Blogging Anonymously? Really...

Can bloggers be truly anonymous? I do not think so, a few bloggers are steeled by the false veil of anonymity. Freely expressing opinions that would come full circle to bite them in the wrong spot. I feel a blog post should be written with the consciousness that the writer is public. The statement below caught my attention in a case reported by the Boston globe. Read full article here.

"Most of us investigate whatever prior writings our clients might have had, so they are not exposed to their inconsistencies in their testimony," said Meyer, who has begun warning clients against the practice. "But it's impossible to do if you don't know that your client is blogging under an assumed name."

For African bloggers, there may be unforeseen peril lurking, free speech is still a developing idea in the continent, African Governments aren't totally warmed to the idea that the citizenry have a right to speak. Do you see the Nigerian government going after a blogger, anytime soon? It happened in Egypt.
Side-bar (added 24 hours later)
Since the mainstream media in Nigeria appear to have an unwritten code to tread the safe route of caution. I think more focused blogs, with balanced op-eds have a great void to fill. However like with most blogs, the validity of claims made on blogs and the credibility of blogs will always be questionable.
In countries with more open and readily available information mechanisms, false claims are quickly tempered by the mainstream media or other bloggers. What happens in Nigeria where information isn't readily available and there has been a prolonged culture or secrecy? I believe citizen journalism is not about selling information but about using information to create value.
PSA: Visit AfricanLoft.com today.

Still On Dafur...

Some Comments are just too good to be banished to the lonely comments section. Here is a comment by SOLOMONSYDELLE, I do not agree with the simplistic Arab killing Africans twist to the story but the comment stirs me up.
Darfur is nothing but genocide, even though the world refuses to address it as such. Arab Africans killing off Black Africans. Arab countries do not publicly intervene, African (Black) countries fear getting involved because of the money involved. War, or in this case, genocide, is big business for some. Those profiting from this war are bed buddies with African countries and so those of us that should really do something stand by watching.
You wrote recently about whether the world is tired about Darfur. I think they are. I think people feel hopeless and if you consider the various factors and factions, there might be some relevancy to that emotion. However, there are many who do what they can and manage to have a huge impact. Recently on NBC Nightly News there was a spotlight on an American lady who raised over $10,000 that was and is being used to pay for medical care for women and their children.
I hope that stories like hers will reawaken people to the possibility of helping those that are suffering. I also hope that writings by bloggers and others will keep the genocide in our minds so that we can someday get the balls to ignore those that benefit from the status quo and do the right thing - bring an end to the suffering and killings in Darfur.
Watch the video and panoramaby Travis Fox on the Washington post.

As a bonus here is Ijebuman's comment on the above par rating which I accorded Obasanjo's government.ijebuman said...

Since you're his number one fan, you're already biased, I'm biased as well since i'm definitely not a fan.

We all remember Abacha's regime quite well but why would anyone want to compare Obj and Abacha's regime. One was a corrupt undemocratic regime that trampled on the rights of Nigerians while the other was ....

Prior to last month's elections i would have said Obj did a 'slightly below average' job, but after that fiasco i think he failed (as in "F9" for those who still remember WAEC's GCE scoring ..lol), all he has done now is saddled us with a government that will spend most of it's time looking for ways to make itself 'legitimate'.
Through his selfishness and 'know it all' attitude he has destroyed our fourth attempt at democracy. Just like IBB is remembered for 1993's annulled election, history will remember Obj as the man who organised the worst elections in Nigeria's history.

On a lighter note i'm throwing you a challenge (if you're brave enough to accept lol) to tell us exactly what Obj did to 'move Nigeria forward' and i'll provide a rejoinder showing you how with the resources and goodwill at his disposal he could have done a much better job.

Mr Ijebuman, I will be back with my reply. I live for a good challenge like this.

Crazy In Love...

"At some point in life, most of us will face a major mental-health crisis. It is called love". Inasmuch as this sentence sounds very much like a signature sentence of mine, I can not take credit for it, the statement is from the 'good' folks at WSJ and Wpost.

The article reads;

Recent studies of brain scans show that being in love causeschanges in the brain that are strikingly similar to serious health problems like drug addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder. But knowing that love can make you crazy -- at least in the short term --gives us clues about how to improve relationships and rekindle the romantic love that first brought a couple together....hmm. For most people, the intensity of romantic love fades with time and is replaced by powerful
feelings of attachment. But understanding the brain patterns of the newly
in love can teach us how to rekindle romance and boost the health of long-term relationships.Studies show that trying something new with a spouse can go a long way toward reigniting love.

Is it true that "The pleasures of love are always in proportion to our fears," ?

Essentially these researchers claim to have found a few chemicals responsible for that 'love feeling', they also say love can not last. Aren't this folks mistaking infatuation and sexual/emotional desires for love. These ingredients are essential in a healthy relationship, however LOVE goes beyond satisfaction and utility, it extends to sacrifice and compromise. Next we will be supplied with little love tablets aka love portion. They say, they have found the source of that 'love feeling', I say I found the the source of all the problems plaguing the world. A wrong definition for the phenomenon...LOVE.

Happy Saint Valentine's day.

Are Tribal Sentiments Stronger Than The Will To Escape Poverty?

Ask any Nigerian what they think about Pat Utomi's run for President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and you will get the reply. That guy is suited for the job, but he stands no chance of winning the election. Why is it that Mr Utomi can not win the forthcoming election.? Rigging, or lack of information or is it the presence of a more qualified candidate. I do not think so. I believe it is because Nigerians will not vote en masse for Mr Utomi. How much rigging can probably occur if the masses turn out to vote for the underdog. The present crop of politicians who are poised to rig the elections will be left with no option, if 80% of the citizenry vote for a candidate like Mr Utomi. Will this ever happen in dear country? I do not think so, and the only reason as far as I am concerned is tribalism.
If Mr Utomi was a Hausa man the northerners would turn out en masse to vote for him, If he was a yoruba man, we all know the west would rally behind him whichever party's flag he chooses to bear. If he was Ibo, we know election day would bring forth as much fanfare as the new yam festival. Non of this would have guaranteed winning the race though, since no matter where you are from, you are still stuck with two hundred plus ethnic groups that label you as an outsider. To make matters worse Mr Utomi isn't from one of the big baller ethnic groups, just like yours truly.
I am assuming that Nigerians realize Mr Utomi's presidency will bring forth fresh opportunities. I know he is no messiah, but wouldn't it be refreshing to have a president that knows the consequences of fiscal irresponsibility. This assumption may be wrong, and if that is the case then a huge hole would be blown smack in the middle of my proposition. My hunch is that this is not the case so I would go ahead with my conclusion.
Tribalistic sentiments run deeper than the will of the average Nigerian to escape poverty. We would rather endure the harsh realities of our economic life than make a change which will violate our long held ethnocentric beliefs. I do respect the strategist of the powers that be, they seem to have perfected (probably by accident) the art of divide and rule. It has been beaten into us so much, we naturally default to this choice without giving it a second thought.
We can choose to vote for change, NO to the increasing income divide, or we can stick with the status quo and feed the monster of tribalistic sentiments. Come election day we will find out which of these forces has a greater pull on the common man. The forces of ethnic sentiments or the willingness to say NO to continued poverty.
The present crop of politicians have no incentive to allow individuals like Utomi rule our country, they actually have disincentives. If any level headed individual become Nigeria's president it would bring forth so much disruption in the status quo that this will ultimately render the unqualified set of politicians irrelevant. The resulting redistribution of income and capital will be such, that no 'rich man' is eager to experience. It is common knowledge that the filthy rich Nigerians are products of extreme market imperfections that allow certain individuals to earn exorbitant premiums based on who they are and/or who they know.
Nigeria will not experience change until we realize that the forces required to bring forth this change is not from the leadership, but from the man on the street that who will finally come to the realization that the system is set up for him to fail.
I leave you with words from Soyinka; "It is up to the youths in this nation not only to ensure that votes remain sacred, but to work to take back their nation. The nation has been in the possession of profligate people, of murderers, of rapists of human dignity. The youths should take back their nation. It is not just youths, in terms of age, but youths in terms of mentality. I’m talking of youthful thinking,"
Of course there is the additional layer of too much money being in the wrong hands, they would do all they can to influence the outcome of the elections. This is story for another day jare.

Alternative fuel; Nigeria's 500 Pound Gorilla

Since the whole country is fixated on the Vice president's return from a month long leave. Which automatically translates to fresh allegations of corruption against the president. Our nation of 140 million (more men than women, hehe) readies herself for a fresh round of mud-slinging. We should bare in mind that the rest of the world is marching on with or without us.
What conspiracy theory have I dreamed up this time? It is related to the debate on alternative fuels.
It is obvious (Krugman is a cult figure in economics) that the West does not have the alternative fuel thing pinned down yet, but its only a matter of time. If researchers can do this , then with the level of interest and funds presently being deployed into research of alternative fuels, it is only a matter of time before the remaining kinks get ironed out and a truly viable form of alternative fuel emerges. When this happens, what would Nigeria do?
It is unlikely that there will be a total replacement for fossil fuels, but there is a pretty good chance that the energy sector will experience a form of disruptive discovery that would send the $/barrel for petroleum in a downward spiral. Are we prepared for this? What are we going to do if this happens. For a Nation which is highly invested in the energy sector as ours, discussion in this sector is painfully quiet. Are we ignoring the 500 pound gorilla in the room? There does not seem to be any debates or a general feeling of urgency to develop a plan B. My hope is that we never have to resort to a Plan B, since plan A seem to be almost impossible to implement anyway. But what if demand really drops? What are we going to do?

Elsewhere
I always thought this was the surest means to achieving world peace, if there is anything like that. Expensive, but more predictable than wars.
I want this, grrr my heart is with Sony.

Charity Begins In Our Heads...

When last did you stand up for Nigeria in any other place beside the Internet? Before now, I was the Nigerian brother with the capital "N" written on his chest. Call me Captain Nigeria, defender of the Nigerian cause. Lately my pessimism about my motherland seem to have grown to uncontrollable limits. The news reports have not helped much, neither have the Nigerian blogs. I read as much as three opinions or headlines, this morning, portraying Nigerians and Nigeria in shady light. I believe there is a dire need for more positive news and art from our dear country.

The Story

Time: This evening

Location: Costarican investor's office in Long Island NY.

Mood: Very friendly and laid-back.

After handling the business of the day, the customary bye-bye handshake was going. Boom out of the blue the dude asks,

Investor dude: Where are you originally from?

Okay now that caught me off guard, I start with,

Omodudu: "uhm uhm actually...Africa"

Then the guilt creeps in, so I add

Omodudu: "Nigeria to be precise".

Investor dude: I have some investment stuff I am working on in Lagos Nigeria

My colleague and I burst out laughing at this point. We realize, this may not be a good idea as we had just wrapped up a rewarding round of meeting with this dude and his crew. Any misyarning could remove food our how mouths for that matter.

Omodudu: I hope it works out, pretty good.

He does not seem satisfied with our enthusiasm at all, and he continues

Investor dude:That is where the money is.. blah blah

He then takes it upon himself to convince us that Nigeria was a great place to invest, and he told us how he made tonnes of money from investment opportunities in Latin America.

Shame on us..

It finally dawned on me that, I sit here criticising the white man and his bias attitude towards the African economy. I have talked, in the past, about the artificial blockades ( I like to call blackades) to capital erected by the West, to prevent free flow of capital to Africa. I am in no way better than the The Man. Indeed I may be worse than he is in some ways. I spent all of my formative years gallivanting African countries, I should know better. What did I choose to do? Read news reports, about scam letters and form opinions about my own people. True, Africa has more than its fair share of issues, however you and I should desist from adding more to it.

01232007

'Mis's-leading Oprah
While channel surfing last night, bang! I stumbled upon the Oprah Winfrey Show, the topic was the "O Debt Diet" I beleive. They had some nice advise going on for a minute, until this participant came up with this funky statement. " I refinanced my home, consolidated my debt, and now I am worth 1.3 million in real estate" Wow.. I thought to myself. Ignoramus. All this made for TV boot camp programs will lead many into the abyss. Not every big house is an asset, and in many cases they are liabilities. Okay confession I am a card carrying member of the Opray Beefers Club.
Money and Sex or maybe Sex and Money, whichever one.
I take reports with a pinch of salt but this particular one in the WSJ I have chosen to beleive, hook line and sinker.
A survey released today by Prince & Associates in collaboration with wealth consultant Hannah Grove found that 70% of today’s multimillionaires said being wealthy gave them “better sex.” (You can request a free copy via email here.) A majority also said wealth gave them “more adventurous and exotic” sex lives.
Also; What this tells us is that, on the whole, more money equals more magic in bed,” says Prince & Associates founder Russ Prince.
And; “This tells us that the women as a whole receive more sexual benefits from wealth than men,” says Ms. Grove.
If you guys do not hear from me anymore, I am off to do some serious hardwork, see y'all when I get filthy rich.
Why?
Why does the African character in Hollywood movies have to be so one track minded, Blood Diamonds, Out of Africa, etc?
Why can't we be complicated, involved in complex love triangles like Brad Pitt 'em?
Why does every researcher have the urge to run a brain scan on every subject even when it comes to common sense stuff?
Why does every Ibo proverb start with; The Chicken that ...
Why does every American woman have a Nigerian ex-boyfriend?

New Yorkers Are No Heroes...

Mr. Wesley's story, is the construction worker who leaped (I dislike American English) onto the MTA rail tracks, in order to protect another guy who fell onto the tracks while suffering a seizure. He covered the ill man with his body while the train rolled over them. Hmm this is old news, right?

This morning Zee100 FM held a call-in session where the question was asked, "Would you jump on the train tracks to save a man, while another train approached?" The response was amazing, can you believe that no caller respond in the negative. Suddenly, every NYer would jump on the tracks to save another persons life. It was rather annoying, and I wondered, if this was the same NY where you would have to hold on to a post in order not to get pushed onto the tracks during rush hour. Why do people turn goodie goodie whenever they are put on the air. I feel one of the worlds biggest problems right now is that we have too many good people period. With so many good people around there is simply no room for improvement, yuk. Anyway dude jumped onto the rails because he didn't want his daughters, who were with him at that time, witnessing such a gory scene, how sweet.

Do not get me started on some of us Christians who jump up and down at church, while we carry on with our bad selves in every other place outside the corners. Mya Angelou put it quite well - When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed And need God to clean my mess.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not claiming to be perfect,My flaws are far too visible But, God believes I am worth it.When I say... "I am a Christian"I still feel the sting of pain.I have my share of heartaches So I call upon His name.When I say... "I am a Christian"I'm not holier than thou,I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow.

Lets all get off of our high stools and get real with one another, the world will be so much better for it.

Lets cut Billy some slack...

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has received some negative press lately for;

The Gates Foundation has poured $218 million into polio and measles immunization and research worldwide, including in the Niger Delta. At the same time that the foundation is funding inoculations to protect health, The Times found, it has invested $423 million in Eni, Royal Dutch Shell, Exxon Mobil Corp., Chevron Corp. and Total of France — the companies responsible for most of the flares blanketing the delta with pollution, beyond anything permitted in the United States or Europe.

In addition to this;

Companies ranked among the worst U.S. and Canadian polluters, including ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical Co. and Tyco International Ltd.
Many of the world’s other major polluters, including companies that own an oil refinery and one that owns a paper mill, which a study shows sicken children while the foundation tries to save their parents from AIDS.
Pharmaceutical companies that price drugs beyond the reach of AIDS patients the foundation is trying to treat.

My take is this, hmmm; Would you invest in a Tobacco Company if it promised the highest return on your investment, keep it in mind that if you do not do this, others will do it anyway. And for all you know, this will only push the ROI higher. Personally I will, and I expect all economists to, we don't 'sabi' good or bad, guns and butter somebody.

On the other hand, upon reading the article, I have some serious reservations about Mr Gates Foundation. Why don't you spend your money making one of those Mel Gibson Epics or something of the Blood Diamonds leaning, since these people will not let you rest. Just my two cents oh.

Did you guys see this blogger announcement. Too bad Omodudu.com is taken, any suggestions.

What is this world turning into...

The case of Ashley X. This is the young girls story...Afflicted with a severe brain impairment known as static encephalopathy, she cannot walk, talk, keep her head up in bed or even swallow food. Her parents argued that “keeping her small” was the best way to improve the quality of her life, not to make life more convenient for them. And this is what her parents decided to do. Because of her small size, the parents say, Ashley will receive more care from people who will be able to carry her: “Ashley will be moved and taken on trips more frequently and will have more exposure to activities and social gatherings ... instead of lying down in her bed staring at TV all day long." I am no doctor but I think this is unethical and selfish of her parents, so called professional parents.

In Pursuit of Happyness...

January is a really long month, init? It feels like the middle of the month and today is 5th. Grr. Whats up with every Naija blogger writing highly inspirational stuff this week, I guess we are all caught up in the whole New Year New You thingie.
I saw the movie In Pursuit of Happyness earlier this week, and I really loved it. I recommend it. A scene caught my attention though, Remember when he went to the baseball game with the top dog, and he got an Isho/nail, it touched me in a personal way. You know how we get a break and automatically attribute it to God's plan for us, and down the road the road becomes a dead end, we are then on the verge of getting really disappointed with God. Many times God gives us breaks but they never play out the way we envisioned it, most times, especially in my life, God's plans always seem to manifest in the by-products of such big breaks rather than the breaks themselves.
OK at the risk of ruining the movie for those that are yet to see it, I am talking about, Will Smith getting marketing leads from the other less significant guys he met through the top dog and not necessarily the top dog himself. I think the lesson here is to always keep our eyes open, do not get depressed or confused too soon when your big-breaks blow up in your face. The experience and the new individuals in your lives may just be the starting block of your next big break.

When Older Folks Go Wrong...

The African culture ensures that elders are given due respect, but beyond that though, our culture leave little room for challenging individuals older that you are, this brings a question to mind; isn't this kinda backward? Yes elders have a wealth of experience but the young folks are faced with newer challenges, so that, we can argue that the skills of the youngsters are more up-to -date.
The Scenario...
I find myself in a car with 3 other individuals in a car, its a 90 minutes drive now, and as we were all Nigerians the conversation was flowing left and right. The convo then drifts to the American economy, hmm all parties are putting forth economic theory, left and right, all theories absolutely wrong. At this time, I am reminding myself. "Ohboi you need to shut up, or else you stand the risk of sounding "I Too Know", but on the other hand my formal training is tugging at me like, "Ohboi they are so so wrong, tell them about cause and effect, marginality and the forces that drive decision making" hmm. Which angel should I pay heed?
Okay then, I chose to keep my peace, I did not say a word. But when the conversation moved to exchange rates and the power of the dollar vis-a-vis the Euro, I lost it. I lost it because 95% of individuals on this planet do not understand the difference between nominal values and real values, and there is no way you can have any meaningful discussion about exchange rate without these tools. I plead with all you armchair economists to please desist. hehehe.
Back to the question, I made some comments with respect to the exchange rate, and the need to understand the underlying forces that drive economic variables, before making any effort at analyzing such variables. I am not sure this contribution went down well. If our Naija elders are wrong and you know deep in your hearts that they are so so wrong, what do you do, since it appears they do not take too kindly to correction. I believe this is an Afro-specific (kai bad English), phenomenon since I had this same scenario with an older man from another continent and his response was, "I never looked at it like that, wow that is eye opening".
So My Naija people whats up with us.
I am feeling this song; Uptown by Consequence, Robie Thicke be good too.

Xmas in Naija

So all you Nigerian bloggers are off to Nigeria, Monef has the hilarious story about her trip to the UK, oh well, going the UK is equivalent to going to Nigeria. Enyan too, reminiscing about his/her trip, wow makes me jealous. I doubt if I can last 9 years without setting eyes on fam. Talking Beginnings too packing her bags for Nigeria. Well you guys ought to bring back some spicy suya. I learnt from Bella's blog, that Akon and LL are in Naija, hmm nice nice, put home country on the map. Do you love music? Do you have slack time at work? check out musicplustv.
Oh snap, spell check isn't working on blogger, I am getting error messages left and right, google pulizzz.
Its friday, one of those packed weekends coming up, Y made me sign up for Xmas carol at gun-point, oops scratch that I meant threat point, oh oh oh, I have to sit through 2 hours of watching Y sing. The girl thinks she can sing, LOL. I hope she never stumbles upon this comment, otherwise I will be dead meat.
Have a blessed weekend y'all.

Absentmindedness II

Okay it is getting scary now, I took the wrong exit on the way to work. I take this route twice every weekday wow, I need help. God help me.
Little letter to God
Why does it seem like getting closer to God is like registering for boot camp. You get tested with all sorts of issues that never bugged you before. God takes a proactive role in your life and wills that you see Him in every single thing concerning you. Okay that was an answer to my own question, God I ask that I am corrected if that answer was wrong.
Lil gems
Whats going on at google labs, my own google reader has been giving me error messages for like a week now. You can now talk with internet freaks on your phone unanimously with jaxtr, works with the major social networking websites. I have not tried it sha, but thats what their ad says. Here is an interesting debate that demonstrates why economists will never agree with one another. How can basic demand and supply arguments turn into such lenghty esoteric debates, na wa oh. What kind of phone is this one. Kahot a friends effort at online autctions, hehehe nice job Mr.

Tid-bits

Absentmindedness
Why am I so absentminded these days, It takes me about 3 minutes to open the door to my apartment, why? I am standing in front of the door, clicking on my car keys like the doors can open remotely. Am I the Mayor of Sillytown or what, I peel off the wrapper off a bathing soap, threw the soap in the trash-can and walked into the bathroom with the wrapper, grrrr.
Nigericans
Okay you and I have one two or three Nigerian friends who have been exile from Nigeria for a second, oh probably, its even you and I. I find it interesting that this group of people pursue their love of Naija with so much zeal. For example, a friend rushed up to me, proclaiming at the top of her voice, "have you heard the latest lagbaja song", this was news to me, and I thought to myself that, lagbaja must be on fire for him to release another single so soon. So I asked, what's the title of the track, and she goes, 'No Do Gra Gra for Me'. LOL, thats like how many years old Miss. You guys need to hit the Lagos streets a bit more.
Swivel.com
Have you seen the youtube of data, swivel.com genius idea, and it's very useful for nerdy folks with lots of time on their hand, finally you can back that coffee table argument with the appropraite data and graph. The integrity of the data is suspect, there is a need for rating the users though!

Food not thought...

58% of parents spent more on restaurants and takeouts last year than they saved for college - AllianceBernstein. How interesting. What food will do in this country ehn.
I thought I was the only one that felt like this about the lousy ipods.
I am feeling the whole business idea behind prosper.com, wow the ebay of lending, I wonder what their insurance premium is going to look like, it ust be huge. Would this work in Nigeria? Nigeria is missing so much due to this level of poverty thingie, grr its frustrating.

Internet = Freaks

I have heard numerous tales of freaks on the Internet. They seek you out, they become your friends, they set up a meeting and they take advantage of you. I intend to use this 100Th post of the year to thank all the beautiful people I have met over the Internet.
Really, God has really used the Internet as a tool for my blessings. I am where I am in NY today because of someone I met over the Internet. I met F over the Internet and she was instrumental in my moving to NY, you are the best. I also met A over the Internet and she is such and angel. I have only one sour Internet hookup, and I was the cause of the misunderstanding, I am sorry Y, you know how I is. Of course I will not leave you out K, one of the few I am yet to meet physically, stop running girl. To T keep doing what you are doing little girl and do attend church on Sundays. To the other folks, too bad I can not vouch for you until I meet you guys physically.
The moral of this story is that, heyyyy (Internet not necessarily = freaks)

Manifesto of Ascendancy for the Modern Nigger

Do not be offended by the N word, I lifted the title straight of off the Esquire magazine. I read this this article in the hard copy of Esquire magazine, I had to look for the online version, now that I found it I just have to share.

For eleven days in 2001, two blacks ran our country. It's their example and their achievement—and not the culture of failure fomented by the leftovers of the Movement—that must set a new agenda for black Americans.

I thought this bit of statistics was sort of interesting too:

Let me tell you something about niggers, the oppressed minority within our minority. Always down. Always out. Always complaining that they can't catch a break. Notoriously poor about doing for themselves. Constantly in need of a leader but unable to follow in any direction that's navigated by hard work, self-reliance. And though they spliff and drink and procreate their way onto welfare doles and WIC lines, niggers will tell you their state of being is no fault of their own. They are not responsible for their nearly 5 percent incarceration rate and their 9.2 percent unemployment rate. Not responsible for the 11.8 percent rate at which they drop out of high school. For the 69.3 percent of births they create out of wedlock.

All of this sort of coincided with the whole Jay Z on the cover of GQ magazine thingie, talking about, "from the streets to the boardroom".

My two cents is this, while ball playing, rapping, black men should be given some credit for doing something with their lives, the focus should not be shifted from the hardworking successful brother.

Emily Oster on AIDS In Africa

The controversial 26 year old Becker fellow at the U of C takes a crack the AIDS in Africa issue. Hey, by the way Becker is the guy who came up with the legalization of drugs thingie. Honestly, I left the seminar convinced that the best way to fight the drug trade was by legalizing and taxing it. I am not sure I still feel that way right now though, I am less naive right now. The argument is worth looking into though.

AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS LEFT IN DESERTS

NOW I NEED SOME HELP HERE, WOULD PEOPLE FROM OTHER CONTINENTS BE TREATED LIKE THIS?

African migrants 'left in desert'
Spain has expelled 70 immigrants to MoroccoAn aid agency says it has found more than 500 migrants abandoned in the Moroccan desert after being expelled from Spain's North African enclaves.

PHOTO EDITORIAL