A Great Article

I first read this article about 4 years ago, unfortunately the original article is no longer available on line.
I'm reproducing it here hoping that others will learn what i learnt from it.

Racism in the English Language
Robert B. Moore

Language and Culture

An integral part of any culture is its language. Language not only develops in conjunction with a society's historical, economic and political evolution; it also reflects that society's attitudes and thinking. Language not only expresses ideas and concepts but actually shades thought.' If one accepts that our dominant white culture is racist, then one would expect our language?an indispensable transmitter of culture to be racist as well. Whites, as the dominant group, are not subjected to the same abusive characterization by our language that people of color receive. Aspects of racism in the English language that will be discussed in this essay include terminology, symbolism, politics, ethnocentrism, and context.

Before beginning our analysis of racism in language we would like to quote part of a TV film review which shows the connection between language and culture .2

Depending on one's culture, one interacts with time in a very distinct fashion. One example which gives some cross?cultural insights into the concept of time is language. In Spanish, a watch is said to "walk." In English the watch "runs." In German, the watch "functions." And in French, the watch "marches." In the Indian Culture of the Southwest, people do not refer to time in this way. The value of the watch is displaced with the value of "what time it's getting to he." Viewing these five cultural perspectives of time, one can sec some definite emphasis and values that each culture places on time. For example, a cultural perspective may provide a clue to why the negative stereotype of the slow and lazy :Mexican who lives in the "Land of Manana" exists in the Anglo value system, where tine "flies," the watch "runs" and "time is money."

A Short Play on "Black" and "White" Words

Some may blackly (angrily) accuse me of trying to blacken (defame) the English language, to give it a black eye(a mark of shame) by writing such black words (hostile). They may denigrate (to cast aspersions; to darken) me by accusing me of being blackhearted (malevolent), of having a black outlook (pessimistic, dismal) on life, of being a blackguard (scoundrel)?which would certainly be a black mark (detrimental fact) against me. Some may black?brow (scowl at) me and hope that a black cat crosses in front of me because of this black deed. I may become a black sheep (one who causes shame or embarrassment because of deviation from the accepted standards), who will be blackballed (ostracized) by being placed on a blacklist (list of undesirables) in an attempt to blackmail (to force or coerce into a particular action) me to retract my words. But attempts to blackjack (to compel by threat) me will have a Chinaman's chance of success, for I am not a yellow?bellied Indian?giver of words, who will whitewash (cover Lip or gloss over vices or crimes) a black lie (harmful, inexcusable). 1 challenge the purity and innocence (white) of the English language. I don't see things in black and white (entirely bad or entirely good) terns, for I am a white man (marked by upright firmness) if there ever was one. However, it would be a black clay when I would not "call a spade a spade," even though some will suggest a white man calling the English language racist is like the pot calling the kettle black. While many may he niggardly (grudging, scanty) in their support, others will be honest and decent?and to them I say, that's very white of you (honest, decent).

The preceding is of course a white lie (not intended to cause harm), meant only to illustrate some examples of racist terminology in the English language.

Obvious Bigotry

Perhaps the most obvious aspect of racism in language would be terms like "nigger," "spook," "chink," "spic," etc. While these may be facing increasing social disdain, they certainly are not dead. Large numbers of white Americans continue to utilize these terms. "Chink," "gook," and "slant?eyes" were in common usage among U.S. troops in Vietnam. An NBC nightly news broadcast, in February 1972, reported that the basketball team in Pekin, Illinois, was called the "Pekin Chinks" and noted that even though this had been protested by Chinese Americans, the term continued to 1>e used because it was easy?, and meant no harm. Spiro Agnew's widely reported "fat Jap" remark, and the "little Jap" continent of layer John Wilson during the Watergate hearings, are surface indicators of a deep?rooted Archie Bunkerism (prejudice]. Many white people continue to refer to Black people as "colored," as for instance in a July 30, 1975, Boston Globe article on a racist attack by whites on a group of Black people using a public beach in Boston. One white person was quoted as follows:
We've always welcomed good colored people in South Boston bat we will not tolerate radical blacks or Communists . . . . Good colored people are welcome in South Boston, black militants arc not.

Many white people may still be unaware of the disdain many African Americans have for the term "colored," but it often appears that whether used intentionally or unintentionally, "colored" people are "good" and "know their place," while "Black" people are perceived as "uppity" and "threatening" to many whites. Similarly, the term "boy" to refer to African American men is now acknowledged to be a demean? term, though still in common use. Other terms such as "the pot calling the kettle black" and "calling a spade a spade" have negative racial connotations but are still frequently used, as for example when President Ford was quoted in February 1976 saying that even though Daniel Moynihan had left the U.N., the U.S. would continue "calling a spade a spade."

Color Symbolism

The symbolism of white as positive and black as negative is pervasive in our culture, with the black/white words used in the beginning of this essay only one of many aspects. "Good guys" wear white hats and ride white horses, "bad guys" wear black hats and ride black horses. Angels are white, and devils are black. The definition of black includes "without any moral light or goodness, evil, wicked, indicating disgrace, sinful," while that of white includes "morally pure, spotless, innocent, free from evil intent."

A children's TV cartoon program, Captain Scarlet, is about an organization called Spectrum, whose purpose is to save the world from an evil extraterrestrial force called the Mysterons. Everyone in Spectrum has a color naive?Captain Scarlet, Captain Blue, etc. The one Spectrum agent who has been mysteriously taken over by the Mysterons and works to advance their evil aims is Captain Black. The person who heads Spectrum, the good organization out to defend the world, is Colonel White.

Three of the dictionary definitions of white are "fairness of complexion, purity, innocence." These definitions affect the standards of beauty in our culture, in which whiteness represents the norm. "Blondes have more fun" and "Wouldn't you really rather be a blonde" are sexist in their attitudes toward women generally, but are racist white standards when applied to third world women. A Mademoiselle advertisement pictured a curly?headed, ivory?skinned woman over the caption, "When you go blonde go all the way," and asked: "Isn't this how, in the back of your mind, you always wanted to look? All wide?eyed and silky blonde down to there, and innocent?" Whatever the advertising people meant by this particular woman's innocence, one must remember that "innocent" is one by the definitions of the word white. This standard of beauty when preached to all women is racist. The statement "Isn't this how, in the back of your mind, you always wanted to look?" either ignores third world women or assumes they long to be white.

Time magazine in its coverage of the Wimbledon tennis competition between the black Australian Evonne Goolagong and the white American Chris Evert described Ms. Goolagong as "the dusky daughter of an Australian sheepshearer," while Ms. Evert was "a fair young girl from the middle?class groves of Florida." Dusky is a synonym of "black" and is defined as "having dark skin; of a dark color; gloomy; dark; swarthy." Its antonyms are "fair" and "blonde." Fair is defined in part as "free from blemish, imperfection, or anything that impairs the appearance, quality, or character; pleasing in appearance, attractive; clean; pretty; comely." By defining Evonne Goolagong as "dusky," Time technically defined her as the opposite of "pleasing in appearance; attractive; clean; pretty; comely." The studies of Kenneth B. Clark, Mary Ellen Goodman, Judith Porter and others indicate that this persuasive "rightness of whiteness" in U.S. culture affects children before the age of four, providing white youngsters with a false sense of superiority and encouraging self?hatred among third world youngsters.
Ethnocentrism, or from a White Perspective

Some words and phrases that are commonly used represent particular perspectives and frames of reference, and those often distort the understanding of the reader or listener. David R. Burgest has written about the effect of using the terms "slave" or "master." He argues that the psychological impact of the statement referring to "the master raped his slave" is different from the impact of the same statement substituting the words: "the white captor raped an African woman held in captivity."

Implicit in the English usage of the "master?slave" concept is ownership of the "slave" by the "master," therefore, the "master" is merely abusing his property (slave). In reality, the captives (slave) were African individuals with human worth, right and dignity and the term "slave" denounces that human quality thereby making the mass rape of African women by white captors more acceptable in the minds of people and setting a mental frame of reference for legitimizing the atrocities perpetrated against African people.

The term "slave" connotes a less than human quality and turns the captive person into a thing. For example two McGraw?Hill Far Eastern Publishers textbooks (1970) stated, "At first it was the slaves who worked the cane and they got only food for it. Now men work cane and get money." Next time you write about slavery or read about it, try transposing all "slaves" into "African people held in captivity," "Black people forced to work for no pay" or "African people stolen from their families and societies." While it is more cumbersome, such phrasing conveys a different meaning.

Passive Tense

Another means by which language shapes our perspective has been noted by Thomas Greenfield, who writes that the achievements of Black people?and Black people themselves?have been hidden in the linguistic ghetto of the passive voice, the subordinate clause, and the "understood" subject. The seemingly innocuous distinction (between active/passive voice) holds enormous implications for writers and speakers. When it is effectively applied, the rhetorical impact of the passive voice?the art of snaking the creator or instigator of action totally disappear from a reader's perception?can be devastating.

For instance, some history texts will discuss how European immigrants came to the United States seeking a better life and expanded opportunities, but will note that "slaves were brought to America." Not only does this omit the destruction of African societies and families, but it ignores the role of northern merchants and southern slaveholders in the profitable trade in human beings. Other books will state that "the continental railroad was built," conveniently omitting information about the Chinese laborers who built much of it or the oppression they suffered.

Another example. While touring Monticello, Greenfield noted that the tour guide
made all the black people at Monticello disappear through her use of the passive voice. While speaking of the architectural achievements of Jefferson in the active voice, she unfailingly shifted to passive when speaking of the work performed by Negro slaves and skilled servants.

Noting a type of door that after 166 years continued to operate without need for repair, Greenfield remarks that the design aspect of the door was much simpler than the actual skill and work involved in building and installing it. Yet his guide stated: "Mr. Jefferson designed these doors…" while "the doors were installed in 1809." The workers who installed these doors were African people whom Jefferson held in bondage. The guide's use of the passive tense enabled her to dismiss the reality of Jefferson's slaveholding. It also meant that she did not have to make any mention of the skills of those people held in bondage.

Politics and Terminology

"Culturally deprived," "economically disadvantaged" and "underdeveloped" are other terms which mislead and distort our awareness of reality. The application of the term "culturally deprived" and third world children in this society reflects a value judgment. It assumes that the dominant whites are cultured and all others without culture. In fact, third world children generally are bicultural, and many are bilingual, having grown up in their own culture as well as absorbing the dominant culture. In many ways, they are equipped with skills and experiences which white youth have been deprived of, since most white youth develop in a monocultural monolingual environment. Burgest suggests that the term "culturally deprived" be replaced by "culturally dispossessed," and that the term "economically disadvantaged" be replaced by "economically exploited." Both these terms present a perspective and implication that provide an entirely different frame of reference as to the reality of the third world experience in U.S. society.

Similarly, many nations of the third world are described as "underdeveloped." These less wealthy nations are generally those that suffered under colonialism and neo?colonialism. The "developed" nations are those that exploited their resources and wealth. Therefore, rather than referring to these countries as "underdeveloped," a more appropriate and meaningful designation might be "over exploited." Again transpose this term next time you read about "underdeveloped nations" and note the different meaning that results.

Terms such as "culturally deprived," "economically disadvantaged" and "underdeveloped" place the responsibility for their own conditions on those being so described. This is known as "Blaming the Victim." It places responsibility for poverty on the victims of poverty. It removes the blame from those in power who benefit from, and continue to permit, poverty.

Still another example involves the use of "non?white," "minority" or "third world." While people of color are a minority in the U.S., they are part of the vast majority of the world's population, in which white people are a distinct minority. Thus, by utilizing the term "minority" to describe people of color in the U.S., we can lose sight of the global majority/minority reality?a fact of some importance in the increasing and interconnected struggles of people of color inside and outside the U.S.

To describe people of color as "non?white" is to use whiteness as the standard and norm against which to measure all others. Use of the term "third world" to describe all people of color overcomes the inherent bias of "minority" and "nonwhite." Moreover, it connects the struggles of third world people in the U.S. with the freedom struggles around the globe.

The term "third world" gained increasing usage after the 1955 Bandung Conference of "non?aligned" nations, which represented a third force outside of the two world superpowers. The "first world" represents the United States, Western Europe and their sphere of influence. The "second world" represents the Soviet Union and its sphere. The "third world" represents, for the most part, nations that were, or are, controlled by the "first world" or West. For the most part, these are nations of Africa, Asia and Latin America.

"Loaded" Words and Native Americans

Many words lead to a demeaning characterization of groups of people. For instance, Columbus, it is said, "discovered" America. The word discover is defined as "to gain sight or knowledge of something previously unseen or unknown; to discover may be to find some existent thing that was previously unknown." Thus, a continent inhabited by millions of human beings cannot be "discovered." For history books to continue this usage represents a Eurocentric (white European) perspective on world history and ignores the existence of, and the perspective of, Native Americans. "Discovery," as used in the Euro?American context, implies the right to take what one finds, ignoring the rights of those who already inhabit or own the "discovered" thing.

Eurocentrism is also apparent in the usage of "victory" and "massacre" to describe the battles between Native Americans and whites. Victory is defined in the dictionary as "a success or triumph over an enemy in battle or war; the decisive defeat of an opponent." Conquest denotes the "taking over of control by the victor, and the obedience of the conquered." Massacre is defined as "the unnecessary, indiscriminate killing of a number of human beings, as in barbarous warfare or persecution, or for revenge or plunder." Defend is described as "to ward off attack from; guard against assault or injury; to strive to keep safe by resisting attack."

Eurocentrism turns these definitions around to serve the purpose of distorting history and justifying Euro?American conquest of the Native American homelands. Euro Americans are not described in history books as invading Native American lands, but rather as defending their homes against "Indian" attacks. Since European communities were constantly encroaching on land already occupied, then a more honest interpretation would state that it was the Native Americans who were "warding off," "guarding" and "defending" their homelands.

Native American victories are invariably defined as "massacres," while the indiscriminate killing, extermination and plunder of Native American nations by Euro?Americans is defined as "victory." Distortion of history by the choice of "loaded" words used to describe historical events is a common racist practice. Rather than portraying Native Americans as human beings in highly defined and complex societies, cultures and civilizations, history books use such adjectives [words] as "savages," "beasts," "primitive," and "backward." Native people are referred to as "squaw," "brave," or "papoose" instead of "woman," "man," or "baby."

Another term that has questionable connotations is tribe. The Oxford English Dictionary defines this noun as "a race of people; now applied especially to a primary aggregate of people in a primitive or barbarous condition, under a headman or chief." Morton Fried, discussing "The Myth of Tribe," states that the word "did not become a general term of reference to American Indian society until the nineteenth century. Previously, the words commonly used for Indian populations were `nation' and `people."' Since "tribe" has assumed a connotation of primitiveness or backwardness, it is suggested that the use of "nation" or "people" replace the term whenever possible in referring to Native American peoples.

The term tribe invokes even more negative implications when used in reference to American peoples. As Evelyn Jones Rich' has noted, the term is "almost always used to refer to third world people and it implies a stage of development which is, in short, a put?down."

"Loaded" Words and Africans

Conflicts among diverse peoples within African nations are often referred to as "tribal warfare," while conflicts among the diverse peoples within European countries are never described in such terms. If the rivalries between the Ibo and the Hausa and Yoruba in Nigeria are described as "tribal," why not the rivalries between Serbs and Slavs in Yugoslavia, or Scots and English in Great Britain, Protestants and Catholics in Ireland, or the Basques and the Southern Spaniards in Spain? Conflicts among African peoples in a particular nation have religious, cultural, economic and/or political roots. If we can analyze the roots of conflicts among European peoples in terms other than "tribal warfare," certainly we can do the same with African peoples, including correct reference to the ethnic groups or nations involved. For example, the terms "Kaffirs," "Hottentot" or "Bushmen" are names imposed by white Europeans. The correct names are always those by which a people refer to themselves. (In these instances Xhosa, Khoi?Khoin and San are correct.')

The generalized application of "tribal" in reference to Africans?as well as the failure to acknowledge the religious, cultural and social diversity of African peoples is a decidedly racist dynamic. It is part of the process whereby Euro?Americans justify, or avoid confronting, their oppression of third world peoples. Africa has been particularly insulted by this dynamic, as witness the pervasive "darkest Africa" image. This image, widespread in Western culture, evokes an Africa covered by jungles and inhabited by "uncivilized," "cannibalistic," "pagan," "savage" peoples. This "darkest Africa" image avoids the geographical reality. Less than 20 percent of the African continent is wooded savanna, for example. The image also ignores the history of African cultures and civilizations. Ample evidence suggests this distortion of really was developed as a convenient rationale for the European and American slave trade. The Western powers, rather than exploiting, were civilizing and christianizing "uncivilized" and "pagan savages" (so the rationalization went). This dynamic also served to justify Western colonialism. From Tarzan movies to racist children's books like Doctor Dolittle and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the image of "savage" Africa and the myth of "the white man's harden" has been perpetuated in Western culture.

A 1972 Time magazine editorial, lamenting the demise of Life magazine, stated that the "lavishness" of Life's enterprises included "organizing safaris into darkest Africa." The same year, the New York Times' C. L. Sulzberger wrote that "Africa has a history as dark as the skins of many of its people." Perms such as "darkest Africa," "primitive," "tribe" ("tribal") or "jungle," in reference to Africa, perpetuate myths and are especially inexcusable in such large circulation publications.

Ethnocentrism is similarly reflected in the term "pagan" to describe traditional religions. A February, 1973 Time magazine article on Uganda stated, "Moslems account for only 500,000 of Uganda's 10 million people. Of the remainder, 5,000,000 are Christians and the rest pagan." Pagan is defined as "Heathen, a follower of a polytheistic religion; one that has little or no religion and that is marked by a frank delight in and uninhibited seeking after sensual pleasures and material goods." Heathen is defined as "Unenlightened; an unconverted member of a people or nation that does not acknowledge the God of the Bible. A person whose culture or enlightenment is of an inferior grade, especially an irreligious person." Now, the people of Uganda, like almost all Africans, have serious religious beliefs and practices. As used by Westerners, "pagan" connotes something wild, primitive and inferior?another term to watch out for.

The variety of traditional structures that African people live in are their "houses," not "huts." A but is "an often small and temporary dwelling of simple construction." And to describe Africans as "natives" (noun) is derogatory terminology?as in, "the natives are restless." The dictionary definition of native includes: "one of a people inhabiting a territorial area at the time of its discovery or becoming familiar to a foreigner; one belonging to a people having a less complex civilization." Therefore, use of "native," like use of "pagan," often implies a value judgment of white superiority.

Qualifying Adjectives

Words that would normally have positive connotations can have entirely different meanings when used in a racial context. For example, C. L. Sulzberger, the columnist of the New York Times, wrote in January 1975 about conversations he had with two people in Namibia. One was the white South African administrator of the country and the other a member of SWAPO, the Namibian liberation movement. The first is described as "Dirk Mudge, who as senior elected member of the administration is a kind of acting Prime Minister . . . ." But the second person is introduced as "Daniel Tijongarero, an intelligent Herero tribesman who is a member of SWAPO ..." What need was there for Sulzberger to state that Daniel Tijongarero is "intelligent"? Why not also state that Dirk Mudge was "intelligent"?or do we assume he wasn't?

A similar example from a 1968 New York Times article reporting on an address by Lyndon Johnson stated, "The President spoke to the well?dressed Negro officials and their wives." In what similar circumstances can one imagine a reporter finding it necessary to note that an audience of white government officials was "well?dressed"?

Still another word often used in a racist context is "qualified." In the 1960's white Americans often questioned whether Black people were "qualified" to hold public office, a question that was never raised (until too late) about white officials like Wallace, Maddox, Nixon, Agnew, Mitchell, et al. The question of qualifications has been raised even more frequently in recent years as white people question whether Black people are "qualified" to be hired for positions in industry and educational institutions. "We're looking for a qualified Black" has been heard again and again as institutions are confronted with affirmative action goals. Why stipulate that Blacks must be "qualified," when for others it is taken for granted that applicants must be "qualified."

Speaking English

Finally, the depiction in movies and children's books of third world people speaking English is often itself racist. Children's books about Puerto Ricans or Chicanos often connect poverty with a failure to speak English or to speak it well, thus blaming the victim and ignoring the racism which affects third world people regard of their proficiency in English. Asian characters speak a stilted English ("Honor so and so" or "Confucius say") or have a speech impediment ('`roots or ruck," "very solly," "flied lice"). Native American characters speak another variation of stilted English ("Boy not hide. Indian take boy."), repeat certain Hollywood?Indian phi ("Heap big" and "Many moons") or simply grunt out "Ugh" or "How." The repeated use of these language characterizations functions to make third world people s. less intelligent and less capable than the English?speaking white characters.

Wrap?Up

A Saturday Review editorial on "The Environment of Language" stated language

has as much to do with the philosophical and political conditioning of a society as geography or climate .... people in Western cultures do not realize the extent to which their racial attitudes have been conditioned since early childhood by the power of words to ennoble or condemn, augment or detract, glorify or demean. Negative language infects the subconscious of most Western people from the time they first learn to speak. Prejudice is not merely imparted or superimposed. It is metabolized in the bloodstream of society. What is needed is not so much a change in language as an awareness of the power of words to condition attitudes. If we can at least recognize the underpinnings of prejudice, we may be in a position to deal with the effects.

To recognize the racism in language is an important first step. Consciousness of the influence of language on our perceptions can help to negate most of that influence. But it is not enough to simply become aware of the effects of racism in conditioning attitudes. While we may not be able to change the language, we definitely can change our usage of the language. We can avoid using words that degrade people. We can make a conscious effort to use terminology that reflects a progressive perspective, as opposed to a distorting perspective. It is important for educators to provide students with opportunities to explore racism in language and to increase their awareness of it, as well as learning terminology that is positive and does not perpetuate negative human values.

NOTES

1. Simon Podair, "How Bigotry Builds Through Language," Negro Digest, March 1967
2. Jose Armas, ".Antonio and the Mayor: .A Cultural Review of the Film," The Journal of Ethnic Studies, Fall, 1975.
3. David R. Burgest, "'the Racist Use of the English Language," Black Scholar September, 1973
4. Thomas Greenfield, "Race and Passive Voice at Monticello," Crisis, April '75.
5. David R. Burgest, "Racism in Everyday Speech and Social Work Jargon," Social Work, July '73
6. William Ryan, Blaming the Victim, Pantheon Books, '71.
7. Morton Fried, "The Myth of Tribe," National History, April '75.
8. Evelyn Jones Rich, "Mind Your Language," Africa Report, Sept./Oct. '74.
9. Steve Wolf, "Catalogers in Revolt Against LC's Racist, Sexist Headings," Bulletin of Interracial Books for Children, Vol. 6, Nos. 3&4, '75.
10. "The Environment of Language," Saturday Review, April 8, '67.

Also see:

Roger Bastide, "Color, Racism and Christianity," Daedalus, Spring '67.
Kenneth J. Gergen, "The Significance of Skin Color in Human Relations," Daedalus, Spring '67.
Lloyd Yabura, ""Towards a Language of Humanism," Rhythm, Summer '71.
UNESCO, "Recommendations Concerning Terminology in Education on Race Questions, June '68.

From: Race, Class, and Gender: An Integrated Study, 4th Edition. Paula S. Rothenberg, editor. New York: Saint Martin's Press, 1998.

When Segun met George

George to Segun: so if i'm going to pull this third term trick here how do i convince the American people that we need to amend the constitution.


get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

The ideal home show

The Waterfall was the only interesting thing at the ideal home show

..

I might as well have stayed at home but instead i went to the ideal home show at Earls court. If you were there last year don't bother going, its the same old set up from last year. I was hoping to see a lot of companies dealing with alternative energy, especially solar power.
Lets just say i was disappointed at the turn out.

You do see the strangest things in London, like the homeless guy at my local train station answering his mobile while begging for money (and he even has a dog too..)

Celebrating what is positive about Nigeria

Naija rocks???

Its surprising how much a lot of us complain and never really talk about the positive things in Nigeria. An alien from outer space will think Nigeria is the worst place on earth going by the stuff written in the media, blogosphere and the many nigerian forums on the net.
It's understandable, a lot of us are very passionate about the country and find it hard to understand why Nigeria is the way it is.

So to make up for all the negativity around, here's my TOP 10 list of the positive things about Nigeria

1. Nigeria is still one entity despite the many ethnic and religious crises throughout its history. (think its not a big deal, it could be a lot worse look at similar African countries like Sudan, Somalia and the Congo).

2. The outstanding citizens the country has produced (Fela, Tai Solarin, Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka etc)

3. Our national football team (i'm not into football but even i get excited when our team plays)

4. Our rich history and culture (just check out the art from Benin)

5. The community spirit still prevalent in many parts of the country.

6. The entrepreneurial spirit in Nigerians (the private sector is truly alive in the country and if the government creates the right environment, the private sector can definitely turn the country around)

7. Nollywood (yeah this is a controversial one but i still it see it as a positive)

8. The Music (from Afro beat to Juju to Apala, or is it Highlife you want we've got it)

9. The organic foods (when your taste buds have been assaulted with all kinds of artificial crap, you begin to appreciate our natural tasting foods)

10. The warmth and friendliness of most Nigerians despite the harsh economic situation.

Ok i have to admit it was hard to come up with ten but its a start and i know that it will get easier with time (we just need to get rid of the bunch of idiots that hold us back...)

Quote: “Water continually dropping will wear hard rocks hollow.” - anon

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

The Power of the Sun (2)

Solar power, why are we not using it???

I've been doing a lot of research into solar power since my trip to Australia where it is widely used. I still don't understand why solar power is not widely used in Nigeria considering how bad the electricity situation is. There are still no signs of improvement despite the "billions" spent by the current administration since 1999.
There are so many generators in Nigeria (no thanks to cheap imports from China) that a lot of people have stopped relying on NEPA (or whatever it is called now) even as a back up supply.
I really (and i can't stress it enough) hate generators, the noise and pollution they produce drives me nuts. I just don't see it as a viable way of generating power when we have so much sunlight.

I'm aware of companies dealing in solar power in Nigeria, but the cost of installation is still very high. It shouldn't be too expensive as the prices of the major components - solar panels, deep cycle batteries and inverters, have been falling for the last few years.

I'm planning to install solar panels to provide electricity in my garden shed and i was quite surprised at the cost here in the UK, which is about £120 for the whole solar power kit. (this is the basic package : 10W Solar Power kit, this can provide power to two bulbs for a few hours)
Its just crazy, if its so easy and cheap to install a small unit here in England, where you'll be lucky to get 4 hours of sunlight (and that's in summer), then why not in Naija where no one bothers with the weather forecast because its always sunny, and we're talking 8 and half hours of sunshine every single day, especially in the north where the rainy season is short.

We need to wake up to the reality around us and stop importing f**king cheap generators from China, we need solar power and we need it now!! Oil is going to run out in probably the next 50 years and we're yet to invest in alternative sources of energy (apart from gas). In Australia, solar power is used to power the streetlights in the Sydney olympic village. In many parts of the US, solar power is now used as an alternative to the public supply. Even here in cloudy old England, solar energy is becoming a viable alternative as energy prices keep rising.

Its great that more people are now using power inverters, but it still relies on NEPA to replenish the charge. Replacing that part of the process with solar power should be our ultimate goal.

Depending on how successful i am with the installation in my garden shed, i'm going to install a similar one at our house in Lagos when i'm over there later in the year.
I've given up on the government ever providing constant electricity....


For anyone interested in Solar power, inverters etc

http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2003/november/solar.htm (Nigeria: Warming up to solar energy)
http://www.dbrooke.org.uk/solar.html (David Brooke's solar power setup)
http://www.icpsolar.com/4105/system_setup.asp (system set up)
http://www.solartechnology.co.uk (Solar Technology International makers of Photovoltaic Solar Panels)
http://www.sunshinesolar.co.uk/
http://www.solarwatts.co.uk
http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/endecaSearch/partDetail.jsp?SKU=LA02564&N=411
http://www.scottypower.com/
http://www.rain.org/~philfear/how2solar.html (how to make a solar power generator)
http://www.justwebservices.com/index.php? (power inverters in nigeria)

Quote: “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die…” - anon

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The Power of the Sun (1)

Total eclipse of the Sun
A total eclipse of the Sun began its journey across the Earth at sunrise in eastern Brazil on Wednesday. It will sweep northwest across Africa, Turkey and Central Asia before ending at sunset in Mongolia.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4849224.stm

Parts of Nigeria (Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Zamfara and Katsina states) will experience a solar eclipse today.
While everyone is excited at the opportunity of experiencing such a rare event, the government is a bit concerned, you know how stupid, oops sorry superstitious some of our people are. In 2001 when a lunar eclipse occurred in the north some people (and i use that term loosely) decided to attack christians.

So this time around the government (thank God it is finally waking up to its responsibilities) has decided to "enlighten" people ahead of this event. But i doubt if that will be enough to stop some smart Nigerians (i.e. Religious Ayatollahs) from claiming it's a "sign from God"

When solar fears eclipse reason
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4852690.stm
Solar eclipses are nowadays major tourist attractions, but in ancient times, they were events of ill omen, to be dreaded and feared.
While scientific knowledge has explained the phenomenon, some superstitions continue to hold sway. An eclipse in Nigeria in 2001 was seen by Muslim youths as anger from god for sinful activities.

And the ancient belief that an eclipse presaged war and devastation is still preached by some mystics in India. A belief persists in India that all cooked food left uneaten during an eclipse should be given away, as it will have become impure.
A superstition with rather more common sense behind it holds that anyone holding a knife during an eclipse will cut themselves.

Ignorance breeds fear
For most of human history, people did not understand what an eclipse was.
It is a terror that goes back thousands of years, with references in the Old Testament and ancient Greek and Mesopotamian literature.
The ancient Chinese believed that solar eclipses were caused by a dragon trying to swallow the Sun.
To this day, the Chinese for a solar eclipse is "resh" or "Sun-eat".
If they knew an eclipse was coming, the Chinese would shoot fireworks and bang gongs to scare it away.

The Vikings believed two wolves ran after the Sun and the Moon, and that an eclipse happened when they caught up with their prey.
They, too, would make as much noise as possible to scare off the beasts.

The power of prediction
When scientific knowledge was not widespread, a little forewarning could be a powerful tool.

In 1503, the explorer Christopher Columbus, stranded in the Caribbean, "predicted" a lunar eclipse he knew would take place to secure respect and fear from the natives - as well as a regular supply of food.
Some fared less well. Some time between 2165 BC and 1948 BC, brothers His and Ho were appointed by the Chinese Emperor Yao to keep a watch on the skies. Sadly, they failed to predict an eclipse and the Emperor chopped off their heads.

Growing awareness of the science behind the phenomenon did not stop many cultures feeling uneasy.
In Japan, wells were covered to prevent poison from dropping into them from the darkened sky.
In 17th Century England, John Milton wrote in Paradise Lost: "The Sun in dim eclipse disastrous twilight sheds On half the nations, and with fear of change perplexes monarchs."

Eclipsed lovers
Today, most concerns centre on the risk of eye damage from looking at the sun directly without protective glasses.
Indeed, the level of anticipation ahead of an eclipse is so great that in Ghana, the authorities will sound sirens across the country to announce the eclipse.
But historically, not all peoples have been so negative in their view of eclipses.
Some North American Inuit believe that during an eclipse, the Sun and the Moon temporarily leave their places in the sky and check to see that things are going all right on Earth.

And one touching Amazonian myth describes the Sun and the Moon as lovers.
They loved each other so much that the Sun's light scorched the Earth and the Moon's tears drowned it.
So it was decided that they should live apart in the sky and only be allowed to touch each other's shadow during an eclipse.

TOTAL ECLIPSE FACTS
Occur when the Moon comes between the Earth and the Sun, as it travels west to east
Previous eclipse happened in 2003, but was only visible from part of Antarctica
Next eclipse will happen in 2008
Width of effect on Earth is at most 270km (167 miles), and record duration is seven-and-a-half minutes
Will come to an end in about 600 million years when the Moon will be too far away from Earth to cover the Sun

Things that make you go WTF

What The Fuck is going on..

In the news: Dirty old man!
A 45- year- old callous father, Fadahunsi Oriarewo, has been arrested by the police for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl in Festac town Lagos, after enticing her with N10 for the purchase of sweets (candies).

But Oriarewo, a caretaker at the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in the area, denied the rape allegation, telling Saturday Sun that he only sexually assaulted little Miss Robinson.
"This is a surprise to me. I did not do it (penetrate the girl). I only fingered her. Na my finger I take touch her. I swear I no do am at all," he said in Pidgin English.
<\snip.>
Also, sources around the neighbourhood further told Saturday Sun that raping of underage girls has been a common occurrence in the area for sometime now. They disclosed that a 14-year-old girl was raped in the area few weeks back and pleaded with the police to get to the root of the case.
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/mar/25/814.html

While the Nigerian government concerns itself with irrelevant sexual issues, sexual crimes against underage kids go unpunished. Many cases are not reported and the response the accused man gave in the above news story, that he did not 'rape her but only fingered her' (as if either of them is a lesser crime) reveals how prevalent such abuses have become.
Nigerians talk about morality and spew so much religious bullshit that if you didn't know better you might start believing it.

stumbled on this interesting article in the Washington Post, African Christians a Growing Dynamic Force.
Anyone extremely sensitive about religion will have to forgive me, but what a load of crap

I found the following parts of the article extremely amusing
"You want to see where Christianity is heading?" said Campbell Shittu Momoh, an author on Nigerian religious affairs. "Come look at Nigeria. It's already here."
And it's Hell, if that's where christianity is heading, thank God i got out quickly

"The church in Nigeria is very, very disciplined and focused," said Dickson Adeyanju, the chief religion correspondent for The Guardian, the largest newspaper in Lagos. "That sets them apart."
yeah very focused on getting people's money and sucking them dry through tithes

"Adeboye radiates confidence _ even when making eyebrow-raising predictions.
Most followers wouldn't dare question him. Adeboye says he has a pipeline to God. He makes headlines in Nigeria each year with prophecies, which are usually vague and open to many interpretations. This year's include that a "major evil organization" will suffer a blow."
probably Dr Evil's Organisation

"What I'm talking about here is not spiritual authority, but economic authority. The pastors can basically do whatever they want with the money," said Samuel Bayo Arowolaju, a Nigerian-born expert in African churches now living in suburban Chicago. "The pastors of this church become superheroes or kind of mini-gods."
while their followers become 'Religibots'. Might as well call them by their true name, c u l t s
Characteristics of a cult

The service in early February _ with its "modest" crowd of 300,000 _ raised "a couple of tens of thousands of dollars," said Adeboye. There's one at least that big every month in addition to thousands of smaller weekly services in Nigeria and around the world. Adeboye tells the faithful: Give so you can get.
"It is clear in the word of God that you don't get out of poverty by praying. You don't get out of poverty by fasting," Adeboye said after the nearly nine-hour event. "There's only one way of getting out of poverty. It's by sowing."
Sowing what and where? His church i suppose.

"Why did I join Daddy's church? Take a look around," she says, waving her hands at the crowds. "Daddy inspires. Daddy tell us Jesus is right here to help improve our lives. The Anglican church was all about, 'Don't do this, don't do that.' Daddy is all about possibilities and making breakthroughs. It deals with heaven, but also the here and now."
whats all the 'daddy' stuff about?? [and who's the daddy? ; - )]

Daddy is pleased.
who wouldn't? He's smiling all the way to the bank
i have to admit that in their own way they are providing some form of employment through their business enterprises (the university,bank,drycleaners etc)
but at what price???
turning Nigerians into 'RelgiBots' who can't think for themselves.
-----------------------

In the News: I will contest the 2007 presidency -IBB
Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, finally takes the speculation off his rumoured ambition to run for the nation's top job come 2007.
"I am ready for 2007… if I get the nomination of my party, I will contest", the Minna General told a team of editors in a no holds barred interview during the week.
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/mar/25/818.html

The original trickster (or is it evil genius??) is back and God help us all if he makes it to Aso rock. Only a country like Naija will produce such a person like IBB. And it's only in a country like Naija such a person will even consider going for the presidency again.
Now i'm not one of those people who will blame IBB for every ill that has befallen naija since 1985, that he outsmarted nigerians time and time again shows how slick and smart he is. The guy obviously knows our people well and deserves his nickname 'maradona'.
But like Maradona's addiction to cocaine (which destroyed his football career), IBB is addicted to power, and his pursuit of that power will ultimately lead to his downfall...
-------------------------------
Quote:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy. "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.
One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

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There's one born every minute..

Looks like some 'dumbasses' are using my blogging email address to send me some interesting "email" offers (i'm not calling them 419 emails as every nationality is in on the scam these days).

give it a rest, anyone expecting me to fall some 'get rich quick idea' should read previous blog entries.

From Mr. Paul .O.Johnson
plz do contact me with this my email contact/
(pauljohnson_2003@yahoo.ca)

From Mr. Paul .O.Johnson
No- 48 Bill Cinton Drive,
Treichvill,Abidjan.
Cote d' ivore.

Dearest

Greetings of the lord and may the blessings of my father in heaven be unto your household.
great is he who gave us his love not like the love of the earth but his divine love and salvation.

By the grace of God i am Mr. Paul .O.Johnson a liberian and by the grace of God a succesful Business man.I have in my days travelled far and wide doing importation in automobile parts i am however residing in Abidjan where i have my business location,

I however now regret never living a godly life in my healthy days, i came to know god now that i am so ill and surfering from cancer that has defiled all medical attention.
i took business so serious but i now know that it doesnt profit a man to gain the world but lose his life.

i have been told by my doctor that the cancer has eaten so deep that i have zero chance of survival,i have been into shock and back from it.but my greatest regret now is that i never got married and my friends now flee from me since they thought my ailment has drained me financially.

i only give thanks to god for the little wisdom he gave to me.which i have now started given out here in my environment for his work since i may not have need for them soon,and part of that i will also give for his work around the world so as to accomplish my heart desire of touching lives globally before i finally meet my creator.

I have left in a trunk box in my security company a total sum of five million five hundred thousand Dollars($5.5m) and this is what i have made up my mind to give to a good christain led by the spirit of the lord or to any church that is willng to help the sick,orpharns,disasters victims and to the less priviledged outside there this has been my heart desire.if you can be of any reasonable assistance for this fund to be used properly and strictly as i have said,then you can reply me and tell me your details so as to forward it to my security company so as to make some neccesary changes for the fund to be sent to you or you can come personally whichever way you choose.

expecting to hear from you soonest as you get my mail

thanks.

Mr. Paul johnson

plz do contact me with this my email contact/
(pauljohnson_2003@yahoo.ca)
-------------------
and from espana, the usual spanish lottery scam from a senorita sandra blanco

FROM: PROMOTIONS DEPARTMENT
SPANISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY BV
CALLE CALLAO 55
C.P 28921
MADRID SPAIN
PRIZE WINNING NOTIFICATION
PRIZE CATEGORY: "B"
REFERENCE NO: NIL-B-3120-01101980-SPBV
EMAIL TAG NO: NIL-B-15-01-05
We are happy to inform you that the recipient email address has been
selected as one of the lucky email addresses in the category "B" of the
online lotto conducted by our company SPANISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY
BV here in Madrid. CONGRATULATIONS! The cyber-lotto was conducted by a
first of its kind automated computer balloting system, where by email
addresses (25,000 email addresses), were extracted from all continents of
the world. A draw was held in different categories and winners from
different parts of the world emerged and are entitled to various cash
prizes depending on their different categories. Thus, you/your company with
this email address, attached to Email tag number: NIL-B-15-01-05 and a
Reference number: NIL-B-3120-01101980-SPBV in the Category B, is entitled
to a lump payout of € 950 880.00 (Nine hundred and Fifty thousand eight hundred and eighty euros only ).
As a category B winner, selected by computer balloting system where
only email addresses were sorted, from a total number of 25,000 addresses
drawn from all over the globe via an automated computer ballot of our
International Promotions Program, SEVEN winners emerged in this category
and therefore each are to receive payouts of €950,880.00 (Nine Hundred And Fifty Thousand Eight Hundred And Eighty Euros) from the total of €6.656.16 (SIX MILLION,SIX HUNDRED AND FIFTY SIX THOUSAND SIXTEEN CENT EUROS).
To immediately claim your prize, please contact our Category "B"
financial agents GLOBAL LINK DIPLOMATIC & FINANCE COMPANY, below are the contact information of their financial director:
Mr.JOSE BONO FEDNANDEZ
Financial Director
GLOBAL LINK DIPLOMATIC & FINANCE COMPANY
Tel:+34 657 176 624
Fax:+34 940 466 083
E-mail:globallinkdss@diplomats.com
Provide Prize reference number-NIL-B-3120-01101980-SPBV and winning
Email tag number-NIL-B-15-01-05 for confirmation. In your best interest(s),
you must initiate contact within two weeks of receipt of this correspondence. GLOBAL LINK DIPLOMATIC & FINANCE COMPANY is to handle all matters. with regards to claiming of your prize money. You are also advised to send a copy of this email, to your claims agent Mr. Jose Bono Fednandez, when contacting him.
You may be required to provide any of the above information during the
process of collecting your prize. We congratulate you once again and it
is our hope that you participate in any of our international programs
in the nearest future.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Mrs. Sandra Blanco
Promotions Manager
SPANISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY BV
====================================================================
The SPANISH INTERNATIONAL LOTTERY BV Awards is proudly sponsored by some interested multinational companies yearly as a medium to promote their products.The spanish international lottery internet draw is held once in a year and is so organized to encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide.We are proud to say that over 200 Million Euros are won annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.
====================================================================


In the news (not too long ago)
Prescott accountant sent to jail (March 10)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4794586.stm
An unqualified accountant who hid his criminal past has been jailed for four years for stealing almost £1m from John Prescott's department.
Robert Adewunmi, 32, lied about his qualifications to work for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

wonder what he would have done if he was a "qualified accountant". The strangest thing about this story is that none of the major news sites seems to have a picture of the guy.
Some even had the picture of the Deputy PM displayed on the news story (as if he had anything to do with the crime). I wish there was a pic to confirm if the guy is truly Nigerian...

The name and type of crime may fit the profile of a typical naija criminal but i still need to see a picture to confirm. If we don't know what the guy looks like he can easily change his name when he gets out and slip back into our community (thats assuming he's actually Nigerian...)

Quote: "Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer" - anon

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I'm disgusted (Part 1)

definition according to dictionary.com

disgust
To excite nausea or loathing in; sicken.
To offend the taste or moral sense of; repel.

n.
Profound aversion or repugnance excited by something offensive.

dis·gust·ed
adj.
Filled with disgust or irritated impatience.


I'm disgusted with (in no particular order)

The nigerian government
for the way it has organised the current census. There were mixed signals and conflicting information from government officials throughout the previous week. People in Lagos were forced to stay at home for five days while in other parts of the country people moved around.
Its not rocket science, allocate 2 days, do the damn counting and let people get back to work.

Bush et al (no surprise there)
for the disaster in Iraq and for the hypocrisy regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions. I may not like the islamic leadership in Iran but who the hell are the Americans to decide who should have access to nuclear technology. Their unilateral actions around the world is the reason why Iran wants to have nukes. Can you blame them? the US will not mess with North Korea and thats because they have nukes..

Religious Ayahtollahs - extremists, fundamentalists, whatever 'ists'.
They are the biggest problem we face in Nigeria and have turned many Nigerians into 'ReligiBots'. They come in different shapes and forms boring us to death with their religious crap. They make our society a less tolerant place and i think its time the government took a stronger stance. You want to be religious keep it to yourself and stop inflicting it on others.

Obj and his 'third term politricks'.
The 'would he', 'should he', 'could he' drama is becoming boring and tiring. He should stop hiding behind a smokescreen and put his cards on the table. The country deserves an answer now.

Obj. (again) digust x2
I'm stunned that he would even consider staying past his 'sell by date'. Give it up old man and let someone else do the job.

Previous generation of Nigerians,
yeah the generation that had it so good (jobs when they graduated, great educational facilities etc) but had no vision whatsoever and in the process sold us into 'economic slavery'. Obj is a current example of how hopeless the previous generation is, the guy has no vision whatsoever. People like Awolowo et al left a lasting legacy that has continued to propel the Yoruba race. Obj's generation are like parasites, feeding off the country and leaving nothing behind for the next generation.

Globalisation.
The west is full of crap, its the old maxim of 'do as i say not as i do'. The US screams security when an Arab company buys a company that controls some of its ports or when a Chinese company tries to buy an American oil company. The French government block attempts by foreign companies to take over french companies. Yet they have the nerve to lecture developing countries about protectionism. They want us to open up our borders to all their imports but are unwilling to do the same.

To be continued when i'm in another bad mood....

Quote: "Everything has been outsourced to God, unfortunately God doesn't do consultancy work"

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http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

Poor Slave

Was contributing to a topic on one of the forums i visit about the negative portrayal of Africa by the western media.
I don't know how anyone can support or justify the portrayal of Africa by the western media. Lets start with the choice of words they use, they describe our ethnic groups as "Tribes", that in itself is a derogatory term to use in describing African ethnic groups when such words are never used to describe European ethnic groups.

But i digress, if we Africans can not see the damage (and hypocrisy) in the way western media report events about Africa then it's pointless complaining when football supporters in Europe make 'monkey chants' against our footballers or westerners ask Africans if they live in trees etc.

Thinking about the whole issue, reminded me of a great song by Jimmy Cliff called 'Poor Slave'

Poor Slave - Jimmy Cliff

Poor slave take the shackles off your body
Poor slave pull the shackles off your mind
Please listen to me carefully and if I'm wrong
Then correct me
But if I'm right mine's not the praise
Now let us see if we agree

The definition of a slave
Means one's not free entirely
So a slave is still a slave
If he can't think independently

Poor slave take the chains off your body
Poor slave pull the chains off your mind

A tree is still a tree
Though it sheds it leaves when winter comes
But it blooms again in spring
But if it did not bloom its roots are torn
But a slave remains a slave
Without the knowledge of his roots
Until he's taught the facts
Not just some but all the truth…

Poor slave take the shackles off your body
Poor slave pull the shackles off your mind

There was a brother the other day
Telling me he is feeling high
Well I just sadly had the time
But drug and booze is lowering
And if I'm asked how to get high
I'll tell the truth and not a lie
But high and high a man can get
With wisdom, knowledge and understanding

Poor slave ease the pressure off your body
Poor slave put the pressure on your mind

Poor slave ease the pressure off your body
Poor slave put the pressure on your mind

Poor slave take the shackles off your body
Poor slave pull the shackles off your mind


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A day at the British Museum

its the birthday weekend and the best way of spending it was to drag myself off to the British Museum. Wifey is not around so its me myself and i doing the celebrations this year.

The British museum is such a magnificent place that you could almost forgive the British for filling it with 'stolen' treasures and artefacts from around the world.
Had to go see some of the excellent pieces looted during the British raid on Benin during the 18th century. They stole the artefacts from Benin but couldn't believe Africans created the art.

Some crazy guy back then even came up with the ludicrous theory that it wasn't made by Africans but came from the mythical Atlantis.

I guess back then they just couldn't handle the fact that the savages could produce such exquisite art.



More pics
Benin Art 1
Benin Art 2
Benin Art 3
Benin Art 4
Benin Art 5
Benin Art 6
Benin Art 7
Benin Art 8
Benin Art 9

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In the News: Big Brother Nigeria goes on air
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4778036.stm
http://www.bigbrothernigeria.com

The BB phenomenon hits naija, should be interesting, shame i won't have the opportunity to actually see it. Not that i'm a BB fan, although i did watch the first UK series when it first started just to see what all the fuss was about. My interest in the Nigerian version is purely for sociological reasons. ; - ) It'll be a great opportunity to see how Nigerians react in such an intense environment.

Anyway i suppose its a great opportunity for the contestants. I mean the prize money (equivalent to about 14 million Naira) will definitely make a lot of difference to whoever wins. I'm not too sure i'll want to win that kind of money in such a setting. Every fraudster from Calabar to Sokoto will want a piece of the action.
Looking at the profiles of all the contestants, noticed two fellow Pisceans called Francisca and Frank, and i'm already hoping either of them wins.

I did find it funny that to watch it online you have to pay $20 dollars, yeah right like thats going to happen....

Quote: "Hate is love minus the facts" - anon

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In the News: Recent riots in Nigeria
The usual spate of violence has erupted again in Nigeria and the usual talk of civil war is buzzing around the numerous forums.
It takes strength and conviction to fight a civil war not our usual fire brigade approach or knee jerk reaction to everything.
Then who will fight? definitely not middle class Nigerians, they'll be on the first flight to their usual boltholes in Europe and the US.
For the country to implode there has to be a coup. Any major event in Nigeria starts with a coup... When the chips are down the politicians won't have the stomach to fight, what's the point of looting if you won't be around to spend it.

African conflicts are easy to predict because most conflicts in Africa are never truly resolved. "Peace" in most African countries is the lull between the end of the last conflict and the start of the next one.

I've just finished reading 'Me Against My Brother', an excellent book by Scott Peterson. I wish a lot of Africans will read this book so they can understand the futility of violence. The book is an eyewitness account of the events in Sudan, Somalia and Rwanda.
The unending conflict in these countries especially Sudan will probably go on for generations to come. Even when violence overwhelms one of the combatants and the fighting stops. It could be 20 years after and all it takes is another trigger and the fighting resumes as if it never stopped.

Quote: "Tell a lie loud enough and long enough and people will believe it." - Adolph Hitler

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http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Nigeria cartoon protests kills 16
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4728616.stm
At least 16 people have been killed in northern Nigeria in violent protests by Muslims over the cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Eleven churches were burned during the riots in Maiduguri, the capital of the north-eastern state of Borno.

here we go again and so it starts just as i predicted, once again a bunch of ignorant RAs (religious ayatollahs) have hijacked something that has nothing to do with us and in the process killed innocent Nigerians...

I was involved in another political debate this weekend, the usual type that happens when 2 or 3 Nigerians gather. At a certain point in that discussion i said something along the lines of religion destroying the social fabric of the country. Not too many believed me but think about it, Nigeria is one of the most religious countries in the world and yet it is also the most corrupt. Since the early 90s we've had more disturbances/crises caused by religion than any other thing.

You don't have to be a sociologist to see the damaging effects of 'militant islam' and new age/pentecostal churches in Nigeria. It's as if the two religions have turned Africa's most populous country into their new battle ground.

Forget about 'tribalism' (yuck i hate that word) or ethnicity dividing us. Religion is the new 'tribalism'.

Quote: "Religions are like farts. Yours is good, but everyone else's stinks." ~ from Picket Fences

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In the News: Bush denies secrecy over Cheney shooting
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1712091,00.html
George Bush today said accusations an overly secretive White House was slow to disclose details of the Dick Cheney shooting had drawn "the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident".
His comments came as Mr Cheney learned he would not face charges over the accidental shooting of a 78-year-old lawyer and Republican donor while the two were part of a group quail hunting on a Texas ranch.

oh dear just when i thought i didn't have any material to blog about i stumbled on this report in the guardian.
Now i'm a liberal and i can't stand the current republican leadership in the white house, so any story that allows me to poke fun at bush et al is welcome indeed.
I do feel sorry for Dick Cheney's 78 year old hunting partner who ended up having a heart attack as a result of the shooting. Good thing he didn't die, imagine the headline 'Dick kills 78 year old republican donor' yeah i know its tasteless but opportunities like this don't come around very often. ; - )

Its a bit worrying that Dick and George are quite accident prone, lets hope the nuclear button is well protected from these pair. Like one of the papers noted, it's a shame georgy and dick are not hunting partners...

Also in the News this week: Lynden David Hall dies after cancer fight
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4716060.stm
Lynden was the UK's version of D'angelo/Maxwell. Shame he died at such a young age..

Quote: "Iron rusts from disuse, stagnant water loses its purity and in cold weather becomes frozen, even so does inacton sap the vigors of the mind." ~Leonardo DaVinci

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In the News: Trans-Atlantic love costs American lady $50,000 - Duped by Nigerian fraudster
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/feb/14/804.html
A 42-year-old American lady, who came to Nigeria from Texas, United States, with her wedding accessories to tie the nuptial knot with a supposed male American Muslim she met on the internet has gone back home heartbroken.
This followed the discovery that the man she had travelled to Africa to be joined to in wedlock was not the one in the photograph sent to her, but a 24-year-old Nigerian posing as an expatriate engineer, working in an oil company.

Its really sad when you read stories like this. Online romance seems to be the new '419 method' to con people out of money. On one hand i feel sorry for the victims, on the other i am angry with them. How gullible can you be? On the internet anyone can be anything they want to be. Me self wey dey call myself ijebuman, i fit be igbira man now...

The Guardian in the UK had an interesting article some weeks ago - http://money.guardian.co.uk/scamsandfraud/story/0,,1637593,00.html

Here's a recap of the 419 methods in use:
Laundering crooked money scam
Next of kin scam
NNPC scam
Overpayment scam (ebay, amazon etc)
Job offer scam
Winning ticket in a lottery you never entered scam
US visa lottery scam
Gorgeous person in trouble scam (in which scammers in chatrooms and on Christian dating sites pose as beautiful American or Nigerian women)

Here is my own personal guide to avoid 419 encounters (Seems pretty obvious but there's one born every minute..)

don't be greedy

if it sounds too good to be true (no free dinner in life so if you're looking for FOC, they will get you)

if someone keeps mentioning God in every conversation especially when it has no relevance to the issue. (my peeps are very religious so religion is a handy tool in the modus operandi of a 419 scammer)

acting in an unprofessional way or displaying unusual business practices.

anything that requires you to pay quickly so you don't lose the 'opportunity'

always get professional advice or advice from a neutral party to ensure all is 'kosher'

never underestimate them (even ijebu 'jazz' can not protect you from 419)

Basically anything that triggers my 'defence shield' (ala star trek style) and trust me its not just naijas, every nationality is well represented when it comes to fraud...


Quote: "Businesses may come and go, but religion will last forever, for in no other endeavor does the consumer blame himself for product failure." ~Harvard Lamphoon, "Doon" (paraphrase)


get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Beko Ransome Kuti Passes on
http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,1709720,00.html
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/feb/12/34.html

The last of the Ransome-Kuti clan (Dolupo, Olikoye and Fela), and a strong human rights advocate died this weekend from lung cancer.
Beko along with the likes of Tai Solarin and Fela spent the better parts of their lives fighting for social change in Nigeria.
That social revolution has not happened yet but it will happen someday...

Quote: "Nothing in the world is more haughty than a man of moderate capacity when once raised to power." - Baron Wessenberg

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Nigeria may break up, US insists
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/feb/9/813.html
United States government is standing by its bleak assessment of the repercussions of a third term bid by President Olusegun Obasanjo, brushing aside Abuja’s complaint of interference in Nigeria’s domestic affairs.
Senior administration officials told Daily Sun that the report by US Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte that attempts by President Obasanjo to stay in power beyond 2007 could signal the eventual breakup of the country is an accurate reflection of the state of affairs in the West Africa nation.

Africa's most populous nation has always been an unusual creation, what were the British thinking when they decided to unite 250 ethnic groups into one country. Any political crisis in the country has the potential to tear the nation apart.
The Ibos still smarting from their defeat by federal forces in the civil war are ready to jump ship at the first signs of war. The ever volatile Niger delta is also waiting to jump ship the minute the 3 main ethnic groups start slaughtering themselves. The middle belt doesn't really have an agenda and just wants to go with the flow. The core north will do anything to keep Nigeria as one as it ensures it is not a landlocked country like Niger republic, while the Yorubas in the west are a bit ambivalent at the moment since they now have political power, besides they have access to the sea so they can pretty much survive as the Oduduwa republic.

In light of the US comments, i've tried to imagine a scenario where the country breaks up and i can't really see it happening because the country really has no configuration it can fragment into. The 3 main regions (north, south west and south east) separated by rivers Niger and Benue is nothing but a geographical feature. Its wishful thinking on anyone's part to think Nigeria will fragment along those lines.

The reason is simple.
Lets look at the North, you have to give it to them they know they'll be one of the biggest losers if 'Project Nigeria' ends. Not just because they will lose access to the oil and the sea, but because of what will happen to the whole concept of 'the indivisible North'.
The North as we've all seen in the last few years is anything but united. Sharia and unending religious conflicts has turned this part of the country into 'Lebanon'. I can only imagine what will happen when trouble starts, the middle belt, minority ethnic christains from southern Kaduna will definitely not want to be a part of any 'Dan Fodio' kingdom that emerges. The north will pretty much have its hands full dealing with ethnic and religious divisions for a long time.
The interesting thing is, the north, compared to other parts of the country has the resources to stand on its own - its tourist potential, unlike oil, is an infinite resource.

Lets move on to my fellow brethren in the south west. The Yoruba share a common language and religious divisions don't really matter. The problem for Oduduwa republic is that the Yorubas are not really united, they only unite when they have a common goal or enemy, take that away and the Yorubas will start bickering amongst themselves. The ijebus will either be oppressing other groups or using 'jazz' (joking of course) on them while the egbas will stab each other in the back. The eguns will suddenly remember that they don't really have much in common with the others while the edos and itsekiris will definitely go their own way. And not forgetting ife and modakeke, it would be worse than the western region crises of the early sixties.

And then our good friends in the south east, unlike the other parts of the country they've had a bit of experience with nationhood, so its just a matter of bringing out those old biafran notes from under the mattress, dusting up the old flag and hey Biafra republic is reborn.
The only downside for them is they'll be landlocked as the minority groups in the delta will not join up with them. So that means Biafra republic will have to find a way to ally with one of the many groups in the delta. It won't be easy as Cameroon too will want in on some delta action.
The Niger delta can't be a country on its own and will fragment into fiefdoms, which means there's still going to be a lot of conflict in that area because of the oil. There will be continued conflict between the different groups over the limited unpolluted farmland, creeks, oil rights etc.
Then you have the larger players like Biafra and Cameroon, they will probably encourage the conflict for their own interests. You also have the oil multinationals like Shell and Chevron, they will probably finance and support any group that gives them profitable drilling rights. The conflict could go on till the last drop of oil is removed...

To cut a long story short, there won't be any winners, no part of the old country can enjoy meaningful economic development with so much conflict in the surrounding areas.
Then what happens to all the investments each part of the country has in the other parts. What happens to the power systems, transmission wires, telephone cables and other infrastructure that we all share?
Who inherits Nigeria's international commitments, foreign assets, embassies, Abuja ????


Quote: "War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil,never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children." ~ Jimmy Carter

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

BA's letter of apology

In the News: Travellers flay spraying of pesticides on Europe-bound flight
http://odili.net/news/source/2006/feb/7/468.html
...Besides accusing European airlines of spraying passengers leaving African cities with pesticides, the petitioners allege that these airlines charge exorbitant fares on African routes, render poor services, and do nothing to reprimand their staff who are often very rude to African passengers. “The rudeness of most European airline staff to Africans is serious enough to bother any human being with a conscience. Africans at European airports are simply ignored, snubbed and downright disrespected. In fact, a substantial number of African passengers feel frustrated when trying to ask European flight attendants and staff any question concerning their connecting flights.

The way European airlines treat passengers on the African routes is, for lack of a better word, disgraceful. And i don't blame them, we seem to accept all the crap they throw at us.
Using the Nigerian route as an example, this route is dominated by Virgin and BA, and for both airlines it is one of their most profitable routes. The price of a ticket from London to Lagos is the same as the cost of a ticket to Sydney (which is on the other side of the world). This issue of spraying insecticide (while the plane is filled with passengers) is just 'taking the piss'

We pay so much, yet they treat us like 'second class citizens'. I'm going to refrain from even talking about the role of the government in protecting the interests of its citizens. Lets face it, any Nigerian that expects the Nigerian government to protect them is living in lala land.

Personal experience with BA
So i had a bit of a problem with BA on my last trip to Lagos in 04, the usual thing, faulty engine, flight delayed for hours etc. To be fair to BA they did offer to put us up in an hotel, however the hotel they offered was not to my "high" standards at all. I mean i may have stayed in a few 'shitty' hostels and hotels in my many travels but at least i was the one paying for it, in this case BA was paying so there was no way i was going to stay in 'stopover hotel' or 'airport hotel', if their own flight crew was going to stay in sheraton then i had to stay there as well.

Unfortunately for me the BA ground staff in Lagos was having none of it, so i ended up spending the night at MMA (with the bloody A/C on full blast!!). To cut a long story short i got back to the UK and took it up with their customer services with the usual 'Naija shakara' that all true 'naijas' learn if they ever lived in Lagos.
Lo and behold BA came begging with a generous offer of compensation. (and that was how i ended up in Australia some months ago)

And its not just BA i've claimed compensation from, KLM too got the same treatment for messing around with my luggage.

The moral of my story is, if you are unhappy with the way an airline or any company treats you, complain, hit them hard, if you're in Nigeria don't complain there, send it to their main base and make sure you chase it up.

Quote: "You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do." ~Anne Lamott

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Deadly bird flu found in Africa (Nigeria)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4692916.stm
The deadly strain of bird flu has been found in poultry in northern Nigeria, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has said in statement.
The Paris-based organisation said this was the first time the disease had been detected in Africa.
The body said it was the "highly pathogenic" strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus, which can kill humans.

Ok even with my sometimes 'uncanny ability to predict the future' (na special ijebu power wey i get) i couldn't have expected bird flu to hit Nigeria so soon. see my previous posting in october
http://naijaman.cfmxdeveloper.co.uk/diary/2005/10/in-news-recently-bird-flu-reaches.html

This will probably decimate the poultry industry if the health authorities do not contain it quickly. We used to own a large poultry in SW Nigeria and there are hardly any safeguards in place. I just hope the Nigerian government is well prepared as i'm sure they knew Nigeria is in the migratory path of birds flying from Europe. So there was always a possibility that it was going to affect us.

Anyway i expect a robust response from 'Baba Iyabo' i'm sure he wouldn't want all his 'prized' birds at his large poultry farm in otta to end up dying from bird flu.

Must be a record for me, two postings in one day

In the News: Nigerian MPs burn Denmark's flag
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4689314.stm
Nigerian MPs cheered in the northern majority Muslim state of Kano as Danish and Norwegian flags were burned in a ceremony in the parliament premises.

It seems there's no getting away from this issue, our politicians have got in on the act as well. As long as it's just flags they are burning and it doesn't turn into the usual religious riots this part of the country is well known for.

comments have now been enabled on the blog...

Quote: "Without cultural sanction, most or all our religious beliefs and rituals would fall into the domain of mental disturbance." - John F. Schumaker, Corruption of Reality, Unified Theory of Religion, Hypnosis and Psychotherapy

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Muslim cartoon fury claims lives
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4684652.stm
At least five people have been killed in Afghanistan as protests against European cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad swept across the country.

This is just ridiculous, i've been trying to avoid commenting on this issue considering how sensitive it is, but its got to the point where its like 'enough already'..
Most of the people going crazy over this have not even seen the 'cartoons', it was printed in a Danish Paper over 4 months ago and reprinted by some European papers last week. Rather than ignoring them they've bought more attention to them, at least it got me curious enough to go looking for them since all the papers here were too scared to print them. Of course i would not be silly enough to upload them to my blog...

Anyway the point is, the cartoons are not even funny and the whole exercise was probably aimed to prove that a lot of muslims are extremely intolerant...
A protester here in London was dressed up as a suicide bomber http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4687996.stm the irony of it all was that the guy was not even a devout muslim but a convicted drug dealer (who has now been returned to prison for violating the conditions of his parole)
But i digress..
The cartoons may have been offensive but the reaction to them has gone completely overboard..

Quote: "Sometimes you have to stand for what you believe in, and sometimes you have to stand alone." ~Anon

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Third Term: South West governors, lawmakers, back Obasanjo http://odili.net/news/source/2006/feb/3/630.html
The alleged third term project re-echoed, bounced and gathered pace on Thursday in a city inspired by a rock, Abeokuta. President Olusegun Obasanjo was present at the occasion but he did not disclose which way he would jump. Regardless, several South West federal legislators and all South West governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Ogun State’s Gbenga Daniel, chorused “awa lowo si” (we support it).

I'm actually lost for words ...

Quote: "Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary." - Gandhi

get involved by sponsoring an African child today:
http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Gene McFadden Dead at 56 (of McFadden & Whitehead)
http://music.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1089971.php/Philly_hit_maker_Gene_McFadden_dead_at_56 Philadelphia soul hit-maker Gene McFadden, who co-wrote 'Ain`t No Stoppin`Us Now' with his partner John Whitehead, has died at age 56.
In addition to 'Ain`t No Stoppin` Us Now,' McFadden and Whitehead were responsible for hits such as the O`Jays` 'Backstabbers' and Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes` 'Wake Up Everybody.'
Whitehead died in May 2004 from a drive-by shooting that remains unsolved.

Anyone who knows their old school knew the jam, it was their biggest hit and it still sounds great 27 years after. The song always reminds me of Soul Train (popular US black entertainment show hosted by Don Cornelius), which was where i first saw them perform the song.
McFadden joins his partner Whitehead along with other 'old school greats' like Luther Vandross, Rick James and Barry White, who have passed on in recent times..

Quote: 'There's been so many things that held us down But now it looks like things are finally coming around I know we've got a long long way to go And where we'll end up I don't know
Ain't no stopping us now, we're on the move...'
- McFadden & Whitehead (Ain`t No Stoppin` Us Now)

get involved by sponsoring an African child today: http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

In the News: Nigeria to outlaw same-sex unions
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4626994.stm

I don't know what the Nigerian government is 'outlawing' as none of our existing laws allows same sex unions. Seems like a corrupt and unpopular government trying to tap into people's revulsion at same sex unions in other parts of the world.

The part that concerns me is certain aspects of the law that imposes a five year jail term on anyone 'aiding and supporting' a same sex relationship. Its a very slippery slope when we allow the government to enact morality laws. Malaysia comes to mind where the prime minister and his deputy had a big political fall out and then the deputy was later imprisoned on some trump up charges of sodomy.

Nigerians in their usual myopic way of looking at issues, seem not to be aware of the wider implications of this law. To make matters worse the 'religious ayahtollahs' seem to have hijacked the whole debate, so all logic has been thrown out the window...
I'm not a supporter of same sex union but if 2 consenting adults wanna 'get freaky' wetin concern government inside.
This is the same country where there are hardly any laws protecting children from child abuse, rape, female genital mutilation, child trafficking etc. They can't even enforce the current laws we have, i wonder how they expect to enforce this one..

Quote: "On the surface, evil looks attractive" - Anon.

get involved by sponsoring an African child today: http://www.plan-uk.org/wherewework/westafrica/

2005 gradually comes to an end, its been a year of profound changes around me and in my personal life, the single life can't last forever....

On to more serious issues, the UK is now rolling out its roadside 'Big Brother' system

In the News (recently): Gatso 2: rollout of UK's '24x7 vehicle movement database' begins
A "24x7 national vehicle movement database" that logs everything on the UK's roads and retains the data for at least two years is now being built, according to an Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) strategy document leaked to the Sunday Times. The system, which will use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), and will be overseen from a control centre in Hendon, London, is a sort of 'Gatso 2' network, extending. enhancing and linking existing CCTV, ANPR and speedcam systems and databases.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/11/15/vehicle_movement_database/
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article334686.ece
they can already monitor us with CCTV and now our cars will be tracked as well, according to the Independent the system will use a 'network of cameras that can automatically read every passing number plate, the plan is to build a huge database of vehicle movements so that the police and security services can analyse any journey a driver has made over several years'.

I feel a mix of paranoia and major concerns as to where things are heading in the UK. its like you know where i live, the supermarket knows what i eat and how i shop, the credit agencies know my financial situation, my ISP knows all the dodgy sites i visit and probably stores my emails, the mobile phone company keeps track of all my calls and text messages...
Why are they keeping all these information and who is going to control it???

Nice Quote: "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction". ~Pascal, Pensees, 1670

In the News: Alamieyeseigha owns up ... names accomplices
Detained former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha has reportedly begun to sing like a canary, saying he actually owned the companies cited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as the conduit used to siphon billions of Naira belonging to the state.

the shameful saga continues and only God knows where it will end, in naija anything can happen....
So far he has been removed from office, thank God for that, even though the state legislators were probably bribed to do their job.


Nice Quote: "Not all religion is to be found in the church, any more than all knowledge is found in the classroom." - Anon.

Weather Today: cold with an occassional appearance by the sun

been on holiday to sunny florida for a nice winter break and so much seemed to have happened while i was away.
first it was a oil explosion in Herfordshire last sunday and then we learnt that another plane crash happened in naija on sat 10 dec.
Barely 2 months after the bellview aircrash, another plane crashed in Port harcourt claiming over 100 lives (70 of them were school kids)

Its a sad state we're in and our "let us manage it" mentality will be the death of us. This is not an act of God it's an act of negligence....

Disney's Epcot Center




So with all the bad news, still managed to have a good time in florida, visiting universal, sea world, disney and the kennedy space center,

It was a dream come true visiting America's space coast and actual visiting the launch pads and seeing the majestic Saturn V rocket that propelled man to the moon many years ago



Shuttle on display at Kennedy Space Center















at the front of KSC

Nice Quote: "But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic?" - John F. Kennedy

Weather Today: -3 celcius, extremely cold considering we just got back from sunny florida