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President Guilty of Rape

jpeg&STREAMOID=HRvbHmyK0IRRzCZiD5y9_C6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxT9dPICv_05PgMLVp1jaKTjnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-&width=350Former Israeli president, Moshe Katsav, was found guilty of rape and other sex crimes on Thursday, in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called a sad day for the Jewish state.

Katsav, who could now face years in prison, had denied charges he twice raped an aide when he was a cabinet minister in the late 1990s, and molested or sexually harassed two other women who worked for him during his 2000-2007 term as president.

But a three-judge panel said his testimony had been “riddled with lies.”

“When a woman says no, she means no,” the panel said in its ruling.

Katsav was also convicted of obstructing justice, for trying to confer with one complainant about her testimony to police.

The ashen-faced 65-year-old had no comment for reporters as he was spirited out of Tel Aviv District Court by a scrum of relatives, attorneys and bodyguards.

One of his lawyers, Avigdor Feldman, criticised the unanimous verdict for ignoring “all of the doubts” about the women’s accounts and said Mr. Katsav will appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court.

State Attorney, Moshe Lador, praised Israel’s legal system, saying that few countries would have prosecuted their head of state for such crimes..

“Positions of power cannot grant immunity to criminals, however senior they may be,” he said.

“This is a sad day for the state of Israel and its residents,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the right-wing Likud party of which Katsav is a veteran member, said in a statement after the verdict.

“Today, the court conveyed two clear-cut messages, that all are equal before the law and that every woman has exclusive rights to her body,” Netanyahu said.

Rape carries a minimum prison term of four years and a maximum of 16 years in Israel. Moshe Negbi, legal analyst for Israel Radio, told Reuters any sentences handed down to Katsav for the lesser charges would probably be served concurrently.

Disgrace

Though the scandal had forced Katsav’s early retirement in disgrace, it had little impact on Israeli government functions, as the presidency is largely ceremonial.

But the allegations against the Iranian-born leader, whose rise from the slums once served as a shining example for disadvantaged Jewish immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa, stirred deep emotions in Israel, where the elite has traditionally been of European descent.

The verdict was dubbed an “earthquake” by one Israeli newspaper and welcomed by women’s groups that have long complained of lax attitudes to sexual harassment in workplaces.

Katsav, who is religiously observant, had cast himself as the victim of extortion and an ethnically-motivated “witch hunt.” Relatives said he would campaign to clear his name.

“This trial, where the judges rule according to their feelings, is not in keeping the ethics of Israel,” Katsav’s son, Boaz, told reporters.

“God willing, the whole nation will know that dad, the eighth president of the State of Israel, is innocent.”

Out of concern for the complainants’ privacy, much of the trial had taken place behind closed doors. Some commentators predict Katsav, should he appeal, will argue that the Tel Aviv District Court proceedings were not transparent enough.

Katsav immigrated with his family to Israel in 1951. At the age of 24, he became the country’s youngest mayor and went on to hold a number of Likud cabinet posts. Parliament elected him president in 2000 in a surprise victory over Shimon Peres, Israel’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning elder statesman.

Peres succeeded Katsav as president, an appointment observers say has restored dignity to the post.

The eruption of the Katsav affair had amplified corruption scandals that brought down Israel’s then premier, Ehud Olmert. Hosting Olmert in Moscow in late 2006, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president at the time, quipped before TV cameras that Katsav “didn’t look like a guy who could be with 10 women.”
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Preliminary analysis have shown that the explosives used in October 1 twin bombings in Abuja are similar to those that exploded in the Niger Delta, while the one that exploded at the Abacha Barracks in Abuja yesterday is similar to the ones that exploded in Jos, President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday in Abuja. Though investigations are still going on, the president noted that the Abuja bombing had the characteristics of the ones that exploded in Jos last week. "The preliminary analysis of the explosives so far used in Nigeria,the one used in the 1st October explosion has the same characteristics with the ones that happened in Port Harcourt, Warri and some parts of the Niger Delta, it has been classified. The one that happened yesterday, from preliminary analysis, is identical with the ones that happened in Jos. So there are two routes, so as long as the security operatives know where the two routes are, we will get to where these things are coming from," Mr Jonathan said. Speaking at the New Year service of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), Mr. Jonathan said Nigerians must learn to move their country forward rather than destroy or stagnate it through terrorism. He noted that there are two things which have become very important and noticeable around the world today, technology and terrorism. He said countries that are succeeding do not have their citizens indulging in terrorism. "In terrorism, the instruments they use is that of technology butinstead of using their scientific knowledge to climb, some people use it to drag their nations backward. If you look at nations that are developing, you talk of Brazil, those that were close to us during independence - India, Singapore, Malaysia, China, those that are developed United States, their citizens are not involved in terrorists attacks. "They are moving their nations forward. But the demons who do not like good things, if a country wants to move forward and they look for a way to push you backwards and that is what we as a nation are experiencing," he said.. He further urged Nigerians to be calm and see this as a challenge that will be conquered. "If you look at the journey of the Isrealites to go to the promised land, it was tortuous, a number of them even died along the way. We must have challenges. It was Bongos Ikwe who sang that 'nothing good come easy, this I know'. "So nothing good will come so easily to us. For us to get where we want to go as a nation, we will have our obstacles. These explosives and explosions are part of the road bumps that are being placed but God will see us through. They will never stop Nigeria from where we are going to. We must work and produce a country for our children, a country where there will be no space for terrorists, a country where there will no bombers and people with explosives to deter us," Mr. Jonathan said. "I urge Christians to continue to pray that some of these people will even confess to Nigerians that at the appropriate time they will tell us that they are behind this. But for now, the security people are on it and they will get to the root of this matter. We will get to the root of the car bombs that started in Niger Delta and crept into Abuja and this one too that started in Jos and crept into Abuja." Sons of demons Condemning Mogadishu Barracks bombings, Mr. Jonathan said he wondered what kind of a person will plant bombs that will kill children. "I saw on television, because I am yet to visit the victims, images of a very young child. I'm sure most of you must have seen it. As I came into the church and saw some of the young children, I wondered how somebody will plant an explosive that will kill any of these children under 10. What kind of person do you think that person is? "Some people say they are politicians, some say they are religious fanatics, but to me they are pure criminals. They are ones demons are using these days not only in Nigeria. For those of you who have time to listen to world news on Aljazeera or CNN, you will see that terrorism is criss-crossing the whole world."
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How to Boost your Mobile Broadband 3G Signal

http://www.onspeed.com/ http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/blog/2010/05/how-to-boost-your-mobile-broadband-3g-signal/ You could perhaps use a service such as http://portal.onspeed.com/ to increase the speed of your mobile broadband. Failing that if the signal is poor in your house, maybe try using the dongle in different locations. Next to a window usually gives the best chance of a strong 3G signal
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Abuja Bomb explosion in Pictures

jpeg&STREAMOID=tQXWMNY0LpWAhgLLTfpZOC6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxSftVHPhcWPxyAO5HmD8tUHnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-A bomb has exploded in an army barracks in Abuja,
Nigeria's capital city killing and injuring many including women and
children. The bomb is reported to have gone off at

PHOTO:GOC, 3 DIV, Nigerian Army , Jos, Sunday Idoko (L) with the Chief of Army staff ,Onyeabo Ihejirika, during his tour of the 3 DIV, Nigerian Army in Jos. Photo: NAN

around

7.00pm in the
area of the barracks locally known as mammy market.

 

 

 

 

 

The area was full of women, children and men relaxing ahead of New Year celebrations. The bomb is reported to have exploded specifically in the area where many gather to eat freshly roasted fish . It is not
clear just how many have died but eye witnesses speak of seeing bodies

 

 

 

.
The injured have been taken to a medical centre within the the
barracks. The barracks, popularly known as Sani Abacha barracks and
which is situated along the Keffi - Abuja express way close to the
Highbrow Asokoro area of Abuja; has been cordoned off. Reports also say
that building housing police headquarters in Abuja has been sealed but
it is not clear if this is related to the bombing.

 

 

Former Nigerian vice - president, Atiku Abubakar, a presidential aspirant under the People's Democratic Party has denounced the bombings and described them as '' senseless and wicked''. In a statement issued a
few minutes ago, Mr Abubakar said he sympathises with innocent
military and civilian victims caught in the bombing incident..

The former vice- president went on to say that the latest bomb targeted at a military establishment is an indication that '' President Jonathan cannot provide the type of leadership to secure the nation.''

 

Abacha barrack
At the bomb blast site, Journalists were prevented from going to the site.
Hospital
at the matiama the Dr. Olugbenga Bello confirmed 16 persons brought to the hospital. at press time 4 dead, 3 persons in operation room.

More And Pictures

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Huhuonline.com can disclose that more than 30 people were killed in multiple bomb explosions at the Mogadishu Cantonment in Abuja,Federal Capital Territory. But the military hierachy has cordoned off the blast scenes.
b5.jpgOur checks reveals that the explosions at Mogadishu Cantonment occurred at the pepperb6.jpg soup and drinking joints at the Mammy market in the military base.files.php?file=Abuja_11_739703305.jpg

It was learnt that the market was jampacked by many people who came to relax ahead of the New Year celebration.

The casualty figure was put at about 30 as at press time.

But no fewer than 100 people were injured at the usual busy market.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Oluseyi Petirin, who confirmed the explosions , said: "We will get at those behind it."

Also, President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the attack, and urged the commands of the nation's security services to rise to the occasion and arrest this new and dangerous challenge to our peace and stability.

Hear him:

“Tonight, evil people determined to turn the joys of fellow Nigerians to ashes detonated a bomb at a barracks market in the Federal Capital City”.

“Basking in their nefarious success in Jos on Christmas eve, they have once again knifed at the heartstrings of a nation decked out in gaiety, celebrating new year's eve. This is extreme evil. It is wicked. It defies all that we believe in, and stand for as a nation”.files.php?file=Petinrin__362648578.jpg

 

 

 

 



“The president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, condemns this attack, and commands the nation's security services to rise to the occasion and arrest this new and dangerous challenge to our peace and stability”.

 

“There shall be no sacred cows. All, no matter how remotely connected to these incidents, must be brought to justice”.

“They must be made to pay. No one, and we

 

repeat, no one, can make this nation ungovernable”.

 

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jpeg&STREAMOID=RGtuRODGdHcA9HVw1_SHzS6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxSGW1EdFPjfQ1T_4bNUhtLZnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-Former

president, Olusegun Obasanjo, for the second time in 2010, yesterday called journalists to his Abeokuta home to fault rumours that he was dead. The rumour had gripped Abeokuta and its environs most of Friday.

Photo: Looking Good in Kaftan on New Year's Eve

Speaking with journalists at his Hilltop Private residence in Abeokuta, Obasanjo who jumped up to show journalists that he is hale and hearty, said, “obviously if I am dead, you won’t see me in flesh and blood. I think people take delight in speculation and rumouring.”

He said it was the seventh time since he became the nation’s president in 1999 and even after he left office in 2007 that he would be confronted with such reports.

Mr. Obasanjo, who said it is only God that determines the right time a person dies, recalled how a friend of his called him Friday morning, breaking to him the news of his rumoured death.

“He said he was trying to confirm and that he had counted seven times that l have been rumoured dead since the eve of my inauguration in 1999 as a democratically elected President of Nigeria till today,” Mr. Obasanjo said.

The former president said those who indulge in this will not give up “and those who are superstitious believe that when there are rumours and speculation like this means longevity. Whether longevity or not, what I know is that until the Good Lord who has created me decide to say yes, I have reached my take off point to return to him, people may speculate, people may rumour and that will be their own handicap.

“My words to Nigerians are that wishes are not horses. People’s wishes do not make it to happen. But I know that anybody created is bound to die sometimes. When my time comes, it will not be man that will decide. It is in the hands of God,” he added.

On the controversy over whether he slumped at a ceremony in Ondo State, he said:

“I did not slump, but when I was choked in the church because of lack of air conditioner and fan, I went to my car which had an AC and after staying there for about three minutes, I felt okay and I decided to go to my host house because I have not taken my breakfast. There, I was given two pieces of banana which I ate and I returned to the church. I was shocked three days after reading that I slumped. It is part of the gimmick of selling newspapers.”

Mr. Obasanjo said Nigerians should be thankful for the year ending 2010, adding that the new year promises to be a year of high expectations and divine year for sustenance of unity for all Nigerians

“We all Nigerians should be thankful for the year ending, 2010. I wish all Nigerians, young and old, male and female, every good fortune the year 2011 offers and promise to be a year of high expectations for all Nigerians,” he said.

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Nigerian Muslims Lets Wake Up Before Boko Haram Hijacks Our Religion

It is with dismay how this so called "Boko Haram" sects are playing in this country, their ideology is totally UN-ISLAMIC, I have listened to at least 5 Boko Haram members (or those with the same ideology) but argued that it isn't an excuse to fight Jihad in a place where your freedom is not violated (at least of free speech, movement, business, and religion) no where in Nigeria you will not practice any religion, whatever religion you are you can practice. Women can cover their whole body without any question? Men can marry up to 4 wives without any question. It is very disheartening how some people claiming to be "Ahlus Sunnah" violating the rights of others, which is totally against Islamic Teachings.

What the so called "Boko Haram" are doing is nothing but fighting their own fellow Muslims, not the kufr. We (Muslims in Nigeria) have to wake up and FIGHT these evil people. Please MUSLIM BROTHERS read below and share with your friends and family, DO NOT let any "BOKO HARAM" enter your Peaceful MIND. Please!!!.

Whenever the Prophet had an option between two courses of action, he always chose the easier (non-confrontational) one. (Bukhari)

This means that, violent activism should not be indulged in if peaceful activism is an option. For, peace is the easier course as compared to violence.


For instance, trying to change the status quo in the very first stage of a movement is a hard option, while launching one’s activities in the available sphere without doing so is an easier option.

Going to war in confrontational situations is a hard option while following a conciliatory course in dealing with one’s rival is easier. Countering aggression with aggression is a hard option, while countering aggression with patience and forbearance is an easier option. An agitational course of action is harder than employing quiet strategy. Adopting a radical method of reformation is harder than that of following a gradual method. Taking emotional, extreme steps without a thought for their consequences creates difficulties. While a well-considered method, keeping an eye on the consequences, gives much better results. The policy of confrontation with a ruler is a harder option, while initiating one’s action; by sidestepping the ruler in the sphere of education and learning is an easier option. These instances show us the easier and harder options, as demonstrated by the Hadith.

The truth is that peace in Islam is the ‘rule’, while war is the ‘exception’. This is borne out by all the teachings of Islam and the practical life of the Prophet of Islam.

The Example of the Prophet Muhammad

The Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation in 610 A.D. in Makkah. God ordained that he carry out the mission of Tawheed (or oneness of God).

The house of the Kabah, which was built as the house of monotheism by the Prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael (peace be upon them), later on became a centre of polytheism with 360 idols in it. The first revelation might well have demanded the purification of the Kabah, which would have given rise to a serious problem. But the first revelation made in the Quran was:

    Purify your vestments (74:4).

This means to purify one’s moral character. If, in the first stage the Prophet had been commanded to purify the Kabah while Makkah was still under the domination of the idolaters, this would have surely precipitated clash and confrontation. Therefore, according to the command of the first revelation, the Prophet continued to perform his prayers peacefully in the Kabah for a period of 13 years, even though it housed several hundred idols.

Similarly, the Prophet and his companions circumambulated the Kabah on the occasion of Umrah al-Hudaybiyya in 629, while the Kabah still housed 360 idols.

The Prophet Muhammad proceeded thus in order to avoid war and confrontation with the idolaters, and so that the atmosphere of peace should be maintained. The entire life of the Prophet is a practical demonstration of this peace-loving policy. At the time of migration from Makkah, the idolaters were all set to wage war, but the Prophet avoided this by quietly leaving his homeland for Madinah.

The mission of Islam is based on monotheism, its goal being to make people realize the existence of the one and only God and to strive to bring about a revolution in their hearts and minds of individuals in order that they may love God as is His due. And the greatest concern of man should be to fear and worship his Creator (2:165).

Such a mission cannot afford wars and violent confrontations. When a state of war and violence prevails, the normal atmosphere is vitiated and such circumstances as would foster intellectual movements and spiritual reformation cannot be effectively created. It cannot be denied that peaceful circumstances produce a propitious environment for Islam, while violent circumstances inevitably result in antagonism towards Islam.

War: A State Action

In Islam, war is not the prerogative of the individual but of an established government. Only an established government can declare war. In other words, individuals can pray on their own, but they cannot wage wars of their own accord. Only when a war is declared by the ruling government, can the public join in and support it, and not before that. Islam does not sanction individual actions on this issue. Therefore no Non Governmental Organization or NGO can declare a war.

As a general principle, the Quran tells us that, even where an external attack is feared, the common man should not act independently, but should take the matter to the ruler, and then under his guidance take proper counter measures. (4:83).

The Hadith also states that ‘the ruler is a shield, fighting is done under him, and security is attained through him.’

This clearly shows that the decision to do battle and its planning are the tasks of an established government. The common man can play his role as need be under government orders, and not independently.

This Islamic principle shows that there is no room for non-state warfare, which is what we generally call guerilla war. A guerilla war is fought by individual organizations, not by the State. As far as the state is concerned, if it wants to wage a defensive war against any country it has first—in obedience to the Quran—to issue a proper declaration. Only then can it wage a lawful war (8:58). In Islam, there is only ‘declared’ war. Therefore, in accordance with this principle, no proxy war in Islam can be lawful.

Most Islamic actions are governed by certain conditions. The waging of war is also thus subject to certain principles, one being that, even when a defensive war has been declared by the State, it will be aimed only at the combatants. Targeting non-combatants will be unlawful. The Quran enjoins us not to do battle with those who are not at war. Such people have to be dealt with kindly and equitably. But you are free to do battle with those who are fighting against you. (60:8-9)

If, for instance, a Muslim state is at war with a particular nation, and this war is in conformance with Islamic principles, it should still not permit any destructive activities against non-combatants (civilians), as was done on September 11, 2001, in New York and Washington. Similarly in Islamic war, Muslims are not permitted to commit suicidal bombings in order to destroy the enemy. Strapping explosives on to oneself and hurling oneself upon the civilian settlements of even those with whom one is at war, for the purpose of destroying the enemy, and in the process killing oneself deliberately, is totally un-Islamic. This can in no way be termed ‘Shahadah’ (martyrdom). According to Islam we can become martyrs, but we cannot court a martyr’s death deliberately.

The Difference between Enemy and Aggressor

Under the scheme of the divine trial of human beings, God has granted man freedom. Due to this freedom, enmities may develop between people (20:123), which sometimes lead them to war. But Islam makes a clear difference between enmity and war.

Believers do not have the right to wage wars against their enemies. What the believers have to do as regards their enemies is far from waging war. Their duty is to peacefully convey to them the message of Islam. The Quran gives a clear injunction on this subject:

    “And good and evil deeds are not alike. Repel evil with good. And he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend.” (41:33-34)

That is to say, Islam believes in turning one’s enemy into a friend through peaceful means, instead of declaring him an enemy and then waging war against him.

Islam does give permission to do battle. But such permission is given only in the case of an attack by opponents in spite of the policy of avoidance being followed by the Muslims, thus creating a situation where self-defense is required. The Quran has this to say: “Permission to take up arms is hereby given to those who are attacked because they have been wronged” (22:38). At another place the Quran gives a valid reason for fighting: “They were the first to attack you” (9:13).

This shows that according to the teachings of Islam, war is to be waged not against the enemy but against the aggressor. If Muslims hold someone to be their enemy, that does not give them the right to attack him. The one and only right given to them is to convey the peaceful message of Islam. Islam permits defensive fighting against violent aggression, but only when all efforts at avoidance and reconciliation have failed. The practical example of the Prophet Muhammad provides an incontrovertible proof of the value of this policy.

The Power of Peace

According to a Hadith, “God grants to gentleness what He does not grant to harshness.” That is to say, peaceful activism is distinctly superior to violent activism. There is nothing mysterious about the point made in this Hadith. It is a simple and a well-known fact of life that in a situation of war and violence, feelings of hatred and enmity flare up between the two sides and, in the process, the existing resources are destroyed. People from both sides get killed and the entire society turns into a jungle of negative feelings. It is quite obvious that in such an atmosphere no constructive and consolidated work can be done. There is nothing to be achieved in war and violence, save death and destruction.

On the contrary, an atmosphere of peace enables normal relations to be established between people. It makes it possible for feelings of love and friendship to prevail. In a favourable atmosphere constructive activities flourish and the existing resources can be used for development or other creative activities. A positive bent of mind will prevail which will help develop academic and intellectual advancement.

The greatest ill effect of war is that it limits human endeavour, whereas the greatest benefit of peace is that to the ultimate extent it opens up opportunities for improvement. War invariably results in further loss, while peace invariably results in further gain. That is why Islam teaches us to avoid war and confrontation at all costs and commands us to establish peace to the greatest possible degree.

Clarification of a Fallacy

There are certain verses in the Quran, which convey injunctions similar to the following:

    ‘Kill them wherever you find them.’ (2:191)

Referring to such verses, there are some who attempt to give the impression that Islam is a religion of war and violence. This is totally untrue. Such verses relate in a restricted sense, to those who have unilaterally attacked the Muslims. The above verse does not convey the general command of Islam.

The truth of the matter is that the Quran was not revealed in the complete form in which it exists today. It was revealed from time to time, according to the circumstances, over a time span of 23 years. If this is divided into years of war and peace, the period of peace amounts to 20 years, while that of war amounts only to 3 years. The revelations during these 20 peaceful years were the peaceful teachings of Islam as are conveyed in the verses regarding the realization of God, worship, morality, justice, etc.

This division of commands into different categories is a natural one and is found in all religious books. For instance, the Gita, the holy book of the Hindus, pertains to wisdom and moral values. Yet along with this is the exhortation of Krishna to Arjun, encouraging him to fight. (3:30) This does not mean that believers in the Gita should wage wars all the time. Gandhiji, after all, derived his philosophy of non-violence from the same Gita. The exhortation to wage war in the Gita applies only to exceptional cases where circumstances leave no choice. But for general day-to-day existence it gives the same peaceful commands as derived from it by Mahatma Gandhi.

Similarly, Jesus Christ said: “Do not think that I came to bring peace on Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (Matthew, Chapter 10)

It would not be right to conclude that the religion preached by Christ was one of war and violence, for such utterances relate purely to particular occasions. So far as general life is concerned, Christ taught peaceful values, such as the building up of a good character, loving each other, helping the poor and needy, etc.

The same is true of the Quran. When the Prophet of Islam emigrated from Mecca to Medina, the idolatrous tribes were aggressive towards him. But the Prophet always averted their attacks by the exercise of patience and the strategy of avoidance. However on certain occasions no other options existed, save that of retaliation. Therefore, he had do battle on certain occasions. It was these circumstances, which occasioned those revelations relating to war. These commands, being specific to certain circumstances, had no general application. They were not meant to be valid for all time to come. That is why; the permanent status of the Prophet has been termed a ‘mercy for all mankind.’ (21:107)

Islam is a religion of peace in the fullest sense of the word. The Qur’an calls its way ‘the paths of peace’ (5:16). It describes reconciliation as the best policy (4:128), and states that God abhors any disturbance of the peace (2:205). We can say that: “It is no exaggeration to say that Islam and violence are contradictory to each other. The concept of Islamic violence is so obviously unfounded that prima facie it stands rejected. The fact that violence is not sustainable in the present world is sufficient indication that violence as a principle is quite alien to the scheme of things in Islam. Islam claims to be an eternal religion and, as such, could never afford to uphold any principle, which could not stand up to the test of time. Any attempt to bracket violence with Islam amounts, therefore, to casting doubt upon the very eternity of the Islamic religion. Islamic terrorism is a contradiction in terms, much like ‘pacifist’ terrorism. And the truth of the matter is that, all the teachings of Islam are based directly or indirectly on the principle of peace.”


PEACE TO YOU ALL!!!

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WISHING YOU THE BEST 2011

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'Grubby' world inside Hugh Hefner's empire 

 

 

The marriage proposal was apparently a rather romantic affair. On Christmas Eve, the couple watched a late-night movie together and then exchanged gifts: for him a framed photograph of their King Charles Spaniel, for her an engagement ring.

‘She burst into tears,’ he revealed on Twitter at the weekend. ‘This is the happiest Christmas in memory.’

‘The most memorable Christmas ever,’ she tweeted in agreement. ‘I love him.’
All of which might be rather more touching if the ­prospective groom was not Playboy tycoon Hugh Hefner who, at 84, is 60 years older than his fiancée, a platinum blonde model named Crystal Harris.

Match made in heaven?: Hugh Hefner has become engaged to Crystal Harris over Christmas - despite the 60 year age difference between the couple

Match made in heaven?: Hugh Hefner has become engaged to Crystal Harris over Christmas - despite the 60 year age difference between the couple

That Hefner should choose to share details of this intimate moment with the world quite so soon after his proposal is typical of this flamboyant self-publicist.

Crystal Harris shows off her engagement ring

Bling: Crystal Harris shows off her engagement ring

His image as a fast-living Lothario has done much to make a success of the Playboy brand, and news of his impending nuptials to a woman young enough to be his great-granddaughter will further promote the idea of him as a lovable old rascal who has plenty of life in him yet. .

This is certainly the image Hefner likes to project to the celebrities drawn to his lavishly debauched ­parties at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. The attractions there include a games house, with two guestrooms equipped with only a bed, a ceiling mirror and a phone.

Charlie Sheen, Leonardo DiCaprio and Colin Farrell are among the stars who have enjoyed romps at the Mansion, according to a kiss-and-tell ­memoir by Izabella St James, a former member of the ever-changing bevy of pneumatic blondes with whom Hefner shares his home. 

Stars just needed to ‘click their ­fingers’ to seduce women at these ­soirées, recalls St James.

These A-listers no doubt delight in their association with the legendary lover. But unfortunately for Hefner, some of his former ‘girlfriends’, as he calls them, have become disenchanted with life in his harem over the years.

Party time: Actor Charlie Sheen was photographed in a robe at the Playboy Mansion party in August 2010 along with two blonds and porn star Ron Jeremy

Party time: Actor Charlie Sheen was photographed in a robe at the Playboy Mansion party in August 2010 along with two blonds and porn star Ron Jeremy

One by one they have revealed what life was like behind the glittering façade of the Playboy Mansion. According to them, it disguises a grubby world where some girls feel they are no ­better than prostitutes, paid pocket money by an octogenarian obsessive who funds plastic ­surgery to turn them into his physical ideal, and yet must still take huge amounts of Viagra to manage sex with them.

The portrait of Hefner painted by Izabella St James is deeply unappealing. A pretty blonde law graduate, she was 26 when she met him in a Hollywood nightclub in 2002. Soon, he invited her to move in with him and seven other official ‘girlfriends’.

 

Hefner likes to have anywhere between three and 15 girlfriends at any one time. One of the group will be chosen to be Girlfriend No 1. She will share Hefner’s bedroom at all times, while the others are merely visitors. 

For Izabella, the Playboy Mansion was far from the glamorous pleasure palace she had imagined. ‘Each ­bedroom had mismatched, random pieces of furniture,’ she recalls in her autobiography Bunny Tales. ‘It was as if someone had gone to a charity shop and bought the basics for each room.

‘Although we all did our best to decorate our rooms and make them homely, the mattresses on our beds were ­disgusting — old, worn and stained. The sheets were past their best, too.

Kiss and tell: Izabella St James, a former member of the bevy of beauties, wrote a tell all book about her time in the Playboy mansion

Kiss and tell: Izabella St James, a former member of the bevy of beauties, wrote a tell all book about her time in the Playboy mansion

‘Eventually I persuaded Hef to pay for a new mattress and bed linen — but I had to turn in every single receipt before I was reimbursed.

‘Hef also eventually permitted us to have the rooms painted and recarpeted. But for some reason he insisted on creamy, white-coloured carpets. He liked the girlfriends’ rooms to look very girly, all white carpet and pink walls. 

‘It looked great at first, but with two dogs (most of the girlfriends had pets that lived in their rooms — I had two pugs), butlers delivering food, dirty shoes and occasional spillages, the carpet was grey and stained in a matter of months.’

She adds: ‘But then Hef was used to dirty carpets. The one in his bedroom had not been changed for years, and things became significantly worse when Holly Madison moved into his room with him as Girlfriend No. 1 soon after I moved in, bringing her two dogs.

‘They weren’t house-trained and would just do their business on the bedroom carpet. Late at night, or in the early hours of the morning — if any of us visited Hef’s bedroom — we’d almost always end up standing in dog mess. 

‘Everything in the Mansion felt old and stale, and Archie the house dog would regularly relieve himself on the hallway curtains, adding a powerful whiff of urine to the general scent of decay.’

Many girls, it seems, endured these living conditions for the chance of becoming a centrefold in Playboy ­magazine — an invaluable career boost for any glamour model.

Others admitted that they stayed only for the ­cosmetic surgery to which Hefner treated them as a birthday presents, keeping a running account with a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon.

Legendary lover: Hugh Hefner has a reputation for the high life, yet it seems many of his former 'girlfriends' have become disenchanted with life in the harem

Legendary lover: Hugh Hefner has a reputation for the high life, yet it seems many of his former 'girlfriends' have become disenchanted with life in the harem

But St James — with big university debts — was more interested in the weekly pocket money which Hefner paid all his girlfriends. ‘Every Friday morning we had to go to Hef’s room, wait while he picked up all the dog poo off the carpet — and then ask for our allowance: a thousand dollars counted out in crisp hundred-dollar bills from a safe in one of his bookcases,’ she says. 

‘We all hated this process. Hef would always use the occasion to bring up anything he wasn’t happy about in the relationship. Most of the complaints were about the lack of harmony among the girlfriends — or your lack of sexual participation in the “parties” he held in his bedroom.

‘If we’d been out of town for any reason and missed one of the official “going out” nights [When Hefner liked to parade his girls at nightclubs] he wouldn’t want to give us the allowance. He used it as a weapon.’

The allowance was also withdrawn if there was any infringement of the strict rules imposed by Hefner on all his girlfriends.

‘Little did I realise that by moving into the mansion I was losing all the freedom I associated with the Playboy lifestyle,’ says St James. 

‘Strictest of all was the curfew. Everyone had to be on the Mansion grounds by 9pm every night — unless we were out with Hef at a club or a function. People honestly did not believe us when we told them we had a curfew at the wild and crazy Playboy Mansion.’

Another young woman, model Kendra Wilkinson, now 25, met ­Hefner in 2004 when she was hired as a living statue at one of his ­parties, posing naked except for painted-on accessories. She moved into the Playboy Mansion soon afterwards and lived there until 2009.

She has since described how his staff noted every time one of the girls left or arrived back at the ­Mansion. Hefner would pore over the logs every morning, which, Wilkinson said, drove her ‘insane’.

‘It was way more strict than my parents had ever been,’ she says.

Freedom of a kind came on Wednesdays and Fridays, the official nights out, which were the prelude to the twice-weekly sex parties in Hefner’s bedroom.

The girls travelled with Hefner in a white limousine which had a ­leopard-skin interior, with Playboy bunny logos sewn onto the seats. As they left the mansion, they drank Dom Perignon champagne and downed Quaaludes, a prescription-only sedative drug popularised in the Seventies and now handed out by Hefner.

‘Quaaludes were supposed to give you a nice buzz,’ says Izabella St James. ‘Hef told me once that they were meant to put girls in the mood for sex.’

The thrill of being out after curfew was tempered by Hefner’s wearying habit of going out to the same few clubs, night after night. And his ever-present security guards ensured that no other men were allowed to pay the girls any attention.

At around midnight, according to St James, Hef would take his Viagra. ‘After that, he would constantly check his watch to make sure we left at the right time because if we didn’t, or the timing got messed up, he wouldn’t be able to perform later.

‘We had to line up like geese and follow each other out of the club.’

‘Little did I realise that by moving into the mansion I was losing all the freedom I associated with the Playboy lifestyle.'

As with so much else in their time with Hefner, the girls followed strict rules before entering his bedroom for the sex parties.One of those who witnessed these preparations was Jill Ann Spaulding, an aspiring model who wrote to ­Hefner in 2002 asking to be a Playboy centrefold. 

Though 20-year-old Spaulding had enclosed a naked photo of herself, she claims to have been unprepared for what happened when she was invited to stay at the Playboy ­Mansion for a few days, and was asked to one of these private parties.

Beforehand, all the girls were told to take a bath. ‘I got in, then another girl appeared from nowhere and jumped in with me,’ recalls Spaulding. ‘Then Hef stepped around the corner and took a photo of us naked in the bath together before disappearing. It was all very strange.

‘Another girl led me into Hef’s master bedroom. The only light was coming from two TVs on which adult films were showing. All the other girls were there, dressed like me in pink pyjamas. 

‘If you kept your pyjama bottoms on, that was a sign that you didn’t want to have contact that night.’ According to Spaulding there were 12 girls there on that first night, and only she and another girl declined the offer to have sex with Hefner, who did not use a condom.

Girls next door: Hefner poses with three models, including Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson outside his mansion in Los Angeles, California

Girls next door: Hefner poses with three models, including Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson outside his mansion in Los Angeles, California

‘There was no protection and no testing for sexually transmitted ­diseases,’ she says.

Izabella St James, it seems, was much more open about having a physical relationship with him.

‘I wanted to see if this experienced King of Sexdom knew anything the rest of us did not,’ she recalls. ‘But he just lay there like a dead fish.

‘We often wondered why he did it at all. He must know deep down that it is just a show. But he is trying to live out this fantasy he has been selling to people since 1954. He wants to live up to the Playboy image he created and the expectations people have of him.’

'Hef looked absolutely furious, and one of the girls hissed at me that I was disappointing him. I didn’t care. Hef’s face was like thunder but I was left alone.'

Although still hoping to make Playboy centrefold, Jill Ann Spaulding was determined to resist becoming intimate with Hefner and quickly discovered the consequences when she returned to his room for another of the sex parties, keeping her pyjama bottoms determinedly on. The other girls soon made it clear that she was expected to take them off.

‘I was terrified. They were all looking at me, including Hef from the bed — just staring straight at me. I said firmly that I couldn’t join in.

‘Hef looked absolutely furious, and one of the girls hissed at me that I was disappointing him. I didn’t care. Hef’s face was like thunder but I was left alone.’

Spaulding was quickly dismissed from the Playboy mansion and was later followed by Izabella St James, who left of her own accord.

Unsurprisingly both were soon replaced by a succession of blondes including, in January 2009, Crystal Harris. When she arrived, Hefner was seeing identical-twin glamour ­models Kristina and Karissa Shannon.

Since ending his relationship with the sisters, in January this year, he is said — in what must be one of the most suspect statements of the century — to have been monogamous. Unlikely as it seems, he is perhaps serious about making ­Harris his wife.

If so, she will be little envied by many of Hefner’s former girlfriends. For they know that, while life at the Playboy Mansion appears to offer all that an aspiring young celebrity might yearn for, she is committing herself to a life of squalid degradation in a cage which is far from gilded.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1342643/Hugh-Hefners-Playboy-mansion-like-squalid-prison-say-Playmates.html#ixzz19gIv6F5S
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NURTW Boss Killed

Huhuonline.com can disclose that there is serious tension in Ibadan the Oyo State capital following the killing of the ousted chairman of the state National Union of Road Transport Worker, NURTW, Alhaji Lateef Salako, popularly known as Eleweomo.

He was reportedly killed at a primary school in the state just as the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, began its congress.

A serving Senator, Teslim Folarin, also narrowly escaped death when he was ambushed by some thugs. Two of his aides however got killed by the thugs.

Though no one has been able to say categorically why Eleweomo was shot, fingers are currently pointing at Senator Folarin who is believed to have had a long battle with the late NURTW boss.

Eleweomo had also engaged the state Governor, Alao Akala, several times this year forcing the state to shut down sometimes for days.

Loyalists of the late Eleweomo are currently threatening to a reprisal attack on the Senator and his people as they believe that he was the one who gave his boys the instruction to attack the transport boss. .

They claim that their boss was killed by mobile police brought to the venue of the voting.

As at the time of filing this report, the corpse of the deceased was still on the floor according to sources close to Huhuonline.com.

Attempts are also been made to ensure the alertness of the law enforcement agents in the state.

However, Senator Folarin, while denying complicity in the act, said he had yesterday reported to the police the impending invasion of the venue by some hoodlums, but said nothing was done about his complaints.

He also accused Governor Akala of enlisting the group which he had earlier proscribed in order to forment trouble.

Read more…

10- year- old in university the real wizkids

12166297054?profile=originalThe admission committee of the Lucknow University (LU) India had lately been wracking its brains over an exceptional case - whether or not to induct a 10-year-old girl in its BSc course.
    After some serious deliberation, the panel concluded that since Sushma Verma had already cleared her matriculation and intermediate examinations, she was entitled to study graduation courses.
    Sushma's track record has been consistently stunning. She cleared class X with 59 per cent marks from the UP Board in 2007, when she was only seven. This year, she passed the intermediate exam with 62 per cent marks from St Miraj Inter College.
    Her admission to the LU was initially withheld because of her age. However, she moved an application before the committee, urging it to reconsider the decision because she didn't want to waste a year and miss the academic session of 2010. "There is no specific mention of the minimum age limit in the rule book of the university. So, Sushma can be given admission," the committee observed, responding to her plea.
    According to university spokesperson S.K. Dwivedi, the committee was of the unanimous opinion that such students should be encouraged."While deciding Sushma's case, we have reached the conclusion that such students who have cleared their intermediate this year with good marks should be admitted for graduation courses," Dwivedi said. "Their age shouldn't be a bar. In fact, it is a proud moment for us to have a 10-year-old undergraduate who is confident of excelling in life," he added.
    Sushma's achievement is all the more creditable because she comes from a family which has limited means. Her father Tej Bahadur is a daily wager at the school she completed her intermediate course from.
    Sushma's brother Shailendra Verma, too, is a child prodigy, having secured admission in LU's Bachelor of Computer Applications course in 2009, when he was only 14.
    He, however, opted for a career in website development. "My son is doing something extra- ordinary. Big companies have hired him to tweak their websites," Shailendra's homemaker mother Chhaya Verma said. "My daughter will take admission in the CMS Girl's Degree College, which is affiliated to the LU. She has opted for zoology, botany and chemistry," Bahadur. a class eight dropout, said. "At the same time, she is preparing for medical entrance tests. Sushma wants to become a doctor," he added.
    Not only is Sushma a budding talent, the wonder kid is grounded as well. "There is nothing extraordinary about us. It is just that my brother and I take our education seriously. This is because my father is a dropout and mother unlettered. My dream is to open a hospital to treat poor people free of cost," she said humbly.
    St Miraj's principal Anita Ratra was full of praise for her. " She is an excellent student with a special flair for graphics. She secured a first division in her Class XII exams," Ratra said.

 

 

 

Previously:

 


Youngest matriculate
Lucknow, June 5
A seven-and-a-half year-old city girl, daughter of a daily labourer, created a record today by becoming India’s youngest matriculate.images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtrJ7roRKXeyqFKEo-Oh5aDI0OoDHdveHbxsPf_k-AtEGzJhwW Sushma Verma, born in February 2000, cleared the Uttar Pradesh Board High School examination today by securing 354 marks out of 600, missing a first division by a meagre six marks.
A seven-and-a-half year-old city girl, daughter of a daily labourer, created a record today by becoming India’s youngest matriculate. Sushma Verma, born in February 2000, cleared the Uttar Pradesh Board High School examination today by securing 354 marks out of 600, missing a first division by a meagre six marks.

Verma, who secured 58 marks in Hindi, 60 in English, 66 in maths, 63 in science, 68 in social science and 39 in computers, said she was happy for achieving the honour, but felt sad at the same time for failing to secure first division due to her poor performance in computers.

The record for the youngest matriculate was held so far by Patna’s Tathagat Avatar Tulsi, who accomplished the feat when he was nine years of age.

She appeared in the board examination amid media attention, which had worried her school, St. Meera’s Inter College, that her attention might get diverted, but she “excelled in the examinations as expected,” school manager Vinod Kumar said.

Sushma had secured direct admission to Class IX last year, following permission given by the secondary education department. Before this she had studied at home.

Her father Tej Bahadur Verma, a daily wage labourer, and mother Chhaya, a housewife, are happy at the rare feat.

She is, however, not the only such genius in her family. Her brother Shailendra had passed Class XII at the age of 11 and cleared the Scholastic Assessment Test and Test of English as a foreign language. He secured admission to a US university but could not go owing to monetary problems. — PTI



Read more…

jpeg&STREAMOID=ujTOgtrAwHCMjGIwYexw3S6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxSbDUCsavoQMccuW4fLAVGrnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-&width=300President Goodluck Jonathan has accepted to engage his main opponent for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in a political debate.

Though he said this must be done at the instance of the party, he said he expected that the party’s flag bearer and other candidates will debate on issues based on manifestos rather than challenging each other as if to a wrestling competition.

Mr. Jonathan’s 2011 political ambition took a step forward when he was yesterday unanimously endorsed by South-South delegates to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention during a meeting between the president and the south-south delegates in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

The delegates from the six states of the region openly endorsed the Jonathan/Sambo ticket as the best ticket. While thanking delegates for their support, Mr. Jonathan said he was ready to take up the challenge of his main opponent whenever the party deems it fit for them to meet.

“I am waiting for the party to invite me for presidential debate,” he said..

The president also assured the people of the region that he will do his best not to let them down, noting that whatever he does while in office will rub off positively or negatively on the people from the south-south region.

He further noted that he will ensure that he does nothing that will jeorpardise the chances of others from the region in the nearest future.

“If I mess up, the people will reject us (zone) completely, and this is why I have to do everything possible to ensure that we do well as a government,” he said.

Working for progress

He reassured the people that come March next year, the country will enjoy relative power stability, as all the efforts put in by the administration should have yielded tons of fruits.

The president said after considering the other aspirants from the party, he is convinced that he and his vice president present the best that will lead the nation out of the woods.

“That is why our administration is assuring Nigerians that if given another four years, we would try and make the country better,” he said.

Mr. Jonathan, who had earlier met with the chairman of Rivers State traditional ruler, King TJT Princewill JP Amachree, Amanyanbo of Kalabari Kingdom, also reiterated his plan to send to the National Assembly a bill that will recognise the traditional institutions in the country.

This he said he will do early next year. He asked the traditional rulers to contribute towards the bill when the National Assembly commences public debate on the it.

The president, who also reacted on the Jos killings, said the situation is a national embarrassment, adding that terrorism has become a global plague which the government is working hard to tackle and make a thing of the past.

Read more…

2010 showbiz roundup

12166296489?profile=original2010 was indeed an eventful year for entertainment. The movies and music scene had never had it so good, going by the number of returnees who made it just in time to catch in on the ever vibrant and lucrative industries.

One of the earliest shockers fans got was when Nigerian traditional hip-hop artiste, 9ice, announced his separation from his wife, Toni Payne, on January 8. The news was received with mixed reactions, especially since his ‘Tradition’ album was not so much of a commercial success.

In August, controversial actor and singer, Jim Iyke, was in the news for the wrong reason when rumours made the rounds online that he had contracted HIV from his married Sierra Leonean lover, and that she had a child by him. The actor hit back through his PR company, which took legal action on his behalf.

It was also a year of many endorsement deals and awards - P-Square’s multi-million naira Globacom deal became public after months of speculation. The talented duo were officially announced as Glo Ambassadors in August while Timaya is being rumoured as next on the list. The year was also a good one for the Glo ambassadors including Jim Iyke, Pasuma, Funke Akindele, Uche Jumbo, Chioma Akpotha, Nonso Diobi, Jackie Apphia, Kate Henshaw-Nuttall, Rita Dominic, and Ego Ogbara. They all dazzled in various campaigns and also graced the Glo recharge cards.

However, in the midst of various happy events in the industry, it suffered a dent when international star, Leona Lewis, who was due to perform at Nigeria’s Golden Jubilee Independence celebration, cancelled her visit in honour of the 8 victims who lost their lives after two car bombs went off in the nation’s capital.

While we will not agree any less that the year was an eventful one, we present to you just some of those people, places, and events which will continue to make headlines and some interesting conversation even in the New Year.

 

MOVIES

‘Small Boy’ - May 27

African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) award winning filmmaker, Michelle Dede’s acclaimed feature film ‘Small Boy’ was premiered in Lagos months after it had had scooped wins and nominations at various awards ceremonies and film festivals.

‘Ije’ - July 30

Undoubtedly one of the most anticipated and hyped Nollywood movie of the year. Produced and directed by young filmmaker, Chineze Anyaene, ‘Ije’ parades an international cast including Nigerian movie sweethearts - Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde and Genevieve Nnaji. The movie opened in Nigerian cinemas on July 30 to rave reviews, its tickets were sold out in a week. Due to popular demand, it had a second opening which will run from Christmas Eve up until January 6, 2011.

‘Kajola’ - July 30

Despite its huge budget and futuristic sci-fi theme, ‘Kajola’ stands out as the flop of the year. Set in 2059 and complete with stunning Hollywood style visual effects, the movie was directed by Niyi Akinmolayan and produced by Adonis Production, with visual effects by Anthill.The movie starred a crop of new actors such as Adonijah Owiriwa and Keira Hewatch alongside Nollywood star, Desmond Elliot. It had to be withdrawn from the cinemas due to complaints by the audiences across the country of its lack lustre quality.

‘Holding Hope’ and ‘Bursting Out’ - August 8

It was a double premeire at the Silverbird Galleria when ‘Holding Hope’ and Bursting Out’ came to town. ‘Holding Hope’ was written by Uche Jombo, Emem Isong, and Uduak Emem Oguwamalam and stars Uche Jombo, Desmond Elliot, Nadia Buhari, Biola Williams, Ngozi Nwosu, Rukky Sanda, and many others.

‘Bursting out’, on the other hand, was produced by Emem Isong and directed by Desmond Elliot and features Genevieve Nnaji and Majid Michael.

Some of the works of Royal Arts Academy include ‘Guilty Pleasure’ and ‘Nollywood Hustlers’, where renowned stars such as Ramsey Nouah, Majid Micheal, Nse Ikpe Etim, Uche Jombo, Susan Peters, Charles Inojie, Monalisa Chinda, and many others did what they do best.

‘Save our Souls’ - August 26

Nollywood actress, Oby Edozieh, premiered her long-awaited movie titled ‘Save our Souls’ in some major cinemas in Lagos and Abuja. Shot on location in both India and London, ‘Save our Souls‘ dwells on the emotional and psychological trauma that people stricken with cancer suffer and its effect on their families and friends. The flick was directed by Moses Inyang. Its cast include the likes of Kenneth Okonkwo, Elebelu Elebuwa, Chioma Chukwuka, Ebere Okaro, Segun Arinze, Oby Edozie, amongst many others. The actress also launched her NGO, Oby Gold Cancer Foundation, on same date.

‘D’ Comeback’ - September 7

‘D’Comeback’, produced by Prominent Cease, a group of Nigerian entrepreneurs based in Washington, was premeired in style in Lagos. It is a fictional adaptation of the Biblical story of King David. Shot in the US, the movie was first premiered in Bethesda, Maryland, in April 2010.

‘Home in Exile’ - September 26

Nigerian movie producer and director, Lancelot Imasuen, premiered his latest work, ‘Home in Exile’ in Benin City, Edo State. According to Imasuen, ‘Home In Exile’ reveals the inherent selfish nature of man and exposes how people extol tradition when it favours them and abhor it when it comes against them. The event was hosted by the Edo State commissioner for arts and culture, Abdul Oroh, and supported by the Edo State House of Assembly through its representative, Patrick Osayimen.

‘Memories of the Heart’ - October 15

Nollywood actress, Ini Edo, joined the movie making wagon on October 15 when she premiered her movie ‘Memories of my Heart’ - a romantic comedy. The movie was co-produced by Emem Isong and stars Ramsey Nouah, Monalisa Chinda, Nse Ikpe Etim, Kofi Adjorlolo, and Desmond Elliot.

‘Inale’- November 3

‘Inalé’ is based on an old folk tale, and is a musically inclined movie. The entire project came to fruition at the hands of three major players: Bongos Ikwue, his daughter and producer Keke Bongos, and talented director, Amata. It parades the likes of Keppy Ekpeyong, Dede Mabiaku, and Omawumi Megbele.

‘Champions of our Time’ - November 28

‘Champions of our Time’ opened at Silverbird Cinemas, Lagos. It was produced by Chidi Nwokeabia, and Nollywood actor, Emeka Enyiocha. ‘Champions of our Time’ features Segun Arinze, Joke Silva-Jacob, Ngozi Ezeonu, Ejike Asiegbu, Ayo Adesanya, Charles Inojie, and many others.

‘Anchor Baby’ - December 10

This is another movie which has been enjoying media buzz and patronage. Produced by Canadian based Nigerian film maker, Lonzo Nzekwe, ‘Anchor Baby’, like ‘Ije’, has storylines which explore illegal immigrant themes. It also stars an international cast,except for Nigeria’s Omoni Oboli. It opened in cinemas across the country on December 10.

‘A Private Storm’ - December 18

Writer/producer, Vivian Ejike, latest movie premiered in Lagos. The romantic thriller starred Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, Ramsey Nouah, John Dumelo, Ngozi Ezeonuand, and Ufuoma Ejenobor. The movie was directed by Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen and Kechukwu Onyeka.

 

 

REALITY SHOWS

 

MR. NIGERIA 2010 - March 2

Nigeria’s representative, 25-year old Kenneth Okolie, emerged second runner up in the keenly contested MR. World competition, which took place in Songdo Convensiona, in Korea’s city, Incheon.

MGBN 2010 - May 22

18-year old student, Fiona Aforma Amuzie, was crowned as the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria. Onyeka Martina Udechukwu, who was chosen as Miss LaCasera 2010, received a N1m cash prize and the chance to be the Face of LaCasera for 12 months. Miss Ebonyi, Shalom Obi, won the Face of Select Pro Cosmetics Contest and a N500,000 cash prize.

MISS NIGERIA 2010 - September 25

6 years after the last Miss Nigeria was crowned,19-year old Damilola Agbajor, representing Delta State, was chosen as Miss Nigeria 2010. Damilola was crowned by the MD of the Miss Nigeria Organisation - Adenike Oshinowo-Soleye.

Agbajor’s winning package includes a full scholarship to be educated in a tertiary institution anywhere in the world, a luxury car, one year’s salary package of N3 million naira, one year’s accommodation in Lagos, Nigeria, and a wardrobe for a year, from Nigerian designers.

MTN Project Fame Season 3 - September 26

Chidinma Ekile made history as the first female winner of MTN Project Fame. Kesse Frimpong, a Ghananian, emerged 1st runner up, with Eyo Eminue grabbing the 2nd runner up spot, while Yetunde Orijah was named 3rd runner up. Surprisingly, Tolu Aadesina and Ochuko Ogbu-Sifo, who were crowd favourites, came fifth and sixth respectively.

The business promoter and student drove away with a Toyota Rav4, 2.5 million naira, and a record deal.

Genevieve Nnaji on CNN CONECTOR - November 23

The much talked about CNN’s Connector of The Day, featuring Nigerian star actress, Genevive Nnaji, finally aired ‘The Interview’ which was recorded sometime in October 2010 at the CNN International Studio in London, saw Nnaji responding to questions sent in. The actress was also listed in the October 15 issue of Entertainment Weekly, which had a cover story on ‘The 50 Most Powerful Entertainers’ (in Hollywood). Genevieve was mentioned in a small sub-feature on ‘Stars Around the World’ which alludes to Genny as “the Angelina Jolie of Nigeria.”

Glo Naija Sings Season 2 - December 6

Diploma in Music holder, Casey, won the second instalment of the musical talent reality television show, Naija Sings. The 27-year old Warri indigene won the coveted $100, 000, a Toyota Rav4 SUV, and he’s now an automatic Glo Ambassador. He beats the other finalists, Rasine and Da brodas, to the trophy on Friday at the grand finale which took place at the MNET Studios in Lagos.

Peak Talent Show season 2 - December 19

16-year old Kida Kudz emerged winner of the Peak Talent Show Season 2, beating runners-up Osagie and Super 2 to the star prize. The rapper’s real names, Kayode Odesanya, went home with N2m cash and an Ipad.

The Debaters - December 21

25-year old orator, Chinedu Chidi emerged the champion of ‘The Debaters’ Season II, winning N3.5m, Toyota RAV4, and VEDA Laptop grand prize.

‘The Debaters’ is created by TV personality, Mo, who anchors ‘Moments with Mo’.


WEDDINGS

Joseph Yobo and Adaeze Igwe December 31/January 1

Nigerian international footballer, Joseph Yobo, wedded ex-beauty queen, Adaeze Igwe, during the ‘midnight crossover’ service at the El-Buba Outreach Ministries in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.

Kingsley Okonkwo of KC Presh & Cynthia Ijeoma Oduah - March 12

Kingsley Okonkwo of KC PRESH fame married his heartthrob Ijeoma Cynthia Oduah at Apapa Registry, Lagos.

 

Helen Paul and Oluwafemi Bamisile - April 17

Comedianne, Helen Paul, wedded her lawyer beau in Lagos.

Ufuoma Ejenobor and Steven McDermott - April 23

Nollywood actress and model, Ufouma Ejenobor, wedded Steve McDermott, a Briton, at a private ceremony in Lagos.

Bella Adenuga and Jameel Disu - April 24

Belinda Ajoke Adenuga and Jameel Adetokunboh Disu, had a fairytale wedding ceremony which took place at the Cathedral Church of Christ in Marina, Lagos, Nigeria.

Saint Janet and Olukayode Samuel Iyun - May 20

Contoversial singer, Saint Janet, formalised her wedding to heatthrob, Olukayode Samuel Iyun, at the Oke-Odo local government Registry in Lagos.

Ernest Obi and Evi Oki - May 30

Nollywood actor and filmmaker, Ernest Obi, wedded his long time heartthrob, Evi Oki, in Lagos.

Sammie Okposo and Ozioma Mkparu - July 1

Gospel musician, Sammie Okposo, tied the knots with his sweetheart, Ozioma Mkparu, at the Lagoon Restaurant and Banquet Hall.

Jeremiah Gyang and Ladi Otache - August 28

Nigerian singer and producer, Jeremiah Gyang, married his longtime love and P.A., Ladi Otache, in Jos, Plateau State.

 

Cynthia Okpala and Ozoemena Mbanefo - October 23

MTV VJ, Cynthia Okpala, wedded Ozoemena Mbanefo at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers.

Mike Ezuruonye and Nkechi Keke - November 13

Nollywood actor, Mike Ezuruonye, wedded his sweetheart, Nkechi Keke. Mike and Keke’s love story began when they met while he was filming a movie. The two had earlier celebrated their traditional wedding on May 2010.

Basketmouth and Elsie Uzoma - November 26

After a 7-year romance, comedian Bright ‘Basketmouth’ Okpocha, married his sweetheart, Elsie Uzoma, in glamorous style at the Eko Hotel and Suites.

Cobhams Asuquo and Ojuola Olukanni - December 2

Nigerian music maestro, Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, wedded Ojuolape Veronica Olukanni at the Redeemed Christian Church of God , The King is Coming Parish, at the Redemption Camp. After the church ceremony, Cobhams and Ojuola proceeded to their wedding reception at the Redemption Resort.

 

AY.COM and Joy - December 4

‘Pass me your Love’ crooner, Ayoola Johnson, popularly knowns as AY.COM, tied the knots with his undergraduate girlfriend, known as Joy.

Tuvi James and Tshimologo Igwegbe - Decemeber 19

Nigerian actor, Tuvi James, married Tshimologo Igwegbe, a South African model who works with NedBank in South Africa, whom he met at the Big Brother Africa party.

Queen Onakola and Dotun Omotoye - December 21

The two love birds tied the knot at the Onigbongbo local government registry, Ikeja.

 

DEATHS

Sikiru Ayinde Barrister

62-year old Fuji maestro, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital in London, after a protracted illness.

Sazzy

Aspiring MC/producer, Sazzy, real name Osaze Omonbude, passed on after a brief illness. His most memorable achievement was the release of the DJ Atte-hosted mixtape - ‘The Take Over’ which featured a gang of stars including M.I, 9ice, and Ruggedman. Sazzy was 26 years old at the time of his death.

Toun Oni

Veteran Nigerian actress, dancer, and vocalist, Toun Oni, passed away while being rushed to the hospital. Mama T, as she was popularly known, was one of Nigeria’s most successful cross-over actresses. She was also a recipient of the prestigious Order of Niger (OON), conferred in 2006. Her most memorably roles were undoubtedly on television, with parts in one of Nigeria’s longest running soap opera,‘Checkmate,’ and the popular ‘Fuji House of Commotion,’ where she played Mama Moji. She was aged 67.

FEATS

Omawummi and Dr. Frabz break up - March

After a short lived romance which began late last year while working on her debut album, Omawumi and producer and singer, Dr. Frabz parted ways.

Jay Martins Joins Storm Records - September

Talented songwriter, producer and singer, Jay Martins, signed a deal with Storm Records to manage him.

Terry G - September 4

Singer and producer, Terry G, real name Gabriel Amanyi, survived a horrific car crash after he ran his car into a street demarcation. The ‘Free Madness’ singer was subsequently rumoured dead minutes after the accident which happened in Ogba.

Omotola Jalade Ekeinde Album - September 14

Nollywood actress and singer, Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, treated fans and friends to a 5-star album launch event at the Eko Hotels.

Desmond Elliot - September 17

Actor and director, Desmond Elliot, welcomed a set of twins - a boy and a girl. This would be the second set of twins for the actor and his wife, coming after three year ago, when his wife gave birth to their first twin - Desmond Jr and Denzel.

Nse Ikpe Etim Speaks at Harvard October 1-3

Award-winning Nigerian actress, Nse Ikpe-Etim, was a guest of the Nigerian Students Association, Harvard University, to be a part of a distinguished panel to share with the world the growth and potential of the Nigerian film industry.

Tuface and One 8 - November 5

Eight African celebrities including Nigerian’s superstar, Tuface, featured on One8, a project that seeks to unify eight major African countries to create an African super music group. These artistes recorded an album in Chicago alongside American super star, R-kelly.

 

SCANDALS

Tonto Dikeh’s steamy sex scenes

Since getting her big break in 2006 through a Nigerian reality TV show, The Next Movie Star, where she emerged the first runner-up, Tonto Dikeh has worked her way to the top. However, lately, she has been making headlines as a result of steamy sex scenes. The movies ‘Dirty Secret’ and ‘Men in Love’ got tongues wagging.

Toni Payne and 9ice break up - January 8

Nigerian traditional hip-hop artist, 9ice, announced his separation from his wife, Toni Payne, through a statement released by his publicist, Ayeni Adekunle. The couple agreed to separate for a while, even though they continue to remain good friends and business partners while their baby, Zion, will reside with Payne.

Sammie Okposo and Scottish law - July

Newly-wedded Sammie Okposo was arrested in far away Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was honeymooning with his wife. According to the report, the couple and another couple-friend were at Jimmy Chung’s, a Chinese bar and restaurant in Aberdeen Beach Esplanade, which operates an all-you-can-eat menu featuring starters, main courses, and desserts when the gospel star was angered by a supposedly truculent waitress.

Wande Coal nude picture saga - July 14

Mo Hits star, Wande Coal, real name, Ojosipe Wande, became the hottest trending topic on social networking site, Twitter, when pictures alleged to be his nude shots, surfaced on the Internet.

9ice and Rugged Man - September 14

The last not has been heard about the 9ice and Rugged Man feud which has been on for months now shortly after Rugged Man leaked a phone conversation between him and 9ice. Both artistes have since released a Diss tracks targeted at each other.

Ufouma Ejenebor vs Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly - October

Nollywood actress, Ufouma Ejenebor, claimed one of the vehicles (the Pilot) in the lawmakers’ convoy hit her Nissan Xterra. The incident, which occured on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, had two different accounts from the two parties.

October

Mo’Hits rapper, Ikechukwu, kept entertainment portals buzzing, as rumours of his supposed departure from the ace record label dominated various forums in the cyber world. Although the rumours are yet to be confirmed, they get stronger, with different entertainment websites attributing the source to a Mo’Hits mole.

Emem Isong / Vivian Ejike

Both filmmakers are said to be in silent rivalry after it was rumoured that Ejike stole Isong’s story ‘Silent Scandal’. In her defence, Ejike said ‘I wrote ‘Silent Scandal’ in 2007 and the person you are talking about wrote her movie in 2009. How is it possible that I stole her concept? Please, let’s not get into that.’

GT Da Guitarman leaves Storm Records - November 11

Soul singer, Gbemiro Tokunbo Akinbogun, popularly known as GT Da Guitarman, officially called it quits with Storm Records. He has floated his own record label, Ember Records. GT Da Guitarman joined Storm Records in 2007 and released his debut album, ‘The Truth’ in 2009.

Uche Jumbo age scandal - December

The future awards nominated actress, Uche Jumbo, in the best actress award category, was involved in an age falsification scandal. After critics petitioned the awards committee saying that the actress was not 31years old as published by the Future Awards, but 42 years old.

 

Star Mega Jamz death rumours - December 17 and 18

Rumours had it that there was a stampede at the Abuja concert, leading to multiple injuries. But while there are reports that some fans died as a result of the stampede, the organisers, through a statement insisted nothing of such happened.

Genevieve and Dbanj

These two have been rumoured to be an item. However, while Dbanj has not denied it, the sultry actress has kept mum. The two arrived hand in hand at PSquares birthday bash and were paired together to present an award at the just concluded MAMA Awards.

Read more…

Reseller Web Hosting

Reseller Web Hosting

 

Qualitative and Reliable Reseller Hosting

Reseller web hosting is when you buy server space, market it yourself, and sell it on to your own customers. Since you're selling a service provided by someone else, it's extremely important that you can trust your provider. Below, you will find a list of companies that we've found to be the most reliable, and that offer really good, profitable reseller deals. We recommend that you read all reviews before deciding which one that is the best reseller web hosting for you since all of them have their pros and cons...

What is Reseller Web Hosting?

Reseller hosting is one type of web hosting. Here the account owner may divide up their selected hard drive space and bandwidth and resell web hosting.

Usually, resellers are web consultants who are also web developers and designers and a web or a system-integration company. Web hosting for them is an extra service along with other host of services.

Web hosting provider often gives a discount of 50 percent or more to the resellers on the price of a reseller hosting account.

Web hosting resellers are normally not in charge of maintaining web server services or other maintenance related responsibilities but just a "web hosting provider." In cases of any technical problems, such as server down and access problem, the responsibility falls on the owner of the dedicated server in which the reseller host is hosted.

Generally, a web hosting reseller can set up its web hosting company on the Internet and start selling web hosting plans under its own brand name.

Web host reselling is made very easy through "GUI Control Panels" (Graphical User Interface). Some of the reseller programs offer customs Control Panel for their resellers' customers, but a major part of the reseller programs offer the popular, well-known Control Panels.

Examples of Well-Known Control Panels:

  • DirectAdmin (Linux / Unix)
  • Ensim Pro (Windows & Linux / Unix)
  • Helm (Windows)
  • Webmin (Linux / Unix)
  • Hosting Controller (Windows)
  • WHM/cPanel (Windows (beta)& Linux / Unix)
  • Plesk (Windows & Linux / Unix)

 

 

 

http://www.webhostingsearch.com/reseller-web-hosting.php

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Dr. Ayoola Oba Otudeko and three others were
yesterday, axed from the board of First Bank of Nigeria. Our check
reveals that Oba Otudeko removal has to do with central bank
regulations, which disallow directors to

stay on the board for more than twelve years. However, Oba Otudeko who
has served on the board for almost twelve years, will be replaced by
Prince Ajibola Afonja, effective Jan 1, 2011.

In line with the CBN regulation, the bank has also appointed Ibrahim Dahiru Waziri; Tunde Hassan-Odukale; Khadijah Alao Straub; and Obafemi
Adedamola Otudeko as Non-Executive Directors.

While Bello Mohammed Maccido replaces Dr. Yerima Ngama, an executive director, who was muzzled to resign.

Other members of the board removed alongside Oba Otudeko are Alhaji Abdullahi Mahmood, General Garba Duba (Rtd.), and Mr. Oye Hassan-Odukale.


A statement issued by the bank management reads:

 

“In
line with the Bank’s long-standing commitment to best-of-breed
corporate governance practice, especially our commitment to continuity
and a constant rejuvenation of the Board of Directors, and consistent
with the provisions of the relevant sections of the Central Bank of
Nigeria’s Code of Corporate Governance for Banks, I wish to inform you
of the retirement of the Chairman, Dr. Ayoola Oba Otudeko from the Board
effective December 31 2010”...

 

“Along
with the Chairman, three other Non-Executive Directors, Alhaji
Abdullahi Mahmood, General Garba Duba (Rtd.), and Mr. Oye Hassan-Odukale
also retired their appointments from the Board effective December 31
2010”.

 

“At
a meeting of the Board of Directors held yesterday, and where these
retirements were announced, the Board underlined its emphasis for
continuity by appointing Prince Ajibola Afonja, previously a
Non-Executive Director, as Chairman with effect from January 1 2011. The
Board also appointed the following new Non-Executive Directors: Ibrahim
Dahiru Waziri; Tunde Hassan-Odukale; Khadijah Alao Straub; and Obafemi
Adedamola Otudeko”.

 

“Meanwhile,
the Board has accepted Dr. Yerima Ngama’s resignation from the Board
with effect from December 31 2010 in order to pursue newer challenges.
Bello Mohammed Maccido was appointed an Executive Director in place of
Dr Ngama with effect from January 1 2011”.
 
Read more…

What Are the Causes of Staphylococcus Aureus?

Most people have no idea that some surfaces of the human body (skin and mucous membranes) are covered with various microorganisms called normal flora, most of which are bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus. Normal flora are not harmful and some species can even prevent other organisms from causing infections in the area. 
Staph aureus is one of at least 1,000 species of bacteria that live on the skin and do not cause an infection. However, like all normal flora, if staph enters the bloodstream, it can cause a life-threatening illness.

  1. Definition

  2. Staph aureus is one of a group of bacteria that can cause a number of diseases when they infect various tissues of the body like the skin, nasal passages or genitals. Staph can cause a range of illnesses from mild skin infections, such as boils, pimples, impetigo and cellulitis, to more serious illnesses, such as food poisoning, bacteremia (blood poisoning), toxic shock syndrome or pneumonia.

    Direct Contact

  3. A staph infection can be spread by skin-to-skin contact with an infected person or contact with a contaminated object, such as a telephone, a glass, a tabletop or a child's toy. Staph also spreads when people share personal items like bed linens, towels or clothes.

    High Absorbency Tampons

  4. Women who use super absorbent tampons, contraceptive sponges or diaphragms can develop a staph infection that leads to toxic shock syndrome, an illness that features a sudden high fever and a rash resembling a sunburn on the palms or soles. A tampon left in for a long period of time provides an excellent breeding ground for staph to multiply.

    Improper Food Preparation, Handling and Storage

  5. Uncooked food contains bacteria that may or may not be harmful. Staph can be caused by cross-contamination of cooked food with raw food by cooking utensils, cutting boards or fingers that have touched the contaminated food. 
    Several other conditions are associated with Staph aureus food poisoning, including inadequate refrigeration, inadequate cooking temperature, poor personal hygiene (improper washing of hands and/or equipment) and food allowed to cool too long at room temperature. Staph grows quickly in food held at room temperature and produces a toxin that is very resistant to heat, refrigeration and freezing.

    Unnecessary Antibiotic Use

  6. Widespread overuse of antibiotics for conditions not caused by bacteria has introduced a variety of superbugs that are resistant to many commonly used antibiotics. Superbugs like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) appear when an antibiotic fails to kill its bacterial target, and the bacteria learn how that drug works and how to survive its execution. MRSA and other superbugs are the result of decades of this process.
    MRSA infections used to be exclusive to hospitals and other health-care settings, however, outbreaks are now appearing in the larger community among young, healthy people. 
    Some strains of staph are now showing resistance to the antibiotic vancomycin, once highly effective in treating staph and other infections.

    Prevention/Solution

  7. Drug resistance is becoming more common and the results can be severe. Thousands of people in the United States die each year from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. It is now a significant global problem. You can help by using antibiotics responsibly in the following ways:
    Do not pressure your doctor for antibiotics--they can be very effective but cannot treat all types of infections, e.g., colds, flu or bronchitis.
    Take your antibiotics exactly as prescribed. Follow your doctor's instructions and do not stop treatment early, even if you are feeling better. 
    Do not take antibiotics that are not prescribed for you. The antibiotic may not be appropriate for your infection. 
    Practice good hygiene to prevent infections. Wash your hands thoroughly (for at least 15 to 20 seconds) with plain soap and water after using the bathroom, preparing raw meat or poultry and when coming in close contact with a sick person.
  8. looking for a cure,visit : http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-270032.0.html#msg3838328

(Extracted from: 
http://www.ehow.com/about_5122712_causes-staphylococcus-aureus.html)
Read more…

Boney M Singer Bobby Farrell Dead

281x211.jpgBobby Farrell, the energetic frontman of 1970s disco band Boney M, died on Thursday (December 30) in his hotel room in St. Petersburg, Russia, at the age of 61. Reuters reported that Farrell was found dead in his room the day after a show in the city where the band achieved some of its career highlights during the Soviet era. "He did a show last night as part of Bobby Farrell's Boney M and they found him this morning dead in his hotel room," agent John Seine told Reuters. "He did not feel well last night and was having problems with his breathing, but he did the show anyway."

 

The cause of death was not immediately released. The group, which formed in West Germany in the late 1970s, was put together by German record producer Frank Farian, best known for assembling the musicians who sang the vocals for sham 1990s pop duo Milli Vanilli. Farian, who made a career out of ghostwriting songs, was unable to make it as a singer, but when his tune "Baby Do You Wanna Bump" became a hit in 1976 under the stage name Boney M, he hired Farrell to act as the lead "singer" of the group. .

Though former exotic male dancer Farrell and fellow Boney members Marcia Barrett and Liz Mitchell sang live during concerts, Farrell's vocals were largely absent from their biggest hits, including "Daddy Cool," "Sunny," "Ma Baker," "Rivers of Babylon" and "Rasputin." The group was well-received and scored a string of hits in Europe and Russia, but never really crossed over to the United States. They sold 80 million albums in their heyday and 1978's "Rivers of Babylon"/"Brown Girl in the Ring" is still the fifth-best-selling British single of all time. By the time the group's fifth studio album, Boonoonoonoos, was released in 1981, Farrell, known as the "King of Disco," had been kicked out and replaced by another singer. Farrell (born Alfonso Farrell in Aruba on October 6, 1949) was slated to perform on New Year's Eve in Italy.


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281x211.jpgAnorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of
gaining weight, often coupled with a distorted self image[1][2] which may be maintained by various cognitive biases[3]
that alter how the affected individual evaluates and thinks about her
or his body, food and eating. Persons with anorexia nervosa continue to
feel hunger, but deny themselves all but very small quantities of food.
The average caloric intake of a person with anorexia nervosa is 600-800
calories per day, but in extreme cases self-starvation is more extreme. [4]It is a serious mental illness with a high incidence of comorbidity and the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder.[5]

It can affect men and women of all ages, races, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.[6][7][8][9][10] Anorexia nervosa occurs in the ratio of 1:10 in males:females.[11]

The term anorexia nervosa was established in 1873 by Sir William Gull, one of Queen Victoria's personal physicians.[12] The term is of Greek origin: an- (ἀν-, prefix denoting negation) and orexis (ὄρεξις, "appetite"), thus meaning a lack of desire to eat.[13]

 

Though she died last month, the world is just now learning about the passing of French model Isabelle Caro. The 28-year-old Caro bravely
became the face of eating disorders in 2007 when she appeared in a
shocking billboard campaign warning of the dangers of anorexia during
fashion week in Italy. In the ads, a painfully thin Caro, who weighed
less than 60 pounds at the time, was depicted peering over her shoulder
with the words "No. Anorexia" plastered in large letters across the top
of the nude image.

Caro became one of the leaders of an effort to warn about the dangers of eating disorders, but after the health effects of the
disorder weakened her body, she died on November 17 following a long
sickness, according to her acting coach, E! News reported.

Caro said in interviews that she had suffered from anorexia nervosa since she was 13, telling CBS News in 2007 that she agreed to do
the ad because "I said if I can put my years of suffering to good use
then it will not have been pointless. ... I know it's a shocking photo,
and I want it to shock. It's really a warning that it is a serious
illness."

In addition to working as a judge on "France's Next Top Model," Caro was featured in the second episode of Jessica Simpson's VH1 reality series "The Price of Beauty," in which the singer traveled the globe to uncover the lengths to which
women go to attain what society believes is perfection.
Caro's appearance on the show brought Simpson to tears. "What you are
doing right now makes you more beautiful and I hope women all over the
world hear about the story," Simpson told Caro on the show, during which
the model described how even as a teenager who weighed just 89 pounds
she was told she needed to lose weight. "To us, what you're doing right
now makes you one of the most beautiful people that we have ever seen.
And we really just appreciate you sitting in front of us and having such
powerful words. God bless you. ... And I think it's important for women
to know that the skinnier you are doesn't make you more beautiful."
12166296466?profile=original

Despite her disturbing image in the 2007 ad, Caro worried that some anorexia sufferers (sometimes known as pro-ana for their support of
anorexia as a lifestyle choice) might misinterpret her message. "I hope
not. To see my tailbone like an open wound, I show myself as I am. I'm
not beautiful, my hair is ruined and I know I will never have long hair
again. I've lost several teeth," she said of her looks on the billboard.
"My skin is dry. My breasts have fallen. No young girl wants to look
like a skeleton. ... You couldn't believe anyone would want to look like
that. I don't think there's any question about it."

 

So next time you wonder why African Orobo Ladies have big bums . Remember that Wande Coal song. Orobo ko Bad o  !

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galaxy-tab_02.jpg

THE GOOD

How would you  like a device that opens up a world of new galaxy-tab_06.jpgpossibilities making you work smarter and your life delightfully easy?This is what the Samsung Galaxy Tab/ Etisalat bundle offer is giving you….the opportunity to explore more virtual possibilities.

Business or pleasure, the Samsung Galaxy Tab/ Etisalat bundle offer provides the upwardly mobile and dynamic business executive a rich dataexperience. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Android powered tablet computer is a beautiful device with a 7-inch display and thinlightweight design combined with premium content and functioning toolsthat deliver total effectiveness. It is truly a mobile tablet that isas comfortable to carry around in meetings as it is to use whilerelaxing on the couch at home. It is a perfect device for workingsmarter, watching movies, reading e-books, catching up on your favoriteTV shows or even chatting with old friends. Plus, the Tab is sleek andappropriately sized that it would fit easily into jacket or trouserpockets.

What you get from the Samsung Galaxy Tab/ Etisalat bundle offer

The Galaxy Tab is bundled with a free Etisalat SIM card that comes with:

  • Free monthly voice [25 minutes], Text [25 SMS] and data [250MB] bundles for a 12-month duration. The bundle is awarded on the first dayof  every month for 12 months beginning from the day of activation.This way, you get the feeling of availability of free services everymonth for 1 year.
  • Free platinum 0809 special number
  • Access to installmental payments and consumer loans (terms and conditions apply)

To order yours, visit any Etisalat Experience Centre or Samsung Brand Shop nearest to you or call us on 08090000200.

 

 

THE BAD

Early this morning, I got a headsup from bosun99uk via Twitter notifying me of a Starcomms Android tablet named myPad.

According to the tweet, the tablet runs Android version 2.1, has a 10.1-inch display, is packaged with a free iZap wifi internet router and free 3 months internet subscription. The package is said to cost N75,000.

I was able to source for the image below:
Starcomms-mypad.jpg

Oh,notice the hilarous part – the tweet says that Starcomms used the picture of an iPad to advertise their tablet. Yup, that is certainly aniPad in that picture – notice the Apple icons on a supposedly Androidtablet. Hope Apple won’t sue. What happened? Haven’t Starcomms takendelivery of a copy of the tablet they are advertising?

No other details on the device yet, but we are hunting. Hang around.

 

THE "UGLY"

12166295669?profile=original

 

A lot of people at Gizmodo are psyched about the iPad. Not me! My god, am I underwhelmed by it. It has some absolutely backbreaking failures that will make buying one the last thing I would want to do. Updated

Big, Ugly Bezel
Have you seen the bezel on this thing?! It's huge! I know you don't want to accidentally input a command when your thumb is holding it, but come on.

No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement fornetbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying Ican't listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can't have myTwitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can't have AIM openat the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guaranteesthat I will not buy this product.

No Cameras
No front facing camera is one thing. But no back facing camera either?Why the hell not? I can't imagine what the downside was for including atleast one camera. Could this thing not handle video iChat?

Touch Keyboard
So much for Apple revolutionizing tablet inputs;this is the same big, ugly touchscreen keyboard we've seen on othertablets, and unless you're lying on the couch with your knees proppingit up, it'll be awkward to use.

No HDMI Out
Want to watch those nice HD videos you downloaded from iTunes on yourTV? Too damned bad! If you were truly loyal, you'd just buy an AppleTValready.

The Name iPad
Get ready for Maxi pad jokes, and lots of 'em!

No Flash
No Flash is annoying but not a dealbreaker on the iPhone and iPod Touch.On something that's supposed to be closer to a netbook or laptop? Itwill leave huge, gaping holes in websites. I hope you don't care aboutstreaming video! God knows not many casual internet users do. Oh wait,nevermind, they all do.

Adapters, Adapters, Adapters
So much for those smooth lines. If you want to plug anything into this, such as a digital camera, you need all sorts of ugly adapters. You need an adapter for USB for god's sake.

Update: Why stop at 8? Here are more things we are discovering that suck about the iPad.

It's Not Widescreen
Widescreen movies look lousy on this thing thanks to its 4:3 screen, according to Blam, who checked out some of Star Trek on one. It's like owning a 4:3 TV all over again!

Doesn't Support T-Mobile 3G
Sure, it's "unlocked." But it won't work on T-Mobile, and it uses microSIMs that literally no one else uses.

A Closed App Ecosystem
The iPad only runs apps from the App Store.. The same App Store that is notorious for banning apps for no real reason, such as Google Voice. Sure, netbooks might not have touchscreens, but you can install whatever software you'd like on them. Want to run a different browser on your iPad? Too bad!

 

 

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Naija Buka in New York !

29under-span-articleLarge.jpgTHE giant African land snail can grow up to a foot long and weigh more than a pound. But the three specimens ($10) on our plate at Buka, denuded of their shells and curled in tight black whorls, looked about as imposing as jumbo shrimp. Nevertheless, my dining companions took a collective deep breath. “One, two, three,” I heard one of them whisper as she lifted her fork.

We chewed. “It tastes like mushroom,” someone ventured, and the table concurred: the meat was woody in texture, not slippery like escargot, and slightly nutty in flavor. It was edible. We were eating it. There was nothing to fear.

Buka opened last spring in the southern reaches of Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. The restaurant’s name comes from Hausa, one of Nigeria’s hundreds of languages, and suggests a canteen serving unfussy, traditional food.

Make that a shabby-chic canteen. The owners, Lookman Mashood and Nat Goldberg, have transformed a former law office on a dingy stretch of Fulton Street into an airy, inviting space. Victorian details — a floral couch, an oil painting in a gilded frame, a chandelier — are juxtaposed with gritty exposed brick.

Upfront is a long wooden bar where you can get a Chapman ($5), a fizzy Nigerian cocktail that includes Sprite, orange Fanta, Angostura bitters, and dashes of lemon, lime, grapefruit and (surely a Brooklyn innovation?) verbena. There is palm wine ($4) too, sweet with a yeasty finish, and Malta Guinness ($5), a nonalcoholic malt beverage brewed in Nigeria that smells like pumpernickel still baking in the oven. Fresh liquefied ginger ($4) — “juice” hardly does it justice — is a sock in the jaw.

In the back, the feel is of a vast drawing room, with tables flung far apart. A floor-to-ceiling bookshelf is stocked with glossy art tomes and diasporan newspapers with ads for delicacies like burnt goat’s head. You may be eating fufu — the thick paste made of yam or cassava that is a West African staple — but you’re doing so on formal high-backed chairs with cushioned armrests...

The crowd is heavy on expats. Mr. Mashood, who doubles as the chef, grew up in Lagos, where he learned to cook from his aunts. On his Twitter feed, he mixes announcements of which bands will be playing at Buka that weekend with news updates from Nigeria.

The staff is friendly and protective. (“You don’t want that,” a server warned me one evening about amala, a dried-yam-flour fufu.) They will instruct you to tear off a piece of fufu ($3 each), then dab it in your stew and sauce. This may prove a tricky operation because, unlike bread, fufu is too elastic to actually soak up anything. It must be wielded like a spoon.

Pounded-yam fufu looks comfortingly like mashed potatoes but has little taste on its own, which works well with the hearty goat stew ($9). More challenging is the devastatingly sour eba, a kind of fufu made from fermented ground cassava.

A common ingredient in the accompanying sauces ($3 each) is Norwegian stockfish, whitefish dried by sun and wind rather than cured with salt. (How an ingredient from northern Europe made its way to Nigeria no one at the restaurant was able to explain.) In conjunction with ground ogbono pods, it produces a taste oddly — and not entirely pleasantly — like Parmesan.

But, really, you needn’t be adventurous to dine here. I know of no culture in which crispy fried things are not treasured, and akara ($5), black-eyed-pea fritters, are a delight. Likewise paper-thin slices of grilled beef dusted with suya ($5), a slow-burn spice mix proprietary to Nigeria whose dominant notes are groundnuts and cayenne. Best of all is moi moi ($5), a steamed honey bean cake, fiery and crumbly.

Among the entrees, steak ($19) and whole grilled tilapia ($15) are safe havens in an uncertain sea.

Still, it is worth braving the more uncompromising items on the menu. In the pepper soup ($9 with goat, $10 with fish), habañeros are strewn with abandon, defiantly, almost dementedly. It is immediately clear why this soup is on Lonely Planet’s Top 10 list of the world’s hottest foods.

According to the Nigerian gypsy-cab driver who dropped me off at the restaurant, it makes you invincible. I could manage just a few spoonfuls, but I haven’t had a sniffle since.



Buka

946 Fulton Street (Cambridge Place), Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, (347) 763-0619, bukanewyork.com

BEST DISHES Moi moi, akara, suya, goat pepper soup, fresh ginger juice.

PRICE RANGE $3 to $19.

CREDIT CARDS All major cards accepted.

HOURS Sunday to Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m; Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS Dining room and restrooms are accessible.

RESERVATIONS Not necessary but recommended for Fridays and Saturdays.


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Ten Rules for Being Human

12166295463?profile=originalTen Rules for Being Human


1.You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2.You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."
3.There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of
trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much
a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."
4.Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you
have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.
5.Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are
still lessons to be learned.
6."There" is no better a place than "here." When your "there" has become a "here", you will simply obtain another "there" that will again
look better than "here."
7.Other people are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you
love or hate about yourself.
8.What you make of your life is up to you. You have all the tools and resources you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice
is yours.
9.Your answers lie within you. The answers to life's questions lie within you. All you need to do is look, listen, and trust.
10.You will forget all this. and eventually you will Lose a body  images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRpPDTYE3ZVWv-vEMdDKkdSPAiw4bLu-md9kw_a62xlBkmUvX20DbC88hgcZQ
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