₦airaland Forum

Logicboy03: Majaze, you dey read bible

I have to up my game....chei.....i no fit even contribute to this menn......I need to start reading up.

Great work sir.

Yeah. You thought DEBUNKING was about being the logic boy and inventing words like Anonysm and telling Christians to shut up?

Lol. These people no go kill pesin. Frosbel should sue you for plagiarism.

andromida: on the contrary i like tpia. Stands out.

Yeah. Kind of.

Hi JeSoul. How is you doing?

Haven’t read the whole thread, but highlighted caught my eye.

JeSoul: Oh wow this whole topic for only me one Logicboy gracias tanto!

Logicboy,
no controversy here - you're 1000% right that I've definitely changed from when I first came to NL in 2007. Infact, I will go a step further and say I'm also ashamed of some of the things I used to believe in - because they weren't borne of study but rather the blind following of tradition & hearsay. There is no shame in "changing your mind" as you acquire more knowledge and listen to diverse viewpoints. This is how we all grow in life and become better human beings. One of my favorite quotes of all time goes:

"one can only learn when he gives up the illusion he already knows"

and if I were to tell of some of the things concerning faith, religion, christianity that I quietly question in my heart everyday you'd probably think I've crossed over to your side lol. But to me honestly, faith is not being stuck in a rigid set of beliefs - but rather being comfortable with asking questions that may challenge those beliefs - and then adjusting those beliefs accordingly. I am comfortable saying "I don't know" to certain questions and being content with it. And after all the ceremonial dust from various doctrines/beliefs settles, one thing will always remain true for me - that Jesus came and died for my sins, and I will [b]try to live my life after the greatest commandment - to love God & to love you (my neighbor) as I love myself. Tongues, tithes, hell, trinity, sabbath etc etc all fade sharply into the background in light of that commandment.[/b]

...thank you for all the kind words & compliments, my head is swelling . You all also help by keeping me in check so thanks to you too.

Are you sure this will always remain true? I mean, is there a reason these are “no go areas” when questioning or scrutinising your beliefs – shouldn’t everything be up for QUESTIONING, at least? For example, there’s a lot of info out there about the historicity of Jesus as presented in the Bible and there are serious questions one can ask as to the plausibility, reasonableness and necessity of a blood sacrifice ordered and received by the Almighty God.

eldoradoxx: I just used "Tufiakwa" a popular word used by the ibos to express disgust as something. Sorry am not ibo so no need to feel bad. Poison in the sense that snake is an unclean animal that God forbids his creature from eating !

When did God tell you this?

What's the drivel about "ibo" and feeling bad - seems you have some obsession about "ibos".

eldoradoxx: Tufiakwa !!! Says the ibo man. This is not food, its poison.

Please state the toxic content of snake meat that qualifies it for the poison label. If you use the word "poison" metaphorically, please state what, in YOUR KNOWLEDGE, is bad about python meat. As for the "Ibo" label, there is nothing to ask you to state about that one, so we can quickly say you were being facetious.

blink182: Disgusting cook, the skin should have been removed.

Obviously an amateur cook - or a terribly lazy one. Typically, the snake is placed over a fire and the burned skin is then scrapped off before you cut it open, removed the entrails and cut it up. Delicious thing, python!

Many discerning minds have seen and said it for a long time - corruption is not even our problem - it goes beyond it!

Mediocrity overtakes graft, wrecks Nigeria

‘NEEDLESS to say the politician is probably hailed by those awaiting part of the loot he is stealing; the writer might have got his sponsorship from buddies he has been sucking up to in hagiographies paid for by the subjects; and the young woman’s promotion is likely to be an exchange for sex or the expectancy of it. So, some form of corruption plays a role in all of these examples.

But corruption per se does not necessarily stand in the way of development. Otherwise, a country like Indonesia — number 118 on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, not that far removed from Nigeria’s 139 — would never have made it to the G-20 group of major economies. An even more serious obstacle to development is the lack of repercussions for under-achievement. Who in Nigeria is ever held accountable for substandard performance?

Since I came here, I have been on a futile search for a stable Internet connection that does what it promises. I started with an MTN FastLink modem (I consider the name a cruel joke), and then I moved on to an Etisalat MiFi connection (I regularly had to keep myself from throwing the bloody thing against the wall), and now I am trying out Cobranet’s U-Go. I shouldn’t have bothered: equally crap. And everyone knows this. They groan and mutter and tweet about it. But still, to my surprise, no one calls for a class-action suit against those deceitful providers.

A one-day conference I attended last year left me equally puzzled. Organisation, attendance and outcome left a lot to be desired, if you ask me. But over cocktails, after the closing ceremony, everyone congratulated each other over the wonderful conference—that started two hours late, of which the most animated part was undeniably lunch, and in which not a single tangible decision had been made. This left me wondering whether we had attended the same event.

I thought these issues to be unrelated at first, but gradually I came to see the connection. Nigeria is the opposite of a meritocracy: you do not earn by achieving. You get to be who and where you are by knowing the right people. Whether you work in an office, for an enterprise or an NGO, at a construction site or in government, your abilities hardly ever are the reason you got there. Performing well, let alone with excellence, is not a requirement, in fact, it is discouraged. It would be too threatening: showing you’re more intelligent, capable or competent than the ‘oga at the top’ (who, as a rule, is not an over-achiever either) is career suicide.

It is an attitude that trickles down from the very top, its symptoms eventually showing up in all of society, from bad governance to bad service to bad craftsmanship.

Where excellence meets no gratification, what remains to be celebrated is under-achievement. That is why it is not uncommon to find Nigerians congratulating each other with sub-standard results. It is safer to cuddle up comfortably in shared mediocrity than to question it, since the latter might also expose your own less than exceptional performance. Add to this the taboo of criticising anyone senior or higher up and it explains why so many join in the admiration of the emperor’s new clothes.

I have been writing this column for the last year, and after 10 months, I realised my angles were getting more predictable and my pieces less edgy. I figured newcomers do not remain newcomers forever and therefore decided to round up the ‘Femke Becomes Funke’ series this month, a year after it started. Ever since I announced the ending, tweeps have been asking me to change my mind and in comments on the columns and through my website, I get songs of praise that make me feel my analyses of Nigerian society are indispensable. If I had no sense of self-criticism, I might be tempted to reconsider my decision to discontinue the series and start producing second-rate articles. Who would point this out to me if I did?

The hardest thing to do in Nigeria is to continue to realise there is honour in achievement and pride in perfection. I imagine the frustration of the many Nigerians who do care for their work, who take pride in their outcomes and who feel the award is in a job well done. When you know beforehand that excellence will not be rewarded, you are bound to do the economically sane thing and limit your investments to accomplishing the bare minimum. This makes Nigeria a pretty cumbersome place for anyone striving for perfection.

This piece by Femke van Zeijl, a Dutch journalist/writer who lives and works in Lagos, was culled from www.fvz-journaliste.nl/english.php. Van Zeijl is the author of the Gin-tonic and Cholera, a book on city life in Africa.

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=118076:mediocrity-overtakes-graft-wrecks-nigeria-&catid=1:national&Itemid=559

^^^ Men, that's some work to eat beans that isn't that great a thing to eat anyway! Just kidding.

For flatulence or constipation
* You can change the type of beans - if you are in Nigeria, the white bean is less guilty than the red types common in the SW.
* Boil your beans well - there should be no "seeds" when you are eating them.
* If you are fund of eating large amounts, reduce it - it may be okay to gorge yourself on rice, but not beans. Eat a little quantity of it with a little quantity of garri or bread or something else you feel comfortable with.

For runny stomach or "gassing", there is only one solution that works 100%
* Eat your beans hot. You don't like hot food, okay, here's what you do: When you set down the pot from the fire, dish out the stuff and wait for it to cool a few minutes and eat IMMEDIATELY. Once you keep it waiting it's already infected and you will get what is coming to you.

@tomatoes:
Anti-oxidants, yes, but too high in acid to be drunk in the manner contemplated here. I think the way most people eat their tomatoes - a little of it on their rice - is best. I would not advise anyone to use it for eba everyday the way they might egusi or efo riro. For anti-oxidants, I would opt for what is probably the strongest anti-oxidant in the whole world - blackcurrants.

Dfrenzy: Thanks Myjoe and Missy-B, I really do appreciate your enligtenment on this. So, black currant and soya juices, consume on a daily basis, has no negative effect, right?

There are no negative effects of blackcurrants I'm aware of - it's the perfect thing, if that exists. For soymilk, well, I guess moderation should be your watchword, too, unless you can be certain your soybeans are sourced from non-GM crops. Some scientists believe soy from these GM sources can cause some harm. But soymilk remains good, I believe, as it helps you avoid all the problems that are associated with dairy milk.

And I forgot to add exercise when I talked of sleep and positive thinking.

[quote author=Missy_B]Lol!

How ya doing, MJ? [/quote]I'm good. I trust you are, too!

[quote author=Missy_B]Eat right, get enough rest, drink plenty of water, maintain yourself (skin) and watch you glow just like me. [/quote]Exactly.

Eating well is just a component. You eat well, sleep well and add the other factor - a measure of happiness - and you will glow like MissyB! Remember that even if you eat the best diet and sleep more than 8 hours a day consistently,if your mind is constantly troubled, attaining MissyBhood will be a dream-not-come-true.

For worriers, it's more a matter of temperament than lot in life. But if you are the type that worries, you can still improve.

Dfrenzy: Chairman, where did you come from? You too much o....
So, blackcurrant and soya juices. K. Plz., could vitamilk or any other milk drink come in the midst also?

I believe vitamilk is a brand of soyamilk.

Dairy milk has many health benefits but I would certainly not advise any adult to drink it everyday. In fact, you should stay away from it under certain conditions - bowel cramps, cholesterol issues, etc. If you don't know "certain conditions", skimmed milk may be a safe bet.

I think not. Nigerian malt drinks are high in gaseous content and even if you are not prone to ulcer or other gastroenterological or oesophageal problems or something it's wise to take gaseous stuff in moderation. There's the sugar, too.

Drink tin tomatoes everyday? Now, where did that come from?

And, oh, I forgot to mention soya earlier. I think you can try drinking blackcurrant and soya juices regularly.

dominique: Rawbish. We need to stop taking the word of these whities for anything. Maybe they eat dead, decayed carcass of animals raw. We sure don't . Who even said human beings are carnivores in the first place?

I'm sure you don't mean the highlighted literally - that we should not take a statement seriously because a white said it. Yes, we eat corpses of dead animals. You are right we don't eat it raw but's they are corpses all the same. Even when you boil it toxins and stuff remain. We are closer to vultures than to predatory animals.

Vegetarianism ain't a bad idea, too. Now, oya, give up your meat!

Well, you can start with water - drink plenty of it.

You can also drink blackcurrant everyday - it can do you lots of good.

I'm not sure about that "fresh to death" look, though. A good diet is indispensable, but it's just one of the components of good living.

Ganys: Good & better, That was how i got the Contact number of the current Kwara State Governor
He placed advertorial for Contract on a National daily & asked interested bidders to call him then in his capacity as Commisioner for Finance.
I Bought Akara & Ojojo and decided to check the paper after eating..Whooah, i saw our Gov Direct line there. I was able to make millions with just that number.
I will continue buying akara & ojojo wraped with old newspapers. They might be a Gold mine

Lol. I was doing this research thing and my mind kept going to a newspaper article I had read somewhere - the information it contained would be mother lode of gold to the research I was doing. I knew the paper - The Guardian - but I had no clue as to the date and it was well over a year. I was into suya in those days and when I went for it an evening or two later, I couldn't believe my eyes. The mallam - God bless him - used the page to wrap the stuff for me! That was in 2002 but I still have the stained sheet filed away!

@Op
Paper does not on its own attract germs - that would also mean most germs can't survive long on it - so the risk of contamination should be low. But it can't be ruled out when you consider the handling, particularly, for instance, if the sheet used for you comes from the cover of the newspaper. Someone once reportedly got killed from drinking from a can - apparently someone handled the can with a tainted hand or dropped it somewhere not untainted. On the whole, I will say the risk of getting your food contaminated from having it in with a newspaper is slim but does exist.

Zero tolerance. Lol. Never knew dominique was a politician.

Did you say behave like adults? That is good. I really do hope you start behaving thus henceforth. You haven’t so far. Here -

1. Why did you call my post “ignorant” for saying flossing is to be done daily and not twice daily only for you to turn around and agree with me after it was broken down for you?

2. Why did you sarcastically invite me to respond to a post directed at you?

3. What gives rise to phrases like “unknown fellow”? You are so consumed in your own self-importance that you would call someone unknown in a forum where no one is known? Who told you I have no profession, don’t earn money, or that I am not a doctor?

4. Was it sensible of you to say I did not give any contribution even though I have addressed issues you did not such as bad breath and tooth sensitivity? If there is a single thing I have written that is “meaningless”, why don’t you point it out let’s thrash it?

5. Why deny recognising my knowledge of subject after you wrote this:

esperiense: U seemed learned in dentistry and I wouldn't mind having one-on-one discussion wit u

Better think before you respond this time.

Hey MissyB. Happy New Year to you, too! I have come rarely to NL (even Religion) for some time - been way too busy trying to start a new biz. But I will make out more time for our beloved Food section soon. I trust you are doing great?

cinammon: I'l prefer u kindly drop all sentiments and giv ur professional advice.I was on dis thread b4 I went 4d extraction nd I trust ur judgement...so now pls doc,besides myjoe seems 2 b actin up based on things he has heard nd read..urs wud b preferable,considerin its ur practiicin profession nd experience is beta dan hearsay..wit dat,I hp I'l hav my reply now

Yeah, you would have your reply. His sarcastic - and rather asinine - invitation of MyJoe to answer your question was to find out if he still has his audience. You just confirmed that. Unfortunately, while he is smart enough to recognise my knowledge of the things I have talked about, he has failed to see that I am not here to put him down.

Now, I can tell you how I gained my KNOWLEDGE of dental matters - which esperiense himself has acknowledged - but if after reading all I have written on this thread, the bolded is your conclusion, it would be a waste.

No, I haven't had a particularly bad experience with a dentist - read what I wrote again. It was nothing serious - he made an error like we all do. And I am not using anything to judge anyone - I mentioned that case to show you what can potentially happen to you if you shun information or don't update yourself. Read my posts in this thread again - I only came in to correct some impressions and address some matters you are either papering over or not addressing at all, such as bad breath and tooth sensitivity. I have tried to point people in the right direction on how to solve these problems, writing enough for anyone who is determined to explore further. Thank you.

esperiense: thank you for yo more elaborae and educative post. I actually was not the one dat wrote the initial post you comment on. Chek again. Just had to repy u. I'm a dentist, not a dental assistant and trained in the best teaching hospital in Nigeria(proud of that).I can't support dt flossin twice is d right thing(u didn't get my statement) buh overbrushing isn't a professional term.a dental assistant is an "assistant" and can say overbrushing which I don't accept.

I don’t think my use of that word should have been a problem since I explained what I meant by it. Right, it’s not a medical term. It’s a descriptive one, and a good one too. It’s the kind of term you would hear on a TV programme but won’t find in a medical journal because the TV programme has to be produced in a way the layman can get it. And the very knowledgeable and efficient dental assistant who attended to me did NOT use that term - I stated that specifically. I am using it here because it describes well the practice of brushing too hard or too frequently.

esperiense: I don't go with internet in my profession except its from a medical/dental authority like WHO,NDA,ADA etc cos there's a lot of crap up there.

Those alphabetical organisations you mentioned go with the Internet – I mean they put stuff on it - so you may wish to reconsider your stance. The internet is a good place to START any research and those who shun it run the risk of missing out on the latest information. There is a load of crap there, but there is also a load meat – sifting stuff is where your smartness comes in. Of course, what a professional like you ought to do is read medical journals regularly. It is failure to do this that causes some of the problems I highlighted. I told you of a dentist who prescribed a mouthwash with alcohol for me years after serious dentists had stopped making that prescription. Another thing you guys need to do – and this is more important than reading - is to pay some attention to your patients to see how much those textbook ideas actually work. If a patient says he has bad breath and you ask him, how many times do you brush? And he says once, and you tell him to brush twice, try to find out the experience of the patient and if what you recommended actually worked. That way we won’t keep proving true what a certain Nigerian TV “tradomedical doctor” who I don’t admire very much keeps saying that “common sense has left the practice of medicine”.

esperiense: no matter how gently u use chewingstick it is not effective. Don't misinform people pls. The effectiveness of brushing has been linked to the structure of d bristles. Researched

You are making a mistake. In terms of effectiveness, you have to think practically. How many of the people you know who use chewing stick exclusively have bad breath or tartars? I am assuming you meet these old folks when you travel to your ancestral village. The effectiveness of many [ [/b]chewing stick[b] ] types lie in the antimicrobial properties they contain. The way to use them effectively is to take your time and gently but repeatedly scrub every corner of your mouth. The reason I rarely use them but stick with my toothbrush and paste is because the fast-paced nature of city life does not permit one the luxury of such time.

Edited: I earlier wrote "toothpick" whereas I meant "chewing stick". I wasn't encouraging toothpicks and it's best to avoid them and opt for flossing.

esperiense: MyJoe yo off-key post has forced me to respond, Flossing doesn't cause sensitivity no matta how often yu do it,its toothpicking dat can cause sensitivitY.

The correct medical advice is "floss daily". And that is sound advice. Floss twice daily, sir, is not a very good piece of advice. Because while your mouth can withstand the stress of being brushed twice daily, flossing twice is another matter. You are right that flossing doesn't cause sensitivity - ordinarily. Flossing too much can - just as overbrushing can. The floss is made of twine. When you floss, it rubs against your gums and the gums are quite fragile. There is no way you will do that to excess and not harm your gums which can lead to sensitivity. Even picking your kind of floss is a serious matter. There was one I bought and threw away. It's okay to purvey standard textbook ideas like "toothpicks are bad, flosses are good" but such ideas have to be moderated in practical terms. The reason toothpicks are deemed bad and flosses deemed good is not because sticks harm your teeth and twines don't. It is because by their nature and manner of insertion, sticks are much more likely to be used wrongly and thus do damage.

There is nothing like overbrushing if u follow correct brushing techniques,in fact in theory we r suppossed to brush everytime we eat.

Er... sir, Yes, there is overbrushing, and No, we are not supposed to brush every time we eat. Overbrushing is (i)When you brush too hard (2) When you brush too many times. Please read up on it a little. And then try to observe what works for your patients and what doesn't.

The first time I came across this matter of overbrushing, it was a dental assistant who did scaling and polishing for me at Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, that brought it up. She did not call it "over-brushing" - she simply told me I was brushing too hard. I later came accross the term during my findings and experiments. Everything I have written in this thread can be demonstrated.

Once, I was listening to a very senior doctor from the Federal Dental Clinic, Lagos. She said, "brushing once a day is enough to interrupt plaque formation, but if you brush twice, that is even better". That is the correct medical opinion. "Brush every time you eat" is incorrect and dangerous. In fact, if you must brush AFTER a meal, you must let at least one hour elapse between the two acts.

u actually didn't give any contributn buh showed yo ignorance. How do u mean by 'don't tink outside d box

Sorry if that offended you. And if you call what I write ignorance, you have to demonstrate it - but you can call it what you like, though. I don't mean all dentists. When I had a serious problem with gum sensitivity years back it was from a dental assistant that I first learnt that overbrushing can be a problem. And when the problem still did not go away after I tried the recommended toothpaste and correct brushing techniques I learnt, it was from a South African dental professor on radio that I learnt brushing immediately after food (my every day habit then) was wrong. I started doing my morning brushing before my breakfast and today I feel little or no sensitivity. So, no, I wasn't referring to all dentists. Only those who stick to old textbook ideas and don't update themselves after university - like the one who prescribed a mouthwash that had alcohol for me. For these sort of dentists, once you have sensitivity, there is only one recommendation - change toothpaste. And when you complain of bad breath, it's "scaling and polishing" and "brush more" - as if most people who know they have bad breath don't go on a brushing extravaganza already. Unfortunately, most Nigerians are yet to realise the need to take keen interest in the management of their own health rather than leave it all to the doctor.

Now, Google "overbrushing", sir, and come back. Thank you.

**Edited**

nyabingi: How healthy is it brushing with salt once in a while, is it effective in killing germs and preventing tooth decay?

That's a waste of precious salt! Ask grandma about 1942 when there was salt scarcity and you will start respecting salt. Seriously, the salt doesn't do much for your oral hygiene. Good oral hygiene that deals with germs and tooth decay involves brushing - proper brushing, tongue cleaning and flossing.

nyabingi: I usually have tooth sensitivity, a kind of shock and sensation when i chew on my left side of the mouth,this has made me not able to chew meat or other solid food on that side please what do i do?

A change of toothpaste MIGHT help - Sensodyn is alleged to be effective. But I would rather find the underlying causes and deal with them.

Checklist
1. Eating hot things
2. Eating cold things
3. Eating sour things (like agbanumo)
4. Brushing (after a meal) within one hour of eating anything
5. Overbrushing - learn HOW to brush.
These^^^ are the major causes of gum or tooth sensitivity.

If you need any clarification on any point, I will clarify.

richfaxy: How do you control bad breath?

There are three approaches to controlling or eradicating bad breath
1. The hygiene approach - this is where I start from, and it's more than mere brushing
2. The dietary/lifestyle approach (minor changes)
3. The dietary/lifestyle approach (major changes)

Dentists don't talk about 2 and 3 because they aren't on the textbooks.

snthesis: is chewing stick good for brushing and fresh breathe

It's good if you use it gently. I would use it in combination with brush and paste, too.

Kobojunkie: You do not need to CONTROL bad breath. You can get rid of it completely. First, go for cleaning(deep cleaning if necessary) once every six months, and secondly, try to floss at least once a day.

Unfortunately, you are not very correct. The first thing most people with bad breath get told is "brush", "clean" and more "brush" and "clean". Unfortunately most of them take these literally and do things to their mouth they shouldn't do, such as what is called "overbrushing". Flossing that you mentioned is a must, but twice a day is not necessary and can cause gum sensitivity. Once is good. Bad breath is a notoriously stubborn problem to deal with. The reason most people who go to the dentist to resolve it don't get any solution is because they dentists fail to think outside the box.

Logicboy03: 2) "the best president" was clearly an exaggeration
Another website even used the same attention grabbing headline
http://uruguayexpat.info/2012/08/mujica-the-best-president-in-the-world-says-monocle/

I did realise that. I was using some hyperboles of my own, a device you will notice I employed almost throughout the write-up.