GUESS WHAT BITCHES?!?!?!?

working on some new pieces and drawings....started atleast three.....

this is your fault chandler....

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it"
=================- Whitney Houstank

Stereotyping! You’re in no Position to be a Moral Judge

Only a petite few would have heard of Louis Farrakhan, the Afro American Head of the Nation of Islam (NOI) in the US; but most of us, white or black, Africans or non-Africans know about stereotyping and have either been champions or victims of it. If you’re like me and you like to observe how people react to skin colours and typecasts, you’d find stereotyping comically entertaining. But if you don’t and you think it’s a social mayhem and anomaly, this piece is for you.
Straight to the point, I am Nigerian! Haha…what are your thoughts at the moment? You’re either thinking “here they go again, being noisy in every place” or “gosh…how did he get a chance to write in this space” among other things, the thoughts are yours and I do not know them all. What I know for sure nonetheless is that you are stereotyping, you judge me on prior assumptions that Nigerians are rude, loud, unproductive, unserious, dubious etcetera.
You won’t get from me the kind of response Mike Wallace got in that famous 1996 interview with Louis Farrakhan. Mike Wallace, the highly rated Journalist labeled Nigeria the most corrupt nation on earth and what a response he got. Louis Farrakhan said in summary “NO! You are in no position to be a moral judge so let’s not play holy and moralize on them”. It was sterner than that, you can see for yourself with this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bktQsfARjdU&feature=related.
In my judgment, the effort to understand individuals against the groups they belong to is more objective to do than to rest in the comfort of stereotyping and “playing safe” when dealing with different races or a nation’s people. Margaret Mead was spot on when she said “instead of being presented with stereotypes by age, sex, color, class, or religion, children must have the opportunity to learn that within each range, some people are loathsome and some are delightful”. I do not claim ignorance, there are bad Nigerians but there are also too many admirably good ones.
If you care to know, we are a country of over 250 ethnic groups with piercingly diverse ways of life and languages united only by Geography and Nationhood with a population of over 140 million brought together by colonization. The problems we face and the stereotypes borne are the seepages of all big populations with scarce resources; I refrain from naming other such countries.
I was at Low Yat Plaza recently and the Chinese fellow at a counter would just not talk to me, I tried to inquire the price of a camera I liked and the response I got was “Stupid”! That’s everything he said. I paid a price in that way and in other ways every other day for being Nigerian, but again it was and still is free entertainment to me. I won’t talk about the generic stereotypes here, but most people don’t know or think that some dark skinned People around are not Nigerians, and so they judge by Stereotype or treat all Africans by prior assumptions. But, I do not extricate myself and my compatriots from any wrongdoing, neither do I detest fellow Africans, I embrace you all because we are a great people. I do not also think that all Malaysians refer to me as stupid by their words or in their thoughts, I know and we should know that we are in no position to be moral judges.
I love my country, I love Nigeria but I love your country too. The entertainment continues!

Days of Jackflection

There's a place in your heart, and I know that...
Heal the World, make it a better place, for ...
I'm talking to the man in the mirror...

Lyrics of a man cursed by fame, redeemed by his death.

I must have thought I'd die before Michael Jackson, I didn't think any funeral would challenge the grief and significance of John Paul II's in my lifetime. He voiced the rhythm of civilization, he danced our souls out and sharpened music to be subtle but earsplitting, every thing about him was an incredible blast.

In the last days, boys like me, People of Mandela, must have been struck by the surge to escort Michael Jackson to his resting place and immersed in the deepest reflection, a jackflection. More than his music, he championed the fight against HIV/AIDS, he sang for freedom, for the earth in earth song, for people, for people of Mandela...he sang for humanity. Civilization would have endured massive boredom without the moonwalker, even in the bubble he lived...he sang into the hearts of a planet more than if he was a personal friend, he had a wireless affection, e-affection from an electrical performer, the King of Pop.

How much he loved children, he loved little things, tender in his heart, gentle in his voice, he wore tattered clothes to win privacy in public, a star too human he was and like the biblical one, he led us to musical satisfaction, the kind of star you wanna see every night, like those three lined up in a straight line in the sky above my childhood backyard. Michael had talent the height of the sky!

As we jackflect,we are reminded once more that talent is different, it is in music, in sports, in academics, in medicine, in warfare, in engineering and all human enterprise, but it is all in service of a people. Michael served us, he tickled our ears and our hearts spinned in excitement, that was service!

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, and then make a change!

The Paradox of our Time

It's always politics when I write but today, the business student that I am presented something old in a new way to me. I just got back from my Strategic Management class, it's the most mind blowing subject for all business students around and thankfully, Dr. Winnie, my favourite lecturer is the instructor for the subject. She's not a Mandelatic like me, born over 50 years ago, she's a Harry Porter fan.

Dr. Winnie will always immerse exciting photos and stories in her lecture notes, from Hollywood images to grand business models, what she does is always amusing and prolific. Today, she shared with us "The Paradox of Time", she said it was profound, If it's known to you, it wasn't to me. People of Mandela, search your souls, reflect and enjoy below the paradox of time:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have more food, but less appeasement; we build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.

Madiba's image

Nelson’s image before he was the president in the Afrikaans press was a very bad person who influenced the county and he was in jail several times for causing troubles tin the country. The Afrikaans press represent nelson as very dangerous person to the community. He was always the accused number one in the Revonia trial to life. However, his people knew that he was fighting for them. And they took Mandela as a very remarkable man. But now, Nelson is portrait in a well mannered way. He is well respected. His relationship with the media is a very good one, because the media always represent him as big world peace-maker. Since South Africa has been reluctant to commit forces to international peacekeeping operations, but actively pursued political solutions to international crises by diplomatic means. Nelson has been the symbol all over the world not only because of unyielding the resistance to racism and despotic rule, but also of reconciliation with the enemy.

Nelson as president

As a president he never did things for publicity, he did them because they needed to be done. Little is it known that the same day that he had comforted the family of a black girl shot "accidentally" by a while farmer, he'd taken a helicopter to the home of a dying 12-year-old white African girl, who was suffering of leukaemia, whose dream was to meet him. Its amazing that a politician today has managed to free himself from his schedule and grant a dying girl's wish without making publicly known (learn to question). As president of South Africa, Mandela was committed to the principles of Western democratic parliament system. He did however, address the dilemma of how involve traditional tribal leaders in the political structure (Hagemann 1995:152). He was described as a strong personality by his colleagues.

Mandela's characteristics

Media highlights most of Mandela’s characteristics, but ignores the fact that he was not the only black South African who fought for democracy. The fact that he did not go to the exile alone, where are the other freedom fighters? Apart from those who died on strikes? Through ANC, Nelson became the first black South African president. In the form of class, the right political leadership in modern democratic societies based on the consent of those are led. unlike in the past where the ruling class could establish its ruling through force, repression or terror. The media has changed the class and status of Nelson Mandela. This essay will look and focus on Madiba’s status as the first black president and the particular role that he plays through the media to the nation. Nelson is used in commercials subjected to variety of influences. He is influential and can help the media to maintain their profitability

mandela's uniqueness

Factors that made him unique and form part of his personality or his image are the class and race. Before the democracy, Nelson was presented as the economic gains black people have made and the lack of progress they have made in terms of how they were seen by the others. Berger wrote that ‘even when black people are shown at the summit of their achievements, they often fail to carry it off’. In a way, Nelson proved Berger wrong. Behavior of people who are minorities is frequently interpreted in this binary form of representation with complementary polar oppositions such as good or bad and civilized or primitive. Hall said that black people always shown ‘being good at something, winning at last!’(Berger 2005:169). A political power determines how people are being represented, classified, stereotyped and made different. Mandela was, in a post-apartheid, as a negative stereotyping, but now the media portrayed him in positive and influential way.

representation

Nelson Mandela represents the black social group. He was the first black South African president. He is represented in a well respected manner, because of his repetition of being the world savior and for sacrificing his entire childhood for his country. The media represent him based on his skin color. He has his name on streets, roads, bridge, buildings and others. Race has seen to be an issue in dipicticting males; it has been argued that black men seem to be much more on display than the white men (Briggs & Cobley 2002: 329). Race after apartheid is not simply a matter of discarding or embracing already formed racial positions, but of renegotiating it in a new context. Race itself is significance as a ground for politics and category for the organization of daily life (McCarthy 2000: 8). Most covers we see on men’s’ magazines are of a well known politicians or other public officials, not because their body matters, but power and representation of more abstract value (Briggs & Cobley 2002: 331). Because Madiba is a first black president, he was presented as a man who rescued South Africa from the apartheid and he brought peace and reconciliation amongst different cultures.

What is Next For Sri-Lanka's Minority?

Ok, the War is over, we're at peace, generations born within the last 25 years can claim 0 bombs in the inner cities and countrysides for the first time. We're happy ain't we?

Well, just a reminder, the War never really ends when issues that precipitated it remain unsolved, or at least when negotiations to solve them have not been inspired. What is the degree of good we derive from peace when the welfare of the people continues to be abused, very marginal if any. What is the guarantee of lasting peace if compensations and compromises and an improved relationship is not emphasized? Zilch I tell you, People of Mandela.

Let us not make the mistake we so often make, forgetting the intrinsic reponsibilities of our national lives and obligations. So we say to those in Sri-Lankan Authority, this is the time not only to clear the debris of War, but to strenghten National Reconciliation, to promote unity and a common destiny for majorities and monorities alike. In R words, this is the time for renewal, reconciliation, revival, revamp and reconstruction.

We the People of Mandela in the spirit of Madiba the great one, who brought peace to people of majorities and minorities through dialogue, send half congratulations to all peace loving Sri-Lanka's for the victory that pacifies them, but we ask the government to effectively congratulate the people with the machinery of good governance, national cohesiveness and a sense of affection for all tribes especially minorities. Only when this is achieved would we send full congratulations, let's watch on!

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela( Madiba)

Rolihlahla a Xhosa name that signified that he could be a troublemaker. his clan honorific Madiba associated him with his aristocrafic Thembu lineage[...]Nelson, [...] imprinted his life with the name of one of the imperal Britain's naval heroes.(Ellen Boehmer.Nelson Mandela:A Very Short Introdution.p1) A man who is a hero in his own country, a country whose freedom he had to win. A living legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, The Gandhi(king) of South Africa, as known to the peeple of Burundi. A man who upon release greeted South Africa in the name of "peace, democracy and freedom for all". A father who atfer being politicaly imprison for more than 26 years Said he stood before us all not as a prophet but as a humble servant for all, and "places the remainder of his years in our hands". Mandela a man of steel, an unshakable, an absolute upright man, courageous, heroic, peace upholding, peace resembling and a father not only to me, but to all South Africans." [...] to be free is not merely to cast off one's chain, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others," this is what Mandela says in his poem Our greatest fear is not that we are inadeqeate, but that we are poerful beyond measure. You are the 'maker of your own destiny',and this is what Mandela believed.

Third marriage

Mandela remarried in 1998 on his 80th birthday, to Graça Machel, widow of Samora Machel, the former Mozambican president and ANC ally who was killed in an air crash 12 years earlier. The wedding followed months of international negotiations to set the unprecedented bride-price to be remitted to Machel's clan. Said negotiations were conducted on Mandela's behalf by his traditional sovereign, King Buyelekhaya Zwelibanzi Dalindyebo, born 1964. The paramount chief's grandfather was the regent Jongintaba Dalindyebo. Chief Jongintaba had arranged a marriage for Mandela, from which he fled to Johannesburg in 1940.[6]

Second marriage

Mandela's second wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, also came from the Transkei area, although they, too, met in Johannesburg, where she was the city's first black social worker. They had two daughters, Zenani (Zeni), born 4 February 1958, and Zindziswa (Zindzi), born 1960. Later, Winnie would be deeply torn by family discord which mirrored the country's political strife; while her husband was serving a life sentence on the Robben Island prison, her father became the agriculture minister in the Transkei. The marriage ended in separation (April 1992) and divorce (March 1996), fuelled by political estrangement.

Mandela still languished in prison when his daughter Zenani was married to Prince Thumbumuzi Dlamini in 1973, elder brother of King Mswati III of Swaziland. As a member by marriage of a reigning foreign dynasty, she was able to visit her father during his South African imprisonment while other family members were denied access. The Dlamini couple live and run a business in Boston. One of their sons, Prince Cedza Dlamini (born 1976), educated in the United States, has followed in his grandfather's footsteps as an international advocate for human rights and humanitarian aid. Thumbumuzi and Mswati's sister, Princess Mantfombi Dlamini, is the chief consort to King Goodwill Zwelithini of KwaZulu-Natal, who "reigns but does not rule" over South Africa's largest ethnic group under the auspices of South Africa's government. One of Queen Mantfombi's sons is expected to eventually succeed Goodwill as monarch of the Zulus, whose Inkatha Party leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, was one of the political rivals of Mandela, before and during his presidency.

first marriage

Mandela has been married three times, has fathered six children, has twenty grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren. His grandson is Chief Mandla Mandela.[39]


First marriage
Mandela's first marriage was to Evelyn Ntoko Mase who, like Mandela, was also from what later became the Transkei area of South Africa, although they actually met in Johannesburg. The couple had two sons, Madiba Thembekile (Thembi) (born 1946) and Makgatho Lewanika (born 1950), and two daughters, both named Makaziwe (known as Maki; born 1947 and 1953). Their first daughter died aged nine months, and they named their second daughter in her honour.

The couple broke up in 1957 after 13 years, divorcing under the multiple strains of his constant absences, devotion to revolutionary agitation, and the fact she was a Jehovah's Witness, a religion which requires political neutrality.

Thembi was killed in a car crash in 1969 at the age of 25, while Mandela was imprisoned on Robben Island. All their children were educated at the Waterford Kamhlaba.

Evelyn Mase died in 2004.

Marriage and family.

During his stay at Sisulu's house, Nelson met Evelyn Mase who also happened to be a nurse.They got married at 1944 and rented a house at 8115 Orlando West (LATER TO BECOME PART OF SOWETO TOWNSHIP). Their first child was named Madiba Thambekile, who was later nicknamed "Thembi".Although Mandela was rarely at home, he enjoyed playing, bathing and feeding his son whenever he got the chance. A year later they got a second child, this time a duaghter named Makaziwe. Unfortunately as i huge tragedy to the family the child died at the age of nine months. Although Mandela was still on apprenticeship they lived of the earnings of the Evelyn.

political beginnings

In 1943 he had his first taste of direct protest when he marched with his friend Gaur and the others in the support of a bus boycott. Mandela found the experience of marching with his people inspiring and was impressed by the effectiveness of the boycott. He was encouraged by Sisulu to join ANC in 1942. ANC was black organisayion founded to develop conditons of Africans. He was affected strongly by Lembede's view about llosing the respect for the Western ideas and the whites need of approval, because he knew he was in danger of becoming one African elite approved of by the British and critisezed by Lembede. Mandela and his colleaques formed the Youth Leaque after realising that the ANC organisation does not reach out to most of Africans. Together with his colleaques, Mandela produced the leaque's manifesto, and in 1947 he was appointed secretary

Madiba's educational qualifiactions

Nelson Mandela went to local missionary primary school where he studied English, Xhosa, History and Geography. He did well at school, thats where he was given the nickname 'Tatomkhulu'(Grandpa).Madiba's carreer had already been decided,he was to continue his education until he was ready to become an adviser of the thembu land, therefore following his father's footsteps. Following primary school, Mandela was sent to Clarkebury, a missionary boarding school, which was about 96 km (60 miles) away. Clarkebury was a most advanced secondary school and training college. From there, At the age of 19, he went to Healdtown, a Methodist boarding school. Most teachers at that school were British. In 1939 at the age of 21, Mandela was first enrolled to the University college of Fort Hare to study for a Bachlor of Art (BA). Mandela studied English, anthropology, politics and native administration, thats where he became involved in student politics.In 1943, after he had passed his BA exam the previous year, he enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand as a part-time law student. The university was one of only four English-speaking universities that allowed high-achieving africans to study specialised courses. amndela was the african in the law faculty.

Biographical information

Nelson Mandela is one of the most influential political figures of our time. Nelson Mandela was born in Mvezo a place located in the district of Umtata, Transkei, in the Eastern Cape province on the 18th July 1918. His father, Chief Gadla Henry,was a well respected man in the village of Thembuland. Chief Henry was a polygamist with four wives. Nelson's mother was the third wife of the Chief. At the age of 12 Nelson's father died and David Dalindyelo became his guardian.

Newness in Politics and Economy We Hope in the New Year

People of Mandela, we have seen the best, even craze of politics and the worst of the global economy in 2008. We've been in China to sprint and in Zimbabwe to weep, we've been in the US to marvel at the monumental campaigns and phenomenal election, the opposite in the Country we wept in. We've also seen the highs and lows of Wall Street, the Madoff Scandol to worsen it. A pair of shoes became popular for unpopular reasons and a US Governor too. Most of all, in tribute to the Man this Blog is named after, Nelson Mandela turned 90. But in the end, the very end, it was Israel and the Palestines again, how sad! We still fought in Iraq and Afghanistan anyways.

Mandelatics are forward looking people so the future is what we assess here. The world looks forward to stability in all forms, especially in the economy. We current Economic downturn in our view presents more opportunities that it does present threats, not in the interim anyways. Now more than ever, the quest for economic depth interwoven with the demands of Climate Change is one area where stimulus packages can reverse the recession. As jobs in the wind mills, the solar houses, a new environment-driven motor industry are created, big economies will be cleansed of paralysis to a very large extent.

The dynamism of the Climate Problem is thus more of an opportunity than a threat. Ban Ki-Moon, Nicholas Sarkozy among others have advocated massive investment in this direction and 2009 is the time, the year when we will see the seriousness of the these calls-if world leaders act in support, and if they see it as a means to free economies.

Also in 2009, in Somalia, Guinea and Zimbabwe will exist in testing times, the whole world will watch to see what happens especially in Zimbabwe, a time when the International Community must redefine sovereignty, the UN must do more to Unite Nations by campaigning for support to intervene swiftly.

The Foreign Policy of Barak Obama will be of special interest also, it is predictable he will sustain most of the incumbent's, but we see a more progressive and objective strategy in the long term that complements the overall Obama program.

In 2009, recovery of the economy and the environment will undoubtedly be in the spot light, we will see how much of this is achieve.

Hey!! I almost forgot, we'd see how much a barrel of oil sells for, OPEC must be having a migraine on both sides, one for the prevailing price and the other for the threat imposed by alternative energy.

I was at the Suria KLCC in Malaysia to witness the Countdown and Firework Celebrations into 2009, it was flabouyantly colourful, a 2009 like that celebration will be heaven. Stop hallucinating and read on!!

Let's blog it all the way.

Happy New Year People of Mandela!!