₦airaland Forum

i don't know why americans are such bad influences

it breaks my heart to see a milan icon move to the worst team in d galaxy !

Pixiraver, Wrong thread bro/sis. You don't want to go there You need to start a brand new post on the above and when we can joust LOL

LOL owo,

I was there last in 2004 and as of yesterday, had an inlaw who just returned, so trust me, I am on ground. In fact, if I land for dia, you go swear say I never leave lagos

To answer your question:

You may be confused with cross-river state. Pple in AKS r so fed up, they are clamoring for Duke to be governor.

- Calabar-Itu road from bridge-head to uyo town is like the footpath to a stream

- Ikot-Ekpene road, the main artery of the city, in my opinion, is constantly waterlogged and now has go-slow

- Pple are paid in arrears

- Secretariat on Abak road, hasn't been maintained since it was built (by another governor)

- Those who have flowing water have it cos of borehole, not water board

- I personally don't call the "Attah's garden" at Ibom connection a sign of development, especially when a tanker has been spotted filling up the water fountains. Shdn't that be water board's responsibility for it to flow via tap?

I can give you more, but I want to await your response. I am not the type to argue based on emotions or religious convictions. I live off facts. As I said, I was last there in 2004 and I have an inlaw who just returned yesterday. I also have numerous family members there connected to cell phones (by the way, will you call someone who has 2 cell phones on his hip, yet has no house or car development?). When I am there, I travel extensively. I dey ground. So, should I believe you who, from your profile, is in Ibadan, or someone who just returned from there yesterday? Trust me, my first questions are along the lines of "how much is garri now? or coke? How about so-so and so road? etc.

Yes, I am on the Ibom chatting forum on www.geocities.com/myibibio but spend most of my time here. I look forward to chatting with you. my YIM is udotot25.

What say you?

Some ye ye American woman I was dating back in the day had the nerve to get in an argument with me claiming that *everyone* should be paid the same - be it u r a doctor or a "burger flipper (my first job in US was this, and I got paid $4.25 an hour, and it anything, it motivated me to achieve my goals in life, so I don't know what is the big deal with it). I was like Burger flipper get paid the same amount of money with someone who probably took out over $200K in student loans, and probably performs hours of surgery to save someone's life If no b say im been fine, I for don dump an siiiiince!!!

In secondary school, I remember, in an attempt to show our disdain for apartheid, the FG made all FGCs have a writing on our blackboard that read "Apartheid is a crime against humanity". Now that apartheid is over, that word should be replaced by pple who think there is something wrong with paying a burger flipper $5.25 an hour while paying a doctor thousands an hour.

I am not a doctor but I respect what they do and say they are worth it!!

Skidoc,

I didn't "struggle and hustle" myself and though I don't take this issue personally and as passionately as others do, I am still willing to say that the US is better, based on readings.

By the way, I can totally go 180 on this any day. All I need to convince me is facts. Not statements like "u can walks the streets of londonw with your girlfriend without worrying about her purse being snatched", etc as someone posted on page 1 of this post

Research has shown that women, in the US, who choose career over family, end up making more money than those in the vice-versa situation.

Having said that, my advice to the ladies out there, based on my experiences, is to not plan for a baby per se. Just let it happen. When you plan for it, there is a lot of pressure and as those who live in the US for example can attest, there is so much stress that you can literally miscarry over and over or miss "unsafe" periods altogether. Besides, not all plans go through as planned. I planned to get married at 25. I ended up getting married 4 years later.

Just pray that God should give you a child at his own time, based on your goals in life. If that is 15, so be it. Remember, at least in my opinion, there is so much rampant sex cos pple delay getting married while their sexual desires aren't reducing one bit, especially not with what we see around us on TV et al.

I hope this helps

Old Glory, I no too sabi about eloquent o! i just shoot crap based on experience

Sorry guys, but the powers that be said we could leave work early today as per say monday na public holiday.

To the one who asked if we don't pay taxes in the US. Of course we do. My point being that it isn't as high as the UK. I mean, how much do you pay for a gallon of fuel in the UK? Our fuel tax on average in the US is about 40 cents. It is at least 50% of the price in the UK

Iyke-D. You asked some pertinent questions. Allow me to retort

Sure, we pay sales, ad valorem, etc taxes. So do those in the UK, though under different names.

You must be living in Westchester NY or maybe somewhere that isn't actually the US cos the last time I checked, speaking for the state of georgia, if you don't have insurance (trust me, I have taken enough pple to the hospital without), you will be treated. I don't doubt that certain hospitals may not treat you, but again speaking for the state of georgia, they do. Of course your hospital bill would be another story. I even know of a hospital, again based on me going there, in Tennessee that treats without insurance too.

As for me being a republican. Even if I were, whatz the problem? We need pple on both sides of the isle. I am actually a self-confessed conservative democrat. In other words, I believe in maximum individual freedoms, limited government, but with a human touch. The only thing b say I read a lot, and not books about how stella got her groove back, but books on politics and economics. I also have subscribed to "The Economist", a magazine originating in the UK, but with economics stories from around the world. Most of my stats are from that magazine. They are very very neutral. In general, I like to read stuff from both sides and make the decisions for myself.

Truth be told, if I had a choice, I would rather be in Nigeria, as based on my experiences, given a large stash of money, it is better than the US and the UK combined (even nollywood actress Caroline Ekanem said as much about why she is in Nigeria and not the UK in a recent interview), but the post is about the US and the UK.

GDP in the US for last quarter I believe was about 3 or so %. The whole of Europe combined was a meager 1% on average. Something to chew on until I hear from you all again

Bright2, very true.

On a slightly different topic, I remember when my family returned in the 1980s. We had an American toyota corolla. The parts were virtually non-existent. So what did the creative mechanics do? They used VW parts and the car worked just fine

Chei!! So much talent for naija, but no one bothering to harness it

Hotstepper,

That villa in question is in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State

By the way, from the photo on your profile page, I seriously doubt you are located in nnewi. Maybe nnew-ingland, but definitely not Nnewi LOL

In france there is tax on fortune so if you are stinkyly rich true inheritance or your own sweat you will be taxed and it is redistributed to the poor. this is an example of what i mean by capitalism should evolve!

Leilata, I respectfully disagree. If I earn my money through my own sweat, I should have the choice via a will of where my wealth shd go. So if I decide that it go to my family, or to some charity, it should be my decision, not the government's.

Back to the issue on ground:
Capitalism = opportunity = exploitation
Socialism = "equality" = From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

In the end, none of them are the best solution. However, under normal circumstances, capitalism is best. Should you not like being possibly exploited, then ideally, such pple should strive for a better life.

Coming to think of it, if the leaders in countries where this happens actually take care of their pple, would such exploitation happen? I doubt it.

LOL,

Thatz like me saying my moving back to Nigeria has nothing to do with the stress I am going through overseas, but because I want to learn pidgin LOL

Good one Sheva. If no b d money, make u go play for Chelseas for free

This is the only place where you get free and quality education, free(but not so quality) health care,

I have said it before and I will say it again - those things are not free. You are paying for it through taxes. Taxes come out of your paycheck. As you said, the health care system isnt "so quality". Thatz because it is run by government. So there is no motivation to innovate, and therez a lot of red tape. If you let the free markets rule, (ideally) competition sets in to reduce prices and with many companies comes many people innovating to attract customers.

Please, please people: refrain from the word "free" with respect to social services. I know that such governments have succeeded in indoctrinating their citizens to that effect but IT IS NOT FREE (sorry for the caps, but it is true ). The government is implicitly sticking a gun to your head and saying "your freedom (as in, you could go to jail) or your money!!".

Pretty much anything can work. All you need is an adaptor. For small devices, go to radio shack and get one for $20 - $30. For bigger appliances (washer and dryer, generators, etc), still go to radio shack, and ask one of the workers where to go for heavy duty adaptors.

During my visits, I have taken many things from DVD player to Laptop to Video game consoles to boomboxes and they have all worked fine.

If you don't want to go the adaptor route, there should be an international store close to you. Usually run by Indians, they have all "universal plug and play" devices. Though at a premium, they remove the hassle of you having to buy adaptors per whatever you are taking with you.

I hope this helps

If true:

I won't blame him - he has accomplished all that needs accomplishing in Italy: Scudetto, Coppa Italia, Champions League. What else is left to conquer in Italy?

The key question should, in my opinion, be: If he leaves Milan, where should he go? In my opinion, certainly not Chelsea - too many stars he wdnt fit in. Probably Spain if I were him, but what do I know?

I don't personally think such exists. You may be able to get a free 30 day trial version somewhere like www.download.com . Other than that though, e jo o!

In England you have got nice and trendy bars, fancy little shops and you can walk carelessly around town with your girlfriend or some relatives without the fear of being brutally knocked down or your purse being greedily snatched off by hungry people that fall through the American safety net. In America you just have the have and the have nots, nothing in between. It is almost like Nigeria!

Constantin, I would probably rethink this line. It is totally stereotypical. Where did you go in the US? I don't say so cos I am in the US myself. I am actually being very very neutral.

Simple scientific experiments to answer the question:

1) Go to US embassy on a typical day and see those standing in line wanting to emigrate to the US. Then go check out line at UK embassy

2) Where do most Britons do their shopping, especially for electronics and clothes. Y? The good old US of A. I have worked with a few. They all say the same thing - Cost of living is high as hell in the UK.

3) Would you rather be in a country where, as I understand it (if I am wrong, let me know please), you may have to wait in line to be treated for even the most common of diseases because its run by the government OR would you rather have the option of being able to be treated regardless of who you are and how minor your condition may be?

4) Would you rather have most of your money "stolen" from you in the name of social services that you may not even use (such people usually get sucked in to believing that their education and health etc are "free" OR would you rather live in a system where you get most of your money back for you to spend as you choose?

5) Would you rather be in an environment where some people get by just because of their "blood" or in an environment where regardless of where you came from in life, you at least have the opportunity to succeed?

Very interesting question for which I expect very interesting answers

Note: Some people here will answer one way or the other based on emotions and indoctrination, not because they are willing to reason and be unbiased in their opinions. Let the flaming being

I c nothing wrong with it. He has served Milan well - Coppa Italia, Champions League, Scudetto and (I could be wrong. If so, do tell ) World Club Championship in Tokyo.

The guy probably needs a better challenge. Like Ballack. Better question is: where should he go? In my opinion, definitely not Chelsea - so much talent, he would probably not play that much. Probably Spain, but what do I know

Back in the 60s - 70s, we experienced the "glorious years" when nation-state's thought that the answer to their problems was socialism, basically a mix b/w communism and capitalism. Some countries, even the UK, still practice this today. Then down went the Berlin wall. It turns out old mother russia, in keeping up with the US, was spending as much as 50% of its GDP on the military. Also varioius schemes like price-fixing didn't help either. Do you remember the lines of pple waiting for bread? Now, especially with globalisation, capitalism is here and isn't going anywhere, especially with the rise of the internet giving pple access to things they wouldn't have otherwise known.

I am a firm believer in the saying that nothing lasts forever. So one day, capitalism will fade away. Should it? Not in my opinion. As xkape said, try having nairaland in North Korea or even China.

What will bring down capitalism? Pple being fed up with only a few pple enjoying the fruits of capitalism. The movement will most likely come from the ever-vanishing middle class.

What will replace capitalism? I honestly can't say. All I can say though is buckle up and enjoy the ride. It will b fun while it lasts.

and thatz my 2 cents

Coming from Akwa Ibom State(AKS), I am going to give Obj the benefit of doubt and say it is the states. AKS gets billions monthly thanks to oil revenues but what does it have to show for it?

This is a matter of preference (as a matter of fact, some companies in the US ask this type of question to guage how you are likely to interact with fellow co-workers ), but I would have to say village life.

I would give anything for lack of air and noise pollution any day. Also, if your village is as mine, I wouldn't trade the following for the world: being able to breeze in and out virtually undetected, hospitality, peace and quiet, vegetation and oneness with nature to name a few.

Yeah,

Probably so, for tax purposes. Sorry, I forgot you, as sirwebs location signature says, are "on the wrong side of the atlantic" LOL

Regardless, others have chimed in with some good advice. Heed it

gbenga,

It is authentic and legit. You determine how much you want to invest and on what intervals. As I said, you can start as low as $4. There are various plans. I chose the middle one. Of course, look for long-term growth. t it in there, don't go checking everyday, cos you own, say, .001% of a stock at a time. Of course, with any investment, there is risk involved.

As our pple like to say, tiny drops of water - na im dey fill bucket

Playing devil's advocate: what has she done that hollywood actresses haven't done, and perhaps more?

Saying what I really wanted to say : Tis the hollywood way baby. Unfortunately, there will be those who look up to her who will think that her way of life ideal and subsequently copy it. Too bad, so sad.

As I said above Bibi,

I don't know much about the Nigerian Stock Market. From the amount, it is roughly $100. I started a sharebuilder.com stock market account for much less - $5

Oh well, what do I know. I just thought I should contribute

I don't know how the stock market is over there, especially in terms of minimum investment. However, if the money is that idle, you could consider either putting it into the stock market or into a fixed deposit account that yields interest.

All in all, since as you say it is "idle money", once invested, do not look at or care about it for a loooong time, at least 10 yrs. If interest is compounded, then all things being equal, you will be amazed what that money will yield you in the long term.

I hope this helps.

lc123,

shdnt b hard to figure out:

- Note how much it cost u to purchase/make in naija

- convert into pounds

- determine how much similar goes for in UK

- reduce urs by say, 50 pounds, and c if u still make a profit

That should do it. In the end, its all about marketing. Sure there r streets full of fashion shops there, but if u figure out how u can add value, pple will buy from u. Besides, there is always the "I go buy from you cos you related to my friend" factor

Good luck!!

Very interesting mocha,

u learn something new everyday

As for domain names and meanings, go here (I just googled it): http://www.learnthenet.com/English/html/84domain.htm

*In general*,

.com - for sites that generate money

.net - Internet service providers

.org - Non-profit organizations

.tv - TV stations

.ng - could use this so that pple know up front that your site is naija-based

I hope thie helps

I wdnt go for animations just because other websites have it. When I visited arsenal.com guess what did I look at most? The animation, and not even what was in the center column. Not good, if they wanted to disseminate information there.

Here is an idea though - arsenal.com has a section called "goal of the month". U cd put something similar on the site. Then right before the video rolls, you put an ad ("this video presented to you by bournvita - yes, another opportunity to do a highest bidder gets all for the rights to the beginner ad. Also cd hv one at end of video).

Also, for hints on how best to target your intended audience, visit www.adknowledge.com

I assume you are logging all hits to the site so you can justify the amount of money you will charge clients.

I hope this helps.

Sorry, because I know that this will not apply to you, but I just had to chyme in:

In the US (at least the Atlanta area), naija attire goes like hot akara Minimum price I have seen is $100. Women go into debt just to wear the latest and block my view courtesy of big head tie at parties. Especially if can hook up with people that are going for some kind of convention (Akwa Ibom convention is coming up here in august ), you would make a killing. Also look at shoes, jewellry, etc. Make your client complete from head to toe

There is a lady I know here who used to work as a nurse in the hospital. After she discovered the money in it, she quit. she sure does a lot of travelling b/w US/ london and malaysia but I bet the money is rolling in big time.

This may or may not help, I just wanted to chyme in.

xkape,

na so o. If to say I get money, I for don land dia since!! We have good guys there. We just need to identify and nurture them better. All in all, as with anything in life, it is like the good guys are the ones who suffer. The bad guys, probably with a better way to communicate, do crap but get all the projects, probably because they charge way less. I could do same, but I want my reputation to precede me. Of course, excellence comes at a price. I want people to look at what I have done and say "wow!!'

Kazey,

Calm down. Take a sip of the kool-aid and rest for a while. I am not picking any fights with you or anyone for that matter. Just restructure how u speak online, cos unlike in person, pple cant read your emotions, thatz all am saying.

and thatz all I will say on this issue. I hereby am removing my notifications from this post.