Sunday 22 June 2014

Weekend WOW factor..

Stories this week that caught my attention..
Case 1.. too hot to handle

Apparently a US police department facebook page was overrun by comments by lovestruck women and men, who just loved the look of this guy.
His picture has so far been “liked” by more than 40,400 people, has been shared 4,300 times (plus 1 now)and has almost 13,000 comments.


check the story here [click]

Case 2.. is full of Khat


Khat.. deserves a post all of its own for sure, but for now...
Khat is to be banned in the UK
News reports stated that the change in the law was brought about due to complaints by a number of Somali women who complained that Khat, was /is getting in the way of family life. ( and was/is the cause of many problems ) The men say it's just like drinking coffee in a cafe, or an Englishman going to the pub.

The ban, will have a serious impact on the lives and livelihoods of Khat farmers, and cafes run by members of the Somali community ( which will definitely impact on family life)

You can read more here [click]

Question is.. why has the government decided to ban Khat now..?
I struggle to believe that it's simply down to supporting the well being of Somali women

i'll be honest though.. I wouldn't want to share my husband with Khat if it means he's 'off key' and I never see him.. but a ban??



**

Case to answer
White working class children failing in school..?


Thier proposed solution.. ? make the school day even longer! [click]

Well, at least the haven't simply blamed ..
Absent dads
White culture
White music
Single mums
Laziness or lack of ambition
Low ability
Chips on shoulders
White attitudes ;)

I don't know.. If they ever say that Chinese children failing.. we got problems..

On a serious note.. having somewhere to complete homework is important.. which is why housing conditions, and space, living wage (at least )for employed parents, good childcare etc are so important.
It's never just one thing.

Anyway..til next time...






Marcus Garvey never stepped foot in Africa..

I learnt something new today.

I learnt that the first people to settle on the land that H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia set aside for Africans in the diaspora, in particular, those from the Caribbean, was a couple from Montserrat.
..they were called the Pipers.



It was part of an agreement made with the Ethiopian Government, and a Rastafarian delegation from England, and Jamaica. Initiated also in part by the Jamaican government, after a commissioned report by the University of the West Indies.

Big shout out to the Pipers.. Pioneers



Yaba Angelosi from South Sudan









I have this on replay

The Black Star..

Ghana played well yesterday. They played with the kind of confidence that Marcus Garvey spoke of.




The quote says.

" Long before many of us were even conscious of our own degradation, Marcus Garvey fought for African national and racial equality. I think that of all the literature I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm, was 'The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey'
- Kwame Nkruma -



It was in honour of Marcus Garvey and his Black Star line Co, that the Ghanain flag features the black star.. and Nkrumas fleet of ships also bore the same name



Ghana - the second Independent African country after Liberia (1821)
Liberia's independence was strengthened and supported by Black Americans and Caribbeans - even the Haitian revolution
Ghana's - was heavily influenced and supported by Black Caribbeans

It's a Diaspora thing

Go Ghana!


More info?
Kwame Nkrumah was influenced by the West Indian born black nationalist, Marcus Garvey, and decided to embark on a programme to systematically rid Africa of colonialism and neo-colonialism. [click]



Friday 20 June 2014

Friday' Reggae Mix ft Richie Stephens - Third World & Mikey Spice





Lovers selection












I love love this one by Mikey Spice most of all - next to 'shower Me'




Sweet love songs.. ft Maxi Priest









**

this is my special Maxi track



Just some random Friday thoughts; ft music from Luciano



It's Friday, it's been a long week, and I now have a few days to get on with my own work.
A 'balance' that really needed a shift. for sure.

I woke up early, feeling that yes, I do need to rest and recharge.

England lived up to my 2 game prediction, and the Ivory Coast looked a little lost last night. well.. both teams lost anyway
The English reserve doesn't work in every context. Especially not on the football pitch.
Sometimes.. you really just need passion.

They had chances to score, but those split second hesitations..
I don't know of a team , as frustrating as the England team

anyway.. today.. will be a football watch free day
Put away the mathematics..those boys are coming home..

**

I've only ever seen clips, but I don't 'get' the hype accompanying (the film) Frozen, why the song won an Oscar, or why it was granted an entire News feature in the a.m, other than to show us the fine art of Disney brainwashing.
A woman had her daughter sat in front of what looked like a 40" television as close as my lap top is to me now ( which is too close) and no-one thought to mention .. 'Hmm.. that's a bit close darling..'

I remember the days of hearing someone shout .. 'sit back too you're too close..'
Those days are gone.

**
I had a conversation a few weeks ago and every so often I wonder about it.

A lady went to a children's party.
The majority of parents in attendance were those who would possible define themselves (or who may, from the outside looking in, be termed..) middle class. Anyway, as the mums chatted away in thier groups over coffee, a child took all her clothes off and began wandering around. The child was about 3yrs old perhaps a little more. The person I spoke to said she felt very uncomfortable as the child did what children do and played with abandon. However, the lady was uncomfortable as it was a little girl child and there were many adults ( not all knew each other ) around.
No one said or did anything.

She said she was surprised as they were 'middle class parents' so she expected them to be more 'aware' .

We agreed it was a difficult one to address, but perhaps she could have called the parent aside and said something like '' ooh.. maybe you should put some pants on her.. you have to be careful nowadays!..

The lady that I spoke to said that she left the party early.

I can't help but wonder though..if those were a group of seemingly working class mothers.. would that have be frowned upon and dubbed irresponsible and reckless parenting...?

In truth I don't know, I really don't.
In other societies (and maybe other cultures) Perhaps it wouldn't even be an issue, but in this society.. It is.( Or at least it has become so)





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**

Religion, and our current (obsession with) religious conflict, masks the root causes of war to the point that I believe it has now become possible to fight .. kill innocent people, and forget why you're fighting.

It's like us ( me and you) right now...having an argument about who ate the last piece of bread.. then shifting to butter,, then to the butter knife, then to toast, the grill, then to wheat allergies.. then to pesticides.. then to organic food.. then the price of organic food, then farming, then famer's subsidies, then trade, then markets..then someone wearing yellow shoes in a market place, then shoes in general, feet.. on and on

When perhaps the answer was.. we need more bread.. please pick some up when you go shops.
But it's easily done. especially if you ate the last piece, and if you don't want to go to the shops.



**

Do we really give up as we get older?
It has been suggested to me that 'we' do
If so why?



I think when (or if) 'you' give up.. 'you' die a little more inside
I think that If we resign ourselves to a state that goes against our truth nature .. it's an uncomfortable and uneasy position to be in
If one doesn't believe something can get better - then surely it wont.. right?!


Nothing stays the same.. things are ever changing..
I'll tell you a secret...I don't know what it's like not to believe in ( or care deeply about) ..something
There are pros and cons to that..
But I would argue that everyone believes in something.. even if it's buried deep inside...
Subdued and silenced by the owners fear/s



**




Thursday 19 June 2014

Shurwayne Winchester

From Trinidad and Tobago..






This vid made me laugh.. ( I get the Trini accent mixed up with the Bajan sometimes..)
'you could sing i could play draugh...
Reminds me of carnival.. and summer..


Okay.. I'm awake now!

Maxi Priest - Gravity

Good morning to Thursday - good morning folks!

Wednesday 18 June 2014

Legacies of British Slave Ownership - UCL

I attended an interesting workshop this evening

The Project

'At the core of the project is a database containing the identity of all slave-owners in the British Caribbean at the time slavery ended. As the project unfolded, we amassed, analysed and incorporated information about the activities, affiliations and legacies of all the British slave-owners on the database, building the Encyclopedia of British Slave-Owners, which has now been made available online...'


The records of the Slave Compensation Commission, set up to manage the distribution of the £20 million compensation, provide a more or less complete census of slave-ownership in the British Empire in the 1830s. The individuals named in these records form the starting point of the Encyclopedia.

Please note that the records we have concern slave-owners; regrettably, we do not have information on the enslaved themselves.

The registers of the enslaved are held by the National Archives; you can read an account of them on the Moving Here site.



The database is definitely useful, and holds a great deal of information with regards to the wealth amassed from slavery and its political and cultural legacy and impact in Britain.

You can search individuals, Estates, colonies.. feel free to take a look [click]

Context

In 1833 Parliament finally abolished slavery in the British Caribbean, Mauritius and the Cape. The slave trade had been abolished in 1807, but it had taken another 26 years to effect the emancipation of the enslaved. However, in place of slavery the negotiated settlement established a system of apprenticeship, tying the newly freed men and women into another form of unfree labour for fixed terms. It also granted £20 million in compensation, to be paid by British taxpayers to the former slave-owners. That compensation money provided the starting point for our first project. We are now tracking back to 1763 the ownership histories of the 4000 or so estates identified in that project.

A little KCEE

This song reminds me of 'Brown girl in the ring' by Boney M



**

Weird vid



It's only Wednesday but I'm crazy tierd..

I've loved this one by KCEE (below) awhile so I'll treat myself.. ( and it) to an airing, as It's very relaxing
Maybe Nigeria should play this before they play thier next match..
I hyped up the Nigeria game so much in my house before hand...said "Come Ti.. come watch.." blah blah. Watched as the guys prayed.. then when the anthem came on I said, "Is that their anthem?!" ( I could have sworn I'd heard that tune somewhere else before)
"Err yes mum, it's not gonna be Wizkid you know.. what did you expect...some kinda Afrobeats?!.."
"Err I know Wizkid's not the national anthem.. hello.. what kinda dingbat do you take me for ?!"


Seriously, You don't get top class World Cup commentary like that on the box..

Gonna try catch a few games tonight

Anyway.. on with the show..
'Softly softly baby'

Well...the country may seem to be falling apart along with the rest of the world, but hey.. maybe music will save us all from ourselves..right



My prediction? Germany will win the World Cup

Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Evolution - Triple MG

Okay.. the Captain looked like a Captain alright:) but..well.. Nigeria played like a (not to hot) team over at Hackney Marshes!!
What happened?? lol!
Anyone know the final score of that match? :)
I fell asleep

Dig deep Nigeria.. bring the fire next time..

















Nice tracks..

Monday 16 June 2014

Gosh, Is the weekend over already!?!





But then you could say...


...yeah.. it was a long shot..



Here's an idea.. or "Lighbulb" as some may say..
Okay.. getting warmer


Hey.. whatever.. it's here.. just give it what you got..

Micky Flanagan ..

Is one of my favourite comics..
It's that cheeky cockney thing..










Sunday 15 June 2014

Chezidek

I had long fallen asleep so I didn't get to see the game , but saw the result on the news that England lot to Italy 2-1 :( . Ironically I don't think I've ever seen them play so well.. they looked Striking hot! to me, the little that I saw. I hope they make it though.

Now Striking hot.. is phrase I would also use to describe the Ivory Coast team who won their match against Japan.
Again.. I just saw the highlights ( wont be able to watch them all)

but again.. Holy Moly..top class hunk fest.



Happy Soulmate Sunday y'all x..



Open letter to Dad

"Hi Dad,

I always thought you'd be around
In fact, I used to think you'd be around forever
I hadn't known a day where I felt I couldn't turn to you, if I ever needed your help
I guess it's easy to become complacent..
To forget that we're only here for a while..

I know that you always had, only the best in mind, for me
You had high hopes for my future, for me, your youngest,
So I know you were not best pleased when I went off did my own thing, got pregnant early and ended up being a single mum after awhile
No, I didn't meet and marry the lawyer, doctor or anyone else ( with sense) that you would have probably expected me to
and no.. the weren't that tall either
and although you didn't speak to me for a year afterwards, I can honestly say that I saw you smile far more than frown

You and mum made marriage look easy.
If I could have even a fraction of what you both had, I'd be very lucky and very happy

They say that daughters tend to gravitate towards men who remind them of their fathers in some way
and I think for some time.. I consciously tried not to

I wanted to prove you wrong
prove that theory wrong
But I was wrong.
However, it's the kind of wrong you only learn through experience.. maturity or even wisdom
Well.. you do if you're " hard a hearing".. as you may have said.. or rather, if you " tek telling like horse.."

To be honest, I would only ever really be with someone who I respect, as much as I respected you
as to me , you were the coolest..
Tallest..
..most 'dapper' Dad I'd ever seen
and ever known..

The others say that I ended up being the spoilt one
but shhh.. I tell them they're wrong.. but even if they're right...so what?..yeah.. and? :)
I call it a perk of being the youngest, and a perk of being cute.. get over it

Tough, funny, playful, helpful, judgemental, kindhearted, wise, impatient, and fearless
Not perfect, but the perfect Dad for me

My kids liked to play swings on you legs, and dance to Michael Jackson in your Trilby
You were a great grandad.. so it was a sad time for all, when those swings were no longer there, and the trilby was relegated to the top of the wardrobe.

In truth, I suspect no one misses you more than mum
But on this Fathers Day..
I just wanted to say,
Thanks for being a great dad, the best dad,
Yeah, i'm still making up for all my Dawna'ness', while creating more along the way .. just as you knew I would.
But.. hey Dad, fret not..
I owe a-lot to you and mum... and thank you
but now..
I've got this"


**
Happy Fathers day to all Fathers, and Father's to be

Friday 13 June 2014

Out of nowhere

So.. I was walking home when this Ethiopian guy sprang to mind.
We spoke briefly on the phone the day before:)

Anyway, I got to the bottom of the road turned the corner and there he was!
What a nice surprise..
We ended up going for a walk, chatting and chilling in the park for awhile.
In fact, it wasn't until I noticed that he begun to consistently rub his eyes as they became redder and redder that I asked him if he had 'Hay Fever'

"Yes".. he said .. "I think so!!"
He didn't complain once

**

It was nice
It's easy being around him..feels good, as if we've known each other for years.
His mind is sharp, his wit quick, he's cheeky, funny , flirtatious, and not shy at all.

I have absolutely no idea what's going on, but.. I'm quite glad I turned around on Monday.

His accent is just so cute to me ..and I liked his smile even more the second time around

I too smiled.. alot

I asked him to say something to me in Amharic

"Samyigne.." he said with that smile of his
"What's that?" I said

I should have known.. :-)

Have you ever noticed that sometimes, things seem to come out of nowhere?

East Africa..hmmmm.

**

Anyway, after a long and busy week, I can honestly say that I'm actually really tired now, so as beautiful an evening as it is, under this cool breeze..I'm gonna get an early night.
Be still awhile.
Enjoy your evening all - night night x




J Martins - Kele Papa

It's Friday!!

Too bad Croatia, I was on top of the world last night when they were 1-0 up. I went to bed after they were 2-1 down. ( unfair penalty)
I've heard the final score was 3-1.

I've got to let it go. It's only a game

**

Well...those Brazilian guys are some fine specimens aren't they?

Holly Moly.. never seen the Hulk before


One more?


and as for Neymar..


Okay.. enough.. :)

Yes..It's World Cup and the World makes sense again

The worst PA ever for the JLo and Pitbull performance, but what the hey.. cant have it all


Happy Friday Folks
Good Luck for tomorrow England boys!!

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Urban Country

I took a quick trip over to mums this evening. In need of some inspiration.. and some mum.
We chatted and walked outside in the garden, as we did so I thought how nice it would be to buy some tickets for the Chelsea Flower Show and take mum.
She would love it.

Mum has always grown food, but what ive come to appreciate over the years are her flowers.

I don't know how it's even possible for my mums garden to have been totally wiped out flat a few years ago as a result of the big storm we had and her tree falling down.. but somehow.. it's grown back as lush as ever, and puts my own to shame.

I like colours.









I like the contrast of the flowers against the brick wall




This, is a Cactus.
I can't remember the name but I think my mum called it a dragon something.

All I know is it's quite stunning to look at.




Here are the regular Cactus.. looking unimpressed with all that 'showboating...





I decided to walk back.
It was warm enough, and I really didn't feel like waiting for a bus, and a walk is often a way to unwind

On the way home I passed a guy walking.. his pet Rabbit!

I had to ask him

"Is that your rabbit?!
"Yeah.." he said
"Doesn't he run away?!" I asked
"Nah.. he's a street rabbit.. here.. hold him
[laughing] " No it's okay.. can I take his picture?" I asked
"Yeah.. course".. he said .. " His name's Big Paws.."


...and here he is

Big Paws.


Sweet in the morning - Bobby McFerrin



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**

possibly best known for..



Mid Week.. x

Tuesday 10 June 2014

Mafikizolo feat May D - Happiness

I really like this video
Nice tune and I like the piano in thier tracks
Cool dance

Monday 9 June 2014

East Africa?

I always buy biscuits at the weekend for when Kai comes over (that's my excuse anyway)
I heard them clattering around in the kitchen, chatting and looking for the biscuits.. as they do..
So anyway, Ti's girlfriend thinks that little Kai has an accent, and was trying to work it out

So Ti asked him..
"Kai...where's your mum from again..?"

Kai...
"Roman Road market!!".


Yes - Life's very simple when you're young.

Which got me thinking on the way home today..

Children really are a blessing aren't they. Not just your own, but children in general.
I think it's very difficult to see a child being a child, and not feel a sense of joy.

If you were fortunate enough to have had a loving childhood I think often seeing a child tends to transport you back to that place; A place of joy where everything is easy, and nothing is impossible
Perhaps even if you didn't, you feel it anyway..
KnowwhatImean?

**

Ti made his first animation which I thought was really cute,
Here it is..



On the topic of boy meets girl ..
I bumped into a (handsome) guy from Ethiopia on the way home this evening ( although he has been here in England for years) anyway, somehow we got chatting.. (nice accent..) and he'd like to meet again.
It's funny, I haven't made it to the continent for the longest time...but the continent sure seems to be finding me these days!

.. and to think.. I was actually feeling a little blue.. clearly, I didn't look blue enough! :)
In fact, I really need to try and shake it off.. It's too exhausting, and I don't think it suits me as I actually like smiling too much

I like to play and I like to giggle and feeling blue really kinda messes with that

Okay.. so, it's an early night for me tonight
That's the plan anyway
A little Comedy with King of Queens - ( which I love) then up to Bedfordshire with a book

To sleep perchance to dream



Davido ft Mafikizolo



Mafikizolo [bio]

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Good morning x

Sunday 8 June 2014

Soulmate Sunday - with the Crown Prince of Reggae

Dennis Brown was born Dennis Emmanuel Brown in Kingston on the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, on February 1st 1957.
Singing as a youngster aged 9yrs, Dennis had his 1st hit aged 11yrs, with - No Man is an Island.




Dennis Brown, died of pneumonia, July 1st 1999 aged 42.
Brown, a phenomenal singer was alleged to have had only one lung.
It's alleged that his latter drug use ( cocaine ) weakened his remaining lung, and is reported to have died from lung failure related to pneumonia.

Other sources state that although never confirmed/diagnosed, Brown was believed to have the AIDS virus and died from AIDS related pneumonia. Only people that knew Dennis closely knew that his health was failing.

Dennis Brown was truly the crown Prince of Reggae and left us a catalog of some of the greatest ever music.
and i'm told by those who met him, that he was a really nice man.

It's a beautifully sunny day, I hope you enjoy..
and... enjoy the sounds of the Crown Prince of Reggae. x




















For a Dennis Brown biography click {here] and [here] and [here]

Saturday 7 June 2014

Just a Saturday music journey

Featuring

Bassekou Kouyaté
Rokia Traore
Habib Koite
Baaba Maal
Youssou N'Dou

















It's a Media Circus - Weekend WOW Factor


Wet your appetite...with..

The Seven 'Digital Deadly Sins [click here for interactive page]

**

Rollup rollup...

Cage 1

Ukraine has a new president
How sweet :)


I only know what I've heard.. that he's a billionaire

Petro Poroshenko [click]

Cage 2


Is one American solider equal to 5 Taliban commandos?
I've heard various comments about the story of Bowe Bergdahl


Yes, his father may look like some cool anti government tali-brand of the American variety. But then I wondered...Is he Jewish? I don't know, but, his speech... was interesting.


What was also interesting was why he thought his English speaking son may not be able to speak English anymore. He was away for 5yrs.. not 25.
Unless English was not his first language,( lord knows I struggle with it at times) , but I don't think that was the case


I wonder....
Was he the only captured American?
How, when and where did the swap talks take place..?
Why now?
and .. was he a deserter?.
Some think he was, and a home coming celebration was cancelled due to the anger of some, ( as it's alleged that American soliders died looking for a man that walked out of his base, unarmed in search of the Taliban) [click]

At least 1 person knows the real story..
one of which is Bowe.

**

Cage 3

..has got to be ..

Big Brother UK 2014.



A very clever format whoever 1st came up with the idea, that's for sure.
Big Brother was 1st aired in the UK in the year 2000, and has been popular viewing ever since.
Big Brother is an interesting study of human behaviour, or a human experiment if you wish to call it that
( the best study of human behaviour perhaps after 'life itself')

You can study the show, or better yet.. those who admit to watching it.. and those who passionately never will
But more so, I think Big brother is an interesting insight into British culture, a culture that some may not wish to see, or acknowledge, but one which exists nonetheless.
In many ways.. it's a slice of white British popular culture.

Or... perhaps the culture of 2,069, 809 Sun newspaper readers/and/or buyers at the very least

It can be funny to watch.

At one stage Big Brother was a little like watching those old Tarzan films.. when you knew the black one would be killed off first
Blink.. and they're out. Either that, or they would be accused of behaving badly - bitching, scaring or bullying, or just simply being too black, or ... not black enough.

Big brother is the 'Eton Mess' of TV

.
But it has begun to lose it's way, under a mess of big tits, wanna be 'Katie Price's', and just not enough original folk.
I saw the first episode by accident.

Two of the women had on pretty much the same dress ( the shame of it..) there was a 'handsome gay guy', a few 'up-tight-ers', and god knows who else. The audience were on top form. They booed a tall successful, driven, and goal oriented millionaire, and cheered heartily', an Essex boy who called women birds, and whose 'funny tale' was throwing up all over a girl after kissing her.
Right.
Did he throw up in her mouth?
Classy.

Wha- hey



The only non white woman was a black lady ( and dancer/or former dancer) called Pauline who's 49 and who, on immediately entering the house, took up the role of house mammy.
.. and in doing so.. was immediately rewarded and promoted for it
you really couldn't make it up.

Wha-hey

You don't need to do that Pauline.


Nice arse though. and.. she seems like a really nice lady

Big Brother - A decade of history [click]

**

Cage Open!



First it was thier integrity...and now Lib Dems lose deposit

The sign said - DON'T FEED THE ANIMALS.. :)


Gosh I Love the Lib-Dems..




..till next time