Chevron and the Niger Delta.

Just read this. It is a case that I have been following for quite a while and even did part of a seminar based on it. You can read more about the case here, thanks to Jeremy for the link.

Love...on my mind...

Where does all the love go?

as usual, you tube is fucking up. The video is Mariah Carey's "I stay in love"...I just can't get it out of my head.

In the mood for something else...

He looked at me and smiled, "you have to use this one, you see, the one that shows the green light". I went over to his side. It worked. I smiled back, "thanks".

I asked him which line I should take, he said we were going the same way. We smiled and talked and laughed....he likes philosophy...he likes books, he likes writing.

He talked like he had always known me, like we were two old friends who had just met on the train. He asked me where I was coming from so late. I told him about the friends I had met. The friends it seemed I had known for so long and yet had never met...

Which made me think of friends...and how great the universe can be when its on your side...

I hope he has a great life, whoever he is...I hope we all do...

Lots of love

P.S: Glad to see a fellow blogger, free lance writer and friend, Tolu Ogunlesi nominated for the future awards here . Congrats Tolu!

The very confusing morals of Christians....

There are many discussions in blogville that I purposely stay out of simply because I know, that even in a thousand years,my opinions would not matter. Some people are just "blocked" and that is just how it is. However, in this case, I was forced to say something because of the shocking opinions (to me, they are shocking) that followed this particular post. I think we have a serious problem with Christians and their so called morals, rules and regulations. It seems everybody just picks what fits in their own life when they want it to. Every rule in the Bible can be bent and fixed whenever it suits them.

First of all, I can safely say, that there are certain crimes against humanity that I absolutely detest and on no grounds would I ever support. It is very hard to ever imagine ever turning in a loved one, husband, brother, sister, but I believe very strongly in my principles and morals. If you kill another human being, for whatever reason, it will have to be reported and hopefully, justice will take its course. I can not imagine anybody taking the life of another...except maybe if you are caught molesting a child...in that case, you should be hung...and I will kick the damn stool.

For me, there are absolutely no grey areas when it comes to what a crime is. Or what wrong and right it. Even without the Bible, many of us have been raised to know what right and wrong is, and if your parents did not teach you, then common sense will. I really do not have any problems knowing immediately if something is wrong...or right.

However, it seems it is the "Christians" who have this problem. Even though the Bible is very clear on what a "sin" is, I think many people become confused about when they are supposed to"forgive". Also, the situation becomes extra confusing when they have to take account different "vows" made under the covenant of God(or however they put it).For example, you find out your husband has just killed your house boy. He is remorseful, did not mean to do it. What does the Christian do?

A. Call the police immediately and let justice take its course, if your husband is innocent, the truth shall set him free.

B. Pray together and ask for God's guidance. Do not do anything. A miracle will surely happen, there is nothing God can not solve.

C. Since he has already asked for God's forgiveness who are you to judge him? Remember your vows, "for better and worse", this is the "worse" part now. The best you can do, is help him destroy the evidence (although one does not have to see it that way, you are merely helping him in a difficult time), just pray to God to relieve this terrible burden from your lives and stick by your man. Divorce is a sin and you have made a covenant before God.

So you see, my dear people, it is so confusing, what is one supposed to do? Take for example, the post about the man who engages in child pornography, the options are the same. You can either do A, B OR C. Of course, I thought many people would choose option A. Unfortunately, I did not take into account the other vows and covenants the Christian has to take into account. For me, it is common sense that when a crime is being committed, one must do all in his/her power to put an end to it. Especially when it is something that endangers the lives of so many children.

I was therefore extremely SHOCKED to see many people obviously confused about the rules when it comes to child pornography. If you possess pictures of naked children on your computer, it s a CRIME. Most children that are used for this disgusting crime, are trafficked children from the poorest nations in the world. They are sold to paedophiles who in turn not only abuse and molest them but make money out of them by selling nude pictures of the poor children. I do not think I need to go into the gruesome and horrific details of the kind of lives these children live. Some will never go to school, many will die and be buried like animals. Others will cry for their mothers and only get beaten or chained. The few that will survive, will be so scarred that many end up committing suicide.

In the name of the Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ, who loved children, in the name of common sense,

WHAT THE FUCK IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

I know that turning a loved one in, is hard. I know that. But as a CHRISTIAN, shouldn't your morals, values and principles be your guide?

Shouldn't you people be the first to rise up against injustice when you see one? Shouldn't you be the first to raise your voices and cry out loud when you can prevent such a terrible crime from taking place?

Who do you pledge legiance with, God or man?

If Jesus Christ came down today, I am 100% sure that he will tell you to save your child and not your fucking marriage.

There is something very wrong with how far we, as women are willing to go for the sake of our marriages. Even when we see such a terrible crime being committed, it saddens me that many women would rather save the "man" than the child. A grown man at that, who can make his own damn choices. Yet, we choose to abandon the innocent child that needs protection.

It is no wonder we have so many cases of child abuse in Nigeria. The women have failed us. Our mothers have failed us. Our own, have failed us.

Anybody that does not think child pornography is a crime, don't even bother leaving a comment. Go and ask your pastor and if he also does not think it is a crime, then sorry, you are both going to HELL!

Hissssssssssssssssssss! GET YOUR MINDS SORTED PEOPLE! GET YOUR MINDS RIGHT!

Note: Of course, not ALL Christians think this way!

Try to remember....

Deep in December it's nice to remember

Although you know the snow will follow

Deep in December it's nice to remember

Without a hurt, the heart is hollow

Deep in December it's nice to remember

The fire of September that made you mellow

Deep in December our hearts should remember

Then follow, follow...

You mean...you left? Just like that? Oh yes I did!

A friend of mine told me about the day she left her husband. She had not planned it, she had gone to pick up her son from day care and right there, in the middle of the street, with her son in his pram, with no money and no clothes, she thought to herself "No. I am not going back". And that was it. The decision had come just like that, so she understood me. That the fact that I had no plans, a fact that everybody else seemed to dwell upon, was quite reasonable to her.

How can you just leave a life without any plans?

She understood that that morning I left my life behind, it had come from nowhere. I just walked out, which is what I told everybody.

Next thing I knew, I was on a bus thinking "No. I am not going back".

That is how it was. I left my life behind with nothing. No clothes, no books, no plans. Just my laptop. It seemed strange to everyone else except my friend, who understood.

"Yes, you left just like that" she looked at me nodding...

It was perfectly understandable.

Note: This happened a while back, so no worries, I have since fixed what needs to be fixed so one can live like a full functioning miserable member of the society.

I can't keep myself and still keep you too...

I was supposed to be reading but irritation had wrapped its cloak around me and it is becoming harder to unravel the threads these days. My coffee felt bitter and tasteless in my mouth and I had the strong urge to hurl its contents at the couple that sat beside me.

They were part of a group. Two men and the couple. It seems the man(of the couple) wanted to stay on with his friends(the two men). He touched his wife's arm briefly as he whispered, imploring her to allow him stay on. He would meet her back home. She pretended she did not hear what he said and looked past him, her face as expressive as a slab of stone.

What was this kind of dance they were doing? This dance of "touch and go", this dance of trying always to make something out of nothing...even a scene as simple and banal like this...has become something.

The man did not stay on. His two friends left him in the scowl faced company of his wife. She promptly got up as soon as they left. They left the cafe together. In silence.

I remembered reading somewhere...something Kanye West had said, "nobody really wants to be alone".

I do not want to be alone either....but to take part in this dance of life...

"Ouch! You just stepped on my big toe"

I'm not loving you, the way I wanted to
I can't keep my cool, so I keep it true
I've got something to lose, so I've got to move
I can't keep myself and still keep you too
So I keep in mind, when I'm on my own
Somewhere far from home, in the danger zone
How many times did it take until I finally got through?
you lose, you lose
I ain't loving you, the way I wanted to
See I had to go, see I had to go
No more wasting time, we can't wait for life
which is wasting time, where's the finish line?