₦airaland Forum

zahymaka - i realize this is REALLY a late response. No - not rude at all - I really do like to learn anything I can. Thanks,
lm

to multitask - the HISTORY channel!!!! (aka WAR channel). surely you jest.

Multitask - I don't know where you live, but the rich here are getting richer by the sweat of the poor - every single day! The American middle class is dwindling by the second,

To Multitask - I don't glean history or life experience from WATCHING tv - I live it! I am a 45-year old AMERICAN - anything that has happened, in MY country from 1961 to today - I know about.

To Texazzpete - take a deep breath, and thanks for the laugh! "tin foil hats - alien mind probes!!" PLEEEEZZEEEE!!!!! I never said anything had to be "new", and I never gave a monetary value to any gift. You didn't get it - irregular items are "new", they're just not marketed to the general American public! Jeans are missing studs, bras are missing darts, draperies are missing holes, calendars are missing pages, Get it now? And shame on anyone who thinks orphans have no dignity as to where they'll accept shoes with no soles, and hair products with caustic substances, and eyglasses with warped lenses!!!

And that's why we have people in America who really give from the heart - Oprah, Feed the Children, and many more. These people and organizations have realized that a gift really helps the person they're giving to. It's not just some self-serving action.

Sweetie - do you just accept what is told to you, or presented as the truth? I do not. And I never will. And, I'm sorry, but I don't get your dog bites hand analogy. Could you clarify it? Thanks,

lm

Hi - just so you know, there are millions, maybe billions of people, who do not believe American astronauts reached the moon. And their theories are plausible. I'm on the fence. No, I cannot "join" you or anyone in defense of anything. I will always be a maverick when it comes to assessing my country's activities. And I will never blindly just go with whatever is happening because it's in vogue, or expected, or because it's what everyone else does. I will always question the actions of all people, because that is where you discover real truth, and that is where "devotion" dies. Wake up.
lm

Multitask! Do you not know that it was the launching of the Russians' "Sputnik" that spurred the American space program? And the "new math"? Please steep yourself in American history if you want to be credible. Despite my country's desire to be insulated, it has always, and will always, be influenced by other countries in all aspects of its development.

lm

i love all of these pets! roosters, cats, dogs and all. i love all of God's creatures! the white dog is absolutely beautiful- but still no match for my ike and tina, !

lm

wow! sorry to all - i didn't mean any harm or offense. just so you know, being an american citizen affords one the opportunity to criticize ones country/goverment, etc. i won't back down in my observation of my country's pretense of "giving", when it is usually and all and ONLY in its best interest. there is no such thing as a "gift", when you give it in your own interest and without any regard whatsoever to the givee's need. so america throws away what it doesn't want, and as one poster observed: tampons were needed for women's needs, and tennis shoes were needed for those who were traveling,
well guess what? they got lucky, next month could be leaking printer cartridges, or, oops!, sticky notes without the sticky substance, or microwaveable dishes that leak toxins, or irregular jeans that forgot the crotch, , "
please tell me that africans have some standards - that they won't accept just anyone's idea of a "gift", just so they can say they got something from america!
my country gave away many, many items tagged as irregular" clothing (same as what they sell in the dollar store), to may countries as a "gift". i can see if you have never been given anything, and maybe i need a reality check. i simply don't know what it is like to "need" anything. or maybe i was taught not to accept someone else's TRASH as my TREASURE,
lm

, I guess I don't get it. I don't get "giving" when it's not really a gift, and just a self-serving gesture. Oh, well. For those who disagree - here's a challenge: If you really think that someone "in need" appreciates anything you give to him/her: - the next time you see a starving person begging for food, stand before them with a hot steaming sub sandwich, but instead, offer to him or her a tennis shoe or a bandaid. Then I want you to send me a photograph of that person actually eating the item, thanking you profusely for it, and licking their chops, while you wolf your sandwich down, with no reaction from the starving person. THAT I'd LIKE to see!

Thief -

, or they might broaden their horizons, the more you live and and the more you experience - the more ridiculous, incongruous, and thus, "funny" this world we live in can be.


peace.

Linda M.

To Texazzpete - with all due respect, yes, half a loaf is better than, however, the loaf has to be something that the people can EAT. If you can convert 1 billion tampons, tennis shoes and bandaids into food that will sustain those starving in Africa, well, then, God Bless You!

Ndipe - please don't be fooled. America has a long tradition of throwing away its unwanted goods in the guise of "charity". Fifteen or twenty years ago a major athletic shoe company "donated" its products to a starving African country. Curious that the inhabitants had never worn shoes, (and were still starving and couldn't EAT them, ) When the war in Afghanistan began, Americans "donated" tons of peanut butter to the people, who didn't have a clue what to do with it. I was startled by pictures of Afghanis feeding "Jiffy", "Peter Pan" and "Skippy" to donkeys, because the Afghanis didn't identify this product as "food". America doesn't always do the right thing - there are even worse stories of major American firms donating Bandaids, tampons, and sunscreen (yes, sunscreen!) to poor African countries in exhange for a tax write-off.

I love being an American, but I willl always acknowledge its problems
Linda M.

I will concede that many of you are right in that Americans need to focus less on material gains, and conquests; and maybe more on our legacy and responsibility to the world, as well as some sense of humility. Thank you everyone, for helping me to grow, and I wish you a prosperous, healthy, and blessed New Year. May we continue to share our ideas and insights on this wonderful website.
Godspeed,
Linda M.

;DStill, America is a wonderful place to live. My mother went from seven kids in a one bedroom, to a 4 bedroom/2 bath, 14x25 ft swimming pool, vegetable/flower garden, 1-bedroom shed, six-car driveway, hot tub, and many extras, I could go on. My point is that America really is the land of opportunity. We DO have our problems here, as a nation, but I think overall it's not a bad place to live.

Linda

Ndipe - you said it all - America was founded on discrepancies - and it makes for a very confused society. However, we live with what we know. I am glad you put it as blunt as you did.
Real.
Linda.

Alabiyemmy (and I apologize if I have misspelled your name). You have an EXCELLENT point. No, I haven't visited other countries to have instilled in myself a broader view of life. That's actually a major flaw in Americans. Many of us don't travel, yet we think we have a broad view of what happens worldwide. What an excellent response from you.

Linda.

I've lived in America all of my life. (45 years). To be honest, I really don't want to go or even visit anywhere else. I certainly don't want to visit another country where I might be considered "prey" because I am an American, and therefore, "rich". I have to ask: If America is so bad, why are so many people immigrating to my country? And why aren't Americans leaving in droves? This is a wonderful place to live! Like anywhere else, America has its share of "isms". Racism, sexism, ageism, etc. I can't be convinced that other countries don't experience their version of prejudice. Many Blacks in America have come to view some Nigerians as "scammers" and elitists. When I have participated in Black art shows, it was often the Nigerians who were the most difficult to deal with. Right away, they asked you if you visited their stall to buy their wares, never letting you browse the merchandise! No sense of decorum, whatsoever - basically they were just like , "what do you want to buy?" I say scammers, because I visited a Nigerian store the other day, and I specifically told the merchant that I did not eat goat. I have tasted it once and thought it to be most vile. He wanted to sell off his extra food that night, and lo and behold, I ended up buying a container full of goat (gag!) And I saw a news special the other day which showed the extent of the Nigerian telephone/lottery scams. It's really scary. I say elitist because a few of my encounters with Nigerian artists weren't too pleasant - they were very condescending to the American Blacks, literally looking down their noses. Very clipped speech, don't have any time to really talk to you. And you walk away like, "exCUSE me for bothering you!" I know that not all Nigerians are like that, but enough of them are to make you start having a negative opnion about Nigeria. Back to the topic: America really is the most wonderful place to live - it's progressive and it was built by many, many diverse people. A lot of people on this thread have alluded to the oppression of Native Americans (and I suspect that these people aren't American). Even the Native Americans will concede that it was their forefathers' and mothers' ability and willingness to adapt and be complicit with change that helped shape America into what it is today. America was indeed built on subjugation, oppression, and violence, but it was also built on forward thinking, optimism and individualism. There is simply no other country that has risen to these heights, with a mix of good and bad, that has been this successful.

Linda.

For the fellas:  Foot hair, back hair and booty hair! Oh my God, please shave it!   

For the ladies:  Yes, you CAN be skinny and shapeless,  if you do not have hips don't wear hip huggers! 

For the fellas:  No grills!  I'd like to see the condition of your real teeth (and I can find better ways to spend your money!)

For the ladies:  No ghet-toes!  Toenails cannot be longer than the toe.

I disagree, Thiefofhearts. It may just be that you have a particular sense of humor, which of course you are entitled to. Lots of people don't think comediennes are funny, but lots of other people do. And those are the people who have helped launch and sustain those comics' careers. They (Monique, et al ) obviously didn't need a unanimous vote of approval to become successful. I am a Black American woman who finds Jeff Foxworthy's Blue Collar Comedy (White trash) tour absolutely hilarious. Humor is simply about what touches you, for whatever reason - it's very personal. It's too general a statement to say that someone isn't "funny". Just look at the variety of replies to the original question!

Well, Seun, with all due respect, I must disagree with you. When you say "we" don't find women funny, who are the "we"? If it's the majority of men, then I can understand that, because, yes, women usually base their comedy routines on women's issues, which could be considered arcane to most men. But you must understand that many women appreciate seeing the humorous side of things that affect them, such as menses, menopause, raising children, self image, deadbeat dads, etc. And this sort of humor probably could not be delivered by a man (or could it?) When you really analyze humor, all of it relates to something that's mundane, serious or even tragic, and surely, mundane, serious and tragic events are universal to human kind, and definitely not exclusive to any one gender.

Sent with a wink and a smile, because I really do love your website.

Linda M.

I am utterly touched by your post.  You did the right thing by standing up to what has happened to you and forging on.  You have no idea what God has in store for you.  Do not ever let dis-eased people make you feel that you are not worthy to them; they are the ones truly suffering because they have no internal strength, unlike yourself.  Thank God I have always made friends with people with all types of abilities (notice I did not say "disabilities".  I, myself, have 20/200 vision without glasses - legally blind - but I don't let it get in my way of enjoying life! Bad vision and all - I have actually enjoyed 20+ years as a professional artist!  Always know that you can do anything you put your mind to.  And God would have not given you life if He did not also give that life a purpose.

Linda