Women's Issue - From Congo

I am unashamedly a girl. What i mean by this is that, i love fashion magazines though i draw the line at Cosmopolitan. I like magazines that are smart with good articles as well as fashion and beauty news. So i read regularly Marie Claire and Glamour.



The September issue of American Glamour that has Queen Latifah, Claire Danes and Mariska Hargitay is one of the larger editions ever. So i settled down to consume this magazine in great detail.



There is an article in there titled "Women left for dead - and the man who's saving them" that brought me to tears.

This story is by Eve Ensler – author of The Vagina Monologues and it follows the activities of Dr Denis Mukwege who “repairs bodies and souls”. I have extracted some bits of this story but I must warn that they are pretty graphic.

Dr Mukwege runs Panzi Hospital in Eastern Congo and is an og-gyn. He says he first became aware of the epidemic of rape in 1996. “I saw women who had been raped in an extremely barbaric way. First women were raped in front of their children, husbands and neighbors. Second, the rapes were done by many men at the same time. Third, not only were the women raped, but their vaginas were mutilated by guns and sticks. These situations show that sex was being used as a weapon that is cheap”

Eve Ensler then proceeds to talk to a number of the women that now call Panzi Hospital home.

Nadine’s story:
“I’m 29. I am from the village of Nindja. Normally there was insecurity in our area. We would hide many nights in the bush. The soldiers found us there. They killed our village chief and his children. We were 50 women. I was with 3 of my children and my older brother; they told him to have sex with me. He refused, so they cut his head and he died. Nadine’s body is trembling. She tells Eve how one of the soldiers forced her to drink his urine and eat his feces, how the soldiers killed 10 of her friends and then murdered her children: her 4 year old and 2 year old boys and her 1 year old girl. “They flung my baby’s body on the ground like she was garbage. One after another, they raped me. From that, my vagina and anus were ripped apart. One of the soldiers cut open a pregnant woman”, she says. “It was a mature baby and they killed it. They cooked it and forced us to eat it”

Incredibly, Nadine was the only one of the 50 women to escape. “When I got away from the soldiers, there was a man passing. He said ‘what is that bad smell?’. It was me; because of my wounds, I couldn’t control my urine or feces. I explained what happened. The man wept right there. He and some others brought me to Panzi Hospital” As Nadine fled the slaughter, she says, she saw an infant lying on the ground next to her slain parents. Nadine rescued the girl, now having a child to care for gives her reason to keep going.

Alfonsine’s story: She is thin and poised, profoundly calm. She tells me she was walking through the forest when she encountered a lone soldier. “He followed me and then forced me to lie down. He said he would kill me. I struggled with him hard; it went on for a long time. Then he went for his rifle, pressed it on the outside of my vagina and shot his entire cartridge into me. I just heard the voice of the bullets. My clothes were glued to me with blood. I passed out.

Dr Mukwege tells me, “I never saw such destruction. Her colon, bladder, vagina and rectum were basically gone. She had lost her mind. I was sure she wouldn’t make it. I rebuilt her bladder. Sometimes you don’t even know where you are going. I operated on her 6 times, and then I sent her to Ethiopia so they could heal the incontinence problem. And they did”

You can donate directly to the Panzi Hospital through vday.org. Money donated to Panzi also goes to establish a City of Joy, a safe haven for the healed women, where they’ll learn to become political leaders.

You can also write to His Excellency, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila Kabange; demand that he take action to stop the attacks on women. Send it to U.N Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, PO Box 3862, New York, NY 10163 and it will be delivered to Kabila.

Monumental Soundbyte - 55

Monica - Getaway

Aggh! This song was not on my original list but ever since i heard this album, this song jumped out at me. Its actually my favorite track on her last cd and lately, the words just reflect what i feel and have been feeling for a while.

Here are some of the lyrics:

Sometimes I wish I was invisible
'Cause then no one will know
Where I am to ask me for anything
'Cause I've given so much of me
When is it time for me to receive
'Cause Monica has her needs
Who's going to look out for me?

Sometimes I wish I could hide away
Looking for a place to getaway
Getaway from all the heartache and pain that life can bring
I really don't want to sound
Like I can't hold my ground
But everybody needs some time
That they can getaway

You know I'm not superwoman
And I'm not made of steel
I try my best to handle
All I have to deal with
It's not as easy as it seems
And to think this was my dream
Now for everything I have I'm grateful
But sometimes I want to get away

Uncanny right? I swear Monica is actually a decent songwriter and what i especially love about her is the grit to her writing. No fancy words. Just emotions and honesty spilling over. Listen to this song by pressing play on the player under the soundbyte thingy.

I love this song because i can honestly say that i think most of us have felt this way at some point in time.

Enjoy!

Just Stuff

Work is moving at blazing speed. The year is almost over and its almost time to take stock again. Of achievements, failures, progress made and all that. I do that. I think its important - well for me anyway since i am slightly obsessive compulsive.

So a few things are on my mind:

• What is Yar'Adua up to? He suspends the new naira policy, suspends the education reforms, scraps NNPC etc. Hmmm....


• Our beloved Speaker of the House who approved a couple of hundred million naira for house renovations...She is a hair dresser. LOL...So i think the way forward is to get a government appointment and do my thing. Shucks!


• If i have one body - ie one face, 10 fingernails, ten toenails etc, why on earth do i have soooooo many products - cleaners, soaps, nail polishes etc? Wasteful perhaps? But i dont have them, i feel odd...


• What on earth is the point of life? Yes i ask this now and again but like really. You do all these things. Make all these choices, push and push, quarrel and makeup, love and lose and all for what. It just seems to all be a bloody waste of time and space. Cos really, some human beings are just taking up space cos i cannot understand what earth they are existing for


• So what do you do when you are bored with your own life? Its the same thing. I wake up in the morning at a ridiculous hour. I pray. Pretty much the same prayer in different ways afterall nothing really changes. Thank God, ask for protection and guidance, thank God and praise him and emm maybe specific needs... Anyway pray. Turn on my tv for 10 minutes of CNN. Get into the shower. Get out and continue whatever is in the DVD player. Same lotion, same order of moisturizing (from my feet up). All fragrances in a specific order. Today - a Victoria Secret body splash. Tomorrow - perfume. Get dressed in the work constraints. Get into the car, turn on the music and drive the same long route to the office. Get to work and work. Get into the car - maybe hangout with the same people, or if its someone new - same old conversation about who u are, and what u like while dotting my i's and crossing my t's. Then i go home. Say hey to the folks. Catch up with my brother. Go to my room, continue with whatever is in the DVD player, send text messages or call the same old people (and i love you all but still), read a few pages of whatever i am reading, read my bible and sleep. Weekends are just random but its the same damn thing. I am so bored with my life


• I feel a restlessness in my soul and i dont know what its about. Do i want to leave the country for a while - maybe find some obscure course and ship off to South America for 6 months. Do i want to move into an apartment of my own and fill my time decorating? Do i want to take up a new hobby - say cross stitching (LOL - imagine me doing that), do i want to stop working? What on earth is it...I am itching but for what?


• I now realise that i can be very very anti-social. Frankly, i dont like people very much..LOL


• I truly believe that unless one finds peace within oneself, there cant be space to share one's life with anyone. And no i dont restrict this to romantic love. I just dont see how an unfulfilled, insecure and maybe unhappy person can bring joy to anyone else....

Back to the same old thing i go.....Much Love!

Monumental Soundbyte - 54

Spice Girls - Wannabe

The start of the phenomenon that would come to be known as Spicemania. I am sure we all remember when these 5 ladies came on the scene. A perfect marketing ploy with each of the girls having an identity. Unbelievable. They have a reunion gig lined up and of course they have all individually given us interesting times - Posh and Becks, Scary and her baby daddys, Geri's dramatic weight loss, Sporty's unbelievably successful solo career and Baby's normalcy.

This song is catchy and who can forget the video? Each of them exhibiting their personality in their dressing. Love it.

Enjoy.......

Aha....

She came home early and found her husband in their bedroom making love to a very attractive young woman. The wife was VERY upset!

"You are a disrespectful pig!" she cried. "How dare you do this to me – a faithful wife, the mother of your children! I'm leaving you. I want a divorce straight away!" And he replied:

"Hang on just a minute luv, so at least I can tell you what happened" "Fine, go ahead", she sobbed, " but they'll be the last words you'll say to me!"

And he began:

"Well, I was getting into the car to drive home and this young lady here asked me for a lift. She looked so down and out and defenseless that I took pity on her and let her into the car. I noticed that she was very thin, not well dressed and very dirty.

She told me that she hadn't eaten for three days! So, in my compassion, I brought her home and warmed up the enchiladas I made for you last night, the ones you wouldn't eat because you're afraid you'll put on weight. The poor thing devoured them in moments.

Since she needed a good clean-up I suggested a shower and while she was doing that I noticed her clothes were dirty and full of holes so I threw
them away.


Then, as she needed clothes, I gave her the designer jeans that you have had for a few years, but don't wear because you say they are too tight. I also gave her the underwear that was your anniversary present, which you don't wear because I don't have good taste.

I found the sexy blouse my sister gave you for Christmas that you don't wear just to annoy her, and I also donated those boots you bought at the
expensive boutique and don't wear because someone at work has a pair like them.."


He took a quick breath and continued: "She was so grateful for my understanding and help and as I walked her to the door she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said ....


'"Please........do you have anything else that your wife doesn't use?'

.........

I thank God today for the gift of life
For the gift of family
For the opportunity to be able to stand on my 2 feet
With my voice clear and loud
Giving thanks to God

Suprise words.....

I got into the office and did the hello rounds. A colleague of mine walked out of the kitchenette and i said hi to him and he said "N(my company name)angel. I know you are just hiding your wings".

LOL....Took my breath away i tell you....

Monumental Soundbyte - 53

Percy Sledge - When a man loves a woman

I am sure a lot of people know this song. I know that a lot of the younger ones (LOL) are more familiar with the Michael Bolton version. But this song was originally done by one of my favorite artists in 1966. Remember the fact that i love older music from the "Motown" era.

Both versions have been very successful in their own right and The Rolling Stone magazine has the version by Percy as one of the greatest songs ever.

This is one of those songs that brings back memories....The first time i heard it, a special someone gave me a mixed tape with a lot of Percy's music and Chubby Checker, The Isley Brothers, The Platters and The Drifters stuff on it. My introduction to these artists. So i rifled through my dad's music collection and found cds that had songs by these artists.

This is a bittersweet song essentially about being made a fool of. I find the words very interesting and so true for those that are really in love. For men and women

This song is really a classic and has been used in movies, at weddings etc. So i leave you with the lyrics. Enjoy! (If you would like to download this song, simply follow the link to my enips account on the sidebar)

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothin' else
He'd change the world for the good thing he's found
If she is bad, he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend if he put her down

When a man loves a woman
He'll spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comforts
And sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way
It ought to be

Well, this man loves you, woman
I gave you everything I have
Tryin' to hold on to your heartless love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she is playin' him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Lovin' eyes can never see

When a man loves a woman
He can do her no wrong
He can never want some other girl
Yes,When a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, you're my world
When a man loves a woman....

................2

More time spent
More smiles
Actually more laughs
Comfort
Satisfaction
Still giddy
Still excited
Still breathless

Strength i can tap from
Every word said - remembered
No words.....

Monumental Soundbyte - 52

Happy Monday!

What an incredibly fabulous day this is - complete with dark clouds and rain. My song choice for the day is sheer perfection - Vanessa Williams: Constantly

I have no words to describe how amazing this song is....So again, i leave you with the lyrics. Enjoy! (Press play under the soundbyte icon to hear this song)

I knew it was there
Though I tried to hide it
The feeling just kept on shining through
Haven't known you that long
So I tried to deny it
But the feeling was much too much too strong

Could this be love
Deep down inside
Tearing me apart
I feel it in my heart

Constantly, you're on my mind
Thinkin 'bout you all the time
I can't sleep no matter what I do
I just keep on thinking 'bout you

Why do I feel this way
When I know you have someone
That you're seeing each and every day
Should I play this game
Of just being your friend
When I know that's not where I want it to end

How could this be wrong
When the feeling's so strong
Tearing me apartI feel it in my heart

No I don't want to start no trouble
Between you and I and your lover
But I must tell you what I'm going through
Everytime you walk by I see love in your eyes

Women's Issue - Iraqi women turn to prostitution

I saw this piece in CNN.com yesterday and had to share....

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The women are too afraid and ashamed to show their faces or have their real names used. They have been driven to sell their bodies to put food on the table for their children -- for as little as $8 a day.

"People shouldn't criticize women, or talk badly about them," says 37-year-old Suha as she adjusts the light colored scarf she wears these days to avoid extremists who insist women cover themselves. "They all say we have lost our way, but they never ask why we had to take this path."

A mother of three, she wears light makeup, a gold pendant of Iraq around her neck, and an unexpected air of elegance about her. "I don't have money to take my kid to the doctor. I have to do anything that I can to preserve my child, because I am a mother," she says, explaining why she prostitutes herself.

Anger and frustration rise in her voice as she speaks.

"No matter what else I may be, no matter how off the path I may be, I am a mother!" Watch a woman describe turning to prostitution to "save my child" » Her clasped hands clench and unclench nervously. Her husband thinks that she is cleaning houses when she goes away.

So does Karima's family. "At the start I was cleaning homes, but I wasn't making much. No matter how hard I worked it just wasn't enough," she says. Karima, clad in all black, adds, "My husband died of lung cancer nine months ago and left me with nothing." She has five children, ages 8 to 17. Her eldest son could work, but she's too afraid for his life to let him go into the streets, preferring to sacrifice herself than risk her child. She was solicited the first time when she was cleaning an office. "They took advantage of me," she says softly. "At first I rejected it, but then I realized I have to do it."

Both Suha and Karima have clients that call them a couple times a week. Other women resort to trips to the market to find potential clients. Or they flag down vehicles. Prostitution is a choice more and more Iraqi women are making just to survive.

"It's increasing," Suha says. "I found this 'thing' through my friend, and I have another friend in the same predicament as mine. Because of the circumstance, she is forced to do such things."
Violence, increased cost of living, and lack of any sort of government aid leave women like these with few other options, according to humanitarian workers.

"At this point there is a population of women who have to sell their bodies in order to keep their children alive," says Yanar Mohammed, head and founder of the Organization for Women's Freedom in Iraq. "It's a taboo that no one is speaking about." She adds, "There is a huge population of women who were the victims of war who had to sell their bodies, their souls and they lost it all. It crushes us to see them, but we have to work on it and that's why we started our team of women activists."

Her team pounds the streets of Baghdad looking for these victims often too humiliated to come forward. "Most of the women that we find at hospitals [who] have tried to commit suicide" have been involved in prostitution, said Basma Rahim, a member of Mohammed's team.
The team's aim is to compile information on specific cases and present it to Iraq's political parties -- to have them, as Mohammed puts it, "come tell us what [they] are ... going to do about this."

Rahim tells the heartbreaking story of one woman they found who lives in a room with three of her children: "She has sex while her three children are in the room, but she makes them stand in separate corners." According to Rahim and Mohammed, most of the women they encounter say they are driven to prostitution by a desperate desire for survival in the dangerously violent and unforgiving circumstances in Iraq. "They took this path but they are not pleased," Rahim says.

Karima says when she sees her children with food on the table, she is able to convince herself that it's worth it. "Everything is for the children. They are the beauty in life and, without them, we cannot live." But she says, "I would never allow my daughter to do this. I would rather marry her off at 13 than have her go through this." Karima's last happy memory is of her late husband, when they were a family and able to shoulder the hardships of life in today's Iraq together.

Suha says as a young girl she dreamed of being a doctor, with her mom boasting about her potential in that career. Life couldn't have taken her further from that dream. "It's not like we were born into this, nor was it ever in my blood," she says. What she does for her family to survive now eats away at her. "I lay on my pillow and my brain is spinning, and it all comes back to me as if I am watching a movie.

What a day!

It was a rainy day in Lagos today.

You know - the kind of day that makes you want to stay in bed. Anyway, halfway through my journey, the rain had eased and i was listening to "Hark unto Worship" - the version done by Israel & New Breed.

Then i looked to my right and saw a rainbow. A huge smile. Then next to that rainbow, the formings of another. 2 rainbows. So beautiful. And there was traffic. So i looked back to see the end of the rainbows. Amazing. Thinking about finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Thinking about that song about colors - red and yellow and pink and blue, purple and orange and green. I can see the rainbow. See the rainbow. See the rainbow too. A song from my childhood. Then i stretched forward to see where the rainbow ended. And it looked like the end of the really clear rainbow descended into the water. I couldnt stop smiling. My heart was glad and full. And all was well with the world.......

Special Shout-outs

• My blogger pal Snazzy wrapped up his one year of mandatory prison sentence other wise known as NYSC 2 days ago. So congratulations love.....Please go by his page and say something about it...Stroke his ego a bit....LOL
• My friend Seyi (my special one) has been ill for a few days. He took the day off yesterday but is back in today even though i know he should still be in bed....So i hope you feel better soon.....
• My dear friend Olawunmi who is also a blogger has suffered the loss of a really close friend....So please leave him a few words...I know he will appreciate them

Much Love!

A sign that the times have changed.....

We have all become jaded and suspicious. As a people.

2 cases in point:

• I was watching a movie a few weeks ago - i dont remember the title. But i remember a really sweet scene where a little girl's grandfather lifted her into his arms. Placed one hand across her back and the other under her little bum. Sweet. But my initial reaction was why is his arm under her bum?
• Yesterday, after work - at about 6pm, the daughter of a colleague dropped by and hung out for a bit with us while waiting for her dad to be ready. She is 5. She of course was playing and doing her thing. When another colleague O, who is a joy to be with actually began to play with her. You know, Tae-kwando and silliness. She starts to hit him over and over and in an attempt to make her sit still, he lifted her up. Since she is tall for her age, he scooped her up - one arm under her bum and the other across her back and dumped her on a table and ran away before she could jump down. So why on earth, that that strike me as weird and wrong?

I remember being younger and male relatives would hug, carry and throw me every which way and it was nothing. Now, people are so suspicious about people's motives. Justifiably so in the light of all the horror stories we hear about pedophiles.

Last week, i came across an article. Jermaine Jackson's ex girlfriend in addition to claiming that he isnt bankrupt, alleged that he had an unhealthy relationship with his kids because he slept in the same bed as they did.

Hold on. I can see how doing this might make sense to her - especially with brother Michael;'s issues. But a father cant sleep in the same bed as his kids anymore?

I am a wuss and for as long as i can remember, i have crawled into bed with my parents if i got scared. There are times when my mom has been out of town and i would crawl into bed with my dad just cos i was scared. Shucks...I did this earlier on this year. What does this now mean?

We have truly lost our innocence and that is quite scary....

Monumental Soundbyte - 51

Gerald Levert - Made to Love You

First of all, can i say that Gerald Levert was in a league of his own. Pure smooth R&B all the way. Rest in peace!

This song is one of the most beautiful songs ever written, sung and delivered. Maybe i am a sucker of love songs that are deep. Maybe. But i dig it. An unbelievably beautiful song that i can say nothing about except urge you to listen to it by pressing play under the soundbyte icon and taking in the words below. Enjoy!

I recall when we first met
A long time ago how could i forget
The way i felt when i first laid eyes on you
I remember saying to my friends
There is my future wife and then
I took the steps to meet someone who would change my life
It had to be my destiny

Cuz i was made to love you
My hands to touch you
My arms to hold you
My legs to stand
My time to spendwith you forever
I was made made to love you
My lips to kiss you my eyes to see you
My legs to stand
My time to spend with you forever
Our life together
I was made made to love you

I remember our first date
Our first arguments
Our very first break up and make up that got us to this moment
And every girlfriend and every one night stand
Every heart break
Every heart ache
Led me to you
Threw me to you
Made me better
Better suited for you
It had to be my destiny

I was made to love you
My hands to touch you
My arms to hold you
My legs to stand
My time to spendwith you forever
I was made made to love you
My lips to kiss you my eyes to see you
My legs to stand
My time to spend with you forever
Our life together
I was made made to love you

...........

An unexpected suprise
Totally out of the blue
Quality time spent
Suprised i am having fun
So easy to talk to
I am laughing way too much
Smiling way too much
Just crept up on me
Sweetness
Giddiness
Anticipation
Excitement
The beginning?

Did you know that.........

• If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee
• If you farted consistently for 6 years and 9 months, enough gas is produced to create the energy of an atomic bomb
• The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet
• A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes
• A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death
• Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour
• The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off
• The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field
• The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds
• Some lions mate over 50 times a day
• Butterflies taste with their feet
• The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue
• Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people
• Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump
• A cat's urine glows under a black light
• An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain
• Starfish have no brains
• Polar bears are left-handed
• Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure
  
  
  

Monumental Soudbyte - 50

The series is halfway done and i racked my head to come up with a song from my list that would befit the half way status...And i think i found the perfect song....

2pac - Hit 'em up

This is the song that many people say tipped the East Coast / West Coast battle over the edge and ultimately led to the deaths of Tupac and Biggy.

Obviously a diss song that really got personal with the infamous lines about 2pac sleeping with Faith Evans. I have no comments about this song even though i know all the words. Well actually, i think this song went tooo far. But hey, 2pac said it was just a regular battle song. I mean talking about a member of Mobb Deep's sickle cell aneamia condition was a bit much i thought.

Musically, if you like old school stuff, you will be able to head Dennis Edwards' Dont look any further as the the foundation to this track.

Love it or hate it, this song is monumental for sheer guts, publicity and all the stuff that followed. Enjoy!

*You can download this song if you follow the link under the soundbyte widget on this page*

Monumental Soundbyte - 49

Pachelbel - Canon

Its not news by now that i listen to all genres of music. My song choice for today isnt actually a song. Its more like a classical piece.

Some people might recognize it because its frequently played at weddings. Since i know that a lot of people are not familiar with classical music, a lot of the facts about this song might go over many heads. This piece is the most popular piece by Johann Pachelbel and was composed in 1680.

This piece is one of my favorite classical pieces so enjoy!

This is funny but also not.......

The Queen, Clinton & Obasanjo who went straight to hell and met the devil.

Queen Elizabeth said "I miss England; Please I want to call England and see how everybody is doing there". She called and talked for about 5 minutes, and then she asked"Well, Devil, how much do I owe you???? The devil says "Five million pounds". She wrote him a cheque and went to sit back on her chair.

Bill Clinton was so jealous, he starts screaming, "My turn! Iwanna call the States, I wanna see how every goddamn guy is doing out there. He called and talked for about 2 minutes, and then he asked "Well, Devil, how much do I owe you???? The devil says "Ten million dollars". With a smug look on his face, he made a cheque and went to sit back on his chair.

OBASANJO was even more jealous & starts screaming, me too go call Nigeria o jare, I go see how everybody is doing there too. If they don bring light. I go to talk to the ministers, to my special advisers, to the PDP, to INEC and EFCC, to everybody... ..He calls Nigeria and he talks for about twenty hours, he talked & talked & talked, then he asked,"Well, Devil, can I have my bill????The devil says "One thousand Naira".

Obasanjo was stunned & says; "Otio!! One thousand Naira??? Only one thousand Naira pere??"

The Devil says "Well if you make a call from one hell to another hell, it's LOCAL CALL!

Women's Issue: Phenomenal Woman 2

I come from a media background. A journalistic background to be more specific. So news and current affairs have always been a part of my existence. The introduction of CNN into my life came when i was about 12 and its become part of my daily tonic since. And its on this news channel that i first "met" the woman that is the subject of my post today.

Christiane Amanpour is one woman that i would really love to meet. When i still harboured thoughts and dreams about being a foreign correspondent, i have to say that i just wanted to be like this woman. Trendier but like her. LOL. I wanted a khaki outfit like hers and i wanted to go to the places where headlines were made and just be her. Of course, my life and dreams are radically different now (even though i want to own a tv station or 10 at some point), my admiration for this woman has grown.

And like all things i am interested in, i make the effort to find out as much as i can - so here are some of the things that make her quite special in my book:

• She comes from a mixed background. Her mother is British and her father is Iranian which explains her coloring and her features. She comes from the Iranian christian minority too
• She has been with CNN since 1983 and is 49 years old
• She worked as a special contributor to 60 Minutes filing a number of stories which in turn earned her the prestigious Peabody Award
• She has scored some of the most sought after interviews in the world including with the current Iranian president. I have read that there were concerns with this particular interview given her background (her father's relationship with the deposed Shah. Ayatollah Khomeini deposed him and the Iranian president is a staunch supporter of the Ayatollah). Thankfully, all went well. She also scored a phone interview with the late Yassar Arafat during a siege on this premises. Apparently he hung up on her.
• She is not afraid to air her views. I know that journalists try to be as objective as possible. But Ms Amanpour says being neutral is equivalent to being an accomplice. She says that being objective simply means allowing all sides to air their views.
• She is married to James Rubin (a cutie that worked with the White House as assistant secretary of state) and a little boy
• She got married at 41 and has said countless times that she was not interested in settling for less than she knew she deserved and so she waited for the right person to come along
• One of her housemates was JFK Jnr and apparently they stayed close till his death
• She has been honored by the queen - CBE i think

Anyway, she is truly amazing and the quality of her work speaks for itself. In fact, the idea for the phenomenal woman series came as i watched the recently aired documentary: Men of God which she did and had apparently been working on for a year. I urge you all to see it if you can.

An ode to womanhood...She makes me proud to be WOMAN

Monumental Soundbyte - 48

Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody

So this lady is amazing. Rufus the name of her group makes me smile. I mean is there a reason why its called Rufus which is in itself an interesting name for a man. Although Rufus Sewell is kinda cute...But i digress

Apparently this song was going to be on Michael Jackson's Thriller album but it had already been promised to another producer who then gave it to Ms Khan.

I think this is her defining song. I mean when most people think of her, this song comes to mind. Its vocal perfection especially because Chaka Khan can belt out a tune. Her voice is really really powerful. And this song is a perfect song to dance to. Makes me want to shimmy and groove....LOL

Enjoy!

Corrections.......

The correct address of all my the songs on the monumental soundbyte series is here

Well sort of. This is my profile page. So click on favorites and there they are........

Oh Fun...Women have so much to look forward to....

Mildred, 93, was despondent over the recent death of her husband Earl, so she decided to just kill herself and join him in death. Thinking it would be best to get it over with quickly, she took out Earl's old Army pistol and made the decision to shoot herself in the heart since it was so badly broken in the first place. Not wanting to miss the vital organ and become a vegetable and a burden to someone, she called her doctor's office to learn her heart's exact location.

"Since you're a woman," the doctor said, "your heart is just below your left breast. Why do you ask?" She hung up without answering.

Later that night, Mildred was admitted to the hospital with a gunshot wound to her knee.

Monumental Soundbyte - 47

The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

Something different. I heard this song immediately it came out since i was living in England at the time. The very first thing that struck me was the fact that it was familiar. Something about the music was familiar. Then i recognized that the musical foundation for this song is actually a Rolling Stones number called The Last Time.

Anyway, the lyrics are all original and written by the frontman of the band - Richard Ashcroft. This song was the IT song for this group and they split up soon after.

I love this song for many reasons: its a complex song. There is the Rolling Stones backdrop, then the unmistakeable orchestral feel, the languid delivery of the vocals, the video...amazing. I remember the video being predominantly black and blue. With Richard Ashcroft walking and singing in real time. Amazing. I say this quite a lot but i truly belive that the most amazing musical things are born out of simplicity. So while the song is incredibly multi-faceted, the simplicity of the video sealed the deal for me.

A lot of controversy surrounding this song because of the sample and a lawsuit. But it did very well on the charts and was ranked on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs ever....

Enjoy! You can press play on the player under the soundbyte to hear this song....

Random stuff...Just cos i cant be bothered to be lucid.....

• Can i just say that Matt Damon as Jason Bourne i dont buy. The orginal Bourne series made in the 70's with Richard Chamberlain - so much more believable. I mean, Jason Bourne is a killer with a massive past and Matt Damon is Ben Affleck's geeky friend....Why couldnt they find like Clive Owen or someone to play Bourne? I guess that's one of the reasons that i cant abide these movies.

• What is all this hype about Rihanna? I mean since when did having pretty green eyes interprete into talent. And Unbrella is the stupidest song ever. I mean listen to the words....

• So, someone sent me a link to Myheritage.com. And if you put up a picture of yourself, it can give you like 8 people you supposedly resemble. I mean celebrities. So seeing as i am twiddling my thumbs instead of tackling all the work i have to do, i put up a picture. My results? Oprah Winfrey (68%), Gabrielle Union (61%), Garcelle Beauvais Nilon (60%). Okay so far right? There is even a random but sort of hot asian chick. Then i see Jesse Jackson (43%), Danny Glover (40%) and a final person that i can not even mention. Nonsense. Silly rip off page. How can i look like men? I mean if i was the feminine version of Gary Dourdan, Morris Chestnutt...I mean, bring on the hotness. But Danny Glover? What the hell?

• Yes, the zip of my trousers stopped working at some point today. I dont know when but considering i have running up and down the stairs and being hyper active all day, i cant bear to think about it. Someone pointed it out to me which is worse and now i am sitting at my desk .....

• In a bid to cleanse my body from the inside, i talked to my mom and she recommended something called Swedish Bitters. A teaspoon of this stuff in some water, 3 times a day is supposed to work wonders. My parents drink this stuff but i never paid much attention to it. So she bought me a bottle. Uzo being who she is, figured - 1 teaspoon? That for oyinbo people. I put 2 TABLESPOONS into a glass of water and took a sip. Gag reflex? BITTERNESS. And i dont mean - oh this doesnt taste good. I am talking i want to throw up bitterness. So i figure - well its for the wellness of your insides, of course its not going to taste like peaches and cream. So i hold my breath and down the whole thing and promptly suck on some Strepsils to take the taste away. (Actually more like 4 honey and lemon strepsils but hey....). Ha! I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I had done it. 30 minutes later, my insides started to bubble and i began to sweat.....I still havent recovered - this was since last week. It might also have to do with the fact that i still drink 1 teaspoon everynight. I figure i will get used to it at some point. My tummy doesnt bubble anymore. Now it just heaves, tumbles, crashes and twists. No big deal really....

• Can i just say God Bless Ms Roddick of The Body Shop? Their products just make me happy. Sure i love Bath & Body Works stuff, Carol's Daughter stuff and Victoria's Secret stuff. But the products from The Body Shop are serious. I mean their body butters and lip butters...Kissable. I sit here sucking my bottom lip which has a generous amount of Almond Lip Butter on it. I really love myself. LOL....My lips smell good, look good and taste good. I just hope i dont stop chewing soon...LOL

• Yes, i realize that the words mad, weird and slightly freaky can be used to describe me but arent i just refreshing. My personality belies my ever so serious external appearance....

• I just bought myself a digital camera. Today. And while i am pleased with the purchase (i shall open the package and loving read the pages of ALL the instruction manuals and do the settings stuff tonight at home), i am reminded that i want to buy another mobile phone which is obscenely expensive, go on vacation, buy shoes, save and stuff. All the stuff to do and limited funds. Any bright ideas on how to grow a money tree?

• Now i shall go back to work to earn the pay that isnt enough to buy me the Tiffany tennis bracelet, Audi A4, take that cruise for 3 weeks, buy my Fendi Spybag, and my private island this month.....

Oh No............

Wardrobe Disaster.

The fly of my trouser doesnt work anymore.........Drat....

Pet Peeve

My name is spelt UZO not UZOR.....

I am so irritated because i correct people over and over and over again but it just doesnt seem to stick. How annoying is it to get an email from a colleague that starts: Hey Uzor....

What the hell? Get it right. Its UZO not UZOR

Monumental Soundbyte - 47

Da Brat - So Funkdafied

Why on earth is this song on this list?

Well this is the first hip-hop record that i learnt all lines too. I mean every single word of this i used to know. I miss a word or 2 now but you get the point. I used to be so intrigued by Da Brat. When she first came on the scene, she rocked her baggy clothes and her hair - those single plaits with the colorful rubber bands.....So cute.

Was she a girl or a woman? At the time, it was hard to tell especially since she ran around with the So So Def crew. Of course as time has passed, i think of her more as a featured artist. I remember her sexing it up on the What 'Chu Like song with Tyrese but her other solo efforts have been forgettable for me. And of course the rumours about her sexual orientation have been going around for years....

Anyway, this song used to be a favorite at social nights too....

Enjoy!!!!

Overwhelmed.....

Well not really....

Its been a hectic week at work with our wireless connection acting unbelievably crazy....

The soundbyte will be back up tomorrow and regular posts so i am off to respond to comments and emails and stuff.........

Women's Issue - Phenomenal Woman 1

I have done quite a number of women's issue posts since i started blogging and i realise that a lot of them deal with painful aspects of womanhood worldwide. However, it isnt all bad. There is so much to be celebrated about womanhood. It is in this vein that i am starting the Phenomenal Woman series. To profile women that have done great things in my book. Even if i dont like them or agree with them,they have my admiration.

It wasnt even a challenge to think about who the first woman to be profiled should be....

I am starting off with my mom.....

Who else has had a huge impact on the woman that i am today? My mom is superwoman and she is totally amazing. She is beautiful - i mean physically. She is stunning. Doesnt look a day over 30. Her skin is soooo soft and flawless. I am incorporating her beauty routine. I can only pray that i look like her when i am her age. Her sense of style - impeccable. She is definitely more adventurous in terms of colors than i am but she is all together. Very trendy mama too. LOL.

On the inside, my mother is one in a million. A no nonsense teddy bear. A prayer warrior. A chef extrodinaire. My yoruba teacher. My Koffi Olomide tutor. My friend, my verbal sparring partner when we do our fight thing.

My mother is totally amazing and there are simply no words to explain the dynamics of our relationship. \We love hard and we fight hard and i would take anything for her, do anything for her because she is my number 1 fan.....

Much love!

Monumental Soundbyte - 46

The Isley Brothers - Twist and Shout

Legendary. LOL. Forget the Mr Big & R Kelly stuff which got taken way too far in my book. The Isley Brothers are legendary. This song is legendary and is so rich.

Originally produced by Phil Spector (yup - the one alleged to have killed the actress) for a group called The Top Notes in 1961. Then another producer who thought Phil's version was sterile, produced the same song for The Isley Brothers and it was a massive success. The song was the start of commercial success for The Isleys after "Shout".

This song spawned a dance move as well. I think that the most disappointing thing for me with this song is the fact that it was covered by The Beatles and it seems that practically everyone gives them credit for this song. Whenever i mention Top Note or the Isley's i get so many arguments.

Anyway, i prefer the version done by The Isley Brothers and i think its a shame that this version is now the little known version but that was really common in those days...But thats a post for another day.

Enjoy!

*The version in the enips folder is by the Beatles. I will have to roll out my cds to get the version by The Isleys it seems*

Monumental Soundbyte Series

There have been a lot of requests for songs featured on my blog. So i have put them all in a file here - http://www.esnips.com/FavoritesAction.ns

Most of the songs in the series are there so..............

Vacancy.....

One of the top 3 investment banks in Nigeria is looking to hire experienced investment bankers from diaspora. If this is something you are interested in, please send an email to uzo.amuta@gmail.com for more information.........

Monumental Soundbyte - 45

Billy Preston & Syreeta - With you i'm born again

Come bring me your softness
Comfort me through all this madness
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again

Come give me your sweetness
Now there's you, there is no weakness
Lying safe within your arms, I'm born again

I was half, not whole
In step with none
Reaching through this world
In need of one

Come show me your kindness
In your arms I know I'll find this
Woman, don't you know, with you I'm born again


Lying safe with you I'm born again


This amazing song is one of my favorite songs period. Of course i am a sucker for a good love song but there is just something about this song that makes me soooo happy.

Billy Preston and Rita Wright (Syreeta)performed this song in the early 70's and they are both artists from the 'Motown era". In fact, Rita was a secretary at Motown and ended up doing background work for tons of acts. She even married Stevie Wonder even though they eventually got divorced.

Billy Preston was an amazing talent popularly called the 5th Beatle because he was a key figure. There is supposedly a tape from one of the early recording sessions where one can hear an argument between Paul McCartney & John Lennon about making Billy a member. He was mega successful even after the Beatles fever had calmed and he remains one of the best instumentalists ever.

This song is absolutely beautiful and once again, it is a testament to the fact that simplicity of lyrics and melody make the best songs. Uncluttered, honest and soul stirring.

Enjoy!

Just so you know..........

I have updated Betty's Reviews...........

Job Vacancy

If this is something that interests you and you meet the qualifications, please send an email with your CV to uzo.amuta@gmail.com

Job position:
Special Advisor to the President of the Stock Exchange


Level:
An executive position reporting directly to the president of the Nigeria Stock Exchange


Pay:
Competitive and negotiable


Profile:
Experienced in capital market activities preferably from the Nigerian Diaspora. Wall street and investment banking experience would be great. Young at about 32 to 37 years of age. Dynamic, intellectual, good business sense. Understands the workings of the Nigeria Stock Market. Personable and hard working. An MBA would be an added advantage.


Roles:
Work with the President of the Nigeria Stock Market to determine priorities of the exchange; assist provide direction to the exchange; articulate winning strategies and practices; ensure the tenor of the president is marked by significant achievements and contributions to the growth of the economy and the stock exchange in specific terms; represent the president at events if he is not available.

Wow!

I just read a post that requires no additional words.....All i can say is wow.....

Its here: http://stephy08.blogspot.com/2007/07/celibabcy-and-self-apprecaition.html

Monumental Soundbyte - 44

The Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack

This selection is unique in the sense that this soundbyte is the whole sondtrack and not just one song.

I think that this is one of the greatest soundtracks ever anchored by one of the most talented groups ever - The Bee Gees.

Saturday Night Fever - the movie is still iconic. I mean John Travolta in his skinny day, dancing around town and of course that dance scene with him in a white suit that has parodied, replicated et all over time. If you havent seen it, i urge to find it and watch it. Its good stuff.

The soundtrack embodies what the movie and that period in time was all about - Disco. It was the 70's and the days of soul and r&b gave way to this blazing phenomenon called disco with hot pulsating beats, tight tight clothing and lots of nightlife. The Bee Gees burst on the scene made up on the Gibbs - Robin & Maurice (twins) and Barry, the tall hottie with the falsetto. Amazing stuff.

This soundtrack album has my favorite Bee Gee songs on it - Jive Talking, Saturday Night Fever, More than a woman, How deep is your love, etc. It also features songs from Tavares, Kool & The Gang, KC & The Sunshione Band etc

This album has gone platinum 17 times in the US alone, was ranked number 131 on Billboards 500 greatest albums of all time list etc......

I dont think that additional words are necessary........Enjoy!