has not asked you to pay an entrance fee; just show up and eat their food. Least you could do is give said person your gratitude, No? Poor.

I try my every best to remember to say 'Thank you' whenever someone does/gives me something. My mother started giving my brother whatever he asked for because of the way he said thank-you. Even if he hated whatever it was; he'd go "Oh! Mummy, thank-you very much, God bless you". I remember this because I used to be a bit irritated hearing it constantly, taking for granted that she's my mom and is expected to give me whatever I ask for, No? Granted, he was younger than me, as such he could be as cheesy as he liked. But I know in my heart you can show gratitude without being cheesy.

Gratitude should know no restrictions anyway. This is why even Presidents and such, have 'thank you speeches'

Anyway, this goes hand in hand with saying things like 'Sorry' and 'Excuse me'. I mean, are we now robots that they aren't a part of our modus operandi. I think in Nigeria, we still have it slightly better. In England, should a person trip and you, a well brought up Nigerian; not even really caring for the persons well being, say the word 'Sorry', you would wish you could just implode. Instead of this unfortunate individual to quietly say thank you and do the walk of shame, you instead would be met with "Why are you saying sorry? Was it your fault?".

I know right?! I heard the funniest story once. My friend saw a man rush to get on a train and unfortunately for him; or (fortunately for the train), he fell in between the platform and the train and got stuck there. Knowing how the English are, obviously everyone rushed to his rescue. When they managed to pull him out at the end of the day, this unfortunate soul was pissed off that he didn't make his train.

No, no gratitude to those who had helped him out or no gratitude to fate/God for sparing his life.

I rolled and laughed that day because I was TOO amused. This is what life has become.

Point anyway? - The little things matter. However little! Thank-you and what not. Incorporate them.

(NB- I'm not saying its just guys who are guilty of this!)
Oh! Before I forget, Thank you for reading. And Thank You to Mayowa for allowing me this pleasure.

For Now;
:)

Amaka's poems and views can be accessed on her blog; When You Find Me
You could also follow her on Twitter; @AyvonneO

Just a lil titbit

2011-06-17T04:14:00.000-07:00

For the past week I've been scuba diving in Honduras. Now this! is a summer holiday but that's another story. Something I have quickly come to realize is that almost all the really experienced divers ; i.e the dive masters and our dive instructors, are all in relationships with one another. Either that was a condition for employment or it's the shared interest. Now not all of the divers are dating/married; there is one guy whose wife is just learning how to dive but the pattern is certainly strong. Why would I be concerned with divers dating/marrying divers? I'm not that concerned with the fact that they're divers. It's the shared interest. I've always wondered about relationships and the saying "opposites attract". If opposites attract what holds the relationship together? Now I believe it could be a shared interest. For some couples (divers and wrestlemania fans), the interest is more obvious than others. I think it's worth the relationship to discover your shared interests and strengthen it together. For the divers, it's travelling to exotic spots and logging dives together. For the wretlemania fan it's taking yearly visits to watch a live match (and proposing. Heard a story). And for me, I don't know yet but I'll keep a sharp eye out for a sighting.

No I'm not done yet. What if you guys don't seem to share an interest? I'd say take time out to try each other's interests. You never know. You might actually really like collecting stamps. And no, this does not mean you have to like all the other person's interests. In fact that could be creepy or even worse, boring.

Disclaimer: It is not a cut and dry, tested for perfection relationship advice. It's something that needs to be tried and confirmed. If you have and want to share a story, leave a comment and I'll contact you. You could be our next guest blogger and the story doesn't have to have a happy ending.

One more thing: sorry guys. I'm posting this from Honduras on an ipod so no pictures and there might be spelling mistakes. Bear with me

Connecting our Minds

2011-05-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

This is the continuation of my previous post "Take Me To The Woo"

You know that question, what is your ideal man/woman? I’ve never been able to answer it properly. I’ve been saying nonsense
like…

He must be at least 6ft tall and have some flesh on his bones.
He must be nice, funny, confident, blah blah blah…

Now I realize that all that is nonsense. MY ideal guy has to have one thing…the ability to telepathically receive my mind
messages.

Yeah I said it. Telepathy is the key to my heart.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want him to be able to read my mind at whatever time he feels like. Nope. I want him to be able to receive those messages that I silently send. I don’t know if it’s just me but I love to send mind messages. The only sad thing is currently I haven’t found a boy who can receive them. This might start to sound creepy so let me enlighten you because I’m almost positive I’m not the only one who does it. In fact it’s a pretty widespread thing.

It’s the messages you send when you want him to reach for your hand and pull you close to his side as you walk down the street. It’s the messages you send when you want him to tell you about his day without you having to ask first. It’s the messages you send when you want him to just lie beside you and read while you read something else. It’s those messages that sound cute in your head but you fear will push him away if you open your mouth and say them. Things are always much cuter/sweeter/nicer in thought than in actuality. It’s the messages you send when you want him to get the heck out of your face but you lie and say it is alright. Those are the messages I’m talking about.

Of course, telepathy isn’t a proven fact and until then I will be a pessimist and say no one will ever receive my messages. In the mean time I’ll ask for something more possible and because I can find no better way to creatively put it, I’ll use the words of my friend (a poet) to illustrate what I think it means to woo a mind. So here goes…

I just wanna SEX YO MIND

Gat me wanting to violate a tollbooth cos the figure of your thought is just that FINE

Is it alright if I get a little touchy momma?...cos the naked truth is, I just wanna undress yo mind

Allow me to hit your aspirations from behind over and over again and watch it climax into reality

Pardon me but uh...I jst wanna point out and then finger your ideas, get em all moist and wet , then let em flow like a river my dear

Right now ma mind's staring at yours like "damn I'd like to get with that"

"Together we'd birth ideas that'll be dope....so dope people would say it could be crack"

"So be ma high and if you let me, Imma be yours"

"Round1 Round2 Round3....and then an encore"

Let ma thoughts flirt with yours...that's all you gotta do

Cos you see, I'd flirt with a pretty lady but I'd wife a good attitude

This may be more than the mental equivalent of some bump and grind

Thoughts on thoughts, psychological intercourse....we rubbing minds

Sam Ama

And no, the poem is not literal.

2011-05-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Awesomeness of Mayowa Idowu

Happy Birthday

2011-05-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone please join me to raise a glass to Mr. Oluwamayowa Idowu who, on this auspicious day, turns a year older. You see, Mayowa and I go a long way and ours is a friendship that transcends most things *smiley face*. A compliment from Mayowa is a true to form truth. There are many things I could say about this my friend and brother but I'll keep those for when he's 50 and I get to give a speech. In the mean time, this is a very big happy birthday to the one guy who can come to my house without much of a warning on a sunday to watch a football game and neither of my parents will blink an eye and the only one I concede is a bigger Kanye fan than I am. Any time you're in America or I'm in England see me for your gift. Lots of love from the Adefisayo's and everyone else.

Black Women

2011-05-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Recently I read an article titled ‘Why Black Women Are Physically Less Attractive Than Other Women’. (Read here http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/why-black-women-are-less-physically-attractive-tha) You can imagine my thoughts, as a proud black woman, upon sighting the title. Ok so maybe I didn’t react with indignation that is to be expected of me. Instead I reacted with mirth. It was funny! That someone took time out to ‘prove’ that black women are less physically attractive than other women is simply amazing to me.

When I started reading it, I had a huge grin on my face but when I reached the seventh (or so) paragraph, I burst into laughter. It read, “It is very interesting to note that, even though black women are objectively less physically attractive than other women, black women (and men) subjectively consider themselves to be far more physically attractive than others.” Essentially it’s saying, “All these ugly black women deceive themselves that they’re finer than other women. How absurd!”

After a good laughing jag, I returned to my reading and discovered this little gem of an explanation for the lower level of physical attractiveness in black women…testosterone.

Aaahh…you know! That little hormone that makes men really manly. According to the research, Africans have a higher level of testosterone than other people. So, the men look very manly and attractive…and the women look manly AND unattractive. Now isn’t that something?

They have a bunch of other discounted reasons for why black women are less attractive than other women. And just in case you don’t notice it, they mention a positive correlation between intelligence and physical attractiveness. This means, the finer you are, the smarter you are (can anyone explain the blonde theory then?).

But why would I laugh? I know it’s offensive and I should be righteously upset but really, I can’t waste my energy being upset over something that is obviously ridiculous. I know I’m beautiful and smart and I don’t need a study to prove that to me. I don't even need Beyonce, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Nicki Minaj, Zoe Saldana or Rihanna to stand up for me. I'll stand up for myself. They might say I’m delusional but who cares? It’s my delusion!

THANK YOU

2011-05-17T03:20:00.000-07:00

+On the 19th of May, this blog shall turn 2 years old. I'm very grateful to everyone who has supported us by being regular visitors, encouraging their friends and parents to come on here, those who've Guest blogged and also everyone who voted for us towards winning the laurels that grace the right of the blog. As a way of showing my appreciation, I'll be running a Giveaway. To enter, all that is required of you is to kindly follow the blog using your Twitter or Blogger accounts or email, then commenting under this post using your unique identity. A winner would be gotten using a random number generator. As I understand people have different interests, the winner would select what they will appreciate best from the following options;

'Raising Kanye'- Donda West’s account of bringing up her son

iTunes gift card

H & M gift card

Lauryn Hill's 'The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'

Zizzi gift card

Miss Selfridge gift card

Topman gift card

Calvin Klein in2u 100ml

Jeffrey Archer’s latest short story compilation: And There By Hangs A Tale (2010)

‘Dreams From My Father’ and ‘Audacity of Hope’- Barack Obama

Cheers,

OluwaMayowa

P.S Location ought not to be a problem.

An Hour in the Head of Mr Idowu.

2011-05-10T06:06:00.000-07:00

I guestblogged for Aisha Modibbo recently. It was titled 'An Hour in the Head of Mr. Idowu'. Hope you find it interesting/amusing.

Sometimes, I go through a phase of disliking people. All because of Twitter. These days, every one finds it easy to use that platform to take the moral high ground. There's this girl I know, who's younger than me (I'm 18) who's not a virgin. And no, the boy she lost it to is not her boyfriend. So where's the rationality in her criticising boys for smoking marijuana? Thing is all of us have fallen short in our different ways so we're in really no position to tell others what they do is wrong. I know a boy who's never ever smoked weed (told me he's only ever seen it once), doesn't 'give' girls anyhow and has never been drunk or tipsy. You don't see him go about telling everyone that does any of the three things mentioned is wrong. Do your own good and be judged on it and stop trying to set the tone in other people's lives.

 A random thought; "As is the mother, so is the daughter". Does that mean girls with whore tendencies, got it from their mothers?

 I despise the concept of 'Modesty'. Like really? What's the point? If you're awesome, why aren't you allowed to say so? As Kanye West once said (I use this quote all the time), "You want me to be great, but you don't want me to say I'm great". I'll say whatever I deem right. It's your problem if you mistake my confidence and self assurance for cockiness.  

Another Kanye West quote to make you think "Jesus died for our sins, Michael Jackson died for the sins of our Media. Jesus had the bible, MJ had Wikipedia" (I just felt like sticking something that sounded clever in there)

The older we get, the more a part of us death becomes. May God grant us the strength to be able to bear losses.   

Notice how every time we (I'm just adding myself so those of you guilty don't feel alone) start a sentence with "It's funny", it's never laughter inducing in any way. NOTE: There is a difference in something being funny and something being ironic. 95% of the time, 'ironic' is the word intended.

There's a difference between the concepts of 'hating' and 'criticism'. Just because someone points out flaws in your argument, song, write up (whatever it is, your side hustle is) doesn't mean they hate you. Be able to stand criticism without pulling that 'hate' card. Why don't you channel the energy from the criticism offered towards your follow up and ensure that on the next journey, you don't make the same errors.   

And you just had another lesson in the OluwaMayowa Idowu school of life. Tell me thank you.

Note: It's Exam/Revision season so my attentions are divided and posts are going to be slow. I'll try my best to get as many Guest Bloggers possible though.

How To Save A Life

2011-04-27T03:23:00.000-07:00

Segun Fosudo’s mother has been diagnosed by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center with stage III breast cancer. Because she is uninsured, she needs to come up with $60, 000 to have her left breast removed in the next 2-3 weeks.

Step 1. Empathise. Put yourself in the person’s shoes: Segun Fosudo. Dont dismiss it as being the will of God or that it was meant to happen. The free will God has given us can be used to influence lives; in this case; save a life- hopefully.
Step 2. Find it in your heart to give. Even if you have to give grudgingly; we care not at the moment. A life is at stake. A few pennies make a difference. You have no idea.
Step 3. If you’re in the US stop here.! Copy this into your browser or click on it! https://www.wepay.com/donate/92676
Step 4. Create a Pay-pal account if you do not have one if you are outside the U.S! With immediate effect! Sleep and play can wait!
Step 5. Think again. If this was your mother, would you donate a few pennies to save her life? Would you be able to place an amount on your mother’s life? I hope not. Im not saying donate your whole account. But reasonably. Its only a week left after all.
Step 6. Any help needed using pay-pal? let me know!!! Replies will be near-immediate. For those outside the US, help through pay-pal using email: aade-fosudo@uh.edu

Step 7. Pray to God he hears you!

And Now you know how to save a life.

Please, people do as much as you can to ensure that as many people as possible are informed. Feel free to blog.
Cheers to Amaka Onyemenam

Take Me To The Woo

2011-04-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Before the real deal starts I want to make two notices.
1. The title of this article means a lot to me because it is a perfect example of a pun. My very own made up pun. I go to school in Worcester (pronounced Wooster) and we call it The Woo.
2. If I mention a song and you haven’t heard it before, my recommendation is simple. LISTEN TO IT.
So here we go!

On the backdrop of Katharine McPhee and Andrea Bocelli’s ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’ and Van Morrison’s ‘Into The Mystic’, I write this.

I want to be wooed. ‘Just like way back in the days of old and magnificently we will fold into the mystic’. I want someone to woo me. Make me weak at the knees and bring tears to my eyes and to the eyes of all the other girls who would be green with envy.
Of recent, I have declared my dissatisfaction with long distance relationships. Normally, LDRs have their beaucoup problems but none of those is my issue. Personally, I don’t want an LDR because then I can’t be wooed to my heart’s satisfaction. I have given many other reasons but that’s the real truth.

Some people might say that wooing/dating over a long distance is fine and can be done and I won’t argue with that. However, I refuse to have a guy who would woo me wonderfully over the internet/phone/bbm/skype and be completely inept at physical wooing.

I want someone to plan a day with me. Take me to New York/ Paris/ Zanzibar/ Istanbul and show me the sights. When the sun starts to set, take me to the top of a hill and we’ll have a picnic as we watch the sun go to sleep. When the moon’s full and in the sky, whisk me off to waltz with you somewhere under a sparkling chandelier and as the music starts to fade, look me in the eye and tell me I’m beautiful.

Guys everywhere should begin to groan at my dream. I mean who really has money to whisk me off anywhere? And even if you do, why should you? What about protection while we stroll around a city we don’t know at night. And the waltz? Really? Can I even waltz? Women. *angry face*. They ask for too much.

Let me even confess now. Everyone who has listened to Robbie William and Nicole Kidman’s ‘Something Stupid’, will understand when I say, the possibility of such a reaction is magnificently high. But I still want it to happen anyway. If the possibility of me saying no is even a chance, why would I still want to subject some poor guy to such?

I’ll tell you why. I want someone who is courageous and who is willing to take a risk. If you’re willing to take a risk and ask me out in a spectacular way without having an inkling of what I’m going to say, then I have faith in your ability to provide for me and our future family. Think of it this way. Why do male peacocks have such huge tail feathers when it increases their chances of being caught and eaten? Simple! The females require it!

But why should men do something that might be detrimental to them (in this case, detrimental to the size of their wallets)? Because men have most of the advantage in this world. Let us women have this one thing. This one chance to dominate. Men are generally stronger, faster, think they’re wiser and life is more often that not handed to them on a silver platter. At least a platter that is more silver than those handed to a girl of equal stature.

In this week’s episode of Gossip Girl, the one thing that caught my attention the most was something that I bet a lot of people missed. Chuck, looking simply stunning if I might add, got the dress that Princess Diana wore when she first became princess (or something like that) so that Blaire could wear it and take a picture with him and be his princess (aw anyone?). He had no assurance that she would wear it and take the picture with him but he did it anyway. And we wonder how Chuck can be so successful and keep getting up every time he’s pushed down.

So yes. I want to be wooed. I want to be wooed without asking to be wooed. I want a big surprise package on my birthday that’ll make me blush but regretfully have to return because it’s too much. I want to be offered shoes/ a dress/ jewelry and I’ll smile and say no. My refusals will not sting because he’ll know in his heart that every word and every gesture is all leading down the same path…straight into his arms. I’m just being poetic here. I mean he’ll know that I’ll gladly be his girlfriend (and maybe eventually wife, but who’s thinking that far?)

Of course some people might loudly disagree with me. I mean, isn’t this why we are fighting for equality for all? But *shrug* I still want to be wooed. Even if I was a lesbian, I would still want to be wooed. And besides who says wooing is only for guys?
To be continued…

Guest Blogger: A Hundred Dollar Death by Fredrick Nwosu

2011-04-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

To understand Plato’s allegory of the cave we must all have a clear mental picture of it. That simple portrait of people looking at their shadows while chained to a bench with a fire burning behind them has a lot of meaning to it. I would want to believe that the fire represents the truth about what goes on in the world, the chains represent the rules set by higher powers to guide us or to make us live according to the ways that they think are optimum or beneficial to them while the shadows represent what the higher powers want us to see and finally the cave itself represents man’s ignorance to what actually happens in the world around them. This ignorance can be related to the mass ignorance exhibited in the lobster festival that is held in Maine.

I am going to use Plato’s allegory of the cave as a lens to see through the norm that has become cooking lobsters while they are still alive, write about and hopefully tackle some of the main issues in David Foster Wallace's 'Consider the lobster' such as: the mass killing of the lobsters at the festival, the reason why large numbers or people would congregate yearly in one place for this pointless ritual, the evolution of lobster consumption and the storage methods used by the restaurants and convenience stores.

The cooks at the festival cook these animals at such a morbidly large scale just to please the spectators and this is not a situation that the lobsters are killed in a humane way. Experiments have shown that lobsters can detect a degree change in the temperature of the waters they swim in which is one of the known reasons for their migratory cycle to look for water temperature that best suits them but they are killed in one of the least humane ways out there in regard to their sense of thermal change; they are boiled alive. They are thrown into already boiling hot water, a lid is put over the kettle or pot and afterwards they start to hit and scratch against the sides of the pot, sometimes to the point that they break their claws in a futile attempt at escaping, some are microwaved alive after holes have been punctured through them while others are sometimes slow cooked and if there was a crueler way of killing lobsters it would be this way, then a sign that the lobster has been well prepared is when the cook pulls on the antenna of the lobsters it should be relatively easy to pull out of it’s head. After you watch such an exhibition of agony one can only wonder where Dick (page 4) got his idea that lobsters do not feel pain because they do not have the part of the brain that makes other animals to feel pain when in fact, there is strong evidence that shows that lobsters feel pain. If an experienced cook has to leave the kitchen in order to not watch an animal die a painful death, there has to be something wrong with the killing method. Some cooks split their lobsters into two or stab their heads before they cook them in order to avoid the lobsters from feeling that much pain or maybe it is just to save them from feeling the guilt developed when you know an innocent animal is struggling for it’s life in your pot but all the same it has to be one of the most humane way of killing lobsters for our consumption.

While some enlightened people are traveling for smart and economically beneficial causes such as the Nobel peace prize and Car conventions where technological innovations are shared some are coming together to watch hundreds of lobsters being boiled alive for their consumption. Thousands of people congregate together to eat this tortured delicacy of theirs, sometimes bringing their own chairs and beer so they would not be subjected to the poor quality drinks served at the festival in very unimaginably small portions. Might I add that the setting is not five star at all, the attendees eat in tents with tables so close together, the walkways are often blocked off by coolers used to smuggle beer and because all kinds of people come to the festivals some people might be subjected to sitting beside some unruly kids and so on. Why would thousands of educated people attend these events when it is obviously uncomfortable? Are lobsters so tasty that it is celebrated so largely and cannot be passed up for a simple salad? The people from the past would probably find it ironic that eating lobster is seen as posh in present times being what it was considered as in the past.

Eating lobsters used to be considered as almost a taboo, it was almost like eating rats because of the number of them that flooded the old New England beaches and bays after hard storms. "Unbelievable abundance" is what a source(page 2) used to describe the situation. It was fed to inmates in prison and even at that the amount served to them had to be reduced because of how lowly the crustacean was considered. It was considered as maltreating when they were served that much lobster. The fact that eating these animals is now considered as posh and only a step or two down from caviar, the sea food equivalent of steak and richer than most fish as the article say in page 2,this goes only to show how deep in the cave that humans are; sorry to say but the priorities of humans are pretty jumbled up.

The methods of storing the captured lobsters are also cruel. The lobsters are put all together in containers and either because some people were smart enough or humane enough to peg their claws together to prevent them from tearing themselves apart from the frustration of being clustered up the container is not filled up with dead lobsters and there is evidence that the lobsters do get frustrated. These lobsters must feel like tons of inmates locked in a very small room. In most of the grocery stores the lobsters are put into transparent containers to be pointed out for someones supper in the future. After watching the lobsters pile over one another, impotently wave their claws, huddle in corners of the containers and frantically move back and forth from the glass because someone is approaching them, it becomes obvious to an observant person that they are exhibiting signs of fear and unhappiness in a very basic way because of their lack in the ability to use language to communicate.

After being enlightened about how these lobsters feel physically and emotionally and after most people know that these creatures are boiled while they are still alive is it not meant to appeal to our consciences as the more intellectually and technologically advanced ones and make us change our eating habits? That was not the main point of the write up, the main message that can be brought out after the reading of the article and looking at it through using Plato’s allegory of the cave is that basically we all can do better than torturing an animal before it is eaten. We can always come up with easier and more humane ways of killing the lobsters while at the same time keeping the meat as fresh as possible. Also we can realize that coming out to travel in large groups just to watch hundreds of lobsters being slaughtered in a large cooker is not worth the time and effort better things could be done or achieved in the time that you spend trying to set up a place for your family to eat, setting your own table because of the poor hygiene levels of the place, trying to pass through walkways that have been blocked off by smuggled drinks and definitely something better can be done with the twenty dollars that one might spend on a foldable chair.

NOTE: A Guest Blog Feature doesn't necessarily reflect my views.

In My Head

2011-04-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who can spend a whole day loafing on Wikipedia reading on the most diverse of people. Some years back, I became familiar with Danny Fiszman. As a Director and majority shareholder of Arsenal Football Club, it was his idea that Arsenal moved from miniature Highbury to the edifice that is the Emirates Stadium. Alongside, Ken Friar (Managing Director at the time) the new stadium project was their pet project. He promised to work on a budget and ensure the stadium was up and running for a specific date. He fulfilled this promise. Of recent, he battled with cancer of the throat and was forced to sell his stake as his ability became constrained and also to ensure the club was left in the best hands. He passed away yesterday at the age of 66, a day after his stake in Arsenal was sold completely. I've had the pleasure of reading wider about him over the past 24 hours. I learnt that the £7.5 million transfer fee for future club legend, Dennis Bergkamp came from his pocket. From my reading, he's someone who was well respected for the way he went about his business. Never one to boast about how wealthy he was or what he had done for the club. It's cliché that when people die, good things are always said about them (People like Abacha and Hitler being exceptions) but Danny Fiszman encapsulates one of the things I think is most important in Life: a Good name. The tribute to him before the kick off of the Arsenal v Liverppol game was quite beautiful. Things can always be done in a classy way. He was extremely passionate about his football club but that didn't get in the way of doing things in the best way possible. Our Passion(s) shouldn't take away our rationality. May his soul find peace.

I was reading an article somewhere recently where Beyonce came under heavy criticism. The person's bone of contention being that she's not deserving of her prima donna status as the leading female artiste of our time(75 million records sold, 16 Grammy's won). The argument was centred on the fact that her talent's restricted to Singing (Someone reminded me Dancing counts too). The writer argued that Mrs. Carter doesn't write her own songs( Tricky Stewart and The Dream would have been out of business), is not noted for playing any instrument. He crowned it by reminding us of 'Single Ladies'(An Ode to all the single ladies) coming out when she was married (After hitting Wikipedia up: she got married to Jay Z on April 4th 2008 and 'Single Ladies' dropped on October 12th 2008). His argument being that Beyonce lured the single ladies into a false sense of security when her life is a clear deviation for that. What do you think?

With improved technology, comes the banishing to the throes of obscurity, traditional ideas and principles. These days, we seem to have forgotten how to woo a woman in the right way. No one writes those 4 page love letters anymore. With our generation, one can conveniently get a girl without having seen her before. The equipment? Facebook's messaging function, Twitter's Direct Message mechanism, Blackberry Messenger and dependent on how much of a perfectionist one is, Skype. It's such a shame. No one goes on dates anymore. What do we do? Set 11pm as time for appointment via Skype.

There's so much negativity on the Internet. Everyone finds it so easy to pass judgement on things they know little about. Every/Any fool has access to it thus making the task of spreading their irrationality conveniently easy and simple. To stem this trend, I once shared the bright idea of a pop up Sanity test anytime one opened an Internet Browser. If one passes the test, the pop up disappears and they're free to use the Internet. If they don't, the Internet feature is automatically disabled and they don't get the pleasure of using this beautiful thing God gave us through Tim Berners Lee. (I had to show off how knowledgeable I am)

All change comes from Deviance. A lot of people who've influenced the world as we know it were perceived to be deviating form society's norms, attitudes and beliefs. Nelson Mandela was classified as a Terrorist for fighting against Apartheid. If Rosa Parks hadn't committed the 'crime' of sitting on that bus, racial boundaries would probably not have been broken down as soon as they were. My point? We don't have to criticize people for being different or try and force them to fit society. It's vital that there's an element of deviance for society to evolve.

Am I the only one who takes pleasure in supporting a side/theory/school of thought I don't believe in/agree with, just for the sake of arguing or contradicting people?

Have a great week,
OluwaMayowa

Nigeria: An Artist's View

2011-04-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

Photographer extraordinaire, Baba Ikanade Agba provides a take on Nigeria from his camera lens. Hope you find it interesting.

Guest Blogger: Is it my right? by Chihurumanya Felly-Njoku

2011-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

–noun

a formal expression of opinion or choice, either positive ornegative, made by an individual or body of individuals.

I FINALLY turned eighteen(18) on the 4^thof February. During the few days that led up to mybirthday, I was excited about a lot of things: I could finally go about tellingpeople I was eighteen.(it’s odd fora girl to say that), I could pitch the ‘ I think it’s high time I learnt how todrive’ lecture to my dad once more. I don’t drink or smoke so, anything remotely related to that was of nointerest to me. I could do a lot ofthings (or so I thought) but most importantly, I could VOTE.

This was something I wasrather interested in. Not because of the wide publicity this was given ontwitter and other social networks; thanks to Eldee, D’Banj, Naeto C, P Square and the other celebrities,(kudos to them forthat by the way) or the various rumorsthat went round my school. (E.g. without a Voter’s card, it will be IMPOSSIBLE for you to even smell the shores ofThe Republic of Benin or to do your NYSC).

I did it because I alwayshad this picture in my head about ‘anelection’. Once I got the hang of it, I became reallyexcited about the whole process. It just has this ‘I’m an adult’ air about it. Like, you werewise enough to come up with a good choice as to who would rule your country andeveryone knows how much teenagers love and crave for a chance to show how wisethey are.

So you can understand howhappy I felt thinking about how I would line up and be recognized as a ‘voter’.

I couldn’t go to the registration centre on my birthday because I had an exam onthat day (Yes, I know, tough luck). I decided to go the next day (The 5^th)and get registered. I pictured that it will be a simple process: stand in line, fill a form, get to my turn,and have my horrible passport photograph taken (they tend to be horrid), getregistered on the database, get the card printed out, hopefully have itlaminated and I’d be done. I calculatedeverything in my head and I thought that it won’t takeup to 3 hours.

A warning bell should haverang in my head when my roommate came back to the room that morning announcing that although it was past 9 am, theofficials hadn’t come and people were busywriting their names down on some list and the number of people had reached ahundred.

I quickly rushed to thecentre to find PEOPLE (notice my use of all Caps) standing and waiting and in theusual Nigerian way, complaining about the lateness of the officials andrelating it to other issues. I wrote my name down and waited.

Looking at the crowd, Iguessed that it would be more than one machine registering us. After all, wewere many.

You cannot imagine theshock on my face when I saw just three people with one machine. I stared at thebus that brought them hoping that another team was going to come out. ‘One teamto handle almost two hundred people?’ I thought as Ishook my head. Nigeria.

The man in charge (to becalled ‘bossman’ from now) was a short man who had no problem in announcing that hewas in charge. He looked as us and said, ‘we arestarting from yesterday’s list. So if you were hereyesterday, please listen to your names.’ Those of usthat came on that day, looked around and whispered ‘List?!They hadn’t finished dealing with people fromyesterday? WOW!’

Procrastination. Dare I saythat this is a habit popular with most Nigerians? All of these people couldhave been handled yesterday, I was sure. Why couldn’t we just deal with our issues and problems as theycome instead of shifting it to another day or pushing it onto another person?

That aside…

The people that wrote theirnames down the previous day, stood to hear their names while I watched.Patiently. Some people, who came with me that day, joined the group of peoplethat came the previous day answering to any random name the 'bossman' called outand joined the line as their friends cheered them on.

Integrity. That is anotherissue. Why couldn’t we just behave ourselves? Trust me, I considered doing what the boys(yes, boys) were doing but I was not ready to lie to you guys so I decided towait it out. Integrity, another important ingredient that must be added to the ‘Let’s make Nigeria better’ mix. I would not lie. I do not always toe the ‘orderly and honest line’ but I try. It won’t be a bad idea if our politicians decided to pick up a little bitof the integrity trait. Just a little bit and we would all see a change in theday to day running of Nigeria.

Truth be told, the lies wehave heard from them (the politicians) are becoming tiring and old. We have toapplaud them though. To possess the clout to lie to people who know they arelying already and still do it with a straight face and repeatedly saying thatthey have ‘facts’ backing them up.

Apparently, Nigerians spent94.3 billion Naira to register just 65.2 million people. Yes, just to Register.(Remember the budget released for Nigeria’s golden jubilee celebration? I don’t want to bring that issue up but just remember the amount announcedand how it was ‘used’.) I cannot remember the exact amount but I knowBangladeshused a lesser amount of money to register a larger number of people. Mind you,this amount was just spent for registration.Let’s not think about how much the main voting processwill cost. GOD, HELP US!

Integrity should also bepracticed by ordinary people. The little girl that has been given too much ‘change’ by a shopkeeper.People lining up to get something. Little drops of water make an ocean. We arenot left out of this.

We (my friends and I) wentto complain to the 'bossman' and he said (his exact words): ‘My dears, you should go back to your rooms and comeback tomorrow, you won’t be able to register today, youhear? Come back tomorrow.’ I did not need to ask anyother question. I left the centre. Planning to come back the next day.

Walking back to my room, I recalled thisstatement:

Your Vote is not for Sale.

I have heard thissentence/statement a couple of times in political jingles/adverts. Thisstatement will have an effect on a literate person, on someone who is anoptimist. This statement will echo in the minds of people who have seen/believein the effectiveness of a vote.

On the other hand, thisstatement would merely roll off the back of a pessimist. It would fly past theears of an Illiterate. After all, whathad the government done for them? They were still hungry, still crying, still strugglingto put their children through school. They had given up on the government. Andhere was someone offering to give them MONEY to just put their thumb on adesignated place. Easy money. Easy easy money.

This is the exact picturepainted in Nigeriaabout elections. We all sit down andwatch the politicians throw money about, organize big conventions, rig theirprimaries before our very eyes, badmouth each other, encourage us to vote forthem (by using EVERY means possible), organize back up plans to ensure theirwins (enter political thugs and other dubious means) and all of that.Meanwhile, the common people are just interested in living through thiselection period. They are interested in protecting their children from theritual killers that are so rampant during this period.

Yes, power is addictive butwhen did it become so addictive that men and women are prepared to killthemselves and other people just to have a whiff of it? If this happens now,what happens when my generation gets into power? That’s a scary thought.

The politicians this yearare preaching change in their manifestoes. ‘Vote for me for a better Nigeria’they say but will this year’s election be different?

Will people leave thepolling stations knowing that their votes have made an impact? Will they believe that a change has beenmade? Or will they even bother?

To cut my Long rant short,I went back there for 2 consecutive days (the registration date was extendedfor us) until the registration team packed up. You got it right. I COULDN’TCOMPLETE MY VOTER’S REGISTRATION!

I planned to publish apicture of my Voter’s card alongside this postbut alas, I sit down here typing and listening to Vector’s ‘I Luv you Nigeria’ without a card and pondering about Nigeria and Nigerians . I worryabout our future, where we are heading to and the price of fuel in the nextfive years. I paused for a while after typing the line before this. I had tothink. A part of me feels Nonchalant, A part feels worried. With the unrest andthe crisis here and there, can we still stand as one? Can we still stand as acountry? With the diversity and the eccentricities that each tribe in thiscountry brings to the plate. iSigh.

Yet, there’s still that part of me that won’t give up. I don’t have a voter’s card but my voice will still be heard nonetheless. A part of mestill sings ‘Ile, Ile, Ile…’This is my country. My HOME.

Guest Blogger: Dear Diary: I Don't Want To Grow Up

2011-04-10T05:43:00.000-07:00

I asked a good female friend of mine to share a diary entry. Find it below;

I'm really not in a hurry to grow up. I can wait to graduate, I'm terrified of driving, not in a hurry to start working, or live on my own or do anything that comes with growing up. I actually feel like I'm being forced to grow up faster than I want to.

Powerpuff Girls

As Told by Ginger

I miss the days when I had no care in the world. When the biggest decisions I had to make was whether to watch 'As Told by Ginger' or 'Powerpuff Girls' when they were showing at the same time or how many beads I wanted on my hair. Now I have to make many decisions that I don't think I'm ready to but I just have to. I have to start thinking about my future, my career, 10 year plans when I just want to be at home thinking about what I want to watch. The days when the biggest risk I had to take was doing back flips with my cousins at the risk of getting bruised and having to deal with spirit. Now I have to become a risk taker because to move forward in life you just have to close your eyes, let go and take risks. I miss the days when the only time I got disappointed was when I went to measure my height on the wall and discover that I hadn't grown. When I had never faced rejection and the only reason I had to cry was when I got bruised from playing or when my mum gave me that dreaded look when I was being naughty. Now, I have had to face disappointment, rejection, have to cry and go through things I don't want to be facing. "Disappointment is to the soul what cold water is to metal, it strengthens and intensifies it but never destroys it." They tell you, you have to go through all this to grow up but who said I want to grow up?

Julia Roberts in 'Pretty Woman'

I just want to go back to the days, when I watched 'Pretty Woman' and thought being a hooker meant a woman who just dressed badly until I found out what it actually meant. To when you could go to a playground, meet someone and act like you have known each other for years. To when I thought my daddy was actually Superman (he still is) and I thought I was a princess (still am). Go back to when I thought everyone in the world was nice. Before I knew about war, violence, discrimination, abuse, before I knew that people can harm you for no reason or for selfish reasons, before I knew greed or envy can move people to do the ugliest things. So, don't blame me if I don't want to grow up so fast and want to continue living in my own world where everything is perfect! But, time keeps on going, so I guess I have to start living reality and stop living in my fairy tale world.

xoxo,

To All Nigerians

2011-04-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Good day my fellow Nigerians. Our Country is one which has come a long way, over 50 years and it's failed to fulfill its potential. It is for that reason I stand before you to get you familiarized with the things I plan to achieve if you would allow me to know the pleasure of serving as your President.

Right from my early teenage years, it's always been my desire to serve my nation in a capacity where I would be able to impart change unto the lives of those around me. By this, I mean to stimulate policies and ideas that would impart the greater good of the population positively. Being the son of a journalist, I have always been interested in going ons around me and the Political scene has served as one of the most consistent forms of entertainment for me. This helped stimulate serious interest in Politics to the extent that I have/had the dream of studying an element of Politics at University level.

Enough of the background story. Check this out. Goodluck Donatus is woken up at 5am to fetch water from a well. Add to the fact that there's been no light causing him a pretty rough night. Also, eating good food is not exactly a common occurrence as there is no freezer to preserve food in and his mother who works a 9 to 5 on the opposite end of town so her attention/loyalties are divided. With her place of work being on the opposite part of town the earliest she gets home is at 10pm. On the average, the time spent in traffic in a week would take her be worth a return journey between Lagos and London. Upon getting home she is met by a headache and has no choice but to succumb to her bed. She falls in, but finds it extremely difficult to sleep considering the severity of the headache. She finally falls asleep at 2 am. By 5.30, she's up so that she can get to work in good time. And that is how her week goes. This documents the feelings most of us go through. If not you, we all know a good number of people this is applicable to. No light, inadequate pay, incessant traffic. The most basic things are absent in Nigeria of today. This is where I come in. As President, my primary objective shall be to tackle these issues with emphasis being placed on transportation and electricity. Truth be told, once those key areas are tackled, the only direction our nation can be headed is upwards/forward.

Improved Electricity

Concerning our electricity hoodoo, I have sought a couple of answers to this and evaluated the options strongly. For a densely populated nation like Nigeria, one energy source is inadequate. We could take a page from the United Kingdom’s book and focus on fossil fuels as a source of power. i.e burning oil, gases and coal as it would fit seamlessly with the resources we have and enable us to get the best use out of them. We could then combine this with the wind turbines and hydroelectric power we presently favor. I do however acknowledge the side effects such systems would have on us with the emission of green house gases holding acid rain, corrosion and adverse weather conditions as threats. The government I lead would look to address this by accentuating the importance of going green in our shores. The waste management authorities would be directed towards creating room for recycled materials (bottles, plastics, paper) which would reduce the cost of production for local manufacturers who won’t have to build things up from scratch but have an already existing base of raw materials. After putting in place such infrastructure, I would look to privatize the generation and distribution of electricity in our shores. This would help in improving the quality of electricity the same way the Privatization process in our Telecommunication Industry spawned the likes of MTN, Econet and Globacom. By placing such an issue in private hands, service maintenance and efficiency would be ensured as we all acknowledge the merits of a competitive environment.

Typical Traffic

My intention for the transportation system shall be to put in place a rail network that would connect all 36 states and make it possible for the Bauchi herdsman to visit Ile Ife in the quickest time possible to seal a business deal. Also, the road network would be reconstructed and restructured towards ensuring that the most obscure of places are easily accessible by road. The role this would play in aiding economic development is of high significance. 24 hour services along the expressways would help our rural areas become urbanized. Also, more jobs would be available for locals. This way, unemployment and crime which are impossible to evacuate completely shall be minimized. One advantage of a system that works is that it pushes the minds of the younger generations into a whole new world of creativity which could go either positively or negatively. The next iPod or piece of cutting edge technology could come to fruition with such a creative workforce on its best day. It could also stimulate negativity which could further worsen our synonymity with fraud and financial crimes. However, as President I shall look to ensure that that is the exception and not the norm.

More smiling/happy students

Another key part of my manifesto is towards ensuring that the educational sector is overhauled. Too many schools are present in our educational environment. The rational belief is that this would increase the standard of education and reduce the cost of education. However, it has only succeeded in spewing out a bunch of half baked people who do not know the difference between ‘am’ and ‘I'm’. As President I shall order the Ministry of Education to set up a team of inspectors who shall not be given any form of pay for meetings held (Just another exploitation medium). The team shall draw up its criteria for a good school and the educational institutions who do not meet this criteria shall be sealed, outlawed and charged to court for Fraud. Fraud in the sense that those responsible know what they are doing and willingly put out substandard education for the public to consume. (Same thing with putting fake drugs on the market for people to buy). I would also love to strengthen the education system by restructuring it and basing it on more practical learning methods. This would ensure that the education system shows people the way to solve problems when faced with them instead of the ‘cram as much as you can’ paradigm it currently espouses. I would like my Education task force to be likened to NAFDAC under Dora Akunyili's helm.

If elected President, one of my objectives would be to ensure a tax will be placed on things like cigarettes and alcohol so as to ensure that although the principle of free will is not suppressed, it might deter some people from carrying out unproductive things on the large pedestal it presently occupies.

One thing which has long been established is that Nigeria's coffers are well endowed. Seeing its citizens go through the hustle and bustle they go through should be a sin. As Leader, it's my intention to put up a Trade Benefit Scheme that will help grant incentives to traders on a small scale and large scale pedestal so as to ensure that the Economy is stimulated towards reaching the heights it is capable of. Also, my government would look to create unemployment benefit schemes which would look to take care of those unable to work.

In developed nations, one area which is taken with utmost seriousness/regard is that of Welfare. The old/unable to work are well taken care of. In Nigeria, I'll look to replicate this to an extent by building old people's homes where the old shall be well taken care of in every local government area whilst paying them a stipulated amount on a monthly basis. I'll also look to rehabilitate the homeless/beggars who litter the streets by setting up a Make A Difference (M.A.D) campaign where they'll be educated, mentored by local heroes who they'll shadow in order to learn skills that could be of help with the paths they decide to toe.

When asked what he thought Nigeria’s biggest problem was, a chum of mine said “We are the problem. We are docile, love ourselves and as long as we are a bit fine, we’ll make noise and fail to act.” Another said: “The big problem is that we are out for ourselves. Most great countries have people that would be willing to die to see the country move forward". I agree with the two of them. As a people, we are consistent at one thing; failing ourselves. Every election time, we run our mouths about how this time would be different from the last time. We flood the Beer Parlors and Social networking sites with our displeasure at the state of affairs. Do we come out and vote? Nope. If we’re not scared of getting attacked, we’re scared that our votes won’t count. The right to vote is something that should not be taken with a pinch of salt. This further links to what a great inspiration of mine alluded to as our greatest problem: ‘Poverty of the mind’. Our mind state needs retuning. Take for instance the myth of ‘experienced leaders’. Since 1999, all our leaders have had one thing in common: ‘Rich political experience’. Obasanjo ruled as a military leader between 1976 and 1979. Yar’ Adua spent 8 years as Governor of Katsina. Goodluck Jonathan is even richer in that sense. He’s served as a Deputy Governor, Governor and Vice President before becoming President. If ‘experience’ was what led a nation to greatness, how come we are where we are? What do we have to lose from going for change. We should strive not to be content with mediocrity but for progressive, lasting ideas. I remember Femi Kuti once saying that it’s only in a country like ours that someone like Babatunde Fashola can earn so much plaudits for doing his job: Ensuring that his people get the best. Mayowa Idowu 2039 strives for a secure, better Nigeria. A country where our children won’t have to cry themselves to sleep ‘cos they feel their dreams are impossible to fulfil. A

Nigeria

where the green passport would command as much respect as the red one. A

Nigeria

where the son of a fisherman would know that with good work ethic, he/she can attain greatness in any field desired. A

Nigeria

where people would flock to in order to gain quality education. A

Nigeria

with efficient, well functioning agencies. This is possible with one thing: You and I combining efforts towards ensuring that Mayowa Idowu 2039 becomes reality.

This is written with the case scenario of me running for Elections in the present tense. 2039’s a long way from now and what the future holds is out of my control so I do acknowledge it might sound presumptuous. Also note, that this doesn't serve as a promise, more like a list of things I hope/intend to achieve. However, it’s my belief that the tongue holds all the power so I claim it happily for myself. Hope to see you fighting for the Mayowa Idowu brand in 2039. God bless you.

Life Lessons: Mayowa's Laws

2011-03-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs is highly revered in his position as C.E.O and Founder of Apple, the makers of those beautiful gadgets: Macs and iPods. Jobs and his partner Steve Wozniak started out in 1976 designing and assembling computers in the Jobs family garage. That was how Apple came into life. Jobs has had some tough times, he’s battled cancer, had a liver transplant and some other health complications. He also resigned from Apple after a tiff with the board. Although, he was to make a return some years later. It was during his second coming when Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy that he came up with the iPod and iMac . The iPod particularly built on the premise of improving what disc and walk men had done and also to help in eliminating the difficulty Jobs found with other digital music players and their overly complex interfaces. By ensuring that the iPod’s functionality was dependent on its music management software iTunes, Jobs and his team of workers were on to a winner. The iPod had its cynics with that loudmouth, Alan Sugar (I refuse to call him ‘Sir’) famously remarking in 2005 “Next Christmas, the iPod will be dead, finished, gone. Kaput”. We’re in 2011 and the iPod is believed to have sold over 260 million times (as at April 2010) making it one of the most profitable inventions of our time. In 2009, the iTunes Music reached the sale of its 6billionth song. Never one to rest on his oars, Jobs further revolutionalized our times with the iPhone which sold 270,000 in its first hour of availability. Its successor, the iPhone 3G sold 1 million units within 3days of hitting the market. Jobs was also the force behind Pixar studios, the leading maker of animated movies from whose stable box office hits like Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles emanated. He was able to engineer the sale of Pixar to Disney whilst gaining a spot on the Disney Board and making him the company’s largest individual shareholder.

kanYe West

kanYe West. (I just had to talk about him) is the consummate entertainer. As one of the hottest rappers in the game and a leading Producer, he stands out easily. To get to where he is, he faced a struggle to gain acceptance in an Industry which was oblivious to the existence of non sagging, Polo wearing, middle class rappers with the dominant stereotype being the ‘gangstar’ rapper. The story goes that during that phase of hustling to get a record deal whilst at a meeting with a very eager Columbia Records executive, Michael Mauldin who had flown him from his Chicago hometown to New York and given him first class limousine treatment, kanYe started running his mouth on how he was going to be a bigger Producer/Rapper than Jermaine Dupri (who was the standard at the time) totally unconscious of the fact that Mauldin was Dupri’s father. It won’t surprise you to know he didn’t get that deal. He was also involved in a life threatening accident which inspired his break out single ‘Through the Wire’. As an artiste, his trademark lies in his ability to create music based on samples. (Listen to ‘Good Life’ and Michael Jackson’s ‘Pretty Young Thing’)

Quincy Jones, the Producer of P.Y.T(Pretty Young Thing) and kanYe West

Jermaine Dupri and kanYe West

If a list of the most charismatic people of the 20^th Century was made, Princess Diana would probably top it. Pretty, fashionable and respected, she had it all (well, besides a successful marriage). Diana’s greatness lay in her emphasis on charitable work. In August 1987, she was the first public figure of note to be knowingly photographed with an AIDS patient. She also dedicated a significant proportion of her time and resources in campaigning against landmines and the dangers posed with injuries on the discerning. According to Nurses, at the Mildmay Hospice in London she would make visits unannounced instructing out rightly that they were concealed from the media.

Princess Diana and the AIDS patients

As Steve Jobs said “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and follower”. As cliché as it is, it’s not far from the truth, ideas rule the world. It doesn’t have to be extra complicated. Jobs developed the iPod based on difficulties he encountered with other gadgets and has constantly set and smashed his own records. You can keep it simple and come out winning. By being the first public figure to be photographed with an AIDS patient, Diana broke down the stigma attached to AIDS sufferers. She reminded us that they were human like us and they required our support. For years to come, she’ll still be remembered for that deed. kanYe West might have struggled to get to where he is but 14 Grammy Awards later (expect more in 2012), he’s got the most in Hip Hop. To say he has transcended the genre is being modest. He doubles as both the first Rapper to ever cover Time magazine and also the first non athlete to ever design a shoe line with Nike (the Air Yeezy's). What do this three have in common? They consistently broke down barriers. Jobs and West have achieved success by being highly creative and developing on things that existed before them. They might not essentially be regarded as the original originators, but we would always acknowledge the work they’ve put in towards developing the world as we know it. The road to success is tough and strewn with difficulty. However, it’s nothing other than a test. Persistence would see you through. What Princess Diana proved is that with good will, one can never do wrong. She always wore a smile and she remains arguably the most loved human being of my lifetime (Probably only Nelson Mandela comes close). Self belief is also essential. If you believe in yourself, it’s only a matter of time that people would see this and do the same. Speak things into existence. kanYe West might have ran his mouth but we’ve all come to see he’s become by far a bigger and more revered force in Music than Jermaine Dupri. THINK UP MILLION DOLLAR IDEAS. HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEM. PRAY TO GOD. LIVE RIGHT AND WORK HARD. NOTHING BUT SUCCESS SHALL BE YOU PORTION. And these are Mayowa’s Laws.

Steve Jobs Time cover

Kanye West Time Cover

Musings II

2011-03-23T06:56:00.000-07:00

Kanye West, Chris Brown and some random guy

Chris Brown was in the News yesterday for trashing a dressing room after being asked about Rihanna during an Interview. Whilst I do feel sorry for him a little bit, he hasn’t helped matters with his handling of the situation. Kanye West went through the same type of treatment in the build up to the release of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy with persistent questioning relating to the Taylor Swift and George Bush incidents. Eventually, when it became too much he decided to give up on promoting the album and stop granting the interviews including one with Oprah Winfrey. The Media are a mean machine of some sorts. They remember what they want to remember. Whilst we all make mistakes, we have no choice than to live with them. No matter how many dressing room trashing sessions or Twitter melt downs one has, it has no effect on the fact that the deed has already been done. Get on with it.

By submitting yourself to an Interview, you have given the interviewer license to ask you whatever he deems fit. You need the publicity too. If you can take it when it’s to your benefit, you have no right to complain when it’s critical of you. If Brown and West are tired of being asked certain questions, make it clear to the Media body when they submit their Interview request that you’re not willing to take questions on something you see as sensitive. If they agree, Good. If they don’t, life goes on.

"Only 4 sets of people can vote for the PDP: (1) those who are intellectually blind; (2) those who are blinded by ethnicity; (3) those who are blinded by corruption and therefore afraid of the unknown, should power change hands; and finally (4) those who are suffering from a combination of the above terminal sicknesses.” Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka

The things we think are hidden/suppressed are the most obvious. It’s so saddening seeing the way those in positions of power have abused the privileges and think that it’s shrouded in secrecy. The Wiki Leaks revelations with regard to Nigeria prove this. The fact that things which have escaped public attention and scrutiny were so clear to outsiders (The American embassy) is the greatest indictment on those in Power. Kudos to Next for being consistent with their revelations.

Words sting. A lot of things we say which we think hold no malice actually do and cause a significant degree of hurt. You can sugarcoat or soften with an ‘lol’ all you want, wise people ( e.g Yours Truly) read between those lines and take it to heart.

In your opinion, who’s the closest to being the most charismatic member of this generation. Being a writer, I have soft spots for Tolu Ogunlesi and Chiamanda Adichie but I’m more interested in knowing what the general population think.

Chiamanda Adichie

Tolu Ogunlesi

I take it really personal when people say “You act like you’re smarter than everyone”.It really gets on my nerves. Do you see me walking around with a top saying “Hi! I’m Mayowa and I’m smarter than you?”. Personally, I think its people who feel inferior/ insecure at the fact that you beat them at an argument or made them look ‘unsmart’ who say this. If I was smarter than everyone else, how come I’m not operating at a far greater level? Shouldn’t I at the age of 14 been on a scholarship to Harvard or Oxford studying Mathematics with Statistics? You can’t win every argument. Be a gracious loser and search yourself(So that you’ll win the next one), instead of projecting your insecurity unto innocent people.

Want to know the worst footballing experience you can possibly get? Being an Arsenal fan with English and Nigerian ties. Nothing but disappointment unparalleled/tears awaits.

Musing

2011-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Goodluck Jonathan cannot move Nigeria forward. Every time I remember his mismanagement of the 'Independence Day Bomb Crisis' this comes to mind. He doesn't deserve to be where he is. He is there as a child of circumstance.

As much as I hate to say, he's still the front runner. I'm pretty confident that the scale of rigging would reduce drastically this time around and that's a reason to be positive. With the quality of candidates running, I think our progress as a nation is just a matter of time. What these people have done is inspire this generation. When was the last time we had so many mainstream people in this position? What 2011 is going to do is make 2015 the year things change. I expect the scale of election malpractice to drop this year and I think 2015 will be a pretty decent time for us to get rid of the PDP. Who's next? Do I hear you whisper “Tunde Fashola”? The Hero of this era would be done with his term as Lagos Governor. After leading the nation's most important state (Don't take it personal), the next port of call? Aso Rock. It's too early to say though as things could change at any time. I look forward to drawing a petition summoning a Fashola/Duke ticket in 2015.

The D'Banj interview? Did you expect nothing other than that from an endorser to an endorsee? Did you think after continuosly rejecting the invitation to a debate from his opponents, he was going to get something as hard hitting?

Goodluck's strategy by running the interview a day before the debate was a deft political move. Why? He got all the attention before Ribadu, Shekarau and Buhari did and he didn't have to share it.

Speaking of the Debate, thou shall not underestimate its power. It's not a determining factor but it does help in changing opinions. Shekarau's stock is on the rise as a result of this. Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems are in power as they had quite a remarkable performance in the Debates and this was key in the election build up.

A new user generated photo community by the name of 'Shutterfeeds' is on the rise. I'm involved with it and would appreciate your checking out; to get a broader picture of what it's all about. The website is still under construction but you could still Shutterfeeds.com to get more information. NS1463 article

One disadvantage of having a blog is that when you express a view contrary to what you expressed in the past you get accused of being self contradictory. Erm, maybe it's just that I grew as a human being and my perspective of life changed. We can't hold the same views all our lives. That's an indicator of stagnancy. Sometimes, being self contradictory can be a sign of growth as a human being.

The past 10 days have been some of my best thus far. Thanks to all the people who have made it tick in different ways. Thanks to Baba God for being ever merciful.

Have a great week,
OluwaMayowa

Guest Blogger: Life Lessons: Vomero’s Laws by Vome Aghoghovbia

2011-03-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

When Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, He was asked “Of what use is this electricity?” He replied, “Of what use is a new baby? You never know what can grow out of it.” Little did he know that he had just invented the biggest thing ever, Electricity! Without it, the world will not be able to function; the world will actually go to a standstill. It was due to his effort that electricity was transformed from a curiosity into a powerful new technology. He never envisaged that his discovery will be something with that much impact!

In the words of Albert Einstein, “Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions.” With imagination you can get anywhere but sometimes you can't even imagine how big you are going to get when you start something small. Looking at Faraday’s background, I am sure no one ever thought he will come to any good. He came from a poor background, had the most basic education and had to start working at the age of 14 for a book binder. He turned his disadvantage into an advantage. He didn’t only bind the books but read them and that is how he educated himself. In the class-based English society of the time, Faraday was not considered a gentleman. He was an Assistant to Davy. He was maltreated by Davy’s wife who refused to treat him as an equal. He was made so miserable that he contemplated giving up science altogether. Deciding to be patient and staying gave him access to a host of stimulating ideas. All that withstanding, Faraday ended up being the most influential scientist in history and even ended up rejecting a knighthood. He ended up being greater than his boss as no one really mentions his name.

It is very easy to give up. But taking the easy way out and perseverance differentiates the successful ones from the unsuccessful. Davy (his boss) tried but failed to design an electric motor, Faraday tried it and he did it (I’m sure Davy’s wife was jealous). Faraday was also described as a very religious person and we all know God is the foundation of everything. Even after Faraday discovered electricity, the questions he was asked may have discouraged him. But you know what “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds”. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but courageously uses his intelligence. He wasn't sure if it was going to be something big but he was positive it could also be something huge! Positivity goes a long way.

We know of people who weren't the brightest and others who were told their dreams were silly but still ended up being some of the biggest names in history. Always try and turn a disadvantage into an advantage always be positive and the most important, God should be the foundation in all you do. Your imagination is a powerful tool and one of the best gifts you have been blessed with, it can think up the craziest things and with hard work you can achieve the craziest things.

Tell me what you see

2011-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I saw this picture and I wrote what I saw and thought from it. Take a peep into my head. Excuse me if it is not completely clear all the time. My ideas are convoluted. Even my philosophy professor says so *smile*

During the course of his life, Plato came up with a ‘no evolution’ theory that has been labeled Idealism. In his theory there are two worlds. One world (hidden from our sights) is completely perfect and the other world (our world) is an imperfect copy striving to be like the first world. In the same way that Plato described his theory is the same way that diversity and reality interact. Diversity is the perfect world. The one where no human being is judged on the basis of skin color, his background, his sexual orientation or his religion. The world where I, as a black female, do not lead my life centered on that fact. A world where when I mention my being the only Nigerian in my undergraduate class (with the exception of the Nigerian-Americans), other Nigerians do not wince and ask how I survive. Reality on the other hand is the imperfect world. Our world. A world where black sticks to black, yellow to yellow, red to red and orange to orange. A world where comfort is sought in the familiarity of similarity. A world where I find myself drawn to people who look like me, think like me and believe like me.

My first look at the picture, at the part depicting diversity, saw my eyes trying to make sense of the misplaced color coordination. Upon sighting the bottom half, I could almost hear my eyes sigh with relief at something that was easily made sense of. I am neither a sexist nor a racist. I am neither a nationalist nor a tribalist. I am simply human. And humans are flawed. Luckily flaws, like abhorrence for diversity, can be remedied however hard or long it takes. Things like internet and planes have shrunk our world enough to make us realize that the group you identify with is not the only one in the world, neither is it the only one that is completely right. Accepting diversity is all about changing perspective, tweaking our mindsets and opening our inner eyes to new things. Humans have to be taught, whether formally or informally, that life does not begin and end with your country, tribe or religion. Rather life begins and ends with your knowledge and comfort in your country, tribe and religion mixed with a healthy dose of knowledge and understanding of other countries, tribes and religions. Understanding does not mean total acceptance. It merely means being able to see the other side. If I didn’t like science so much, I would have been a lawyer for the sole pleasure of having to understand both sides. Plato might divide worlds into two and thus create an avenue to divide these two concepts, diversity and reality, into two separate non-intersecting ideas but I see one world. One world where diversity is the reality and the reality is a diverse world.