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 Politics › Interesting "what Your Child Should Know About Africa: Origin Of Poverty" by Ndipe(op): 9:05pm On Feb 06, 2008 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Uchendu Chigbu Monday, February 4, 2008 echigbu@yahoo.com ANNOUNCE THIS ARTICLE TO YOUR FRIENDS WHAT YOUR CHILD SHOULD KNOW ABOUT AFRICA: ORIGIN OF POVERTY IN AFRICA '…yam and palm are economically indispensable to the African, Once they are guaranteed he can build a home, raise a family, join clubs, and participate in other forms of social, political and religious behaviors. Palm produce is our basic industry, and there is nothing from the mother palm tree that is thrown away. We use its vegetable oil for preparing meals, soap and pomade. The nut is cracked and used as food and lubricant. The nut shells are spread on the road to prevent erosion. When oil is pressed from the pulp, the remains are burnt at the kitchen oven as fuel. The palm leaves are fed to the goats, sheep and cows and sometimes used in building fences. The palm branches and stems are used as rafters and pole lines in building houses. Palm roots are strong cords useful in making harps and violins. Brooms, brushes, walking sticks, and fans are only a limited list of other materials which we manufacture from the palm. To the common man in my province, wealth means the sum total of the proceeds of the palm industry. Mbonu Ojike, My Africa, 1946 advertisement hat was the state of wealth of most African nation-states prior to colonialism. There were adequate supplies all cardinal aspects of human survival (food, shelter and clothing). Due to the nature of most of our cultures in Africa, we lived a cooperative communalistic life. Land was there for all and each family had access to farm certain lands because it was communally owned. In fact, many men practised polygamy in order to have enough family members to farm and acquire from the community pool of lands. If these people die without heirs, the land they possess is returned into the community pool. So, land was not an issue as it was managed used and owned communally, yet possessed by individuals. One could be punished for offences or atrocities committed against the community by denying him/her access to community land (via ostracism). The young African of today might not understand the power of the African industry before it got distorted by colonization and our present quest to copy and become westernized. There was food and housing, and of course our own fashion of dressing which was born out of common-sense, safety and style of living. There was always a striving economy based on levels of harvest year-in-year-out. But the Africa of those days, although, had no institutionalized social security, had different institutional practices that catered for the welfare and social living of all within a common ground. Widows and widowers; orphans and those in need were catered for by the community through their extended family or via community tasking. Taking the case of the palm trees mentioned above. Life was dependent on nature, plants and animals in the African communities. While the palm tree was a great plant resource for everyday living, there were many other trees that served same purpose. The palm tree mentioned in this article is only an isolated example. Palm trees in places like Nigeria, Ghana, Madagascar, Sierra Leon, Togo, etc, (in Africa) often grow nearly everywhere - close to water, raffia palms even grow in streams and off-shore from rivers, on open community land, and as well as planted in home gardens. These palm trees could be raffia palms, coconut palms, oil palm tress and many others. Generally, they have evergreen leaves shaped like a fan or a feather. These trees are well adapted to grasslands, acid soils, as well as desert lands. Trees such as the palm tree provided the African communities a major natural resource for everyday living. So, the whole issue about poverty today was not known in our communities. Poverty is alien to the traditional African society because communalism as a way of life made it possible for all to have a sense of belonging. One's house was a matter of taste and size of your family or your social ability to mobilize others to help in erecting what is your choice. Age-grades or peer-groups helped each other in the provision of adequate living for their members. Materials were provided by the forests; hence, the woods were exploited prudently for this purpose based on the principle and practice of fallow systems. The palm trees probably have the largest seeds (in the case of coconuts and oil palm trees), the largest leaves and the biggest inflorescence in the natural plant world, with seeds weighing nearly 14 kilograms (in the case of oil palm) each and reaching almost half a meter in diameter. Its inflorescence could contain millions of tiny flowers. Its height varies but do attain heights of about 60 meters while the height of its leaves could hit the 28 meters length and of about 3 meters width. In fact, in Namibia, the palm tree is a tree of national importance. They grow in hot weather habitat from the tropical rain forests to desert areas. Although, in Europe and the USA, many people relate them to mainly exotic vacations sites, but in African communities it is an important symbol of living. Its growth stands for peace and victory, and it is a tree of overwhelming economic importance. Oil palm and plants of such importance were made major targets for export (as raw materials to Europe). So what happened to our palm trees? "The moment that one group appears to be wealthier than others, some enquiry is bound to take place as to the reason for the difference. After Britain had begun to move ahead of the rest of Europe in the 18th century, the famous British economist Adam Smith felt it necessary to look into the causes behind the 'Wealth of Nations'… At all times, therefore, one of the ideas behind underdevelopment is a comparative one. It is possible to compare the economic conditions at two different periods for the same country and determine whether or not it had developed; and (more importantly) it is possible to compare the economies of any two countries or sets of countries at any given period in time…indispensable component of modern underdevelopment is that it expresses a particular relationship of exploitation: namely, the exploitation of one country by another. All of the countries named as 'underdeveloped' in the world are exploited by others; and the underdevelopment with which the world is now pre-occupied is a product of capitalist, imperialist and colonialist exploitation. African and Asian societies were developing independently until they were taken over directly or indirectly by the capitalist powers. When that happened, exploitation increased and the export of surplus ensued, depriving the societies of the benefit of their natural resources and labour. That is an integral part of underdevelopment in the contemporary sense." Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa, 1973 These were exploited for colonial benefits. The various colonial policies toward the oil palm (and other crops of such economic importance) industry had no positive revolutionary impact on the people. "…the discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the turning of Africa into a commercial warren for the hunting of black skins signalized the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production". Karl Max, 1848 I will stir off slavery and concentrate on the economic rape perpetrated by the colonialists. The millions of trees, crops and forest resources that served the traditional African communities' economies face the assault of the Western powers; this began a full depletion of drowning a people who were in economic abundances. The demand for raw materials to service the booming industrial productions in Europe necessitated the economic raping of Africa by these colonialists. A lot has been said and written about how the industrial revolution was probably financed by proceeds from slavery and slave labour. As industrialization grew and spread throughout Europe, competition for raw materials increased. European industrialists encouraged their governments to colonize African countries as a method of guaranteeing sources of raw materials. This colonization became a method to protect the European markets for their industrial goods. This was probably the beginning of the impoverishment of the African continent. Considering the fact that our economies were agrarian and depended on land and nature before the capitalist private-property oriented economy we operate today, I hope some people could at least understand why poverty was not an issue in our societies then. Poverty was a curse which one is punished with only when he/she defies his community, and this curse of poverty is imposed on such individual via ostracism, banishment from the community and other forms of social exclusion etc. Poverty has evolved to the perspective of lack of food and that is because such natural resources, like the palm trees are no more being utilized to their optimum value due to our quest to follow a westernized system of living. This may be due to the fact that colonization brought western education, exploitation and introduced western ways of thinking. The colonizers seem to have brought their underdevelopment down to our communities and exported our developments to their own communities; hence, the beginning of the rape of Africa. European historians argue that Africa was not civilized and that was why they colonized the continent to introduce civilization into it. The big question is 'who was civilized and uncivilized amongst Africa and Europe? Africans had food and knew no economic hunger - Europeans were completely segregated between the rich and poor, the kings and their serfs. Africans had shelter (owned homes and never lived in shared apartments) and lived an organized political life - Europeans were warring between the homeless and home owners; and between apartment houses and wholly-occupied houses, while their kings lived in castles. While Africans owned land communally and protected their lands communally - Europeans were deep into private land ownership in a survival-of-the-fittest form. So, what civilization did Africa lack that Europe brought? Historians are yet to be specific on this. Every evidence points to the fact that Europeans had their way of living and African had theirs. During the scramble for Africa, European countries entered to colonize all of Africa, (except Ethiopia and Liberia). These European countries were Britain, France, and Portugal (colonial powers); and Belgium, Germany, Italy and Spain who took minimal part. They then started exploitation of the highest order - minerals and agricultural production. This resulted to destruction of the African environment which has subsequently resulted to the situation we are in today. The resourceful natural crops and plants that fed our forefathers have been completely depleted via exportation. Our civilization has even in some ways been copied by them. To day, Europeans are talking a lot about village renewal, land consolidation, land readjustments, building up the green belts and creating biotops. These were original African environments which they destroyed in their colonial mission. To create a more understandable picture of the issue, I will borrow the words in a song written by John D. Loudermilk: "They took the whole Cherokee nation Put us on this reservation Took away our ways of life The tomahawk and the bow and knife Took away our native tongue And taught their English to our young And all the beads we made by hand Are nowadays made in Japan Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe So proud to live, so proud to die They took the whole Indian nation Locked us on this reservation Though I wear a shirt and tie I'm still proud red man deep inside Cherokee people, Cherokee tribe So proud to live, so proud to die But maybe someday when they've learned Cherokee nation will return, will return, will return, will return, will" Released by Paul Revere and the Raiders, 1968 If one understands the song above, then one will understand the way a raped people or land feels. That is the way Africa feels today. Having raped the great food-providing trees and environment of Africa, food shortage has finally become an issue in Africa today. This kind of poverty in Africa has its roots in the colonial system and the policy and institutional restraints that it imposed on the people of the continent. Western-controlled (e.g. IMF and World Bank) Institutions' imposed Structural adjustment programmes (SAP) have dismantled existing traditional economic systems without replacing them with better functional ones. Hence, the situation is marked by continuing stagnation, poor production, low incomes and the rising vulnerability of our people. That is the origin of poverty in Africa. This poverty has been institutionalized by the lack of democracy in the continent due to the fact that most of our countries were run by juntas, instead of democratically elected and accepted leaders. Mr. Chigbu is the author of 'Beyond Sight and Beyond Sound' - a book of ideas expressed in poetry. This can be accessed via http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/105-4008482-8222022?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=eugene+chigbu&x=0&y=0 http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2008/feb/042.html |
| TV/Movies › Re: A Director Stole My Movie Script by Ndipe(m): 8:28pm On Feb 06, 2008 |
Dont even sweat over it, the laws of justice will prevail. |
| Literature › The Proverbs Of Omenuko, The First Igbo Language Novel by Ndipe(op): 6:11am On Feb 04, 2008 |
The Proverbs of Omenuko, the First Igbo Language Novel User Rating: / 0 PoorBest By WayoGuy Sunday, 03 February 2008 Did you know that our distinguished Professor Chinua Achebe was only 3 years old when the very first Igbo novel, Omenuko, was published in 1933? Did you know that Pita Nwana is the father of the Igbo novel? Some of us who were privileged to have been forced, yes forced, to study Igbo in primary schools were even luckier to have been made to read Omenuko. If you read Omenuko, in its Igbo language original, as I did, you will smell, feel, see, with all your senses, the authenticity of not just the narrator’s style, but also the labyrinthine richness of the culture and traditions within which the story takes place. Pita Nwana, the father of the Igbo language novel, tells a simple story of Omenuko, a young man who concludes his apprenticeship with his master, in the business of trading, and found himself upwardly mobile to great things. But, like the proverbial spirit that kills a man when his life is sweetest, the protagonist experiences an unexpected mishap that suddenly grounded his progress. What he does next, to salvage his business, an abomination of unspeakable proportions, forms the material and tragedy that takes the reader and Omenuko through exile from his village, regeneration while in exile, soul searching, atonement, and eventual redemption. All through the story, the reader is taken through authentic, though fictionalized, snapshots of early missionary and court interactions in Igboland. For us in the diaspora, this story of Omenuko’s exile, though exiled internally in Igboland, and his nostalgic yearning for a return to his village, strikes a resonant chord. But that’s a topic for another day. You will find, in this book, evidence that the proverbs of Things Fall Apart and Arrow of God, both written decades later, are all in Omenuko. You will find that our own fathers and mothers who have applied proverbs in their stories, including John Munonye (The Only Son), Flora Nwapa (The Concubine), Cyprian Ekwensi, Tony Ubesie (Isi Akwu Dara N’Ala; Ukwa Ruo Oge Ya O Daa), and numerous others must have read Omenuko. Let’s hear from Pita Nwana himself on these timeless proverbs: 1. Awo anaghi agba oso ehihie n’efu (a toad does not run in the afternoon without a reason). 2. Oji oso agbakwuru ogu amaghi na ogu bu onwu (one who runs to join a war does not realize that war is death). 3. Uka akpara akpa bu isi k’eji ekwe ya (further discussion of an issue already settled is done with the nodding of the head). 4. Egbe bere ugo bere, nke si ibe ya ebena nku kwaa ya (may both the eagle and the kite perch but if one does not want the other to perch, may his wings break). 5. Onye no n’ulo ya n’eche mmadu, ukwu anaghi eji ya (one who is in his house waiting for a visitor does not get tired or develop waist pain). 6. Onye nwe ozu n’ebu ya n’isi (the relative of the dead person is the person who carries the corpse at the head). 7. Onye a na agbara ama ya na anuri, onye eboro ohi okwere la (while you rejoice at the news from an informer remember that the accused has not admitted it). 8. Emee nwata ka emere ibe ya obi adi ya nma (treat a child as his peers were treated and he will be happy). 9. Kama m ga erijuo afo dachie uzo ka m buru onu (I will rather remain hungry than eat so much that I collapse on the roadside). 10. Nwata ruru ima akwa ma n’anu ara nne ya, gini ka anyi g’eme ya? (what should we do to a child old enough to tie loin clothes if he continues to suck on his mother’s breasts?). 11. Oko kowa mmadu o gakwuru ibe ya, ma na oko kowa anu ohia o gaa n’akuku osisi (when a human itches, he goes to another human to scratch it, but when an animal itches, it goes to a tree). You may have noticed that when these and other proverbs from Omenuko have found their ways into other books written in English about the Igbo culture, readers have invariably credited and praised the authors. But Omenuko does not have the same worldly acclaim and publicity as those other “Igbo” novels only because it is written in the Igbo language. Do you, an Igbo man and woman, not see something wrong here? A white woman, Frances W. Pritchett, took the time to translate the book into English just four years ago. Do you see the irony here? Do you? Well, I don’t really need an answer because, as Pita Nwana wrote in Omenuko, uka akpara akpa bu isi k’eji ekwe ya (further discussion on an issue already settled is done with the nodding of the head). While my preference is that you read the book in the Igbo language original, I am happy that there is an English version now. To give you an idea of the problem of which I write, consider that Things Fall Apart has been translated into over fifty world languages and Omenuko just one or maybe two. How then can we write about our culture in Igbo language without limiting the readership? Must we all write about our culture in the English language? There is a solution to this serious chasm between the readership of Igbo language novels (such as Omenuko and Ije Odumodu Jere) and those of books about the Igbos written in English (such as Things Fall Apart and The Only Son). Can any person introduce a style of writing that will bring a lasting marriage between English and Igbo by preserving these idioms and proverbs in novels and short stories, while still presenting the Igbo/African stories through the English language? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Content navigation go to: Can You Tell if a Person is Truly Laughing?. go to: The Church Lady Who Stole My Heart. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robot Villager # 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- var sbtitle2294=encodeURIComponent(The Proverb, Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 03.02.2008 16:00 Ochi Dabari Villager # 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interesting thoughts, WayoGuy. It does not stop at the relegation of novels written in African languages. These days, children are not even encouraged to understand and speak their African languages. I am not referring to those overseas alone. Accost a child on the street of Lagos, Makurdi, Jos, Enugu, Ibadan, etc and speak the local language to him/her - the likelihood is that there will be no response, b/c they all speak only English language. It is worse if the child is from a well-to-do family. Not being able to speak one's language is equated to intelligence, in the eyes of the African. The Asians are rocking the world but the children all still speak Asian languages, whether they are in Europe, America or Australia. Our languages will die out, if it continues this way. Children learn languages very fast, so it does them no harm to speak your language to them, while they keep on with English in school. I do that with my children, to the applause of a majority of people whose children don't speak any Nigerian language, but there have been challenges from some oyibo Africans who think that I am confusing my children. They certainly do very well in school, not just trying but at the very top. So, I don't know what confusion I have caused. Only last October, a girl from my place in her 20s, who grew up overseas, asked me to bring back books in Igede, so that she could understand the language. I pitied her, and did bring in some books but I know it is going to be mighty difficult for her to learn now, particularly as her parents persist with speaking in English to them. If only they had kept up with the language at home while she grew! BTW, the first Achebe novel I read in Form One was Chike and the River. In it, Achebe referred to one Peter Nwana, a very miserly trader that resided at Onitsha. Was that just coincidental or did Achebe have any issues with Pita Nwana, the author of Omenuko? And BTW again, I am just hearing of Omenuko and its author today. I read The Palmwine Drinkard but none of the other local language novels. The reason is obvious - I do not speak or read of the 3 major languages well enough. I think academics amongst us should look at the local books and try to translate or revive them. I brought back some of my old books last October, and among them is a gem on animal science, written by a prof at UI in the 50s. I have been wondering if I should update it. He is long retired and may actually be dead. I know it may be difficult linking up with his family and publisher. ochi Posted by Ochi Dabari| 03.02.2008 16:46 Willy Villager # 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WG, Good one as usual, actually, this is more serious than many. My thoughts - First, I think The Concubine is Elechi Amadi's work, not that it matters much here, just a little housekeeping. Then the serious issue of acclaim - you may want to reconsider your position if you reflect that there are scholarly pursuits and there are roadside readers like you and me. You are an attorney (at least on this board) , and I, , well not to worry, but suffices it to say that neither of us belong to the U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) or literary associations in Nigeria or elsewhere. Point is that Omenuko is accorded more importance than you know, going from your writing, even Ekwensi's earliest writing is accorded precedence over TFA going by publication date and ground breaking steps it was. All said, I must commend you for pursuing this language revival in more ways than one, but is it exactly that noble? The Jews may have lost their earlier language, but are they not better off today than 2000 years ago when they spoke their original Aramaic? I ask not to dissuade you from your pursuit or snigger at your crusade, but just to get you thinking on the value of language over and beyond the emotional. Be well brother. Posted by Willy| 03.02.2008 17:50 truthsayer33 Villager # 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- when I ring my folks in Nigeria the only Igbo they want to speak is 'wesertan union' Posted by truthsayer33| 03.02.2008 18:52 Dimaanu Villager # 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =truthsayer33;4294985914>when I ring my folks in Nigeria the only Igbo they want to speak is 'wesertan union' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To think that I actually tried to figure out "wesartan union" before the meaning finally hit me. You are very funny!:lol: Posted by Dimaanu| 03.02.2008 19:06 Akunne JJC # 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What a coincidence! Only last month, I found the translation of Omenuko online. For a book that I read (in Igbo) donkey years ago to pass an examination, it was such a thrilling read this time around. In agreeing with the author that more needs to be done to encourage the study of not only Igbo language, but other African languages, I would like to invite him and others to share an idea that I have about such a project. And to begin to work on it. I had the good fortune of sharing accommodation with Korean students while in college. What I learned from them beyond a smattering of their language, is the script, Hankul. It is not only elegant, it is easy to learn and is considered the most sophisticated, and scientific of the calligraphies of the east. Ndigbo have a saying that we speak in dialects, but when we cough, it all sounds alike. There is something to be said about a unified written Igbo that accommodates all dialects without diluting the essence and meaning of words, idioms etc. This has been my dream for about twenty years. Let's do this! Posted by Akunne| 03.02.2008 21:42 WayoGuy Villager # 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- =Willy;4294985902>WG, Good one as usual, actually, this is more serious than many. My thoughts - First, I think The Concubine is Elechi Amadi's work, not that it matters much here, just a little housekeeping. Then the serious issue of acclaim - you may want to reconsider your position if you reflect that there are scholarly pursuits and there are roadside readers like you and me. You are an attorney (at least on this board) , and I, , well not to worry, but suffices it to say that neither of us belong to the U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) or literary associations in Nigeria or elsewhere. Point is that Omenuko is accorded more importance than you know, going from your writing, even Ekwensi's earliest writing is accorded precedence over TFA going by publication date and ground breaking steps it was. All said, I must commend you for pursuing this language revival in more ways than one, but is it exactly that noble? The Jews may have lost their earlier language, but are they not better off today than 2000 years ago when they spoke their original Aramaic? I ask not to dissuade you from your pursuit or snigger at your crusade, but just to get you thinking on the value of language over and beyond the emotional. Be well brother. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Willy, my brother: Thanks once again for your unfailing dedication to our mutual enterprises. I hear you. I think the striking similarities in the stories of Elechi Amadi's The Concubine and Flora Nwapa's Efuru, both of which I read in secondary school, have continued to confuse me till today. If you read both books you will wonder if both writers were reading from the same script while writing their stories. The mythology and traditions about the sea-godess are identical and so on. The U.S. Modern Languages Association (MLA), the Society for the Promotion of Igbo Language and Culture (SPILC) and even the Ahiajoku Lectures and the Odenigbo Lectures are/were excellent and commendable efforts at promoting and preserving our language. I take nothing from them. In fact their goals are more expansive and more ambitious than what I propose, including the time-wasting disputes on orthography among Igbos of various dialects. I am more focused on one thing, which is more urgent and in fact narrower than the goals of the aforementioned organizations and ventures. I am focused on what will help here and now in the mass marketing and preservation of our idioms, proverbs, and language through our stories without it all being written in English all the time. I hope to show you and the villagers, right here on NVS, in a few days, my proposed solution and my own personal effort in that direction. Posted by WayoGuy| 03.02.2008 22:25 http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/index.php/content/view/8456/55 |
| Romance › Re: Wife Beater by Ndipe(m): 4:01am On Jan 31, 2008 |
Confonting your unfaithful spouse at a public event only brings you to his level. Act maturely and restrict such undignifying confrontations in the privacy of your bedroom. Or, what do you think of this saying, "Dont wash your dirty linens in public"? |
| Christianity Etc › Re: The Reason Nigerians Should Thank The God by Ndipe(m): 3:46am On Jan 31, 2008 |
God is very merciful to us Nigerians. Were it not for His Love, our country would have descended into a warzone, since the annulment of June 12. 1 Like |
| Politics › Edwards Bows Out Of The Race, Will Clinton Emerge The Democrat Nominee? by Ndipe(op): 3:20am On Jan 31, 2008 |
News that John Edwards, who consistently placed third has prompted me to ask this question, "Is Obama finished"? My questions might be valid, because Edwards, a white man, shared an almost equal vote from the white votes with Hillary Clinton during the South Carolina primaries. Obama, despite his 'electrifying' speeches, is still battling to overcome the racial factor in American politics. So, with the exit of Edwards, should Obama sing his swan song, an acknowledgement that it is over, or should he press on like a hero by campaigning? It's too early to tell though, but it will be a surprise if he pulls this one. |
| Career › Wage Disparity Between Males And Females by Ndipe(op): 3:14am On Jan 31, 2008 |
by Fanny Carrier Wed Jan 30, 12:47 PM ET WASHINGTON (AFP) - Ten years ago, someone slipped an anonymous note into Lilly Ledbetter's locker and the tire factory worker learned that she was being paid less than her male counterparts who were doing the same work. ADVERTISEMENT Ledbetter took her case all the way to the US Supreme Court, but never received compensation. Today, she is leading the charge to change the laws that allow men to be paid more than women who do the same work. In 1979, Ledbetter was hired as a shift supervisor in a Goodyear tire factory in Gadsen, Alabama. She worked the night shift for nearly 20 years. Her strong work ethic gained her the respect of her subordinates. "There was nothing I wouldn't do, no matter how dirty or hard," she told AFP. "I never expected anybody to make it easier for me." But, she recalled, her male peers often gave her a hard time. "They were afraid that if I did well, I would get the promotion before them." In 1998 she found an unsigned note along with her paycheck of 3,727 dollars per month before taxes. It showed that three other night foremen, all males who did the same work as Ledbetter but none of whom had more seniority, were being paid between 4,286 and 5,236 dollars per month. She immediately contacted the federal government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which advised her to file a lawsuit. But after an early retirement, a series of false hopes and nine years of roller coaster court battles, she got nothing. In May, the Supreme Court effectively sealed her fate and that of countless other underpaid workers when it ruled by a narrow majority that a 1991 law limiting a company's liability in such cases must stand. Thereby, any employer found to have engaged in discriminatory pay practices would only be liable for damages within a time period of six months, not for the entire length of time that it was underpaying the employee. The 5-4 decision illustrated the conservative slant the nation's highest court has taken since two new justices arrived, nominated in 2005 by President George W. Bush. But some of the harshest criticism of the decision came from inside the high court, from its only female justice. "Pay disparities often occur, as they did in Ledbetter's case, in small increments; cause to suspect that discrimination is at work develops only over time. Comparative pay information, moreover, is often hidden from the employee's view," said liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in her dissent. "The problem of concealed pay discrimination is particularly acute where the disparity arises not because the female employee is flatly denied a raise but because male counterparts are given larger raises." According to the National Organization for Women, the court decided that "the 180 day filing limit had begun way back when the very first paycheck showed lesser pay. Eighteen years of continuing wage discrimination against Ledbetter by Goodyear held no sway." With that decision, Ledbetter lost any chance of recovering the hundreds of thousands of dollars she had been awarded by a lower court. At trial, a jury awarded her 3.8 million dollars, but the judge capped it to 300,000 dollars, and the court of appeals invalidated it. "I didn't get anything, I'll never get anything. The Supreme Court said it didn't count it as discrimination, but it sure feels like discrimination," Ledbetter said. "According to the Supreme Court, if you don't figure things out right away, the company can treat you like a second-class citizen for the rest of your career, and that's not right," she added. The whole matter could have ended there. Ledbetter, 69, went to her home in the southern state of Alabama and devoted her time to her husband who is battling cancer and to her grandchildren whose weekend football games take up lots of family time. But inspired by her battle, Democratic lawmakers are now trying to change the laws on the books. In July, the House of Representatives passed the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," and a similar draft bill came before the Senate in January. Even though the Supreme Court based its decision more on legal technicalities than the merits of her complaint, it seems that US lawmakers cannot get enough of hearing the woman sometimes known as "Miss Lilly" recount her story. Ledbetter has already testified before two House committees in the now Democratic-controlled Congress. She has given speeches across the southeast of America, and is invited this spring to give talks in New York and at Harvard University. And her crusade does not only concern women: At Goodyear, African-American shift supervisors were paid even less than she was. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080130/ts_afp/usemploymentdiscriminationjustice |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 4:52am On Jan 29, 2008 |
What I am writing is that if you cant stand up for your belief, then, you might end up snoozing up at an event, all in the name of being politically correct! |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 4:28am On Jan 29, 2008 |
And who is the hypocrite then?@kobojunkie? Showing up for an event replete with a rehashed and monotonous speech, to appear politically correct, or standing for your belief? |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 3:59am On Jan 29, 2008 |
Well, if you find the speeches boring, and rehashed (as I do), then the best you can do is decline the invitation to attend such event and stay home to snooozeeee  |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 2:38am On Jan 29, 2008 |
All what I know is that it would have been funny, if a napping clinton was called out to give a speech at the event. |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 1:50am On Jan 29, 2008 |
So what if he dozes off at the MLK whatever?? Heck, I would doze off myself if I was tired and had to listen to that, heck, that thing gets real old after the first year you have to listen to the same old speech over and over and over and over and over again!!!LMAO!!! That's what you typed@kobojunkie. Your analysis that the MLK's event, focusing on the same rehashed speech can be a compelling factor to nap. If Clinton was tired, why was he in attendance at the event? Embarassing. Or, can you imagine, if he was sleeping, and his name was called out on the Microphone, while the camera was zooming on a sleeping president, it would seem ok? |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Senator Edward Kennedy Endorsed Obama by Ndipe(m): 1:44am On Jan 29, 2008 |
I have to admit, after watching clips of Obama and Clinton on Television, Clinton wins by a handslide. She offered a solution to energy crisis in the country by stating that, she would levy the oil companies to provide alternative energy to the masses. Obama on the other hand was just reiterating the common saying of dealing with washington to make things done. Coming from a man who is a beneficiary of expensive fund raisers, as ridiculous as over 2000 dollars a plate? That is a mockery of his motto for a vision of change. His cronies probably will benefit first, before the masses. Welcome to American politics! |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 1:40am On Jan 29, 2008 |
@kobojunkie, was clinton forced to make an appearance at the event? I can understand if it were jury duty, and you were caught sleeping, but for an event, that he probably attended to stoke up his wife's credentials and then nap, c'mon! Come up with a better excuse. |
| Politics › Re: Bill Clinton Caught Nodding Off During Service To Honor Mlk by Ndipe(m): 9:45pm On Jan 28, 2008 |
Fake or not, Clinton dozed intermittently at the MLK's event. |
| Health › Re: Woman, Clueless About Her Pregnancy For 9 Months by Ndipe(op): 12:55am On Jan 28, 2008 |
Almondjoy, let sex between husband and wife. |
| Science/Technology › Human Waste For Electricity, Do You Support It? by Ndipe(op): 12:00am On Jan 27, 2008 |
Plugging into the power of sewage 19:00 10 March 2004 Exclusive from New Scientist Print Edition. Subscribe and get 4 free issues. Celeste Biever Enlarge image The sewage-powered generatorTools Related Articles Sewage sludge bulks up house bricks 31 August 2002 Composting toilets key to global sanitation, say scientists 18 March 2003 Ski resort recycles sewage into snow 11 April 2002 Search New Scientist Contact us Web Links Bruce Logan, Penn State University Microbiology, University of Massachusetts Sewage treatment, Wessex Water The waste you flush down the toilet could one day power the lights in your home. So say researchers at Pennsylvania State University who last week revealed they have developed an electricity generator fuelled by sewage. Even better, the device breaks down the harmful organic matter as it generates the electricity, so it does the job of a sewage-treatment plant at the same time. Penn State's microbial fuel cell (MFC) harnesses chemical techniques similar to those the body uses to break down food - but diverts the electrons liberated in the reactions to produce electrical energy. "There are extraordinary benefits if this technology can be made to work," comments Bruce Rittmann, an environmental engineer at Northwestern University in Illinois. Many developing countries urgently need sewage processing plants, for example, but they are prohibitively expensive, largely because they use so much power. Offsetting this cost by producing electricity at the same time could make all the difference, says Bruce Logan, who led the development team at Penn State. Slurry of bacteria Sewage contains a slurry of bacteria and undigested food, consisting of organic matter such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. The bacteria found in sewage treatment works use enzymes to oxidise organic matter, in a process that releases electrons. Normally the electrons power respiratory reactions in the bacterial cells, and are eventually combined with oxygen molecules. However, by depriving the bacteria of oxygen on one side of the MFC, the electrons can be wrested from them and used to power a circuit. The MFC comprises a sealed 15-centimetre-long can with a central cathode rod surrounded by a proton exchange membrane (PEM), which is permeable only to protons. Eight anodes are arranged around the cathode (see graphic). Bacteria cluster around the anodes and break down the organic waste as it is pumped in, releasing electrons and protons. With no oxygen to help mop up the electrons, the bacteria's enzymes transfer them to the anodes, while the protons migrate through the water to the central cathode. Polarised molecules on the PEM encourage the protons to pass through to the cathode. There they combine with oxygen from the air and electrons from the cathode to produce water. It this transfer of electrons at the electrodes that sets up the voltage between them, enabling the cell to power an external circuit. Glucose solutions The Penn State team's device is the first MFC that is specifically designed to produce electricity by processing human waste. Previous designs have only run on glucose solutions. As yet his design is only producing a tenth of what he calculates its potential power output could be. Even so, if scaled up, this system would produce 51 kilowatts on the waste from 100,000 people, Logan says. He hopes to be able to boost its efficiency by increasing the surface area of the anodes or by finding more efficient anode material. Microbiologist Derek Lovley of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst believes the most elegant aspect of Logan's MFC is its single-chamber design, which makes it very easy to scale up. Most glucose-powered MFCs comprise two anode and cathode chambers, separated by a PEM. However, Lovley believes generating power from waste water on a large scale is a long way off: "One way to think of this technology is that it is currently at the state of development that solar power was 20 to 30 years ago - the principle has been shown, but there is a lot of work to do before this is widely used." http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn4761-plugging-into-the-power-of-sewage.html |
| Health › Woman, Clueless About Her Pregnancy For 9 Months by Ndipe(op): 11:55pm On Jan 26, 2008 |
It Could Happen To You, Or Someone You Know User Rating: / 1 PoorBest By Kate Chukwu Friday, 25 January 2008 A simple definition of pregnancy is a condition in which a female carries one or more developing offspring within the body. (Ok, the movie ‘Twins’ performed by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito where Arnold was pregnant and had a baby was only fiction!). I did not study medical sciences (neither was I paying attention in my j.s.s.3 class when we are taught ‘The Reproduction System’ in Integrated Science) but I know there are few stages during pregnancy a woman is supposed to go through. Or there are signs a woman should feel at the early, mid or towards the end stage of her pregnancy. So, yes, I was dumfounded when I heard this story. A family friend of mine in her mid 60s traveled for a short break. Her daughter who is in her late 40s promised to go pick her up from the airport on her return. Now, Mama (as I would call her here) was at the airport feeling all relaxed from her little break in the sun, when she decided to call her daughter (Naomi) to say she would be arriving an hour later than expected. Naomi promised to be at the airport after she felt she should branch in at the hospital which was quite close to her house for a ‘quick chat’ with any doctor on duty. She had felt a sharp pain in her belly that morning while putting some lotion on her leg. When the doctor looked at Naomi and pressed her belly, he decided to carry checks that surprised her. Lo and behold Naomi was rushed to the theatre, she was in labor!!! The shock and the confusion almost made Naomi go mental. While she was trying to ‘push’, she thought of her car. She had only paid for an hour visit to the hospital at the parking bay, now who knew how long she was going to be in theatre for? She thought of Mama who would be expecting her at the airport. What was she going to do? Her husband who was in his 50s wasn’t planning of another child after they had three children who were now in their early 20s. She had thrown out or given away all her baby items two decades ago. Her life was so ‘normal’ now. Where was she going to start from? As different thoughts invaded her mind, all she could hear was ‘steady now… and push’. And with one last scream, out came out this innocent little boy who had no clue of how he had just come into the world, or what was on his mother’s mind during his quick delivery. As the medical staff took her to another room after cleaning her and baby up, her mobile phone which had been on all this time in her bag, rang. It was Mama, now waiting to be picked up at the airport! Naomi, felt very tired. What was she going to tell Mama? Who would believe her? If she told Mama about the baby, Mama may collapse at the airport. All she could utter on the phone was “Mama, please give a taxi man my address and come down to the house, I’m really sick”. She begged the doctor to call her husband because she couldn’t even think of anything better to say. Anyway Mama eventually came down to her house. The doctor had already called Naomi’s husband and not before long; the hospital was full with her family and well wishers who came to see before believing. So that was how I heard the story. Some of the questions people were asking her were things like; did you not miss your period all these while? Did you not feel flutters at any point? What about baby movements and kicking’s? Did you not feel your belly expanding? Ok, not a lot of pregnant women experience ‘morning sickness’ but did you not feel sick or tired or sleepy at any stage? How about cravings? Where you eating your normal foods? Did your sexual appetite increase or decrease? There were just too many questions. I did not blame them. Just like me, I wanted to know more. Naomi is only a UK size 16 so you would not consider her as ‘fat’. She had no idea she was pregnant. She did not even want to be. She said the only thing she could remember feeling was a bit hot and flushed during the cold winter but she assumed because of her age that she was entering her menopause. Now, I believe anything is possible. So if you are in your 40s and you’ve given up hope about having a child, there is still hope for you. On the other hand, if you are in your 40s and you’re playing around unprotected, thinking that you are now ‘safe’, think again. Baby shops are always stocking up new things for those it could happen to. http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/index.php/content/view/8385/55 PS: I watched another lady made the same startling confession on Oprah's talkshow, about being clueless on her pregnancy, until she was in the process of giving birth. |
| Family › Re: Please Can Marrying Into An Osu Family Really Be Bad? by Ndipe(m): 11:52pm On Jan 26, 2008 |
Osu topic again! Na wao |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Do The Dead In Christ Go To Heaven Or Await Ressurrection? by Ndipe(m): 7:40pm On Jan 25, 2008 |
My understanding, is that no man, prior to the death of Jesus Christ ever ascended into Heaven because the Blood of Jesus Christ had not yet been paid. After His death on the Cross a miracle occured. The Holy Bible in Matthew 27: 52-53 says 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 27:53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. (http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/27.html) Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. I don't like to give a literal interpretation of the Holy Bible, because I am a learner also. |
| Family › Woman Searching For Father Discovers : It's Her Boss by Ndipe(op): 9:23pm On Jan 24, 2008 |
TAIPEI (AFP) - A Vietnamese woman searching for her father worked at his home in Taiwan for seven months without realising who he was before the relationship came to light, her father and police said Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT Tran Thi Kham, 40, travelled to Taiwan in 2005 hoping to find her biological father, who fell in love with her Vietnamese mother in Hong Kong in 1967, police said. Tran's mother became pregnant but was forced to return home for family reasons. She died two months after giving birth to Tran, leaving the baby an engraved gold ring and a photo of her Taiwanese father, who did not know she existed. Giving his reaction to the meeting, Tran's father, Tsai Han-chao, told the local TVBS cable news channel: "Life's ups and downs are just like television drama. How could I have ever dreamed that she is my daughter? I can't stop crying when we were finally united." Tran was hired by Tsai in Taipei county to look after his paralysed wife and was reassigned by an agency to a family on the offshore Kinmen island seven months later, after the woman died. After arriving in Kinmen, Tran realised that she had left a bag containing her father's ring and photo in her ex-employer's home and asked the local police for help, the police in Kinmen said. When Tsai opened the bag, he immediately recognised the items he had given his girlfriend. He wasted no time flying to Kinmen for a tearful meeting with his daughter. "This is incredible and really touching to see the father and daughter get together after all these years," said policeman Ku Ker-ya. Ku told AFP that DNA testing had confirmed Tran's parentage and she returned to Vietnam last week to deal with legal documents. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080122/od_afp/taiwanvietnampeopleoffbeat;_ylt=AlawjrlPYwrOJYd3OiETbY2s0NUE |
| Family › Re: Ladies Who Hold On To Their Father's Surname In Marriage by Ndipe(m): 3:36am On Jan 24, 2008 |
Change of mind! Any woman who insists on retaining her maiden name is not ready to be married. When the man marries you, then you are a part of his life, not your dad anymore. That is why, the tradition of fathers GIVING out their daughter to the man symbolizes a 'transfer of ownership' to the man. If you wont change the name, then stay back home. |
| Family › Re: Would You Do A DNA Testing On Your Kids? by Ndipe(op): 12:38am On Jan 19, 2008 |
@Richyblack, so you will consult your wife, before taking the child for a DNA testing. Tell me, how can you even broach such a sensitive subject with her which borders on trust? You will be at the losing end if the result shows you are the father and you could pay big time for you have betrayed your wife's trust. If it is negative, oh well, that one is another wahala. 1 Like |
| Politics › Re: Army Officers Who Sold Weapons To Militants by Ndipe(m): 12:26am On Jan 19, 2008 |
This has been going on as far as the 80's. Remember the police constable who used to supply Anini with firearms? George Iyamu. Nothing in Nigeria fazes me, hence, all this story about a public official stealing money is not 'newsy' to me anymore. As a matter of fact, it's becoming monotonous! |
| Culture › Re: My Girl Wants To Marry Me But Her Parents Said No (Osu) by Ndipe(m): 1:51am On Jan 18, 2008 |
Osu topic is becoming monotonous on this board. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Jehovah's Witnesses: the only true religion? by Ndipe(m): 10:59pm On Jan 17, 2008 |
| Foreign Affairs › Re: Hillary Clinton For President by Ndipe(m): 2:16am On Jan 13, 2008 |
I will vote for a republican than vote for Hilary Clinton. Tell me, when did she acquire 35 years of experience as a politician. Oh, wait a minute, she was the first lady of Arkansas and later on the first lady of the USA, who would later on win the NY senatorial position. Abeg, those are not experience at all. Her cries only depicted her as a lady who craves political power at nearly all cost. Never would vote for her! And would you believe that a former classmate of mine told me that they were holding a fund raising ceremony for her campaign in Nigeria? Goodness Gracious! |
| Business › Re: Is The Usa Economy Slidding Into Recession? by Ndipe(m): 2:09am On Jan 13, 2008 |
I think the economy is in recession and economic pundits are beginning to talk about it. But, come, the economy has been ailing since Bush took over. The housing market is cooling off like cucumber, the credit crunch is affecting departmental stores and delinquences on credit card bills is rising. So,the economy is in bad shape as of now. Bush has played a role in almost destroying the US's economy. On the other hand, Africa's economy is growing exponentially. Trowe price as of last year has started investing in Africa. And the yield for the past year has been quite impressive. |
| Christianity Etc › Re: Lovemaking After Traditional Wedding Only: Is This Fornication? by Ndipe(m): 1:56am On Jan 13, 2008 |
TayoD, thanks for your answer. I totally agree with you. |
| Family › Re: Would You Do A DNA Testing On Your Kids? by Ndipe(op): 1:45am On Jan 13, 2008*. Modified: 8:02am On Apr 23, 2020 |
Not every woman knows the father of her baby. Think of women with multiple partners who appear on talkshows for paternity test, because they have no clue on who fathered their child |
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