Saturday 28 March 2015

Who Wins Today? Jonathan or Buhari ?

Who to Watch in the Nigeria Elections
CMB and CEJ

THE long awaited moment is here at last. Today, millions of Nigerians will go the polls to elect a new president.

Although there are many candidates, the contest boils down to two of them: incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is more so with some of the political parties and candidates queuing behind the duo who are slugging it out for the second time, the first being in 2011 when the incumbent beat his main challenger in the race. But unlike in the past, today's election would be a keen contest between the two and there might be no landslide victory.

Since the advent of this Republic in 1999, no presidential election has been so close to call. And of course, so polarised along religious and ethnic lines as this. For Jonathan, it is a last chance to demonstrate what he can do to prove his mettle if he wins. And for Buhari, it is a last chance and last attempt, considering his age. However, many believe it would have been easier for a winner to emerge had the election held last month as earlier scheduled.

Top Nigeria Presidential Contenders Sign Peace Deal
Add caption
Many expect the poll to be more peaceful than it would have been last month, especially with the signing of a second peace accord by the major candidates on Thursday to eschew bitterness and violence during and after the results and winner are announced. Across the country, palpable tension remains, with most non-indigenes on the alert despite assurances by government and security agencies of their safety. There have been last-minute movements/travels and shopping for foodstuffs and even petroleum products as restriction of movement is in place today.

TheGuardian

Friday 27 March 2015

10 agonising things short women go through every day.

Short woman tip toe
Photo: Courtesy

They say good things come in small packages, and we BET those girls who are below five feet in height would have to agree. People believe they can fit you in their pocket and don’t hesitate to say it out loud. You want to punch them in the face, don’t you? We get it; life is tough for a short girl. And after looking at all the things you go through, we feel your pain. 

1.Forever in heels: Be it a red carpet event or a beach vacation, half of your time is spent figuring out which pair of heels to wear.
Read more at:

2.The art of hemming: If those gorgeous pants are not available in the kids department, you might have to pick them up from the adult section. But then comes the pain of hemming them up. Oh, wait; you’re a pro at that, aren’t you? 

3.Top shelf problems: Reaching the top shelf is just a pain in the neck, literally. You have to go up counters and shelves until you finally make it to the top. 

4.ID everywhere: Every time you approach a club, pub or a cinema for an A-rated movie, you have to show your ID card. People refuse to believe that you are actually old enough to enter 

5.Tippy-toe syndrome: Half of your life has been spent on tippy toes. Whether it is kissing your man or trying to get something from the top shelf, tippy-toes all the way. 

6.Forehead kisses: You are tired of getting kissed on the forehead. Men are so lazy that they just won’t bend down enough to reach your lips. 

7.Weight woes: Every time you gain few kilos, everyone notices. You have to think twice (heck, maybe three times) about that extra cupcake or those fries. 

8.High chair problems: Your feet don’t reach the ground, irrespective of the chair you are sitting on. You have to carefully balance your weight and jump off, every time your behind is perched on a bar stool. 

9.Taking a selfie: If your friends are tall, convincing them to bend down when clicking that selfie is such a pain. You have to tell your bestie that she looks like a yeti for her to stoop down to your level. 

10.Extra help: Any place you go (and especially on aircrafts), there are people who are always ready to help you out, whether you ask for it or not. They are ever ready to help you with bags and other heavy stuff they think you can’t manage. Frankly, you shouldn’t complain.

STANDARD DIGITAL NEWS

I’m proud of being both man and woman- Gospel Singer

Darlan Rukih
Apostle Darlan Rukih Moses

For 35 years.he lived an empty life filled with shame and guilt as a result of his condition, coming to terms with the fact he was a hermaphrodite (person with both the male and female sex organs) was too much for Apostle Darlan Rukih Moses to contend with.

When he got married, it was difficult for the wife to come to term with his dual personality initially, however he said his wife has since accepted him the way he is,

The father of three adopted children (with the same condition) says he’s now ready to come out of the closet. Speaking to The Nairobian, Moses says he is proud of being a man and a woman and going public will help create awareness and is advocating against discrimination of people suffering from his condition.

"I underwent a medical examination and the doctors confirmed I have a normal uterus, ovaries and I can bear children,’ he said.

Moses, a gospel musician who even sings Taarab gospel, was born in Bondo where his mother was shocked after the doctors announced her baby was a hermaphrodite.

“My mother tells me that she had to conceal the truth for fear of wrath from the community. The Luo community treats such cases as a bad omen. I could have been killed had my community gotten wind of my condition. She also told me that she feared that we could have both been thrown out of our home,” said Moses, recalling that when he turned 14, his body begun to develop feminine features.


"I was shocked when I experience my first monthly periods. My breasts and hips begun to grow. However, my mother took me to a local dispensary where I was given some medication and some of the features like the growth of breasts and hips stopped.”

He has accepted who he is, and moved on with his life without feeling like an outcast.

Thursday 26 March 2015

Jealous husband glued wife's vagina with superglue



Superglue

A jealous husband who thought his wife was having an affair decided to punish her by using superglue to glue her vagina togather.

The green-eyed husband became obsessed with the idea that his 40-year-old wife was sleeping with her uncle after he dropped her off at home one day in South Africa.

Locking her in a bedroom the 45-year-old forced her to strip while pointing a machete at her and threatened to chop her head off if she did not do as he said.

The distraught woman said: "He had previously tried to cut my hand off so I was terrified.

"He  ordered me to lie down and open my legs and then took out super glue and applied it to my vagina.

"I had tears streaming down my face and was begging him to stop, but he didn't seem to care.

"I do not know what would make a man who loves a woman do that to her."

The woman later tried to remove the glue but is now scarred for life which means she won't be able to have sex again and suffers terribly from the pain.

She says she wants to see him arrested but is afraid her husband will come and get her.

She said: "I wanted to press charges but he fled and has not been seen since the incident.

"I am scared that he might come back anytime and remove my head."

Friday 20 March 2015

100-year-old woman goes to jail



A 100-year-old woman was jailed in the central Kenyan town of Embu, for a three-month sentence for illegal appropriation of land.

This sparked off a campaign on social media platforms calling for her release, as hundreds of users from social networks showed their solidarity with the campaign by sharing the hashtag, #SaveJailed100yrGranny.

The old woman was jailed on March 10 for failing to implement a court order requiring her to give away two hectares (just under five acres) of land to an individual who filed a claim that she had illegally taken the plot.

After spending nine days in jail, a Nairobi county senator, Mike Sonko, paid a bail of 100,000 shillings (just over $1,000) to secure the release of the elderly woman, who was able to leave the prison on Thursday, said the Daily Nation newspaper.

The Sonko Rescue Team, a group of volunteers who work under the senator for community service in Nairobi, will perform a complete medical checkup on the woman to ensure that she is stable.

Imprisoning a woman of her age was described as "immoral" and "embarrassing" by many Kenyans on various Twitter accounts.

Saturday 14 March 2015

'World's ugliest woman' takes a stand as anti-bullying activist

Activist Lizzie Velasquez poses for a portrait for A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story. Photo / Getty Images Portraits
Activist Lizzie Velasquez poses for a portrait for A Brave Heart: 
The Lizzie Velasquez Story. Photo / Getty Images Portraits
Lizzie Velasquez went through the torment of being mocked by bullies from around the world and survived to tell her story

At the age of 17, while surfing the web, she came across a video of herself on YouTube that labelled her as the 'world's ugliest woman'. it was a devastating experience for her.

But now 26, the inspirational woman has hit back at her tormentors with an anti-bullying documentary about her life, describing her battle with a rare condition which stops her from putting on weight.

'A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story' premiers at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, today.

The 78-minute film charts Lizzie's inspiring path from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist.

Featuring details of Lizzie's emotional and physical journey through the years, it follows her progress as she attempts to lobby the US government for the first federal anti-bullying Bill.

She was born with Marfan syndrome and lipodystrophy, which is a problem with the way fat is distributed in the body.

At only 5ft 2ins tall, Lizzie only weighs 58lbs - just over four stone.

"All we had known all my life was that I had a syndrome which meant that I couldn't GAIN WEIGHT.
Lizzie Velasquez, aged 3. Lizzie, now 26, has a rare and undiagnosed syndrome that prevents her from putting on weight. Photo / Barcroft Media
Lizzie Velasquez, aged 3. Lizzie, now 26, has a rare and
 undiagnosed syndrome that prevents her from putting on weight. Photo / Barcroft Media

"At the time, I thought everyone looked like me. I didn't recognise or tell that they didn't look like me."

First bullied as a child in school for looking different, she was horrified to stumble across a YouTube video labeling her 'The World's Ugliest Woman' as a teenager.

She fought back by giving a TED Talk in 2013 which she says "changed everything".

"This is my purpose. This is what I'm meant to do for the rest of my life.

"I like to think that I'm not only telling my story, I'm telling everyone's story."

Now, Lizzie's own YouTube channel, which boasts more than 300,000 subscribers.

Speaking in a video posted to her channel ahead of her documentary's showing today, she said: 'I'm so excited, I can't even tell you.

"I finally was able to sleep and I'm feeling rested and ready to go."

First Penis Transplant sucessful and Functional


Surgical team
The world's first successful penis transplant has been reported by a surgical team in South Africa.
The patient was an unidentified 21 year old, who lost his penis in a botched circumcision. . The penis was amputated about three years before the transplant. As a rite of passage, many males in South Africa undergo circumcisions when they are about 18.

Penis amputation presents many urinary health risks and eliminates normal reproductive capabilities. About 250 amputations occur each year, with many victims committing suicide after the amputation due to social pressures.

The patient was the recipient of a nine-hour operation done to attach the penis of a donor. This procedure was attempted once before in China, and was unsuccessful. The surgical team was led by Andre Van der Merwe MD. Dr. Van der Werwe was pleased with the outcome.

Doctors in Cape Town said the operation was a success and the patient was happy and healthy.

Mr Omoruyi Uwuigiaren, Cartoonist & Writer

Author's Hangout with Zizi Mr Omoruyi Uwuigiaren, popularly known as Ruyi, is a former freelance cartoonist at Vanguard Newspapers.  He ...