₦airaland Forum

Really beautiful. Happy birthday and i hope the cake tastes as good as it looks.

Is Edo her state of origin? What business does the governor have with hosting people who cannot add value whatsoever to the state. I used to have alot of respect for this governor but this singular act of spending tax payers money publicly on his new toaster is outrageous! There has to be something wrong with his advisers.

By the way is that white singlet the best she can wear to see a governor? Abi she don see am finish so tey she no need to dress again before entering government house.

pollay: Nice Post guy, no long thing sha but i study Computer Science, but still could not find the right job, eventhough i had the practical knowledge right before graduating from school

The I.T field is vast, do not limit yourself to only practical knowledge. Try and get one or two certifications to back it up i.e if you are good at networking you can study and take the ccna exams and if it is database, you can study and write your oca plus other certifications like itil .I am certain it wont take long for you to get a job after that.

I studied information technology and presently i am a system analyst and i cant tell you how much i love my job .. Goodluck

Siena: It's never really bothered me, so I don't consider it rude if overtakers stare at me whilst doing so.

No big deal - we all have our peculiar traits, that others may not like, but they tolerate them. Try being tolerant of the habits of others, and concentrate on whatever it is you're doing, in this case, driving.

Good advice. I think both parties ( the looker and the looked at) should both concentrate on their driving!

sultaan: Its more like looking at the 80yr old blocking the road with their Toyota Crap

One of the lookers.

repogirl: if u check their site. u shld see the address, i dont remember it, its in a plaza opposite choice furnishings.

as for embroidery, its a hobby of mine also, but i've not had the time to use the machine so I'm no pro at it. i went thru the tutorial on the CD and did some youtube but i've pqcked the machine in a corner for now till further notice.

also note that futura and innov are more of domestic machines, they are great but not industrial so they wont be really fast and cant do bulk or it will breakdown, but since its a hobby of urs, it will be fine.

on the other hand, if u want to make money from this, i wld suggest talking to a professional first before purchasing your machine.

You have been really helpful thankx. Would find a professional to talk to before i make the purchase however since i am a beginner am sure either if the domestic machines will do. I have seen lots of designs online that i would love to try and i wish we had training centers for that in Abuja. Anyway i guess i would have to learn using the same method as you. Once more thank you

repogirl: its best you buy online and then ship down, it isnt expensive, when i bought my janome i used thia agent, mytp-3 . com, they have an office in wuse 2, before amigo supermarket but check online first. tutorials can be found online, youtube is very good.

also, there are so many machines online so look through and be sure of what you want before purchasing

Thankx @repogirl.. I checked online and saw 2 machines I might love. Singer Futura xl 550 and brother innov 4000d however both are abit pricey as you said but I guess it would be worth the money. Are you into computerised embroidery please? I would be glad if I can get the address around amigo so I can check because I am also in Abuja. Thankx

Lovely thread. I actually took time to go through most of the images posted on this thread and i must say the creativity and skills displayed by most of you is second to none. I have a flair for embroidery designs even though i am an I.T professional but would like to learn computerized embroidery design as a hobby. For those of you in the field please which machine do you recommend for home use and where can i get training in Abuja? I checked both singer and brother websites and discovered they dont have dealers in west africa for computerized embroidery design machines therefore i may have to source for one locally. Any useful suggestions are welcomed please.

ehonda: Barika de salah to all my talented fashion designer.
Check this out and tell us the name of the machine.

Its a computerized embroidery machine. I recently developed an interest in computerized embroidery and so far i am thinking of buying a singer futura xl 550 or a brother innov 4000d. Anyone with useful information on these machines should kindly tell me so i can make an informed decision. Thankx

luchy34: Wow his convoy brought GOODLUCK to them!

Rightly said! Goodluck±freshair=?

[quote author=i_laugh]na get time sha. Na you get their eyes? Abi na sin make person use their eyes to look again?[/quote]Your eyes should be on the road ahead of you and not in the car beside you. Abi you sabi person inside the motor wey u dey pass?

Lolz @ some of the responses. But seriously I find it so annoying when that happens especially if the guy/man keeps staring back n forth like a mofo... I wish someone wud hit d traffic light someday while turning back to stare @ me after overtaking

Secondly why is it so common with guys? Like I said before are you guys looking for your missing girlfriends in the other car?

Really? They did that at 30000 thousand feet above sea level in full glare of other passengers with no shame... They must be p**n stars

I observed that guys mostly like to stretch their necks and look right into the faces of the people in the other car while overtaking. Is it a norm you must see the person's face in the car you want pass or you just want to be sure he is not carrying your girlfriend?

Former wing commander! Nawa oooo i even thought it was a bloody civilian impersonating the ADC not knowing its an ex military man. I really dont want to be caught saying end time soldiers.... But?

I used to wonder the same too especially with my mum. She sometimes insists i do things her own way and when i do and it turns out she was wrong she would never say sorry. I believe most parents especially our Nigerian parents have so much pride when it come to apologizing to their kids or admitting they are wrong. Since you know its their nature, Learn to live with it so you don't give yourself high BP.

Going by this definition of legally dead i dare say many men in Nigeria are 'legally dead' too.

Congrats. May the Lord keep you

Self-efficacy: The Transtheoretical model integrates elements of Bandura's self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1977, 1982). This construct reflects the degree of confidence the individual has in maintaining their desired behavioral change in situations that often trigger relapse. It is also measured by the degree to which the individual feels tempted to return to their problem behavior in these high-risk situations. In the Precontemplation and Contemplation stages, individuals’ temptation to engage in the problem behavior is far greater than their self-efficacy to abstain. As individuals move from Preparation to Action, the disparity between feelings of self-efficacy and temptation closes, and behavioral change is attained. Relapse often occurs in situations where feelings of temptation trumps and individual’s sense of self-efficacy to maintain the desired behavioral change. Please see our measures page if you are interested in learning more about how to measure this construct.

Processes of Change: While the Stages of Change are useful in explaining when changes in cognition, emotion, and behavior take place, the processes of change help to explain how these changes occur. These ten covert and overt processes need to be implemented to successfully progress through the stages of change and attain the desired behavioral change. These ten processes can be divided into two groups: cognitive and affective experiential processes, and behavioral processes. Please see our measures page if you are interested in learning more about how to measure this construct.

Experiential Processes:

Consciousness raising – Knowledge and awareness about the individual and their problem behavior is increased.

Dramatic relief – Emotions about the individual’s problem behavior, and available treatments or solutions, are aroused.

Environmental reevaluation – The impact that the individual’s problem behavior has on their environment is reassessed.

Self-reevaluation – Cognitions and emotions regarding the individual, especially with respect to their problem behavior, are reassessed.

Social liberation – Attempts are made to decrease the prevalence of the individual’s former problem behavior in society.

Behavioral Processes:

Reinforcement management – Positive behavioral changes are rewarded.

Helping relationships – Trusting and open discussion about the problem behavior is received by a supporting individual(s).

Counterconditioning – Positive alternative behaviors are substituted for the individual’s problem behavior.

Stimulus control – Stimuli that may trigger lapse back to the problem behavior are prepared to be coped with, removed, or avoided.

Self-liberation – Choosing a course of action to change the problem behavior, and committing to that choice.

Preparation: By the time individuals enter the Preparation stage, the pros in favor of attempting to change a problem behavior outweigh the cons, and action is intended in the near future, typically measured as within the next thirty days. Many individuals in this stage have made an attempt to change their behavior in the past year, but have been unsuccessful in maintaining that change. Preparers often have a plan of action, but may not be entirely committed to their plan. Many traditional action-oriented behavior change programs are appropriate for individuals in this stage.

Action: The Action stage marks the beginning of actual change in the criterion behavior, typically within the past six months. By this point, where many theories of behavior change begin, an individual is half way through the process of behavior change according to the Transtheoretical Model. This is also the point where relapse, and subsequently regressing to an earlier stage, is most likely. If an individual has not sufficiently prepared for change, and committed to their chosen plan of action, relapse back to the problem behavior is likely.

Maintenance: Individuals are thought to be in the Maintenance stage when they have successfully attained and maintained behavior change for at least six months. While the risk for relapse is still present in this stage, it is less so, and as such individuals need to exert less effort in engaging in change processes.

The Stages of Change addresses a facet of behavior change ignored by many other theories, namely that change is a process that occurs over time. It should be noted here that while progression through the Stages of Change can occur in a linear fashion, a nonlinear progression is more common. Often, individuals recycle through the stages, or regress to earlier stages from later ones, rather than progress through the stages in a linear sequence. Change often comes at it’s own pace – often quickly and in bursts, rather than a consistent rate. It is not unusual for someone to spend years in Precontemplation and then progress to Action in a matter of weeks or months.

Decisional Balance: Decision making was conceptualized by Janis and Mann (1977) as a decisional "balance sheet" of comparative potential gains and losses. Two components of decisional balance, the pros and the cons, have become critical constructs in the Transtheoretical model. As individuals progress through the Stages of Change, decisional balance shifts in critical ways. When an individual is in the
Precontemplation stage, the pros in favor of behavioral change are outweighed by the relative cons for change and in favor of maintaining the existing behavior. In the Precontemplation stage, the pros and cons tend to carry equal weight, leaving the individual ambivalent toward change. If the decisional balance is tipped however, such that the pros in favor of changing outweigh the cons for maintaining the unhealthy behavior, many individuals move to the Preparation or even Action stage. As individuals enter the Maintenance stage, the pros in favor of maintaining the behavioral change should outweigh the cons of maintaining the change in order to decrease the risk of relapse. Please see our measures page if you are interested in learning more about how to measure this construct

The Stages Of Change

The Stages of Change are as follows:

Precontemplation
Contemplation
Preparation
Action
Maintenance

Precontemplation: Individuals in the Precontemplation stage are not thinking about or intending to change a problem behavior (or initiate a healthy behavior) in the near future (usually quantified as the next six months). Precontemplators are usually not armed with the facts about the risks associated with their behavior. Additionally, many individuals make unsuccessful change attempts, becoming discouraged and regressing back to the Precontemplation stage. The inclusion of the Precontemplation stage represents a significant contribution of the TTM, as individuals in this stage comprise a large proportion of individuals engaged in risky or unhealthy behaviors. In comparison to many traditional, action-oriented theories of behavior change, which view individuals in this stage as resistant and unmotivated, the TTM can be useful in guiding treatment and prevention programs by meeting the needs of these individuals, rather than ignoring them.

Contemplation: An individual enters the Contemplation stage when he or she becomes aware of a desire to change a particular behavior (typically defined as within the next six months). In this stage, individuals weigh the pros and cons of changing their behavior. Contemplators also represent a large proportion of individuals engaged in unhealthy behaviors, as ambivalence between the pros and cons of change keeps many people immobilized in this stage. Resolving this ambivalence is one way to help Contemplators progress toward taking action to change their behavior.

THE TRANSTHEORETICAL MODEL OF BEHAVIOR CHANGE
Overview Of The Model

The ModelThe Transtheoretical Model (TTM; Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983; Prochaska, DiClemente, & Norcross, 1992) is an integrative, biopsychosocial model to conceptualize the process of intentional behavioral change. Whereas other models of behavioral change focus exclusively on certain dimensions of change (e.g. theories focusing mainly on social or biological influences), the TTM seeks to include and integrate key constructs from other theories into a comprehensive theory of change that can be applied to a variety of behaviors, populations, and settings (e.g. treatment settings, prevention and policy-making settings, etc.). Dr. DiClemente published Addiction and Change: How Addictions Develop and Addicted People Recover (2003) which goes into more detail about the develpment of the model and how to appropriately use the model in both research and clinical work.

http://www.umbc.edu/psyc/habits/content/the_model/

They should not even go there. How on earth did someone come up with such an idea? God forbid!

9 months is not a very long time for a job hunt. Yes some are lucky to get employment letters months before they are through with NYSC but to be frank majority are not. I learnt that you cannot be termed an unemployed graduate unless you've spent two full years in the labour market! Anything short of that means you only passed through a job seeking phase.

Btw I really cant wait to get an autographed copy of the book and i hope you didnt put this smiley face on the cover!!!

Matthew briggs: Very well said. What you've pointed out is not far from the truth. Over the years I have come to realize that we Nigerians are Nigeria's problem. Our mindset and outlook towards life is the root cause of our many woes.

The Average Nigerian is more concerned about what he can take not what he can contribute to society.

We feel like the nation is indebted to us, that the government owes us, we therefore go to any length to milky her dry in our bid to take our cut of the proverbial national cake instead of contributing the ingredients needed to make the cake bigger and enough for everyone.

We love to play the blame game instead of the "lets fix it game". Blaming everyone and everything but ourselves.

The Average Nigerian is limited in his world view, he never aspires to be an agent of change, to contribute to humanity, and make his nation a better place, but instead cares so much about his stomach, about how to use instead of create, to consume instead of manufacture, to destroy instead of build.

Majority of our youths go through the four walls of the university with the main goal of getting a certificate that will land them their dream job and will go to any length good or bad to get that paper, instead of seeing the university experience as an opportunity to empower them self with the necessary knowledge to create, invent and serve the nation at optimum capacity.

We lack self belief and suffer from low self esteem... This is evident in our never ceasing hesitation to compare ourselves with others instead of appreciating our uniqueness, reflecting and correcting our mistakes.

There are so many things wrong with us. That if fixed on individual level, collectively it has the potential to reshape the destiny of this nation.

The change Nigeria needs start with not just you but most importantly Me!!.
#Matthew Briggs

Thank you Mr Briggs I have found my answers in the bolded part. I wish many of us would understand that the change we desire to see in Nigeria is achievable if only we can be the difference but as usual the Naija mentality is everyone blaming the government forgetting that 'we' are the government.

People dump their garbage in slums and later on when the area becomes flooded they blame it on the government. you drive at a speed of 180 on a 80km/hour road and when you have an accident you blame it on the government, you get a government job and instead of you to be dedicated to your work, you join the band wagon and come to the office at 12 noon and close by 2 pm and when files are not moving and decisions are not being taken on time by those on top, we blame the government. I could go on and on

I remember one faithful morning I was getting dressed for work and my aunt who was visiting said 'why are you up so early, aint you a civil servant?' I was just looking for the right words to reply her so I don't sound rude before she dropped another bomb shell by asking me " why I am dressed up like a banker' at this point I couldn't hide my disgust I had to ask her if wearing lovely clothes and preparing for work on time is limited to certain offices in Nigeria. why wont I dress well and get to the office early when the "government" pays me my salary? must I look unkempt and take my job unserious because I am a civil servant? talking about Naija mentality...... it really begins with me and I am bent on making a difference so help me God.

Dygeasy: Lol...

If You Put It In A Way And Turn It The Other Way Round, You Would Still Arrive At The Same Conclusion.

Taking Nigerians As A Case Study, We Tend To Ignore Or Break Rules In Our Country Because There's No Strict Punishment For Going Against The Rules. Unlike Foreigners Who Have A Rule And Punishment For The Smallest Offence There Might Be And Even If Where There Aren't Strict Rules, Oyinbos Too Err.

Looking At It From Another Perspective, In The Home. We Would Want To Put Up The Best Of Our Manners In The Presence Of Strangers, Why? We Wouldn't Want To Disappoint Our Parents. We Wouldn't Want To Make It Seem Like They Didn't Give Us The Right Training On Manners.

So You Have Your Answer. Its Just The Way Things Are.

Lolz so you are defending your people right?
Its ok to fake it till you make it!

You will recall sometime ago when the federal road safety came up with the seat belt rule, they were really strict in enforcing it and majority of Nigerian drivers tried to adhere to the new rule most especially when they sighted FRSC officials on the road but would you believe the same drivers always remove the seat belts immediately after they pass the roadsafety check points forgetting that the seat belt is for their own safety and not for the roadsafety. Talk about eye 'service' so who are we deceiving?

[quote author=A-town]Poverty na disease. pun intended. [/quote]When your rich self will be shred into pieces in your first class seat , those seated at the rear would majestically walk out of the plane and even help to carry your 'brief case'

Bibol: Where there is no law, there is no sin. Our laws here aren't firm enough. Its surprising to see lots of Nigerians "behaving" appropriately in an orderly society just because those societies enforce strict rules. There is no excuse for dis orderliness but the truth is that there's a general notion here that if someone else did it and wasn't punished, the other person too can go scott free.

Little can be achieved in a lawless society.

Your post made a lot of sense to me Bibol, i agree we have little or no regards for authority, rules and regulations in Nigeria. however i am of the opinion that if our generation can start doing things in a proper manner regardless of how the society works, we can get there in future.This brings me to another question, what exactly is the duty of the National Orientation Agency?

=Dygeasy

Are you implying we pretend while we are outside and relax while we are within our comfort zone? Reminds of a proverb i heard from Pete Edochie which he said ' chew your chewing stick in private and use your toothbrush in public'. I really dont agree with this proverb, is it a crime to behave in a civilised manner at all times?

Each day I go out in Nigeria, I see lots of people behave in a very unruly manner having little or no regards for orderliness and people in authority. But if you travel abroad and meet this same set of Nigerians you will find out they behave in an entirely different manner and show utmost regards to the authorities over there. This dual personality/ double standards exhibited by most Nigeriand baffles me and i want to know.....

Why do we always behave so unruly and harsh towards our fellow Nigerians treating each other as if we are less important but we value treat foreigners like demi gods?

Why do we like to shunt or play smart especially while driving or when we meet queues in places like banks, filling stations, motor parks, registration points, etc but when we go to shopping in malls abroad or train stations outside Nigeria we gladly join the Que and patiently wait for our turn even if it extends the next 2 blocks?

Why do always have to be late to our places of work, places of worship and events we are invited to under the guise of 'African time' but when an embassy gives us appointment by 7.00 am we get there even before 5.00 am?

Why do we break traffic rules and drive recklessly in Nigeria but once we go abroad we adhere to the speed limits?

Why do we have no regards for authority in Nigeria?we all know some policemen are corrupt, some military men are brutal, some vio, lastma and road safety officials are always looking for ways to extort from us but hey they are there for a purpose so why cant we just respect them?

I remember back then National Orientation Agency had a nice jingle airing on NTA and the song went like " ABCC acts for behavioral change campaign its about you and me, a journey we must start' ............ CHANGE begins with you and I.

So i ask why the double standards ?