God System of Thought
Zeal & Enthusiasm for
I carefully choose what I want to think. I select a system of thought for such thinking.
god system of thought
Studio of Modé
Modé studied animation and visual effects at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. As she studied animation, she fell more in love with the artistic city than the actual courses she was taking. She spent the last two years of her studies painting on the side in hopes of turning it into a profession. Modé’s art celebrates African beauty in an impressionistic style. She does her best not to imitate, as she is a strong believer in unique interpretation. Modé believes that the latter is the purest way to find one’s identity. Modé currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria.
For Modé, her talent wasn’t a discovery. It was a passion she worked hard on mastering. After moving back to Nigeria, she set up her own art studio called Studio of Modé, and is now selling her art out of Terra Kulture, one of Lagos’ premier art galleries. She likes to think of herself as an impressionist painter; instead of copying exactly what she sees, her art captures her impression of it. Now that she has moved back to Nigeria, she is incorporating more of her culture into her art. Her facebook page states that she is “an artist figuring out her place in the world,” but with almost 8,000 fans, it is easy to see that her art appeals to and is appreciated by our generation. She is well known for her iPad skins and cell phone covers, which seamlessly integrate beauty and function for the aesthetically minded tech savvy individuals of the world.
Meet Modé Aderinokun. She is a young talented artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. We interviewd Modé to find out more about what inspires her stunning work.
Artist Spotlight
Elegushi Market, Lagos
The Red-Marked Clan
Falomo
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Paul Ryan as Jay Leno
The Soft Drink Elections
The Cola Election of 2012?
Change.org
YOUR SAY
CHANGE.ORG
What is change.org?
Change.org is the largest petition platform in the world. Its all about getting you voice heard, if you have an issue that your really passionate about then you can go onto Change.org and talk to other people who are passionate about that issue.
People from all around the world are starting petitions to make this world are better place. Here are some successful stories...
Trayvon Martin's parents win justice for their son.
After the tragic murder of their son Trayvon, their parents decided to start a petition on Change.org to put Zimmerman (the killer) in jail. Their story was successful and now Zimmerman is faced with a life time sentence in jail. Over 2 million people have signed up to help Trayvon.
On Tuesday (22 November) morning Kyle Sandilands went on a vicious attack of a journalist after she gave him poor ratings on his Monday TV show. He then use some inappropriate language on live radio. Major brands like Blackberry, Vodafone, Telstra, Foxtel, Video Ezy, and more are no longer supporting the Kyle and Jackie O show until he is fired.
Tony Nahal and his family are from Egypt, they came to Australia to seek asylum. They are being deported back to Egypt, where right now Coptic Christians are being slaughtered by Egyptian Police. The Minister for Immingration has now intervene thanks to Change,org getting more than 8,979 signatures making sure they stay in Australia.
Art Should Comfort the Disturbed
Kiki Valdes - "Sweet Bananas"
10 Movies to see this Halloween
Deep Red (1975) – A psychic is murdered. It's up to the musician that witnessed her murder and a tenacious reporter to find her killer.
Black Christmas (1974) – This film is considered to be the very first “Slasher” movie. A lewd phone call is the catalyst to a string of murders.
Behind the Mask: The rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) – In this sometimes hilarious, sometimes thrilling movie, a documentary film crew follows around a man who is taking all the steps necessary to become the next psycho killer legend.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (1988) – Michael Meyers awakens after ten years to hunt for his seven-year-old niece, and kill anyone who gets in the way.
Cabin in the Woods (2011) – Cabin in the Woods is a twist on the genre that will leave true fans awed by how the film deals with common horror archetypes.
Demons (1985) – Talk about claustrophobic. A group of people are trapped inside a theater as demons — who try to kill and posses their victims — continue to amass in numbers.
Return of the Living Dead (1985) – This is horror-comedy at its finest. Watch as a group of teens and medical supply employees try to fight off a horde of the undead. BRAAAAIIIIINNNNSSSS!!!
Sleepaway Camp (1983) – A shy, quiet girl is sent off to summer camp with her cousin in this Friday the 13th clone with a truly shocking surprise ending.
They Live (1988) – A pair of mysterious sunglasses allows a unemployed construction worker the ability to see the propaganda that is being fed to the people, as well as the creatures behind it.
Dead Alive (1992) – Directed by Peter Jackson, of Lord of The Rings fame, this film centers around the un-deadly effects of the Sumatran rat-monkey’s bite.
10 Movies To See This
HALLOWEEN
In the spirit of Halloween, a local aspiring horror-movie writer shares his picks for the most terrifying, thrilling, funny — and less obvious — fright films. You won't find The Exorcist here.
via: Concord Patch
Barack Obama Weave
I'm Barack Obama
and I approve this weave.
Lil Wayne-ism.
I don't always pursue a career in rapping and skating...
but when I do, I make sure to suck at both.
Photography Project 2012
Public Announcement Service : PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT 2012
I am currently working on a new photography project before the World ends, So I am looking to set up a Team that consists of Photographer, Videographers, Skaters, Bikers, Models, Graphic Designers and basically anyone who would put in their full effort to make this ONE OF A KIND photoshoot to ever take place.
Do take note this NOT a paid consignment and I understand our schedules are tight, But I do promise you, it will be an experience you will never forget. I would not share the full details of the concept of the Shoot, until I have picked out the Team and discuss with them first hand. (We all know there are copycats.)
I have tried to search for the concept that I want to work on, online, but I have yet to see any. So, hopefully, it will be World's First - Fingers crossed.
What I am Looking for?
-Skaters
-Bikers (Not Bikees)
You must be able to pull of tricks and high jumps. Having Tattoos would be a plus point. (Male or Female)
-Female Models
You must have a good physique and look good. Having tattoos would be a plus point, or one would be sponsored to you if you wish.
-Photographers
-Videographers
You must be flexible and you guys are the ones with the Magic.
-Graphic Designers
-Video Editors
Pretty much you guys have to sort out the final production.
Interested Parties : Email me your portfolio, and tell me about yourself in 150 words to : [email protected]
Do take note, I don't take shit from latecomers or those who come up with excuses for not turning up after selection. I need dedication from the Team Players. Do hope to hear from you soon !!
Puta Cake
A PUTA CAKE
Sometimes a puta needs a cake.
Mi noticia falsa
Las embarazadas también sufrirán recortes
El Gobierno Español aprueba la retirada de la Seguridad Social el uso de la Epidural.
Según los últimos datos publicados por el Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad, a primeros de 2013 se pondrá en marcha un nuevo plan para el reajuste del presupuesto anual perteneciente a la Seguridad Social.
Dentro de éstas medidas tomadas por el Gobierno se encuentra la suspensión parcial de un anestésico comúnmente llamado epidural. Un anestésico que a día de hoy todo el mundo conoce de él y que es normalmente usado en todos los hospitales de España.
Esta medida no es generalizada, tiene matices ya que siempre que sea necesario y la valoración médica lo recomiende se podrá usar sin problemas ya sea en casos urgentes o en personas con problemas para tolerar la anestesia general.
En el caso de las embarazadas la medida hace también matización ya que si una parturienta tuviese problemas a la hora de dar a luz o sufriera en pleno alumbramiento algún problema y necesitase de intervención quirúrgica se le suministraría la epidural sin problema alguno.
También si la paciente deseara con antelación el uso de la epidural, ésta podría serle suministrada previo pago del medicamento y no siendo reembolsable en caso de que no llegara a usarse por motivos del alumbramiento.
El precio del medicamento será estipulado y no se someterá a ninguna subida de precio en ninguna comunidad Española. Su preció se estipula que oscilará entre 200 y 300 euros.
Imagen de una mujer dando a luz sin epidural
La Ministra, Ana Mato afirma que ésta medida hará que España baje un poco su deuda y cita textualmente “no es lo mismo una persona que no está enferma en su consumo de medicamentos que una persona que sí lo esté”
Esta medida apoyada por el PP, es una muestra más que indica al pueblo español que los planes de gobiernos antes de las elecciones electorales no son cumplidas.
Autor: Elisabeth AG
Hye Park by Lim Han Soo
Hye Park by Lim Han Soo for
Harper’s Bazaar Korea July 2012
Does Honey Boo Boo look like Krang?
Coincidence?
A girl's legs are her best friends.
"A girl's legs are her best friends...but even best friends must part."
- Red Foxx
Time & Eternity
Jeremy Kwabena Ginsburg
I went to Ghana because I wanted to get a unique abroad experience and there was a program offered through my University that went to Ghana. The opportunity came about when I was working on campus with a student organization that did fundraising for an orphanage in Ghana. My friend, who got me involved, had been to Ghana a few times and told me about how great it was. I did some research, and all the content I read online spoke of Ghana so highly. I read a few blog posts about girls falling in love with the country and how they want to move back there and live in Ghana as soon as they graduate. When I read that, I knew I had to go! My family thought I was crazy, but they showed great love and support.
When I arrived in Ghana, it wasn’t as different as I expected. I settled in pretty well. I didn’t have that much culture shock. (I had more culture shock when I returned to the US.) I remember being HOT ALL THE TIME. The hardest adjustment was definitely the heat and the bugs. I remember not being able to sleep in the middle of the night because I was so sweaty and I was just itching all over my body underneath my mosquito net. I wasn’t use to all the new foods, but I wanted to taste them all! My favorite local dishes were fufu and ground nut soup. I didn’t expect Ghana to be so Westernized. On my second day, I went to the Accra Mall. I remember thinking, “Wow . . . am I really in Africa right now?!”
I lived in the International Student Hostel on campus during my stay, and had a very nice Ghanaian roommate. The experience of living in a society outside my own was phenomenal. I made a lot of great friends. I still keep in touch with many of them! Some of my friends in Ghana made me rethink my friendships back home because they seemed to be so much more meaningful.
Jeremy went to Ghana for 3 months and opened himself up to an amazing experience in which he learned a lot about himself and an entirely new culture.
Experiencing Africa
My most memorable experience was probably when I made my Azonto video. I was at Medina market dancing Azonto, and a crowd of thirty to fifty people were all watching and cheering. For the rest of the day, as I walked around the market everyone was yelling “Azonto Boy!” at me. Hiplife and Azonto music are still my favorite kind of music!
I love learning new languages. While I was there, I learned a decent amount of Twi, so that was great. And, my Pidgin is proficient. So, towards the end the language barrier wasn’t much of a problem. It was difficult sometimes when I traveled to non-Twi speaking regions, though.
From my experience, I learned to appreciate what I have and to be happy no matter the circumstances. I learned to greet people and be respectful to anyone you come in contact with. I learned that people are meant to help others. I also learned that germs are over rated! My perceptions have changed a lot. I no longer complain about little mundane things that happen here. I’m thankful for having running water, toilet paper, and electricity. I’ve also learned that most people generalize Africa in a way that makes every country of Africa seem like it is the same. I came back and everyone was asking: “How was Africa?!” “What is it like in Africa?!” “What do they eat in Africa?!” I was a victim myself, but most people realize that generalizing one country and referring to it as Africa is very misleading. No one goes to China and says, “Wow! In Asia. . .” You would never ask your friend who went surfing on the coast of California, “What are the waves like in the Pacific Ocean?” I can honestly say I have changed for the better, and it is noticeable. I’ve made so many more friends, I’ve become more popular, I’ve become nicer, more patient, and overall a happier being. I truly believe America would be a significantly better country if more people experience Ghana the way I did.
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Society & Culture
insert video here
Keegan Kolade O'Neil
EXPERIENCING AFRICA
I studied abroad in Ibadan, Nigeria. I chose to go there because I was studying Yoruba in college. Before leaving for Ibadan, I had become highly proficient in Yoruba, as I was already at a 4th year level in my second year of study .
Nigeria has a reputation that precedes it. My Nigerian professors didn't seem to want to scare me off, but they also didn't want to paint a bucolic picture that would prove false upon arrival. Many of my impressions came from the only travel book on the market for Nigeria (the Bradt guide), which suggested that Nigeria can be loud, confusing, and hot, but this chaos also binds the community together and makes Nigerians interdependent even more than many other nations on the continent. I certainly knew that I wasn't going to be having much of a vacation, but I was excited at the guarantee of a genuinely different cultural experience and, sometimes, an adventure. Nigeria is certainly known, also, for being a little dangerous, but that danger is not only blown out of proportion, but is also misapplied. Books and people will tell you about the past dictators and current armed robbers, but the real danger is the traffic. In fact, UW Madison eventually dropped my program a day before I was set to leave over safety concerns. I and my colleagues ended up leaving the university for a year and transferring our credits in.
My first impressions were unfortunately colored by my expectations, but soon those were overridden by the reality of Nigeria. I was incredibly paranoid for about a week, hearing sounds in the night that weren't there, some that were. The first night we arrived in Lagos, a man came to our door in the middle of the night and we were sure he wanted to rob us or do one of the many horrible things I had read in the guidebook or online. Similarly, I heard shouting and loud bangs in the city of Ibadan my first night there and couldn't sleep for fear that angry mobs were on their way to my door. I feel like a complete schizo thinking about my thoughts those nights, but, as I said, I was still trusting the word of westerners instead of my host family and teachers.
I couldn't believe how hot it was. The humidity kept me sweating all day. Having visited Mexico, Costa Rica, and Morocco before, I was still surprised at some of the infrastructural oddities of Ibadan. There would be no traffic lights or signs or lines on the roads, but everyone used cell phones all of the time. I also was not a big fan of Yoruba food at first, but that changed with time. Though I'm a vegetarian, I took a break while I was there and find that I can't help but suspend my own rules when I see a plate of suya in front of me.
I lived with a professor and his wife. They had had six children, but they all had moved away, so I lived with the neighborhood 'grandma' and 'grandpa.'
We lived in the bottom flat of a three story building on the University of Ibadan campus far from most of the campus buildings. The other families included kids of all ages, some who acted as peers and others and soccer friends. I met one of my best friend from Nigeria, Bimbo Benson, living in that building. I'm afraid sometimes that people will think I'm exaggerating when I say that I could not have asked for a better set of host parents. They had incredible patience with my attempts to learn and adapt to the country while accepting that they could not always understand where I was coming from. By a month in, I felt as though I had always lived there. There may be a lot of stresses that come with living in Nigeria and adapting to a foreign culture, but my experience with Nigerians is one that proves their reputation as some of the most accommodating hosts in the world.
Regarding culture shock, I was more surprised at how different it was to come home. In Nigeria, I could remake myself on some level and knew that my experience and friendships were probably not permanent. When I came home, though, I felt as though there was a life I used to have that I should be fitting back into, but I couldn't. You can't come back from an experience like that and be the person your friends and family remember you as, but you can certainly be better if you adapt the lessons you learned there to the life you live here.
Living in a society outside of my own could be difficult at times, but finding good friends helped. I became very close with some of the students that were there with me, but I also made some very close Nigerian friends that I still talk to. I also felt very connected to my host parents, and it was just as hard to leave them by the end as it was to leave my real parents at the beginning. Sometimes it was hard to see if someone wanted to be friends because they liked me or because they thought they could get something from me. I think most people within the university, though, didn't know what to do with us. I think we had weird accents in their language that almost no one had heard before. I can't say enough about how well my host family fit me into their functions, including the lead up to my host sister's wedding. I unfortunately missed the actual event due to a bout with malaria, but I appreciated the work they put into getting me clothing with the family pattern and driving me around town to meet the extended family. I didn't feel as though I had a huge circle of friends, but I certainly had a family there.
I was in Ibadan to learn Yoruba, so there was definitely a language barrier for the first few weeks. I would say that I was both surprised at how well prepared I was, but also how hard it was to keep up with the things people said. I was going into my ninth semester of Yoruba, but all of that vocabulary didn't prepare me to hear 'O wa nibe' as 'O wa nbe,' as close as they seem. Overall, I was happy at how much I already knew, and also how much I learned about speaking, listening, and using local terms and colloquialisms. We also picked up a number of choice words from cab drivers that you wouldn't want your host mom to catch you saying, and at times, with the traffic in Nigeria, those turned out to be the most useful.
"Though I'm a vegetarian, I took a break while I was there and find that I can't help but suspend my own rules when I see a plate of suya in front of me."
I had so many memorable experiences that it's hard to choose just one. Additionally, some of the most memorable were memorable precisely because they were frightening. For example, the day we arrived in Ibadan, just as we came off of the highway ramp into the market, we heard loud popping: going back onto the highway we had just left was a truck of armed robbers speeding away followed by a Nigerian police truck firing assault rifles at them. Absolutely everyone in the market ducked and we all just looked at each other wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. That turned out to be a one-time experience, though, and every interaction I had with the police after that was incredibly courteous and pleasant. My other memory was sneaking off to Kano. My friend and I had been told in no uncertain terms that we were not to go to the North. This was just after Osama Bin Laden had been assassinated and a month after election riots had turned Kano upside down. We arranged to stay with a Couchsurfer in the city, announced to everyone that we were heading to Abuja for a week, and promptly boarded a bus to the North.
Finally, Nigeria taught me to stop worrying about what others think about me as I would stick out no matter where I was in the country.
It seems like we in the United States try to pretend around a lot of minor cultural taboos, but Nigerians will do what makes sense. Free cans of soda at the party? Bag a couple up and take them home. Feel like sleeping at a long meeting? Just do it.
I miss the constant adventure that walking out of my door was every day. I also miss greeting people that I saw on a regular basis while walking to school or buying food. Tangential relationships rarely exist in the US, but in Nigeria, they abound. I also miss getting extremely cheap food being made over an open fire and eating it under a tree. I miss how much value I put on things like getting food I liked, or playing a game of soccer with other students. Sometimes I even miss the smell of thick diesel smoke in the air as I'm walking down the side of the road. I miss the absolute insanity and cacophony out in the city, and yet other times I am happy to have so much peace and silence when I want it. I miss the kids knocking mangos off the trees with their long sticks.
I don't miss the sometimes maddening attention that my presence would draw in most situations. I also don't miss people trying to price gouge me because they profile me. I don't miss the Jurassic-sized cockroaches or the hour and a half of prayers and introductions that prefaced even the smallest meetings. I don't miss power outages or drinking all of my water out of plastic bags. I don't miss hand washing all of my clothes. I really don't miss malaria.
My advice for students studying abroad in West Africa is "DON'T OVER PACK". I came with a hiking bag and a backpack for nine months and there were still things I don't think I needed. Others checked two bags and packed toiletries for nine months. If you need something there, then obviously it will be sold there. I also encourage students to try to learn outside of the classroom. I learned more about Yoruba language and culture running around the city and jumping into cabs than I ever did in the classrooms.
I spent over a year in Nigeria and my little taste of Africa has only increased my appetite. If I had to sum up my experience in three words, I would say that my time in Nigeria was "hot, unpredictable and real".
The bus took all night to get there, simply stopping on the road for a few hours round 3am, but playing ABBA's greatest hits the entire night. I will never forget trying to sleep in a bus seat somewhere outside of Kaduna as our driver is setting up his prayer mat on the road outside and Dancing Queen is playing at three in the morning. We ended up traveling all over Kano and seeing some amazing sights like 500 year old dye pits and magnificent mosques. I was glad that I had the chance to travel outside of Yoruba land and see some other parts of the country.
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I went through all of the classic steps of culture shock, but I felt as though I dealt with it fairly well. The first few weeks were a honeymoon with the country. Everything I saw and did was absolutely new. Over time, though, some things wore on me.
I'm not sure we ever met another Oyinbo that spoke anything past Yoruba greetings. I enjoyed this because it lent the whole experience and level of foreignness and adaptation to being a minority, albeit a privileged one. This, though, also meant that we really, really stuck out. After a while, being shouted at everywhere you went got old and sometimes stressful if we were trying to get something done at the moment. Eventually, though, you just get used to it and appreciated the random conversations you can have with people around the town.
My family thought that going to Nigeria was a good idea, but I think they were worried about safety a little bit. There is no way they would have even asked me not to go, I think they were just inwardly nervous about my safety. Afterward, they have agreed wholeheartedly that it was an incredibly valuable experience to have.
"It seems like we in the United States try to pretend around a lot of minor cultural taboos, but Nigerians will do what makes sense."
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Society & Culture
Keegan studied abroad in Ibadan, Nigeria for over a year to study Yoruba. Whilst there, he immersed himself in Yoruba culture and learned a lot about Nigerian society as a whole.
Keegan with host Mum
Keegan with host family
Ibadan