LETTER TO MY UNBORN LITTLE PRINCESS

Hi Angel

You’ve grown into young lady and i am very proud of where you are. You would soon be venturing out on your own into the world(high school). As you go there are a few thoughts i’d like to share with you

You are entering a world where you would have to encounter many new things and make choices on your own. The world is constantly changing , things are rearranging. What was taboo several years ago has become the norm today. What was appalling and unheard of in the past out,now of political correctness we accept . Morality and decency has taken a plunge, and to follow the fickle view of society, is to jump out of a plane with an anvil instead of a parachute.

There will be so many things that are ‘Socially acceptable’, everybody’s doing it,and you are called a prude or old fashioned if you don’t join in.
But the real question is ‘What is God acceptable?’ That is most important and he has not changed his rules. You may seem “uncool”, when you are not ‘down for whatever’ or wiling to experiment .When they see you don’t compromise,you may stop receiving party invitations or calls to social events but it comes with the territory as an ambassador for Christ.

As a young lady the world may tell you that you have to dress a certain way to be noticed.They tell you that you have to be risqué .But your clothing should be a frame for your face and not sensual as a frame for your body. When it becomes sensual you may be causing others to fall.Besides, guys eyes may glow ,and their heads turn on a revealing dress, but their mind is really taking off points for decency,but they’ll never admit it.

When it comes to young men, this is something that you would have to ask the Lord for discernment. There will be the genuine nice ones, and those being nice with hidden intentions. Remember the words “you shall know them by their fruit”. Be cautious not to be swept away by charisma . Personality is wonderful, but character is more essential. Does he live his life according to scripture? Going to church doesn’t make one a Christian ,any more than going to McDonalds makes you a Hamburger.

How does he treat his sister and his mother? This is a giant reflection on who he is and how he will really treat you in the long run.

Still on the issue of guys;the world and pop culture would have you believe that you have to “test the waters”. The well worn “kiss many frogs to find your prince”. Darling all you do when you kiss a frog is end up with bitter slime on your face. You don’t have to be a serial dater, or fall in and out of relationship every few months.Trust me it’s not worth the hurt and pain.

I know, it’s hard in today’s world but dear there are some wonderful words i heard a long time ago

” take this advice, think twice. When love is done right it could be mighty nice. Take the time out, just to get tight.When two become friends things start out right. Nobody wants somebody , that’s always messing up, cause mess up means break up, and somebody’s got to fix it up. Don’t be so hasty to give up your heart. It’s hard to see intentions at the very start. So pace yourself all the way to the very end , cause this is the reason why God made friends.”

Yes yes, it’s a lot easier said than done. That’s why it’s not done on your own strength. God knows exactly how much you can take and he loves you too much to let you break.

Gotta go now dear , Daddy Loves you

THE CURSE OF THE MOVIE SEQUEL

Every once in a while , a brilliant movie comes out. Some times that movie becomes a classic, other times it’s just a great movie that immediately becomes part of your DVD collection. From the roaring performances, the unforgettable characters and those lines that you and your friends find yourselves repeating and talking about for days, months and weeks , the Hollywood machine manages to churn them out every once in a blue moon. And then they go and do the unforgivable, they make a sequel, and do the equivalent of violating the original with a mop stick behind the school yard.

Now, not all sequels have been terrible, some have been good ,even great. Any film buff would be able to fire them off to you even when sleep deprived. The arguably superior “The God Father 2″ and “Terminator:Judgment Day” are two classic movies that surpassed their originals. Some have managed to make brilliant trilogies Lord Of The Rings(LOTR),Back to the Future and the series that redefined the action/spy genre. The Bourne franchise, one of the few series that managed to up the ante with each installment. But for every Bourne , there is a ‘Matrix’. For every ‘Lethal Weapon franchise’, there is a limping ‘Beverly Hills Cop’.

The Matrix was a movie, that redefined action/sci-fi genre,and changed the way movies were made, unraveling the possibilities that could be achieved. As a stand-alone movie it was unsurpassed and still is,but someone developed dollar signs in their eyes wanted to milk it , and instead of getting fresh milk they got expired yogurt , leading to many losing respect for the franchise. The same with the Beverly Hills franchise.Eddie Murphy shined in a role surprisingly, originally intended for Sylvester Stallone .As Detective Axel Foley,he paved the way for Black comedians in action-comedy, playing characters like James Carter of Rush Hour franchise, and others like it. Beverly Hills Cop was comedy genius ,practically inventing Action Comedy-Cop movie, but then those lame sequels came , had no sizzle whatsoever,inevitably making a joke of the series.

There have been cases where sequels, have done well, satisfying the fans. One of the perfect trilogies is the “Back to the Future” series. Each of them is a thrill ride for the fans and though the first installment ended with possibilities, the writer/director Robert Zemeckis did not write it with a sequel in mind; but yet managed to create an unbelievable series, that comes full circle. Few trilogies apart from perhaps Peter Jackson’s epic creation of LOTR have managed to be this perfect. The initial “Die Hard” installment reinvented the action movie which was getting stale and redefined the action hero with the character of John MacLane, till this time few action movies or characters,can hold a candle to it, with maybe the exception of Jason Bourne, which was another release that forced film makers to change the way action movies were made.

Though the sequels are not better than the original, unlike many other sequels, they satisfied the fans and did not fall flat on their face. The irony of the two Die Hard sequels, is that they both were originally written as completely different scripts, but then picked up and turned into Die Hard movies.

So what is it that goes wrong in so many sequels, that they fall flat on their face, and make us go Ewww. What makes us pass on the Speed 2:Cruise Control, the crap-fest that was “The Son of the Mask”. Why do studios insist on making a sequel , when the actor that made it successful goes, “Nah, this script is is a steaming pile”.

There is clearly a majority of sequels that do not work compared to those that do. The formulaic pop corn movies, clearly accept the fact of what they are and spin an innumerable number of sequels, this happening mostly in the horror genre (Elm Street, Saw,Friday the 13th and the Halloween movies. People know what to expect and are not short-changed because they get exactly that.

The curse of the sequel arises more times than it doesn’t, and even a master like Francis Ford Coppola didn’t escape it when he made the ill-advised “Godfather 3″,though a good movie on it’s own, it paled in comparison to it’s prdecessors. We’ve all seen those awful straight to DVD endless franchises. Which while trying to make a buck on the title, they use has been or complete unknown, that look the originals that they can’t or won’t pay for,new characters and a premise that could have been scripted on a toothpick ,This is not knocking straight to DVD, as there are some great movies there, but the endless sequels speedily churned out to trade on the good will of the title alone. Walking Tall 2 anyone? Butterfly Effect 2? The Bring it on Sequels,Van Wilder Sequels. Another somewhat annoying thing is making a sequel, that is about the offspring or the siblings of the original characters, something that has NEVER worked but continues to happen. Don’t these producers have anything better to do with money???

Whatever it is that makes most sequels train wrecks ,the Hollywood machine will keep churning them out, and like a Rabbi at a Viking buffet, we have to pick out those that may happen to be an exception to the curse,how do we know? Now, that is a question to really ponder on.

FAITH FILMS- THE REBIRTH

Someone once described Hollywood as “….Hell’s public relations office….” , with the fascination with the occult and supernatural seen over the years, that does not seem far-fetched. On the flip side to that occult glamorization,movies out of Tinsel Town, have nothing good to say about Christians. Christians have been portrayed as; murdering psychopaths(Misery), frauds(Elmer Gantry), sanctimonious hypocrites ( Saved) amongst other vile things. They are always, the annoying uptight Bible quoting nuts, who disapprove of everything , or are, axe wielding psychopaths ready to bring damnation upon the ‘Heathens’ .

Sure, there have been films, which some would claim to not necessarily as faith films but with faith themes , “The Shawshank Redemption(1994)” has been sited as one ,largely because of its redeeming story and possible allegories ,but a clearer look at it would show that was not likely King’s intention. Most of the time a portrayal of “Christianity” is just a prop for the theme and characters to take a swing at, like a pinjata . An objective look at the last 20 years and one would see that Hollywood, is definitely not Christianity’s cheerleader.

The term Faith Films has been applied to Christian Films over the years.These are films that deal with spiritual issues and are usually strongly grounded in tenets of evangelical Christianity. Several of them, like the series “A Thief in the Night(1972)” addressed the issue of the “End Times”(Rapture) ,which is the Christian belief in the rapture of Christians from earth, followed by the return of Jesus, this time as a Warrior King with his army of Angels to exact judgment . It is better known to the man on the street as Armageddon. Most of these films had poor acting, bad scripting and low production levels. In the attempt to pass across the message they also isolated a lot of people, who just plain avoided faith films including the church going demographic.

Perusing through this,some may classify the torrent of Tyler Perry releases as Faith Films , but technically, they only have faith referencing and have nuances in the story lines that many in the faith do not theologically agree with, like the gun totting grandmother Madae being played by a man,thus inordinately endorsing drag. Some have also complained that it’s perpetuates the ‘mammy’ stereotype seen in the golden age of cinema in films like ‘Gone with the Wind’ and others of that era. Despite that, Perry has a huge following which is mostly within, but also spreads beyond the African-American demographic, which does not look like it’s going to diminish anytime soon.

Into this foray has come a set of movies , two of which come from a little church in Georgia,USA .Tired of the factory pumped profanity and R rated movies brimming the cinema they decided to make their own and formed a production company. Sherwood Productions was formed, came out with Flywheel(2003), “Facing the Giants(2006)” and “Fireproof(2008)”. The first, was about facing up to mistake and making amends.The second, used American Football as an analogy for life’s challenges , and Fireproof, a superior movie, starred Kirk Cameron as a fireman taking on a challenge to save his marriage.Fireproof delves into marriage in a way few Hollywood movies ever have showing the real issues face ,and the tiny things that implode a once happy marriage. With $100,000 and $500,000 budgets these movies went on to do phenomenally well, ‘Facing the Giants’ grossing $10,178,331 and ‘Fireproof’ took in $33.5 million, a profit margin few ,if any, Hollywood film can claim.

With the success of such films and a slow but rising interest in film with a profound spiritual impact, though a very real addressing of life issues people can relate to, it seems that Faith Films have been given a new leash on life. Whether they will continue down this new found path, whether other will form and jump on the band wagon to make a quick buck , remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, these movies with messages are coming out of the stables,uping the ante while gaining a following, that hopefully, would only escalate.

FIREPROOF WILL BE SHOWING AT THE CORONET CINEMA – CENTRAL LONDON- 29TH NOVEMBER 2009 14:30PM

musiculturally pt 1

Anyone that knows me even barely, knows that i have twin passion for music and movies.I love wide range of genres .I scream alongside Chester Bennington ,Croon with old blue eyes, “lose myself” with Marshall and get caught up in rapture that is the auditory and cerebral seduction of Kenny G’s saxophone.

Good music is a form that transcends all ethnic barriers .Despite the stereotypical molds placed on us .”Black people like Hip Hop and R&B, White people like rock”. and pop. The thing is great music shatters all that . As there are more white kids at Dre’s “Up in smoke” tour and there is an increasing Rock fan base in West Africa,the most populous black region of the world.

So how exactly are we affected by music. Possibly second only to movies & television ,music is the most influential force on the psyche and consequently culture. The musicians behind the songs attain iconic status and dictate through their music and lifestyle, what happens in a generation, more than education, religion or common sense ever has. Just take a look at “The King’s” continuing influence more than 30 years after his passing.

The influence of hip hop on a generation since the late 70’s is immeasurable.Surpassing the shores of the United States where it was born , we now see kids in Hong Kong, Lagos,New Dehli and Beirut dressing,walking and talking like they just stepped out of a Wu Thang video.Each genre Rock ,Pop,Punk ,Techno and hip hop forming their own disciples.

So where would we be now as a society ? As a people, how strong has music’s influence been on us ? Are we juke boxes(or i-pods) that project through our lives the music we listen to ? Are our mindsets and perspectives on issues a result of what we have absorbed ? When we say F the police, do we really mean that or we just projecting NWA. Our views on sex, are they really ours, or are they formed because we were told to see “nothing wrong with a lil bump and grind”. When offended do we go into an F word rant and threaten “now you’re about to feel the wrath of the menace” . What about our aspirations ? When they do not work out is it because we are walking along a “boulevard of broken dreams”? Or simply because “it was all a dream” and “in the end it doesn’t really matter”?

It’s interesting to think about what life would be like , or how different our personalities would be in a world without lyrics. If we lived in a world without lyrics, would our personalities really be that different? What would the world be like, if all we had, were symphonies of the Beethoven and Mozart type,lyric free Jazz tunes, or only techno beats?

(C) 2009 OLU YOMI

DISTRICT 9. SHOULD WE BE LIVID??..HOW CAN WE TURN THE TIDE ON THE -VE

The movie District 9 has gotten a lot of attention in the past few months. First the anticipation of a riveting Sci Fi movie. Then the people that were blown away by how well executed it was, then recently the concern and uprise of the portrayal of Nigerians in the movie.

I must admit, sitting in the cinema, every time “the Nigerians” was hammered in description to the negative characters, it stung a little but i carried on regardless. I wont say i hated the movie, because it was indeed, very well done.

BUT in retrospect i can see why peeps would be enraged. It’s bad enough that Cop shows and Sitcom make us a punch line. But this was something else on a whole new level.

My consolation was that , they were not Nigerian actors, nor did they speak in any Nigerian language, nor did they have Nigerian accents. BUT , most non Nigerians would not detect that fact

Many people would say

“We have more important things to be worried about”

but we have to remember how powerful a medium film is. Both to the intelligent, and those that just absorb and believe EVERYTHING that they see on TV and in the movie, Film leaves a powerful impression on the mind for a very long time.

We all know how Germans have been associated with Nazi ,Neo Nazi History in the movies. The same goes for middle easterners as terrorists. Indians as convenience store clerks and Asians as martial arts masters. These portrayals find their way into the subconscious,and even if it is for a microsecond,affect our perceptions , and with a movie as popular as District 9, it looks like it is going to become a part of popular culture.

The fact is, the consistent reference and Hammering on “The Nigerians” was unnecessary, and “the gangsters” would have been sufficient enough,without specifying a nationality.

I found this quote on a blog , which i find very insightful

“Whatever any film maker may portray, the most important thing really is that Africans need to start telling their own stories more than they have done so far. Africans need to make their own compelling films – both fiction and non-fiction. As an an African proverb says “Until lions are able to tell their own stories, the story of the hunt will always glorify the hunter”
-Supo Orimogunje

The Nigerian entertainment scene is growing in large proportions, TV ,and especially music which is now global.

Isn’t it about time, we loose all the Jazz ,Asawo, 419 stories in our movies? There are sooo many other aspects of Naija life we can write and make films about.

Chimamanda “Purple Hibiscus” Adichie, has become the pioneer of a new generation of Nigerian voices. .A voice that the world has taken seriously because of the QUALITY of the compelling and captivating stories she writes .

Isn’t it about time we do the same in our film making? Compelling stories, that are well made and excellently performed, that would sweep the floor and blow minds all across he world.

This is a challenge for all screenwriters,directors producers and all those involved in Tv and Film of Naija origin both inside and outside Naija.

We have the potential to tell fascinating Naija stories, those grounded in reality, fairy tale or fantasy, which we have many.

What stops us from adapting stories by Soyinka, Cyprian Ekwensi and others into screenplays. What stops “The return of Ikenga” or “Things fall Apart” from being a Naija epic. or “Without a Silver spoon” becoming Naija’s answer to “Pursuit of Happyness” We have sooooo much potential, which can stop the recycling of stories.

I’ve said it a million times “City of God” is a prime example to show the potential a well made film can have to an industry on a minimal budget and no big names. It’s a brazilian film made outside Hollywood, and it took the world by storm. We have that potential too. How are we Naija young generation going to turn the tide, and start stunning the world with amazing globally appealing WELL MADE movies about naija life?

a few thoughts, a few perspectives, a few things to ponder on

A COUPLE OF SAYING AND QUOTES,TEACHINGS I’VE HEARD HERE AND THERE IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS ,AND A FEW OF MY OWN

1-Good people don’t go to heaven ,forgiven people do.

2-God takes full responsibility for the life fully devoted to him.

3-DIRECTION, not intention ,determines your destination.

4-Never judge a relationship by where it is now, but by where it is going .

5-The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible.

6-Purity in your single days , paves the way for intimacy in your marriage days.

7-If you can see as God sees, you will do as God says.

8-People never take purity seriously because we have given them the WHAT and not the WHY.

9-Jesus is not a little thing you add on to your life, he IS your life, or is nothing to you.

10-You don’t have to experience being bitten by a snake, to know not to walk into a snake pit, because you see a glimmer of a gold nugget.

11-What you use to enter a relationship , would most likely be what you have to use to sustain it.

12-Come on!!!, This is a worship service , not an interview/auditon for Hooters!!!

13-Ladies ,What would be going through your mind,if while trying to worship , the dude “worshiping” across you at church service, wore a t-shirt , with the words JOYSTICK and an arrow pointing towards his crotch. Probably the same thing a dude thinks when a girl shows up to worship and her cleavage is showing.

14-Can two walk together unless they agree?, Watch who you associate with, watch what you put in your mind.

15-The gospel is not a condemning gospel, if it is preached right.

16-We can’t fulfill God’s will on one side, by breaking it on the other.

17-Sometimes God has to destroy things in our lives, so we can raise our eyes to heaven.

18-The Bible is a set meal and not a buffet, we can not select only the promises and reject the chastisement , take what works for us and is sweet, and reject what is “inconvenient” to our lives.

19-It’s funny how we want God to work miracles for us, but we ask him not to interfere with our lives, or mess with our default settings.

20- When we begin to demand a scripture, in defense of a questionable lifestyle we have chosen, we are walking a dangerous path.

21- The prudent person forsees the danger ahead and takes precautions; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences Prov 22:3

22- The excuses and logic that we hide behind instead of admitting our bad choices, will continue to be the foil, to achieving goals and dreams.

23- Not every mutual attraction, is necessarily a wise relationship choice.

24- In light of what you want in the future ,for marriage, career, family, finance, the choice you are about to make, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, but whether it is the WISE thing to do.

25-When asking yourself, “How far, is too far”, How far do you want your future spouse to have gone with other people.

26- If in our Christian life , we are propelled forward, by the current of the world’s standards, rather than swimming against the current, back to God’s will, we know not God.

27-We truly can judge a book by it’s cover , because the Bible says “By their fruits, you shall know them” and “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh” . The things that manifest in a person’s continuous lifestyle are a testament to their character and who they truly are.

CONFESSIONS OF A DENOMINATOR

I am a denominator
the one recurring factor in the
vicious cycle that is my life,relationships and events

I am obsessed with romance
I ignore all self control and throw caution to the wind
I enter relationships at the flick of a switch
driven by my hormones
i date whoever fires off my feel good neurons
regardless of if they lack character or respect me
I consider caring friendships that support me least priority
as they can never fulfil my romance fix
i jump in with my eyes closed and never test the water
and leap out scalded , because i never saw the fangs
showing as the lips peeled back behind that charming smile
and then i do it all over again because
well….all that affection ,care attention and support
from the sweet and nice person
still does not make my heart skip a beat
the way that charming devil, key word devil, does

Im lovely, why can’t i find a loving relationship?

I am an attention junkie
I move from person to person
and get attention from wherever i can
i barely pay attention during a conversation if its not about me
I prattle on all about ME ME ME
and check myself out in anything that reflects
i compose songs about myself and sing it to everyone that has ears
I am an emotional leach and i suck as much attention
that i can from you and move on to get a better fix elsewhere

By the way, why don’t you call me anymore?

I am like a tiger on the prowl
waiting to pounce and maul you
immediately you say something that offends me
i am berserker , I’ll tear you to ribbons
if you dare speak to me in any such manner
that displeases me
my amnesia for all the wonderful things you said and done
kicks in the moment that you criticise me
i am meticulous about what i condone
and i will not be spoken to, by you or any other
in a manner that i only know, and deem worthy
you are expendable and i can do without you

….Hey ! where did all my friends go?

I hate conflict and try my best not to rock the boat
I do my best not to offend anyone
and say yes and nod in agreement just to keep the peace
I approach everything in an understanding manner
and try to be as diplomatic as possible
i pay attention and hold my tongue when i should object
because i just don’t have the strength to debate about it
though it may be an issue that need to be addressed
I exercise patience even though you abuse that fact
every single chance that you get with no apology
I am easy to bully, all you have to do is
loose your temper, turn on the water works,
and i apologise even when i’m not in the wrong

Then why like Jabber Jaw, do i get no respect
from those i show nothing but respect?

I love adventure
I am down for whatever and up for anything
I love living for the moment and don’t care for consequences
Whatever is the flava of the moment count me in
life is too short to think about the long term
we might not be here tomorrow so seize the day
if it feels good, just do it
i have all forms of myopia,
my hedonistic desires blur the consequences
of my instant gratification needs
I’m fun, I’m exciting , I’m full of life

Then why is everyone else moving forward
and in meaningful relationships except me?

I have a list of everything that you must be
You are to fufill all my need and desires
as i lean back and make no effort to improve myself
you have to maintain me and be pleasing in my eyes
I verbally strip you down because i have to keep you in check
I show no appreciation, because you already know
Read my mind, you know what i don’t like
Change think, Keep that, Stop saying that
it’s just who i am , and i like it that way

Wait , where are you going , are you leaving me??

I am the denominator

RANDOM THOUGHTS-FISHY AMPHIBIANS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE

When we think of the term fish,it’s a natural assumption that tends to take the mind to all the creatures in the ocean. It encompasses so much. There are clown fish, star fish, sword fish scaled, non scaled and so much more. There are different conditions for the fish to live in fresh water and salt water fish. Within this same ocean, there are dolphins,sharks , whales , and at some level many of them are called fish. Within this term, there are plankton , there are bottom feeders , there are scavengers and there are the predators all in the fish family. There are fish that swim in schools, those that follow the trails, others have left behind. There are the hunters, those that are disguised in as sea weed or in the sand, lying in wait to strike the unassuming approaching.

However, elementary school science, will remind us , that not all that dwell in the sea are fish. even if they look like fish. Dolphins are mammals,turtles are amphibians as well as platypus. Yet sometimes we assume and use the term “plenty of fish in the sea”. To refresh our memory, an amphibian is a cold blooded vertebrate animal, that shuttles between the land and sea to live.

In the past years , the fish symbol, t shirts and bumper stickers have become very popular amongst church attendants. I say church attendants because sometimes we just attend to mark weekly register to fulfil all righteousness or procedure. We carry the tag or title of scripture , speak the talk, and swagger the walk, but just a creature lives in the sea and has fins ,does not make it a fish.

If going to church made us Christians, half of North America’s population would be Hamburgers and the UK’s kebabs.

Unfortunately , the world can not distinct between the real fish that live in the sea of God’s will, and the amphibians that leave the sea, back to the world in search of this that or the other. The thing is , though fish and amphibians can co-exist in the sea, the fish can not exist outside the sea, and can not follow the amphibian to where it goes outside the sea.

The question is , which are we ? Are we the real fish that dwells only in the sea, dependent on it for our existence and life , or are we the spiritual amphibian, that shuttles back and forth between the land and the sea ,never really deciding where it wants to be.

Do we pose as Christians but constantly leave the will of God, to go back and “do our thing” , “have fun” or “live life” in the world. Does the world see us as “Christians” and at the same time “one of them”?

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing;…” II Cor. 6:17).

The danger of the “follow your heart” message

JEREMIAH 17:9
New International Version (©1984)
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
“The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
“The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable. No one can understand how deceitful it is.

King James Bible
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

In a world where we are told to “follow your heart” . Or do what our heart tells us, and what feels right in our hearts, this is a very disturbing revelation , the musicians and the messages shown here.

How often have our hearts led us astray into wrong relationships. How often have our hearts caused us to do things that we turn around and are appalled at ourselves. How often have we vowed with our “hearts” and a few weeks, months years down the line , we turn our nose up at the very same thing?

A certain singer in the clip below calls her heart the ruler of her being, but it is also public knowledge how many failed marriages that same heart has led her into.

The statements from the satanists here just goes to show how subtle these messages are fed to us through those celebrities that we so admire, and particularly for me the last few seconds of the clip were a shock, particularly as it has been endorsed by the high priests of the Occult.

THIS IS A MUST SEE

SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM AN INTELLIGENT BLACK MAN

As a born and breed African kid, many people are surprised when they meet me. They are surprised by my articulation, and my command of the English language ,bewildered that i know more than the words “give us free” and that i don’t talk like the characters from “The God’s must be crazy”. They are marvelled at my exposure ,knowledge of their history and understanding of culture, when they don’t have an inkling on mine. Luckily for me, i have not had the experience that many of my friends have had.When some ignoramuses come up to them and ask if they had pet lions, or lived in trees and wore clothes when they were in Africa, and how they were able to learn English.

Africans, perhaps more than any other race have suffered stereotypes from Hollywood. For many years, movies about Africa have been one dimensional;portraying Africans as limited thinking, quarter illiterate “yes masstah” characters. Heavy caricature ,often imbeciles, with no thoughts of their own. When that is not the case, they are swinging from trees, or running around half naked in loin cloth,in movies like “King Solomon’s Mines”. Stereotypes and profiling, is one of the reasons that society is still where it is today. The blanketing and general statement in a recent article, that “black people do not read” is one from which i beg to differ.

There was a recent article on how “black people don’t read”, Now THAT is as crazy a statement as “all Chinese men know Kung Fu”.

It’s an ignorant , unfounded and unfair generalization . I am in my twenties and for as long as i can remember ,books have been a huge part of my life. I would have to plea guilty as charged if accused of being a book worm. As a child i read book by Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl,Judy Blume and Alan Ahlberg,in my teenage years i moved on to Jeffery Archer and John Grisham as an adult i read both fiction and non fiction ranging from David Balddachi , to Dr Myles Munroe ,Jack Canfield and currently , The Road Less travelled by M Scott Peck.

I am more than just literate, i can intelligently hold my own in virtually any conversation , i may not be an expert , or be broad on the topic , but at least i can make some form of contribution, and i have MANY friends ,too numerous to mention, with that same capability and more.

-We chew over if Japan would be the economic force it is today if Hiroshima has never happened.

-Postulate on the application on Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” in modern day business.

-Discuss on striking similarities in Greek and Roman mythology .

- Deliberate on the possibilities of time travel based on the “Theory of relativity”.

-Analyze business lessons from Vito and Michael Corleone.

-Debate on if economic growth and prosperity in the USA during the Clinton administration, could really be attributed to him or the dot com revolution that happened during his tenure.

-Deliberate over the pros and cons of Nigeria switching over to a parliamentary system of government.

-The possibility of Nigeria becoming amongst the top ten economies within the next 10 years once we can solve the issue of NEPA and Internal Hostilities.

-Wonder if the USA would have become involved in World War 2 if not for Pearl Harbour, and what would the world be like if Hitler had succeeded in his campaign.

Was the Cold War really about communism, or truly a fight between the USSR and USA, or who was the Alpha male…..(Hey! Who mentioned ROCKY over there.)

to relax, we can switch over to mundane issues

We can equally discuss over Cristiano Ronaldo ,and if he has erased the legendary name from his Brazilian predecessor .

If Muhammad Ali , and Michael Jordan still hold on to the legendary status we hold them up to in their respective sports.

If Bruce Lee would beat Jet Li in a street fight ?

Why Batman though the only human(without powers) in the Justice League is the most feared and respected?

If Robin Hood and King Arthur truly existed ,and if not, how did they become so big and so legendary that we think they actually did exist?

The lessons of tenacity, perseverance and never give up mentality that we learn from Top Cat,Wile E Coyote and Yogi Bear?

Ask our selves based on the evidence if a lazy animal like the Lion is truly the King of the Jungle and not the Tiger.

Why people claim abstinence doesn’t work , because they won’t admit that they like sex too much to give it up.

Between Batman and Blade, who would win in hand to hand combat?

Would Naruto be as cool, if they spoke in English?

Why Tupac is the greatest of all time and why Biggie does not eve n come close to matching him as an Mcee.

When would Samuel L Jackson stop playing the Angry black male card, (think about it, what was the last L Jackson movie you saw that he did not YELL!!!!)

AND

Which movie between “The God Father” and “Citizen Kane” is truly the Greatest movie Of All Time?

We discuss both real issue and mundane things, and i believe that any discussion that comes up, to a very reasonable extent, we can contribute without looking foolish.

It’s unfortunate that in the 21st century, with the wide range of knowledge and exposure to the world available at the stroke of a keyboard(a global village), people still can’t see beyond their little world. Many people still see the continent of Africa as one huge Safari, where the animals run wild right outside your front door.

With National Geographic,The History Channel,Animal Planet, and the many educational channels, many people in the western world, by western world i am referring to Europe and North America, think that Africa is a country. Hence we hear them say “I’m going to Africa”, “we want to help Africa”. Thanks to Oxfarm and Feed the Children, (all good causes on their own), many still walk around thinking that ALL African children are bloated bellied and starving.That perception is like a foreigner thinking he can learn about life in the UK by watching Big Brother .

The generalization that black people don’t read is like thinking Indians randomly burst into song and dance in the middle of the street or that all American’s behave like the guests on Jerry Springer.

We are all individuals and can not classified by the actions of a few. Unlike many people of both races whose idea of classic literature is Katie Price’s or Jade Goody’s biography, i prefer to read something that would actually add some value to my life and future.

A while back,a friend of mine was livid about the launch of MTV Base Africa, which played about 99% Hip Hop/ Rhythm and Blues. What right did they have to restrict our music to only those categories? That is another stereotype that is all around the world. The assumption that black people only like those two genres of music. What about Alternative,Rock ,Pop,Swing, what makes them think we don’t listen to that?

Now i don’t know about anyone else, but i listen to a whole range of music. I croon to Frank Sinatra’s “I got you under my skin”,karaoke to Air Supply’s “All out of love” and Barry Manilow’s “Copacabana”. Back in my University days some of my friends called me a “white boy” just because i loved listening to Nickelback ,Linkin Park ,Limp Bizkit, Blink 182 amongst others. When the truth is i can scream to “Smells of teen spirit” as well as bust the mic on “Ready or Not”. I can serenade to Barry White as well as lay back and appreciate Chopin’s Symphony.

It’s ignorant and unfair to classify people by what we see on television. Yes, there are starving kids in Africa, but there are also homeless, malnourished kids in the UK ,USA and Eastern Europe. Like there are different social classes (lower,middle ,upper, rich , stinking rich) in other parts of the world, the same exists in the nations of Africa.We have sky scrapers , and NO we do not live in mud huts. We have cities and we hail taxi’s , take the bus, drive drop tops, and SUVs’. We hustle by day and play by night, have night-clubs, Pubs and raves. We go on dates, hang out at the mall and catch the latest movie at the cinema.

The Africa that most of the world sees, is either news reports on war , famine and starving kids. The Africans that they portray the dictators and those who even if they had a transplant from Einstein , wouldn’t be able to find their way out of a paper bag.

They fail to mention that it was a Nigerian ,Philip Emeagwali , that wrote the formula which is the back bone on which the Internet runs, he has won numerous awards (computer scientist of the year at least three times)back to back , and has been awarded the science world’s version of a Nobel prize .

Wole Soyinka that won a Nobel Prize in the 80’s is still one of the most respected literary minds in the world and is on the lecture circuit world wide. There are many more achievers too numerous to mention.

American writer W.E Du Bios is known to have said
“Europe has never produced and never will in our day bring forth a single human soul who cannot be matched and over-matched in every line of human endeavor by Asia and Africa”.

Does it matter that i am able to answer 90% of the questions on “The Weakest Link” on auto pilot, or 60% of “Jeopardy” and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” by reflex. Is it a matter of my race, that i like the music of The Temptations, as much as i like Franki Valli & the Four Seasons ? Or that i have no rhythm whatsoever despite the fact that “ALL black people can dance”. No.

Everything i am ,is because of WHO i am. I have the knowledge i have , because as an individual i take interest in those things. Just like not everyone in the world can roll their tongue, not everyone is interested in the things i am ,or has the eclectic taste that i do. It is my individual choice to listen to Both Marvin Gaye and Dean Martin, George Benson and John Mayer, Tracy Chapman and Alanis Morrisette. The fact that i can answer most questions on quiz shows is because of all the time i spent watching documentaries, reading journals, encyclopaedia’s, news reports and believe it or not sitcoms and Looney Toons cartoons.

My exposure and knowledge does not make me better than anyone else, or smarter ,because most of my life if you wanted to give me a seizure all you had to do was mention MATHS and i would quiver like a leaf and I am quite frankly hopeless at academic writing. And those that, do know maths and came out with a first class degrees, may not be able to engage in some of the discussions that i mentioned earlier.

I still love cartoons as much as i did when i was eight years old. I still get cracked up when i watch Looney Toons,The Mask or The Flintstones .I still think that Top Cat is one of the coolest fictional characters ever created after John McLane, Jason Bourne ,Michael Corleone,Chilli Palmer,Cool Hand Luke, and Captain Jack Sparrow(ok, he falls down quite far,but you get the point)

Does this make me immature or childish, you can think so if you want to ,but the fact is that, most of the classical music i know ,i first heard in Tom&Jerry and Bugs Bunny cartoons. Many of the words in my vocabulary were those i heard in cartoons and checked up in the dictionary, my home boy Daffy Duck taught me the words Stupendous,Obnoxious and Stuffy.

I remember i got into a serious and lively discussion with two other guys, one a medical student and an engineer. This went on for several hours and went into critical analysis mode, the engineers sister came round to listen in, and was flabbergasted when she discovered we had been talking about the evolution of the X-men and why Wolverine is not the leader. She couldn’t believe it, grown ass men! , Graduates! Wasting their time with such irrelevant musing. She then asked us to please be quiet as she plopped down on the couch to catch up with an EASTENDERS omnibus.

We should not allow our perceptions and limited exposure to allow us to classify people or pigeon hole them into a category. We should take every person we meet as an individual and not a summary of the movie characters we have watched.Not all Chinese men are the next Bruce Lee, nor are Indians shop keepers. Not all Africans are starving nor do we run after animals chucking spears and clicking or tongues as we talk. Hollywood is not the place to learn about people’s culture, due to the fact that they are of a country that has no culture of it’s own, and a people whose names don’t mean s***.

When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me, and we all know what assumption is the mother of.

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LIFE + LYRICS

In the year 2004 two unique siblings dropped albums that made the world stand up and recognize their talents. No. I’m not talking about Michael and Janet, I’m talking about the Bedingfield’s big brother Daniel and sister Natasha. These sibling from down under brought a whole new vibe to the industry that was refreshing,away from the usual mediocre same ol same ol, that were present in every other pop and R&B genres.

Daniel’s two albums GOTTA GET THROUGH THIS and SECOND FIRST IMPRESSION, were certainly titled well. Full of original scores telling stories in a masterful way like a Sydney Sheldon novel, the boy certainly made a great first and second impression. As for his sister Natasha, her album UNWRITTEN was so appropriately titled. The album addressed so many relationship issues artistically without male bashing unlike many of her counterparts in the industry. As a guy I can say that I absolutely loved this album.

Starting with the hit “THESE WORDS”, an honest song about various emotions related to social and professional lives, a song that I’m sure a lot of people related to.

The song “SINGLE” is a song that I think every young lady that is old enough to be in a relationship should listen to. Some ladies see it as compulsory to be in a relationship, that they simply can’t do without it. Once they leave one relationship, there is no recovery or reflective introspective alone time, before they jump into another. Some feel that something is wrong with them , or people would talk, if as a woman in her twenties she isn’t hooked up with someone. As Natasha said “I don’t need to be on a man’s arm to look good” further going on to say later “Everything in it’s right time everything in it’s right place”.

A relationship doesn’t define you , if you think you need to be someone’s boyfriend or girlfriend to be important, you need some serious therapy. Wrong relationships are what can actually destroy you. If you listen to the news,read the papers, you can can see exactly that

The examples are numerous. Whitney Houston’s life and career took a plunge when she got involved with Bobby.Pop Princess, Britney Spears, is more in the news for her antics and her declining career, since she got involved with K fed. REHAB sensation Amy Winehouse, is living her lyrics ,because of the type of relationship she got into. Kate Moss with Pete Docherty. The examples could go on and on.

The song “I’M A BOMB” relates to the potential volatility of the female. We men at times get carried away, when we are talking to women. We are having such fun(catching trips) while talking, that we begin to say things, that we don’t necessarily mean ,without realizing the impact it is having .We innocently flirt with ladies that we really have no intention of having a relationship with,we think she knows it’s just fun ,not realizing how seriously she is taking our words.

Natasha here is saying that

“I’m a bomb can you hear me tick, beware if you turn me on, there ain’t safety switch, I’m a bomb, use only steady hands , to mess with me you must be a brave man”.

This is an analogy warning to us men , that we better be careful about the way we toy with a woman’s emotions, the song “I BRUISE EASILY” pretty much voices the same message.

The song “FROGS AND PRINCES” is a message and principle that I have believed in for quite a long time. There is a saying that many women either really believe or have subconsciously been programmed to believe, “You must kiss many frogs to find your prince”. If you go around kissing frogs, all you’ll do is end up with the taste of different types of slime in your mouth. A frog is not genetically engineered to turn into a man, all he does is be the envy of other frogs for the one that got to kiss the pretty girl. Chances are, your Prince would come along while you are kissing the frog and think “too bad, she’s into frogs” and he’ll ride off to find another princess, who doesn’t have slime all over her face.

A lady shouldn’t have to continue ping pong from Tom Dick and Rhett just because she’s looking for the right man. Doing this she is like a beautiful rose that has been nurtured by the Gardner (her father) for many years and one day she uproots her self and starts to go through the hand of every flower collector in town. Pretty soon the beauty of the rose and it’s specialty would be gone because every one has had a touch or feel of it at one time or the other.

Still not catching my drift? Ok , imagine a field of snow, that is smooth and has never been invaded. And you are at the top of a hill with a sledge admiring the beauty of the snow covered landscape. You then mount your sledge and sail down the hill, creating a clear cut pathway through the snow. You then realize that you wanted to make a different path entirely and you repeat the process, by the time you do that the beauty of the snow covered landscape is gone, all that is left is zig zags of different paths, interlocked, and the original path is lost within the mess. When we venture into relationships, we cut a path, that will forever remain on the road map of our lives, sometimes they determines were we continue to go for the rest of our lives.

Picture it this way, how would you like to look out on your wedding day at your guests, to discover that between you and your spouse to be that the only guests that haven’t known either of you intimately,or in the network of traveled circles, are the ones you are related to and the officiating minister .Ok, maybe an exaggeration ,but not very awe inspiring is it?

How far do we want our future spouse to go , with the person they are dating.How many experiments or escapades, do we want them to have engaged in , with the people they see before us? How many frogs do we want them to have done the Tango with?

Finally , the song “WE’RE ALL MAD” is a song that directly relates to the initial approaching or dating stages. When a woman would not even consider responding to a man, that doesn’t dress a certain way, drive a certain kind of car or spend money in a certain way. I remember while in Undergrad days, once hearing a girl say “I can’t date a guy that doesn’t wear Timberland boots”, now if that isn’t crazy I don’t know what is.

Granted , women have their personal choices, tastes and have to be careful that they aren’t hooking up with a layabout. But some take it to the extreme, that they expect the guy she is dating to budget a his income around spending on her and paying her bills (so she doesn’t spend hers. For real, i have actually had someone say this to me.

In a world of “equality and equal rights”, that’s just plain selfish and greedy. It was that kind of attitude that made James Blunt’s girlfriend to leave him a few months before he wrote hit song “You’re beautiful” and became a world wide sensation, I believe the same thing for Ne-Yo and hit song “So sick”.

Then again maybe it’s good thing, if they hadn’t walked out on these lyrical geniuses, we would never have those songs. Definitive pain is sometimes what takes us to the next higher level in our lives.

I’m not trying to make anyone the villain here, or make anyone out to be the victim. Neither am i condemning or casting judgment on anyone that has a past or even a present predicament.

Both men and women need to give each other more of a chance,and try to put ourselves in the others shoes. Whoever we are involved with, as guys or girls , that person in the future ,should be able to look back and say yes, he/she was a great person, he/she had a significant impact on my life, and not feel weird or embarrassed if they run into us in the while with their significant other, or family.