LETS GO REBRANDING : OUR WAY!!!!

What I want to write today is an article I will love you to pirate. I’ll like you to dub it, and put it on your blog post. Modify it if you like, give me credit if you want, or give me none at all. They say we’ll achieve a lot more if we don’t care who gets the credit.

I have refrained deliberately for a long time to make any comments about our National Rebranding exercise. I hope I will be able to say what boils in my throat and wrists tonight, without making too much reference to it. For all it’s worth though, I think the fundamental error I can see, is that Nigerians have not been made to own it, and hence rather than having people championing it, and helping others buy in, what we have is criticism and condemnation by the same people who would have been it’s champions.

Having said that however, I have a proposition of an exercise that we can own as Nigerians. It’s a simple idea and it came as a fallout of a discussion that ensued in my office yesterday. It’s an answer of what we can do to focus our leaders on the problems that we have as citizens and to assist them in giving it the attention it deserves. We no longer need any assistance from any source to know that our most crucial problem in Nigeria is Leadership! If we are all on the same page in this realization, then our efforts towards a better Nigeria must be channelled to support, focus and direct our leaders.

I remember shortly before the elections last year I wrote an article I titled, “Power is all we need!” I pleaded with our would be leaders not to promise us roads or education, but to promise us just one thing - Power! That if in any leaders 4 yrs tenure, we can celebrate 1 yr of uninterrupted power supply, then we should immortalize that president. Haven been to Egypt now to watch tombs, I say we must do the same, but before they die however.

First for the nation, then the states, then our local governments. Once we have a new president for example, we should as a nation analyze our most significant problem that we want solved in his or her tenure. After we have agreed on this problem, we should then go ahead and give that problem the same name with our president. We should substitute the name of our leader with this problem in our conversations, in our articles in newspapers, in our slang’s, in our music and drama. We should do this per state and per local government as well.

Let’s say for example that we have discovered that our biggest problem in Nigeria is Electricity, and for example that our president’s name for the tenure was Yaradua. Then everytime light goes, every time we are in darkness, everytime we have any issues, our conversations should be like this.

When it is bad as it is - “Chai, Yaradua has gone again”, “Ah, we have not had Yaradua for the last 2 days”, “This Yaradua is so unstable”, “Ah what did we do today oh, we have half Yaradua today”,” What’s wrong with you, you are complaining that you haven’t seen Yaradua for 3 days, what about people that haven’t seen Yaradua for one year! or ever!”, “I wasn’t able to do it overnight, because Yaradua kept fainting”, “We have been using Yaradua as backup to our Generator”, “Iron your shirts, Yaradua may soon go oh”, ”

When this start becoming good - ” Up Yaradua!”, “Yaradua is really trying oh, we are not where we want to be, but we are far from where we were”, “Yaradua has been consistent for the past 24hrs”, “Ah, we need to celebrate 1yr of uninterrupted Yaradua”, “Yaradua is so much better these days”, “With Yaradua so constant, Nigeria is really becoming the most desirable nation to live in on earth”. “Yaradua is constant in all the states of Nigeria and the structures are in place to get Yaradua into all the local governments.”

Can you on your own get new ones?

If we keep speaking this way, our leaders will know that we mean business with our desire for solutions. The next president will also know that one critical unsolved problem will bear his name until it’s solved. I recommend, that whichever president fixes electric power be given the opportunity to forever bear the same name with electricity in Nigeria and be forever immortalized in the lips and minds of Nigerians. The same for every future identified problem. A similar approach should be taken to the state levels. Whatever problem we align and identify must be instantly changed to the name of the Governor. If the issue in Lagos for example was Transportation and assuming the Governor was Fashola, then by now, people should be saying “Fashola is getting better in Lagos now”, or ” I entered one wrong fashola and they collected my phone and laptop.” or “Big Fashola (BRT) is actually making life easy for Lagosians”. We can identify the states one by one and identify the problems that need to be solved and replaced with their name.

My people say that whatever hurts one, must be primary in one’s conversation - “Oun to ba duni lo n po loro eni”

HHWA Nominee list out!!!

The organizers of annual Hip Hop World award has released the list of nominees for the 2009 edition. Enjoy

HHWA1 ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Best album (solo or group) in year under review that meets judges’ requirements of excellence (in every realm: songwriting, production, rendition, promotion and acceptability (sales, popularity)

ENTERTAINER
Artiste - D’Banj
Producer(s) - Don Jazzy
Record Label - Mo Hits Records
GONGO ASO
Artiste - 9ice
Producer - ID Cabasa, Puffy T
Record Label - Alapomeji Records

PARADIGM SHIFT
Artiste - Mode 9
Producer(s) - Kraftwork, Jonah D Monarch, Wazbeat, Light house, Jesse Jagz
Record Label - Red Eye Music

TALK ABOUT IT
Artiste - M I
Producer(s) – Jesse Jagz, M.I, Kraftwork
Record Label – Chocolate City

UNSTOPPABLE
Artiste – 2Face
Producers – J Sleek, Mic Tunes, Chakademus & Pliers, R Kelly, Sharks, Ozzy, Wayne Mc, Jiggy Jegg, B. Howard
Record Label – Hypertek Records
HHWA2 ARTISTE OF THE YEAR
Most critically and commercially adjudged artiste in the year under review Overall most successful artiste for the year under review.

D’BANJ OLADAPO DANIEL OYEBANJO JUNIOR PSQUARE PETER AND PAUL OKOYE TIMAYA INETIMI ALFRED ODOM 9ICE ABOLORE AKANDE
HHWA3 SONG OF THE YEAR
Most popular song from an album in year under review. Decided by voting

“FALL IN LOVE”
Album- ENTERTAINER
Artiste- D’banj
Producer - Don Jazzy
Record Label - Mo Hits
“INCASE U NEVER KNOW”
Album - MUSIC BUSINESS
Artiste – 2Shot ft. Timaya
Producer – Terry G
Record Label – Umunamu Records

“GONGO ASO”
Album- GONGO ASO
Artiste - 9ice
Producer - ID Cabasa
Record Label - Alapomeji Records

“GOOD OR BAD”
Album - GET SERIOUS
Artiste - J Martins ft. Timaya and P-Square
Producer - J Martins
Record Label - Don Family Records
HHWA4 RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Best single recording (on-air only or released) by artiste or group in year under review. Originality and production very essential

“STREET CREDIBILITY”
Album - GONGO ASO
Artiste - 9ICE FT. 2Face
Producer – Id Cabasa
Record Label - Alapomeji Records

“NOT THE GIRL”
Album – UNDAREYTED
Artiste - Dare Art Alade
Producer - Tee-Y Mix
Record Label – Soul Muzik
“MITCHELL”
Album – ETCETERA
Artiste – Etcetera
Producer – Etcetera and Jo’kaynie
Record Label – X3M

“CAN’T DO WITHOUT YOU”
Album – UNSTOPPABLE
Artiste – Tuface Ft. Melissa Briggs
Producer – Mic Tunes
Record Label - Hypertek Music

HHWA5 PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
The individual responsible for producing the most acclaimed album in the year under review. His CV for the year includes top notch tracks and production credits no one can fault.

TEE-Y MIX
Album Title – YOU KNOW MY P
Artiste - Naeto C
Song Title – “KI NI BIG DEAL”

DON JAZZY
Album Title- ENTERTAINER
Artiste – D’Banj
Song Title – “FALL IN LOVE”

ID CABASA
Album Title – GONGO ASO
Artiste - 9ice
Song Title – “GONGO ASO”

TERRY G
Album – MUSIC BIZNESS
Artiste - 2 Shotz
Song Title – “IN CASE YOU NEVER KNOW”

JESSE JAGZ
Album – TALK ABOUT IT
Artiste – M.I
Song title – “SHORT BALCK BOY”
HHWA6 BEST MUSIC VIDEO (AWARD GOES TO DIRECTOR)
Best conceptualist, best edited, best picture, best directed and most exciting video in year under review as voted by fans and decided by the jury.

ALFONSO DORMUN
Album Title – BIG BOY
Artiste - eLDee
Video Song Title – “BO SI GBAN GBA”

JUDE OKOYE
Album Title - GAME OVER
Artiste - P Square
Video Song Title – “ROLL IT”
DJ TEE
Album Title - CV
Artiste – Mo Hits All Stars
Video song Title – “PERE”

IGHO
Album Title – GET AWAY
Artiste - Igho
Video song Title – “NAIJA BOY”

HHWA7 BEST REGGAE/DANCEHALL ALBUM
Best reggae or dancehall album in year under review

GIFT AND GRACE
Artiste - Timaya
Producer(s) - K Solo, Akeem D’Beat, Jeggs, Spankie, Terry G,
Record Label – Dem Mama

ME MUSIQ AND I
Artiste – Blackface
Producers – George Nathaniel, Blackface Naija, Terry G, Pro-Kessy, Henry Hope,
Record Label – Loud Houz Entertainment

ICHIBAN
Artiste - Chakka Da’ Souljah
Producer(s) - Del B
Record Label - Premier Music

MY SHINE
Artiste – Black Solo
Producer(s) - Jah Mix, Zeeno Foster, DMM
Record Label - Kiss Music
HHWA8 BEST R ‘N’ B/ POP ALBUM
Best R&B or pop album in year under review (by single individual or group)
ENTERTAINER
Artiste- D’Banj
Producer(s) - Don Jazzy
Record Label- Mo Hits
UNSTOPPABLE
Artiste – 2Face
Producer(s) – J Sleek, Mic Tunes, Chakademus & Pliers, R Kelly, Sharks, Ozzy, Wayne Mc, Jiggy Jegg, B. Howard
Record Label – Hypertek Records

ETCETERA
Artiste – Etcetera
Producer(s) – Etcetera, Jo’ Kenny, Mr Daz, Chris Yakub
Record Label – X3M
GONGO ASO
Artiste- 9ice
Producer(s) - ID Cabasa, Puffy T
Record Label- Alapomeji Records

MR CAPABLE
Artiste - Banky W
Producer(s) - ID Cabasa, Music Men
Record Label - Empire Mates Entertainment
HHWA9 BEST RAP ALBUM
Best album by a rap artiste or group in year under review

TALK ABOUT IT
Artiste- M I
Producer(s) - M I, Jesse Jagz, Kraftworks
Record Label- Chocolate City
PARADIGM SHIFT
Artiste - Mode 9
Producer(s) - Kraftwork, Jonah D Monarch, Wazbeat, Light house, Jesse Jagz
Record Label- Red Eye Entertainment
SECOND TURNING BY THE RIGHT
Artiste - Lord Of Ajasa
Producer(s) - ID Cabasa,
Record Label – Oti Po Ju

YOU KNOW MY P
Artiste - Naeto C
Producer(s) - Tee-Y Mix
Record Label - Storm Records
HHWA10 BEST COLLABO
Best R&B, Pop or hip hop collaborative track (including cameos) in year under review

“STREET CREDIBILITY”
Artistes – 9ice FT 2Face
Producer – ID Cabasa
Record label- Alapomeji Records
“LE FENU SO”
Artistes - Lord Of Ajasa FT 9ice
Producer – ID Cabasa
Record Label- O Ti Po Ju
“GOOD OR BAD
Artistes - J Martins FT Timaya AND P-Square
Producer – J Martins
Record Label- Don Family Records
“E FI MI SILE”
Artistes - YQ FT Da Grin
Producer – Dr. Frabz
Record Label- 2 Koncept Entertainment

“BUSH MEAT”
Artistes - Sound Sultan FT 2Face & W4
Producer – J Sleek
Record Label- Naija Ninja

HHWA11 BEST RAP SINGLE
Best single released on-air recording of a rap song

“SAFE”
Artiste(s) – M I ft Djinee
Producer – M.I
Record Label- Chocolate City

“TALKING TO YOU”
Artiste(s) – Mode 9 ft Banky W
Producer – Banky W
Record label- Red Eye Music

“WA WA ALRIGHT”
Artiste(s) – Kel
Producer – Suspect
Record Label- Capital Hills Records

“KINI BIG DEAL”
Artiste(s) – Naeto C
Producer – Tee-Y Mix
Record Label- Storm Records

HHWA12 BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (MALE)
Single male artiste with most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album

DARE ART ALADE
Album Title - UNDAREYTED
Record Label – Soul Muzik
Producer- Cobhams
Song Title - “NOT THE GIRL”

BANKY W
Album Title - MR CAPABLE
Record Label - Empire Mates Entertainment
Producer- Muzik Men
Song Title - “DON’T BREAK MY HEART”
ETCETERA
Album Title - ETCETERA
Producer- Etcetera and Jo’Kaynie
Record label – X3M
Song Title- “MICHELLE”
WANDE COAL
Album Title - FROM M TO M
Producer- Don Jazzy
Record Label – Mo Hits
Song Title- “TABOO”
HHWA13 BEST VOCAL PERFORMANCE (FEMALE)
Single female act with most outstanding vocal performance on a single song or album
OMAWUNMI
Album Title - WONDER WOMAN
Producer - Cobhams
Record Label – Wonder Woman
Song Title - “IN THE MUSIC”
NIKKI LAOYE
Album Title - ANGEL 4 LIFE
Producer - Cobhams
Record Label – Wahala Media Entertainment
Song Title - “NEVER FELT THIS WAY BEFORE”

WAJE
Album Title- BREATHLESS (Unreleased)
Producer - J Martins
Record Label – Dome Records
Song Title- “SOMEWHERE”

HHWA14 NEXT RATED
Most promising upcoming officially unreleased act in the year under review

YQ
Track Title – “E FI MI LE”
Record Label – 2Koncept Entertainment

MP
Track Title – “PASA PASA”
Record Label – Lime Lite Records

KEL
Track Title – “WA WA ALRIGHT”
Record Label - Capital Hills Records

D’JINEE
Track Title – “LADE”
Record Label – Polar Media

OMAWUNMI
Track Title – “IN THE MUSIC”
Record Label – Wonder Woman
HHWA15 HIP HOP WORLD REVELATION
Best new artiste in the year under review

M I
Album - TALK ABOUT IT
Full Name – JUDE ABAGA
Record Label – Chocolate City

BANKY W
Album- MR CAPABLE
Full Name – BANKOLE WELLINGTON
Record Label – Empire Mates Entertainment

NAETO C
Album- YOU KNOW MY P
Full Name – NAETOCHUKWU CHIKWE
Record Label – Storm Records
NIKKI LAOYE
Album- ANGEL FOR LIFE
Full Name – NIKKI LAOYE
Record Label – Wahala Media Entertainment
HHWA16 AFRICAN ARTISTE OF THE YEAR (NON NIGERIAN CATEGORY)
Special award for an individual African artiste with the most outstanding album and astonishing achievements in year under review
BUFFALO
“BUBBLE YOUR BUMZ”

TINNY
“I DEY KOLO”

DOGG
“CAN YOU FEEL IT”

WITNESS
“ZERO” HHWA17 LYRICIST ON THE ROLL
Rap Artiste with best lyrical depth and performance on a single song or album

MODE 9
Album Title- PARADIGM SHIFT
Record Label- Red Eye Music
Song Title - NINE

M I
Album Title - TALK ABOUT IT
Record Label - Chocolate City
Song Title – TALK ABOUT IT
LORD OF AJASA
Album Title - SECOND TURNING BY THE RIGHT
Record Label - O Ti Po Ju
Song Title – ESA LO BA DE
DAGRIN
Album Title – CEO (Unreleased)
Record Label - Satty Record and Mi So Fun Yin
Song Title - PON PON PON
HHWA18 BEST STREET HOP
The most popular street-hop single in year under review

“E SA LO BA DE”
Artiste- Lord Of Ajasa
“PON PON PON”
Artiste- Da Grin
“04 KA SI BE”
Artiste- DJ Zeez
“E FI MI LE”
Artiste-YQ

“COLLABO”
Artiste- DeeBee

HHWA19 HIPHOP WORLD HALL OF FAME
Non competitive category

GRAND MASTER LEE
PHILLIP TRIMNELL

THE NIGERIA WE DESERVE!!!

I’m sorry if I’m digressing from the better life gist a little. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel really really moved when I think about Nigeria. Do you? I know I am not alone, I certainly am not. I’m not even the first to feel this way, but I feel so strongly that I must contribute my quota into transforming Nigeria into the future I know it has. We might be divided in our past, but we are united in our future. We might have diverse tribes and languages, but we can aspire to one vision. My destiny and if you think about it, yours as well, is tied to this country! When we pray for the peace of our Jerusalem, we are qualified to prosper in it!

I’ve had an opportunity to attend a few brainstorming sessions recently with Fela Durotoye and a number of other passionate change agents in Nigeria, and I know that the cloud is gathering, and the rain will fall! I have had the opportunity also of speaking with accomplished Nigerian business leaders, and the question I find on the lips of the ones with the right values is, “after we have made all this money what next, what legacy will we leave to generations unborn, is this our best as a country?” Think about it, we all believe we deserve a Nigeria that is better than this. I mean, really think about it, you and I know people who would lead and administer every state, ministry and parastatal better. What will it cost us to have 36 Fashola’s spread across Nigeria? What will it cost us? I’m not claiming that he’s a saint, and really maybe what we need as a next step is not an outright saint, but concientous leaders who believe they owe us something in their tenure as leaders.

I regularly marvel at how blessed we are as a nation. You sit down and think about it, not out of patriotism or anything, but standing outside as an observer, if I wasn’t a Nigerian, I would have said that God favoured this country.

Is it arable land? We have it in abundance! While countries like Japan are chocked up without space, and to survive would build airports on water, we have land mass, not only land mass like they have in the Dubai and UAE deserts, we have arable and fertile ground. We have land that can grow anything without much efforts. CIA reports say that we have very good surface water, Malaysia for a fact proved that we could have made more from palm oil than crude oil. Our problem is not our land.

Is it brilliance or intellectual prowess? I don’t mean to be proud, but I have heard of average and percieved below average Nigerians get overseas {yankee or Jand} and become classified as geniuses. I’m sure a number of you out there in diaspora can share stories and testimonies of how you got to your class with a complex and became a super star in 1yr. Do I have a witness? If you look into different disciplines globally as well, you’ll find Nigerians excelling and in top positions. Our brains are correct. Our problem is not in our brain.

Is it man power? Skilled and Unskilled labour, we have! With a population that makes us the most populous black nation on earth, a quarter of Africa and 10% of the black race. We have the numbers and the cost of living that can help us be the manufacturing hub or IT hub of the world. Our unemployement and underemployments rates are so high, some of us are doing more than we should be doing. We have people that we can direct, we have an army that we can lead. We’ve got the numbers. Our problem is not our population.

Is it natural resources? We have in Nigeria over 37 mineral resources that have been discovered in commercial quantity. This means if we shift our gaze from oil, there are 36 other minerals that can occupy our attention sufficiently. In natural resources we rank among the top countries in the world so blessed. We don’t have a want of what to naturally generate income from.

Is it our personality? Nigerians are some of the most passionate people in the world, if not the most. If you want to know, just get two Nigerians to argue about a football match or anything in particular. I once attended a training in poland where I was approached by some of the facilitators on the account of my contagious passion. I told them, that if they think I am passionate, it’s because they have not been to Nigeria. Passion is that quality that makes you put a lot more into whatever it is you are doing. We are passionate people.

Is it our culture? We have one of the closely knit together cultures in the world. We have very close extended family systems, we are more united than most countries. Telecommunication companies are making a killing in Nigeria because we like to be in touch. If viral marketing can work anywhere in the world it’s with us, if word of mouth epidemic can be spread anywhere in the world it’s with us. If all the nations of the earth do network marketing together we have proven our capacity to be number 1. Our culture is not our problem.

What then is our problem? What one thing will we solve that will make it clear to us that things can begin to change? I believe very strongly, and I have the backing of my elders in saying that that thing, is that we the enlightened rise up and take responsibility for our nation. If darkness reigns it’s because light refused to shine. Darkness has no measure, the degree of darkness we suffer is a direct measure of how lightless we are. For how long will we have candles and not light them up, for how long will we have generators and not switch on the light. For how long will we be slaves in our own countries? For how long? For how long will we travel out of our nation to slave it away for other economies simply because they have better systems and consequently better leaders? For how long? For how long will you and I continue to be spectators in the game of our lives? For how long will we wait for television and radio to tell us the fate of our nation. When will you and I become news makers? When?

The answer my friend is NOW! The future is a moving target that changes with every passing second. To capture the future, we must begin NOW. In the weeks ahead, we will put flesh on it, in weeks ahead we will come out with our strategy. Today, let’s build the workforce and the financiers of the future. You are not alone, we are legion! When we come together our productivity increases by as much as 80%. Together, we must build a critical mass of people who when they put their voices together and step out in the same direction, can steer the direction of this nation. Our quest is simple, we want to deliver for Nigeria, the right (visionary administrators who have concrete plans for Nigeria and have demonstrated the capability to lead us) political leadership, and an enlightened (people that are easy to govern, difficult to rule and impossible to enslave) followership. To Join us, click here.

We will celebrate key milestones. Once we are 100, everybody on the database get’s a congratulatory text message. Our next milestone will be 1000, all the 100 will be required to get 10 of their friends subscribed. Then we will work towards, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 1,000,000 and 5,000,000. There is no demand from anybody at the moment, but the demands will come - demands for skill, for time, for finance, for vision, for presence. Together, we will make this country work, we will leverage on support in Nigeria and in Diaspora. Our brothers and sisters outside are a great advantage, they can be our voices in the cases where our being on ground can be threat. Our activities will be pro-good governance, we will not be a political party but we will work with all political parties. We will be a voice and an arm in the birth of the future. Am I interested in politics? Yes! Do I want to vie for political office in 2011? NO! If we find someone who wants to and has what we are looking for, we will make them our leader. We need light in this country, in evey sense of the word!

The future is the Voltron, the New Nigeria Club is one of the Lions. Let’s form the Voltron! Join the future movement today, and send the mail to your friends. www.thefuturemovement.org/register

N.B THIS ARTICLE IS FROM MY FRIEND'S WEBSITE. DEOLUAKINYEMI.COM

XCELLENT SERVICES: DUCK QUACKS, EAGLES SOAR

THIS IS A POST FROM A FRIEND'S BLOG, I EDITED IT A BIT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU DIRECTLY. READ ON:

i am a believer in excellent service and terrific relationship while serving your client as this keeps them coming to you for years. Knowing you are a partner in their business makes a lot of difference !

Being a partner with our clients and making sure they are given value for their money, keeping our client in a relationship of true respect and friendship! Always ready to provide solutions to challenges as you are paid to think, being creative with ideas and delivering an excellent job, on time with an excellent spirit! We also have to be deadline conscious, proactive, being steps ahead of our game, laughing/enjoying ourself as we work and above all praying to God about everything from start to finish as the job of servicing people in any capacity is high risk/challenging and with the Nigerian factors, its all this raised to power infinity!

Anyhow, if you are in business for your self or working for others, this is the time to take your game to the next level as the Divine change, Fulfillment, manifestation, miracles, signs and wonders we are talking about as this year's theme starts with all this and more. This is the year of no excuse! as my Mentor will say: Dont tell me how you get the result, just get it!!! Enjoy !



No one can make you serve customers well.
That's because great service is a choice.

Harvey Mackay, syndicated columnist, and one of America's most popular business speakers tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point.

He was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey .

He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.'

Taken aback, Harvey read the card.

It said: Wally's Mission Statement:
To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean!

As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.'

My friend said jokingly, 'No, I'd prefer a soft drink.'

Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice.'

Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.'

Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.'

As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.'

And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him.

Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts.

'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?'

Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day.

He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It .
Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.''

'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally.


'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.'

'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said.

'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it.
You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.'

Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting.

Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles.
How about us?


Smile, and the whole world smiles with you...


The ball is in our hands!

Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar!

LIVE A BETTER LIFE!!!!

An old man who lived long ago enjoyed a reputation in his community for near-infinite wisdom. A young lad, skeptical of the aura surrounding the old man, decided to demystify him once and for all. He caught a cricket, enfolded it in his hands and called out to the old man, “Old man, the cricket I am holding, is it alive or dead?” the young man had come up with a clever idea though, he thought “if the old man says the cricket is alive, I shall crush it in an instant, “if on the other hand, he says it is dead, I shall release it and show him to be wrong”. The old man then looked at the boy squarely and told him in a slow deep voice, “Young man, whether the cricket is dead or alive lies in your hands” the young man went back disappointed. My friends, whether this year is going to open you up to endless possibilities or perilous experiences is up to you. Living a better life is about being able to live life at its peak and fulfill your destiny on this terrestrial platform. All I will be sharing with you in this article that will pace you up for success s encapsulated in the word; B-E-T-T-E-R.

B- Be bold: 2009, like every other year, is not going to be a piece of cake but our fulfillment and roof raising achievement is predicated on the magnitude of boldness we take into the New year which eventually makes us outstanding in our various life’s pursuit. In the words of Dolores Ibarruri, “It is better to be the widow of a hero than to be the wife of a coward” To be willing to do better, you have to face your fears and lean on your faith. Owen Gee, one of the Nigeria’s comedians took a bold step when he quit his lucrative job to pursue his passion – stand up comedy. Today, Owen Gee is living his dream and crashing ceilings in his chose craft. So many other examples of such people abound around us.

E- Embrace Excellence: Vince Lombardi said, “Your success in life will be determined by the depth of your commitment to excellence than by any other factor” Resolve to be the very best at what you do, seek to increase your capacity for excellence and efficiency.

T- Think Possibilities: people bound for greatness think possibilities all the way. They are die-hard optimists who are unshakeable despite the gravity of whatever they are going through. In life, you most times don’t get what you deserve, you mostly get what you believe and enthusiastically expect.

T- Tenacity: Michael Jordan was told he was not good enough when he decided to join his varsity basketball team, but he refused to give up. Today, he is one of the greatest sportsmen of our time. Mahatma Gandhi once remarked, “ The history of the world is full of men who rose to prominence by tenacity” So be tenacious, persistence wears out every resistance.

E- Execute: Kane Kramer, a British gentleman, designed and sketched the first Ipod in 1979, but did nothing with it. Today, the Ipod has taken over the world while he remains until recently, a store man at a furniture company in Hertfordshire, England. http://blogs.abcnews.com/worldview/mike_lee/index.html. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1053152/Apple-admit-Briton-DID-invent-iPod-hes-getting-money.html. http://litwc.com/2006/04/19/mp3-inventor-is-worlds-biggest-failure/. Nothing happens unless you move and nothing moves until you move it. Action orientation is still the culmination factor that leads to predictable success. Resolve to take steps of action towards your projects, dreams, proposals and plans this year.

R- Remember God: After all said and done, the role of God can never be underestimated in the affairs of men. No one can do what God can do, solely because he rules over the earth. Beyond your plaques, achievements and successes, you will still need to hook up with God if you really desire to go a long way in 2009.

* This year can be your best ever in your lifetime even in the face of recession, if you act on these outlined thoughts. HAVE A GREAT YEAR.

WORLD'S BIGGEST BLUNDERS THAT COST THEM A FORTUNE!!

WHEN unknown writer Charles Webb sold the rights to The Graduate for £14,000, he thought he was quids in. How wrong can you be?
Since 1967, when his novel was turned into a hit movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, it has made more than £60million.
Meanwhile, 66-year-old Webb and his wife Fred have debts of £30,000 and face eviction from their flat in Hove, East Sussex.
Here, we take a look at some other costly mistakes...

*Record boss who turned down the Beatles
IN 1962, the year before Beatlemania erupted in Britain, the Fab Four travelled from Liverpool to London in a bid to get signed by Decca Records.
At their audition, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and then drummer Pete Best belted out 15 songs but Decca boss Dick Rowe was unimpressed and turned the band down. He complained they sounded too much like The Shadows, adding: "Guitar groups are on the way out."
Instead he signed Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Oops.

*Wannabe who quit Spice Girls

IN 1994, more than 400 hopefuls replied to an ad wanting five girls for a new group. And Victoria Adams, Mel Brown, Geri Halliwell, Melanie Chisholm and Michelle Stephenson were duly signed up.
But after months of hard graft with nothing to show for it, 25-year-old Michelle quit to be replaced by Emma Bunton.
Two months on, The Spice Girls signed a £2million deal and became one of the biggest bands of the '90s. Michelle sighs: "You can't spend your life regretting things."

*Toy firm could have had the Monopoly

IT'S the biggest-selling board game in the world, but Monopoly's inventor had a hard time trying to get it into shops.
Unemployed salesman Charles Darrow, from Pennsylvania, created the real-estate game in 1933. But when he approached Parker Brothers to see if they'd be interested in marketing his creation, they pointed out 52 errors - including the fact it took too long to play, and turned him down.
He put it on sale himself at $4 a set - and the toy company was forced to buy him out a year later when it became a huge success.

*Studio that lost Star Wars

BACK in 1975, up-andcoming director George Lucas pitched a movie idea to Universal about an epic intergalactic battle between good and evil.
But the film studio wasn't interested, calling the script unfathomable and silly. So Lucas took Star Wars to 20th Century Fox instead.
Since its release in 1977, the hit sci-fi movie and its sequels have made over £1.5billion.
"Silly" money indeed..

*Safety pin king wasn't sharp

ALTHOUGH it had been around for thousands of years, American Walter Hunt re-invented the safety pin in 1849 but then sold the patent for just $400. Since then, it's estimated that enough modern safety pins have been manufactured to reach to the moon and back twice.


*Missed Window of opportunity

SOFTWARE genius Gary Kildall turned down a deal that could have made him the richest man in the world.
In 1980, computer giant IBM offered him the chance to supply an operating system for their PCs.
When he turned them down, the firm went to Bill Gates' Microsoft which snapped up the offer. Now Gates is worth £28billion while Kildall died in a 1994 brawl.

*No notes for music pioneer

APPLE'S iPod is the world's fastest-selling electrical item, shifting 41 million units in five years. Just don't mention it to Britain's Kane Kramer, who invented a way of storing music on a digital chip back in 1979. Nine years later, he couldn't afford to renew the patents and the tech - nology became public property. Kramer, who now runs a Hertfordshire furniture shop, says: "In a way, I'm the world's biggest failure."

Genius's power failure

NIKOLA Tesla was the genius behind the neon bulb, neon lights. He also formulated the principles of radio, radar and the microwave oven.
A Slav immigrant to the US, he was hailed as the world's greatest inventor and earned lucrative royalties. Unfortunately he ploughed his money into an ill-fated lab and a wireless transmitter and ran out of money before it could be completed.
He sold the rights to all his inventions to electrical firm Westinghouse for $216,000. While others made millions from his research, Tesla died penniless in 1943.

*Star who wished he'd given a damn

IT'S one of the best-loved movies ever, but Gary Cooper wasn't interested in starring in Gone With The Wind. When Cooper learned the studio had found an actor to play Rhett Butler, he commented: "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling flat on his face, and not Gary Cooper." Doh!

*Publishers who didn't believe in JK's magic

IT'S the tale of a teenage wizard which has been translated into 47 languages and kick-started a literary phenomenon that's sold 130 million books.
But when Scottish author JK Rowling tried to find a publisher for Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone in 1996 she was turned down by nine publishers, including Transworld, HarperCollins and Penguin.
Finally Bloomsbury took it on, and the rest is publishing history.

AMAZING GRANDMOTHER

Well, I read this interview in Sun newspaper and i think i should share it with my friends. READ ON.

At 106, Madam Susan Adirije could pass for one of the oldest women in Nigeria. She has wrinkles all over her face. Her voice is faint. However, she looks strong.

The great grand ma has seen life and the vicissitude of it. She has seen the good, the bad and the ugly part of life. However, she has one regret: Her quest for beauty at a jet age seems to be making her old age unbearable. She confessed giving herself marks while trying to sharpen her beauty.

Ma Adirije applies her make up herself. She ensures that the olive oil that is being applied on her body glitters. It takes her one hour to dress up. This is not because of her age. It is because of the time she devotes to make herself beautiful.

She thrilled Saturday Sun with the stories of her life in stone age till date. Born and married in Isuikwuato Local Government Area of Abia State, Ma Adirije had travelled far around Nigeria. She spent most part of her life in Calabar, in Cross River State and Uyo, in Akwa Ibom State, where she managed one of the finest restaurants.
Upon her husband’s retirement, she returned to her village.

Fashion then
Unlike other women of their age grade, Ma Adirije got married at the age of 30, which she said was very early.
She said: “I got married at the age of 30, which was of course, very early. Nobody could force me to get married. I was seriously choosy, as a very beautiful girl. I enjoyed my jet age so much because I was one of those girls who had the best set of breasts. Then young girls are meant to move about naked with a piece of cloth covering their private part. It was a thing of joy to showcase your body, most especially if you have a beautiful one.

“After the day’s work in the farm, you will go and have your bath. Then as one of the reigning girls in my village I had beautiful marks on my body. That is what they call tattoo today, which is weird. Then, with the aid of a sharp iron, you would carve different shapes on your body, especially on the breasts. There is a leaf in the forest, which would be squeezed, and the water extracted from it would be applied on the fresh wounds.

“Days later, when the wound heals the mark would remain there with a green colour. With firm breasts and the marks well designed, you will apply coconut oil, after having your bath. Now glittering, we would go to the village square to dance and entice the young men. I continued like that because I was beautiful; that was why I rejected all kinds of men who I felt were not up to my standard.”

When mama’s father could not force her to get married, her uncle came up with a game plan.
She continued: “My uncle arranged with my parents and lured me to Calabar, with the excuse that I was going for a better life. He kept me in a man’s house and disappeared with the excuse that I was to learn work through him. It was when my uncle left that I got to know that I had been married to the man and was on a visiting tour. My dear, I had no choice, considering the fact that he was the type of man I always dreamt of. Months later I returned home for the traditional rites.

“Those days it was your uncle’s responsibility to ensure that you got married. Normally, you are expected to pay 20 pounds, four ugbah and four heads of coconut. My late husband had to cough out much more money to have my hand in marriage. Just like in the days of Jacob, any prospective in-law is expected to serve the family he intends to marry for a period of six months, unlike today, a man would wake up one day and decided to abduct one girl and force the parents to accept him or he would disappear with the daughter.

Childbirth was like urinating
Her story of childbirth is equally thrilling.
She said: “Those days, childbirth was fun; it could be in the farm, depending on where you were when you went into labour. It was as easy as urinating. The most disturbing part of all my births was that of my last child, whose face the nurses wanted to tear. I was actually in the farm when I entered labour; so I decided to deliver the child in the hospital since civilization insists that it was the best. But when I got there, the midwife was busy dragging her out, as if she was pulling a rope. I was so scared of what the baby looked like after such stress that I had to escape from the hospital.

When I got home, people asked me where my child was. I told them that I gave birth to a masquerade and therefore I decided to give it to the midwife to keep. Alarmed, my mother in-law had to go back to the clinic, where I left my daughter. Today, she is the prettiest of the all my children. Then I spaced my children through breast-feeding. Once I stopped breast-feeding my child for three years, I would have another child; so there was no need for abortion.

My regrets at this age
Of course, Ma Adirije has one regret.
She revealed: “It is good to be old, most especially when you have people to take care of you. The only regret I have is the effect of the carves that I did on my breast. Those marks have turned into a deep scar that is tearing me apart. Then I was catching my fun, but now I know better. If I had known that this would be the aftermath I would have got married at the age 15.

That is why I always advise my grand and great grand children to be wary of fashion and the ills that go with it. “At my age I commune with the dead, most especially my late husband. He is one of the reasons I am still alive. I always beg him to allow me go with him, but he would simply tell me that the time is not ripe yet. I am blessed to have good children who cater for me.”

NIGERIA AND NIGERIANS

Sometimes, when i look at our situations in Nigeria, It seem so hopeless, we do not seem to be making any progress. I often tell friends that for us to have a "NEW NIGERIA" we must have "NEW NIGERIANS" Nigerians who are ready to do things the right way, Nigerians who will not just care about what they will eat for now but think of their immediate family, environment and the society at large. People who will obey the law even the ones that are not so comfortable to obey just for the betterment of the society as a whole.

Recently, the FRSC gave the directive that all motorcyclists nationwide and their passenger must wear crash helmet. Some commercial motorcycle riders in Maiduguri in Borno State are now wearing painted calabash as crash helmet in disguise. Reports have it that some of the commercial motorcyclists were seen in some bus stops wearing what was confirmed to be painted calabash even though they were meant to look like helmets. Some use large empty cans or plastic plates with semi circle shapes and then tie ropes around them to look like helmets when sighted from a distance. Some who believed they were doing the right thing, make use of industrial helmets rather than crash helmets endorsed by the Federal Road Safety Commission.

Now, I ask myself, these people who have "invented" or "devised" their own means of replacing the helmet are deceiving who? because in the event of accidents such things on their heads will not guide against deadly head injuries which crash helmets are designed to curtail. Sometimes i ask myself how come we are here in Nigeria, things that used to be normal have suddenly become abnormal and those things which were and are really abnormal are the things people clamour for these days. In the 70's and 80's while I was growing up. Every motorcyclist had an helmet. I have 2 uncles then who were riding motorcycle for pleasure, there were no FRSC officials then and I didnt know if it was a law or not but I realised that the moment you buy a motorcycle, you buy an helmet with it- it was a normal thing. but that same normal thing in the 70's and 80's has become a burden on Nigerians suddenly. (can someone tell me why the man in the pic above decided to go for a paint bucket as helmet when he has the real crash helmet)

Half of the streets of Lagos have been turned to market with different people building stalls and whatever they can on the streets and under the bridges, I was not in lagos in the 80's but I am sure it was not like that. but today the Governor of Lagos state is cleaning Lagos, sending these people away from under the bridges and Nigerians are complaining bitterly, "what are we going to be eating?" it baffles me when all what we want to do as Nigerians is to some here, eat and go back to heaven or hell sef! it is amazing that we are craving for NEW NIGERIA but not NEW NIGERIANS