Nigeria have huffed and puffed their way to three straight victories, however any quality coach can easily clip their wings simply by marking Kanu, Martins and Obi/Okocha out of the game and putting fast players on the wings. If Trabelsi is playing on the wings on Saturday, Nigeria may be in for her last game of the tournament.
Tunisia have 3 things going for them:
1. a great coach in roger lemmere
2. two solid players in santos and trabelsi
3. they've been together as a team for over 2 yrs same coach!
Ghana are a hopeless side and got a false sense of superiority when they beat an equally unconvincing Senegal team. Minus Stephen Appiah, all the other players are a bunch of mediocres.
South Africa is not and HAS NEVER BEEN a football playing nation. Thanks to their media, we are always being insulted by the categorising of Benni Mcarthy in the league of Africa's best. He just isn't! Let someone tell those south africans!
Who is Emmanuel Adebayor? After one season on the bench with Arsenal, he should have been brought down to earth that he is not a great striker after all. He should ask the likes of Joseph Desiree Job.
Lomana Lua Lua? Simply one of the best strikers and captains this competition has seen.
Samuel Eto'o? Clinical finishing with an eye for goal. Can however not be placed in the league of the likes of Nwankwo Kanu who can turn a game around just with a trick or two.
Cameroun? without Eto'o should be going home in the semi final.
Didier Drogba? Mohammed Mido? I am begining to see the most over rated players of the tournament. Drogba is clearly not in the mould of great strikers and lacks the leadership qualities of the likes of lomana lua lua.Mido is simply a creation of the Egyptian press desperately struggling to call just any ordinary player a star more like Micheal Owen.
Senegal have some great players in the likes of Pape Bouba Diop (imagine Patrick Viera in the heart of Arsenal's defence) and Henry Camara. Diouf is simply an over rated spoilt brat!
Goodbye Angola, Togo and Ghana. You simply were lucky to have made it through to the world Cup finals on the back of some silly CAF qualifying rules and the lackadiasical attitude of the so-called big teams.Ivory Coast have only been slightly better and Morocco and Libya were clearly guilty of playing against a bunch of names. Both countries should have won those matches on the back of their tactically superior advantage. Sadly Morocco continues the tradition of good football and no goals. For a country that did not qualify for the world cup despite having never lost a match, they need to be reminded that football is all about goals and not so much the quality of play.
loving, living and blogging in america...
ATOM 0.3
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
football unites a nation?
I remember with nostalgia the good old days of the super eagles, when they used to be the most dreaded team in africa. The years 1993-1997 when the team was the most talked about item on the menu of many a nigerian. Those years that converted even the most nonchalant women to enthusiastic fans overnight.
Those where the years when no one cared if you were igbo, yoruba, hausa or kanuri. It did not matter if you were christian or muslim, no one cared a hoot if you were in SDP or NRC. It was the green-white-green that mattered not where you lived or were born.
Infact those where the days politrickcians could almost get away with looting the country blind and truncating our hard earned democracy just by making a few complimentary comments in the media about the eagles.
No one cared in that instant if it was a millitary dictator in power, all we cared was for those eleven men chasing a piece of leather around a rectangular patch of earth.
The men who were capable in a single instant of sending us into a collective amnesia just by the tricks of their boots.
Such was the power of soccer!
However soon as the game was over, we suddenly realised i was from the west and he was from the north. It suddently occured to some mullahs to chuck southerners out of their public schools. Soon, the politrickcians were exposed for the rogues that they were. The wool came of our eyes and the Niger Delta people, the biafrans suddenly realised they wanted out of the entity called Nigeria. Soon after the 90 minutes we remembered June 12 and the blood of the martyrs of democracy.
In a continent torn apart by strife and civil distrubances, national soccer teams have been the opium on which the people have managed to survive, little wonder not a few presidents are actively involved in the daily affairs of their teams. From Nigeria to Cameroun and Congo DR, it has almost become customary for presidents to send congratulatory messages to their senior team players and even offer to pay their match bonuses. No wonder many african players now see the national team as an avenue to make quick money and hold the nation to ransom over bogus match allowances (including those on the bench!) rather than a priviledge to wear the nations colours like their European counterparts.
Sadly, the national teams will have to keep playing the game beyond the allowed 90 minutes so that we can "dance away and forget our sorrows".
Those where the years when no one cared if you were igbo, yoruba, hausa or kanuri. It did not matter if you were christian or muslim, no one cared a hoot if you were in SDP or NRC. It was the green-white-green that mattered not where you lived or were born.
Infact those where the days politrickcians could almost get away with looting the country blind and truncating our hard earned democracy just by making a few complimentary comments in the media about the eagles.
No one cared in that instant if it was a millitary dictator in power, all we cared was for those eleven men chasing a piece of leather around a rectangular patch of earth.
The men who were capable in a single instant of sending us into a collective amnesia just by the tricks of their boots.
Such was the power of soccer!
However soon as the game was over, we suddenly realised i was from the west and he was from the north. It suddently occured to some mullahs to chuck southerners out of their public schools. Soon, the politrickcians were exposed for the rogues that they were. The wool came of our eyes and the Niger Delta people, the biafrans suddenly realised they wanted out of the entity called Nigeria. Soon after the 90 minutes we remembered June 12 and the blood of the martyrs of democracy.
In a continent torn apart by strife and civil distrubances, national soccer teams have been the opium on which the people have managed to survive, little wonder not a few presidents are actively involved in the daily affairs of their teams. From Nigeria to Cameroun and Congo DR, it has almost become customary for presidents to send congratulatory messages to their senior team players and even offer to pay their match bonuses. No wonder many african players now see the national team as an avenue to make quick money and hold the nation to ransom over bogus match allowances (including those on the bench!) rather than a priviledge to wear the nations colours like their European counterparts.
Sadly, the national teams will have to keep playing the game beyond the allowed 90 minutes so that we can "dance away and forget our sorrows".
Monday, January 30, 2006
Ted Dumitru, soccer by mouth!
Ted Dumitru, current coach of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa has been making tons of excuses for why his wards became the first african nation since 1996 to crash out of the African Cup of Nations without a point or a single goal.
After South Africa defeated Egypt 2-1 in a friendly match a week before the ANC, Ted Dumitru was reported to have exclaimed; "we have beaten Egypt, Africa beware". Obviously African teams will have to wait till 2008 to take his threat seriously!
From SA's dramatic 2-0 loss to outsiders Guinea, Dumitru has not failed to assail our senses with the cheapest of excuses.
"There is nothing special about Tunisia," Ted famously claimed after SA's loss to Guinea. With a two goal defeat, we now know better.
"If we play with our unique style of flowing soccer and we keep possession, there are very few teams taking part in this tournament that can stop us. " Ted, just before the 0-2 loss to Tunisia. He was right, it took only Guinea, Tunisia and Zambia to stop them out of 16 teams!Unique style of "flowing soccer"? If flowing soccer was what was on display in their last three matches then that word must have lost it's meaning.
When challenged on the small size of his players and how they would stand up to the so call big boys of Africa, Dumitru replied: "Size does not count. We counter lack of stature with creativity and skill. Believe me, we are going places. This is the start of a new and finally unique style of South African soccer." Ted Dumitru later claimed his team lost the first match to Tunisia because his players where on the short side and inexperienced. Pray! Where those players forced on him? Did he not pick the team and claim he was building a team for the future? A future without the likes of former inspirational captain Aaron Mokoena?
South Africa coach Ted Dumitru after the 0-1 loss to Zambia;"We are disappointed that with our abundance of talent and dynamic approach to the game, we could not go farther in the competition. "The turning point for us was when we beat Egypt in a friendly match just before the competition started and since then, we did not produce the results we were expecting."
With three appaling games played at this year's ANC, it is hard to pin point which players Ted is reffering to when he talks of "abundance of talent". Sibusiso Zuma, named bafana captain on the eve of the tournament, played some of the most mediocre football of his career. Benni Mcarthy for the upteenth time has failed to justify why he is regarded as one of africa's best strikers and one to fit the shoes of the likes of Shawn Bartlett.Issa Pierre! Wobbled and fumbled his way through all bafana's matches, was desperately porous at the center back position whose inclusion in the squad in the first place is still a mystery considering he has not played active football for his greek club in the last six months. Siyabonga Nomvete reminds me of the days of Justice Christopher in the Super Eagles (only slightly more skillful), full of running, no substance and guilty of gifting the ball to the opposition.Save for goalkeeper Marlin (who by the way is the reason bafana are going home with only 5 goals conceded!), there is hardly any player that stood out in that south african squad.
He is reported to have declared that the world was yet to see the real South Africa after the 0-2 drubbing to Guinea, i quite agree with him. After three straight defeats, it will take a while for the world to see the "real" South Africa as nothing but a bunch of over rated mediocres who have ridden their luck a tiny bit too far.
After South Africa defeated Egypt 2-1 in a friendly match a week before the ANC, Ted Dumitru was reported to have exclaimed; "we have beaten Egypt, Africa beware". Obviously African teams will have to wait till 2008 to take his threat seriously!
From SA's dramatic 2-0 loss to outsiders Guinea, Dumitru has not failed to assail our senses with the cheapest of excuses.
"There is nothing special about Tunisia," Ted famously claimed after SA's loss to Guinea. With a two goal defeat, we now know better.
"If we play with our unique style of flowing soccer and we keep possession, there are very few teams taking part in this tournament that can stop us. " Ted, just before the 0-2 loss to Tunisia. He was right, it took only Guinea, Tunisia and Zambia to stop them out of 16 teams!Unique style of "flowing soccer"? If flowing soccer was what was on display in their last three matches then that word must have lost it's meaning.
When challenged on the small size of his players and how they would stand up to the so call big boys of Africa, Dumitru replied: "Size does not count. We counter lack of stature with creativity and skill. Believe me, we are going places. This is the start of a new and finally unique style of South African soccer." Ted Dumitru later claimed his team lost the first match to Tunisia because his players where on the short side and inexperienced. Pray! Where those players forced on him? Did he not pick the team and claim he was building a team for the future? A future without the likes of former inspirational captain Aaron Mokoena?
South Africa coach Ted Dumitru after the 0-1 loss to Zambia;"We are disappointed that with our abundance of talent and dynamic approach to the game, we could not go farther in the competition. "The turning point for us was when we beat Egypt in a friendly match just before the competition started and since then, we did not produce the results we were expecting."
With three appaling games played at this year's ANC, it is hard to pin point which players Ted is reffering to when he talks of "abundance of talent". Sibusiso Zuma, named bafana captain on the eve of the tournament, played some of the most mediocre football of his career. Benni Mcarthy for the upteenth time has failed to justify why he is regarded as one of africa's best strikers and one to fit the shoes of the likes of Shawn Bartlett.Issa Pierre! Wobbled and fumbled his way through all bafana's matches, was desperately porous at the center back position whose inclusion in the squad in the first place is still a mystery considering he has not played active football for his greek club in the last six months. Siyabonga Nomvete reminds me of the days of Justice Christopher in the Super Eagles (only slightly more skillful), full of running, no substance and guilty of gifting the ball to the opposition.Save for goalkeeper Marlin (who by the way is the reason bafana are going home with only 5 goals conceded!), there is hardly any player that stood out in that south african squad.
He is reported to have declared that the world was yet to see the real South Africa after the 0-2 drubbing to Guinea, i quite agree with him. After three straight defeats, it will take a while for the world to see the "real" South Africa as nothing but a bunch of over rated mediocres who have ridden their luck a tiny bit too far.
Saturday, January 28, 2006
The African soccer fan!
Is he really a Congo soccer fan or a Congo voodoo practitioner?Where do you draw the line between football fanaticism and simple madness?
From the large drums, to the traditional trumpets, the facial paintings, body graffiti, popular war chants and other adornments, the african soccer fan is a sight to behold.
Some even go as far as having a having a specific dress code mostly made with the respective colours of their countries, transforming themselves into unofficial supporters' clubs.
There are the masquerades who parade themselves usually before the start of the game much to the amusement of the spectators. Some paint themselves in all manner of colours and take up postures that makes it hard to tell if they were really human and not some statue.
For those used to the boring chants of "ole ole" by the typical european fan, the chants of the african fan is simply amazing. They possess a repertoire of songs that would make players want to abandon the game and throw their waists in time with the beats emanating from the stands. Infact nowadays, it is easy to know if one's soccer fans are in the stands merely by listening to the music being played there.
The Nigerian fan is not one to be missed, in his flowing green-white-green attire, his trumpets and drums. The nigerian fan is never complete without his traditional songs (half of which are corrupted versions of popular christian songs!) and chants.
It is not hard to know when the eagles are down, you are likely to here the infamous "all we are saying give us more goals" and there is the "inside the net...over the bar" that is familiar with every school kid who has ever kicked a soccer ball be it on the streets on the balding pitches.
What of the famous "Enyimba...Enyi" by Enyimba supporters?
Many would be watching the ongoing African Cup of Nations, Egypt 2006. However not all will be watching soccer heroics, many would be watching to catch a glimpse of the famous african fan with his weird antics and music. For it is he and not only the players that make african soccer as colourful as we know it today.
Hurray for the African fan!
Hamas, a defeat for democracy?
Ah! So much for George Bush! What will he do now?
One of the major planks on which the present US government have propped their recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is that they are only trying to give the citizens of those nations a choice at having democracy and saving them from the grips of tyrants like the taliban and disgraced former Iraqi leader, Sadam Hussein.
Hamas, that terrorist organisation top on the watch list of the US and EU, that organisation that has the "complete destruction of the state of Isreal" as one of their sacred oaths, yes Hamas.
They just won the recent elections in the state of Palestine.
And that's the conundrum! The elections were free and fair, the palestinian people have spoken, is that not the meaning of democracy? Government of the people, for the people and by the people?
Was Hamas not elected democratically?
Will the world be forced to accept Hamas as the new "democratically elected" government of the people of palestine? Will the US and Isreal be finally forced to deal with Hamas as part of the roadmap to peace in the middle east?
The Western nations have threatened not to deal with Hamas nor recognise it's legitimacy. They have even threatened to withdraw donor funds to palestine. What effect will Hamas electoral victory have on the ordinary palestinian?
When is democracy acceptable and when is it not?
According to the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, is democracy not really sometimes a demonstration of craziness?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4654368.stm
One of the major planks on which the present US government have propped their recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq is that they are only trying to give the citizens of those nations a choice at having democracy and saving them from the grips of tyrants like the taliban and disgraced former Iraqi leader, Sadam Hussein.
Hamas, that terrorist organisation top on the watch list of the US and EU, that organisation that has the "complete destruction of the state of Isreal" as one of their sacred oaths, yes Hamas.
They just won the recent elections in the state of Palestine.
And that's the conundrum! The elections were free and fair, the palestinian people have spoken, is that not the meaning of democracy? Government of the people, for the people and by the people?
Was Hamas not elected democratically?
Will the world be forced to accept Hamas as the new "democratically elected" government of the people of palestine? Will the US and Isreal be finally forced to deal with Hamas as part of the roadmap to peace in the middle east?
The Western nations have threatened not to deal with Hamas nor recognise it's legitimacy. They have even threatened to withdraw donor funds to palestine. What effect will Hamas electoral victory have on the ordinary palestinian?
When is democracy acceptable and when is it not?
According to the late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, is democracy not really sometimes a demonstration of craziness?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4654368.stm
Friday, January 27, 2006
who dun it?
And the lads from naija did it again! A 1-0 spanking of disrespectful Ghana and a 2-0 defeat to boastful Zimbabwe.
Yeah, is it eureka?
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
ah! What a long day!
Ah finally the day is over. when the day ends is actually subject to debate. Does it end at 4pm, 5, 6, 7 or whenever you choose to leave your respective work post?
Well i'll choose the later, day closes when i go home chikena!
Interesting things at the lab today, my experiment turned up some interesting findings today.
Arshad is cautious though, wants to see the actin blots before "we begin champagne popping" and finally brainstorming as to what we really are seeing. you should have seen the relief on my face, i've done that same experiment almost 6 times now fiddling with small technical details to fine tune the procedure before eventually hitting on a new approach.
Ah! Naija man must to go and rest now, we leave the rest to 2moro's lab meeting. let the big guys jaw jaw over the stuff and small folks like me will sit and listen. Mohammed and Arshad never stop reminding me that their is no substitute for experience.
They must be right!
Well i'll choose the later, day closes when i go home chikena!
Interesting things at the lab today, my experiment turned up some interesting findings today.
Arshad is cautious though, wants to see the actin blots before "we begin champagne popping" and finally brainstorming as to what we really are seeing. you should have seen the relief on my face, i've done that same experiment almost 6 times now fiddling with small technical details to fine tune the procedure before eventually hitting on a new approach.
Ah! Naija man must to go and rest now, we leave the rest to 2moro's lab meeting. let the big guys jaw jaw over the stuff and small folks like me will sit and listen. Mohammed and Arshad never stop reminding me that their is no substitute for experience.
They must be right!
Saturday, January 21, 2006
Nigerians and car stickers...
The kind of sticker on the naija man's car is a reflection of his condition.
My friend buys a new car, his car sticker reads; LET MY ENEMY LIVE LONG AND SEE WHAT I WILL BE IN FUTURE.
One month later, an accident destroys most of the car panels, my friend buys a new sticker, NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT.
When the car becomes a real srap, my friend buys another sticker; PLEASE MIND THE DOOR.
The car eventually goes beyond repair, my friend buys a new sticker; THE DOWN FALL OF A MAN IS NOT THE END OF IS LIFE!
My friend buys a new car, his car sticker reads; LET MY ENEMY LIVE LONG AND SEE WHAT I WILL BE IN FUTURE.
One month later, an accident destroys most of the car panels, my friend buys a new sticker, NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT.
When the car becomes a real srap, my friend buys another sticker; PLEASE MIND THE DOOR.
The car eventually goes beyond repair, my friend buys a new sticker; THE DOWN FALL OF A MAN IS NOT THE END OF IS LIFE!
Friday, January 20, 2006
In "Evolution" we trust!
In Oct 2005, a pennsylvania federal judge, John E Jones III, ruled that Intelligent design should not be mentioned in biology classes as an alternative to Darwinian theory of evolution.
A vatican Statement early this year claims teaching Intelligent design in schools would only "confuse" children. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/20/wvat20.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/20/ixworld.html
A rural school in Fresno has agreed to stop teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution Tuesday as part of a federal court settlement barring the school from ever teaching the subject of "intelligent design."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060117-1719-ca-evolutiondebate.html
Gradually the words "God" are becoming a part of history, we no longer want to hear about Him in our pledge of allegiance, we do not want Him to be part of our daily lives, now we have gone a step further to ban Him from being taught to our children in their schools.
And steadily, the enviable foundations on which the great country of the USA was built are being chipped at. I imagine the founding fathers of the USA would be squirming in their graves at what their children have turned that hard earned "freedom" into.
Once it used to be "In God we trust" and everyone of us envied the USA and wished our countries too could have been built on the foundation of Christianity. Today the same people we envied have decided to turn their backs on the God that made a nation of a mere 200 years greater than the empires of old.
the vatican claims teaching ID in schools would confuse children. Who are they decieving? where we not children once? Did we complain of ever being confused at having to say the Lord's prayer every morning?
A Nov 20, 1861 letter by Secretary of treasury, Salmon P. Chase reads thus;
"Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins."
145 years later, his children have roundly rejected that same God in their own law courts as an expression of their "freedom".
Someday maybe that powerful motto that used to be the envy of every little kid in Africa will be changed to read "In Evolution we trust".
Or will it be Evolution bless America?
A vatican Statement early this year claims teaching Intelligent design in schools would only "confuse" children. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/01/20/wvat20.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/01/20/ixworld.html
A rural school in Fresno has agreed to stop teaching a religion-based alternative to evolution Tuesday as part of a federal court settlement barring the school from ever teaching the subject of "intelligent design."
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20060117-1719-ca-evolutiondebate.html
Gradually the words "God" are becoming a part of history, we no longer want to hear about Him in our pledge of allegiance, we do not want Him to be part of our daily lives, now we have gone a step further to ban Him from being taught to our children in their schools.
And steadily, the enviable foundations on which the great country of the USA was built are being chipped at. I imagine the founding fathers of the USA would be squirming in their graves at what their children have turned that hard earned "freedom" into.
Once it used to be "In God we trust" and everyone of us envied the USA and wished our countries too could have been built on the foundation of Christianity. Today the same people we envied have decided to turn their backs on the God that made a nation of a mere 200 years greater than the empires of old.
the vatican claims teaching ID in schools would confuse children. Who are they decieving? where we not children once? Did we complain of ever being confused at having to say the Lord's prayer every morning?
A Nov 20, 1861 letter by Secretary of treasury, Salmon P. Chase reads thus;
"Dear Sir: No nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins."
145 years later, his children have roundly rejected that same God in their own law courts as an expression of their "freedom".
Someday maybe that powerful motto that used to be the envy of every little kid in Africa will be changed to read "In Evolution we trust".
Or will it be Evolution bless America?
that ban on gay marriage...
"The Nigerian Federal Executive has proposed a law to ban homosexual relations and same-sex marriage, in what the justice minister says is an attempt to avoid such practices spreading to the country from the West.
Justice Minister Bayo Ojo announced the draft law this week, saying it is in response to President Olusegun Obasanjo's concern over homosexual relations and marriage encroaching on Africa's most populous nation."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200601200446.html
The above headline caught my attention in the nigerian national dailies yesterday and i could not resist commenting on the issue. Not that i support gay marriage, i support gay rights ONLY as long as it remains in US and EUROPE where it all originated from in the first place.
However, i am intrigued by the "concern" shown by Mr. President on the issue, here is a man presiding over a nation with the following problems:
1. Some biafran proponents are alleged to have introduced the Biafran currency into certain cities of eastern nigeria. If that is not a prelude to secession...
infact the biafran currency is being sold as at present on the internet;
http://www.kcshop.com/fc/p.php?pic=F2553
2. An american, a honduran and a british citizen are at present being held by rebel forces in the niger delta. Shell petroleum claims Nigeria's oil output is down 10% in the last week and oil prices gradually climbing. The rebels have given Mr. President up to Feb 1 to accede to their demands or risk having all oil installations blown up (90% of Nigeria's GDP comes from oil).
3. Decaying social infrastructure, 14 liquidated banks as at early this year, 266 deaths from avoidable plane crashes in just 6 weeks, no roads, no water, no electricity, no airports, police threatening to go on strike, 70% of the population living below the poverty line.
4. Subversion of democracy (demonstration of craziness?) by charlatans and thugs who call themselves godfathers, the case of Anambra and lately Oyo states.
5. Nigeria currently ranked 2nd most corrupt nation on earth.
6. A rundown educational system that is now the mockery of neighboring African nations.
And yet all the president and the federal executive council are concerned about is GAY MARRIAGE! Since when did gay rights become so much of an issue that our "(s)elected" leaders now spend all their time debating. I hear it will soon be sent to parliament, what a mockery. A parliament that threw out a bill protecting child rights because of their ethnic bias is now saddled with passing laws relating to GAY rights? In what way does passing that bill go to solving the myriad of problems plaguing the nation?
The same political leaders are locked in a winner-takes-all battle on who will take over power in general elections scheduled in less than 14 months!
Have our leaders truly lost all sense of direction or are they really bereft of ideas? Do they know why they were elected to office in the first place?
Justice Minister Bayo Ojo announced the draft law this week, saying it is in response to President Olusegun Obasanjo's concern over homosexual relations and marriage encroaching on Africa's most populous nation."
http://allafrica.com/stories/200601200446.html
The above headline caught my attention in the nigerian national dailies yesterday and i could not resist commenting on the issue. Not that i support gay marriage, i support gay rights ONLY as long as it remains in US and EUROPE where it all originated from in the first place.
However, i am intrigued by the "concern" shown by Mr. President on the issue, here is a man presiding over a nation with the following problems:
1. Some biafran proponents are alleged to have introduced the Biafran currency into certain cities of eastern nigeria. If that is not a prelude to secession...
infact the biafran currency is being sold as at present on the internet;
http://www.kcshop.com/fc/p.php?pic=F2553
2. An american, a honduran and a british citizen are at present being held by rebel forces in the niger delta. Shell petroleum claims Nigeria's oil output is down 10% in the last week and oil prices gradually climbing. The rebels have given Mr. President up to Feb 1 to accede to their demands or risk having all oil installations blown up (90% of Nigeria's GDP comes from oil).
3. Decaying social infrastructure, 14 liquidated banks as at early this year, 266 deaths from avoidable plane crashes in just 6 weeks, no roads, no water, no electricity, no airports, police threatening to go on strike, 70% of the population living below the poverty line.
4. Subversion of democracy (demonstration of craziness?) by charlatans and thugs who call themselves godfathers, the case of Anambra and lately Oyo states.
5. Nigeria currently ranked 2nd most corrupt nation on earth.
6. A rundown educational system that is now the mockery of neighboring African nations.
And yet all the president and the federal executive council are concerned about is GAY MARRIAGE! Since when did gay rights become so much of an issue that our "(s)elected" leaders now spend all their time debating. I hear it will soon be sent to parliament, what a mockery. A parliament that threw out a bill protecting child rights because of their ethnic bias is now saddled with passing laws relating to GAY rights? In what way does passing that bill go to solving the myriad of problems plaguing the nation?
The same political leaders are locked in a winner-takes-all battle on who will take over power in general elections scheduled in less than 14 months!
Have our leaders truly lost all sense of direction or are they really bereft of ideas? Do they know why they were elected to office in the first place?
Thursday, January 19, 2006
funkified and Anglicized naija names...
Aha, God don catch una! All u naija peeps who choose to come to america and change your wonderful yoruba or igbo names to funkified English versions, your secrets are exposed o!
Mine's Moyinoluwa, might i change that to mimi? Just asking...
When for heaven's sake did Dele become Dale or whatever? What of all those who used to be timi and are now just tim for short?
Nwankwo for Wanny or Chukwuemeka for Meka or Micky?
http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/david-west/naija_rooney/070601.html
Mine's Moyinoluwa, might i change that to mimi? Just asking...
When for heaven's sake did Dele become Dale or whatever? What of all those who used to be timi and are now just tim for short?
Nwankwo for Wanny or Chukwuemeka for Meka or Micky?
http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/david-west/naija_rooney/070601.html
A telltale parrot!
Hey what pets do you keep?
If you cheat on your partner watch out, your darling, cute pet might be your very undoing!
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/17/uk.parrot/index.html
If you cheat on your partner watch out, your darling, cute pet might be your very undoing!
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/01/17/uk.parrot/index.html
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
racism...our fault or theirs?
Some one asked this question on a forum i participate in today and i decided to post it here since monday was martin luther king Jr day...
im sayin them people (US govt) r da reason why black pplz r commitin da crimes when they r high.do u agree that that all da drug addicts in america are drug addicts r caused by the govenment.
How is it the fault of the US government that there are so many addicts in the USA? Did they plant drugs in peoples houses? Why do more blacks do drugs than white? Are drugs sold only where blacks can find them?
Dearie, a big no! I am presently doing a doctoral program in a med school in newyork, since day 1 i have been utterly disappointed by the non-chalant attitude of black people to education in general. Do you believe that in a class of over 100 first year students there are only 3 black people (urs sincerely included) in the whole class? Would you believe that in my whole laboratory block i am virtually the only black face? I am yet to come across a black professor in this whole school. now turn to the opposite side of the coin, 90% of cleaners are black! With the exception of senior security officials, the bottom rung of security men, janitors and carpark attendants are black!
I must confess there are days i am ashamed to be black! and this is a city where at least 30% of the population are black! I have consistently told anyone that cares to listen that i am NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN but a NIGERIAN!
Black americans spend so much time celebrating martin luther king day forgetting that the greatest source of power and freedom lies in education. Most black kids here do not go to school, majority drop out of high school and only a few ever make it to college. it is shameful that the largest teen pregnancy cases in my city are blacks, the worst neighborhoods are black neighborhoods and the largest crime rate is recorded among blacks!I have consistently maintained that black americans do not have the excuse of "racism" to hide their inadequacies, if fellow blacks from africa (who have the compounded problem of being illegal or resident aliens!) can come and make it to the top of the ladder in this same nation!I for one am an international student but i have all my tuition and living expenses paid for by the US govt, why should a black american refuse to go to college with the plethora of schorlaships and federal funding available to them. Thousands of asians and africans are trooping in to the US daily to take advantage of scholarship and fellowship opportunities by the same US govt blacks accuse of neglecting them.
QUES: why were the katrina victims mainly black and poor?
ANS: Poverty, ignorance, laziness and overdependence on the US welfare system by the blacks. If white people did not have to wait for buses to ship them out of new orleans, why are the blacks accusing the federal govt of "abandoning them. The question to be asked is "how did so many white people get to escape the storm?" Where they preferentially airlifted out of danger by the US govt?
im sayin them people (US govt) r da reason why black pplz r commitin da crimes when they r high.do u agree that that all da drug addicts in america are drug addicts r caused by the govenment.
How is it the fault of the US government that there are so many addicts in the USA? Did they plant drugs in peoples houses? Why do more blacks do drugs than white? Are drugs sold only where blacks can find them?
Dearie, a big no! I am presently doing a doctoral program in a med school in newyork, since day 1 i have been utterly disappointed by the non-chalant attitude of black people to education in general. Do you believe that in a class of over 100 first year students there are only 3 black people (urs sincerely included) in the whole class? Would you believe that in my whole laboratory block i am virtually the only black face? I am yet to come across a black professor in this whole school. now turn to the opposite side of the coin, 90% of cleaners are black! With the exception of senior security officials, the bottom rung of security men, janitors and carpark attendants are black!
I must confess there are days i am ashamed to be black! and this is a city where at least 30% of the population are black! I have consistently told anyone that cares to listen that i am NOT AFRICAN AMERICAN but a NIGERIAN!
Black americans spend so much time celebrating martin luther king day forgetting that the greatest source of power and freedom lies in education. Most black kids here do not go to school, majority drop out of high school and only a few ever make it to college. it is shameful that the largest teen pregnancy cases in my city are blacks, the worst neighborhoods are black neighborhoods and the largest crime rate is recorded among blacks!I have consistently maintained that black americans do not have the excuse of "racism" to hide their inadequacies, if fellow blacks from africa (who have the compounded problem of being illegal or resident aliens!) can come and make it to the top of the ladder in this same nation!I for one am an international student but i have all my tuition and living expenses paid for by the US govt, why should a black american refuse to go to college with the plethora of schorlaships and federal funding available to them. Thousands of asians and africans are trooping in to the US daily to take advantage of scholarship and fellowship opportunities by the same US govt blacks accuse of neglecting them.
QUES: why were the katrina victims mainly black and poor?
ANS: Poverty, ignorance, laziness and overdependence on the US welfare system by the blacks. If white people did not have to wait for buses to ship them out of new orleans, why are the blacks accusing the federal govt of "abandoning them. The question to be asked is "how did so many white people get to escape the storm?" Where they preferentially airlifted out of danger by the US govt?
When will blacks learn to stand up and be counted?
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Prayer for the eagles!
Our father who art in heaven
hallowed be thy name
thy kingdom come in egypt as it is in heaven
give us this month, the cup of nations
may our opponents develop malaria the day we play them
Father, let their goalkeepers see lions,
when the ball gets to the goalpost
may all our opponents see 10 goal posts when they get to ours
let their efforts be "over the bar"
let our own efforts only be "inside the net" o Lord
father help us, that our fans do not need to sing "all we are saying..."
before papa eagles decide to fly
may their defenders miss the ball and the man
may their strikers develop lethargy on the field of play,
may we o Lord be able to win this cup,
for thousands of thy children are praying to thee
infact some have been fasting for months
u said when we call you will answer
did you not tell us to ask and recieve?
We remember your acts with moses,
in the land of the pharaohs
as our eagles attempt to cross the red sea
may you drown our opponents with goals
open the sea o Lord
and let thy servants get to the promised land
the land of gold,
when we shall mount the rostrum,
as the best team in africa,
so we ask in your Holy name
Amen!
CAN 2006
Ha! The african cup of nations 2006 will be starting in the next week or so. Can't believe i will be sitting this one out on the damn bench! Sorry, not that i'm one of the eagles anyway, i'm just feeling very annoyed that i won't be taking part in the most fun aspect of the competition, yes watching on Tv! There will be no AIT half time reports for me, i will not even get to see my darling eagles destroy those disrespectful angolans and teach Ghana a big soccer lesson.
I will be doomed to watching ice hockey, golf, american football (arrrgh!) and what nonsense in the name of sports while surfing the net for the latest results from egypt.
Back to the competition jare, i can't even stick my neck out for who wins the cup at the end of 3 weeks. Cameroon? Ivory Coast? Nigeria? Those are my bets for now, i won't place my hard earned kudi on those chickens from southafrica (what's southafrican for chicken?). Tunisia will be hardnuts to crack, as for Ghana, thanks for making up the numbers alongside other soccer minnows as zimbabwe. Face it guys, we have the best team to this competition only if those fellons at the NFA will allow us some breathing space.
What would happen if NFA officials were members of the team only God knows!
guitar lessons...
i've been checking out the cost of acoustic/electric guitars online. hope to buy one in the next few weeks.
yeah i would love to have something to learn and keep me company when i'm lonely...music can do great things...
yeah i would love to have something to learn and keep me company when i'm lonely...music can do great things...
Saturday, January 14, 2006
a woman as a chemical element!
people never stop cracking me up, just read this VERY TRUE chemical description of a woman:
Element name: WOMAN
Symbol:WO
Atomic Weight: (don't even go there!)
Physical properties: Boils at nothing and may freeze anytime. Melts whenever treated properly. Very bitter if not used well.
Chemical Properties: Active, often unstable. Possesses strong molecular attraction to gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones.
Usage: An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income-reducing agent known.
Caution: Highly explosive in in-experenced hands.
Element name: WOMAN
Symbol:WO
Atomic Weight: (don't even go there!)
Physical properties: Boils at nothing and may freeze anytime. Melts whenever treated properly. Very bitter if not used well.
Chemical Properties: Active, often unstable. Possesses strong molecular attraction to gold, silver, platinum, and precious stones.
Usage: An extremely good catalyst for dispersion of wealth. Probably the most powerful income-reducing agent known.
Caution: Highly explosive in in-experenced hands.
Friday, January 13, 2006
crack ya ribs with naija jokes!
What if Sept 11 was in Naija.....
A political aspirant was asked the question during one of those debates,
QUIZ: After the tragedy in New York and Washington September 11, the question arises:
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NIGERIA IS ATTACKED?
ANSWER:Well ... if that happens, there can be no comparison. That's because in Nigeria we are much better prepared for these kind of attacks, given the following reasons:
1. We do not construct exaggerated elevated buildings.
2. We all get on the job late in the morning, so at 8.45am there won't be sufficient people to kill.
3. Fire fighters and police officers will do their utmost not to get to the spot in time. They will reach there just when everything is over, so there will be no casualties among them.
4. The Nigeria airways would surely have fouled up the terrorists' plans by being delayed again, and of course losing the luggage - containing the bombs.
5. A Nigerian would not have used his cell phone to call home. He would've hit the terrorist with it over the head.
6. If a terrorist was living for one year in Nigeria (Oshodi), he would've been robbed and molested so many times he would've given up and gone back home long time ago.
7. In Nigeria the terrorists would not have gotten the flight manual, they would've had to pay for it.
8. In Nigeria juju would make all the passengers disappear before the thing hit Mushin or Ajegunle.
9. Osama would be so confused with who is really in power
You see...in Nigeria we are well prepared.
A political aspirant was asked the question during one of those debates,
QUIZ: After the tragedy in New York and Washington September 11, the question arises:
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF NIGERIA IS ATTACKED?
ANSWER:Well ... if that happens, there can be no comparison. That's because in Nigeria we are much better prepared for these kind of attacks, given the following reasons:
1. We do not construct exaggerated elevated buildings.
2. We all get on the job late in the morning, so at 8.45am there won't be sufficient people to kill.
3. Fire fighters and police officers will do their utmost not to get to the spot in time. They will reach there just when everything is over, so there will be no casualties among them.
4. The Nigeria airways would surely have fouled up the terrorists' plans by being delayed again, and of course losing the luggage - containing the bombs.
5. A Nigerian would not have used his cell phone to call home. He would've hit the terrorist with it over the head.
6. If a terrorist was living for one year in Nigeria (Oshodi), he would've been robbed and molested so many times he would've given up and gone back home long time ago.
7. In Nigeria the terrorists would not have gotten the flight manual, they would've had to pay for it.
8. In Nigeria juju would make all the passengers disappear before the thing hit Mushin or Ajegunle.
9. Osama would be so confused with who is really in power
You see...in Nigeria we are well prepared.
of gels and blots II...
Now THAT was a bit smudgy but i think the problem was with the samples, the protein is a mere 19Kd. Arshad suggested we increase the acrylamide concentration to 12.5% and see what happens. I think the protein is too small and ends up at the very end of the gel.
of gels and blots...
today would go down as one of my most rewarding days in the lab. Now wait for it! Before you think i just made a startling discovery, not that. It's as simple as getting my first blot right! Wow! Never knew something as simple as a western blot could be as nerve wracking and frustrating as this. The last time i forgot the well dividers in place so the electrodes where not in contact, then the preliminary 15 minute run at 50V as indicated in the manual did not run and by the time i realised my error i was half way through the final run. The protein bands ended up running down much faster than the protein standards, kind of a concave instead of the normal straight blue bands you would normally obtain. Kinda bad omen.
Then i took the nitrocellulose blots and stained them with ponceau S reagent and lo and behold i got a VERY empty blot!
So i'm on a celebration binge today, great gel run yesterday and the blots came out nicely for the first time especially the actin blots. Things are kinda different at my new lab, they've got so many new innovations that look so silly but yet they work great. Who would have thought u'd wash the blots with water and 1X PBS + 0.05% of 10% Tween 20 instead of the "holy grail" wash buffer. Made the primary and secondary Ab in 3% non-fat dry milk with quite different concentrations from the usual 1:10000 ratio (2ndary Ab) in wash buffer.
The most interesting part of it was that i did not have to do the tricky wet blot transfer. They had this amazing semi-dry transblot machine that did the transfer from gel to blot in under 45 minutes. I used the 1.5mm gel plates (u'd use the .75mm in my former lab) to prepare the gels, i kinda find that easier cos the gels are thicker and not likely to break on the slightest contact unlike the thinner gels.
I'm getting new cells from Minhaj on monday so i can run a new time-course experiment and see if i can get a new P-Cofilin pattern in the PKC knockout cells, Fabeha and Minhaj's samples which i used where very different.
So here's me celebrating a thing as ordinary as a good blot for once unlike those smudgy things i used to get before, if i do go back to the other lab i'm definitely using this new techniques!
Thursday, January 12, 2006
things i can't just do without...
my cdplayer!!!! yeah! Probably the only place it does not go with me is the bathroom!
That's my best companion, in the good times and in the bad times.
The Africa of my dreams
when i think of the days i live in, i long for the days of my fathers. The days when things were simple and easy. When my grandfather owned just a farm, a thatched hut and his prize bicycle. the days when my great grand father (the lion of owerri) founded the dynasty that is Umuoku village today.
I long for the days when all boys dreamt about was to got to the nearby elementary school to learn, play and get whipped. I dream of the days my fathers would sit on mats under the soft moonlight halo listening to moonlight tales told by the village griot. The mothers would sit in groups either preparing the evening meal or chatting excitedly about the coming market day. The old men sit in groups, talking in hushed tones reserved for men of renown, the smoke curling out of their pipes and a keg of palmwine at their feet.
I can almost hear Uturu, the village palmwine tapper, rolling his bicycle across the imposing obi with his calabashes clanging to their own tune around him.
The young men would take their caps off to him, the middle aged men would wave at him, their half-filled cups raised in a mock salute., the old men simply grunted and gnashed their teeth. Indeed Uturu would be loved by all. why not? Was he not the reason they were sitting around that fresh keg of palmwine?
I dream of those days! There were no walls, cars, no policemen of women, no gas, no electricity; my fathers had no guns with which to kill their neighbours, they had no prisons, no imposing buildings, just mud huts and thatched roofs built by men and women with simple hearts and kind souls.
The days when there where moonlight dances in the village square and the young men would bare their muscles, trying hard to impress the girl of their dreams. The girls where there ke! Toothy smiles and trying to ogle at the imposing bodies of the young men. It was nights like this that boys got away with stealing a few oranges and grapes from the sacred orchard in the headmaster's compound, even a goat might be allowed to get away with a yam or two.
The bells! Clanging bells ringing in the still of the night. That may have been Dubuofia with his pack of hunting dogs. Was it not said that he had once gone to the forest of the gods? Ah! He it was said who gave that leopard skin to the village head. His wife boasted he had never trapped less than an antelope before. As for Emelionwu, the village clown, he'd be lucky the day a lizard got caught in his traps.
My fathers! My fathers! the cats with nine lives! You who climbed the tallest trees and put the mountains to shame. You shared kolanuts with the gods and drank the palmwine of the forest spirits. you who conversed with the rains and spoke to the winds like a little child. Oh my fathers1 I know sometimes you look down on my own world today and in your sadness, your tears fall as rain to the ground.
In your time you had no robbers and no fraudsters, you had no banks and no money, you had no hospitals, no airports, no trains, ships or seaports. You had no need of passports and visas neither did you dream of leaving the land of your forefathers. It was your land, that red earth, the life blood of your very existence. A gift from the gods.
I dream of the good old days of my fathers, the days when dogs were dogs, cats were cats, men were men and women were women. The days when freedom, truth and genuine happiness were tangible and not mere letters of a constitution.
I keep dreaming, till i find that eldorado, the land of my fathers, the Africa of my dreams!
I long for the days when all boys dreamt about was to got to the nearby elementary school to learn, play and get whipped. I dream of the days my fathers would sit on mats under the soft moonlight halo listening to moonlight tales told by the village griot. The mothers would sit in groups either preparing the evening meal or chatting excitedly about the coming market day. The old men sit in groups, talking in hushed tones reserved for men of renown, the smoke curling out of their pipes and a keg of palmwine at their feet.
I can almost hear Uturu, the village palmwine tapper, rolling his bicycle across the imposing obi with his calabashes clanging to their own tune around him.
The young men would take their caps off to him, the middle aged men would wave at him, their half-filled cups raised in a mock salute., the old men simply grunted and gnashed their teeth. Indeed Uturu would be loved by all. why not? Was he not the reason they were sitting around that fresh keg of palmwine?
I dream of those days! There were no walls, cars, no policemen of women, no gas, no electricity; my fathers had no guns with which to kill their neighbours, they had no prisons, no imposing buildings, just mud huts and thatched roofs built by men and women with simple hearts and kind souls.
The days when there where moonlight dances in the village square and the young men would bare their muscles, trying hard to impress the girl of their dreams. The girls where there ke! Toothy smiles and trying to ogle at the imposing bodies of the young men. It was nights like this that boys got away with stealing a few oranges and grapes from the sacred orchard in the headmaster's compound, even a goat might be allowed to get away with a yam or two.
The bells! Clanging bells ringing in the still of the night. That may have been Dubuofia with his pack of hunting dogs. Was it not said that he had once gone to the forest of the gods? Ah! He it was said who gave that leopard skin to the village head. His wife boasted he had never trapped less than an antelope before. As for Emelionwu, the village clown, he'd be lucky the day a lizard got caught in his traps.
My fathers! My fathers! the cats with nine lives! You who climbed the tallest trees and put the mountains to shame. You shared kolanuts with the gods and drank the palmwine of the forest spirits. you who conversed with the rains and spoke to the winds like a little child. Oh my fathers1 I know sometimes you look down on my own world today and in your sadness, your tears fall as rain to the ground.
In your time you had no robbers and no fraudsters, you had no banks and no money, you had no hospitals, no airports, no trains, ships or seaports. You had no need of passports and visas neither did you dream of leaving the land of your forefathers. It was your land, that red earth, the life blood of your very existence. A gift from the gods.
I dream of the good old days of my fathers, the days when dogs were dogs, cats were cats, men were men and women were women. The days when freedom, truth and genuine happiness were tangible and not mere letters of a constitution.
I keep dreaming, till i find that eldorado, the land of my fathers, the Africa of my dreams!
is this freedom?
Long long ago i used to be a big fan of the ammendments, that wonderful constitutional clause that gives every american the right to do, live and say as they please. Oh how i wished those thieves on Apo hill would grant us such constitutional freedom
I have since changed my mind. I have discovered the true meaning of freedom!
Freedom is owning a gun and having the license to kill whomsoever you please in the name of self-defence. Freedom is being able to insult the president as often as i please.
Freedom is synonymous with gross indiscipline, it is being able to yell at my elders and slam doors at them. I am free to walk naked in the streets, have sex anywhere and anytime in the name of public display of affection.
Freedom is sweer, infact it can be intoxicating. It gives me the opportunity to practice my obscene idiosyncrasies. I have the license to marry a man, dog, cat, fish or whomsoever/whatsoever i so desire. I am even free to worship the devil as openly as possible (did someone say africans where the only devil worshippers?).
I love freedom, it is embodied in the likes of Micheal Jackson and Howard Stein, it is an ensign on the doorposts of strip clubs, smoke shops, porn stores and even public schools.
Oh what freedom! How i love and adore thee!
Freedom is so sweet that i am "free" to invade another nation and impose my own brand of "freedom" on them. I am free to develop nuclear weapons and intimidate others with them. I am absolutely free and justified to howl blue murder at those who try to develop nuclear missiles while i keep eagle eyes on my own stockpile.
I am free to poke fun at God and kick Him out of my schools and public places. How dare He infringe on my sovereign human rights freedom? Who is He to order me to pray in His name? I am free to cheat Him out of the only day He has left, His birthday. I am free to change that to "just another holiday".
Free, free, i am free indeed! In the land of the free and home of the brave!
I have since changed my mind. I have discovered the true meaning of freedom!
Freedom is owning a gun and having the license to kill whomsoever you please in the name of self-defence. Freedom is being able to insult the president as often as i please.
Freedom is synonymous with gross indiscipline, it is being able to yell at my elders and slam doors at them. I am free to walk naked in the streets, have sex anywhere and anytime in the name of public display of affection.
Freedom is sweer, infact it can be intoxicating. It gives me the opportunity to practice my obscene idiosyncrasies. I have the license to marry a man, dog, cat, fish or whomsoever/whatsoever i so desire. I am even free to worship the devil as openly as possible (did someone say africans where the only devil worshippers?).
I love freedom, it is embodied in the likes of Micheal Jackson and Howard Stein, it is an ensign on the doorposts of strip clubs, smoke shops, porn stores and even public schools.
Oh what freedom! How i love and adore thee!
Freedom is so sweet that i am "free" to invade another nation and impose my own brand of "freedom" on them. I am free to develop nuclear weapons and intimidate others with them. I am absolutely free and justified to howl blue murder at those who try to develop nuclear missiles while i keep eagle eyes on my own stockpile.
I am free to poke fun at God and kick Him out of my schools and public places. How dare He infringe on my sovereign human rights freedom? Who is He to order me to pray in His name? I am free to cheat Him out of the only day He has left, His birthday. I am free to change that to "just another holiday".
Free, free, i am free indeed! In the land of the free and home of the brave!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
of armchair journalists!
this question came on a chat forum i actively participate in from an american kid willing to know more about nigeria, her culture and people;
Hey, another question for you all.
39. So at dinner, i was talking with my mom about this thread, and she said in a nut-shell that she thought she recalled that Nigeria is going through like a Civil War or something.... and that it is in serious poverty, and that all you who live in Nigeria and have computers must be the rich Nigerians.... is any of that true?
and so here i am at breakfast wondering if your mother just like every other american has ever been to africa but assume to know everything that goes on there thanks to those armchair journalists at CNN and the BBC. And in a nutshell i'm wondering how she "recalls" nigeria going thru a civil war over 35 yrs after it ended ( i was not even born when it ended and my mum was just 16!) except it exists only in the mind! Here i am also wondering what serious poverty is since i can't find a so much difference between the typical poor nigerian and those hapless black victims of katrina in the world's "richest nation". Here i am also wondering if i will ever be classified as a "rich" nigerian since i had a computer in my own home and i figure most of my college friends did, infact one of my "rich" friends had a laptop and i'm just wondering if we were the ones who did not realise how rich we were.
No ma'am, unless you have ever been to Africa or Nigeria, no one is allowed to pass judgement on her and her people. If nigerians are poor today it is partly because of the neocolonialism that is being practiced today in the guise of the IMF and world bank telling us to devalue our currency, privatise all government owned corporations of which the USA is an active conspirator!
Hey, another question for you all.
39. So at dinner, i was talking with my mom about this thread, and she said in a nut-shell that she thought she recalled that Nigeria is going through like a Civil War or something.... and that it is in serious poverty, and that all you who live in Nigeria and have computers must be the rich Nigerians.... is any of that true?
and so here i am at breakfast wondering if your mother just like every other american has ever been to africa but assume to know everything that goes on there thanks to those armchair journalists at CNN and the BBC. And in a nutshell i'm wondering how she "recalls" nigeria going thru a civil war over 35 yrs after it ended ( i was not even born when it ended and my mum was just 16!) except it exists only in the mind! Here i am also wondering what serious poverty is since i can't find a so much difference between the typical poor nigerian and those hapless black victims of katrina in the world's "richest nation". Here i am also wondering if i will ever be classified as a "rich" nigerian since i had a computer in my own home and i figure most of my college friends did, infact one of my "rich" friends had a laptop and i'm just wondering if we were the ones who did not realise how rich we were.
No ma'am, unless you have ever been to Africa or Nigeria, no one is allowed to pass judgement on her and her people. If nigerians are poor today it is partly because of the neocolonialism that is being practiced today in the guise of the IMF and world bank telling us to devalue our currency, privatise all government owned corporations of which the USA is an active conspirator!
Monday, January 09, 2006
The nigerian pledge
i was listening to a song this morning about the American pledge of allegiance and i could not help but remember the nigerian pledge. The most amusing thing is what comes to my head each time is the students version of the pledge, here it goes;
i pledge to nigeria my country
to be faithless, disloyal and dishonest
to serve nigeria is not by force
to defend her unity and uphold her honor and glory
is not my own to do!
if you don't see me around please check EFCC or SSS jails in alagbon or wherever they put pple like us!
i pledge to nigeria my country
to be faithless, disloyal and dishonest
to serve nigeria is not by force
to defend her unity and uphold her honor and glory
is not my own to do!
if you don't see me around please check EFCC or SSS jails in alagbon or wherever they put pple like us!
weekend jan 6-8!
what do you call close relations to a person you end up getting married to? inlaws right?
that pretty much sums up sat jan 7. More like going to golgotha the first time you have to do it and then you discover it's just a piece of cake and oh, sorry dinner then that most hated cup of coffee.
Dinner was at TGIF, nostalgic eh? That was the first place i had a bite when i first came to the USA 7 months ago.
Nice couple, Bert (is that short for Robbie, shldn't it be bob or something?) and Chris were great company. I can't even remember when i started opening my mouth, normally i'd have been extremely shy and closed up throughout dinner. maybe i'm begining to hate the awkward silences that usually accompany those moments.
Shannon was at my place sat and sun. she's great company guys i must confess! Each day i'm praying i don't do anything to hurt her at all, cos i know she's highly emotional and vulnerable.
She's been on my mind all morning and even right now, i'm probably wondering what she's doing right now. maybe who knows if she might even see this post so i'll just say i love you and i'm thinking about you. You do deserve a new begining, i might not be the most "wonderful guy" out there but trust that i'll always be there for you...
enough before i run short of words jare!
that pretty much sums up sat jan 7. More like going to golgotha the first time you have to do it and then you discover it's just a piece of cake and oh, sorry dinner then that most hated cup of coffee.
Dinner was at TGIF, nostalgic eh? That was the first place i had a bite when i first came to the USA 7 months ago.
Nice couple, Bert (is that short for Robbie, shldn't it be bob or something?) and Chris were great company. I can't even remember when i started opening my mouth, normally i'd have been extremely shy and closed up throughout dinner. maybe i'm begining to hate the awkward silences that usually accompany those moments.
Shannon was at my place sat and sun. she's great company guys i must confess! Each day i'm praying i don't do anything to hurt her at all, cos i know she's highly emotional and vulnerable.
She's been on my mind all morning and even right now, i'm probably wondering what she's doing right now. maybe who knows if she might even see this post so i'll just say i love you and i'm thinking about you. You do deserve a new begining, i might not be the most "wonderful guy" out there but trust that i'll always be there for you...
enough before i run short of words jare!
first day of school 2006
mon jan 8, 2006. I wasn't sure i was exactly looking forward to school this morning, i had a pretty nice-not too nice weekend and i was over thinking!
i had a talk with Dr. Arshad and moved over to his lab today. Dr. Rahman was off on his journeys again so i could not sign out of his lab, sam's now in his lab so hope he enjoys his stay as much as i did mine. Yeah, got to meet the Arshad team and hear countless thrombin-ICAM-1 tales. i think i like Fabeeha's work with RhoA-ROCK and cytoskeleton best but you never know what arshad may have in mind. i'll keep that with me till i talk to him later today.
Today was John's seminar, hey it was not so so serious as i had been dreading infact i feel up to any seminar right now if i can only get 2 weeks preparing for it. i don't get to do any seminar until next spring but never mind there's still opportunities to practice at the biweekly lab meetings. I'm feeling much better now and i feel up to school work today.
i went to get my biochem and cell bio exams first thing this morning. How on earth did i get a great grade on Phizicky's part? I myself have no idea! i guess i put too much pressure on myself, all's well that ends well.
Muriel and Nancy were nice to talk to, i guess it's welcome back to serious work this semester. but thank goodness no more biochem and i hear tox 1 is not that bad, actually ok!
not much to do right now, i'm just running time till i can see arshad at 3 then i'll go home and have a well deserved (?) rest!
i had a talk with Dr. Arshad and moved over to his lab today. Dr. Rahman was off on his journeys again so i could not sign out of his lab, sam's now in his lab so hope he enjoys his stay as much as i did mine. Yeah, got to meet the Arshad team and hear countless thrombin-ICAM-1 tales. i think i like Fabeeha's work with RhoA-ROCK and cytoskeleton best but you never know what arshad may have in mind. i'll keep that with me till i talk to him later today.
Today was John's seminar, hey it was not so so serious as i had been dreading infact i feel up to any seminar right now if i can only get 2 weeks preparing for it. i don't get to do any seminar until next spring but never mind there's still opportunities to practice at the biweekly lab meetings. I'm feeling much better now and i feel up to school work today.
i went to get my biochem and cell bio exams first thing this morning. How on earth did i get a great grade on Phizicky's part? I myself have no idea! i guess i put too much pressure on myself, all's well that ends well.
Muriel and Nancy were nice to talk to, i guess it's welcome back to serious work this semester. but thank goodness no more biochem and i hear tox 1 is not that bad, actually ok!
not much to do right now, i'm just running time till i can see arshad at 3 then i'll go home and have a well deserved (?) rest!
Friday, January 06, 2006
oh he's sooooooooooo cute and adorable!
i'm grinning each time i think of that title...
it's my girlfriend's favorite line, don't just let her see a baby or a doll or teddy bear and she's going oh he's sooooooo cute...
i think i love it the way she's says it, she sounds and looks sooooooooooo cute and adorable when she does that!
i luv you!
it's my girlfriend's favorite line, don't just let her see a baby or a doll or teddy bear and she's going oh he's sooooooo cute...
i think i love it the way she's says it, she sounds and looks sooooooooooo cute and adorable when she does that!
i luv you!
my diary
it's 20 minutes to 2am MST. Quite early in the morning eh? Maybe u're wondering why i'm writing this post so early in the morning, cmon i'm supposed to be sleeping right now.
i'm actually on a late night flight from phoenix to detroit. this must be the greatest waste of time, imagine having to spend a good 10hrs at DTW waiting for a connecting flight to ROC!
Maybe i won't have been posting this, for once i'm paired with an interesting set of individuals on my row and not some boring grandpappies and mammies! A girl and her younger brother! imagine the cute little things switching on their ipods (what are those anyway!) and cd player just as the plane was taxiing off the runway. Did they think thsi was a sosoliso flight?
She claims the boy is soooooooo disgusting! he he he he! He's only a mischievous 15 yr old, did we not all pass thru that stage too! Giggling like young lovers as they munch away on slices of pizza stuffed with mozarella cheese! Cheese again? Don't tell my girlfriend i said that!
Anyway thanks to the girl, i've got a pen to blog this interesting cum boring flight.
i'm filing time listening to a track by Commissioned on my cd player. I've missed ROC, church, my bachelors' pad, school, the snow (yes snow!) and Shannon! It sure will be good to be back home again.
Not that i did not enjoy 2 funfilled weeks in phoenix. All heat and dust, not a snow flake, not a cold breeze, plenty of outdoor tennis (watching in my own case and occassionally playing the ballboy). My coz were a refreshing change, the darn'd cheeky little girls, i'm going to miss sarah and 'beka the most. I bet 2moro will be a real quiet day for sarah, David won't be there to toss her on his back and torment her endlessly. As for Joy, she'd be somewhat glad to get rid of the guy who only thinks she'll be short and fat (every american girl's nightmare) and doesn't like her hairstyle!
Ah! minus the good food, it will be fun to get away from the attempted matchmaking at church.
Won't people just puleeeze understand that i have a great girl already? E gba mi o!
I got my cell phone this evening thanks to my aunt (gold standard for all potential aunts), i had ato pay a $500 deposit cos i did not have any credit rating for something a common roadside hawker sells everyday in the slums of lagos. The rules here sef! Not that i'm planning to take the next flight back to the dark ages anyway.
i missed talking to shannon yesterday, i'm excited to be seeing her again, and it's been only 2 weeks. Sometimes those long phone calls do not take the place of spending some quality time together evn if it's just to stare in each other's eyes.
What do you think? maybe if i read this science paper right before me it may take away a bit of this boredom.
I'll try.
ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!
i'm actually on a late night flight from phoenix to detroit. this must be the greatest waste of time, imagine having to spend a good 10hrs at DTW waiting for a connecting flight to ROC!
Maybe i won't have been posting this, for once i'm paired with an interesting set of individuals on my row and not some boring grandpappies and mammies! A girl and her younger brother! imagine the cute little things switching on their ipods (what are those anyway!) and cd player just as the plane was taxiing off the runway. Did they think thsi was a sosoliso flight?
She claims the boy is soooooooo disgusting! he he he he! He's only a mischievous 15 yr old, did we not all pass thru that stage too! Giggling like young lovers as they munch away on slices of pizza stuffed with mozarella cheese! Cheese again? Don't tell my girlfriend i said that!
Anyway thanks to the girl, i've got a pen to blog this interesting cum boring flight.
i'm filing time listening to a track by Commissioned on my cd player. I've missed ROC, church, my bachelors' pad, school, the snow (yes snow!) and Shannon! It sure will be good to be back home again.
Not that i did not enjoy 2 funfilled weeks in phoenix. All heat and dust, not a snow flake, not a cold breeze, plenty of outdoor tennis (watching in my own case and occassionally playing the ballboy). My coz were a refreshing change, the darn'd cheeky little girls, i'm going to miss sarah and 'beka the most. I bet 2moro will be a real quiet day for sarah, David won't be there to toss her on his back and torment her endlessly. As for Joy, she'd be somewhat glad to get rid of the guy who only thinks she'll be short and fat (every american girl's nightmare) and doesn't like her hairstyle!
Ah! minus the good food, it will be fun to get away from the attempted matchmaking at church.
Won't people just puleeeze understand that i have a great girl already? E gba mi o!
I got my cell phone this evening thanks to my aunt (gold standard for all potential aunts), i had ato pay a $500 deposit cos i did not have any credit rating for something a common roadside hawker sells everyday in the slums of lagos. The rules here sef! Not that i'm planning to take the next flight back to the dark ages anyway.
i missed talking to shannon yesterday, i'm excited to be seeing her again, and it's been only 2 weeks. Sometimes those long phone calls do not take the place of spending some quality time together evn if it's just to stare in each other's eyes.
What do you think? maybe if i read this science paper right before me it may take away a bit of this boredom.
I'll try.
ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!