Broken Dreams

Yup, yup it’s a teaser track from Flowsmith off the upcoming “Life Vol.1″ mixtape. I can’t embed the Facebook video here for some reason, so enjoy the mixtape cover instead.

It’s a promising snippet so  I’m expecting good things from the mixtape.

Be sure to check out the track here: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=312179180572&ref=mf.

Peace…

The English Language

I read a hilarious column by Rabi’u Dagari on the complexity that is the English language. It sent my own cogs turning on the little things in our everyday language that makes no sense at all. I mean, yes we know that english is coined from various languages, but once they got the basics down, couldn’t they have atleast tried t make it consistent?? Look;

• Have you ever noticed how there is no egg in the eggplant? Or how there’s no ham in hamburger? And ther’s neither pine nor apple in a pineapple!
• English muffins were not invented in England. Even French fries were not invented in France, they’re actually from Belgium.

It’s pure confusion I tell u! Imagine how it must be for people learning English as a second language. If we now further examine it, we discover paradoxes:

• Quicksand takes you down slowly
• Boxing rings are actually square
• A Guinea pig is neither from Guinea, nor is it a pig

Couldn’t you just make up new words?

And if writers write, how come fingers don’t fing? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of phone booth be phone beeth? If the teachers teach and the preachers preach, why do we say the teachers taught, but not the preacher praught?

D’u see?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, shouldn’t it be alright to say a humanitarian eats humans?!

Why do people recite at a play, yet play at a recital?? Why not the other way round? Wouldn’t that have been easier??

Notice how we park on driveways and drive on parkways??

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of it all!

In a language where a house can burn up as it burns down. One in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and a bell is only heard once it goes!

The amazing thing is that the English language was created by people, not computers! Where is the logic behind it all?? Some could say it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course is not even a race at all).

That is why when the stars are out, we say they are visible but when the lights are out they are invisible. And why it is that when I wind up my watch, it starts, but when I wind up this observation, It ends.

All I can say is, I’m happy I grew up speaking this nonsense, not learning it!

xx

Introducing the sporadic one

Hi!!!

I’m ~B~ !

I was honoured when his royal awesome-ness (yes u Pusoro), invited me t b a co-author on his blog, I was so excited that I hastily accepted! that was a few months agothow, and since then I’ve been planning and contemplating my first post. I almost backed out cz I had/have nothing to say. Not t worry thow, I’m not gonna. If the genius (yes u, again, Pusoro) thinks my thoughts are worth it, then y’all are stuck with me

xx

MANGO coming to Nigeria…

BN Exclusive: Spanish Retailer MANGO opening stores in Nigeria | Bella Naija.

While some of you may be left wondering: “But I thought we already had Mangoes?”, I assure you, this is a Mango of a different variety.

Yes, Mango, the Spanish retailer with 1,000 stores in 92 countries around the world will be adding two to that number in our very own Lagos and Abuja…at least according to Bella Naija. I can’t seem to find this news elsewhere.

And while I don’t fall under the target demographic for this retailer (I think it has something to do with me being a guy) I still find this news exciting. Mango is quite big, and it’s coming to Nigeria..clearly that is an indication that Nigeria is getting more recognition on an international scale. Who know what might come next? BN suggested “H&M” but I’m thinking more “Papa John’s”…clearly we have different priorities.

Some people believe that instead of these international retailers we should be supporting indigenous startups. I completely agree with the rationale behind this, however, I think that we should instead, accept the foreign retailers as well as embrace and support our own home-grown talent. If anything, it might apply more pressure to our Nigerian retailers to step up the quality because we’ll be competing with established international chains and surely we don’t want to lose our custom to them?

Anyhow, I like the idea and I’d like to see more of it. Who know’s, maybe we’ll be expecting Six-Flags to make it’s appearance in Naija soon…what’s that you say?…they are! Calabar, here I come!

Diasporic Music

Just here to dust out cobwebs and the like. Here are two tracks from our Naija brothers repping from outside the country. I’m loving Wale’s take on “My Sweety” (Is that actually the name of the song?) I need the original track too. Anybody know where I can find and buy some of these old school Nigerian songs? You know, high-life and the like?

Here’s one old school Naija track that’s been making it’s rounds in my head recently. I love this song, it’s so chilled…

Peace….I really need to get back on this blogging ting….

Rant and Rave: Sony’s PS3 Slim Ad (Update)

Check out the Ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL1xTcQwu-8

Seriously, please just take a look at this: Federal Govt Please Stop Sony Entertainment. – Nairaland.

First of all, I find it interesting that a lot of people are getting riled up over something pretty trivial. Admittedly, it’s a sensitive spot for Nigerians but seriously, sue Sony? Who do you think will win? For those of you that haven’t seen the ad, the main jist is that the Sony Rep tells a rumor monger:

Bernie, you cant believe everything you read on the internet, otherwise I would be a Nigerian millionaire by now.

And then the collective Nigerian consciousness got it’s collective panties into many twists….

Hence the title of that thread up there “Federal Govt Please Stop Sony Entertainment” . Did you know that there’s also a petition? When Prof Dora Akunyili said that we needed to re-brand earlier on this year not all Nigerians were on board with the idea (for some strange reason). Do you now see why we need to re-brand? 419ers have given us this reputation, almost anybody that’s been fortunate enough to have contact with this black magic commonly referred to as the “Internet” would have come across the Nigerian Internet Scam in one form or another. It’s unfortunate, but instead of of attacking Sony (whom I believe has done absolutely nothing wrong) we should focus on changing ourselves from the inside out.

Thankfully, sensible people still exist as I saw on that thread that I’ve linked to. Now be sure to check out this video (while I figure out how to embed).

Thoughts?

Update: Well it looks like we bullied Sony into editing the ad and issuing an apology (http://kotaku.com/5354732/report-nigerian-govt-upset-over-new-playstation-ads-[update]). More grease, I guess…

I still don’t believe that the ad was a “deliberate negative campaign against the country’s image and reputation”.

In other news 11 Nigerians face federal charges for credit card scam.

Post on Nigeria’s re-branding coming soon…

The aspiring dictator’s guide – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source

I stumbled upon “The Aspiring Dictator’s Guide” while roaming around the internet.

Check out Rule 1.

Rule 1. Be the richest man in your country (Daniel arap Moi, Robert Mugabe). If you are a second-generation dictator, this is not hard; just blackmail the guy who came before you (Frederick Chiluba). If you come from an oil-producing country, this is even easier (many Nigerians and Angolans, Chad). If you are a Kenyan, the National Social Security Council is always good for a few billion. Defence contracts evenbetter (all presidents). Money-printing contracts, the best (all presidents). If you are a South African, then anything with the word “black empowerment” works fine.

It’s a brilliant read, quite funny, and it highlights a number of problems that we have on the continent concerning our leadership.

Check it out here:

The aspiring dictator’s guide – Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source.

(More posts coming soon by the way…)

My Heart is Heavy…

© "Pusoro"

And it weeps for Nigeria.

Boko Haram are back in action….They’ve declared Jihad on the entire country of Nigeria. In their own words;

“That the Boko Haram is an Islamic Revolution which impact is not limited to Northern Nigeria, in fact, we are spread across all the 36 states in Nigeria, and Boko Haram is just a version of the Al Qaeda which we align with and respect. We support Osama bin Laden, we shall carry out his command in Nigeria until the country is totally Islamised which is according to the wish of Allah.”

I first heard about this last night and since then I’ve had time to ruminate on the implications of their statement and let it percolate through my mind.

New Beginings…

So, I’m writing my first post while being dragged kicking and screaming into the world of blogging…..

Well, it might not be that dramatic (I’m sitting at my laptop at 2:44 am cursing the people that built this house for not including any cooling systems, seriously, what the hell?). Hell, I haven’t even published this post yet, so I’m facing the main question; “who’s gonna read it?”

Well, hopefully, I’ll find an audience and hopefully you’ll help me find one to and if “you” are reading this, then give yourself a round of applause, you’ve been a great crowd.

See you next time, when I actually update the blog.