THE MUCH ADO ABOUT UNEMPLOYMENT: THE CURIOUS CASE OF CITIZEN OKON

Okon the is proverbial Calabar house boy, whose quest for greener pastures has taken him to Lagos. He is lucky to have found the type of job he wanted at the house of a certain "oka madam" and seems to enjoy doing his assigned house and other related chores for a nominal salary of N8,000.

His perpetual contentment with his lot as pertains to his job only suffers infraction whenever  the month ends and his wages are due. During this period, his madam suddenly becomes quarrelsome: picking holes in all the tasks he undertakes for her.

Terms such as Idiot, bastard, moron, stupid boy etc replaces his hitherto popular Okon nomenclature. In extreme instances, he is physically assaulted and starved of food. All in the bid to avoid paying the young man his deserved wages. When he is not smart and fortunate enough to avoid madam's litany of flimsy reasons why she would not pay him the agreed sum, his pay is delayed as long as the madam deems fit. Reasons such as; Okon overfed the dog; Okon returned from the market too quick; Okon has helped himself with the pomade madam's kids have thrown away etc could each fetch him a salary slash. So he has also become overtly cautious of his dealing with his boss.

Prior to finding his present "employment", Okon was sacked without pay for having the affront to request for his two months salary arrears from his former employers.

He sometimes wonder whether it is his fault to be born poor. Once he heard over the radio how a house boy murdered his madam for unjustly been so tough with him but he is too good a christian to even conceive this idea. So he has resigned to fate, hoping things would change for him someday.

Now enters the federal and state governments unsuccessful quest to create employment to her citizens. Its curious to know that a government that makes so much fuss about creating jobs for her teeming youths has never thought it wise to enact laws that could protect the likes of citizen Okon: not only to give him job security but also the much needed dignity of labour that is also a catalyst for increased output.

A government that does not include secondary leavers in her collection of unemployment statistics hasn't even started the process of addressing this challenge yet and incoming Buhari administration must take this serious.

The N18,000 minimum wage must also cover the likes of citizen Okon. A body or union should be established or mandated to entertain and address the complaints of such cadre of workers, arising from contractual disputes with employers.

The bosses who find the mandatory wages too exorbitant would be left with no choice than to employ the likes of citizen Okon on hourly basis, thereby giving him the opportunity to explore the possibility of a return to school as it is done in other climes.

Most importantly, citizen Okon would no longer be left at the mercies of the wicked and exploitative bosses.

Woman Sees Disturbing Symbols in These School Bus Brake Lights. But That’s Not the Scary Part. BY CHRIS MARTIN (4 HOURS AGO) | WEIRD NEWS

From time to time, you’ve probably heard curious stories about someone who saw the face of Jesus Christ appearing on atree stump, baking tray, or a piece of bread. This news story out of Tennessee is the exact opposite.

An angry parent telephoned WMC-TV in Memphis to report what she felt was a disturbing sight. The woman claimed that she saw a Satanic symbol in the red taillight of a school bus in the Memphis community of Cordova. She even provided photographic evidence of the symbol.

The design in the light appears to resemble a pentagram, which is a five-pointed star that is often used to symbolize the occult or evil. Some Satanists do utilize the pentagram in their rituals.

The woman went on to decry the image,saying:

“If you can’t put a cross on there, you can’t put a pentagram on it… Would we allow a swastika, for instance, to be on the back of the bus?”

She also pointed to last month’s controversy surrounding wrapping paper that was pulled from Walgreens because it appeared to incorporate the swastikainto its design.

The woman also told the TV station:

“Anyone who fears a God, if not God and Jesus Christ, should be outraged.”

But no matter what your fear tolerance is for the occult or devil worshipers, the woman’s “revelation” isn’t the part of this story that is most likely to make you uneasy.

While it’s true that many Americans might consider that last statement to be an overreaction to this incident, here is the most unsettling part of the whole situation:

“…the mother, who was not identified because she is reportedly receiving death threats after sharing the photo on social media….”

Death threats?

The school bus operator Durham School Services could not be reached for comment. The Cordova school district declined to issue a statement on the matter.

WADATA PLAZA: DEN OF FAKE PROPHETS?

Years ago, a certain Prince Vincent Ogbulafor caught up in the euphoria of been SELECTED as the PDP national chairman comically declared "PDP shall rule Nigeria for 60 years". Well, that status quo hasn't quite changed but weighing that prophesy on the scale of current happenings in the polity makes mockery of him AMD his party, as every indication points to the contrary and by the way where is Prince Vincent Ogbulafor? Then, as soon as the idea of merger talks was mooted by like minded opposition party stalwarts, the then senile Chairman of the party Alh. Bamanga Tukur declared the merger as dead on arrival that the coming together of political strange bedfellows of Buhari and Tinubu can never work, the talks went on as planned and the marriage of these parties was eventually consummated but not before some last minute hanky panky moves by this same PDP to truncate the process by hiring some quack property lawyer in Abuja to file a court case in court claiming the ownership of the acronym APC, which he submitted meant African Peoples Congress. The Jega led INEC refused all pressures and intimidation to recognise this reactionary APC and went ahead to register the Buhari/Tinubu led one. Fast forward to 2015, the party they so dismissed some months ago is causing them sleepless nights and the hitherto overzealous Bamanga Tukur has been consumed by the murky waters of politics he obviously failed to diligently navigate. Am tempted to conclude that with a benefit of hindsight, these gentlemen or prophets of Wadata Plaza would never have uttered this nearly or already failed prophesies. But wait, heavily pregnant FeBuhari 14th would soon birth, let's wait and see if Mr. Ogbulafor can continue to enjoy his unchallenged "gift" of prophesy for another 4 years.

Jury selection begins in Boston bombing trial

US judge starts process of choosing panel to hear case of Dzokhar Tsarnaev, suspected of deadly blasts at 2013 marathon.

A US federal judge has began the process of selecting the jury that will hear the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Tsarnaev could get the death penalty if convicted of killing three people and injuring more than 260 others by detonating a pair of homemade bombs placed amid a crowd of thousands of spectators at the race's finish line on April 15, 2013.

The 21-year-old ethnic Chechen and naturalised US citizen has pleaded not guilty to all 30 charges against him.

Tsarnaev sat quietly between his lawyers during Monday's proceedings, looking down and fidgeting. He did not speak but nodded curtly at jurors when the judge pointed him out.

US District Judge George O'Toole acknowledged that people picked to be among the 12 jurors and six alternates will be aware of the bombing, but reminded prospective jurors that their job during the trial, expected to last three to four months, would be to consider only the evidence presented in court.

The judge told two groups of prospective jurors, each numbering around 200 people, that Tsarnaev is charged in connection with the marathon bombing and the fatal shooting of a police officer three days later.

O'Toole is allowing about three weeks for selection of the jury that will determine both Tsarnaev's guilt and whether he would be sentenced to death if convicted. The judge said opening statements by prosecutors and defense lawyers would begin around January 26.

Defense attorneys had sought to have the proceedings moved out of Boston. They argued it would be impossible to find an impartial local jury because of intense news coverage and the fact that thousands of people attended the race or hid in their homes during a day-long lockdown in the greater Boston area after the bombing.

But O'Toole and a federal appeals court blocked the request.

Tsarnaev was arrested four days after the bombing. Prosecutors say he and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his 26-year-old brother, also shot and killed a university police officer. The brother died after a wild gun battle with police.

According to prosecutors, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev wrote messages inside of the hull of the drydocked boat where he was discovered hiding four days after the attack indicating political motivation.

The messages allegedly included "the US government is killing our innocent civilians" and "I can't stand to see such evil go unpunished," according to court papers.

FACE OF A RAPIST CAUGHT IN THE ACT

For refusing to tame his sexual escapades, a man was thoroughly beaten for been caught raping his nephew's girlfriend in the toilet. Serves him right?

16 Pictures Show What ISIS Did in 2014 to Become the Most Heinous Terrorist Group in the World

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/01/225663-16-pictures-show-isis-2014-become-heinous-terrorist-group-world/

CANCER: The Best Way to Die

A leading doctor and former editor of the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ) has claimed cancer is the best way to die.

Richard Smith believes the opportunity to reflect on life before it ends is important and urges charities and the medical world to "stop wasting billions trying to cure cancer".

In a blog published in The BMJ, the doctor wrote that while most people tell him they would prefer a sudden death, he thinks that is very hard on the families of the deceased.

"The long, slow death from dementia may be the most awful as you are slowly erased, but then again when death comes it may be just a light kiss," he wrote.

"Death from organ failure - respiratory, cardiac, or kidney - will have you far too much in hospital and in the hands of doctors.

Lifestyle Factors: Around 134,000 cases diagnosed each year are preventable. This is almost half of cases diagnosed in the UK annually. Forty percent of cancers are down to factors we have the power to change

Smoking: The most important lifestyle factor, it accounts for 23% of cancers in men and 15.6% in women, which is nearly one in five cancers

Occupation And Environment: Overall, one in 25 cancers are linked to occupation. Working with substances like asbestos is especially risky. Excessive sun exposure is another high-risk factor

Diet: Lack of fruit and vegetables. Too much alcohol, Red and processed meat and too much salt

Other Causes: Infections and radiation, over-exposure to the sun or sunbeds, a lack of exercise and hormones

Lifestyle Factors: Around 134,000 cases diagnosed each year are preventable. This is almost half of cases diagnosed in the UK annually. Forty percent of cancers are down to factors we have the power to change

"So death from cancer is the best... You can say goodbye, reflect on your life, leave last messages, perhaps visit special places for a last time, listen to favourite pieces of music, read loved poems, and prepare, according to your beliefs, to meet your maker or enjoy eternal oblivion.

"This is, I recognise, a romantic view of dying, but it is achievable with love, morphine, and whisky."

The 62-year-old, who is chairman of the board of directors of medical smartphone app Patients Know Best, continued: "But stay away from overambitious oncologists.

"And let's stop wasting billions trying to cure cancer, potentially leaving us to die a much more horrible death."

His comments were criticised by the charity Cancer Research.

Professor Peter Johnson, Cancer Research UK's chief clinician, said: "Of course we are all going to die, but cancer takes far too many people far too young.

"It's only by being ambitious in our research that we can give people a measure of choice, and the more we know about cancer the more we can give people options.

"My patients are very clear about when they do and when they don't want treatment, and they would much prefer me to be ambitious than nihilistic."