₦airaland Forum

^ How do you embed youtube vidoes in the proper format?

Do you mind showing me how to do so? I always try to use the [youtube][/youtube] format, but it never works.

[center]Hundreds demand answers, action in subway shooting[/center]

Hundreds of citizens and community leaders packed into the Bay Area Rapid Transit board room and two overflow rooms Thursday, demanding the group take responsibility for a subway officer's shooting that left a young man dead.

The BART board of directors meeting started with a moment of silence for Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old father who was killed on New Year's Day in a crowded train station, but it quickly turned into a parade of angry speeches by elected officials, activists and outraged citizens.

For nearly six hours, according to local media, about 60 people addressed the board.

The public asked the BART directors, and they agreed, to set up a committee to review procedures. They also discussed the possibility of creating a civilian review board.

Inside the room, people clutched Grant's photo. Some held signs against police brutality. A couple of times citizens chanted loudly and pumped their fists in the air.

Grant's mother, Wanda Johnson, dressed in a shirt with her son's face and the words "RIP Oscar," held a news conference Thursday afternoon at the family attorney's office to plead with the public to stop the rioting breaking out in response to the shooting, according to CNN affiliate KTVU-TV.

"I am begging the citizens not to use violent tactics, not to be angry," an emotional Johnson said at the news conference. "I know it's a very frustrating time, but Oscar would not want to see all the violence that's going on. He would not want to see the fires, he would not want to see this."

"You're hurting people who have nothing to do with the situation. You're vandalizing their property, hurting their cars and breaking their windows. Please just stop it, please."

Johnson wiped tears from her eyes as her son's friends also pleaded for calm.

At the news conference, the Grant family attorney, John Burris, said he understood the frustration that African-Americans, especially those who are young, were feeling. Noting the case of Sean Bell, Burris asked the community to not take away from the tragedy by creating more violence.

"That's not what Oscar stood for, that's not the life he led, so don't mar the image of Oscar. He was trying to be a peacemaker on that tape," Burris said referring to a recorded video of Grant's shooting.

Footage from KTVU showed demonstrators rampaging through the streets of Oakland, California, on Wednesday protesting Grant's death.

The Oakland Police Department made 105 arrests, including a mass arrest of about 80 people at 11 p.m., said Officer Jeff Thomason. The charges include inciting a riot, vandalism, assault on a police officer and unlawful assembly, he said.

One officer was injured, but not seriously, Thomason said.

Some protesters lay on their stomachs, saying they were showing solidarity with Grant, who was shot in the back as he was face-down on the floor at a train station.

Several witnesses caught the incident on camera, and there have been numerous demonstrations this week. The protests turned violent Wednesday night after Grant's funeral and following an announcement by authorities that Officer Johannes Mehserle, who is implicated in the shooting, had turned in his resignation.

Videos from witnesses show Mehserle shoot Grant in the back as another BART officer kneels on Grant. A BART spokesman has said there is more to the story than what can be seen on the grainy images.

Oakland police tried to keep protesters at bay Wednesday night as they smashed car windshields and storefront windows. KTVU footage shows one protester jumping up and down on a police car hood, while another demonstrator pushes a flaming Dumpster up against it.

"We live a life of fear, and we want them to be afraid tonight," an unnamed female protester said.

The protests began peacefully about 3:30 p.m. with about 500 people gathering at the Fruitvale station, where the shooting occurred last week, Thomason said.

Soon, a group of about 150 protesters surrounded a police officer. Fearing for his safety, Thomason said, "the decision was made to use chemical agents to protect that police officer."

The crowd calmed down, but then a contingent of protesters turned violent again, smashing windows and setting cars on fire, he said. Police tried to disperse the crowd and warned five times that anyone who didn't leave would be arrested.

At about 8:30 p.m., police started making arrests. One person was arrested after carrying a firearm; another faces charges of possessing suspected crack cocaine, Thomason said.

The crowd finally dispersed about 11 p.m. after police hemmed in a crowd of rowdy protesters at the downtown intersection of 20th Street and Broadway. There, police cuffed 80 protesters, Thomason said.

"If people want to peacefully protest, we're all for that," he said. "If it's peaceful, we're all for it. We're not going to stand in the way of people saying what they want to say."

This was not the case Wednesday night, Thomason said, warning that police would be out in force again Thursday night to make sure any protests remain orderly.

David Chai, chief of staff for Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums, said Dellums was "out and about" in the streets Wednesday, urging protesters to exercise their frustration productively. Dellums also announced that the Oakland Police Department was conducting its own investigation into the matter.

"The mayor's involvement was essentially to try to calm everybody down," Chai said. "He obviously expressed some frustration with the process."

He said Oakland residents also were "rightfully" frustrated that the investigation has gone on for a week with little development.

Thomason said Oakland police will either work alongside BART in its investigation or take the probe over, but no decisions have been made.

BART spokesman Linton Johnson said Wednesday that Mehserle's attorney has advised his client not to speak to authorities. BART released a statement Wednesday saying the officer's attorney and a union representative had handed in his resignation letter.

Attorney Christopher Miller released a statement confirming his client's resignation, effective Wednesday.

"Officer Mehserle's resignation should allow BART to get back to the business of managing regional transportation and allow the Alameda County district attorney to take primary responsibility for reviewing this matter," the statement said.

Johnson told CNN on Wednesday that Mehserle had received death threats.

District Attorney Tom Orloff told CNN on Wednesday the incident is a "pretty clear" homicide, and his office will focus primarily on Mehserle's mental state before the shooting.

Burris is pushing Orloff to press criminal charges against Mehserle. Burris has also filed a $25 million claim with BART, alleging wrongful death.

"Without so much as flinching, the Officer Mehserle stood over Grant and mercilessly fired his weapon, mortally wounding Mr. Grant with a single gunshot wound to the back," the claim alleges.

BART has until late February to respond.

Burris said that the young men had been celebrating the new year at a popular waterfront tourist spot, The Embarcadero. They were heading home when police pulled them from the train car about 2 a.m.

Witness videos show Grant and two other men sitting against a wall in the Fruitvale station after being pulled off the train. BART reported that they had received a report of an altercation on the train.

Police are seen putting Grant face-down on the ground. Grant appears to struggle. One of the officers kneels on Grant as another officer stands, tugs at his gun, unholsters it and fires a shot into Grant's back.

There have been unconfirmed reports that Mehserle may have mistook his gun for a Taser, but Burris is not swayed.

"My view is, this is criminal conduct, period," he said.

BART Police Chief Gary Gee released a statement this week expressing condolences for Grant's family and saying the authority is cooperating with Orloff's office.

A statement Wednesday said BART "will continue to seek and examine all available evidence and will continue its full cooperation with the ongoing independent investigation by the district attorney."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/08/BART.shooting/index.html

This is a very unfortunate event. I think the officer who shot this restrained, unarmed man should be punished harshly! I don't agree with rioting, it is dumb, and people should be smart enough to know not to destroy their own neighborhood. My sister lives in Oakland and tells me things better go right, because the streets there are getting even more rowdy then they usually are.

Wow, this DOES NOT sound well at all.

Blacks in pre civil rights America were often tricked into signing away their inventions, or were all together robbed of them.

I don't know if this story you bring up is true or false, but the possibilities are endless with this particular issue. . .

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KntmpoRXFX4

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I ran across this website after following a link from another site, and what I read was something I truly didn't expect.

I'm not the type to be seriously into conspiracy theories, so I'm not going to say all this stuff is true, it's just interesting.

I truly recommend reading this, it will without a doubt open your mind to things you'll never have thought of. This piece was written in February of last year, and what it predicted what would happen now makes it even more eerie.

http://www.henrymakow.com/are_jews_being_set_up_for_anot.html

Many things in this world we know very little about.

Note- the author of this site is Jewish himself.

Lekki Megacity Masterplan

https://i43.tinypic.com/2qm21j7.jpg

Much, much more here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=774666

Ex Inferis:
are you sure?

Yes, very sure.

A few months ago I purchased an HP Pavillion laptop (after I had a horrible Compaq Presario), and within the first month the hard drive crashed on me, and the keyboards were also terrible (stuck easily).

Compaq was an entirely different experience. Hands down the worst computer manufacturers. HP bought them, so I guess cheap assembly is now a common practice. . . 

oyb:
only one week, and its the "best laptop you've ever had"?

based on what benchmarks?

Yes. You have to realize what I came from before (Compaq, HP).

The screen is very bright (1080p display), the keyboard is perfect, and includes all keys, Vaio care is disputably one of the best pc services out there, and much more.

The warranty that came with the laptop is also a big advantage. I could drop this thing accidentally within the first year, and get it repaired for free.

Last but not least, if the price on the laptop is lowered within 14 days of my purchase, they will pay me back the difference.

China and its development is simply amazing. Even though China is much larger than Nigeria (in many ways), I can one day see Nigeria being to Africa, what China is to Asia.

Look at this thread about mega projects currently being built in China (nationwide), I guarantee your jaws will be on the floor by post #5.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=685352

I think Nigeria should look towards China's model for development in order to vastly improve how the nation functions.

Your thoughts?

OP, why don't you take a break from the computer for once.

The sheer amount of propaganda that comes from you is alarming. You seem obsessed with trying to demonize Palestinians, but everytime you fail.

How dare you say you're in the hollow of Gods hands. I'm not one to judge so I will not go any further. . .

I just purchased a Sony Vaio AW laptop last week, and this is the best laptop I've ever had.

HP is rubbish. Compaq is rubbish. Dell's customer service is rubbish. Sony is the best hands down.

Abroad.

Los Angeles, California, United States of America.

@ *osisi*

The poster should preach to Hamas.
The blood of those kids are on their coconut heads

No, how about for once you and other posters remove your rose coloured glasses, and begin to see who's really suffering from this conflict.

@ Tayo D

According to blackspade, Lagosboy is now proven guilty for respionding forst to this thread. Let those of us who really care about human lives now respond.

No, that is according to you.

I really do not understand yuor outrage.  Are you bothered that a life is lost at all or are you just bothered by the quantity?

My "outrage" isn't that hard to understand. When you have innocent children (and innocent people period) being killed for something they have nothing to do with in large numbers, someone is eventually going to speak up.

I know Isreali victims mean nothing to you, afterall Islam refers to them as pigs and dogs. Your outrage is at best hypocritical.

Ignorance is bliss.

You know nothing of my views, so DO NOT judge me. Please show me where I've stated Palestinian victims are more important than Israeli victims, or even where I have said I don't care about Israeli victims- YOU CANNOT.

You might want to visit the following link to see how many children that have being murderd by these islamic gropus you have failed. http://daledamos/2006/08/123-israeli-children-killed-by.html

Sad, any children dying from something they have nothing to do with is always sad. I read an article at another site about how these peace activists put together a group of Israeli Jewish children and Palestinian Muslim children, and after their first meet the children became the best of friends. They had no care in the world about their religious background, or anything of that sort.

Nigeria: Foreign Reserves Fall By $6 Billion in one Month

Lagos — As the global credit crisis takes its toll on the world economy and further depresses oil prices, Nigeria's foreign currency reserves fell by $6 billion or 8.2 per cent in December last year to $52.7 billion.

Reserves in the month to December 29 dropped from $57.4 billion in November, the Central Bank of Nigeria said yesterday in its monthly report.

Record oil prices had helped Nigeria to build the largest currency reserves in sub-Saharan Africa, which peacked at $63 billion in September 2008.

But oil prices have plummeted since September 2008 after attaining a record high of $147 in July. Oil was trading below $42 in New York yesterday.

Foreign investors seeking safety amid the global credit crunch have withdrawn money from the country, leaving the CBN as "the only source" of foreign exchange, said Fola Fagbule, head of research at Afrinvest, a Lagos-based investment bank.

The naira has depreciated by more than 14 per cent in the past month after the CBN cut the amount of dollars sold to local banks at its twice weekly foreign currency auction.

On December 16, the CBN Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, said the currency was allowed to weaken to protect dwindling foreign reserves.

The Organisation of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC) which produces about 40 per cent of the world's oil, cut production by 2.2 million barrels a day on December 17 in a bid to arrest the decline in crude prices.

Nigeria has the continent's biggest hydrocarbon reserves, with more than 30 billion barrels of crude oil and 187 trillion cubic feet of gas.

The country is the fifth-largest source of United States oil imports and the eight largest producer in the world.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200901050447.html

Are there any good naija rappers in London? If you know any, post them here please.

I can understand you supporting one side, but if you are trying to justify the killings of innocent people, then you're truly sick!

You people know who you are, so I will not name names. Those who are guilty will be the first ones to respond, only to fail at justifying their views.



At least 30 children killed in Gaza Strip, Israeli spokesperson says they are legitimate target

[img]http://www.uruknet.de/pic.php?f=3terrorists_jrl205.jpg[/img]

(Three Palestinian children from the Balosha family, of five who were all killed in the same Israeli missile strike, are seen in the morgue before their burial at Kamal Edwan hopsital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, Monday, Dec. 29, 2008.)


Gaza / PNN – Not only are children in the Gaza Strip losing their parents, missing food, medicines and school, they are being killed.

Israeli forces took the lives of at least 30 children in Gaza since air attacks began on Saturday. A statement issued by the Global Movement for the Defense of Children says its initial reports indicate that another 150 children are injured.

The first children hit en masse were during struck during the beginning of the attacks when they were leaving school. Dozens of school children were raced to area hospitals in Gaza City on Saturday. Among the children killed are the sisters in Jabaliya yesterday and the eight year old boy today in Khan Younis.

The British university movement to boycott Israel wrote in their petition, "'Children,' says an Israeli spokeswoman, 'are legitimate targets because if they inhabit a house allegedly being used to manufacture home-made rockets to fire into Israel, they are 'terrorists' themselves.'"

The international children’s agency Global Defense for Children called today on the United Nations Security Council to convene an emergency session. The UNSC has yet to take effective action to force Israel to stop its aggression or apply previous UN resolutions, which include an end to occupation.

Defense for Children asked that the European Union and its member states seek to for the application of the rules of international humanitarian law. The Israeli administration has a poor record internationally when it comes to Palestinian children with at least 300 in its prisons.

The EU is under heavy pressure by humanitarian organizations to impose sanctions on Israel and to cease all diplomatic relations.

At the same time the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions are obliged to respect and enforce the convention as stated in Article I. Those who violate it are subject to criminal charges of crimes against humanity. The Global Defense for Children noted today that the individual criminal responsibility does not become obsolete and that at some point all will be prosecuted.

http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m50093&s1=h1

This was from December 30th, the number of children killed to date is estimated to be as high as 100.

Very interesting! I commented earlier, but instead of giving out a detailed proposal, I'll post images of what the architects behind this mega city should try and make it look.

This would seriously be fascinating. Indigenous languages need not be forgotten, nor replaced by European languages. Even though outside languages are always good to know for obvious reasons (business, etc, ), I think for people to be able to truly understand themselves (ethnically), their tribal language would be very important to know. Hopefully more languages from Africa will be added!

You'd be surprised as what grows and comes out of Nigeria. Out here in Cali we are known for having the BEST quality weed in America. Out here, we call it dotie, tree, fire (if its really good), kill (if its really good), dosj, greens, and many more I've forgot. During the times I've made trips back to Naija, I'd always come across some good Ganja, either Ghana imported, or something from southeast. Nigerian strains are also famous in Amsterdam.

http://www.marijuanastrains.com/nigeriastrains.html (Nigeria Marijuana)

https://www.cannabis-seeds.com/product_images/fullsize/nigerian.jpg



http://www.amsterdammarijuanaseeds.com/product_info.php?currency=49&product_id=26&affilid=238116241128 (Yoruba Nigeria Strain)

https://www.amsterdammarijuanaseeds.com/pics/nigeria.jpg

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

This is the travel section, take your personal vengeance against Nairobi elsewhere.

[img]http://images.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=tbn&q=http://www.salagir.com/gfx/troll-web.jpg&usg=AFQjCNHDAPiSqRN8AbeG7JfImqs1JAhY2Q[/img]

Why are you trying so hard to derail this thread? This thread is dedicated to showing Nairobi to the nairaland community (in a good sense). Everyone knows about the slums and Kiberia, but who wants to see that for 23 pages straight? Abuja has nothing to do with this thread, and besides, Abuja has slums on the outskirts (they can't destroy all of them).

Stop being a troll.

Both sides could have avoided this tragedy to be honest.

BecomeRich:
earthmama, everybody see you on line, so we know you have no job. With different name on nairaland. It is not time 2009 for you to have a life. 2008 you are online 24 hrs. What do you gain for 24 hrs online. Nothing. Time yesterdays you waste , you can not gain today. If you are looking for a job. tell everybody. we many help you. which city are you. ??

ROTFLMAO!

https://smilies.vidahost.com/otn/realhappy/xxrotflmao.gif

@ davidylan

Sharrup! You do not know me, so do not hurl insults towards me because I have expressed my opinion. Israel is an apartheid state in my opinion, and i'm not anti-semetic AT ALL. I am however unsurprised you labeled me as one, after all that's what all pro-zionists say when someone is against their oppressive moves. Israel is basically a new era colonist country that is only out for it's interests.

[center]Entering the financial district from the Historic Core
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3210/2516052227_0e082bd877_b.jpg

The Subway stop at Hollywood/Highland in Hollywood
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/2559282644_7d8f257b13_b.jpg

In the Theater district of Downtown
https://i29.tinypic.com/2lijxih.jpg

Back in the Historic Core in Downtown
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/2702614759_6c6923e983.jpg?v=0

Looking at Bunker Hill from South Park in Downtown
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/2703438046_117ffa397d.jpg?v=0[/center]

[center]Looking towards Downtown from East L.A.
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/233505318_9e6be35a88_b.jpg

Urbanity in Downtown (if you look closely you can see Walt Disney Concert Hall)
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2440385489_0cca0b195b_b.jpg

In the Historic Core of Downtown (It's been cleaned up tremendously since this photo)
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/2504113691_c63f1924aa_b.jpg

A movie shooting on the first street bridge adjacent from Downtown
https://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/115363468_795e180a4e_o.jpg

In the middle of Historic Downtown
https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2215/2516053881_09da5bc271_b.jpg[/center]

[center] [size=15pt]MERRY CHRISTMAS NAIRALANDERS!!![/size]

https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3216/3126004975_153ffec760_b.jpg[/center]