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A new Thai airline is hiring transsexuals as flight attendants, aiming at a unique identity to set itself apart from competitors as it sets out for the skies.

Known as 'katoeys' or 'ladyboys,' transgenders and transsexuals have greater visibility in Thailand than in many other nations, holding mainstream jobs in a variety of fields.

They are especially common in cosmetics shops or health stores, which almost always have a ladyboy shop assistant.

 

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In demand: Four transsexual flight attendants were chosen by new airline PC Air after hundreds applied for the positions

PC Air, a charter airline set to start operations on Asian routes in April, originally planned only to hire male and female flight attendants.

But it changed its mind after receiving more than 100 job applications from transvestites and transsexuals.

Four were chosen, along with 19 female and 7 male flight attendants.

While the airline strives for equality, PC Air president Peter Chan, who chooses the transsexual cabin crew himself, said he needed to spend longer with interviews for such applicants.

'For male flight attendants, if I don't want to hire them, it's because of their attitude or their characters, like the way they walk and smile.

'When I knew that I got this job, I burst into tears because I'm very happy,' said 24-year-old Chayathisa Nakmai.

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Instruction: PC Air flight attendants watch during a make-up training session in Bangkok

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Training: Officials from PC Air said it had to be spend all day interview transsexual applications to make sure they had 'feminine character'

'I had sent many applications to different airlines.'

The airline said that the qualifications for the ladyboy flight attendants were the same as for female flight attendants, with the additional provisos that they be like women in how they walk and talk, and have a feminine voice and the right attitude.

Though there is very little discrimination against ladyboys in Thailand, they are not officially recognised as women and their identification cards will always say 'male'.

'For female flight attendants, if they have no patience and their character does not qualify, we won't hire them,' he added.

'For transsexuals, we can't just spend five or 10 minutes with them, we have to spend the whole day with them to make sure they have feminine characters.'

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Taking off: The new airline will initially fly to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and China

The airline said it may hire more flight attendants from the 'third gender' in the future since the Department of Civil Aviation has no objections.

Though excited by the opportunity, the transsexual flight attendants said they were aware they needed to prove themselves.

'People will keep their eyes on us... There will be more pressure,' said Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 23, who was crowned as Thailand's most beautiful transvestite in 2007.

'We have to prepare ourselves more than the women.'..

The airline is initially set to fly to South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and China.


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images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSApipaWStO_DkKCGmK6zyYz9U78WIX-OQPxF3UmgYJNbiUIfVbRihanna makes history in UK chart
Rihanna has set a new record as the first female solo artist in UK chart history to achieve number one singles in five consecutive years.
The Official Charts Company announced her record after What's My Name? rose from number two to the top spot.
The last solo artist to achieve the feat was Elvis Presley, who had number ones in each year from 1957 to 1963.
Rihanna's album Loud also holds on to its number one slot, giving her the second UK chart double of her career.

 

 

Loud has now sold nearly 900,000 copies since its release in November last year.

As well as her number one, Rihanna, who is 22 and from Barbados, also appears on two other songs in the top 10 - Only Girl (In The World) and Who's That Chick.

Only Girl (In The World) was a number one last year and followed other number ones for Run This Town (2009), Take A Bow (2008) and Umbrella (2007).

Other albums which have re-entered the top 10 are Plan B's The Defamation of Strickland Banks, Rumer's Seasons Of My Soul and Cee Lo Green's The Lady Killer which climbs to its highest chart position yet at number four.

In the singles chart, the BBC's Sound Of 2011 winner, Jessie J, climbs to number five from last week's 18 with Do It Like A Dude.

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Ocean Boys recorded a long overdue first win of the season when they defeated Niger Tornadoes 2-0 on Sunday. But the victory came at a cost as the club’s left back, Emmanuel Ogoli died during the match.

Ogoli slumped on the pitch in the 39th minute of play and after efforts at resuscitating him failed, he was rushed into an ambulance. He was confirmed dead on the way to the hospital.

photo:late Ogoli & okwaraji

The former Bayelsa United skipper only recently returned to first team duties with the former league champions after suffering a knee injury in a week two Premier League game against Plateau United at the Samson Siasia Stadium on November 14 following a clash with Plateau United’s Obinna Nwokolo..

He subsequently missed his side’s 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Rangers in Enugu but resumed training way ahead of schedule and even got to play a part in his club’s 1-1 draw at home to Sharks.

He also featured in penultimate weekend’s 1-0 loss at Gombe United and returned to the starting line-up in yesterday’s game against Niger Tornadoes, which turned out to be the last of his career.

Teammates in shock

“I still can’t believe what happened to Emma. One second he was standing and the very next he was lying flat on the pitch,” narrated Ocean Boys goalkeeper, Femi Thomas amidst tears.

“There was no challenge of any sort; no one touched him. He just went down in the (penalty) box not too far away from where I was standing,” recalled the former Nigeria junior international who, like the rest of the Ocean Boys squad, didn’t get to hear the sad news until the end of the game.

“We weren’t told anything until after the match. We were all shocked; we are still in shock and there’s no way we can celebrate,” added the former Nasarawa United shot stopper.

But for Ogoli’s death, there would have been every reason to celebrate Sunday’s win at the Samson Siasia Stadium as it was the first win of the campaign for the side from Brass and lifted them off the bottom of the league table ahead of the Jos based duo of Plateau United and JUTH, who both suffered defeats at the weekend, the latter, a 2-0 home loss to Kwara United.

History of deaths

Ogoli’s death won’t the first time a Nigerian player will be dying while on club or national duty with one of the earliest cases occurring back in August 1989 when Nigerian midfielder Samuel Okwaraji collapsed and died while playing against Angola in a World Cup Qualifier. An autopsy later showed that the 24-year-old had an enlarged heart and high blood pressure.

In the Nigerian league, back in October 1995, Julius Berger forward Amir Angwe, who five years earlier was the star of BCC Lions’ CAF Cup Winners Cup success, collapsed and died at the Onikan Stadium, Lagos.

He was later diagnosed to have died of a heart attack which was the same diagnoses for John Ikoroma who died while playing for Middle East club Al-Wahda in February 2000.

There was also the case of Warri Wolves goalkeeper Orobosa Adun, who slumped and died during a training session in May 2009, as well as Endurance Idahor, who in March this year collapsed while playing for his Sudanese club Al Merreikh and died on the way to hospital.

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jpeg&STREAMOID=9vtf1U63A0gwNgNVoI_hsi6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxTyTGWcMJkAfYfEQJaeSa1hnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-&width=333Ex Big Brother housemate, Geraldine, launches first novel

Former Nigerian Big Brother housemate, Geraldine Iheme, recently launched her first novel ‘Disfigured Emotions’ at the Oriental Hotels, Victoria Island, on December 29, 2010. Comedian, Basket Mouth, was the event compere while the book launch was preceded by a Red Carpet session.

Speaking about the idea behind the book, Ms. Iheme said she decided to write it because many issues are not being talked about and it is hurting in every sense. In her words “it is a fiction novel; it’s a world that exists only in my head”, as she invites everyone to come experience that world. The book is a captivating and intriguing story of unspoken truth and a definite ‘must read’. Fellow housemates from South Africa and Mozambique were present to give their support.

The night was blended with comedy by Basket Mouth and Fx and musical performances by super vocalist, Bez, and sensational Modele and Chike.

‘Disfigured Emotions’ is a story of love, broken hearts, pain, neglect, betrayal, and abandonment.

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New Nigerian singles

Kicking off 2011 in a grand style, Naeto C features Asa in a track titled ‘Share My Blessings’. His much anticipated album ‘Super C Season’ album is scheduled for release later in the month.

As a build-up to the Nigerian general elections, Storm Record’s General Pype is out with a new single ‘Nigeria Love (Forever Green)’. The song was delivered over Jay-Z’s ‘Forever Young’ instrumental and preaches national solidarity, while also criticising the corrupt leaders in the country.

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Rock great, Chuck Berry, falls ill at New Year’s show

Rock ‘n’ roll star, Chuck Berry, was feeling fine and headed back to his hometown of St. Louis, associates said on Sunday, hours after the musician fell ill during a New Year’s performance in Chicago.

The 84-year-old entertainer startled fans on Saturday night when he slumped over his electric piano before a crowd of some 3,000 at Chicago’s Congress Theater and had to be helped off stage.

Berry returned about 30 minutes later, waved to the crowd and said he was OK, according to concert-goer, Jim O’Malley. Then, as if to reassure the audience, he did an abbreviated version of his signature duck-walk move before leaving the stage again.

An assistant to Berry said in a telephone on Sunday morning that the artiste confirmed that he was feeling well and returning to his home outside St. Louis in the afternoon. Another associate, Joe Edwards, owner of the Blueberry Hill nightclub in St. Louis where Berry performs monthly, told Reuters, “I spoke to people with him, and he is en route to St. Louis and he is OK. He is in flight right now. I think he was just tired.”

“He is in phenomenal health, and he doesn’t drink or smoke, and is a very strong person,” Edwards added.

Hotel staff at the Hard Rock Hotel in Chicago, where Berry was staying, also told Reuters they saw the performer on Sunday morning and that he looked good.

Berry’s next performance at Blueberry Hill is slated for January 19 and already sold out.

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Actor David Arquette in rehab

Actor, David Arquette, the estranged husband of former ‘Friends’ star, Courteney Cox, has checked into rehab to deal with alcohol and depression issues, according to news reports on Sunday.

Arquette, 39, and Cox, 46, announced in October that they were undergoing a trial separation after 11 years and one daughter together, but still loved each other “deeply.” Since then, both have been linked to other people, while Arquette has been unusually open about his marital woes and his subsequent sexual and drinking activities.

People Magazine said Cox was supportive of her husband’s decision to get help. “I really admire David and his choice to take charge and better his life,” it quoted Cox as saying. “I love and support him.”

The couple met on the set of the 1996 horror film ‘Scream’, and married three years later.

But while Cox enjoyed a red-hot decade-long run on ‘Friends’ as the fussy domestic diva Monica, Arquette failed to capitalise on the commercial success of the ‘Scream’ series and on the critical acclaim for his 2001 Holocaust drama ‘The Grey Zone’. The couple will reunite on screen in April when ‘Scream 4’ is due to hit theatres.

 

 

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John Godson, who represents the governing Civic Platform party, will take up his seat in the Polish lower house of parliament following the resignation of a party colleague.

The 40-year-old university lecturer said he wants to "ensure Poland had found a place in Africa" and that he hopes to promote race relations in a country that is overwhelmingly white and monocultural.

Mr Godson moved to Poland in the early 1990s from his native Nigeria, and but since taking citizenship in 2000 he has put down roots in the central city of Lodz, marrying a local girl and serving on the city council for a number of years.

"I am from Lodz, I will live here, I want to die here and I want to be buried here," he said in a newspaper interview. ...

His arrival in the Polish parliament is remarkable given that Poland only has a tiny number of ethnic minorities, with the country's 2002 census putting the number of people of a non-European origin at little more than a couple of thousand.

Although racism still occurs in Poland, and occasionally blights football matches involving coloured players, it has dropped significantly since the early 1990s when far-right groups flourished in the years following the collapse of communism.

Mr Godson will also become one of just a handful of black politicians in central Europe.

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Despite brutal questioning by a Senate select committee, Central Bank governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, yesterday stood by his comments that the National Assembly’s budget for overhead is 25.4% of the nation’s total..

Mr Sanusi withstood strong attempts to browbeat him into admitting that the figures were at least lower than that, or that he was misquoted by the media.

The public hearing convened by the Senate followed newspaper publications quoting the Central Bank governor as saying that the nation spends one-quarter of its funds on running the National Assembly, and a subsequent publication quoting the finance minster as saying he would cut the budgetary allocation to the assembly.

Mr Sanusi had at a lecture delivered at the eighth convocation of the Igbinedion University , Okada, Edo State, said 25% of the nation’s resources are spent on the lawmakers. This annoyed the Senators who ordered him to appear before them and defend his statement.

The Central Bank governor appeared on Wednesday before the Senate committee alongside the finance minister, Olusegun Aganga. However, unlike the finance minister who quickly dissociated himself from the statement that he intended cutting allocation to the assembly, Mr. Sanusi admitted saying that 25.4% of the nation’s overhead cost is spent on the National Assembly...

He held his grounds, backing his statements with records from other national dailies which quoted him correctly, and with statistics from the budget office.

Mr. Aganga who later assumed the role of an umpire told the Senators that the CBN governor’s figures were correct although they may appear wrong in another context.

The minister argued that overhead cost figures which include Service Wide Votes (money spent on maintenance of government facilities), are as legitimate those which do not include the votes.

Rage

Evidently angry, Iyiola Omisore (PDP Osun State) who led the Senate panel alleged that the CBN governor had chosen to deliberately incite Nigerians against the Assembly. He asked Mr. Aganga to state categorically whether Mr. Sanusi’s statement was right or wrong. The minister again said the statement depends on context or the way one chooses to use statistics.

Members of the Senate panel made up of four different committees could not hold back their rage against the unyielding CBN governor and frequently compared him to the more amenable finance minister, trying to coax him into some form of apology.

The Senators made no effort to hide their bias and blatantly refused to give any room to the Central Bank governor, to defend his figures and the context in which they were used.

Mr. Omisore pointedly told the harassed CBN governor at one point that the committee was not prepared to listen to him and that he must direct his responses through the finance minister. Mr Sanusi, however, occasionally barged in to make the point that his figures were right and that he got them from the director of budget’s office.

No apology

He said he would only apologise if the figures from the budget office were wrong. He insisted that, “Total Federal Government Overhead is over N500 billion and the Overhead of the National Assembly is N136.2 billion. This is exactly 25.1 per cent of total government overhead. I am quoting from the figure I got from the Budget Office. If you like, you can invite the Director-General of the Budget Office.’’ When told by Mr. Omisore, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, that the figure was wrong following a clarification by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Sanusi replied: “I don’t know where the minister got his figures.” To the calls on him to apologise, he said, “By my nature, if I do not believe that I am wrong, I do not apologise.” He urged the Senators to examine the context under which he made his statement which was actually in a lecture about factors that fuel inflationary trends.

Staking his job

After hours of fruitless attempts to get the CBN governor to admit wrongdoing and apologise to the Senators, the lawmakers seemed to deviate from the matter and begin to question the character of the governor and the annual budget of the CBN.

“We really need to be sure that the CBN governor has the character to stay in that office,” Heineken Lokpobiri (PDP Bayelsa State) said.

Other Senators took turns to tongue lash the CBN governor. They accused him of speaking too much and asked him questions like “do you enjoy your job? Do you feel like quitting?’’ And if he thinks democracy is too expensive.

“My name is Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, (my name is) not Central Bank Governor. I enjoy my job but if you want me to quit, I will honourably quit,” Mr Sanusi replied before a cheering crowd of spectators.

The unwavering Central Bank governor told the Senators that the survival of democracy is dependent on allowing people the freedom to speak. He added that he had always been involved in the fight for democracy way back to the time of June 12 and that even if the military takes over now, he will still fight them off.

The issue remained unresolved as both sides disagreed with each other’s figures. However, Mr. Omisore gave the CBN governor a stern warning not to use such figures in comments about the National Assembly anymore.

Mr. Sanusi is also expected to appear before the entire House of Representatives today to defend his statement.

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Have you lost hope?

Are you sick of slogging away on sites such as Match.com and eHarmony.com to find the partner of your dreams? Or at least the partner who will put up with your dead lizard collection, your back hair, and your difficult morning breath?

Then perhaps it is time to be honest with yourself. Perhaps it is time to look in the mirror and decide that you should be at the Ugly Bug Ball. Or, more accurately, on it...

The Ugly Bug Ball is a dating site for those who are aesthetically challenged. That is the creators' description, not mine. Though I am surprised that this site doesn't already include at least 95 percent of society.

"We deal in reality", the site says. So for those who wonder whether a site for the more Shreky (and, who knows, techy) has no chance of success, might I reveal that the Ugly Bug Ball has just announced its first engagement?

The Telegraph tells me that Tom Clifford and Janine Walker, two of the Ugly Bug Ball's members, are to be betrothed.

Some of the people who have signed up for the site.

(Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

If you are cynical enough to imagine that it has taken some time for them to become used to their unique features, then you are to be uniquely pitied. For it was only in August that Clifford, 36, wrote to Walker that he had "a face that makes children cry." (Personally, I feel he was using a technique known as "underpromise and overdeliver.")

Walker, 31, offered the Telegraph a moving tribute to Clifford and to their relationship: "I appreciate that Tom isn't Brad Pitt, but then I'm no Angelina Jolie either."

The Ugly Bug Ball is so pleased to herald the site's first engagement that it has offered the beautiful, happy couple a honeymoon-- in an Ugly Bug caravan in Wales.

However, perhaps the most surprising, human, and moving aspect of this site resides in the sort of people who believe they qualify as ugly. While I wouldn't dream of offering a desperate cliche about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, it seems clear that there is some extremely peculiar beholding going on in the world.

Vogue has a lot to answer for. As does the National Enquirer.

It might make some wonder how it is that certain people behold themselves as beautiful. Yes, they're the folks who put stunning pictures of themselves up on Match.com and eHarmony in the hope that no one will notice that, in real life, they bear rather more resemblance to, well, character actors.

The Ugly Bug Ball surely represents something more real and, simultaneously, refined. One can only wish Clifford and Walker lasting happiness. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. In the heat of the night and in the cold light of morning.

blog_chris_matyszczyk_60x60.png Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20021278-71.html#ixzz141dN8JhZ
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P-Square’s dad visits sons in Lagos for the first time • ‘He apologized for not supporting our musical career’
By Samuel Olatunji

For the first time in 20 years, the father of the popular singing duo, Peter and Paul Okoye, popularly known as P-Square, has visited his superstar sons in Lagos last week Tuesday to felicitate with them in their new mansion at the Omole, Ogba area.

P-Square

The man, who came with his wife and mother of his six children from Jos was pleasantly surprised to see how far his sons have come. He was said to be skeptical initially towards the choice of musical career of his twin sons, P-Squar

Though he visited Lagos about 20 years ago, he has never been to Lagos since his sons disobeyed him and relocated to Lagos in 2005 to pursue their dreams.

Mr. Okoye was skeptical at the choice of musical career of his four sons, Jude, Tony, Peter and Paul while in the university. Jude was in UNIJOS, Tony was in University of Maiduguri, while Peter and Paul were in UNIABUJA..

Jude initially started as a musician; he even went on to wax two albums while Tony was the dancer among the brothers. It was he who taught P-Square how to dance, while Peter and Paul were dancing and singing.

Their dad stopped paying their school fees and warned them sternly not to call home for any assistance if they relocated to Lagos for music..

‘It was tough initially, but we knew this is what we wanted then, so we decided to move on’, Peter said. Did their father not feel bad after they started enjoying initial success? ‘Our dad apologized to us years ago when we were still at Jude’s house in Maryland. He called and told us that he was uncomfortable that four of his sons left home without asking after him. Then, we weren’t even that successful. He called us to say he was sorry. He wanted the best for us then, but we also knew what we wanted’, he said.

P-Square is a pop duo of twin brothers Peter and Paul and unarguably one of the most success music brands out of Africa. The group recently won KORA’s Africa Musician of the Year Award and the coveted N1 million-prize money. The group was recently signed on as Glocacom ambassadors in a deal that was reportedly worth of N200 million. With hit tracks like Ifunnaya, Busy Body, E no easy, Danger, Game Over, P-Square is definitely a top brand out of Africa.
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Rosh Hashanah DAY !

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "head of the year," Israeli: Hebrew pronunciation: [ˈʁoʃ haʃaˈna], Ashkenazic: ˈɾoʃ haʃːɔˈnɔh, Yiddish:[ˈrɔʃəˈʃɔnə]) is a Jewish holiday commonly referred to as the "Jewish New Year." It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.[1] It is ordained in the Torah as "Zicaron Terua" ("a memorial with the blowing of horns"), in Leviticus 23:24. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays or Yamim Noraim ("Days of Awe"), or Asseret Yemei Teshuva (Ten Days of Repentance) which are days specifically set aside to focus on repentance that conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar (one of four "new year" observances that define various legal "years" for different purposes as explained in the Mishnah and Talmud). It is the new year for people, animals, and legal contracts. The Mishnah also sets this day aside as the new year for calculating calendar years and sabbatical (shmita) and jubilee (yovel) years. Jews believe Rosh Hashanah represents either analogically or literally the creation of the World, or Universe. However, according to one view in the Talmud, that of R. Eleazar, Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of man, which entails that five days earlier, the 25 of Elul, was the first day of creation of the Universe.[2]

The Mishnah, the core text of Judaism's oral Torah, contains the first known reference to Rosh Hashanah as the "day of judgment." In the Talmud tractate on Rosh Hashanah it states that three books of account are opened on Rosh Hashanah, wherein the fate of the wicked, the righteous, and those of an intermediate class are recorded. The names of the righteous are immediately inscribed in the book of life, and they are sealed "to live." The middle class are allowed a respite of ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent and become righteous; the wicked are "blotted out of the book of the living."[3]



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah



For secular Jews


It would happen each fall around the Jewish new year. At the very time when renewal was in the autumn air, Arnold Barnett, an engineer from Moorestown, would go into a mild funk. His wife eventually figured it out: He was less than enamored with high holiday synagogue services.


"He simply wasn't engaged by what went on inside our Reform synagogue, or with the traditional approach to Judaism," said Ellen, 70. "I knew he was struggling. So sometimes, I would just go to services alone."


Then last year, the Barnetts saw a small notice in a local Jewish newspaper about a recently formed group in South Jersey. "We went to a meeting that was focused on Jewish history," Arnold, 71, recalls, "and that was something I could relate to. It was much more appealing."


And so the Barnetts will celebrate Rosh Hashanah, which begins Wednesday at sundown, by meeting Sunday with like-minded members of South Jersey Secular Jews - a group of people who may or may not believe in God, but do believe in caring about the world and one another, respecting and understanding Jewish history, and celebrating a culture that has meaning and emotional pull.


"The most important aspect of secularism is the survival and continuity of the Jewish people," said Paul Shane, a native New Yorker now living in Philadelphia and married to the daughter of Holocaust survivors.


Shane, 75, a member of the more established Philadelphia Secular Jewish Organization, believes humans are responsible for what happens on Earth. The here and now is central, and actions speak louder than words.


That philosophy resembles traditional Judaism. But secular Jews and traditional Jews part company when it comes to accepting religious dogma.


If you're secular, God is optional. (Traditional Judaism has "God at its heart. That's not an option," said Rabbi Ethan Franzel of Main Line Reform Temple Beth Elohim in Wynnewood.) Also, life-cycle events are handled individually - for instance, there are no set burial or wedding traditions in secular Judaism.


Of course secularism, in which one adheres to cultural norms rather than religious ones, is hardly new. During the Renaissance, from 1450 to 1600, and the Enlightenment in the 18th century, many Jews shed the God-oriented elements of their Jewishness, according to Shane, a professor of social policy at Rutgers University in Newark. That shedding also continued in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.


What's different today is that a growing number of secular Jews are finding one another, forming groups, and practicing the social responsibility Judaism requires - minus the synagogue.


Rifke Feinstein, executive director of the national Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations, says there are approximately 2,000 affiliated secular Jews in the United States. But because seculars typically are unaffiliated, and therefore uncounted, estimates for the entire American secular population range from 8,000 to 40,000.


In the Philadelphia area, there are six such organizations for secular Jews - including the five-year-old South Jersey Secular Jews - all under the local umbrella cooperative venture called Kehilla for Secular Jews.


For many people, discovering that such an organization exists has been a relief.


" 'I thought I was the only one!' is what people often express when they discover that they are not alone in their secular relationship to their Jewishness," said Larry Angert, 59, a member of 11-year-old Shir Shalom: A Havurah for Secular Jews. "The Jewish tent is big, and there's room for all of us in it."


Some local secular groups, like Philadelphia's Sholom Aleichem Club, which started in 1954, and Philadelphia Workmen's Circle, founded nationally in 1900 to aid Jewish immigrant workers and to promote Yiddish, have graying memberships. Bob Kleiner, 85, of Elkins Park, a retired sociology professor at Temple University, and his wife, Frances, a teacher of Yiddish, both long active in the secular movement, lament that younger people are not actively involved in these historic groups.


But the formation of new groups, such as South Jersey Secular Jews, is evidence the movement still has traction.


Credit Naomi Scher, 64, of Cherry Hill, whose children attended the Jewish Children's Folkshul, another Kehilla group, which is a parent-run cooperative held at Springside School in Philadelphia. About 100 children receive their Jewish education, not in a traditional Hebrew school but in classes that nourish social justice and individual responsibility. Bar and bat mitzvah aspirants undertake personally meaningful projects that they ultimately share with the entire Folkshul community.


Although Scher formed relationships with parents of her children's classmates, commuting to Philadelphia became burdensome once her children graduated, and in 2005, the retired social worker decided to start a secular group closer to home.


What began as a gathering of eight to 10 people now regularly attracts 30, meeting monthly with speakers who address social and political concerns, Scher said.


Deborah Chaiken, 74, of Palmyra is delighted to have a group close to home. "In the formal Jewish community, I felt that I didn't really have a voice. Here, I know that I do."


Dues are $25 a year, and participants are asked to bring food for potluck dinners. Meetings are held on the second Sunday of the month at Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill..


South Jersey Secular Jews members Cary and Bilha Hillebrand of Cherry Hill call the group a welcome addition to the local landscape. For Bilha, 54, the philosophy of the group is more in keeping with that of her native Israel, where the majority of the population leads a more secular lifestyle.


"We are not in any way antireligious," says Cary, 60. "We hold the belief that we are responsible for what happens to ourselves and to the world. And to us, that's the essence of what religion is, and should be."






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PH2010091102326.jpgNEW YORK: A US pastor, who had threatened to burn Quran, on Saturday said he never burn copies of the holy book, even if a mosque is built near ground zero in this America's commercial capital.

"We will definitely not burn the Quran, no," Pastor Terry Jones of Florida told NBC.

"Not today, not ever," he said when pressed whether his planned demonstration might happen at a later date.

He explained that it would not happen even if the Islamic center is built near ground zero, NBC reported.

"Even though we have not burned one Quran, we have gotten over 100 death threats," Jones said.

"We feel that God is telling us to stop, and we also hope that ... maybe that will open up the door to maybe be able to talk to the imam."

Jones had on Friday suspended his plans to burn copies of the Quran claiming that he received a pledge from a Florida Imam that the Islamic cultural center would be moved elsewhere.

However, the Imam refuted his claim and said the "deal" existed only in Jone's mind.

The pastor's threat to burn copies of the holy Quran had stirred outrage in Islamic world, with kings and presidents of Muslim nations joining hands to condemn his plans and asking US President Barack Obama to intervene to stop it.

Obama, on his part, said, the pastor's move could lead to "recruitment bonanza for al-Qaida."

In his Eid greetings, Obama said this year's Eid is also an occasion to reflect on the importance of religious tolerance and to recognise the positive role that religious communities of all faiths, including Muslims, have played in American life.

Non-Muslim nations have also condemned the pastor's plans. .


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Starcomms Plc has become the first Code Division Multiple Access operator in the world to provide its customers the opportunity of enjoying international roaming.

This, according to the telecoms company on Friday, became possible as a result of the agreement signed with two roaming service providers, Mach and Accuris networks in March, 2010.

With the agreement, pre-paid inter-standard roaming calls can be made to a GSM network by Starcomms CDMA customer.

According to the Chief Executive Officer, Starcomms, Mr. Maher Qubain, the over 3.2 million customers of the company now have the rare opportunity of a seamless access to international mobile roaming on all wireless technology networks.

He said this would greatly expand Starcomms network coverage outside Nigeria and simplify the roaming experience of such customers, who might have reasons to travel outside the country.

He said, ”The commitment of Starcomms to providing innovative products and services that simplify lives and enhance living for our customers is a tradition we hold dear. We know that many customers yearn for the high quality services of Starcomms everywhere they go. So, the pioneering step of adding inter-standard roaming capabilities to our portfolio as a CDMA network in this country is just an added evidence of our practice of always being the first to give customers the best.”

The solution, which can be implemented by using existing connections, offers end-users all of the services that are available on their home network, even when they are travelling. With end-to-end one-number interoperability, operators can provide complete voice and messaging services easily. .

”The seamless interoperability roaming access that MACH provides for over 600 networks all over the world is in line with the high quality services that Starcomms has been providing its customers in Nigeria,” Qubain said

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BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhuanet) -- The Spanish recipient of the world's first full face transplant has appeared in public to thank surgeons, and his donor's family, according to media reports Tuesday.

Photo:Oscar, the world first full-face transplant patient, poses for the photographers as he attends a news conference at the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona July 26, 2010. Oscar, who underwent the transplant in April by a 30-member medical team led by Spanish doctor Juan Barret, accidentally shot himself in the face five years ago.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The patient, who is known as Oscar, appeared at a press conference at the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona where he underwent surgery. He spoke with difficulty just two months after regaining his voice, "I am very happy and I want to thank the surgeons and the donors especially the man who gave me the new tissues I received."

He added that he was looking forward to tasting his favorite lamb dish and going for a beer with friends..

In the last four months Oscar has had to overcome two rejections of his new face following a process that saw him receive a transplant that included skin, facial muscles, nose, upper jaw and cheekbones.

At the moment Oscar is still unable to eat solid food and has problems speaking as he is still unable to control the central area of his lips..

The surgeon who carried out the operation, Joan Pere Barret, explained that his faces does, however, have feeling and that although he will still need many hours of rehabilitation, he should be able to talk and eat normally in the future.

Oscar is also unable to fully close his eyes, but once again the surgeon assured that he will be able to do so in the future.

"He will do that soon. He has recovered the movement in his eyebrows and he is also able to smile. There are two Oscars: one before and one after the operation," conformed Dr Barret.


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Uganda's first action movie


CRAP ! lol !


Over the past few days, the kids have been rediscovering the trailer for a Ugandan movie called Who Killed Captain Alex? If you’re wondering why, it’s because this isn’t just any movie: It has the distinction of being the first action movie made by the Ugandan film industry, courtesy of a studio called Ramon Film Productions. And it is so transcendently, beautifully, well – bad, we want it on DVD right now. Where to begin?

How about:

*The hyperactive young narrator who repeatedly reminds you that the movie is both an action movie and for sale, and who makes Fred sound like a dignified elder statesman

*The fact that whenever a gun is fired, it emits glowing yellow muzzle fire; whenever someone is shot or wounded, they emit glowing red blood; sometimes, when someone is shot their skin produces glowing yellow muzzle fire for some reason

*The scene at about the 26 second mark when a helicopter destroys an entire city, apparently just by sitting on it

*What the hell is going on at the 45 second mark

*The fact that this is actually an extremely violent and disturbing movie about a war between police and drug dealers, and features the brutal deaths of women, children, and roofs, but you just can’t take it seriously



According to Ugandan newspaper The Observer, Who Killed Captain Alex? is about the aftermath of a police raid in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, in which a police captain (Alex) and a drug racketeer’s brother are killed, and both sides seek revenge, “escalating into ‘war.’” The article sheds further light on the film’s production, which apparently required some creativity when Uganda’s Central Police Station wouldn’t give the filmmakers anything to work with except uniforms:

It is a well scripted movie, but the visuals are too graphic. Nabwama says, he just wanted to produce an action movie, acted, produced and directed by Ugandans. But he can’t be forgiven for using toy guns and pistols in the production.

“When we approached CPS about the project, we were told that we [film industry] are not yet at that level. They could only provide us with police uniforms,” he says. “But we had asked them to provide us with helicopters, guns, tankers and access to army barracks. So we had to settle for the computer.”

The article quotes a cost of 8 million Uganda shillings, which converts to about $3500; it’s unclear if this is cost per major scene or cost for the whole film. Either way, the American movie industry could learn a lot from this movie’s pluck and economy. And good news! There’s apparently a sequel on the way.

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It was easy in retrospect in the 1912 Olympic Stadium late on Friday night to say you had seen it coming, that the defeat which struck down the mighty Lightning Bolt had not arrived entirely out of the blue. The amateur psychologists, the budding Freuds among us, might have read the runes in the Jamaican's somewhat leaden body-language as he emerged from the tunnel at the east end of the arena for the big race on the north side of the Swedish capital..

Was that the hint of a limp as Usain Bolt made his way up the finishing straight towards the 100m start? If not, the world's fastest man was certainly dragging his feet. In contrast, half a minute or so later, Tyson Gay appeared on the track looking like a man on a mission. The American had a purpose in his stride and was deep in conversation with himself.Photo Left :American Tyson Gay celebrates his 100m victory on Friday night but said, 'You've got to be honest, Usain went out there knowing he wasn't in the best shape'

It was not difficult to imagine the gist. This was the one. This was his big chance to claim the big scalp. And thus it proved.

Bolt lined up for the 100m final at the DN Galan Meeting but when the starting gun fired, at the third time of asking, he was never at the races. Gay was out of his blocks ahead of him and had the race as good as won by halfway. The 27-year-old Kentuckian prevailed by a stride in 9.84sec, breaking Asafa Powell's stadium record and earning a diamond to take home for his mother.

Bolt was the runner-up in 9.97, a pale shadow of the sparkling gem who had dazzled the world with his 9.69 slowing down at the Beijing Olympics two years ago and with his 9.58 pushing to the line at the World Championships in Berlin last summer. This was his slowest 100m time outside of a qualifying-round heat, and his first defeat in a 100m final since Powell beat him by 0.01sec at the same Stockholm meeting in July 2008.

So, had the sprint world turned on its head? Had the jolt for Bolt marked a definitive changing of the guard?

The answer was clear to see in the muted demeanour of the victor. It was not exactly a hollow victory for Gay, but it was nowhere near a decisive one. "You've got to be honest," he said, reflecting on the upset. "Usain went out there knowing he wasn't in the best shape. Neither of us was at our best, but I was expecting to win.


"I respect him for still coming down here to compete for the fans. I came here knowing I wasn't 100 per cent either. My knee was bothering me. I just blocked everything out and ran the best I could."

Gay has been hampered by hamstring and knee problems this summer. Bolt missed six weeks of training and racing because of an Achilles tendon injury. The rust was clear to see in his heat and in the final. Bolt has three weeks in which to brush up sufficiently to gain revenge in the scheduled rematch, in the final meeting of the Samsung Diamond League series in Brussels on 27 August. "I need to work on my strength," he said. "My strength is really low. It let me down in the first 30 metres. Tyson was in better shape."

Bolt's resolve would also appear to require some strengthening. On the eve of the big race he confessed he had "slacked off" this summer, with no global championship to aim for. In the wake of defeat on Friday, he added: "This is not one of those seasons when I am fully working hard. This is my easy season. If you don't beat me this year, then it's not going to happen. Next year I will take care of business."

In late August next year, Bolt's 100m world title will be on the line at Daegu in South Korea. Meanwhile, at Crystal Palace next Friday his American conqueror will be on the start line at the Aviva London Grand Prix. The Lightning Bolt, beaten in Stockholm but still king of the sprint world, will not attend the south London Palace.

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Are Ghana must go bags going out of fashion ? Watch & Pray that we are not decieved !
500 more expected in days || The campaign machinery of former military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida is set to take the nation by storm.

A few days ago, the IBB Presidential Campaign Organisation took delivery of 500 vehicles consisting of 250 Prado jeeps and 250 Toyota Camry saloon cars, Leadership Sunday has learnt. The cars are now parked at a location in Abuja, said a source close to the campaign group. Leadership Sunday was also told that the last batch of 500 vehicles (250 Prado jeeps and 250 Camry cars) will be added to the lot, making a total of 1, 000 vehicles.
General Babangida, who was the country's leader between 1985 and 1993, has indicated his desire to contest the presidential election on the platform of the PDP. He has also been a vociferous advocate of the PDP zoning policy: the party had zoned the presidency to the North after Olusegun Obasanjo's eight years. Obasanjo was succeeded by Umaru Musa Yar'Adua who died on May 5, this year, and Dr Goodluck Jonathan took over according to the dictates of the Nigerian constitution. Some members of the PDP, including General Babangida, insist that the PDP should maintain the zoning arrangement for the 2011 elections..

President Jonathan's supporters, including the recently selected national chairman of the ruling party, Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, have maintained that the zoning arrangement is not sacrosanct, especially after the force majeure (Yar'Adua's death) that changed the bargain. Other likely aspirants within the PDP include General Aliyu Gusau (rtd), the current national security adviser; former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar; Dr Bukola Saraki, governor of Kwara State; and Alhaji Danjuma Goje, governor of Gombe State.

The PDP governors obviously hold the key to the party's ticket. But it is doubtful if all of them will support the same candidate during the primaries. Another source close to the IBB presidential Campaign told Leadership Sunday that, if it becomes clear that General Babangida will not get the PDP ticket, he and his supporters will move en masse into another party, probably the ANPP.
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Lead Image

Nsofor scored the second goal via penalty.

The Super Eagles continued their preparations for the World Cup with a 3-1 win against North Korea in Tembisa, Johannesburg yesterday. It was the Swedish born coach’s third game in charge and Aiyegbeni Yakubu was on hand to open scoring for the Super Eagles in the 16th minute before Obinna Nsofor extended the lead from the penalty spot in the 62nd minute. A momentary loss of concentration between Elderson Echiejile and Joseph Yobo allowed Jong Tae-Se to pull one back for the North Koreans but Obafemi Martins restored Nigeria’s two-goal advantage with a 90th minute header. Martins had only been on the pitch for three minutes when he scored.

The game, which was played at the Makhulong Stadium in Johannesburg, was however marred by a stampede which broke out shortly after the start of the second half.

According to police reports, at least 20 people, including one policeman, were injured during the stampede forcing the match officials to stop the game for around five minutes to attend to the injured and ensure the safety of fans in the overcrowded main stand where the fencing had been removed.

The match itself saw Lagerback making a few changes from the side that had played a 1-1 draw with Colombia in their previous game as he restored the duo of Yobo and Danny Shittu in the heart of the defence with Chidi Odiah and Taiwo at the right and left side of the defence. Dickson Etuhu and Lukman Haruna, whose work rate keeps increasing with every game, along with Sani Kaita who played from the right side of midfield and Nsofor, on the opposite end, were once again in the middle while Osaze Odemwingie and Yakubu led the forward line..

Great start

The predominantly Nigerian crowd at the venue were handed the best of starts after a sweet interchange of passes between Yakubu and Nsofor ended with Yakubu slotting the ball into the back of the net.

In the 24th minute Taye Taiwo’s audacious freekick from well over 40 yards almost proved more than a handful for the Korean goalkeeper. But two minutes later, the Olympique Marseille defender almost gifted the ‘Chollima’, as the North Koreans are known, an equalizer when he was too slow to prevent a cross across the face of the Nigerian goal by the crafty Mun In-Guk.

The second half saw Lagerback introducing Elderson Echiejile, Kalu Uche and Yusuf Ayila for Taye Taiwo, Sani Kaita and the enterprising Dickson Etuhu. Nsofor almost extended Nigeria’s lead four minutes after the restart but his deflected shot fell into the hands of the Korean goalkeeper.

Stampede

A minute later, the match had to be stopped after a stampede broke out in the stands. Five minutes following the restart, the referee awarded a penalty to the Super Eagles after a Korean defender inadvertently handled the ball and Nsofor was on hand to make it 2-0 for Nigeria.

A mistake in defence however saw Jong getting the better of Enyeama in the 64th minute, and three minutes later, the Koreans were denied a penalty after the referee erroneously awarded a free-kick for a foul by Chidi Odiah. A red card to Cha Jong-Hyok for a second bookable offence however left room in the Korean defence which Uche capitalised on to run rings round the backline before crossing for Martins to nod into a gaping net.

The game was the last warm-up match the Eagles will play before their opening match against Argentina on Saturday, June 12, 2010
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April 28, 2010. We here at 9jabook.com are 100% supporters of President Obama. At first we thought about SUPPRESSING this new report . . . but we figure that it would be better to know about what Republicans are trying to do to the prez.. Photo Alleged Obama Lover

According to a new report, Republican operatives are looking to pay as much as $1 million to anyone willing to discuss the president's relationship with a 35 year old woman named Vera Baker..

And according to one weekly tabloid, Vera's limo driver is SNITCHING!!! Here's what Vera's limo driver is saying:
"I took [President Obama] to various locations while he was looking for campaign funds. Vera accompanied him to each meeting.

"About 10:30 pm, I drove them to the hotel and they went in together. She didn't ask me to wait or to be taken back to her friend's home - or to her home"

Well .. . . we ain't gonna believe NOTHING about the prez unless we have more solid evidence.
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Pa Amodu, OLDEST GRADUATE IN TOWN ...He earned his first degree at 73, still targets PhD
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Pa Alimi Olarenwaju Amodu, popularly known by his admirers as the ‘youngest student,’ is a 73-year-old man whose story is unique. From Pa Amodu, the saying that what the mind can imagine the man can accomplish comes true. For him, the brain is like a battery and if charged, it works effectively. His educational activities have shown that no time is late for one to achieve his heart’s desires...

PHOTO:Pa Amodu in class at LASU

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At 60, the Lagos-based Ibadan indigene retired from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), as a clerk, after which he went back to his hometown to engage in farming. During the time, he attended a professional course in Agriculture. At 68, in 2005, he returned to Lagos, with the quest to have a university education.

Shortly, he enrolled for a diploma course in Philosophy at the Lagos State University (LASU). Two years after, he converted to a degree course in Sociology, in the same university. After all challenges and struggles, he graduated last January, in Sociology. Now, he plans to go for his Master’s degre and afterwards, PhD.

Perhaps, one would want to know why the grandpa is still struggling, with those young enough to be his grandchildren, to acquire university education up to doctorate degree level in the eve of his life.

Saturday Sun had an encounter with the supposed oldest graduate in Nigeria and he told the story of his journey.

He said: “Though I am old, I still believe that I can achieve my heart’s desires. I had my early education in 1945, at St. Andrew’s Primary School, Aba Oke Village, in Oyo State. That time, there was no means of transport and it was not easy for me to go to school. My father was an active farmer, so, I used to go to the farm before going to school. But in spite of the stress, I passed very well because I have always been a determined person. Having passed standard three, I moved to Ibadan and my first point of call was St Paul’s School, Yemetu. There, I read up to Standard Four and proceeded to St. David’s School where I obtained standard six certificate in I952. I was lucky to meet Mama Morakinyo, our class teacher, who did her best to give us a good foundation. Former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Dr. Adebisi, was my classmate. We used to close at 6pm, as a result of tutorial,” he said.

Pa Amodu was an intelligent pupil and would have continued his education, but for lack of finance. Yet the obstacles did not stop him from doing his best as a young man.

Meanwhile, having obtained the Standard Six certificate, which was an outstanding qualification those days, Pa Amodu secured a job at Costain West Africa. He worked there briefly and moved to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Ibadan in 1958, as a clerical assistant. In 1962, he was transferred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to assist in establishing the Medical Records Department. In the process, he attended overseas correspondence courses to upgrade his status.

“While in service, I had the interest to further my education because I knew that I have the brain. I attended some overseas courses. And in 1987, I registered for the GCE, but I did not do well. At the second attempt, I made five papers, which qualified me for university admission. So, after my retirement in 1992, I went back to Ibadan to farm. After sometime, I returned to Lagos with the intention to go back to school. When I told my children that I wanted to go back to school, they did not believe me; they asked how I could go back to school when I was supposed to be resting, but I insisted and told them that the brain is still active. I only needed to charge it. At a stage, they agreed to sponsor me to any level. Later, I enrolled for a diploma in Philosophy at LASU in 2002. In 2004, the university placed an advert for admission, I did the exam and passed and they offered me admission in Sociology; so I had to switch over,” he stated.

Narrating his university experience and activities, he said: “Though it was challenging, I enjoyed it because I have been able to achieve much. I studied Sociology for five years, and by the grace of God, I did not have any carry over. During my university days, I discovered that the brain is like the battery and if charged, it will start working again. Take, for instance, if you don’t charge the handset battery, it will stop working; so also the brain. The moment one stops reading, the brain will go down. Therefore, the brain battery needs regular charging to remain effective. I really enjoyed my university education to the fullest. I observed that there is discipline in LASU. One needs to behave well and work hard to make it there.

“As an elderly person, the school authorities respected me, but they never compromised disciplining me when necessary. We were always asked to put off our phones, while the lecture was on. There was a day I forgot to put off my phone, and it rang during lectures and our class coordinator seized it. Also, when I was in the 100 level, there was a day I slept off while lecture was on and my lecturer asked me to stand up. After sometime, he warned me not to sleep and later asked me to sit.

Thereafter, he asked me what I ate before coming to school, and when I told him that I ate rice, he advised me to always take tea instead to avoid sleeping in the class. In LASU, one has to work hard in order to pass exams. If they give you assignment, they give you deadline and there was no variation of the rule for an old student.”

At 73, one would expect that Pa Amodu should be thinking of relaxing and enjoying his investments, having trained many graduates, but he has a different plan for himself.

“I work according to my name, Olanrewaju (someone that always looks forward). I am someone who always wants progress and I still crave to contribute my quota anywhere I find myself. In fact, I want to be more relevant. My main aim is to be addressed as Dr. Alimi Olanrewaju Amodu. Then, after my doctorate degree, I hope to be a consultant or I may go into business. I am still strong at 73. I read always, sleep between 10 and 11pm and wake at 3am. If you come to my house, you will see my library. My final exams at LASU was on January 28. And the result so far was good. By the grace of God, I will commence my master’s degree programme in Social Work. Thereafter, I will go for my PhD. I decided to enroll after retirement because I want to have enough time for my education and I thank God that I have good children who really support my ambition. They cater for my education and other needs and they have promised to support me achieve my goals,” he stated.

As an elderly person among the young, Pa Amodu garnered himself so much respect that fostered good relationship among him, his lecturers and course mates. Because he actually integrated well with the system, many students got so close to him, so as to tap from his gifts and the wisdom and experience of his age.

“My relationship with the lecturers was so cordial, and they did their best to put me through. They saw me as a father and a student as well and I took them as my lecturers and children. In fact, we related very well. My relationship with my course mates was great and exciting. Even as we have graduated, we still relate. I was their key informant because I was always at the library reading. I gave them relevant materials without charge. Almost everyone in my class liked me and I played the role of a father to all of them. They respected me, as a father, but when it was time for the real business, you hardly know who is older; we played, chatted and studied together. My first grandchild is in the 200 level in the University of Lagos. That shows that most of my classmates were of my grandchildren’s age. You can see that I am now competing with my grandchildren. All my children graduated before me, and I struggled to graduate before my grandchildren.”

The advantages of his going back to school at old age are so enormous that he cannot forget them so easily. Before he enrolled in school, he could not read or write without eyeglasses. And when he got admission, he used it during lecture. But a miracle happened and he regained his sight. Today, he does not use eyeglasses again. Pa Amodu narrated: “One day, I forget to wear it. While lecture was on, I was seeing as if I was wearing the glasses. When I wanted to adjust it, I did not find anything on my eyes. So, since that day, I have not used glasses again. The more I read the more I see clearly. In fact, it was like a miracle.”

In as much as he enjoyed his educational career, Pa Amodu also met a lot of challenges, but put extra efforts to meet the required demands. “As an old man struggling with those of a different generation, I had a lot of challenges in the process. I had to struggle to board the bus and sometimes, trek in order to catch up with my lectures. I also studied day and night to ensure that I passed my exams and assignments because at my age I cannot cheat. It is just unimaginable that a grandfather should cheat where his children are the examiners and his grandchildren the course mates. I always go to the library to read. My experience in LASU opened my eyes to the truth that it is very difficult for people to survive in this country due to lack of encouragement. The government has no provision for the aged and does not encourage them in any way. So, it was just by sheer perseverance and resolve that made me succeed.”

Interestingly, Pa Amodu’s seven children, Ade, Funmilayo, Dr. Akeem, Morenike, Niyi, Sikira and Azzez, who initially did not support the decision of their aged father to return to school, but later gave him full support, were surprised at how their father excelled in an environment dominated by young people. They were later to describe their father as one who believes that learning has no limited time in human life.

One of his sons, Dr. Akeem Amodu, a senior lecturer at the Leads University, Ibadan, who spoke with Saturday Sun, admitted that he opposed his father’s decision to return to school at old age, but after much pressure, he accepted his position.

“Really, when our father told us that he wanted to enroll for his first degree at LASU, after his retirement, we advised him not to do that, because, having worked for many years and retired, the next thing is for him to rest, so that we can take care of him. But, when we saw that he was serious, we allowed him. Since then, we have been sponsoring him and we are ready to sponsor him to any level he wants to go,” he said.

At the beginning, Pa Amodu trained and sponsored the education of his seven children, and at the end, the children now sponsor Pa Amodu’s education. One good turn or investment really deserves reciprocity, you may say.
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Sade returns at 51 with first album release for a decadeWith a £40million fortune maintained by daily airplay of some of her earliest hits, singer Sade Adu has been more than happy to maintain a low profile over the years.But the singer has let go of some of her desire for anonymity as she is set to make a return to the spotlight with her first album in ten years, Soldier Of Love.Sade, was seen leaving BBC Radio 2 on the weekend, and despite her advancing years, now aged 51, the singer still maintains the striking looks that gained her a legion of fans.The singer born Helen Folasade Adu in Nigeria, is promoting her new release, Soldier Of Love, which will be her first album in ten years.Buzz is building around the recently released video for the title track and single which shares the same name as that of the highly anticipated album.Sade is in seen in the video as a commander of a group of male military styled dancers, looking remarkably youthful, and still in fine voice.A source told the Mirror: 'She is unique compared to other artists. She just wants to make music, and she's not interested in publicity.'A fierce desire to protect her private life means she rarely gives interviews. And friends even nicknamed her 'Howie' after the reclusive American billionaire Howard Hughes.But she will always break cover to tour for her fans.She has said: 'If you just do TV or video, then you become a tool of the record industry.'It’s when I get on stage with the band and we play that I know that people love the music.'Sade's huge fortune - she has sold 50million records - has allowed her to disappear from sight, and she runs around in a 10-year-old Mercedes, preferring the company of old friends.It is eight years since Sade last made a public appearance - at Buckingham Palace to collect an OBE in 2002.She now lives mainly in a mansion in the Gloucestershire countryside with her new partner, said to be a scientist.The singer has spent most of the last decade as a full-time mother to daughter Ila, 14, from her relationship with a Jamaican record producer.Sade's friend Sophie Muller, whom she met at St Martin's Art College, in London, directed the striking video for the single Soldier of Love.The album is released in the UK on February 9th.Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1245959/Reclusive-singer-Sade-returns-album-release-decade.html#ixzz0diJzbKD8
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Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan scored another first yesterday. He became the first Vice President in the history of Nigeria to lay wreath for the fallen heroes, those who died in defence of the country. The VP took the place of ailing President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua as a result of Wednesday’s ruling of an Abuja Federal High Court that he can perform the President's duties, if such powers were delegated to him by the President. He rode into the National Arcade at 10.a.m, with all the pomp and ceremony accorded previous Heads of Government with the horse riders and other paraphernalia of office at his disposal for the parade. Decked in brown Niger Delta attire, with a black bowler hat and black shoes to match, he wasted no time in taking on the first duty of inspecting the guard of honour mounted by the combined detachments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and the Nigerian Legion. Like his predecessors, the VP had no words for either the fallen or surviving heroes. After prayers were said for the fallen heroes, the leaders as well as the country, a minute silence was observed after which the VP stepped out, as if reluctantly, looking grim; he took the wreath, laid it, stepped back, said a little prayers and turned back. The Senate President, David Mark followed suit. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, in his usual casual with short caftan (jumper), white cap and black shoes to match walked briskly to the "Unknown Soldier ". The new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Katsina-Alu; the Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe; the Minister of FCT, Sen. Adamu Aliero; the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike and the other Service Chiefs as well as the Inspector General of Police took their turns to honour the fallen heroes. 81-year-old, Private Mohammed Boyi represented the Nigerian Legions. A World War 11 veteran, who joined the Colonial Army in 1942, was helped to the podium by a colleague amidst cheers from the gathering. Frail-looking Boyi retired from the Nigerian Army in 1977 and now lives in Katsina State with two of his four children and 26 grand children. After the wreath laying ceremony,a 21-gun salute was fired and the VP led others to the pigeon cage. He released the white birds and they flew, even if not too far from the arcade. Jonathan left the venue after signing the continuation of celebration register. According to a fellow legionnaire, Boyi is the only surviving veteran that took part in the 2nd World War. Though his sight challenges began about five years, Boyi could still recall nostalgically how he served in various parts of the world like Burma, Cairo and Japan, among others.
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