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Culture › Re: Racist Habits Die HARD by PhysicsQED(m): 2:13am On Aug 31, 2012*

TerryCarr has a point, although I wouldn't agree with the import of all of his examples (such as that of Machado de Assis).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afro-Brazilian#Important_or_famous_Black_Brazilians

Gilberto Gil was even Brazil's minister of culture from 2003 to 2008, although he is apparently only the second black person to serve in the cabinet of Brazil's government, which doesn't really compare favorably with the U.S., where there have been 17 black people in the U.S.'s cabinet so far (even though African Americans are a smaller percentage of the U.S. population than black Brazilians are a percentage of Brazil's population) and which has had people like Ralph Bunche and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. in high level positions in government earlier on as well.

Politics › Re: Omotoba And Controversy Over Enugu Airport by PhysicsQED(m): 1:50am On Aug 31, 2012

FSU: Lol. Some Delta folks claim non-Igbo and he might be one of them . BTW, Aligbe does not sound Igbo as far as I know. Azu is a middle name that anyone can bear. Segun Arinze is not Igbo but with an Igbo name. Mustafa Chike Obi is from Anambra with an hausa first name. What matters is the family name.

That said, I am glad that you agree that Enugu airport will be a viable international airport and you are not Igbo, or are you?

I'm not Igbo, but I think that the arguments put forward in favor of the Enugu international airport just make a lot of sense. I don't think all the controversy is really justified. Even if there is some perception that some foreign airlines don't want to use that airport right now, that doesn't mean that in the near future the case might not be very different as the economy and population change. A country with Nigeria's population and potential/future economic prospects cannot serve the entire country adequately with most of the air traffic going through only a few airports.

Politics › Re: Omotoba And Controversy Over Enugu Airport by PhysicsQED(m): 1:33am On Aug 31, 2012

FSU: Thanks. No I do not know where he comes exactly from but the name sounded Edoish enough for me to presume. The point I am making is that he is not Igbo as to say that he was biased in his assessment. I will make the correction in the article

Hmmm. . .Chris Azu Aligbe. I don't know what his ethnic background is just from looking at his name, but anyway, his assessment/argument is sound, wherever he's from. I really don't think there should be all this controversy over Enugu airport - just improve it and utilize it to its maximum extent.

Politics › Re: Omotoba And Controversy Over Enugu Airport by PhysicsQED(m): 1:19am On Aug 31, 2012

FSU: Industry observer and former public affairs manager of the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited, Chris Aligbe (from Edo State; highlighted by me), told THISDAY in an interview that when President Yaradua made a policy that there should be international airport in every geo-political zone of the country, he was pre-emptive of the growing aviation market in the country.

He's probably from Delta state:

http://www.newswatchngr.com/editorial/prime/2002/29072002/fob10730230636.htm

Unless of course, you already know where in Edo state he's from.

Politics › Re: Oyesiku Chairs American Neurological Surgeons Board by PhysicsQED(m): 7:54pm On Aug 30, 2012

I can't believe people fell for Callotti/Blazay's bait. She's pretty much a known troll.

Culture › Re: Nigerian Languages And Arabic Languages by PhysicsQED(m): 7:48pm On Aug 30, 2012

Dudu_Negro: I never said it has a connection to Ogun.

What I say is Eugene is the Latinized version of Awgan/Awgen.

Well it's obviously not unless Awgen means the exact same thing. It's not even of Roman origin anyway. It has a Greek origin.

Look at the word

"eu" (which means "good" like the "eu" in eugenics or eusocial or the Greek 'euangelion')

+

"gene" (which means "birth": http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/γενεά)

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Deu%29genh%2Fs

This is a very basic kind of name which does not need an external origin for a culture to have it.

Culture › Re: Photos Of The Wonderful People Of Melanesia by PhysicsQED(m): 8:21am On Aug 30, 2012*

MsDarkSkin: Lol.

well that is how whites see them.
you should see the comments on the '"black" people with blonde hair' videos on youtube.
whites see them as "beautiful" and "amazing" because of their blonde hair.

if their hair was dark in color, whites too would call it "nappy" and "uncivilized".

Now that it has been proven this golden color hair has absolutely nothing to do with whites, i wonder if these people are still considered "amazing" and "beautiful" lolz.

in fact look at the title of this video...

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

"Wonderful black baby..."

some white people are TERRIBLE (and blacks who buy into it).

like this trick

Is it just me, or do that baby's eyes have a bit of a creepy look about them? undecided

Anyway, I agree with basically all of your post.

Christianity Etc › Re: The 10 Dogmata Of Mordern Science by PhysicsQED(m): 8:07am On Aug 30, 2012*

Deep Sight: It appears our very logical friends are unable to answer this question!

You seem to have misread me. What I was saying by "if there was no existence, there would not need to be time" is simply that the idea of time being necessary independent of the singularity's existence doesn't make sense to me; as I have already stated repeatedly, I don't believe in that absolute external Newtonian timeline that you believe in. I thought that the meaning would be clear from the context in which I made the statement. Our positions on time seem irreconcilable so, once again, later.

1 Like

Culture › Re: Soninke (serahule) People And Ghana Empire by PhysicsQED(m): 6:19am On Aug 30, 2012*

Ileke-IdI:
Ok, do you have a better idea of what they "looked" like?

The problem is that most of those accoutrements are taken directly from how the Akan aristocracy traditionally dress. The head decorations, the ceremonial sword, etc. Even the way they are conveying the monarch around in a litter/palanquin is taken from the Akan.

Here's an Asante (Akan) ceremonial sword:

http://www.imamuseum.org/art/collections/artwork/ceremonial-sword-

Here's an Akan ceremonial sword:

http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/50009001

Now compare it with the sword in the picture.

Other than the fact that the regalia, ceremonial sword, and even the manner of transport are taken straight from the Akan, I wouldn't object in any way to an imagining/reconstruction. After all, the people of medieval Ghana did wear gold:

"A Moorish nobleman who lived in Spain by the name of Al-Bakri questioned merchants who visited the empire in the 11th century and wrote that the king:

He sits in audience or to hear grievances against officials in a domed pavilion around which stand ten horses covered with gold-embroidered materials. Behind the king stand ten pages holding shields and swords decorated with gold, and on his right are the sons of the kings of his country wearing splendid garments and their hair plaited with gold. The governor of the city sits on the ground before the king and around him are ministers seated likewise. At the door of the pavilion are dogs of excellent pedigree that hardly ever leave the place where the king is, guarding him. Around their necks they wear collars of gold and silver studded with a number of balls of the same metals."[26]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghana_Empire#Government

(the source of the quote is given on wikipedia as p.80 of Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West Africa by Nehemia Levtzion and John F.P. Hopkins)

Now after reading that description, for all we know, the Ghanaian empire attires and decorations might have looked even more impressive than those of the Akan, even if they were working with the same general medium (gold) for decoration. There's really no reason to transplant the Akan accoutrements directly onto medieval Ghana when there's no guarantee at all that they really had the same styles.

Culture › Re: Nigerian Languages And Arabic Languages by PhysicsQED(m): 5:17am On Aug 30, 2012

Dudu Negro: Ogboni in Yorubaland is an ancient order and the origin of the name is "Awgan" or sometimes spelt as "Awgen". It is also where Ogbeni came from as well as Agba. It also gave birth to the Roman name Eugene.

Dude Negro: Wole Soyinka's comparison of two characters of Ogun in Yoruba mythology and Roman/Greek mythology is evident of who Awgan might be. . . .. . .and it is even solidified in the fact that the Romans also adopted the name and called it Eugene. Although their Eugene does not have same reference in culture that our Ogun does.

Eugene is just a name that means "well born".

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=Eugene

I don't see how you could think it has a connection to Ogun or Ogboni.

Culture › Re: Soninke (serahule) People And Ghana Empire by PhysicsQED(m): 1:20am On Aug 30, 2012

thiendella: Ancient Ghana location
[img]http://planetejeanjaures.free.fr/geo/afrique/images/empires/ghana_empire.gif[/img]

A nice drawing, but there's really nothing to suggest that the people of medieval Ghana would have had a dressing style similar to the Akan. Some of the accoutrements worn by the people in this drawing are clearly taken directly from some of the cultures of the modern country of Ghana.

[img]http://info2larue.files./2012/01/koumbisaleh.jpg?w=600[/img]

This has nothing to do with medieval Ghana actually. It's an engraving by Olfert Dapper of 17th century Loango that he based on descriptions of the place by those who had actually seen it.

Travel › Re: Man Arrested For Trying To Board A Plane With 27 Snakes by PhysicsQED(m): 12:29am On Aug 30, 2012

https://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/snakes-on%2520-plane-1.jpg

Christianity Etc › Re: Ijaw Religion! by PhysicsQED(m): 11:59pm On Aug 29, 2012

Where is the image in the opening post from?

I don't think that's actually Ijaw.

Politics › Re: Oyesiku Chairs American Neurological Surgeons Board by PhysicsQED(m): 8:29pm On Aug 29, 2012

He is also editor-in-chief of Neurosurgery, the official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and has been since 2009.

http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/neurosurgery/surgeons/nelson-oyesiku.html

http://www.emoryhealthcare.org/medicaladvances/etma-featured-physicians/featured-md-oyesiku.html

http://www.cns.org/publications/neurosurgery/editor.aspx

Quite an impressive profile.

1 Like

Politics › Re: Oyesiku Chairs American Neurological Surgeons Board by PhysicsQED(m): 8:22pm On Aug 29, 2012

Congrats to him.

Foreign Affairs › Re: I Can Relate To Black People, My Ancestors Once Owned Slaves – Mitt Romney by PhysicsQED(m): 8:21pm On Aug 29, 2012

Wizeboy: Is the information is false, they should have published the original speech made by Mitt Romney then (that is the only way to debunk this). How credible is the site debunking comment credited to Mitt Romney and moreso, how are you sure, the site does not belong to one of his supporter.

First, snopes is a myth/rumor debunking website that was around well before Romney ran for president. The site is credible enough in my view.

Second, actually the burden of proof is on those who cooked up the story to provide real evidence of the speech. There is no evidence that there is even an "original speech" that they altered - it seems that whoever made the speech just made it up out of thin air. The Nigerian news website cited in the opening post of this thread and other websites all cite the same spoof/satirical news website as their source for this information, so all these news reports are based on a joke news site.

Third, I don't actually like Mitt Romney. In fact, I started a thread dedicated specifically to pointing out how dumb some of the things he says are (https://www.nairaland.com/1006577/dumb-mitt-romney-quotes-funny). That doesn't mean I'll support a false and inflammatory rumor against him when there's evidence that it's false though.

Foreign Affairs › Re: I Can Relate To Black People, My Ancestors Once Owned Slaves – Mitt Romney by PhysicsQED(m): 2:27am On Aug 29, 2012

The story is actually false. I just came across something debunking it:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/romney/blackcommunity.asp

Politics › Re: Barth Nnaji Resigns (Or Sacked) From Power Ministry? by PhysicsQED(m): 1:19am On Aug 29, 2012*

bjdon: Nigeria Nigeria!!! A country where...

The Oil minister is indited by the National assembly for large scale and she dose not resign

Planes fall from the sky and the Aviation minister dose not resign

National highways are in a state of total disrepair and the minster of works dose not resign

Power output rises to it's highest since independence and the Minster of Power resigns

Nigeria we hail thee

Politics › Re: Barth Nnaji Resigns (Or Sacked) From Power Ministry? by PhysicsQED(m): 12:44am On Aug 29, 2012

This is unfortunate.

Foreign Affairs › Re: I Can Relate To Black People, My Ancestors Once Owned Slaves – Mitt Romney by PhysicsQED(m): 12:28am On Aug 29, 2012*

Christianity Etc › Re: The 10 Dogmata Of Mordern Science by PhysicsQED(m): 8:39pm On Aug 28, 2012

Deep Sight: You have every reason to support the notion I lay out - - ->

- - - > because it is illogical to speak of something happening [an event: the expansion] to a body [the singularity] if that body does not already exist!

Do phenomena occur to non-existent things?

No: they occur only to things that ALREADY exist - in one form or the other.

And in this alone rests the entire matter! Awfully SIMPLE!

This is so simple it is boring having to repeat it over and over: and that was why I referred you to all those threads and posts, but it seems you drew nothing therefrom.

(Please do note that this also covers a scenario - which you suggest - whereby expansion occurs at the same moment of the said singulatrity coming to exist: as it could not "come to exist" from nothingness: it must needs have still come to exist from something already existing: since it is not intangible or self existent.)

We've already been over the "something from nothing" stuff and the "what can be self-existent" stuff, so it would be pointless repeating our positions again. Let's just say that I don't agree with all of your assumptions and leave it at that.

That is for you and I: FINITE beings living in a material world.

Note also: that you say: "can only be measured." Note the word - "measure". It applies only to the finite. Measurement is not the issue here: existence is. Not all that exists can be measured: only the finite can.

Please try using a measuring tape to measure the decreasing decimals of space between atomic or sub-atomic particles. You cannot measure such. Does that mean that such infinite space does not exist?

That sorts your issue here.

I simply don't see why if there was no existence, there would need to be time. I haven't seen a good argument to the contrary so it's unlikely that we're going to agree.

Anyway, the discussion we had was interesting. Later.

Computers › Re: Why Are Apple Laptops So Freaking Expensive? Really? by PhysicsQED(m): 8:14pm On Aug 28, 2012

pleep: I bought a Macbook pro for college because literally everyone has one over here... when i got home and tried to do my work i realized i had just payed $1,800 for a computer that doesn't even have word.

First thing i did with my mac was go on Sony.com and custom make a windows computer with 1 terabyte of memory, 12gb of ram, an invidia G-force graphics card, a lithium polymer battery and 3 years of virus protection... all for $1,700. I returned the [i]fu[/i]cking macbook the next day.

lmao

Christianity Etc › Re: The 10 Dogmata Of Mordern Science by PhysicsQED(m): 10:47am On Aug 28, 2012

Dude, he sometimes piles on assumptions upon assumptions upon misunderstandings and portrays what he's claiming to the contrary as superior while implying or stating outright that others are foolish. Even if there were a reasonable argument somewhere in there, there's absolutely no line of thinking I've seen so far in our discussions that I haven't already come across and I wouldn't pretend I think he's any less wrong than I do just to be polite.

2 Likes

Politics › Re: Why Do Some Africans See Merit Based Appointments As Proof of "Domination"? by PhysicsQED(m): 6:37am On Aug 28, 2012*

Onlytruth: Exactly my point! (though in reverse). That is why I don't understand why a rational person who feels dominated and marginalized, would still go to war, or threaten war each time the "dominating group" mentions secession or wants to secede.

Isn't this a form of mental illness or retardation?

A legitimate question. Why would anybody want to keep a group that was alleging marginalization and asking for autonomy in the same country with them and still deprive them of full autonomy? Why even put oneself in a position where one can be accused of "being the bad guy"? Why even put oneself in a position where one claims to have the right to determine how much autonomy any other group gets? I don't understand that. When you look at the history of Nigeria, there are several instances of this happening and one starts to wonder about the thought processes of the leaders in charge anytime there was an attempt by any group to seek greater autonomy. I've seen my group accused of domination because of population (as I alluded to earlier) in a state and I think that there should definitely be a separation of my group and those alleging marginalization so that each group can pursue their own objectives without being intentionally or unintentionally marginalized and without being accused of marginalization.

Politics › Re: Why Do Some Africans See Merit Based Appointments As Proof of "Domination"? by PhysicsQED(m): 6:08am On Aug 28, 2012

As far as I'm concerned European "tribalism" was quite significant but I think they reached a tipping point with WW2 and also got over it through the demarcation of mostly ethnically homogeneous countries. Also their tribalism is lessened by focusing on how they share more in common with each other than with the rest of the world. I guess you could say "pan-whiteness" mostly succeeded after enough blood had been spilled and pan-Africanism hasn't and possibly won't. When one reads about Romanians in Italy or the standoff in Belgium between the two groups (Flemish vs. Francophone) or the Irish and Welsh vs. the English or "anti-Polish" sentiment in Europe, one starts to realize that if they were all put in multiethnic countries they would probably have very serious issues as well.

Politics › Re: Why Do Some Africans See Merit Based Appointments As Proof of "Domination"? by PhysicsQED(m): 5:48am On Aug 28, 2012

Onlytruth: Your position is that there are two side of the story isn't it: those on the giving and those on the receiving sides. Am I wrong about that?

Exactly. You're not wrong.

Now why then did your post to me only dwell only one side of the story - my contention that those making the accusations are not always just talking nonsense? I didn't see any comment that suggested that you saw how I was agreeing with you - that those who want their ethnic kinsmen to always be in positions of power or influence at the expense of merit are practicing nepotism. Maybe you got that meaning, but I didn't see that in your posts.

If you got the second meaning, then why do you think that I "have no logical basis to continue supporting my position" when my position even agrees with yours, just that I also think that those accused of nepotism are not always blameless? I wasn't even talking in the context of Biafra or the 60s but in Africa in general.

To give an example of what I'm talking about, I read an article a while back where the Binis were accused of "dominating" the present Edo state because of their population in the state.

If a smaller group in the state wanted more autonomy so that their politicians, who might be just as good or even much better at governing, could have more direct control over improving the lives of their people without so much emphasis being placed on one area of the state at the expense of their area and others, would they be wrong in alleging marginalization? Would they really be talking nonsense?

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