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Archive for the 'Politiking' Category
- In: Culture | Nigeria | Politiking | Reflection | Religion
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This entry has actually been a year or so in the making… Recently I've been thinking a lot more about my relationship with religion. I was raised Catholic and although I believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I'm not so sure about little-boy-rapists, thieves and hypocrites. I'm not saying that any religion is perfect, but rather that one should strive for matter over content – that is, to seek spirituality rather than to constantly apply rules and labels to what some call "faith." With that said, allow me to ruminate.
A year ago I went to a discussion on my campus about Islamophobia. While listening to the other people present (all of whom had grown up in the West), it became clear to me that the word Islamophobia can have very different connotations depending on the geographical and cultural perspective of the person talking. Most people think of the words "jihad" and "terrorist" in this post-9/11 world when the topic of Islam comes up, which makes perfect sense sitting in a brownstone on New York's Upper West Side. However, as the conversation went on and the participants were asked to give specific examples of Islamophobia that they had witnessed, I realised that as a Nigerian my experience of this phenomenon was considerably unlike that of those who weren't from my part of the world.
I was living in England at the time the September 11th attacks took place. I was there when the London bombings of 2005 happened. I had seen the television reports and heard the hostile comments that painted a picture of the average Muslim as a rabid fanatic hell-bent on destroying the values of democracy that make "Western civilisation" the best of all human societies. Although I could go further into the problems of this level of stereotyping, I think I may save that for another entry. The discussion actually made me think for the first time about the ways in which Islamophobia works where I come from. Because Nigeria wasn't directly affected by 9/11, the whole "terrorist" discussion didn't initially come up with regards to Islam (again, thanks, panty-bomber). What does seem to be a problematic issue back home is the relationship between Muslims and Christians. Nigeria is split roughly 50/50 in terms of religion between these two groups. The Muslims live predominantly in the northern part of the country, whilst Christians occupy the south. My city, Lagos, is probably the most diverse in the country because of its status as the commercial centre, and for the most part Muslims and Christians happily coexist side by side there. In other parts of the country, however, this isn't necessarily the case.
The news has been filled recently with stories of "deadly religious clashes" in Plateau state, which is in the "Middle Belt" of Nigeria (the dividing line between the "Muslim North" and "Christian South." The violence was horrific – burnt babies, men mutilated by machetes, women wounded in indescribable ways. Although this violence is labelled as religiously-motivated, other factors such as scarce resources, a lack of education and the consistent failure of the Nigerian government to build a cohesive national identity over the past 50 years are probably more central to the issue. Many people on both sides of the religion line see each other as so fundamentally alien, despite the fact that we are all citizens of the same country and the many intersections in our history, cultures and languages. I've heard Christians I'm close to call Muslims "uneducated," "polygamous" and "close-minded" like these are terms exclusive to Islam. My cousin has told me stories of being called an "infidel" by her Muslim classmates as a child, classmates who just a day earlier had sat next to her and called her a friend. And when you're struggling to scrape by as a farmer and water gets scarce, it's probably easier to take your frustrations out on the person from a different tribe and village than on the gun-protected officials who don't perform the tasks they were "elected" to do.
I was just reading an article by David Goodhart for a political science class in which he argues that the more diverse a society, the harder it is for it to be cohesive. This may be true, but I find it impossible to accept that Nigerians are so dissimilar from one another that they cannot possibly find a common ground. Islam and Christianity are no more radically different from one another than a Yoruba is from an Itsekiri. A friend invited me to Friday prayers on campus last week and listening to the lecture, I heard nothing that I hadn't heard in a homily at a Sunday mass. I can't speak for other places but in the context of my country, I think that these supposed "differences" between us – whether distinctions of religion, ethnicity or class – are being exploited and exaggerated by leaders seeking support for their kleptomaniac ways and bullshit "ideologies." Of course, this is only politics as usual but seeing a man sob after his wife was buried in a mass grave with his children nowhere to be found, one may have to start rethinking some things. Nothing will ever change in the country if its people don't have a sense of community with one another, regardless of whatever superficial differences we perceive among ourselves.
P.S. This Jill jawn right here is beautiful… even though it really doesn't have much to do with this post, that line always stands out for me. Sura 31:18, by the way, reads: "And swell not thy cheek/(For pride) at men/Nor walk in insolence/Through the earth/For Allah loveth not/Any arrogant boaster." Good advice to live by.
"Gasping for air makes the righteous path harder to chose" – Africa, Part III
Posted 29 December, 2009on:
- In: Africa | Politiking | Reflection
- 14 Comments
I'm finally home. And it's fabulous. I've been back on the continent for 5 days now and I've been soaking up all the heat and family love and good food that I can. Obviously, this is Africa and it's not perfect – as I'm writing this the generator that was providing our electricity has cut out and because there's no mains supply at the moment, it's dark as hell and hot in the house. The road leading to said house is paved only directly in front of us – otherwise it's a sandy, pot-holed filled "adventure" ride to and from the rest of the city. And, of course, a fellow countryman just attempted to blow up a US aircraft meaning that the Nigerian global public image is going to be even more shat on than it is already (not only are we scammers and militants, now we're terrorists on top? Walai talai!)With all that said and done though, I'm still so incredibly glad to be back, away from the cold and gloom and exams of NYC and enveloped in the dusty warmth of Lagos, watching the sun set through an open balcony door with a cool drink in hand and Fela on the speakers.
But yet, I am not completely content. Off that same balcony I can see families squatting in the compound next door, living in impromptu shacks while I am surrounded by cement and metal and granite. My parents tell me about the stresses of African city living: road building projects left unfinished for months, spawning 4 hours of go-slow for already overstressed workers; power problems that have made businesses fold up and which burn up the petrol that is my country's economic lifeline in generator engines; the continuous poverty most people grapple with day-to-day that is only further exaggerated by the excesses of wealth shown in glossy magazines, shaded by tinted car windows and cushioned by the finest imported jacquard and Swiss lace. In summary: this shit is problematic. A couple days ago, I was in the car with my mother and my sisters listening to Original Sufferhead, a Fela album, as we drove to visit a family friend. My mother frustratedly remarked how the problems Fela sang about over 30 years ago – lack of water, food, house – are still present today. The same names Fela mentioned in the 1970s – Obasanjo, Buhari, Yar'Adua – are still enjoying the wealth of the nation today. The same colonial mentality that Fela warned against is still in control of the minds of so many Nigerians today. Despite all the "progress" that has been made, all the malls that have been built and all the oil that has been sold it's still the same old shit. I guess it's like Homer said: the homecoming is inevitably bittersweet.
I was incredibly fortunate to have been born into the position that I was. I have benefited from good nutrition, a supportive family and a quality education that means that I have the chance to go far in this life, to fulfil the name that was given to me at birth. I have far more than most of my fellow 1 billion Africans were given. But all of this protective padding isn't enough to shield me from the reality of life for so many in my home city. Just because I live in a bubble of sorts doesn't mean that its walls are too opaque for me to see out of and to observe how much injustice there is on this continent – injustice that could be so easily rectified if only enough people cared and were willing to do something tangible. I've been concerned about these issues for a long time, but the classes I took this semester at college (my "black fist" classes, as I like to refer to them) and reading Gandhi (not a fan, but still), Fanon, Achebe, Senghor, Lamming and Tully have me more fired up and critical than I've ever been. Things have fallen apart – they need to be put back together again, but better than before. This time there has to be real change.
Unfortunately, I feel limited by what I can achieve. After all, I'm only a college senior. As one individual I don't have the resources or strength to challenge the forces of neo-imperialism in a meaningful way. I alone can't solve world poverty. More importantly, I'm not even sure if I'm the person to do that: for two reasons.
One, I have other obligations. I owe certain things to my family, to my social position: getting a good job, marrying a good man, giving birth to good children. These are the things that all the support I have been given for so long are meant to culminate in. And these are things that I want for myself too. I do want to go into publishing, and maybe go back to grad school after a few years of working life and get that PhD in literature (as long as I'm surrounded by books, I'll be happy). I do want to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. And I do want kids – especially after spending the past few days with my adorable and beautiful nieces. But I wonder if that will be enough for me – if I won't find myself wishing that I could have done more, been more, seen more by choosing another path.
Another part of me wants to say, "Fuck it – you only get one life to live" and pack my bags and travel somewhere and do. Forget Jeffrey Sachs-style pontificating from the comforts of the Upper West Side, I want to fight and build and save and live among the wretched of the earth, rising to reclaim it for their own. But then that second nagging thought creeps into my mind: "Who the hell are you to do that?" It seems so incredibly egotistical to think myself capable of being a campaigner, a warrior woman sans frontières, the kind of person who could change history. No seriously – I'm sitting here saying to myself, "Really though? You really think you could do all of that? C'mon son. Fuckouttaherewiththatshit." Not only do I have no semblance of a game plan, my cushy bougie life hasn't exactly prepared me for the realities of the "real world," especially not the African real world. My inner revolutionary was cultivated in classrooms and libraries, not on plantation fields and mountainous jungles. Who am I to speak for the masses?
But even though I'm not certain that abandoning everything that I've lived thus far wouldn't smack of insincerity, deep down I feel like if I don't try to make a difference, I'll live regretting it from the comfort of my air-conditioned safety net.
Realistically speaking, I know that this dichotomy isn't the only option: I can create a middle path for myself that balances out what I owe to the home and the world. I'm just one of those people who believes in going hard or going home, which is why I've presented it as so black and white… I don't know. Like my sister said, I have more than enough time to figure this all out. So I'm going to take my time with it, enjoy the rest of my holiday and prepare for the challenges of the new decade.
P.S. The title is kind of random, but I remember loving this N.E.R.D. album so much way back when…
"Na Nigerian government e-yo/Na dem talk be dat" – Politics, African style
Posted 7 December, 2009on:
- In: Africa | Politiking | Reflection
- 1 Comment
Nigeria, my Nigeria…
Anyone who knows me is probably sick and tired of the amount of times I've said "I cannot WAIT to go home" in the past month alone. But I can't help it – it's been almost ten months since I was last in Nigeria. Ten long months since that red earth/hot sun/blue sky/sea breeze/palm trees/roast corn/go-slow/fast talk that signifies home for me. If you haven't been to Lagos, start saving your money for a plane ticket right now. Seriously. There is nowhere else on this planet that is the same combination of cool/crazy/dangerous/beautiful/intense as my home city. Not only that, but going home means that I'll be reunited with my family again. I haven't seen my mother since April, nor have I met my adorable new niece, Amina, who was born in August. We've also moved into a new house in a different part of the city and have acquired a new dog (who's butt ugly, but still). In just over two weeks I'll be eating beans and plantain, watching MNET and indulging in the feel of the scorching sun on my back, a welcome break from the miserable cold of New York City in December.
But as much as I am looking forward to going home, I am also very sceptical about returning. Reading 234Next, a Lagos-based newspaper, has made me very concerned about the current state of political affairs in Nigeria – and by "concerned" I mean furious. For those who aren't up on Nigerian Politics 101, let me explain: my country's current president is Umaru Yar'Adua, a former chemistry professor who is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP has been in charge of Nigeria for the past ten years of "democracy" following the death of the military dictator General Sani Abacha. President Yar'Adua has been ill for most of his presidency. He has been making regular trips out of the country for "medical check-ups," is rarely seen in public and has been neglecting some of his presidential duties. When he ran for the presidency in 2007, there were persistent rumours that he was suffering from a kidney ailment, and his doctors have recently revealed that he has a "heart condition." Many Nigerians are worried that he's going to die before his term is over in 2011, and as a result there have been calls for his resignation. In any other country, this would seem perfectly logical, right? Not my people. This weekend, six of the politicians who had led calls for his resignation were threatened by members of the PDP who showed up at their homes with thugs, ready to assault them. And it will only get worse. You see, the PDP is not so much a political party as a crew of old army friends who have ruled Nigeria in some form – whether democratically or in authoritarian fashion – since the 1970s and who have no intention of letting go of power. They are drunk on the country's oil and the money that it keeps flowing into official coffers, and which they believe they have free rein to siphon off for their multi-million dollar mansions in London and fleets of cars. And President Yar'Adua is their personal puppet – despite his probably good intentions, the power of the PDP is so deeply entrenched that efforts to prosecute the corrupt have been severely hindered by political wrangling. One example is the treatment of Nuhu Ribadu, the head of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who was dismissed from his position by the Inspector-General of Police for actually doing his job rather than stealing. The president was powerless to do anything to stop this move, a sign of his political weakness that his physical ailments are doing little to help.
So why doesn't it make sense for him to step down and the vice-president to take over? Again, my dear people: politics. The current vice-president, Jonathan Goodluck, is from the oil-rich South-South region of Nigeria (the part of the country from which I also hail). The PDP, which is dominated by Northerners, instituted a "rotational policy" of sorts regarding the presidency: they unilaterally divided the country up into six zones between the north and south, which the president is to be elected from in turn. However, the ethnic group that dominates the North (the Hausa-Fulani) benefit from this arrangement the most: in 24 years they would hold the presidency for 12 years in total (their exclusion of smaller ethnic groups in the same geographic region make it unlikely that they would allow someone from a minority tribe to be nominated for president), while the other two large ethnic groups (the Yoruba and Igbo) and the mix of Itsekiri, Ijaw and others in the South-South would only rule for 4 years each. Not only is this a problematic power fixation, but it also does nothing to dismantle the artificial ethnic divides put in place by the British during colonial rule which split Nigeria between North and South.
A further complication is the current constitution and how it defines the role of the Vice-President. Goodluck's powers, now that Yar'Adua is technically incapacitated, are fairly limited: he can only act as president if Yar'Adua writes a letter informing the Senate and House of Representatives that says he can – which Yar'Adua has not done. This isn't surprising – I highly doubt that the people that actually run Nigeria would let Yar'Adua cede his "power" to someone who may, quite possibly, want to do the job of president properly and prevent them from taking advantage of the political system for their own benefit. What frustrates me is the way that the game of politics in Nigeria is played out within the confines of such a small circle. There is zero political transparency and no true representation in government – our supposed leaders make no effort in hiding the fact that they seek power for their own benefit, not for the benefit of their constituents. No popular movement or revolution can take place if people aren't aware of the political process and the ways that they are being excluded from it.
Or are they? The Western media has increasingly picked up on one particular anti-government group in Nigeria: the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND). This is a group of "militants" (for lack of a better word) who are seeking greater resources for the people of the South-South, one of the most woefully under-developed areas of Nigeria. Their main tactics have involved kidnapping and disrupting the oil production process – not the most savoury methods, but nonetheless highly effective at putting the divide between the people of Nigeria and their government on the national stage. The government couldn't just ignore or shut down the militants when the oil money was being threatened – they had to negotiate with the fighters and are now finally channelling money into the region (and bypassing the corrupt state governors in that area by giving it directly to local governments). There are still tensions in the region and the self-interest of many of the militants who feel hard done by the recent ceasefire (read: they didn't get the money they were expecting) could lead to more violence at the expense of the ordinary people in the area. There is, of course, far more to the current political situation than my knowledge allows for, but from my perspective these are among the most crucial because of their potential to destabilise the country.
I remember reading the Odyssey my freshman year of college and discussing with my professor the inevitably bittersweet nature of returning home. Sitting in this miserable library with a ton of homework awaiting me, the thought of warm, sunny Lagos, good food and the love of my family seem so incredibly perfect. But then I read the news that leaves me increasingly fearful that my country could potentially plunge back into civil war and wonder about the place that I want to go back to so much. Despite the problems hanging over Nigeria, I know that being home will be good for me on some level, at least as I am right now. What exactly the future holds for me and my country… I suppose I'll have to wait and see. Right now, everything seems as devoid of answers as the paper I have due tomorrow is of words =/
P.S. Had to bring back the main man Fela for the title.
- In: Culture | Hip-Hop | Music | Politiking
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I finally saw Nas in concert. It was at the New York leg of the Rock the Bells tour, and it was everything that I'd ever hoped it would be. He came out looking fresh in a white shirt and NY fitted, and performed everything from "Made You Look" to "One Love" (with Damien Marley mixing in his father's track with it – I cannot WAIT for Distant Relatives to drop). The whole arena was going wild, everyone pumping their fists and getting hype. The energy all around me blasted away the tiredness I felt from getting so little sleep the night before, and I stayed on my feet rapping along like I had a record deal my damn self. Towards the end of the set Nas and Damien performed "Road to Zion," at the beginning of which Damien asked everyone to put their lighters/cell phones/hands up in the air. Looking around at my fellow hip-hop heads in their thousands, faces illuminated by the electronic glow, all of us caught in the sheer passion and love we felt for this music, I couldn't help but think of the many millions of souls around the world hip-hop culture has touched.
My first hip-hop memory is of listening to Snoop Dogg's first album with my sisters (I'm going to discount my brief obsession with MC Hammer because a) I don't directly remember it, it's only from my family telling me I was a fan that I even know this and b) those damn harem pants). My dad was (and still is) a huge fan of Dr. Dre and purchased Snoop's first album – Doggystyle – on cassette. It probably wasn't the best thing for a 5 year-old to be listening to, but no one could tell me anything – I'd be rhyming along to "Gin and Juice" like I knew what liquor, Long Beach or weed were. One of the first things about rap music that fascinated me was the fact that rappers fit so many more words into the same 3 minutes and 30 seconds than performers of other genres do. My little brain was obsessed with how they came up with so many rhymes – some of them in the middle of lines – and coupled this with a beat that got people doing the head bop with a look of total and complete concentration, finished off with a catchy hook. It was magic to me then, and still is now.
The hip-hop I listened to when I was younger (particularly while my family lived in England) was heavily influenced by what my older sisters liked: Mase, DMX and Busta Rhymes were particular favourites, and probably the reason why I'm still an East Coast girl at heart. Trevor Nelson's show on MTV, The Lick, further opened up the world of American hip-hop to me. My sisters and I would gather around the TV late Friday nights after our parents had gone to sleep, thirstily soaking up everything from the new Timbaland and Missy joints to The Roots' latest (the first track by them I remember hearing was "You Got Me," one of my favourite songs of all time). We didn't only listen to rap – R'n'B was our shit too (R Kelly, Erykah Badu and Aaliyah – good times), and being a nine-year old girl living in England, I fell under the spell of the Spice Girls. Yeah, I said it – no shame in my game.
Ten years on my music tastes have expanded to include indie, grime, coupé-décalé and electronica, but I still go back to hip-hop despite all the talk of it being murdered by Soulja Boy and other ignorant-ass-dumb-chain-wearing-pseudo-rappers. I like to pride myself on the fact that I mostly listen to what people term as "conscious" rap (you know, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Prez) and the OGs (A Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, Biggie), but I do still bump chart rap. I won't necessarily buy Rich Boy's or Rick Ross' music, but I'll be damned if I'm not the biggest boss that you've seen thus far. I made the distinction between my "club shit" and "real shit" a while ago (to be precise, circa December 2006 when I bought Nas' "Hip Hop is Dead"), citing the over-commercialisation of the game and the lack of imagination that, unfortunately, the rise of the South has brought to hip-hop. Yes, rappers have always talked about money, cash and hoes (at least since the 90s), but they would more than occasionally bring up socio-economic and political issues like the struggles of the average young person coming up in an inner-city ghetto or the realities of police brutality, and do both with the flow that made you go "daaaaaaaaaaaamn!" But that was then. Now, if the Billboard Hip-Hop and R'n'B chart is anything to go by, sex, designer clothes and being strapped when you hit the club is all that defines the music that I fell in love with all those years ago, only now without the allure of clever wordplay or imaginative production. All new rappers seem to be mocking (or reflecting) the intelligence of their audiences, posteuring in their LV-upholstered SUVs. All hope is lost.
Or maybe not. Last weekend, I went to the album launch party of Blitz the Ambassador, a Ghanaian rapper based in Brooklyn. I was blown away first by the fact that he performed with a (seriously smoking hot) live band, his flow and the fact that he played the talking drum. I felt the way I did when I saw Nas perform a few weekends ago, the way I did when I first heard "With so much drama in the LBC/It's kinda hard being Snoop D-O-double-G": a bubbling excitement, chills down my spine, and a strange feeling of familiarity, because it sounded like the junction between my childhood and my present. Needless to say, I snapped up his album immediately and I love it. But of course, nothing can ever be that picture-perfect. Towards the end, Blitz made a little speech thanking everyone for their support and love, and then made that comment that so many of my favourite "conscious" artists have made before: "I don't do this for the money." Um, I'm gonna go ahead and call bullshit on that. Obviously, artists don't create music solely for cash – the music industry is far too fickle for that to make sense (for better pay, I'd recommend construction or police work). There's the drive to share a message with like-minded individuals, to be expressive, to do something that makes you so incredibly happy nothing else could compare. And I feel all of them on that. But seriously? If it really isn't for the money, why can't I get your album for free? And why do you get mad when people download your shit if it's all about reclaiming the game and resurrecting hip-hop? And why don't you stay underground rather than signing with a big record company? Understand I'm not attacking Blitz directly here, but speaking in general to the artists that look down their noses at the "coonery" of people like Gucci Mane and T-Pain (on a personal note, I'm going to add Kanye and Lil Wayne to my list of people who are making hip hop kind of unbearable). Yes, they lack artistry, but at least they're being 100% honest about why it is they're in this game. And they must, to some degree, believe that they're truly making good music… although what that says about their mental state, I'd really rather not contemplate. All I'm saying is that hip-hop isn't necessarily dead, but that the non-"conscious" rappers are a representation of one (unfortunate) direction it has taken. I don't think this is a permanent evolution. I also think the "conscious" dudes need to get off their fucking high horses – YES you make better music, but it really isn't that life-or-death serious. As far as I'm concerned, all the back and forth and haterade in hip-hop right now is doing nothing for its devotees. Basically, rappers: get the fuck back to making music that gets me so hype I act like a little kid who OD'd on candy, stop using Twitter as a forum for bitching at each other and make hip hop the only love of my life once more.
That's just my very humble opinion. Hip-hop heads, let me know if you feel otherwise and shit.
P.S. Title is from my main man/future-children's-father Common: first ever track of his I heard, and still one of my favourites of all time.
- In: Africa | Politiking
- 3 Comments
I was in the Met a couple months ago and got into a conversation about Africa with an 8 year-old girl whilst looking at an exhibition of fabrics from my part of the continent. It went a little like this:
Me: Oh my goodness, I love looking at these fabrics 'cos they remind me of home.
Girl: Wait… so you're from Africa?
Me: Yes…
Girl: Oh, I didn't… so they have like, towns and cities in Africa?
Me: Yes, I grew up in a big city a lot like New York.
Girl: Oh… so do your parents live in Africa?
Me: Yes, they do.
Girl: Well… what do they do there?
Me: Um… they work? And live…?
Girl: Oh… okay. I thought everyone lived in little villages in the forest there.
Me: *Dying to cuss her out but remembering in time that she's only 8*
Thankfully, this conversation got cut short as we moved on to another section of the Met. But it illustrated for me the surprising level of ignorance about Africa that exists in this country. I wouldn't have thought that anyone – elementary school kid or not – in the world's most advanced country would actually believe that there were no cities in Africa. But this is just one example of a pattern that I have noticed since moving to the States.
I got asked recently by the op/ed editor of my school's newspaper to write a piece about what brought me to New York City. In the email she sent me, she slid in a little sentence that let me know what direction this essay was meant to take: "As an African student at Columbia, I am most interested in your experiences in your home continent." Now, no disrespect meant to this chick, but sometimes I get a little tired of being asked to talk about Africa. Eager blonde-haired sophomores approach me all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed after learning that I'm from the motherland to complement me on my English and express surprise upon learning that yes, I do live in a real city and no, my house is not made of mud. This routine gets old very quickly.
This isn't the only reason I get tired of talking about Africa. See, I have days where all I want to do is talk about home. Maybe because I'm freezing my arse off in my under-heated room (thanks, Housing Services) and all I can think about is the sexy humid heat of the equator that I'm missing. Or after my third day in a row of eating nothing but sandwiches, all I want is a big ass bowl of jollof rice with plantain, or beans freshly fried in palm oil, or some correct pounded yam balanced with banga soup on the side. But more often than not, it's because something about my home continent has crossed into my world of classes, meetings and friends and taken me out of New York City and back to the streets of Lagos – some photograph or song or football score that has me believing for just one second when I close my eyes that I'm not here, but back home.
But there's a flip side: almost every time I read the news off the BBC website, it's always some kind of misery being reported about Africa. It bothers me that most of the time when Africa is mentioned in the mainstream media, it's an extremely stereotypical view: genocide, AIDS, corrupt rulers – y'all know the drill. For someone born and raised (mainly) on the continent, it is frustrating to see my home presented as a primitive place. And this is why I do get tired: because when I try to challenge people's stereotypes, I tend to be met with blank faces, at best. It's almost as if no one in the West that I've encountered wants to see my home continent as anything but what the media depicts. Which leads me to ask the question: why do you ask me about Africa if you don't want to know about the "real" place, the one that I have lived and breathed for the past 21 years?
This isn't a topic that I can cover entirely in one blog post, and I'll definitely return to it because it's one that has shaped my world view. When I don't have a ton of reading due, I'm going to expand on the article I wrote for the paper. All the things I couldn't fit into the 900 words I wrote talking about how much New York reminds me of Lagos: from the massive pockets of wealth in Manhattan and Victoria Island respectively to the feeling of calm I get looking at the Hudson because it reminds me of the Lagos Lagoon. And not because anyone asked me to write, but because writing these things makes me happy. Or mad, or sad, depending on what I'm talking about. But most importantly, because they keep me connected to the one place that matters the most to me, even when I'm 3000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean: home.
For right now I'll say this: being an African outside of your home country is an interesting experience. For me, it has meant having to struggle to disprove certain assumptions that people make about my continent. But it has also involved me having to face certain hard truths about the reality at home – the corruption, the ignorance that keeps people in poverty, the ways in which our leaders failed to live up to the dreams of independence. Maybe I'm realising these things because I've grown up and no longer see things through the eyes of a child. I know that, ironically, classes that I have taken at my college and books that I have read helped me understand the dynamics of Africa much better than simply living there ever could. And I can't call myself an expert, but I hope that more people will ask me questions and actually listen when I talk about Africa, not just come to me with pre-held notions and blank out when I say there's no safari in Nigeria. Because I know there is definitely a whole lot to be said.
P.S. Kanye West and Chris Martin's "Homecoming" was one of my favourite tracks off the Graduation LP. And even if I can't co-sign Kanye's "singing," he always does have some fly ass videos, this one included. Hype Williams is most definitely a visual genius.


text:
About fishing in Tavira:
Me and my sun went for a big game fishing in Tavira. Marta is super welcoming and the staff on the boat was extremely friendly and professional. There were two more guys joining on the trip. As the conditions were perfect, we had a great day with some impressive catches. We were happy to sea the sharks were released back into the sea after taking some pictures.
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A Big Game fishing experience for the whole family? For many years Portugal, and in particular the Algarve, has been known for its sports fishing qualities.
For those who enjoy fishing, we invite you to come aboard our yacht "Reel Time." It has a capacity of 6, and it is fully equipped with the latest technologies in navigation and security.
We will also provide you with Wi-Fi, TV on board, and the possibility to film your best moments. We will supply you with all the necessary equipment for an unforgettable day at sea. The Algarvian coast is considered one of the best of the world and provides an extensive variety of sea species. On this tour our focus will be Big Game, which means: Shark and Tuna fishing.
- This Big Game fishing trip from Tavira can be done whole year round as long as the sea conditions are suitable;
- Suitable for all ages and levels of experience. Do not worry if you have no experience, our experienced staff will teach you everything;
- Even if you do not want to fish, you can come along on this exciting tour as a spectator;
- Catch the typical Big Game kind of "fish": Sharks and Tuna, amongst others;
- This fishing trip from Tavira takes up to 3 hours 30 min.
Don't forget:
- Bring sunscreen, swimming gear, a towel, hat and sun protection;
- Bring a camera to photograph the immense times of fun;
- Safety briefing and all fishing gear included but Daily Fishing license (for +16 years) is not included (5€);
- Minimum 4 pax;
- Food and drinks are not included, feel free to bring your own or contact us and we'll make you something special;
- Transfer from and to Hotel\Airport available but not included;
- Check-in should be done at the location provided on your confirmation email 20 minutes before departure;
- Detailed operator information, including local telephone numbers and addresses, are included on your confirmation email.

subset: commoncrawl


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Chandigarh/ Ludhiana: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today allowed a petition seeking parole for Sikh Political Prisoner Bhai Balbir Singh Bira, who is facing imprisonment for life. Advocate Jaspal Singh Manjhpur who maintains list of Sikh political prisoners told Sikh Siyasat News (SSN) over phone that Balbir Singh r/o Maulviwala (Ferozepur) is lodged in Maximum security jail, Nabha and his arrest dates back to 25 August, 2009.
Advo. Jaspal Singh Manjhpur said that parole of Balbir Singh was long overdue as per prevalent law but the Punjab government had refused to grant him parole benefits due to his association with Sikh leader Bhai Daljeet Singh.
The petition seeking parole for Bhai Balbir Singh was pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for around a year now.
Holding hearing of petition today, a bench comprising Justice M Jay Paul and Saneha Prashar, who had granted 6 weeks parole to Balbir Singh.
"The high court has directed Ferozepur's District Magistrate to grant 42 days parole to Bhai Balbir Singh. After completing paperwork and other formalities, Bhai Balbir Singh will be released from jail in coming days", said Advo. Manjhpur. via Sikh Siyasat News (SSN)


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Viewing YouTube Smartly on Google Chrome with Add-on.
Loving multitasking and don't want to miss a bit of video playing on YouTube? Then, Smart Pause for YouTube extension for Google Chrome might be some use for you. Smart Pause for YouTube automatically pauses current playing video on YouTube when leave the page and resumes when you are back. Sounds cool?? Try it.
Developer(s): Fvd Media
Language support: English
Home page: Smart Pause for YouTube
Download: ADD TO CHROME
HOW TO: Installing Smart Pause for YouTube on Google Chrome:
1. Go to Chrome web store an search for Smart Pause for YouTube, or simple click on the above download link and click on "FREE (ADD TO CHROME)".
2. Google Chrome asks for user permission to add extension to the web browser. Click on "Add" to install extension to web browsers and "Cancel" to stop the installation process. Chrome also displays, what the extension might access on the web browser.
3. Now, a Smart Pause for YouTube icon with message pop up appears at upper right corner of browser, indicating that the extension has successfully integrated with the Chrome.
HOW TO: Using on Smart Pause for YouTube Google Chrome:
1. After successful installation of Smart Pause for YouTube extension you will be redirected to Fvd page showcasing their other products.
2. By default, Smart Pause for YouTube is activated on YouTube page, the pause logo side of "Likes" and "Dislikes" shows that the extension has been successfully integrated into YouTube.
3. To disable Smart Pause for YouTube temporarily, click on the pause logo, it will turn from red to gray. To explore more options, hover the mouse over pause logo for the option (gear) icon to appear.
HOW TO: Disable/Remove from Google Chrome:
1. Go to Chrome Setting > Tools > Extensions, or simply type "chrome://chrome/extensions/" in URL bar.
2. Now, un-tick the Smart Pause for YouTube to temporarily disable the extension. Click on the dustbin icon and you will be greeted with pop-up, click "Remove" to remove the extension from Google Chrome.


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Picture if you will an older woman (but young at heart of course) who has only had a smart phone for two years, who can't get a network signal to use said phone inside the house, who has no iphone or ipad and doesn't intend to get them, a woman who had serious doubts about facebook and twitter being full of time-wasting trivia. But also picture a woman who strategically waited until she was ready to go ahead with a blog she finds she loves doing, who was used to digital imaging, file sizing etc, and who could be pretty methodical when she put her mind to learning new things, in this case with a whole new language attached of dashboard, SEO, plugins you need, or don't need, ping backs, shares, likes, tweets, retweets, hashtags, GIFs, DMs, avatar, html…ad infinitum. Then what do you get? A non-techy woman with determination going on a specific journey with hardly any social media savvy.
So since I've been blogging now for around a year and since I've been facebooking and tweeting for well over seven months , and since I've actually being persuading other creatives of the value of social media, I thought it was time for me to look at the pros and cons, specifically with respect to creative people – that's people who by virtue of necessity have to spend time alone to create, who can be a wee bit sensitive, but who need to engage with others for a variety of very constructive reasons, such as support and encouragement, education, feedback, raising awareness and maybe even personal development with catharsis and creative philosophies.
So I'm going to approach it by looking at a PRO, then its related CON – here goes!
First up has to be the wealth of like-minded people you can engage with, who you can exchange views with and give your opinions on topics you're specifically interested in. People you can genuinely care about even though you've never met them. You can 'meet' people across the globe, see how things are for them where they happen to live, it opens your mind to new perspectives about creativity, as well as feeling you've found people you have so much in common with. You feel closer to the creative community beyond your doorstep – you could say you can access a world-wide tribe of creatives.
You can access too many people to give your considered attention to and you end up having to choose some over others for the sake of time. You can assume you know people quite well from their posts and tweets. But do you? Now with creative people I think we can trust a certain level of intuition about this, so we may be in a better position. After all, not many of us love self marketing, not many of us have huge egos, so that may mean we're more authentic, I'd like to think so. But just be aware, on-line 'friends' are not real friends in the real world, and what most of us put out there about ourselves is selective for a variety of quite valid reasons, such as staying safe, sparing feelings, and avoiding the dreaded trolls etc. I do worry a bit about people who bare their soul. I do appreciate it when they do, it's very brave, and they can get some amazing support which restores your faith in human nature. But it's a risky thing to do, and you have to be very well-adjusted and sure of who you are, to deal with any negativity you may receive.
The wealth of information and generosity of information from blogs is staggering. You can solve creative problems, Pinterest can give you so many stimulating ideas for creative projects, and there are so many easy to access links to more and more, leading to amazing discoveries that can enhance your creative life and your work. It's truly mind-blowing.
There can simply be too much information to process. This is what I felt very early on, before I even engaged with social media. I was wading through too much on-line information, specifically, in my case, in relation to writing techniques. I've previously written a post on 'too much information' here. Before you have really consolidated your style for yourself, too much information can derail your faith in yourself, and your trust in what you are doing and the way you are doing it. Your right side of the brain muse may walk away in a huff. What do you need her for, if you've got all this left side of the brain information? So care has to be taken not to feel overwhelmed. After all, we create in a solitary place and it's important we are comfortable there, in our own space, without the inner critic being fuelled by all the conflicting information we're looking up 'on the side'.(You may like to check out my post on the inner critic) So it's getting the balance right, and I have to work hard at this personally. I deliberately keep my writing space and laptop upstairs, just for writing, and use the computer downstairs for social media and all the other stuff.
You can reach far more people to become aware of you and your creative product, than just those in your immediate environment. And we are all actively encouraged to do this – here's me doing it too. You can network with relevant professionals and their services, especially perhaps via twitter and facebook. The world can feel like your oyster as you collect followers, likes, shares, get feedback, endorsements. It can get you and your work 'out there'.
You can spend far too much time on this networking and gaining followers. And we all know it can become addictive. There are enhanced packages out there to tempt you to pay to advertise your facebook page or product on twitter, to get yourself thousands of twitter followers, and although I recoil from it and resent those who follow me on twitter to flagrantly self-advertise, I just can't deny the usefulness of it for those running a business. But with respect to art, writing, music…what bothers me most is this: Is a prospective gallery owner, mentor, agent or publisher/producer more likely to want to handle your work because you have being very successful with your social media endeavours OR are they more interested in the actual art work? Well, we know the answer to this. So if you spend too much time on social media, at the expense of your creative work, then it's really counter productive.
So stressing again, this is just what I feel about social media in respect to creatives, based on my own experience and what I have learned, my take home points would be:
Be selective with your engagements, you just can't check in with or follow everyone
Refine your interests
Enjoy your 'friends' but keep yourself 'safe'
Be supportive and encouraging – spread positive vibes rather than negative ones
Don't use up too much precious time on it, at the expense of your creative work
Give as well as take – in other words, protect your karma.
Cheers all, and thank you once again for your support of this blog ;>)
(pics from pixabay – great for free images and lots of choice)


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Quote: Your success makes me wonder what kind of world you come from, and what would result if you touched the prize I protect.
Mutaclone is the head of the three Exalted Ones and the supreme leader of the Clan, and he is a major antagonist in Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future.
Mutaclone is the most decorated of all the three generals. He is a giant black and white Dolphin with red eyes and a red tattoo on his forehead. Mutaclone, like his fellow Clan warriors and generals and two fellow Exalted Ones, has spikes surrounding his dorsal fin. Unlike other Clan Dolphins, Mutaclone has a long, swordlike spike on his snout like a swordfish. His fight arena is a very gloomy place. Mutaclone has the ability to fire sharp icicles at Ecco. Despite being the leader of the clan, Mutaclone is shown to be the least malicious and most honorable member of the Clan even going as far as to consider giving Ecco the trait of Wisdom under consideration that the world from which Ecco came from might indeed be a better world.


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Rolls Royce 'Sweptail' inspired by yacht build £10 million car – most expensive one
The latest model of the Royal-Royce was the yacht-inspired vehicle with the glass roof provides an amazing experience to enjoy the sunlight and the vehicle is designed for most valued customers and can afford the multimillion dollar price tag for the car.
The company added that this car was the tailor-made for one of their top customers as they don't confirm the price tag but added this is the expensive car ever made and the custom-designed motor is perfect for built tourer like no other car in the history.
The company recognized the expensive model of the car as 'Sweptail' for the modern era and it takes four years to complete this project of the car for the customer.
The company made this model as they are inspired by their client's interest as he loved to race yachts and they introduce the glass roof on the car and believed to one of the largest and most complex roofs ever seen on the car.
The car body shape with a strong front of the motor and the company added that this glass roof was the most complex roof ever introduced on any car and its cost reach around £10 million that made it most expensive car in the world – The car is built for the unnamed gentleman who is considered to be the collector of private aircraft and super-yachts.
The chief executive officer of the manufacturing company Rolls-Royce added that 'Sweptail is the most expensive and dreamy car ever built in the world' – the car becomes the most expensive as it is a custom car and other custom car prices are still unknown in the world.
The car inside is made up of the handmade wooden luggage i.e. dream of many people where the dashboard is the cleanest to date dictates only one control appears at a time and the handmade clock is also appeared into the dash, too.
The car offers a favorite bottle of the champagne of the client with just single push button contained in a mini fridge and the registration car number is "08" on the front of the vehicle.
The unnamed buyer is interested in car inspired by the famed Rolls-Royce of the 1920s and 1930s as the client is the collector of luxury items and yachts and this car also consist of yacht theme which is shaped like a boat when seen from the bird's view.
Rolls-Royce manufacturers are popular in the world due to their amazing work in the car industry as they launch luxury cars and this car made the brand as the pinnacle of coach building.
The company added that 'we listen to our customers carefully to facilitate them with dreamy elements as the brilliant coach and we are looking towards resources and interests of the clients to provide luxury and masterpiece to the customers'.


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I die for: a Mock Celine T-shirt….
December 14, 2012
There seems to be a little trend in people knocking out mock Celine t-shirts….so if you never managed to get your fingers on the real thing…
You can always opt for Michael Agwunobi's Celine up bitches version…(more stock arriving today I have been promised!)
Or Brown Focus' Celine Dion version…..
Or Brown Focus' Celine Dion version…..
….you decide
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Airasia will implement the Airbus Managed Inventory (AMI) service for its A320 and A330 fleets based in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. AMI services provide automatic replenishment of high-usage and non-repairable parts at Airasia's facilities. Airasia is the fourth operator in the region to adopt AMI. The system monitors material consumption in real-time and automatically replenishes orders to agreed stock inventory levels, allowing for high part availability and a smaller overall inventory stock.
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Interview - Rob Daviau
So full disclosure here. I'm a fan of Rob. A very large fan. I own Heroscape, Pandemic Legacy, Seafall, Harry Potter Clue, I even have a deck for Viking Funeral). But i did not contact him to talk about any of this (ok that's a lie, i brought up heroscape), I wanted to talk about his new company, restoration games. I said when he had five minutes to let me know, and he did...
Thanks for five minutes Rob, i was not sure you would ever have 5 minutes of free time.
I'm on a flight from Phoenix to New York...
It really wasn't one game but the promise of all the games we could restore. We immediately made a list of 10, then 20, games that we thought would be great to make. We knew it was a solid idea.
One of the first games in the lineup is Stop Thief! I remember playing Stop Thief! when i was younger. Was the decision to go from electronic to app based immediate?
It wasn't immediate. There's something nostalgic about a piece of plastic with its real buttons. But it didn't make sense to include plastic and a screen and wires and a circuit board in 2017. Everyone carries around a full computer in their pocket. We could also take the money saved by not putting hard materials into the game and divert them to the app development. But we did go back and forth at the beginning.
Have there been any roadblocks to getting the rights to these games?
Oh, plenty. Justin is a lawyer and that has been essential. Each game is a little fetch quest to find the rights or determine if anyone actually holds the rights. In some cases it is straightforward, but most take effort. Some of the most requested games are the most difficult to get the rights to.
After Stop Thief!, Downforce and Indulgence, What's the next game in the series? will it be a kickstarter?
We're announcing our next game at Gen Con.
What's the grail remake for you or Justin?
Lots of games. But we're keeping our cards close to our vest on what we're up to. Mostly because we may never get our grail games.
Fair Enough. With the evolution of kickstarter as resource of game funding has there been any talk of a remake of heroscape? Public opinion for a long time has been it would be too expensive to make it now with the painted minis.
We don't look at games until they've been out of print for 15 years so Heroscape, even if we could get it, would have to wait another 5 years or so. Maybe even 8.
Lastly in an interview I was asked which designer I would want to work with or play test for and i said you because i love the legacy concept and i love the concept behind the new company. So what do you think? Dark Tower Legacy?
I think that's called Dungeons & Dragons...
Leave a Reply.
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April 2018


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Sole Proprietor vs. Single-member LLC
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Women at Work: How to Offer and Receive Support
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How to Use Social Media to Reach Your Customers
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The Elevator Pitch: What, Why and How?
An elevator pitch is a concise introduction of a business, a product or a service. Learn why you need one and how to create it.
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In November 2001, Carlos Suárez Álvarez travelled to the Shipibo community of San Francisco de Yarinacocha, in the heart of the Peruvian jungle, where he drank ayahuasca for the first time. The experience, now it seems obvious, changed his life forever.
Back to his country, he finished a B.A. in Journalism in the Universidad Complutense, Madrid, and worked as a reporter for several years, until he decided to give a turn to his professional career.
In 2007 he moved to the city of Leticia, in the Colombian Amazon, to study a Master's degree in Amazonian Studies. He graduated, with honors, in 2011. Since then he has published a novel, Ayahuasca, amor y mezquindad (Ediciones Amargord), and more than forty chronicles about the Amazon indigenous cultures.


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Discussion Question: Attributions
Question Description
We make attributions every day about our own behaviors and the behaviors of the people that we interact with. And depending on what we attribute to the cause of a person or our behavior this directly affects our attitudes and behaviors toward that person. If our attributions are correct, then outcome can be positive, as they can help us to work more effectively with that person or to make better decisions for ourselves. However, if we make an error in our attribution of the cause of a behavior, then our own following behaviors can negatively compound the situation.
Consider the following situations that we have all experienced:
You go out to lunch with your friend and find that your waitress is a bit absentminded and is not in the best of mood as she takes your order and serves you. You tell your friend that this lady should not be a waitress and needs to find a new job because her attitude stinks.
You pull into a gas station and there is only one free pump, but you cannot get to it because there is a person at the first pump. You think to yourself "What a jerk, I can't believe they did not pull up to the second pump."
- Why were these attributions and assumptions made in each situation? Are they most likely accurate or not?
- What are some alternative explanations for the behaviors of the waitress and person pumping gas? Why do we typically not assume these later explanations but rather jump to the conclusions made in the examples?
- If you were the person in each of these scenarios and took a minute to look back at these behaviors would you have the same thoughts about yourself (you are in the wrong job or that you are a jerk)? Why might the attributions of your own behaviors be different than your attributions of others' behaviors?
- With all of this in mind how will you apply this to your future attributions and associated behavior when faced with these types of situations?
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|System Requirements
Windows 7, 8 or 10
|System Requirements
OS X 10.9 or higher
|Copy Protection
|Online Activation (Challenge / Response)
Professional MIDI Multi-FX Plugin
Kameleono is a new kind of a live musical instrument.
It brings the power of side-chaining to the MIDI world by using your DAW to build patterns and sequencer steps.
You can use it to program or even play live the most high speed and complex modern melodies, bass lines, etc. You can also use it to simulate professional playback of a real instrument such as a Piano, Guitar, etc., as shown in the demo video.
Key Features:
- High Precision Engine (Sample Level Accuracy).
- Accurate Timing for MIDI Out Recording (Agnostic to DAW's Buffer Settings).
- Pattern Based Arpeggiator.
- Polyphonic Sequencer.
- Chord Memorizer and Player (Playing chords with one finger).
- Unlimited Steps.
- Unlimited Note Lengths.
- MIDI Expression Control.
- Advanced Note Shuffling / Timing.
- Real Time Quantizer.
- Enhanced Note Hold.
- Special Mode for Drums (Note Gate).
- Build-In Basic Synth.
- Remote Automation.
Note that all Notes-In parts in the following video were played and recorded live.
{See video at top of page}
Getting Started: Ableton Live Getting Started: Logic Pro X Getting Started: Cubase
Reviewed By skarabee
December 6, 2017
I was looking for a tiny but powerfull live arpegiator/sequencer plug-in and found Kameleono.
Kameleono is a real new MIDI machine, with lots of innovative features. Can be used for live play (sequences/bass lines), you can use your own MIDI files or patterns in your DAW to send rythmic sequences and play live (or send chords/notes track), Kameleono will sequence your favourite virtual instrument.
one-finger chord mode, scales, many latch modes, transpose in and out. The sequence can pick velocity/pan/mod from the rythmic pattern or input notes (or a mix of both)
Tested with Cubase, Live, and Mulab, very stable. Also tested with Bitwig demo, can't find more simple: drag/drop Kameleono, drag/drop a synth behind and you're ready to play with Kameleono's pattern presets.
Also tested with 3 instances: one for bassline, 2 for synths, all in sync, no hiccups.
If you want to use patterns on your DAW, once you have understood the way it works (one MIDI track for rythm datas > kameleono, one MIDI track for notes input > Kameleono, one MIDI track for your VSTi with Kameleono as input), it's very easy and fun to use.Read more
Please log in to join the discussion


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Valla 3d Coca Cola
Valla 3d Coca Cola have some photos linked one another. Grab the most update pictures of Valla 3d Coca Cola on this site, and you may find the photos from this blog for personal usage. Valla 3d Coca Cola photos are published by Admin on April 29, 2018 at 10:22 pm. The image collection of Valla 3d Coca Cola displayed on this page is some of the best pictures around the internet and has been seen by 150 viewers.
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TIME has an article on the Science of Star Wars
To quote from the article:
The most prominent areas of research inspired by the film are "hyper drive," like that achieved off and on by Han Solo's foundering Millennium Falcon, and robotics research inspired by Luke Skywalker's ever-reliable R2D2 and somewhat neurotic C3PO.
"We physicists have been fascinated, have been inspired by the warp drive," Kaku said. It has been so fascinating to them … that they have found an equation of Einstein's that mimics warp drive.
Now, on paper, scientists know how "warp speed" works and what it would take for Chewbacca to get the Millennium Falcon into gear.
Sorry. You can't credit Lucas with the Warp Drive.
Star Trek – Warp Drive – 1966
Star Wars – Hyperspace Drive – 1977
Similarly, Kaku says, some people saw the movies' robots and started working in artificial intelligence theory to create robots of their own.
Isaac Asimov – I, Robot – 1950 (origin of the word 'positronics')
Alan Turing – Invented the Turing Test – 1950
John McCarthy coins the word "Artificial Intelligence" – 1956
Star Wars – 1977
Sorry, can't give Lucas credit for inspiring Artificial Intelligence theory either.


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Scott County HS Alumni List
Last names starting with "A"
Select letter of last name to filter the alumni list
Registered Alumni
All Alumni
- Class of 1986 Dona Abbott
- Class of 1980 Kelsie Abbott
- Class of 1997 Ashley Abel
- Class of 2012 Christopher Abney
- Class of 1981 Gary Adams
- Jason Adams
- Jill Adams
- Class of 1979 Kevin Adams
- Class of 2016 Brandon Alcorn
- Class of 2006 Elizabeth Alexander
- Anissa Aliff
- Class of 2018 Gavin Allen
- Aaron Anderson
- Class of 1999 Jennifer Anderson
- Kesha Anderson
- Matthew Anderson
- Ryan Anderson
- Staccijo Anderson
- Class of 2012 Zachary Anderson
- Bernice Andrews
- Matthew Anerson
- Lori Anewalt
- Cohen Archbold
- Class of 1976 Darrell Arnold
- Class of 2010 Russell Arthur
- Clare Aubrey
Looking for Scott County High School alumni not listed? If so, check out Classmates.com® - hundreds of more SCHS alumni have posted their profiles.
About the Scott County High School Alumni Directory
If you attended Scott County High and want to be added to the alumni directory register now to add your name to the alumni list. You can also find out what other graduates are doing now, share memories with other alumn, upload pictures from Scott County and find other alumni.


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by Josh Walsh
(waterford WI USA)
i just got a 1982 glastron galaxy with no motor in it. i was wondering if i can fit a chevy 350 v8 in it? also is this motor too much power for the boat? i would really like to have a v8 in this boat if at all possible. i have all of the bolt ons for a small block v8 so if the 350 is too big maybe a 305? thanks for all of your help.
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text: Home / Fruit Plants / Kiwi Fruit: Your Choice for Fruit Options Kiwi Fruit: Your Choice for Fruit Options Stacia Oct Fruit Plants no comments Kiwi fruits are sweet fruits which widely cultivate in New Zealand and California. To plant kiwi fruits, it is required a mild winter place which hardly has long frozen winter. However, you can still plant kiwi even though you have cooler climates. You just need to pick the proper variety. Growing kiwi fruit requires lots of space since it can spread quite wide until 20 feet. Thus, it can perfect for fence plant. The kiwi plant is not a self-produced plant; therefore you need to make sure that you have both male and female plant. It does not need to have exactly one male and female; one male plant can pollinate until eight female plants. In order to produce fruit, kiwi prefers soil with good drainage and full sun coverage. Right after you plant the kiwi transplant, you have to water them until it takes hold and after that you can reduce the water schedule as it likes well-drained soil. Read: Watermelon fruit: big fruit, big benefits Is Kiwi a Fruit? Kiwi is a great fruit for most of culinary purpose; it is good for salads, smoothies, and many other. Other suggestion, kiwi is also great to eat by itself as you can get the plenty of health benefits from the fresh fruit. Where are Kiwi fruits from? This fruit is also known as the Chinese national fruits. Kiwi fruit is native to southern China and was firstly brought to New Zealand in early 20th century. In New Zealand, the commercial planting is begun. From New Zealand, kiwi spreads all over the world and grows as commercial scale in several countries. Kiwi fruits Health benefits and nutrition It is undeniable that kiwi has high nutrients as it promotes good health enhancement. Consuming kiwi fruits, as well as other fruit and vegetables, is believed to associate with reduced risk of serious diseases. The phytonutrients substance in kiwi is believed to be able to protect DNA in the nucleus from harmful free radicals. More about the antioxidant level in kiwi; this fruits is the excellent source of vitamin C which is good to neutralize free radicals that trigger certain diseases including cancer. Vitamin C is a good natural substance that boosts the immune system as well as reduces the risk of death due to heart disease, cancer, and stroke. The collagen in the skin has the strong relation with vitamin C; therefore kiwi also promotes good skin texture. The high fiber in kiwi is also able to control as well as reduce high blood cholesterol level, heart attack, and heart diseases. The high fiber helps to bind toxic in the colon and prevent colon cancer. Moreover, fruit and vegetable which is high in fiber such as kiwi prevents constipation as it has a mild laxative effect. According to a study, regular consuming of kiwi fruit can promote good sleep in which improve the efficiency and duration of sleep in adults. No wonder if kiwi helps reduce and control the blood pressure as it is a rich source of potassium. Some research found out that certain chemical compound in kiwi function as blood thinner which helps prevent blood clotting as well as prevents from strokes and heart attack. Please Share: PreviousNext Related Post Vitamins in Blueberries and Health Benefits Blueberry is one of a fruit in the family of… The Right Fertilizer for Guava Tree Guava is fresh fruit which has habitat in the tropical… What You Need to Know About Orange Plants When it comes to listing out the most popular fruits… Planting a Peach Tree From Seed If you love peach fruit but the price is rather… Add Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Your Name (required) * Email (required) * Website Subject


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MedAsia Healthcare Complex
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Immediate Implant with Nobel Speedy Groovy™
Implants Supported Removable Dentures
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IPS Empress System
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Get That Perfect Smile by Teeth In An Hour™ at MedAsia Healthcare Complex in Thailand
Get That Perfect Smile by Teeth In An Hour™ at MedAsia Healthcare Complex in Thailand
Modern technology has allowed millions of people to have that perfect smile which many have thought were impossible to achieve. Now, at MedAsia Healthcare Complex, Bangkok, we offer Nobel Biocare, which is the newest solution that addresses people's old dental troubles.
Immediate load dental implant technology or commonly referred to as Same-Day Implant Technology has grown so popular that it is considered today's treatment of choice for patients who crave to have close-to-perfect results for teeth replacement. This procedure has outgrown and replaced many other dental procedures because of its well established and trusted way of warranting the best possible dental function with naturally appearing aesthetic results.
People who want to submit themselves to this procedure are required to have an intact jawbone structure of both the upper (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible). An intact jawbone structure will facilitate any embedded devices to integrate tremendously well so that it can be held securely in place.
Healthy dental bone structures are vital to the success of this procedure. However, there is also a popular dental treatment intended for patients who have poor or inadequate dental jaw bone structures, which is done through the use of bone grafts.
Bone grafts used are either artificially or naturally produced, each having unique properties that suit every patient's needs. Following bone grafting, the old and newer bones will be fused together and, thereafter, dental implants are placed firmly over the newly grafted bone structure.
CAT Scan Science and Modern Dentistry
At Nobel Biocare, dentists at MedAsia Healthcare Complex, Thailand, provide innovative solutions with the use of CAT scans (Computed Axial Tomography) and biomedical engineering to address dental issues. Modern science offers accurate assessment and evaluation of the overall dental condition and integrity of the jaw structure. A CAT scan completely clears all doubtful presumptions of dentists of the best sites to use for implant placement. However, there are also some doctors who don't have access to this kind of technology to locate the best site to use, thereby resulting in cantilevered implants.
Though the process of restoration or replacement of the crown can momentarily accommodate the angled implant, it might cause more serious issues. Nobel Biocare has come up with a CAD/CAM engineered device known as NobelGuide™ to significantly decrease any chances of poor implant placement.
NobelGuide™ is a groundbreaking method of dental planning and surgical implementation that enables us to fully execute comprehensive oral planning, with complete ease and accuracy.
Your edge with NobelGuide™ is the perfect selection of a site for accurate implant placement in comparison with the inaccurate system of the usual "freehand" placing of implants. With NobelGuide™, you are rest assured of accurate drilling of a site for implant placement.
Teeth in an Hour at MedAsia Healthcare Complex, Thailand
Another procedure facilitated through the use of NobelGuide™ is what we call "Teeth-in-An-Hour." This method is designed specifically for patients who have few teeth or none at all. Through the help of a CT scan, the implants are virtually placed on the computer, followed by a model created with the same site for future implants.
On the day of the surgery, the template is laid on the jaw followed by the placement of the implants through the guide and then on to the titanium framework. Afterwards, the NobelGuide™ is finally removed after the implants are securely placed. The entire process takes about an hour, thus termed "Teeth-in-An-Hour".
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Soups are a favourite at our place . My daughter Sanju lives on soup . It completes her meal . I prepare different varieties of soup depending upon her tastebuds .One of her favourite soup is pumpkin soup which will come up in the space soon . Overall they are healthy ,nutritious , filling and makes a great appetizer and is good for other things as well, such as helping with the skincare and skin regeneration according to the regency dermatology phoenix. As usual these pictures were lying in the folder since a year . Today I wanted to prepare this soup and was looking for the recipe in the space and realized I still haven't compiled the post . And immediately I decided to compile the post to the earliest .You may add vegetables of your choice if interested or make it non veg too . I have added few cooked corn kernels . This soup is very simple to prepare and tastes great . Simplicity at its best is the example of this soup .
Recipe adapted from : Santoshi Nayak
Ingredients :
Onion – 1 chopped
Spring onion – 1/4 cup , shoots ,chopped
Green chilly – 2 ,deseeded and minced
Garlic – 2 tbsp , minced
Cornflour – 1 tbsp , diluted
Boiled noodles – 1 cup
Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Vegetable cubes – 2
Pepper powder – to taste
Salt – to taste
Water – 5 cups
Oil – 1 tbsp
Method :
- Heat oil in a saucepan and saute minced garlic .
- Add onion shoots , chilly and saute .
- You may also add vegetables at this stage if you adding .
- I have added few corn kernels .
- Saute it for a minute .
- Add water , vegetable cubes , vinegar and take a boil .
- Add boiled noodles and diluted cornflour paste .
- Check salt and add depending upon the taste .
- Be cautious while adding salt as veg stock and vinegar contains salt .
- Add pepper powder to taste .
- Serve hot .


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A few weeks ago, the new trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War dropped. For those of you who are comic book fans, it was everything you could've asked for in a trailer. Lots of action, all the superheroes and a spotlight on Thanos, the latest villain to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I have to be honest. My favorite parts were those small moments with Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) because… well… they're gorgeous!
Whenever trailers for big sci-fi movies drop, I always see a spike in interest in cam girls who like cosplay, so naturally my mind began to wander to them. So today I decided to take a look at some of my favorite cosplay performers.
1. Hentaidreamgirl
Heavily tattooed, pierced and with an incredible body, I knew I'd love Hentaidreamgirl the second I checked her out. She's young and loves everything from cosplay to BDSM to foot worship to playing with her interactive vibrator. One of the things I really enjoy is that she has a different look almost every single time she gets on cam. She has many wigs and outfits she plays around with, so you never know which version of her you're going to get. It makes for an exhilarating feeling when you can say to yourself, "I wonder what Hentaidreamgirl is going to be wearing today?"
2. Rebekah_von_Kat
Interestingly enough, when I first discovered Rebekah_Von_Kat, she wasn't even online. I just randomly stumbled on her profile and spent several minutes looking through her free photos. She has ones of herself dressed as multiple versions of Harley Quinn, Sailor Moon, an elf, a sexy cop, a ninja and a female version of The Punisher. Rebekah loves to be spoiled. She can be both dominant and submissive, depending on your preference. But she also has an amusing, charming personality and a great sense of humor. She's a genuine treat to chat with. She's open to trying new things, too. Before taking her private, just tell her what you like and what your fetishes are. Chances are she'll make it worth your while.
3. AliceSimpson
Alice is a bisexual Hispanic beauty with some of the hottest curves I've ever seen. It also helps that she's got that nerdy edge thanks to her love of Harry Potter, comic books, Star Wars and more. Alice also has a great sense of humor. She unknowingly had a nip slip going on when I checked her out for the first time and was having a good laugh about it. She was also dressed as a sexy kitty and looked amazing! I spent a good amount of time chatting with her and she was superflirty. It was really fun.
4. Anna_Cherry
Anna's a young bisexual stoner chick (indicated by the giant marijuana leaf flag in her bedroom) from the U.S. who loves cosplay. She'll dress up as Batgirl, Tomb Raider, or a sexy samurai and have fun with colorful wigs and matching lingerie. One of the things I loved about Anna was how dirty she was! She totally knows how to talk dirty in live chat and refers to herself as a sex demon. She especially loves it when users have their own cam so they can have some cam2cam fun. I watched her for quite some time, and I have to say, she may just have one of the best genuine orgasms I've ever seen.
5. Jayne_Cobb
Jayne loves three things: Star Trek, nachos and a hard cock. Those are her own words and that's all I needed to hear to know I had to check her out. And I wasn't disappointed. Jayne is pretty wild. In private, she loves JOI, teasing, talking dirty and cam2cam. I mean, just look at that picture of her in that Star Trek uniform. How could you NOT love that? She put on one hell of a show when I was with her and she definitely left me wanting more.


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Motion graphic video by Part of a Bigger Plan – based out of Amsterdam.
Clean. Simple. Functional. Well designed. In sum, Herman Miller.
Very much enjoyed this animation.
Motion graphic video by Part of a Bigger Plan – based out of Amsterdam.
Clean. Simple. Functional. Well designed. In sum, Herman Miller.
Very much enjoyed this animation.
Community-Supported Art (instead of Agriculture). This is an interesting concept featured on the nytimes website today. People often do not know how to go about collecting art. It's like being overwhelmed by all the book covers in the bookstore and feeling like you have no way of honing in on what it is you want to get because no one gave you a recommendation as of lately. All you know is, reading is important and it's been your personal resolution to do it more. So, they say you should start collecting art and personalize your space. How about doing that locally with artists who really appreciate your support and make some pretty incredible things. It is a blind C.S.A – you really have no idea what will be in your share when you pick it up – but these artists are dedicating a project with a limited edition of about 50 pieces and it sounds like an awesome concept to be a part of. You'll be sure to have many conversation starters.
It is only in a few locations now, including my neck of the woods in Brooklyn.
Would you try it?
This knockout design studio based in Seattle and London is coming out ahead of the game because they just get it. Look at their workspace, play space, client space, friend space. It's no wonder they have a long portfolio list of brand experience strategies, packaging designs that you have in your own home, and endless marketing ploys.
Their motto is that they are Creators of Things, and that goes as far as their office. In Seattle (pictured above), the entrance serves as a gallery space for passersby to wonder at and for Creatures (Creature employees, I mean, they must go as 'Creatures' right?) to continue practicing their crafts and artistry which often goes to the wayside when graphic designers work for bigger companies.
And, of course I did not forget their Safehouse space (http://safehouse.welcometocreature.com/). Everyone needs to take a moment away from their computers, desks, and a company that supports a visit to a bar is up there in my book. Cudos, Creature. A mug of whiskey, dust lined tin cans featuring old school graphics, and 3,000+ LPs to peruse. I'll take a job offer any day.
Some fantastic illustrations, largely for magazine and news stories. These are current issues that we all understand and can relate too, yet it amazes me how simply Frank Chimero illustrates the idea. A lot of times he just strips down the words behind an idea to yield powerfully graphic results. Would you have thought of some of these solutions? Especially knowing that freelance editorial work often comes with tight deadlines. Hey we have this story being published in 5 hours. Go.
Benefits of self driving cars. Potentially making roads safer? More efficient commutes?
Hmm looks like we are headed to a tech driven world- pun intended- and it certainly has its ups and downs.
I love this boutique hotel idea so much. It just looks so fun- I wish I could have been on this design team. Camping indoors? I think it would quite feel like the real thing with this replica camper and birch trees (my absolute favorite). It is even low-budget friendly as there are many "campers" in a big hall, really like being on a campsite. Apparently only 30 Euro a night/person. I assume that it has become a popular choice to stay here as I've seen this trending on many sites. So I'm pretty much debating packing my sleeping bag for Berlin right now.
Having the hostel-like experience with campsite neighbors (probably mostly young travelers), yet being in a unique boutique hotel- sounds fabulous. I think this is a great way to experience the culture of Berlin- the entire city is constantly up and coming with reconstruction going on since much of the city was destroyed during WWII. I was there in 2008 and the history and restoration were both so powerful and important to see as you always hear about Berlin, but you don't fully absorb the information until you are face to face with the wall, the graffiti, the modern restorations of war ridden buildings.
We've all been frustrated with this scenario. I just want the ketchup at the end of the bottle and I don't want to awkwardly store it in my fridge door upside down so every time I open the fridge it threatens to fall out and become a bigger pest. Food condiment lovers, get ready, finally some smarty pants at MIT thought about a solution to this everyday problem we are faced with- I mean its a rapid world and I just cannot hit my bottle to get the stuff out for a minute. Thank you- though I cannot help but question if it is in fact non-toxic or something that we will find later really should not be coated in our glass bottles. Hmm… read article linked below!
This is happy, thoughtful, and brilliant. I hope it's real.
Every summer my friends and I have a cabin weekend. And well, this poem is too good not to share- thank you talented Stephanie.
Friday Night of Cabin Weekend
(Inspired by The Night Before Christmas)
'Twas Friday night of Cabin Weekend, when all through the house
drunken creatures were stirring, even some mouse.
The solo cups strewn across tables without care,
in hopes that tomorrow's hangover would never be there.
Drunk children were nestled in overcrowded beds,
while tranquil visions of tubing floated through their heads.
And Sasso in her fire proof pants, and I in my umbrella beer helmet cap,
had just settled in for our 4-7am nap.
When out near the fire arose such a clatter,
I shuffled out of bed to see what was the matter.
Out to the porch, I attempted to dash,
swung open the door, and tripped over some trash.
The moon hung in the sweet summer air so aglow
gave the luster of midday to the mess that lay below,
when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a majestic pirate ship, filled with kegs of beer.
With a smug, handsome skipper, groaned my liver organ,
I knew in a moment it must be Captain Morgan.
Quicker than reindeer, his winded sails came,
And he whistled and shouted and called us by name:
"Now Christiano! Now Pedro!
Now, Katelin and Laura!
On, Amy! On, Adam!
On, Melinda and Barbara!
Vodka parties on the porch!
Buzzer shots 'til you crawl!
Now drink away! Drink away!
Drink away all!"
I thought "that weed must be laced," to see a pirate ship fly,
but sure enough I tell you, this boat sailed through the sky.
So up to the roof-top the great vessel flew,
with its kegs full of beer, and Captain Morgan too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
the clunk of his boots and knew this was no spoof.
As I took a deep breath and was turning around,
down to the deck, the Captain slid with a bound.
He was dressed in red and gold from his head to his feet,
his clothes slightly tarnished, but his appearance kept neat.
A full keg of beer he had slung on his back,
and a case full of bottles he began to unpack.
His eyes – dark but inviting, his smile crooked, yet merry.
The sword strapped to his hip, enough to make anyone wary.
At his wrists and his neck, shot out ruffles of white,
and the beard on his chin was as black as the night.
The gold of his earrings matched one of his teeth,
old but well polished, like his boot buckles beneath.
From his tri-corned hat to his hair long and wavy,
you could tell in an instant, he wasn't part of no navy.
He stood very tall, built big and strong.
His face young but worn, he could do no wrong.
Our eyes quickly met and with a nod of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
leaving the keg and some bottles, then turned with a jerk.
To declare his achievement he lifted his leg,
his boot rested satisfied atop of the keg.
A rope fell from above and up it he climbed,
and as the ship pulled away, down dropped some limes.
But I heard him exclaim as he sailed out of sight,
"Happy Cabin Weekend to all, and too all a good night!"
The Lumineers: 2 guys from New Jersey (woot! sometimes the Jersey pride escapes) who moved to Denver (another place I used to live near!) and met their 3rd member and have been taking off from there…
Their biggest single off their new album accompanied by a beautiful music video. The aesthetics tie together with their folksy, authentic, rustic sound- such a good song- enjoy 🙂 What you can do with simple string lights, a venue, and fun-loving people! I think I'm inspired to start making videos in my upcoming ventures…


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The Mace Dynamics wiki is a central hub of knowledge for any topic related to online marketing. The wiki covers topics such as:
The Mace Dynamics blog is source for online marketing news and developments. It is an outlet for research in to search engine trends and mechanics. The blog provides reviews, guides and walkthrough tutorials on the online marketing tools, tactics and strategies.
Terence Mace began his career in online marketing as a link builder 2013. After developing a number of systems to automate parts of his role, he was given the responsibility to build the penalty removal team for the agency he worked for. In that time, he was able to build one of the UK's best penalty removal services, which has had (at last count) 120 manual actions successfully revoked.
With the penalty removal team, processes and systems built, tested and proven it was time for a new challenge. Terence therefore took a 3-month secondment into a technical analyst role to learn about onsite optimisation. Terence now builds and develops new products, processes and systems for the entire operations side of the agency he works for. He also heads up training for the entire company.
Terence started working in the online marketing industry by complete chance but it has grown to become his primary passion. It is an industry where there is always more to learn, where there is always some new development to analyse and where the rules of the game change daily. What could be more appealing?!
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This is bad news for me
This is a discussion on Infraction system updated. within the Rules/Announcements board part of the category; The following updates have been applied to the infraction system. This is to make it more easy, and more convenient ...
The following updates have been applied to the infraction system. This is to make it more easy, and more convenient for us, and the people who have been infracted. Duration and points have been changed accordingly as well. Please view below.
Bumping more than one in 24 hours' duration has been changed from one month to four days. It seems we have a lot of people doing this.
Inappropriate language's duration has been changed from one month, to four days as well. There are necessary curse words, than there are people who use it far too often and in an intimidating way. We will use this when someone is doing that, but if someone is insulting someone with the language, We will use the insulting members infraction.
Abusing report to moderator has been removed. We removed this because this infraction is scarcely ever used.
Shoutbox abuse has been removed. This is yet another one we rarely use. The same rules as the forum carry over into the chatbox as well. Such as Insulting members, posting warez etc.
PTC (Paid to click) sites infraction duration has been lowered to one month down from two. When someone posts surveys etc.
The duplicate entry for advertising has been removed, the remaining one's points has been lowered to two points.
Multiple accounts has been removed from the infraction system. We removed this because normally we just handle it ourselves without using the infraction system. What we will do is this;
1)If both accounts are unbanned and used for rep abuse -> Ban both accounts.
Should they create another account to dodge the ban -> Ban the new account and add +2 months on the previous, already banned account.
If both accounts are unbanned and not used for rep abuse -> ban the 'second' account (the one which is newer) and add a 7point infraction (duration: 2 months) on the main account.
Perm ban has been removed from the infraction list as we do this manually as well.
Spamming has had it's points reduced to five, down from ten. It's duration has also been lowered to two months, down from five.
Here is a picture with the changes highlighted.
This is bad news for me
why did you infract steven? :o
off site contact: irc.rizon.net #lfpasta, https://steamcommunity.com/id/floesenbigjew/ or [email protected]
off site contact: irc.rizon.net #lfpasta, https://steamcommunity.com/id/floesenbigjew/ or [email protected]
/incfract steven
/reason being kewl
/points 0
What do you mean by the time changes? Is that like how long between each infract you can do or? I'm a bit confused.


text: Vaia Beauty Walking into this seemingly small Surry Hills beauty salon, visitors are welcomed by an assortment of interesting patterns and textures which wrap each surface throughout. The combination of mirrored partitions with repeated eccentric patterns extends this otherwise tiny room to create a surprisingly open entry. The client brief was to create a vibrant and interesting shop front space for retail display, whilst maintaining simplicity and a relaxed feel for treatment rooms. A further extension two years after the initial opening included two luxurious large day spa treatment rooms, a spa shower treatment room and spray tanning facilities. Scope of services included interior design, documentation, council approvals and managements of trades on site. PREV NEXT