African countries or may i say dark countries,i don't use the word dark to portray racism but my intention is to reflect how we are intentionally blinded....Africans election mostly are injustice,we have heard and seen different citizens struggle for reality and peace,trying to choose one who will lead their nations befittingly.
We have recently been supporting our brother country Kenya on their presidential elections and sincerely i would like applaud them on the change they made ,caring less about the 2007 clash,maintaining the peace and love was something believed impossible to the Kenyans and yet they shut the spirit of conflict and joined their hands voting for the right person they believed will bring change in their country. Using a different sort of polls modern one as they call it electronic ,it was a bit hard and confusing but they managed to concur on the results,What is for us to learn from the Kenyan's? is it the peace that they prevailed ,the electronic polls or the presidential debates they conducted?
I would take the Presidential debate for instance,I believe the Kenyans citizens were able to know their guy after carefully weighting their opinions after the debate,practically it was the best ,that's when you can realize who can lead your nation and who is a fumble,after a period of first and second debate Kenyans understood who evaded questions and who was potential.
What about the peace? It caught everybody by surprise on how Kenyans can get versatile ,some say it is the Obama speech that made them calm down but i hate to believe so,change comes from within an individual not by the words of someone who is thousand miles away,the Kenyans despite the conflicts they had in 2007 they decided willingly to make right choices ,they were quietly observing every move and yet today they are happy with the results .
The elections were crucial that it reminded me of Ghanaian-Swiss filmmaker Jarreth Merz who dared to make a film called "An African Election" the award-winning film of the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana (Grand Jury Winner, Atlanta Film Festival; "Best Documentary" at the AMAA in Lagos; nominated for an Independent Spirit award, etc.).I always thought if justice was not redeemed the danger that lurked will bring about fear.It is said justice is always sweet when it lands to the right person,and here we go Kenyan's made a wise choice..I congratulate you.. I wait eagerly for Tanzanians elections on the 2015,what have we to learn from the Kenyan's?
The below film trailer portrays how most African elections are..."An African Election"
Woman of the hour: Khaira Arby in full swing (Photo: Peter Bennett).
We are halfway through the closing night of Sauti za Busara
and an audience of thousands holds its collective breath, moved as it
is by the powerful voice and performance of desert soul queen Khaira Arby,
accompanied by a guitar that howls with gale force. The show is a
display of passion and devotion, and as the lady opens her heart and
engages in a spirited call for peace in Mali, her war-stricken homeland,
two audience members behind me tear up. Khaira and her band respond to
those intent on destroying her country with a defiant cry, and it is as
though the accompanying distorted guitar solo is meant to drown out the
distorted thinking of those who wish to ban creativity and the fruits of
culture.
Two days earlier, another lady, the grand dame of taarab, had fooled us all. An announcement had been made before the event’s opening day to inform festival-goers that Bi Kidude
would not be able to perform this year due to illness. Bi Kidude is a
regular fixture at Sauti za Busara, having graced the stage at all
editions since the first in 2004 and being – according to Zanzibari
student Abeid – “the biggest crowd favourite each year”. So
when a singer of her taarab orchestra announced a “special surprise”
during their show, a buzz of excitement went through the crowd. And,
suddenly, there she was, enchantingly dressed, barefoot, and not just
there to smile and wave. When Bi sings, her voice carries the timbre of
nearly a century of song. People were on their feet immediately, making
rapidly for the front row with open mouths and cameras rolling, so as
not to miss any of the action.
Bi Kidude gracing the Sauti stage once more (Photo by author).
Behind
the awesome performances, however, is a lot the audience members have
no idea about. Every year, making Sauti za Busara happen is a massive
tour de force by festival staff, and this year’s 10th anniversary
edition was no exception. When it comes to generating sponsorship
income, an intriguing mechanism is at play: as the event expands year
after year – the month of February is Zanzibar’s absolute peak month for
tourism, with the number of foreigners making their way to the island
increasing by 500 percent – financial support from local businesses
dwindles. Thus the festival is principally carried by foreign sponsors.
Remember that while Sauti za Busara’s international profile might be
growing, its vision remains the same as it was in 2004: to provide a
platform for showcasing the wealth and diversity of African music, with
the main focus of building appreciation for traditional and contemporary
music from the East African region. So obviously, the 100% foreign
sponsorship “model” cannot be allowed to become the status quo, and when
a board member of Busara Promotions got up on stage on the opening
night, he didn’t mince his words in his call for more local support.
We’ll find out next year if his plea had any effect.
Besides
the basic organisational challenges, the Busara crew – comprising of
more than 100 members – work day and night to ensure that everything
runs on schedule throughout the four-day frenzy. Guaranteeing Full Mzuka
while simultaneously keeping peace with those not directly involved
with the event can be a hell of a job. But on each of the four nights,
the Busara crew made sure nothing and no one messed with the schedule,
including honouring prayer time (during which no music was played) and
calling it a night at 2am, in accordance with demands made by the Stone
Town mayor. When you remember that this is a festival with all live
performances – no lip-synching or backing tracks, please – and that
audiences expect this “delivered on the spot” music to be amplified with
the high quality of sound maintained throughout, you can imagine what
sort of juggling act must be going on backstage.
It
doesn’t always work out as planned, of course, and several bands
struggled with sound issues on the opening night: the much-anticipated
show by DDC Mlimani Park Orchestra, arguably Tanzania’s most legendary Muziki wa dansi
band, known for their long and heated live performances, had to be cut
off after some thirty minutes. It was disappointing to see a band that
embodies what this year’s festival was all about being forced to march
off stage way before it reached its peak.
“Now lemme go out and write about fancy cars” Not with standing
such hiccups, Sauti za Busara deserves plaudits for what it pulled off
this year. An oft-voiced critique of the festival’s line-up has to do
with Bongo Flava
– the Tanzanian style of Hip-hop/R&B that rules the local
dancehalls and is wildly popular with large numbers of youth; the
complaint, that it is virtually absent from the musical menu, with Peter Msechu
being this year’s only representative. The fact of the matter is that,
however popular its songs may be, Bongo Flava can’t boast an impressive
record of live performers. A good number of the genre’s stars rely on
playback for their performances, and the ones who do play live – such as
Banana Zorro and Mzungu Kichaa – have featured at Sauti za Busara in recent years.
Aside
from the fact that no one’s gonna make their way to Zanzibar from all
corners of the world to watch artists lip-sync, the weight and
importance of 100% Live cannot be overemphasized – particularly in these
times when many are growing up with the idea that music is about
generating sounds with software on a computer. The importance of live
music was the common of the festival’s daily Movers & Shakers sessions, in which artists and music professionals shared their thoughts on a range of interconnected hot topics.
Lumumba Theatre delivered an energetic and highly danceable show (Photo by author)
Comrade Fatso & Chabvondoka, flanked by Ammara Brown, giving their all (Photo: Peter Bennett)
Live
music festivals like Busara play an important role in battling
censorship, turning over the mike to musicians who struggle to make
themselves heard due to political, religious, or social pressure, even
as the festival organisers exercise a degree of curatorial control with
regard to programming, as they must. Founder and director Yusuf Mahmoud
asserted that Saiti za Busara will not stage artists who propagate hate
or incite violence against women, and that the organisation is not
likely to invite performers whose music is soaked in bling-bling lyrics.
Fatso, about to take the floor as a panellist on the censorship
session, responded wittily: “Wait, before I speak, lemme go out and write some songs about hot babes and fancy cars!” His joke captured the paradox, but, as a representative of FreeMuse
– an international organisation advocating freedom of expression for
musicians and composers – rightly stated, censorship and curation are
two different matters, and a festival with the power and exposure of
Sauti za Busara cannot do without a sensible measure of the latter.
Musicians talk during the Movers & Shakers session. Left to right: Sousou, Maher and Nawal (Comorros) (Photo by author)
If
there is one thing to be concluded from a decade of Sauti za Busara, it
is that the festival continues to live up to its reputation as “the
friendliest festival on the planet,” and is proof positive of the
binding power of music. On top of that, it has played – and continues to
play – a significant role in exposing East African music to a worldwide
audience – live, loud, passionate, real, the product of not just the
organisers’, but also musicians’ blood, sweat and tears.
The
Q&A session with the artists brought to the fore some of the
challenges they face in getting a spot in the limelight and getting
their music to the public. Sousou (part of the kora duo with Maher
Cissokho) spoke of the many administrative hurdles she had to pass just
to get to the festival: “I sent out three applications, two of which
to the Swedish Arts Council, before we were finally allowed a grant.
It’s hard work, but when you realise that the show is good, that the
crowd is feeling your love and energy, you know it’s been worth it.”
Another
issue that bothers many of the artists in attendance was the fact that
their music is often mislabelled or put in “boxes” they do not agree
with. When I asked about their thoughts on the importance of successful
cross-continental collaborations, Sousou and Maher exclaimed: “We’re
just two people loving the kora! People think too much in national
constructs, while music is there to make geographical borders obsolete,”
said Sousou. The duo – whose energetic performance was indeed worth it
by any standards – condemn the “world music” label that’s still [in
2013!] often attached to their work and story, as does Lukas Ligeti, is Burkina Electric’s percussionist: “African
groups oftentimes have to battle existing ideas and pictures of Africa.
As Burkina Electric, we fall in-between categories with members of many
different backgrounds. African music is so innovative, but it’s so
often put on the pile of “world music”. That bothers me.”
Although
Sauti has successfully made it to ten editions and in the process has
grown to become East Africa’s biggest music festival, it knows it must
continue to innovate. Recurring issues such as the global
(festival)-local (audience) nexus need to be studied carefully, and
involves the question of how to make sure the event draws a growing
number of local revellers and that fruitful collaborations with
Zanzibari businesses are worked out. Whatever happens, the festival’s
guiding spirit – the idea that African music can and will continue to
bring people from around the globe together, and that artists thrive
best when they bring the real thing, that roaring solo, that scream from
the top of their lungs, that bassline that enters you from below and
belts the belly – should be protected at all costs. Long (100%) Live
Sauti za Busara!
The dates for 11th edition of Sauti za Busara
festival in Zanzibar are provisionally penned as 13 – 16 February 2014.
See you next year.
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of which everybody imitates
My Africa of which culture exceed the Greek
My Africa of which everyone is jealous of
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of enormous natural endowment
My Africa of Non-Violence
My Africa of Amorous populates
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of patriot men and women
My Africa of shelter and vintage hospitality
My Africa of great ancestral mythology
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa that bore fruits of black diamonds
My Africa which is a gift to the whole world
My Africa of great leadership
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of learned youths
My Africa of a bright generation
My Africa true tradition
My Africa My Africa My Africa
My Africa of black pageant women
My Africa of strong men
My Africa from who we all hail from
For every African deserves a Nobel Prize in
Existence.
No
written law has ever been more binding than unwritten custom supported
by popular opinion,In politics if you want anything said, ask a man. If
you want anything done, ask a woman.And for sure One is not born a
woman, one becomes one,these are words that today we say to give support to Women ,they all mean a lot to us.
Whatever glory belongs to the race for a development unprecedented in
history for the given length of time, a full share belongs to the
womanhood of the race.
The first national Women's Day was observed on 28 February 1909 in the United States following a declaration by the Socialist Party of America. In August 1910, an International Women's Conference was organized to precede the general meeting of the Socialist Second International in Copenhagen.
Inspired in part by the American socialists, German Socialist Luise
Zietz proposed the establishment of an annual 'International Woman's
Day' (singular) and was seconded by fellow socialist and later communist leader Clara Zetkin, although no date was specified at that conference. Delegates (100 women from 17 countries) agreed with the idea as a strategy to promote equal rights, including suffrage, for women.
Todays International women day theme is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women," while International Women's Day 2013 has declared the year's theme as The Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.
Africa’s most populous city plays host to the annual outdoor Lagos Jazz
Festival every November, as the dry season begins. In true bombastic
Nigerian style, the month of November has accordingly been named Jazz
Month, and festivities around the mammoth event have been dubbed the
Jazz Series. The three-day festival has been inviting international and
Nigerian jazz aficionados to its stages since 2010 and previous artists
have included Hugh Masekhela, Morrie Louden and jazz heavyweights Four play.
2.Asabaako Music Festival
Asabaako Music Festival in beachy Busua is Ghana’s fledgling foray into
the international festival arena. The festival hosts DJs from Ghana,
Europe and the USA and features everything from frenzied YouTube
sensation Azonto dancing to London afrotronica, with a single purpose in
mind: keep it African. The jungle stage uses Busua’s unique proximity
to the unchartered African wild to throw a mega-bush party at the end of
every festival.
3.Sauti Za Busara
East Africa’s No. 1 festival brings people together in celebration of the richness and variety of African music.
Everything about Stone Town speaks of antiquity except Sauti Za Busara Music Festival, now in its 10th
year. Thousands flock from all over the world to experience partying in
the forts, amphitheaters and historic buildings that make this island
city a big tourist hit through the seasons. The two hundred musicians
provide most of the allure, but African music documentaries, traditional
ngoma song and dance, fashion shows, dhow races, open-mic sessions,
after-parties and orchestras are also included in buzz of activities.
4.Rift Valley Festival
Music festival could just as easily meet safari in this magical
adventure tour of one of Africa’s most attractive areas. Taking place on
the shores of endless Lake Naivasha deep in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley,
the aptly named festival drew around 5000 people in 2011 and is billed
as a ‘musical experience in the cradle of humankind.’ While afrobeat
dominates the bill, internationals such as DJ Yoda have also graced the
stage in the event’s 3-year history.
5. Bayimba International Festival
The Bayimba International Festival of the Arts is without a doubt
Uganda’s number one music festival. Curated by the local Bayimba
Cultural Foundation in capital city Kampala, the festival seeks to serve
as a platform for artistic expression and creative entrepreneurship as
well as give festival-goers an insight into the throbbing culture of the
equatorial nation. In the past 5 years the festival has grown from 100
to 55 000 guests, and has progressively included more foreign nationals
on the bill, which refreshingly features R&B, urban and jazz as well
as familiar lashings of afro-beat and comedy.
6.Mawazine
Mawazine (“Rhythms”) is one the world’s biggest music festivals. Past
Mawazine festival acts have included international heavyweights Mariah
Carey, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, Whitney Houston, Lenny Kravitz, LMFAO and
Evanescence. The city of Rabat in Morocco plays host to this juggernaut
of global pop culture for the 12th time in 2013, and will be
headlined by 10-time Grammy award-winner George Benson. The
star-studded 9-day festival is free to many, and routinely attracts
numbers of up to 1 million people.
7.Oppikoppi
Oppikoppi is one of South Africa’s longest running outdoor music
festivals. Taken from the Afrikaans phrase meaning ‘on the hill’,
Oppikoppi is credited with kick-starting the South African rock
revolution in the late 90s. Still staged atop a hill 18 years later, the
festival now boasts artists of all genres, including rock, hip hop,
hardcore, punk, ska, folk, blues, drum ‘n bass, big beats, funk, kwaito,
jazz, traditional, world music, metal and indie, and attracts around
20,000 campers annually.
8.Festival sur le Niger
Perhaps misleadingly, Festival sur le Niger takes place not in Niger
itself but along the banks of the vast Niger River in Segou, Mali. The
main stage is positioned with the river as a backdrop. The festival is
rich in cultural and high-energy African traditional dance music. Masks,
costumes and animals are not uncommon in the crowds. Previous artists
in the festival’s 9-year history have included Fema Kuti, King Mensah,
Amadou & Mariam, and Oumou Sangare.
9.Festival d’Essaouira
Held annually in the Moroccan town of Essaouira, FDE is an international
world music event featuring over 30 acts from Morocco and beyond. Known
to some as “Morocco’s answer to Woodstock”, the coastal town has
achieved fame as a cultural getaway with its enchanting maze of streets
and beautiful beaches. The festival has been running for the past 15
years. While the local youth are drawn in by international acts like
France’s electro-rock export Nasser, foreign visitors will be
snake-charmed by the abundance of traditional and mystical Ghawa music
on the bill.
10.Festival au Desert
The 2013 Freemuse Award for Freedom of Musical Expression went to
Festival au Desert in Mali, which, as music festivals go, is about as
aptly named as can be. With origins in the trading meetings between the
Toureg nomads, the festival has been oozing authenticity and gradually
opening doors of the unstable region to the Western world since 2001.
Expect camels and breath-taking sunsets in the arid festival site two
hours from Timbuktu, and bring your own tent.
If I was to ask what makes one to be a great actor, I’m pretty sure
some of the answers I would get include; great acting skills, ability to
improvise in difficult scenes and so on and so forth.
In real sense, what makes a great actor is whether the actor is disciplined or not.
Most actors I know are not disciplined and I’m not sure if most of
you would agree with me. What exactly do I mean by the term discipline?
When I talk of discipline in an actor’s world, I mean an actor’s
diligence on and off set/stage. If you are an actor, are you the type of
actor who gives the director a hard time on stage or on set? Are you
the type that is always locking horns with fellow actors?
Producers and Directors can attest that, some actors are always a
pain in the neck and are difficult to deal and work with. Directors
always complain that actors do not observe time and are always late
which then lags the production behind schedule.
Other actors decide not to follow what the directors tell them to do
and they’d rather do what pleases them. It’s always said that actors
are egocentric making them to lack elements of discipline.
Roughly 95% of the great stars in Hollywood are disciplined and that
is what makes them a success story. Those who aren’t have their own
shows and let’s just say they can afford to be undisciplined and get
away with it.
For how long though? In reference to Charlie Sheen (2 and ½ Men), he
was a great actor and we all loved him but his downfall (well, apart
from the drugs and hookers) was lack of discipline on set that got him
fired. The producers had heard enough of him and they showed him the
door knowing very well that he was such a great asset to the production.
Another good example is Megan Fox (Transformers 1 & 2). She gave
director Michael Bay a hard time even going to the extent of calling
him Adolf Hitler. What happened to Transformers 3? She was also shown
the door and her role was cut out just because of lack of discipline.
So, to all actors , whom think the world revolves
around them, be weary because no producer/director likes to work with an
egoistic actor.
There are thousands of actors out there looking for jobs and can replace you ASAP
even if you are a great actor. Nobody wants to work with a hardheaded
person who is always constantly a problem. Let the world revolve around
you offset but not during working hours.
As an actor, are you disciplined or not? Ask yourself; do you arrive
on set/stage on time? Do you adhere to the rules and regulations of the
production? Do you cope with fellow cast members or crew well? Do you
take corrections from the director well?
Hugo Chavez was the real HERO of the poor people not only in Venezuela but in many Latin American countries and even hundreds of thousands Africans too. He was not a democratic leader but very strong will power,Messiah of poor people. God knows he was aware of his short life span, did not follow democracy but used democracy to remain in power and help utmost to the poor and down graded human beings. Millions will cry for his demise and may be others capitalists and reactionary foes will celebrate his departure. I salute to this great soul, who had guts to stand-up to the world powers and rather than bow down to their dictates,He dictated his own socialist plans. Never knew you,and dare say you had your downsides. But i will always recall the hard yards you did for the poor in your homeland My Impression of you is that of a honest man with integrity though possibly with too much enthusiasm. Chavez once recounted advice that Fidel Castro had given him, that one man cannot represent a movement, that it must continue even after he has gone
"A president of the people, Hasta siempre comandante"
Hugely wealthy and son of Kenya's founding president, Uhuru Kenyatta hopes to take up his father's mantle despite facing trial for crimes against humanity over election violence five years ago. While Uhuru -- meaning 'freedom', and Kenyatta, the 'light of Kenya' in Swahili -- carries his country's aspirations in his name, he has also come to symbolise many of its woes.
Kenyatta, 51, and running mate William Ruto face trial in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity for their alleged role in having orchestrated 2007-08 post-election unrest.
He was born in 1961 shortly after the release of his father Jomo from nearly 10 years' incarceration by British colonial forces, and two years before Kenya's independence.
Fifty years on, the deputy prime minister and former finance minister is one of Kenya's richest and most powerful men, with the Kenyatta family owning vast swathes of some of the country's richest lands.
The Kenyatta family business empire also includes a key stake in major banking and media interests, as well as owning Kenya's main dairy business. Educated in the United States at the elite Amherst College, where he studied political science and economics, he is considered the top political leader of the Kikuyu people, Kenya's largest tribe making up some 17% of the population.
With permanent heavy bags beneath his eyes and well dressed in pin stripe business suits, Kenyatta exudes an image of power and entitlement. But while a leaked 2009 US diplomatic cable described Kenyatta as "bright and charming, even charismatic" it also noted that he "drinks too much and is not a hard worker".
In the early 1990s, he joined with the sons of other independence heroes to call for reform but gradually drew closer to autocratic former president Daniel arap Moi.
"He went into politics partly because Moi asked him to, and probably because it was a good way to protect his family's interests at a time of political transition," said Daniel Branch, a professor at Britain's Warwick University.
"Until recently, politics never mattered as much personally for Kenyatta as for Raila," he added, referring to his key rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga. "Uhuru is not a grassroots politician in the same way as Raila."
One of the richest men in Africa
Kenyatta threw his weight behind then incumbent President Mwai Kibaki in the December 2007 election, a poll that rapidly descended into chaos and left over 1,100 dead and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes.
Delays in the 2007 vote count saw violence erupt over suspicion that Kibaki was stealing the election from Odinga, and killings mainly targeting Kikuyus spread across the country.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has accused Kenyatta of attending meetings in early 2008 to plan for retaliatory violence by the Kikuyu. ICC prosecutors say he mobilised the Mungiki -- a sect-like Kikuyu criminal organisation known for skinning and beheading its victims -- to attack opposition supporters.
Kenyatta, listed by Forbes magazine as one of the richest people in Africa, faces five counts including orchestrating murder, rape, forcible transfer and persecution in the polls' aftermath.
The Kikuyu launched reprisal attacks in which homes were torched and people hacked to death in the worst outbreak of violence since independence. Kenyatta has repeatedly said he will cooperate with the court, even though it could mean he will be absent from Kenya for long periods, with the trial expected by many to stretch for several years.
"I will be able to handle the issue of clearing our names... while at the same time ensuring that the business of government continues," Kenyatta said in reply to a question about how he and Ruto will juggle court appearances and run the country if elected.
Kenya, as a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the Hague-based ICC, would be forced to act on any arrest warrant issued by the court should the pair refuse to attend trial.
Kenyatta, who insists his "conscience is clear", has said that he and Ruto "understand and recognize the rule of law and we will continue to cooperate so long as we are signatories of the Rome statute".
While his supporters hail him as a hero, to other Kenyans, Kenyatta symbolises the country's corrupt political elite and the forces of tribalism that brought what was once considered a beacon of regional stability to the brink of civil conflict.
Watched "21 and Over" last night at Mlimani Theatre so sharing a
review for those wondering about it.
If you should use other films/media to describe "21 and Over", it is
like a combination of "Hang Over", "American Pie", and "Jackass". If
describing in one sentence, "21 and Over" is stupid drunkenness or
drunk galore? It is an enjoyable film and I would recommend it for
those who enjoy dirty slapstick humor and just college craziness. I
wouldn't feel the need to watch this film again and it isn't an Oscar
nominee type of film, but If you like watching drunk people, this film
is for you.
The movie took a while to pick up the pace. Surprisingly and thankfully
Jeff Chang is not the main focus in this film, nothing against the
actors (these newcomers did a great job), but the supposed main
character burned through his drinking and bar scenes early on in a
series of montages.
Some of the likable aspects of this movie are the timing of the stunts
and how outrageous the stunts are. When it seemed like the film would
end soon or run out of tricks, the characters' rolling ball of chaos
just got bigger and bigger. The stunts pulled now a day for slapstick
humor are getting more outrageous and openly, visually sexual. If
nothing, Lucas and Moore get kudos for fresh stunts. Perhaps they spent
the time they were supposed to use for brainstorming dialogue and story
development, watching "Jackass" instead.
In the end this film is still enjoyable because it's not like this
film's audience watches these kinds of films for the dialogue nor
accurate representation of cultural identities. All that matters is
that the slapstick stunts and moderate dirtiness of the film is enough
to not leave a silent house. For sure, the high school kids during the
advanced screening got a kick out of it, hoping their college life can
be that fun? Crazy at least.
Dwayne Johnson better known has The Rock, was thought of to be like
another Arnold Schwarzenegger, a muscle bound action hero who acts
tough and shouts out funny one liners. But then he did the movie
Gridiron Gang(2006),and my opinion of him changed, he took a little
departure from action films, and took a stab at drama, and he gave a
pretty descent performance, and he showed that he can act.
This is not a typical movie you would expect to see "The Rock" starring. In this movie D. Johnson shows he can actually act, and
doesn't need to use his huge physical stature or muscles to do the
talking. He doesn't have one scene where it is a fight scene. I was
super impressed by how well "The Rock" handled a serious dramatic role,
and hope there are more like this to come in future movies.
Snitch is the antithesis of the typical movie you would expect to find
Johnson involved in. It has a slow pace, there is very little explosive
action until the final sequence, and while the writing isn't
particularly special (more on this in a minute), the story is
definitely the driving force behind the film as opposed to any other
element you typically get in a Johnson movie. Somehow, however, Johnson
finds a groove within the world of Snitch that I really don't think
he's hit in the past. He isn't trying to be humorous at all (always a
plus in my opinion) but much more importantly, he's actually playing a
character.
Johnson's filmography is filled with examples of characters
who are just The Rock in a different costume. The Rock as a cop, The
Rock as a bodybuilder, The Rock as a hockey player turned fairy tale
entity (*cringe*). In Snitch, however, I actually felt like I was
seeing a real person on screen rather than another raided-out persona.
John Matthews is a dad, a blue-collar worker, and most of all, a man,
and I don't believe I've ever seen that from Johnson before. Moreover,
he's a man who is severely out of his depth in a world he doesn't
understand or fit in and that comes through quite clearly. In short,
there's very little of The Rock being The Rock and beating the snot out
of bad guys because he's The Rock. And I quite like that change.
As it stands, Snitch is something like a half-finished project with
some strong moments brought to life by Johnson that are surrounded by
some incomplete thoughts that could have and should have been refined.
Even still, it's a fine performance by Johnson and that alone makes it
worth a viewing, a sentence I never thought I'd have occasion to write.
Do you remember the Oscar winning Hollywood movie titled
'Titanic', featuring a romantic love story?
Definitely, it looked
tantalizing over Rose's neck while drooling Jack made a sketch of hers
in the incandescence. The movie had Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio
as the leading protagonists. Academy Award nominee for the movie, Kate
Winslet wore a beautiful, deep-blue Tanzanite necklace which she
happened to hurl into the sea, at the end.
Named
'Heart of The Ocean', James Cameron featured this gemstone in the
blockbuster of 1994. They say, the gem actually attracted Ms. Winslet
and she kept it with her most of the time on the set.
Elaborating
about the profile of the precious gemstone, as the name suggests,
Tanzanite is a stone only found in Tanzania. The actual site of its
incarnation is said to be in the Mererani Hills, about 30 miles
southeast of Arusha, Northern Tanzania. One very fine day, a Masai
tribe's man found a brilliant blue stone and handed it over to an Indian
tailor named Manuel D'Souza. D'Souza, a Goan tailor was a resident of
Tanzania.
Then over the long haul, the part-time gold prospector
showed the alluring blue gem to various learned people and geologists
across the world. It should be noted that, interestingly, the stone
acquires the unique color when lightning struck the mineral particles
lay scattered on the surface of the earth. Ultimately, the
Gemological
Institute of America followed by mineralogists at Harvard, the British
Museum and Heidelberg University examined the samples and certified it
as a member of the family Zoisite. This stone being rare is only found
in Tanzania.
This market pulling stone, named technically zoisite,
boasts of perennial demand unlike other stones of its class. Named
after Baron Sigmund Zois von Edelstein who was an Italian nobleman,
businessman and but of course an ardent mineralogist in the 18th
century. However, the stone was formed 585 million years ago, it was
found in the 20th century. The hardness scale calls for a range of 6 to 7
Mohs on the scale.
Apart from the reference and history spared above, in today's world, tanzanite is a much happening precious gemstone.
Appearing
in two colors mainly, purple and violet-blue, it's the color quality
that makes a tremendous difference in price. Discussing about the color,
all kinds of tanzanites are heated at a temperature of 450°C with clear
guidelines, particularly on color. The excessive heat initiates the
development of the lighter color tone purple which is much less intense
than the deep mystifying violetish-blue hue which is much more vivid.
However, purple tanzanite sells less than violetish- blue tanzanite.
"Tanzanite
is an amazing deep purple blue, and personally I find it more appealing
than sapphire," says London jewelry designer Stephen Webster, who first
worked with it in the early 1980s in Los Angeles. (However, he warns
that it is more fragile than some stones: 6.5 on the hardness scale,
compared with 10 for diamond and 9 for sapphire.)
The world of gems is real vast. Precious gemstones on constant demand include emerald, diamond, ruby, sapphire etc.
Emeralds
are found in Columbia and in Zimbabwe; sapphires from Sri Lanka,
amethyst are mined in almost every continent; diamonds in Africa, Russia
and Australia. However, Tanzanite remains loyal to its origin place,
the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro near Arusha.
The world's largest faceted tanzanite is 737.81 carats. One of the most famous large tanzanites (242 carats) is the "Queen of Kilimanjaro". It is set in a tiara and accented with 803 brilliant cut tsavorite garnets and 913 brilliant cut diamonds. The piece is part of the private collection of Michael Scott, the first CEO ofApple Computers.
You probably know that high LDL ("bad") cholesterol puts you at risk
for heart disease. But you might not know that the prevalence of high
LDL in the world adults actually fell during the last decade. One reason is
greater use of cholesterol-lowering medication by those who need it.
There's still plenty of room for improvement, however. Currently, about
one in six adults has high cholesterol.
2. There's a Connection With Prostate Cancer:
Getting your cholesterol under control can reduce your risk of having a
heart attack or needing heart bypass surgery. But there may be other,
lesser-known benefits as well. In one study, men with lower cholesterol
were less likely to have a deadly form of prostate cancer than those
whose cholesterol was high.
3. Cholesterol Affects the Brain:
Cholesterol is crucial for healthy brain function, including learning
and memory. Yet you can have too much of a good thing. In a recent
study, middle-aged volunteers worked on memory tasks while undergoing
brain imaging. Those with high cholesterol showed less activity in three
of the brain's memory centers.
4. There's a Link With Alzheimer's Disease:
There may also be a connection between cholesterol and Alzheimer's disease. In a study in Neurology,
researchers looked at brain tissue from autopsies. They found that high
cholesterol was associated with amyloid plaques—abnormal deposits of
protein between brain cells. Such plaques are typical of Alzheimer's.
5. Cholesterol Rises After Menopause:
In women before menopause, estrogen helps keep cholesterol in check.
But within a year of a woman's last menstrual period, there is often a
sharp rise in total and LDL cholesterol. This may help explain why the
risk of having a heart attack increases dramatically in women after age
55.
6. You Should Start Testing Early:
The chance of having high cholesterol rises as you get older. But
problems start young in some people. All adults ages 20 and older should
have a cholesterol blood test at least once every five years. Testing
is also recommended for some children, including those who are obese or
have a strong family history of heart disease.
7. Trans and Saturated Fat Matter, Too:
Eating a heart-smart diet is important. And that means more than simply
choosing foods with little or no cholesterol. Such foods may still
contain saturated or trans fat. These fats actually have the biggest
dietary effect on blood cholesterol, so be sure to check for them in the
Nutrition Facts on a food's label.
8. Low Cholesterol Is No Guarantee:
Cholesterol numbers count. Yet they don't tell the whole story. In
fact, a large national study found that nearly half of patients
hospitalized for a heart attack had LDL levels in the optimal range. So
listen to your cholesterol—but also heed your other risk factors, such
as triglycerides and blood pressure.
1) Summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa with its
year-round snow cap. Technical mountain-climbing skills are not
required, but mountaineers must possess good stamina and engage a
qualified guide. The summit (5,895 meters) is Uhuru Peak.
2)
Explore Serengeti National Park, made world-famous by numerous
televised wildlife documentaries. A special event is the annual
migration of wildebeests. The park also is home to other herding
mammals, predators such as lions and leopards, crocodiles, elephants,
zebras and many other animals, including hundreds of bird species.
3)
Safari through the plains to discover Tanzania's amazing variety of
wildlife. Popular safari destinations include Ngorongoro Conservation
Area, which encompasses a volcanic crater, and Ruaha National Park,
noted for its giraffes. Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest
protected areas in the world.
4) Hit the beach(es). Tanzania's
comparatively unspoiled Indian Ocean coastline presents gleaming sands
and swaying palms. The clear water is fine for swimming, snorkeling and
scuba diving.
5) Visit the National Museum and House of Culture in
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's largest museum, it displays exhibitions in
history, archaeology, biology, ethnography and art. Recent expansion has
added theatrical productions, an art gallery and a restaurant that
features traditional cuisine.
6) Study the Kolo rock paintings, some of the oldest known art examples in the world, made by the ancient Barabaig tribe.
7)
Tour the island of Zanzibar. It is known especially for its rich
greenery (particularly in the Jozani Forest), 19th-Century sultans'
palaces, spice tours and the Arabic Stone Town section of Zanzibar City.
8)
Explore the country's western lakes. Lake Victoria in the northwest,
source of the Nile, is Africa's largest lake and the second-largest
freshwater lake in the world. Long, narrow Lake Malawi in the south is
an important fishing source. Lake Tanganyika in the west is the
second-deepest freshwater lake in the world.
9) Spend a night or
three in Tanzania's oldest town, Bagamoyo. In centuries past, it was a
major post on a caravan route into the interior of the continent.
Bagamoyo has been designated a World Heritage Site.
10) Meet wild
chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park. Located in western Tanzania,
it was the scene of Dr. Jane Goodall's renowned research studies. The
park also is noted for its other primate populations, including
red-tailed monkeys and olive baboons.
In my hood i leave among bothersome human beings and also sweet ones,it has always made me uncomfortable ,sometimes i get the never ending phobia but sometime i get well thrilled.For proper movie freaks am sure you have watched "Lake View Terrace",i always imagine some of my neighbors are imitating Samuel Jackson ,the looks on their faces explain how unfriendly they are.
The neighbor that just leaves beside me, the compound smells like a lions den,for a maasai who is pride is to hunt and kill down a lion understands when i say it smells like a lions den,perhaps it smells that way since this family is obsessed with livestock,i wonder what domestic animal the family doesn't keep,the worst part is whenever i try to put my tiredness under a small meeting called sleep i hear funny blares from this animals,you can imagine a pig odor..
My next neighbor loves music,i can tell this because he dresses up like 50 cents,maximum swag,he raps when he brushes his teeth,i wonder why he likes brushing his teeth outside his house,the streets admire his ride though i find it odd,a mini bus bedazzled with Hip hop artists names,i nearly thought he raps for a leaving but i hardly heard any of his tracks on a local station,What distress me is the way he walks holding his pants,rumors say he has a big gun under that pair of denim jeans,his name has appeared in several wanted lists in the country.
I call them the coast family,you can obvious tell after the name i gave them,i love this family,they belong in a group i call chefs (i named them) they everyday cook something amiable,resisting the odor sometimes its impossible that's when i find myself knocking their front door ,the effluvium is wonderful ..they have been my good lads..a Swahili family that i admire when it comes to cooking,the mom is an exquisite cook cooking a delectable meal,i uprightly have no problem with this family.
The Jambo man,he is always smiling at young kids,every time he passes beside you he will greet you with the word "Jambo"his and old man estimating around 80's,everybody think his a rapist or molester,he doesn't talk to any one other than children,you will see him smiling and mocking kids,he has this look that defines him a molester,he gives out sweets to young children every Christmas,i sometimes defend him and say not all that love kids are molesters but yet i hate to trust his not.
The last neighbors are the girls next door,i call them Charlie Angels,three aesthetically appealing girls,the Louis V type,these girls are so expensive you could tell from the dress codes,they live in a proper crib ,they share a Toyota Verossa ,the first time i arrived at my new hood i eagerly wanted to know what they do for a living and came to realize they are daughters of very potential people,and they were just students doing their first year course,they are reason why i get pervert sometimes,they are very beautiful..i have no problem with this neighbors ,they are like roses with different scent...
If you burn your neighbors house down, it doesn't make your house look any better.
For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?
Welcome to Tanzania - A Peaceful Nation in Africa!
Geography
Did you know- This
land is a modern country in East Africa since the 1960s. The United
Republic of Tanzania is surrounded to the west by Rwanda (a
French-speaking country), Burundi (one of Africa's smallest states),
Zambia (an English-speaking nation), and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo (former Zaire), to the north by Uganda and Kenya (an
English-speaking republic), to the east by the Indian Ocean, and the
south by Mozambique (a Portuguese-speaking nation), and Malawi (an
English-speaking republic). Due to its unique geography, it is one of
the most diverse nations in the world, from tropical rainforests,
islands, rivers and deserts to mountains, waterfalls, volcanoes and
lakes.
Democracy
Did you know- The 31-year of
Marxist dictatorship ended in 1992 when Tanzania set up a new
Constitution, which established a multi-party system. Then, during the
following years, on November 23, 1995, Benjamin William Mkapa became the
country's first democratically elected Head of State. From then
onwards, it has held multiparty elections.
Independence
Did you know-This
republic --- has been an
independent nation for over half century. During the latter half of the
20th century, Tanzania, with Julius Nyerere as Head of Government,
became one of Africa's first independent countries. In the previous
centuries, Tanzania, a little-known nation in the world, was settled by
the United Kingdom, Germany, and Portugal. By this time, the country was
long known as Tanganyika.
Tanzania & U.S.A
Did you know- Tanzania and Washington have good diplomatic relations. On August 26, 2000, Tanzania was visited by President Bill Clinton.
Ernest Hemingway
Did you know-
On the world stage, the United Republic of Tanzania gained fame when
America's author Ernest Hemingway, 1954 Nobel Prize & 1953 Pulitzer
Prize, published his famous book "Green Hills of Africa" ("The Snows of
Kilimanjaro") in the mid-1930s.
Tourism
Did you know-
The nation's national parks, tropical rainforests, birdlife, and
stunning islands have made Tanzania world-famous as a tourist spot. Like
its neighbors Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, this English-speaking country
is home to several wildlife sanctuaries and nature refuges, where there
are over 80,000 elephants. On the other hand, it is home to the Ol
Doinyo Lengal Volcano, Africa's fourth-highest volcano. In the 21st
century, the United Republic of Tanzania continues to exhibit one of
Africa's most important ecological projects..Mt kilimanjaro,highest peak in Africa..Lake Tanganyika,deepest Lake in Africa..lake Victoria,biggest lake in Africa, Ngorongoro Crater,biggest crater in the world...
Economics
Did you know-Agriculture
is the mainstay of the nation's economy. Under this atmosphere,
Tanzania is one of East Africa's leading producers of coffee. However,
the economy is based on seven main exports: coffee, cotton, sisal,
cloves, cashew nuts, minerals and tobacco.
Multi-sport Events
Did you know-
In July 1980, the National Olympic Committee, backed by the Soviet
government, sent a huge delegation to Moscow, the home to the 22nd
Olympic Games.
Famous Persons
Did you know-
This land is home to five notable persons: Tanzania 's former leader Julius Nyerere (known as the "conscience of Africa); Jane Goodall,
naturalist; Filbert Bayi, a world-class runner in the mid-1970s;
Gertrude Mongella, President of the UN Conference on Women in late 1995;Asha Rose Migiro, former UN deputy secretary general
and finally Salim Ahmed Salim, one of the most respected international
leaders on the continent of Africa.
Ethnic Groups
Did you know-
The Sukuma -the country's largest ethnic group-- make up 13 percent of
the population. Despite having more than 100 ethnic groups, the African
nation has become one of the developing world's most peaceful countries
since the-mid 1990s. Unlike several countries in the world, Tanzania has
never had a civil war.
Entertainment
Did you know-
This tropical nation made its first international appearance in 2007
when Miss Tanzania Universe, Flavia Matata, placed sixth in the Miss
Universe Pageant in the United Mexican States. Miss Matata was one of
East Africa's most beautiful girls in the 2000s. Common to the modelling world with the Swahili Fashion week...and Sauti za Busara in the music scene..
Gangnam Style is so last year: 2013's new dance craze is the Harlem Shake.
But that's also the name of an old-school dance craze. Back in the '80s, the body-quaking move was invented at a Harlem basketball game.
From there, it went on to become a hip-hop dance move involving
shimmies (shoulder shakes), tics (robotic starts and stops) and pops
(leg spasms).
Now, the Harlem Shake is best known as the video meme with the dance song Harlem Shake by Baauer. And it's still quite spastic. Check out this playlist of popular Harlem Shake videos.
The formula for the Harlem Shake video is as follows:
One person — often a helmeted man gently hip-thrusting — enjoys the sweet beats of Harlem Shake by Baauer in a roomful of oblivious people.
The videos are short (about 30 seconds), easy to make (anyone can flail) and are filmed everywhere: underwater, in concert, at an Army base and on Today.
According to Kevin
Allocca, YouTube trends manager, Harlem Shake video uploads have
skyrocketed in the last few days. He writes that as of Feb. 11, 12,000
Harlem Shake videos have been posted this month. Those videos — more
than 4,000 of which are posted each day — have been watched upward of 44
million times.
Harry "Baauer," of Diplo's Mad Decent label, has seen his dance track Harlem Shake climb the charts since it was released five months ago. It now sits at No. 10 on the iTunes Songs chart.
Tweeted Baauer, "this harlem shake stuff is blowing my mind."
Today, as I sat with some of my work
colleagues for a meeting, the discussion shifted from website
functionality to the ubiquitous necktie.
Yes,
that piece of cloth that you put on every morning around your neck as
you prepare to counter the unforgiving world. I have always thought of
the tie as a symbol of capitalism.
A tie is
useful in places where temperatures drop to freezing point as it a
protective clothing. Makes sense. But what sense does it make to wear a
tie in temperate conditions of Kenya, Tanzania or in the humidity of Kampala?
In
school, we are told that a tie projects the image of serious
businesslike persona. Throw in the assumption that one is also deemed to
be well groomed and therein lies the most absurd explanation I can
imagine for the use of the tie.
So what is the
idea behind a tie? Ties have existed for a long time, but became
fashionable, in an office environment, after the early IBM salesmen
started wearing ties as they called their clients.
Wearing a tie
is like having a noose around your neck, getting tight ever so slightly
and a sign that you accept authority and surrender your free will. As
we get sucked into the vortex of consumerism, the noose symbolizes our
serfdom, which in today’s terms is an epic struggle to amass objects of
desire at any cost.
And the noose serves as much
a purpose as the ludicrous white wigs, that our judges wear. The judges
get allowances to maintain those wigs in pearl white condition, money
which can be channeled to pay scholarships for 100 needy children.
I
imagine that in a lifetime, a man may end up buying at least 50 ties.
If every Tanzanian decided to stop wearing the tie and contribute 20 per
cent of the amount spent on buying ties to a cause like child education,
we would be doing a great favor to society.
Another thing. What is it with hanging the President’s portrait in just about every shop, government building and company?
I
don’t have figures to back this up, but I am sure that businesses could
save a ton every year if they did not have to follow this "rule". Thank
God we don’t have presidents who like Dennis Rodman change their hair
colour every two weeks. We’d run out of picture frames!.
If
Africa is to take its rightful place in the world order, it needs to
shun such practices, which are subtle symbols of imperialism. We have
our culture that we have practiced for ages, which is in danger of
getting lost today due to the blind acceptance of customs imposed on us.
It might be such a long time since you taught me almost quarter of what i know,but since then i have had terrible nightmares and day dreaming,instantly not because you were among the hot teachers but because you were so cruddy and judging,well i barely forget how much you used to squeeze my tiny little buts and drop a weep on them,despite of how intelligent i was,placing some daftaris (books) on top of my behind forgetting you are my teacher way brave than me.
You were so judging that you thought me and my lads were on something,i cant forget the daily visits at the staff room where more than five teachers (which i named them scavengers ) stare at us waiting to weep our small little behinds..you were so unkind that i thought i was an intervention!
The aim of this letter is not to embarrass you but its to clean my soul and of others that you bully,i really respect the work that you do and to mention you are so perfect on what you do but its ironic that you have a drinking problem coming to class smelling like a bar is so unfair,i wonder what you teach my brothers and sisters who still school.
Do you remember what you told me this other day “You are one of our best and brightest student and we have heard what you have
started doing. We want you to stop because we care about you. Don’t get
caught in the mess some of these other ones are in.” when you told me this i remember i sighed ,i hated how you always thought of me,i would like to tell you that you were wrong i wasn't using but right after saying this words i get to see you behind our class smoking cigarettes like buffly bombino ,every student admired how you could stunt your intake of smoke with a bubbly sound,perhaps you never knew we were peeping but do you think its fair enough? what were you teaching us,i might say you are one catalyst of many students smoking.
Mwalimu how can i forget how your were so angry when you heard students were dating each other,the every day topics on how we should protect ourselves and abstain sex,every day meetings with parents reporting every couple at school,but what happened to all that were you bluffing ,the latest news is you impregnate a student,Let me congratulate you for having the fastest sperm, Some say
coming out first in the sperm race makes you “a champion”well i say it makes you a dad and mwalimu you are dad of two children one being the one you impregnate ..Mwalimu you are quite unfair and yet you stand in front of the class and preach about dating if you haven't heard a Micheal Jackson song (may his soul rest in peace) that says look yourself in the Mirror please let me get you the recording.
Mwalimu i remember you coming in class and just ask me to stand and write notes for my fellow students,i don't understand was i that intelligent that you left the class under me and go do "God knows what",in a year i can barely remember how much you taught us,and yet every weekend i get to find a speed test on the board??
Mwalimu as much as i have more to write but today i will end here ,but i wouldn't get appeased if i don't ask ,why do students fail,are you not part of it??
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