Just a second.....

Tick tock ... tick: Extra second added to 2008


WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Those eager to put 2008 behind them will have to hold their good-byes for just a moment this New Year's Eve.

The world's official timekeepers have added a "leap second" to the last day of the year on Wednesday, to help match clocks to the Earth's slowing spin on its axis, which takes place at ever-changing rates affected by tides and other factors.

The U.S. Naval Observatory, keeper of the Pentagon's master clock, said it would add the extra second on Wednesday in coordination with the world's atomic clocks at 23 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC.

That corresponds to 6:59:59 p.m. EST (23:59:59 GMT), when an extra second will tick by -- the 24th to be added to UTC since 1972, when the practice began.

UTC is the time scale kept by highly precise atomic clocks around the world, accurate to about a billionth of a second per day, the Naval Observatory says. For those with a need for precision timing, it has replaced Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT.

The decision to add or remove a second is the responsibility of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, based on its monitoring of the Earth's rotation.

The goal is to make sure clocks vary from the Earth's rotational time by no more than 0.9 seconds before an adjustment. That keeps UTC in sync with the position of the sun above the Earth.

Mechanisms such as the Internet-based Network Time Protocol and the satellite-based Global Positioning System depend on precision timing.

The first leap second was introduced into UTC on June 30, 1972. The last was added on December 31, 2005.

They have been added at intervals ranging from six months to seven years, Daniel Gambis, head of the IERS Earth Orientation Center at the Observatoire de Paris, wrote in an explanatory piece this month (http://hpiers.obspm.fr/eop-pc/).

Among the reasons for Earth's slowing whirl on its axis are the braking action of tides, snow or the lack of it at the polar ice caps, solar wind, space dust and magnetic storms, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, another timekeeper.

By contrast, a leap day, February 29, occurs once every four years because a complete turn around the sun -- our year with all its seasons -- takes about 365 days and six hours.

In 1970, an international agreement established two time scales: one based on the Earth's rotation and another on highly accurate atomic clocks.

The U.S. Naval Observatory's master clock is based on a system that now includes 50 atomic clocks, 36 based on the element cesium and 14 known as hydrogen masers.

With the Earth's rotation gradually slowing, the periodic insertion of a leap second into the atomic time scale is needed to keep the two systems within a second of each other.

(Reporting by Jim Wolf; Editing by Peter Cooney)

I'm back!!

It's been a long time since I blogged, in fact I didn't think I would ever blog again. After my last post, I felt the need to "retire" from this; well I must admit, I started getting bored then secondly, I was emotionally, physically and spiritually drained, I needed to retreat and put a lot of things into perspective. So what happened while I was away?

First I celebrated my birthday on November 20th, there was no fun fare as is usually the case, all I did was share cake and drinks at work, and that was it. As I grow older, I find it difficult to fuss about some of these things, especially when I have to pick the bills.

Secondly, I got very good recommendations at work, got a raise and promotion to go with it. Am I really happy? I'm not sure...I have dreams to fulfill, been living most of my life helping other people achieve their own dreams. Of course I have gained from it all but I think its time for me to start focusing on my purpose irrespective of the cost. So will I be moving on? Perhaps, just watch this space.

What in the world?!

I believe that every human being has got strengths and weaknesses; no matter how good we are, the harsh reality is that our goodness is as filthy as the rags but should that deter us from speaking up when things are going wrong? Absolutely not. Something is terribly wrong and Im kind of lost for words, here's why....

US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has bought $100,000 of TV airtime to back gay marriage.

The 50-year-old will urge Californians to vote to save the right to gay marriage during the state ballot in November, campaign organisers said.

Same-sex unions were legalised in May, but Proposition 8 seeks to define marriage as between a man and a woman only under the state constitution.

DeGeneres married her partner, actress Portia de Rossi, in August.


'Compassion' her TV advert will be screened in the run-up to the state ballot on 4 November.

DeGeneres will tell viewers that opponents of gay marriage are "twisting the truth", and will appeal to people to vote for "compassion and fairness".

Recent opinion polls have shown a swing in the number of Californians who oppose same-sex marriage.

Opponents of the advert have stepped up their own TV advertising campaign, warning that children will be taught about gay marriage in primary schools.

Gay marriage supporters have called that argument misleading.

DeGeneres made broadcasting history in 1997 when her TV alter ego came out of the closet on her self-titled sitcom Ellen, becoming the first openly gay lead character on US prime-time network TV.

Source; BBC Entertainment

Do you have anything to say because I don't?!

Leadership

Its been a rather quiet weekend for me. I didn’t go out, well I rarely do unless I have a function to attend or I have to go to the hairdresser. There aren’t too many places one can go to so most times I stay in watching movies, listening to music and reading books. Sounds boring huh? Well it isn’t, it's actually been rewarding for me.

This weekend I started reading "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of Leadership" by John Maxwell and I found it pretty insightful. Well, here's an extract, hope you find it useful!!


FLESHING IT OUT

How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one or two paths: charcter or compromise. Every time he chooses character, he becomes stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences. The development of character is at the heart of our development not just as leaders, but as human beings.

What must every person know about character?

1. Character is more than talk

Anyone can say he has integrity, but action is the real indicator of character. Your character determines who you are. Who you are determines what you see. What you see determines what you do. That is why you can never separate a leader's character from his actions.

2.Talent is a gift, but character is a choice

We have no control over a lot of things in life. We don't get to get to pick our talents or IQ. But we do choose our character. In fact we create it, every time we make choices-to cop out or dig out of a hard situation, to bend the truth or stand under the weight if it, to take the easy money or pay the price. As you live your life and make choices today, you are continuing to create your character.

3. Character brings lasting success with people

As the leadership proverb says, if you think you're leading and no one is following you, then you're only taking a walk. Followers do not trust leaders whose character they know to be flawed, and they will not continue following them.

4. Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their character

Have you ever seen highly talented people suddenly fall apart when they achieved a certain level of success? The key to that phenomenon is character.


I guess that's enough, I hope you didnt sleep as you read this, well if you did then you've got to work on yoooooooour character!!

Have a great week!!!

Homecoming

With less than 3 weeks to the US elections, a group of Kenyans seem to be getting a little too excited, check this out....

Kenyan MPs have called for an airport in the west of the country to be upgraded for Air Force One in case Barack Obama wins the US elections.

Mr Obama's father was born in Nyanza Province and the MPs say the local Kisumu airport should be expanded in case he wants to visit.

The Illinois senator is a local hero in his father's homeland, where a local beer has been named after him.

Mr Obama has never lived in Kenya and he has visited just three times.

The MPs from Nyanza Province said it was clear that Mr Obama was going to clinch the US presidency, the private Nairobi Star newspaper reported.

Mr Obama will face Republican John McCain in the 4 November elections.

Mr Obama's father was from Alego-Kogello village which is 60km (37 miles) from Kisumu.

Kisumu Town MP Aluoch Olago told parliament that the delay in the airport's expansion was a major concern, the Nairobi Star reported.

Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere said the airport's expansion programme was behind schedule, and is expected to be complete by July 2010.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7674202.stm

Treasures in darkness

I have spent four days without electricity and my generators did not have fuel either so I have been in perpetual darkness since Tuesday. I know it could have been worse but man, somebody needs to do something about this situation. You know if I was living in a remote area, perhaps I would have been able to understand why the power supply is epipleptic, but I don't. I happen to live in one of Nigeria's richest states (Rivers State) but also most troubled. A lot of people particularly the indigenes of the state arent happy with the status quo. Unemployment rate is high, the roads though being worked on now, are still in poor shape, the cost of living is high and so many other problems. The result; militancy.

A lot of people have left this state for Lagos and Abuja and many others are still contemplating on whether they should move or not. Yours truly has given it serious consideration and I may leave but not before it is time for me to do so.

I'm a firm believer in timing. When I look back, I realise that if I had done the right things at the right time with the right people in the right place, I would have been a much greater achiever than I am today. I have squandered opportunities and its only by God's grace that I havent suffered severely for it.

Bottom line is walk with God; dont walk behind Him and dont walk ahead of Him, just move with Him. Its tough, sometimes it feel as if He isnt even there but He is all the time. Talk to Him, let Him how you feel, and He will respond, either through a friend, a sermon, a scripture or any other way.

I have faced a lot of challenges living and working in Nigeria but Im glad I have because I know that God loves me and loves you too much to leave us where we are. God takes us through wildernesses to prune us, to mould us and to tranform us into the kind of people He wants us to be. I know that one day I will be glad He has taken me through this process. In the meantime; I just need some staying power.....:)

Believe it or Not.......

A judge has thrown out a case against God - as the Almighty doesn't have an official address and legal papers can't be served.

Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers filed the lawsuit last year seeking a permanent injunction against God who he said made terrorist threats against him and his Omaha constituents.

Additionally, he said God inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorisation of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants".

The US politician said his case was over the fact that everyone should have access to the courts regardless of whether they have money or not.

However, Douglas County District Court Judge Marlon Polk ruled that under state law a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a lawsuit to move forward - and this would be rather tricky under the circumstances.

Judge Polk said: "Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice."

But Senator Chambers, a law school graduate, thinks he's found a hole in the judge's ruling. He said: "The court itself acknowledges the existence of God. A consequence of that acknowledgement is recognition of God's omniscience. Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit.

Senator Chambers, who has served a record 38 years in the Nebraska Legislature, has 30 days to decide whether to appeal.

Source :ITN

No wonder they say the world is about to end!! The fear of God is certainly not the beginning of his wisdom!

The Storm

I know its exactly a week since I have blogged and as usual I will attempt to explain why. I just couldnt pull myself together to do it; I had all kinds of fiery emotions competing for my attention and I had to slow down and deal with them.

Its been a rather interesting period for me; the activist part of me has taken deep root courtesy the injustice my colleagues and I have suffered in the hands of the "powers that be". I have never been part of a strike but this week, I felt i was ready to down my tools to grab somebody's attention. I had had it and I knew that if I didnt vent the anger that was building inside of me, I was just going to walk out for good.

You are probably wondering what really happened,well, I will summarise it in one word; money. There is nothing so disheartening like working for somebody who doesnt necessarily understand the intricacies of the work we do. There is nothing as disgusting as seeing the money you work for, being diverted to purposes, other than it was planned for.

I told my boss that I couldnt continue living on hope because I have bills to pay. I told him that my contract doesnt stipulate that Im a volunteer but it states that I will be paid a certain amount of money for the services I render and that as it is, the company owes me and I dont owe them anything.

I hadnt been this angry in a long time but I had to speak up. I told him that Im going to walk out one day and I will never return and I wouldnt be the only one who would do it, others would follow suit.

There is a problem with human resource management in most of the local companies here, with a lot of employers just simply ignoring the needs of their employees. Of course, I would understand a situation, where there isnt enough money, but when its there, and only a few individuals are benefiting, then there is a problem. Thats why most of these companies, never reach their full potential. You cant oppress the very people who are helping you build a company and expect super profits; it just wont happen.

Well, enough of my ranting; all I can say at this point in time is that "this too shall pass". Its a season and as each day goes by, its drawing closer to an end. There are lessons for me to learn and I must know what they are before I can get to the next level. I know God allows storms in our lives to build us and not destroy us. Its a painful process but I know someday I will look back and be grateful I went through it.

Till then....have a great day!!!

Sobering...

Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate. Well just read this...

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

"Disturbing the peace"

South Sudan's president has shut down a police investigation that saw scores of young women arrested for "disturbing the peace" by wearing tight trousers.

The women were arrested over the past week by police who said they suspected them of belonging to youth gangs known for drinking, fighting and public nudity.

But government officials, including the south's gender minister, said they were angry at the way the women had been targeted and treated after arrest.

President Salva Kiir had ordered a "serious investigation" into the police crackdown, said a government minister.

Kiir also ordered the immediate release of any woman arrested under the operation in the south's capital Juba, and said there were questions over its legality, Southern Minister for Presidential Affairs Luka Biong added in a statement.

Police arrested more than 35 women Sunday night alone, angering bystanders by the way they pushed them into two trucks.

The deputy police commissioner of Juba County, Raiman Lege, said they were disturbing the peace by wearing trousers that were too tight. The group was freed Monday without charge after appearing in court.

Sudan's semi-autonomous south generally has a much more relaxed approach to women's dress than the country's Muslim north, with which it fought a two-decade war that was ended by a 2005 peace deal.

Source: Reuters

Looks like the police in many African countries have one thing in common; wrong priorities. A couple of months ago in some of the states in southern Nigeria, the police started cracking down on women wearing trousers...it was ridiculous because these states are not governed under the Sharia law. They claimed they were clamping down on women who were indecently dressed and if you ask me this country has a lot more problems to contend with.

I believe that a woman should be decently dressed; but is it necessary to have law on this? Presently there is a bill on indecent dressing awaiting debate in the House of Representatives and events have overtaken it. The oil prices have gone down and the President says this will affect the financing of the 2009 budget. Looks like we might be heading for some really tough economic times.

Frankly, with that on my mind, I dont think I would be bothered about whether women should wear trousers or not......looool.

Its been a while...

Yes, it has been ,since I published a post and its partly due to my rather hectic work schedule but also I have been trying to deal with some personal social issues, too. Been doing an analysis of some of these problems and I came to one conclusion; I need to get rid of excess baggage. There are a couple of people I have been hangin on to, probably because I have a history with them. I have known them for a long time and we have been friends over a long period of time but for some strange reason the friendship is no longer mutually beneficial. Do you know what its like talking to somebody and you actually feel that you are wasting time? You dont have anything in common anymore, values and interests have shifted too, at the end of it all, talking to that person becomes a daunting task.


In the meantime, I have been trying to make a couple of new friends; that hasn't been easy either. (Why does life get so hard............looool). Well, over the past threee years, I have made more male than female friends and apart from a couple of guys who wanted to take the relationship to another level, I didnt have any major issues.

But this year, I have had to explain myself, over and over and over and again. Im a free spirited person, I like talking and laughing a lot and unfortunetly this has been misunderstood by some, probably because they dont me well enough to make sound judgement. Its too much work trying to explain oneself. I have decided to let go and let God.

No more drama.....no more drama.......looool

Damage control

I read a really interesting article, a few days ago, that got me thinking....thinking about how I have spent a better part of my life doing damage control. I have made some really bad decisions in the past and some of them have had some really far reaching effects. I believe I have been working voluntarily for the Fire Brigade..,always trying to put out the fires in my own life, wasting precious time and energy I would have used in serving humanity...loool

Well, that particular article was written by Bishop T.D Jakes a couple of days ago. Here is an extract, Im sure it will get you thinking....


"Most people are always doing damage control with life. We work after the phone rings, after the cut off notice comes, after the marriage fails or after the child is in crisis.

But think a minute, aren't your tired of being on the back end of trouble? God wants to move you from MANAGING TROUBLE TO PREVENTION OF TROUBLE. You see most of what we face in some way tracks back to the decisions we made in the first place. No demon nor dark brooding figures- just you and I making fast decisions with limited information and then hoping against hope that all things will work out for good.

Sometimes things do work out, but sometimes they don't. How then do you increase the odds of winning more than losing?

The answer is in the choices you make.

Now most people don't wake up in the morning saying, "let me see how I can fail at something else today". But they might as well, if they keep making big decisions with little information about the person, the job, the choice or most importantly the particular outcome of the particular decision they have to make".

Well,thats that; NO MORE DRAMA!!

What a week!

Its been a crazy week for me...thats why I have been rather quiet. We have had three public holidays this week and I mean three in a row, sounds crazy huh? Well, I worked all three and to make it even worse, I had three shows in a row in one day, it wasn't funny at all.

I had two major interviews; one with a Senator who was basically focusing on labor and employment in Nigeria, the second was with a couple of guys organizing a conference on sustainable development in Rivers State, (its part of the southern region in Nigeria). Now these interviews included phone calls and text messages and they were 30 minutes each. When I was done with them, I had to start another show called the Lounge which is basically a show filled with music and gist. By the time I was done, I made it public that I needed a raise.....loool.


Truth be told, I kind of felt I was being taken for granted because Im often swamped with work on the pretext that we are short staffed. Well, I have learnt to take it all in my stride knowing very well that as each day passes by, this season draws closer to an end.

More importantly though, I know that I do not labor in vain, I know its only a question of time because the good book says that in God's own time He makes all things beautiful. In the meantime I just got to be diligent, for only then will my desires be fulfilled.

Romans8:28 says that all things work together for the good of all those He has called according to His purpose so no matter what it is I just have to be grateful that it will pay off eventually.

"Lord, just keep me sane in the midst of it all".....looool

Seasons...

Do you ever feel that you are better off today than you were yesterday but yet you are not yet exactly where you want to be? Well, if you do, it is probable that you are going through what they call "the season in between". Its hardly a pleasant place to be; its a place where you're vulnerable to sin because it is normally a season punctuated by confusion and frustration. You are tired of being where you are and you want to move on but you can't, because its not yet time for you to do that, so what do you do in the meantime?

YOU WAIT!!!!

Now thats what makes it so difficult. I dont like waiting for anything but what do you do when you have to? I wish I knew...............loooooooool. Just kidding..

The Good Book in Isaiah 40:31 states, "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint".

This basically means that if you continue to look up to the Lord for strength, wisdom and guidance, He will give you the staying power that you need during this season. Im learning that day by day.

Don't despair where ever you are; it is normal to feel lost, it is normal to feel isloated, it is normal to get angry but dont stay that way. God never promised that it would never rain but He promised that He would provide shelter when it does, so take heart and hang in there!

Do you know what time it is.........

To every thing there is a season

and a time to every purpose under

the heaven:



A time to be born, and a time to die,

A time to plant, and a time to plunk

up that which is planted;



A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down; and a time

to build up;



A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn, and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones; and a time

to gather stones together;

A time to embrace and a time to refrain

from embracing;



A time to get, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence and a time to speak

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace.



For everything there is a time under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-9

Wisdom

They used to say that the older you are, the wiser you become, but I dont think this statement holds true for everybody.

This week, I met Michael Holmes, a young man with lots of wisdom and insight. He actually helped me realize that there is a lot more you can get from the Bible than you actually think. Check out his blog on http://ishallraisetheeup.blogspot.com and you will get a lot more than you bargained for.

I realized that if you want a lot of things to change in your life, you have to start by looking on the inside. You have to realize that you ain't Superman or Superwoman but simply a human being who will wither away like the grass tomorrow. Im a very independent minded person and I love being self sufficient. I hate being dependent on others and the problem with that is that I end up being independent of God too and you know where you end up...............on the other side...looool....hardly a pleasant place to be.

So how do you grow on the inside? Its simple, all you have to do is develop a relationship with the one who created you. I'm not talking about going to church, I'm talking about spending quality time with Him. Talk to Him like the way you would talk to an old friend.

When I first came to Nigeria, life was so hard. I lived in Lagos for two years. I was so lonely that I thought I was going to lose it. I had very few friends; everybody else just seemed too busy to build a relationship. I ended up with a couple of people I shouldn't have even met in the first place and I know what that got me.....a broken and bitter heart.

I wanted to give up on Him and give up on my purpose for being in Nigeria; I remember telling God one day that I hated Him! After I said that, I cried and I repented and He forgave me. He comforted me during those nights....I felt His presence so strong. At times I would just tell Him that I needed somebody to hold me...lool...I wasnt short of offers but I knew it wouldnt be worth it so I had to look to Him even for that.

God does care about every aspect of our lives; He knows every detail but we need to allow Him to take charge. We need to trust Him enough to lead us the way we should go.

I am learning to do that and its a wonderful experience....it helps reduce a lot of stress when somebody else is lifting your burdens....loool. This post is already long...I could go on and on but its time for lunch!!!

Gotta go!!

Surprise.....surprise...

Wonders never cease and I'm beginning to understand when they say, "God has a good sense of humor". Living and working in Nigeria for the past three years has enabled me understand the value of relationships; that is why I'm pretty active on Facebook.
A few days ago, a lady called Lannie requested my friendship on this social networking site, I accepted but when I went through her profile I noticed that we didn't have any mutual friends and so I wondered why she actually requested my friendship in the first place.

Well at a closer look, I almost developed goose pimples; we were in the same class back in 1979/1980 in the Parents Cooperative School in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Now, I spent the first twelve years of my life in this country; I was born and bred there till I was 12. I went to three international schools which I must say have contributed immensely to who I am today. I studied with people from all over the world and so at an early age, I developed the ability to interact effectively in a multi-cultural environment which is a requirement for anybody wishing to work in international organizations.

When I returned to Uganda in 1986, I lost touch with most of my friends and so over the years I had basically made minimal effort in reconnecting. You know how it is, people keep hopping from one country to another and you must agree that we tend to forget each other as the years go by.

But Lannie has certainly helped walk down that lane and now, I'm going to renew my efforts in trying to reunite with some of them. I'm extremely grateful to her; she has also posted a page off the yearbook where I featured. Its hardly a pleasant picture.....looooooooool but I can't run away from who I was...lool.

Friendship!

Its been a rather interesting week; I have met some really nice people and I have been inspired greatly by them. Some of them, I have known for years, but only reconnected with them this week, while the others are people I just met randomly. I believe this wasn't by accident for the Good Book says "The steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord".

One of those friends is a gentleman called Edmond Kizito. I worked with Edmond in Radio One in 1998; he often encouraged me and shared with me the Word of God. I found him extremely insightful but we lost contact when he left the station and since then, we never really communicated till he surfaced on Facebook, this week.

We had a really interesting discussion; it focused on my professional development. Im a very restless person who gets bored easily and I have been feeling a little tired of "talking for a living" but some of the people I shared this with, were surprised because they felt that being a "celebrity" is extremely fulfilling; well it isn't.

Im glad that when i sought counsel from Edmond, he gave me a totally different perspective. This is what he said,

"You have to be prepared. The first signs of unease are not the real thing. Eventually God speaks to you clearly and then you know you really are ready to go and when that happens, you will find that there are people waiting at the door to take you to your destiny. And it pays and it is really satisfying because it is your final calling".

Well, if you're going through what Im going through, you will find Edmond's counsel extremely useful.......thats why I started this blog....to help you and I along this rather never ending journey!!! Happy Sunday!

The art of saying "GOODBYE!'

When I read this piece below, I knew I had to start perfecting the art of saying goodbye.......and perhaps you need to as well.

Today it is exactly 98 days left to the end of the year and I can tell you I have already decreed that the year 2009 is my year of fulfillment and I know it shall come to pass ( an amen to that ) but first I need to.............

LET GO


There are people who can walk away from you.
And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you, let them walk.
I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk.
Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us.
For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. So stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to......
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ......
LET IT GO!!!
If someone can't treat you right, love you back, andsee your worth.....
LET IT GO!!!
If someone has angered you .
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......
LET IT GO!!!
If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......
LET IT GO!!!
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents
LET IT GO!!!
If you! u have a bad attitude.......
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......
LET IT GO!!!
If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level inHim........
LET IT GO!!!
If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......
LET IT GO!!!
If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......
LET IT GO!!!
If you're feeling depressed and stressed ..........
LET IT GO!!!
If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying "take your hands off of it," then you need to......
LET IT GO!!!
Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for you!
LET IT GO!!!
Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then .
LET IT GO!!!

Because "The Battle is the Lord's!"

Source: Bishop T.D Jakes

Lessons...............

Its the end of another day and I'm about to go to bed............yawwwwwwwwwwn! Been doing a lot of reflecting, this evening....been thinking about how this year has been and I came to one conclusion; its been extremely tough. I have experienced loss and I have experienced pain. I have had to deal with post traumatic stress; I had never grieved for my mother who passed on 4 years ago, I never quite dealt with it, but this year I had to. I had to deal with doing a job that I particularly had despised for a long time and I had to work with people whose ideals I never quite agreed with.

I have worked for 13 years plus and I had never quite experienced salary delays; I did for the first time this year and trust me, I felt like not only walking out of the job but walking out of the country too. I still experience those delays by the way and man has it become hard to plan my finances effectively.

I had always had it easy; my life always seemed predictable and I kind of enjoyed it that way but this year presented challenges that I wasn't prepared to face but thank God for His amazing grace.

Somebody once said, " how do you know if you're an overcomer if you don't go through battles? How do you learn to live by faith if you don't experience any difficulties?"

This year, I realized that God can never let you go through what He knows you can't handle. He will always give you the ability to deal with it, you may get wounded in the process, but you certainly will emerge victorious. There are times I cried my eyes out and wondered if I could even face the light of another day.

After some time, I knew that the only way I would be able to deal with the challenges, was through prayer and meditating on God's word. Thats the only way I would have peace. I knew there was no point in explaining myself to anybody; attempts to do that had proved to be counter productive so I chose to depend on God for strength.

No one understood what I was going through; I didn't either and thats when I knew that only He could deal with this so I handed it over to Him and since then, I have been a joyful and peaceful person. I have come out of my shell and extended help to others.

The challenges are still there but Im still here too!

Its been humbling and I know one day I will be grateful that this ever happened.

Have a good night

Virginity

I met somebody yesterday, now before you start jumping to conclusions, I would like to inform you that I'm a "counselor" so I meet people all the time and they always end up opening up to me, probably because they believe I can be trusted...wink, wink.

Well, this guy, who is in his early 30s, is dating a lady who is in her early 20's, and between the both of them, they have an age difference of 11 years. Well, he told me that the lady has a major problem; she is a virgin. I burst into laughter because I found it so funny. He told me that he is teaching her lots of things and is dreading the time when we he will have to teach her how to make love.

He told me that he couldn't believe that somebody as pretty as her would still be a virgin; he said it with such disgust that I wondered what crime the poor girl had committed.

Well to cut the long story short; I simply told him to be proud of her instead and encouraged him to wait until they get married before he starts having sex with her.

Well, I was pleased to hear that he hadn't touched her and wasn't planning to until marriage. I don't know if he will keep that promise but I was relieved to hear he was willing to do it.

My conversation with him got me thinking about our values. What do we stand for? Why is purity, honesty and integrity frowned upon while maliciousness, greed and corruption glamorized especially in Africa?

Look at the people we vote into power; half of us vote for thugs and when they start misbehaving we point our fingers at them when we were actually responsible for putting them in power instead. Its simply ridiculous1 No wonder they say the world is about to end? How else would you explain this?

Guilty as charged.................but I can explain

I know I'm guilty for being not only quiet but being inconsistent as well. August was a pretty tough month for me; I fell sick, then my internet connection went haywire and in the process I almost got depressed because lots of things just didn't seem to be working right so I decided to chill for a while.

Secondly I also had to take time to think about this blog and what I wanted to achieve with it. Im just not the kind of person who starts projects just for the heck of it; I'm a firm believer in purpose and perseverance too, so looks like I'm back and hopefully back for good!!!

So what have you been up to while I was away? Hope we can talk about it sometime, in the meantime, I guess you will just have to bear with my rantings and man do I have a lot to talk about? Its just after 5 here and its time for me to look through the news bulletin...so Im outta here!!

Just for laughs...

POLITICALLY INCORRECT

No harm in sounding a lot more elegant in your speech, take a look...Im sure this will get you cracking..will send some more soon. Knock yourself out!

A Criminal - unsavory character
A Crook - morally (ethically) challenged
Abortion - Near-Life Experience
Alcoholic - Anti-Sobriety Activist
Alive - temporarily metabolically abled.
An Immigrant - a newcomer
Assassination - involuntary term limitation
Bald - comb-free
Bald - folically independent
Bald - follicularly challenged.
Battle Fatigued - shellshocked
Blind - optically darker
Blind - photonically non-receptive
Blind - visually challenged
Body OBroken Down Automobile - mechanically challenged
Broken Home - Dysfunctional Family
Bum - Displaced Homeowner
Bum - Homeless Person
Bum - Involuntarily Domiciled
Cannibalism - Intra-Species Dining
Censorship - Selective Speech
Cheating - Academic Dishonesty
China - Porcelain
Chronically Late - Temporarily Challenged
Clumsy - uniquely coordinateddor - nondiscretionary fragrance.

Courtesy: www.bored.com

To be skinny or not to be?

Well recently, I was accused of being obamarised and therefore advised to be exorcised....lol. I wonder if the person was just jealous of the kind of attention I was giving to Obama...I really wonder....lol. Well, I found an interesting article on BET.com that reminded me of the 2001 presidential elections in Uganda which had two really strong candidates; Yoweri Museveni and Kizza Besigye. A lot of people felt the latter's appearance did him a diservice; they thought the whole blue-black-brown complexion was an indication that he had a terminal disease..does he? I have no idea, Im not his doctor.

Anyways, BET came out with an interesting article titled " Is Obama to skinny to be President?" An interesting read I must say...here goes:

"This question comes from the notion that most Americans of voting age are overweight - some 66 percent of the electorate in fact would be considered overweight; another 32 percent are obese, by most health measures. And to be string-bean thin, like Obama, is considered “different.” In fact, one “unnamed [Hillary] Clinton supporter” actually wrote on a Yahoo political message board: “I won’t vote for any beanpole guy.”


"But is this “difference” really enough of a reason to say that the thin candidate can’t relate to our issues? OR, is this yet another smokescreen that people are using to hide their true feelings - that they would never vote to elect a Black president? Sounds like a smokescreen to me. I’m no beanpole, but certainly Obama’s weight - or lack thereof - won’t matter to me when I get in the voting booth. Isn’t it a bit shallow to make a presidential choice that way? Shouldn’t it matter more to that Hillary supporter that there’s someone in the White House who supports women’s rights, equal opportunities for women and the right of everyone to have health care and get an education - regardless of his or her weight? Shouldn’t it matter more that one is able to relate to a candidate based on what he says he’ll do and how he’s voted in the past, instead of whether he’s skinny or fat?"

Frankly I dont know if a Presidential candidate's wieght is a factor in determining whether he or she could make a good president...but I believe it can be a turn off if you are obese. I believe the President is the number PR person of a country. That means his appearance counts..but whats the point in having a Denzel Washington or Matthew Fox look alike if they cant deliver! I wonder what you think...

I must start this post by apologising for the empty promise I made on Sunday; I promised that I would blog on Monday, but I didnt...too many issues!!!

First of all, I seem to be getting bored with my environment; I woke up this morning feeling bored and lonely...lol. Its not easy being away from home. I had to really psyche myself for work today and thank God for His grace, I managed to get my groove on and I had a fantastic show.

Life gets difficult sometimes, doesnt it? The problem here is that its not easy to make good friends..people will only be with you because there is something you have that they want. It could be anything ranging from your money, expertise and even your body!!! Scary huh? I believe if you can live here, you can live almost anywhere in the world. Port Harcourt is rather slow compared to Lagos but the level of insecurity is pretty high. Its advisable to keep a very low profile here or else you will be kidnapped!

Investigations conducted by security agencies have revealed that family members, househelps, drivers, friends and colleagues of the victim are largely responsible for these incidents. They tip off the militants and when the ransom is given, they share the loot. Strange things go on here....the daughter of the aide to the Deputy Governor of Lagos, recently staged her own kidnapping; when her father gave the kidnappers the ransom, they shared the loot. She had to confess afterwards though...lol. Absolutely ridiculous!

Kidnapping is big business in this country especially here in Rivers State; as long as your are a foriegner or related to a big shot, you really have to keep a low profile or else you will be kidnapped.

Well, yours truly takes it easy all the time...I have become slightly nigerianised!!! I can cook some Nigerian foods..not only that..i can do a little pidgin english so I kind of get lost in the crowd!! For how long, I really wonder...just watch this space!!! Lol.. have a great evening depending on what time it is in your part of the world!!

Still learning...

Just finished reading a major news bulletin on air and looks like I murdered a couple of Nigerian names!!! Lol...been here three years plus...but I just cant seem to pronounce them properly all the time. No matter how much I practice, my tongue just gets twisted during my "BBC moment"; the time I feel that I can compete favourably on the international air waves..lol. I wish!!!

Well I had to come to work today..story of my life...wish I was being extra for that but alas, it is not so.

I couldn't go to church today, had to tidy up a couple of things so I decided to spend quality time with the Lord and I must say, it was a great experience!!!

My devotion today focused on the purpose of prayer. I have lifted an extract from "Rhapsody of Realities", a devotional published by the Believer's Love World Inc. and written by Pastor Chris and Anita Oyakhilome..so here goes:

"We pray because of the impact it has on our spirits. Look at Jesus, He was always praying even though He was hundred percent God in human flesh. He spoke openly about His oneness with the Father, He didnt merely pray to get God to do something for Him, or bring the power down, for He was the embodiment of divinity. Why then did He pray? He prayed because of what prayer did to His spirit. Everytime He came down from the mountain after praying, tremendous miracles followed because He had activated the power through prayer"!

There you are; more prayer, more power, less prayer, less power, the choice is yours!!!

Have a great week!!

See ya tomorrow

Its been raining cats and dogs since yesterday. When it rains in Port Harcourt, it gets extremely muddy and most of the roads are impassable. In fact, you are better off walking home that getting stuck in traffic during the evening rush hour; its absolutely terrible. I have moved through floods knee high and I have also been piggy backed because I'm a little vertically challenged........lol. Well, I have been thinking..where did the expression, :its raining cats and dogs come from? Well there are several theories...check them out World Wide Words offers several possible derivations for the saying, including an old sailor's myth that cats have sway over the weather. Feline meteorological magic, coupled with a symbolic association of storms with dogs, may be the genesis for the phrase. But we can't be sure.

The chatty etymology newsletter Take Our Word For It mentions another intriguing possibility. On account of the notorious inefficiency of 17th-century sewage and drainage systems, the streets of European cities were often littered with debris and dead animals after heavy rainstorms. They had to come from somewhere, right?

Animalplanet.com offers yet two more possibilities for this colorful expression. It could liken the racket made by a storm to the thunderous noise made by fighting cats and dogs. Or, it may arise from the era of thatched roofs when downpours would bring cats and dogs dozing atop houses down onto the occupants.

A general interest weather site run by Wheeling Jesuit University traces the history of raining wildlife. There are several accounts of frogs, fish, and grasshoppers falling from the sky, usually as a result of tornado-like whirlwinds. Cats and dogs, however, have yet to make the list.

The leading theory seems to be that animals have been associated with weather for centuries. Cats stand for rain, and dogs for wind.

Yawwwwwwwwwwn!!

I feel so sleepy today; its a wonder that I have been able to do my show this afternoon. I talked myself hoarse and by the time I was done, I was really drained.

You've probably noticed that I dont have any pictures on the blog yet...lol. I must admit that Im learning how to post pictures...when Im through with that, this blog will have a totally different look!!

Its time for me to go home..I hear its about to rain. When it rains in Port Harcourt (capital of Rivers State, Nigeria) you have to brace yourself for a major flood so Im out of here!!!

GIVE IT UP FOR THE LEFTIES!!

Today is International Day for Left Handers.

I know it sounds pretty weird but this day has been celebrated on August 13th since 1976. It was initiated by the International Left Handers Club in the US to promote awareness of the inconveniences facing left-handers in a predominantly right-handed world. Every year since then, they have celebrated their right to be left handed.

Now, why are people left handed?

No one has come up with a definitive reason for WHY some people are left-handed, but about 13% of the population around the world are, and it is thought to be genetic - it definitely runs in families. Researchers have recently located a gene they believe "makes it possible to have a left-handed child " so if you have that gene, one or more of your children may be left-handed, whereas without it, you will only have right-handers - sorry! The good news is, that if you are left-handed yourself, you have that gene and will pass it on through the generations!

So, whats the big deal?

Some researchers claim that we are more intelligent and eloquent that our right-handed counterparts. In tests conducted by Dr. Alan Searleman from St Lawrence University in New York, he found that left-handers can be considerably more intellectually gifted.
There were more left-handed people with IQs over 140 than right-handed people - which is the "genius" bracket. This is perhaps why there are more "lefties" in creative professions - such as music, art and writing - and more left-handed astronauts and leaders than would be expected.


So who are some of these lefthanders?

Leonardo Vinci, Prince William, Prince Charles, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Brad Pitt....its such a long list but Im sure these names do sound and look familiar!! They are all high achievers so if you are left handed...

"The One"

This is a really interesting satirical piece that almost cracked my ribs, thanks to naijablog.blogspot.com which is a must read if you want to be intellectually stimulated all the time! Lots of food for thought.

Well here's some Obama mania, knock yourself out!!!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article4392846.ece



He ventured forth to bring light to the world
The anointed one's pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a miracle in action - and a blessing to all his faithful followers


And it came to pass, in the eighth year of the reign of the evil Bush the Younger (The Ignorant), when the whole land from the Arabian desert to the shores of the Great Lakes had been laid barren, that a Child appeared in the wilderness.

The Child was blessed in looks and intellect. Scion of a simple family, offspring of a miraculous union, grandson of a typical white person and an African peasant. And yea, as he grew, the Child walked in the path of righteousness, with only the occasional detour into the odd weed and a little blow.

When he was twelve years old, they found him in the temple in the City of Chicago, arguing the finer points of community organisation with the Prophet Jeremiah and the Elders. And the Elders were astonished at what they heard and said among themselves: “Verily, who is this Child that he opens our hearts and minds to the audacity of hope?”


In the great Battles of Caucus and Primary he smote the conniving Hillary, wife of the deposed King Bill the Priapic and their barbarian hordes of Working Class Whites.

And so it was, in the fullness of time, before the harvest month of the appointed year, the Child ventured forth - for the first time - to bring the light unto all the world.

He travelled fleet of foot and light of camel, with a small retinue that consisted only of his loyal disciples from the tribe of the Media. He ventured first to the land of the Hindu Kush, where the
Taleban had harboured the viper of al-Qaeda in their bosom, raining terror on all the world.
And the Child spake and the tribes of Nato immediately loosed the Caveats that had previously bound them. And in the great battle that ensued the forces of the light were triumphant. For as long as the Child stood with his arms raised aloft, the enemy suffered great blows and the threat of terror was no more.


From there he went forth to Mesopotamia where he was received by the great ruler al-Maliki, and al-Maliki spake unto him and blessed his Sixteen Month Troop Withdrawal Plan even as the imperial warrior Petraeus tried to destroy it.

And lo, in Mesopotamia, a miracle occurred. Even though the Great Surge of Armour that the evil Bush had ordered had been a terrible mistake, a waste of vital military resources and doomed to end in disaster, the Child's very presence suddenly brought forth a great victory for the forces of the light.

And the Persians, who saw all this and were greatly fearful, longed to speak with the Child and saw that the Child was the bringer of peace. At the mention of his name they quickly laid aside their intrigues and beat their uranium swords into civil nuclear energy ploughshares.


From there the Child went up to the city of Jerusalem, and entered through the gate seated on an ass. The crowds of network anchors who had followed him from afar cheered “Hosanna” and waved great palm fronds and strewed them at his feet.

In Jerusalem and in surrounding Palestine, the Child spake to the Hebrews and the Arabs, as the Scripture had foretold. And in an instant, the lion lay down with the lamb, and the Israelites and Ishmaelites ended their long enmity and lived for ever after in peace.


As word spread throughout the land about the Child's wondrous works, peoples from all over flocked to hear him; Hittites and Abbasids; Obamacons and McCainiacs; Cameroonians and Blairites.

And they told of strange and wondrous things that greeted the news of the Child's journey. Around the world, global temperatures began to decline, and the ocean levels fell and the great warming was over.

The Great Prophet Algore of Nobel and Oscar, who many had believed was the anointed one, smiled and told his followers that the Child was the one generations had been waiting for.
And there were other wonderful signs. In the city of the Street at the Wall, spreads on interbank interest rates dropped like manna from Heaven and rates on credit default swaps fell to the ground as dead birds from the almond tree, and the people who had lived in foreclosure were able to borrow again.

Black gold gushed from the ground at prices well below $140 per barrel. In hospitals across the land the sick were cured even though they were uninsured. And all because the Child had pronounced it.

And this is the testimony of one who speaks the truth and bears witness to the truth so that you might believe. And he knows it is the truth for he saw it all on CNN and the BBC and in the pages of The New York Times.

Then the Child ventured forth from Israel and Palestine and stepped onto the shores of the Old Continent. In the land of Queen Angela of Merkel, vast multitudes gathered to hear his voice, and he preached to them at length.


But when he had finished speaking his disciples told him the crowd was hungry, for they had had nothing to eat all the hours they had waited for him.

And so the Child told his disciples to fetch some food but all they had was five loaves and a couple of frankfurters. So he took the bread and the frankfurters and blessed them and told his disciples to feed the multitudes. And when all had eaten their fill, the scraps filled twelve baskets.

Thence he travelled west to Mount Sarkozy. Even the beauteous Princess Carla of the tribe of the Bruni was struck by awe and she was great in love with the Child, but he was tempted not.

On the Seventh Day he walked across the Channel of the Angles to the ancient land of the hooligans. There he was welcomed with open arms by the once great prophet Blair and his successor, Gordon the Leper, and his successor, David the Golden One.

And suddenly, with the men appeared the archangel Gabriel and the whole host of the heavenly choir, ranks of cherubim and seraphim, all praising God and singing: “Yes, We Can.”

Lol.............I really feel sorry for Obama sometimes, inadvertently he's been described as the Black Messiah, that kind of sounds blasphemous but Im only regurgitating what the American media is talking about. Frankly I dont agree with that notion. What do you think?

Just wondering...

Its been a rather hectic start to the week!! I made up my mind to do whatever it is to the best of my ability no matter what the circumstances are. Sometimes, its so easy to get discouraged especially if you are as ambitious as I am. I love to get things when I want them but life is not always like that. Sometimes, you just have to wait and that can be a veeeeery painful process. Frankly, its only the grace of God that can keep you sane in the midst of it all. I have been living in Nigeria for over three years and if you havent learnt how to be patient and tolerant just by living here, then you will never learn.....lol.

I live in the Niger Delta region, Rivers State specifically. Almost every single day, one militant group or the other is threatening to cause mayhem in the country. Its either because a politician has said something they dont like or the Federal government is proposing to beef up security in the region. How can I forget to mention the people they kidnap all in the name of social justice; question is this, why dont they go ahead and deal with the leaders who are charged with the responsibility of developing the area. Where does all the revenue go? Beats me sometimes!!!

Thats why I love Nigeria; paradoxes!!!

FINALLY, FINALLY

Finally, I have created this blog and Im really excited!!!! I guess my major challenge is to update it regularly but with your input Im sure it will be a pleasurable exercise. I have had a rather tough week; work, work, and more work. But more importantly, its a week where I felt every part of me screaming for help. I could have easily given up on so many things; I had too many questions but very few answers. I felt like just packing my bags and leaving on the next plane out of the state and out of the country but the Good Lord sustained me and I remembered that whatever it is Im going through is for a purpose and in order for me to reach my next destination, I must go through this, so here I am. My bags are unpacked and Im ready to roll...Welcome to my WORLD!!!