You Shouldnt have held the promise accountable...Nigeria

Political power is exercised throughout the world, in various forms such as democracy, dictatorship or other types of rulings. This century has brought about a vast spread of democracy. Its popularity and succession within Western states has lead much of the world to believe that it is the best political system to exist. America along with Britain has been one of the safe keepers of democracy, promoting change from tradition and reformers. 2009 saw a crucial change within American politics, Barack Obama became the first Black man to become President. This changed history and the typecast of what an American leader could be. It was an event that the whole world stood still for, even those who were not American or interested in politics, it was one of the most incredible things to experience. People believed since such changes happened in America it was very possible for it to happen anywhere else, increasing the interest in Politics. Similar to the case of America in 2010 Nigeria experienced an influx of political activity consisting of public support, presidential debates and massive turnout from people to vote. Such activity hadn’t been seen by this nation for a long time and the cause like Obama was one of the Presidential Candidates, Mr Goodluck Jonathan.

For over 10 years Nigeria had been governed by members of the PDP Political party. Known for its corrupt dictatorship leaders who often created off shore accounts with Nigeria’s money, making the gap between the rich and the poor greater. Yet with their reputation they somehow managed to get the people on their side not as a party but with their Presidential candidate Goodluck Jonathan. Many people believed President Goodluck Jonathan would be the best person to lead Nigeria into change. This perception gained him massive support. Celebrities publically indorsed and supported his cause; encouraging their many supporters to support and vote for him because he was the change Nigeria needed, even though he had by no means shown himself liable to do so. It was pretty clear most of the people voting and endorsing President Goodluck didn’t have a clue on his policies but instead were succumbed to his promises. It was interesting to see that President Goodluck had been ruling the country for over a year as an acting President since the elected President Yar’Adua had died. This created a chance for the change he so often talked about, yet he failed to do so. Yet people still stood on his promises, calling him the Nigerian Obama, believing that if he was rightful elected he would carry out much of the people’s demands such as providing better energy services, light, bettering the roads and tackling corruption and other reforms.

Political parties are always formed from individuals who share common ground. With the reputation of the PDP many must have known that President Goodluck must have questionable characteristics or why else would he be part of a party who has destroyed Nigeria for years! A just man within a corrupt party is still corrupt. The majority of those voting failed to question why President Jonathan needed to wait till he was constitutional elected to carry out he supposed plans? Why did it seem that people were not so much interested in full policies? Why did the majority not learn from Nigerian history which showed Nigerian would remain the same under any PDP ruler? What Nigerians failed to realise was that the case for America was very different from theirs. Although President Obama’s character and looks contributed to his gain of support these were mere factors as he was thought to have had policies which satisfied the majority of America.

The Kings Speech

I finally got round to watching The Kings Speech after hearing such raving reviews about it. I must admit i haven’t been blown away by a movie in such a long time, but what did i expect from a movie which received 7 bafta and 3 Oscar Awards. It was written spectacularly and produced without reason. Colin Firth is without doubt one amazing actor. The most i thought id gain from a film like that was my rededicatation to the love of history, but i gained so much more.

Firstly, the movie showed the history of how the Monarch we know today came into power. Delivering a great story line and providing information to those who are unaware of British history during a time of war. The film displayed many morals in which can be used in our daily lives such as the importance of being ready, because you never know what life may throw your way.  George IV was not meant to be King without his brother's abdication he would not have been determined to rid his stammer and be a key figure and comforter to the British nation. Without his preparation which involved him doing certain royal duties he would have never been able to handle the public side of being King. It also showed what having great support can contribute to your life. A good support system allows you to back up your dreams and make it reality. When George IV was not able to believe in himself he had a good wife who refused to give up on him as others had done. Even when he gave up on himself she refused to take no for an answer believing her husband could achieve the impossible even if it meant going behind his back to bring out his greatness. He also had a great speech therapist who although had no education to back up his methods had a passion to help people dealing with speech problems. His passion lead him to go further  than the practising therapists, showing you shouldn’t hold yourself back from achieving what you want to do just because you believe you are not qualified. If its your passion have a go you never know the outcome. Words, George IV therapist was trying to find out the route as to why the King first started stammering; it was concluded in the film it was due to the neglect and bullying from his father and older brother. Yet his father did not mean it, it was just an hereditary behaviour passed on to him, which in turn affected his relationship with his child in the most derived way. Don't hold back if your being put down or mistreated as you never know the implications it can have on you later on. Although King George's father verbally abused his child without knowledge he truly cared for his son as it was later illustrated after his death, when he left the comment that King George was the bravest of his children. Upon hearing these words King Georges face light up knowing that his father to some degree acknowledged him. Providing support that we are indeed septic to words building our character no matter who we are. Finally, from King George's therapist i grasped the use of providing different techniques. As we know everyone’s struggle is different and although it is now known, the belief and practise are still applied differently. When we see a technique working for a numerous amount of people its often quiet hard to see why it cannot work for everyone. The reality is, there is a minority which is increasingly growing, and the norm cannot be applied to them. Throughout the film the therapist techniques were seen as bizarre and unsuitable for anyone not to talk of a King, yet we see that its this same bizarre approach that was able to help the King with his speech difficulty and the norm wasn't.

How far is too far in fashion?

Throughout history there has been an evolution in fashion. From popular era's such as the late the 1920's, the 50's and 80's. Of recent the exposure of the fashion world has exploded tremendously. If you were to look at blogs, facebook, websites etc you would see a high rise to the demand in fashion and an influx of stylists and designers. This is due to the barriers of fashion being broken down, which has enabled fashion to be placed more heavily within art rather than production. Infusing fashion and art together has enabled people the freedom to create at their own ethics. It is no longer left to the rich, celebrities or even those who attended some sort of fashion education and experience to create. An average person with the right equipment and idea can easily access a route into the fashion world. Creations now ranging from casual attire, to wild and bizarre clothing, all under the name of fashion and expression. When looking at era's such as the 20's, 50's and 80's, fashion was popular on a mass scale, the majority of people dresses cordially and similar. Some may say to a degree that fashion is something that can be recycled as we see that such era's as above are still influencing today’s fashion. Yet what can be said of the fashion of today? Has expression given way to true talent? Has being different created ignorance? How far should fashion be allowed to cross the line? There seems to be an allowance for creation whilst a rigid hand is being placed on everything else. The wide spread of rosary beads and other religious attire can be seen worn by those who are not religious or aware of its meaning, yet somehow have them in bulk. Lady Gaga's sense of styling is one to cause concern, yet it is highly praised. Could it be that such tolerance is teaching our children that it should be acceptable to wear dresses made of meat, drowsed in animal feathers and print without considering the environment or taking into consideration other people’s feelings. If we continue down these lines sooner rather than in the distant future we will see celebrities or even average citizens wearing clothing made of humans. Do not doubt this statement, if we were to look back 10 years or even 5years ago if someone were to dress to the extremity of Lady Gaga they would have been misunderstood and mocked as seen in the case of Grace Jones. Her attire although very much similar to Lady Gaga was the speculation of ridicule for many years. Yet due to the era of freedom, materialism and greater democracy the unacceptable has become fashion! We are known as a materialistic world always creating a new buzz that people can go crazy for. Yet it’s this type of attitude that is contributing to the breakdown of communities. There have been so-called cases of death by fashion. However there are evident cases of violence due to fashion, as seen in America recently people have been stabbed for the latest Jordons. Aside from the materialistic side of fashion what about the emotional side we have seen it create for years. Children as young as 5 possibly younger being anorexic, bulimia and other eating disorders due to what they see on television, celebrities and what society is telling them is perfect. Even those in the professional side are dealing with food disorders, some have even died. Yet no firm legislation has been placed. High exposure on such fatal cases caused some in the fashion industry to debate over banning size zero and implementing more plus size models to walk runaways and wear their clothes. This lasted all but two minutes and we now see once again the rise of skinny models. Fashion is even leading way to child model superstars, as seen in the case of Thylane Blondeau, who at 10 years old appeared in a provocative spread in Vogue. Such behaviour deemed more suitable for an adult. Hence, giving way for pervs and sexual offenders a chance to have an easy access to their criminal addiction.

Fashion is not the only sector at fault; the media has a hand in advertising such abrasive behaviour. The case of Thylane Blondeau is not the only case caused for concern there has been a major production of child makeup and sexy clothing such as bikinis and provocative underwear for minors, leading to the question when will our governments step in and set legislations on what can be deemed acceptable in the fashion world?

 

The Hunchback of Unforgiveness

The concept of forgiveness can be defined on a vast scale due to the fact that many people have different opinions on the matter. Some see forgiveness as an easy task to do whilst others can’t handle the thought of letting go. What I may find plausible to forgive, another person might hold a grudge to.

Recently I have had to deal with several circumstances which have tested my patience and brought about an unforgiving character which I didn’t realise I had. Looking back on such events made me ponder/consider as to why some situations in our lives leave us forgiving whilst others don’t. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as to 'grant free pardon and to give up all claim on account of an offense or debt.' I personally would define forgiveness similar to having a new book and not wanting to bend the pages. This is because I don’t necessarily forgive to grant the other person pardon; but rather for myself, as having an unforgiving sprit creates a lot of animosity; it’s even proven to disrupt your health and daily routine as well as your state of mind. My days already consist of a hectic schedule so I chose forgiveness because I’d rather have peace. It may sound selfish in fact quite frankly it is. Over the years my stance on forgiveness has changed, as my parents would tell you when I was younger forgiving people came very natural to me, but due to previous situations my forgiveness is evident but so is me forgetting you whilst remaining civil. Most of my friend’s would class me as weak or naive due to the fact that I refuse to hold a grudge and remain tolerable with a person. Most of the females I know hold grudges to kingdom come like you wouldn’t believe, whilst I find my male friends are more prone to making you suffer but also willing to forgive. This brings me to my main reflection...I know it’s not just me whose seen it but why especially amongst females is it easier to forgive your partner or any guy but you hold on to the unforgiving spirit towards females? This made me question how I view my own gender as I’m just as guilty of committing it. Yet given the opportunity we except forgiveness from another person. What is it about another female that makes us want to erase them out of our lives or delay forgiving them? I find when applying this to my life it’s because I expect my female friends to know better in certain situations but now I realise it’s better to tell a person what could offend me rather than expecting them to read my mind.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: The saying treat others how you want to be treated definitely comes to mind. When we do wrong against others we find it hard to understand why they refuse to forgive us and make us suffer, yet we apply the same manner when forgiving ourselves. This contributes to the lack of faith in believing that God will forgive us for our sins when we as humans are use to an unforgiving world, which is turn leads us to a state of depression and lack of peace. Unforgiveness is the hunchback that stops you from standing straight living a life free of woes.