A Hopeful Node.

In executing a tactic towards achieving a goal of my life’s next phase

I met her a size 8, a bit fairer than I & a few millimetres below my fraises

We shook hands and I concluded a bond would be worth the purchase

In no short while we bonded like a brace

I loved her & refused on being implicit towards her

The life, the team, the home I never felt cannot measure to what I desire with her

The career she pursues fits that of a woman I envisioned years before I met her

And her onliest, a subset on why I hunger for her

My mind and body are undeterred to make that sacrifice for her and the seeds to be birthed

Yet I wait in line to secure her approval

Like I, I shut my eyes unto her perfect imperfection

While I push further on making my desire a reality

The abuses channeled to Mr. President since January till date are way too much. Though he makes inept decisions which we all have to bear the burdens, yet he still remains the President. We should respect him. Remember, you voted for him.

The ones I feel sober for the most are those who argue out of reason. I read a comment on facebook an hour ago about the change of name of Unilag and it reads "...they should just accept their baptismal name. What has been done, has been done..." and this made me to ask myself this question: Is this person conscious of the document backing the establishment of the university of Lagos at all? When I realized that not every person with clothes on walking on the streets of Lagos are aware of their existence, I decided to drop this letter.

Critiques of the civil disobedience carried out by UNILAG students yesterday which has entered its second day today, please be aware that the varsity of Lagos was established by an Act of Parliament in April, 1962. If the it was military head of state that changed the name of the varsity by mere pronunciation, it would be a different issue all together. At the moment, we have a democratically elected government in place that have lost itself in the "they world" thus forgetting the processes through which Acts of Parliaments are being made.

UNILAG SAYS NO TO GEJ'S MAU, LAGOS.

"Several forms of politics have been played in our nation and the ball of such a one has been set to roll."

Today is Democracy Day in Nigeria and many woke up to listen to the President's Democracy Day's Speech with the hope (I guess) that the President will announce the reduction of fuel pump price but none of such issue was raised. The speech went on till the President began talking about the late businessman and politician, M.K.O. Abiola who died in detention in the 1998. 

The Yoruba's as well as other Nigerians consider Abiola a  martyr when it comes to democracy with respect to military rule and because (subjectively) the President intends to win the votes of the Afeniferes come 2015, he took a myopic decision without due consultation which has caused a level of civil disobedience staged in the Yaba area of Lagos.

Dr. GEJ, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria decided to immortalize the late politician after several  sites have been named after him by his Afenifere siblings. This he did by re-naming the University of Lagos, Akoka, a colossus after M.K.O. What this means is that Unilag as it is often called will now be known as Moshood Abiola University, Lagos (MAU). 

The University of Lagos was established by an act of Federal Parliament in April 1962, with a legacy of excellence, it has served as an instrument in producing top notch graduates and academia who have had tremendous impact directly/indirectly in the country's growth and development. Some months earlier, the University celebrated her Jubilee Anniversary and as I write, the same is mourning the vice chancellor who died in active service when the bomb shell was dropped the President this morning. The move to re-name the University has left several questions in my mind. 

To start with, what is the rationale behind Mr President's decision? Several locations have been named after MKO. Why include Unilag? What is MKO's contribute to Nigeria as far as education is involved? I am yet to read about the project. Isn't there a state government polytechnic named after MKO?  Re-naming the University of Lagos, a Federal Institution after MKO makes it sounds (to me) like there exist an advanced MKO Poly. Which one of the Presidents in the USA have woken up one morning to immortalize a politician or businessman by re-naming a prestigious University? For the fact that we want to be creative, would that urge us to re-name a brand that has stood the test of time for 50 years without due process? What will be the fate of persons like me (during interviews) who's first degree carries the name, logo and seal of the University of Lagos and now of these tend to change? Will this not amount to giving a fresh explanation about the change of Identity in other for me not to appear a liar? 

With all due respect Mr. President, I support the several others who are against the change the University's name.

Anything!!!!!

I just almost forgot about blogging which is as a result of a few distractions and part of it directly is connected to the fact that I want to be in a relationship like sharply sharply. My little ABE CONCIERGE is on one side which I am still trying to make it crawl and self development screams my name everyday.

Not for you to think I am not serious.

My Alma Mater @ 50.

Sorry for keeping you peeps waiting. This is unlike me, you know. Anyways, it hasn't been funny since after the pump price for PMS is now N97 though, Nigerians are beginning to adjust to the circumstance which they never bargained for. While most salaries do not measure up with new N97 PMS for most workers, the Federal Government still places civil servants on hold after motivating them to work their butt out without rewards at the agreed time. Thank God, NYSC paid me yesterday after the extra 3days of waiting. I am happy, I spent my Friday night in Unilag, my Alma Mater.

I am proud to have gotten my B.A(Hons) from the University of First Choice which houses the best department of Philosophy in black African Continent (NUC award recipient). Unilag prides herself as an academic environment known for 'Learning Through Knowledge And Research'. Her Senate House is second to none, behind it, is the Lagoon front meant for relaxation where one could have a view of the third mainland bridge.The Botanical Garden shares the same location with Lagoon front right behind the Faculty of Engineering where one will find greens and animals with WIFI connectivity for your internet. The guys and babes alongside numerous social events that go down in Unilag are not left out. If you have not visited Unilag while in Lagos, you are very very wrong. Gbam! 

The service, which was meant to steer the celebration, commenced at about 18:00hrs last night. It was called a 'Special Holy Ghost Night' and this happened to be my first. It was graced by returning students whom having been kept from their classes in the past 2months due to ASUU/FG face-off. The past VC, Prof. I. Obe as well as his wife were in attendance, the incumbent, Prof. Adetokunbo Babatunde Shofoluwe in the entourage of the Uni's Management board was there as well as other Senior Pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God, while Pastor E.A. Adeboye ministered. The AV was good, I must say. Sport centre, as it is popularly called, was optimized with proper crowd control measures in place and then the time which the attendees were waiting for, arrived. 

Daddy G.O, as he is known to be called, preached on the theme for the event 'JUBILEE' with core the bible verse taken from the book of Leviticus, chapter 25. Daddy G.O took his time to explain what the theme means and all the phrases which he used to connote JUBILEE began with the letter 'R'. And trust the man of God, he uttered words of wisdom as well as prophecies.

Being a former academic of the University of first Choice, he didn't underestimate the thinking processes of the academics should they not believe his analogies during the cause of his sermon.

I was surprised to see Unilag's Pope of Logic at the Service to celebrate the University's Golden Jubilee, which ended a few hours ago. Hmmm, one wonders if Dr. D.O. Anele intends to logically examine the words from the Lord through the man of God, using Venn diagrams.

The hour of prayers came, souls were saved by God's grace, cultists dissociated the brotherhoods for Christ and those who came in wheel chairs, walked back home. I witnessed all of these.

Hey'all.
What's up peeps? Ki lon sele? Allow me make use of the slang of that Ijebu-ode boy with UK residency, Bobo Omotayo, "ki lon sparkles?"
2012 A.D is here, I guess everybody is optimistic and ready for its challenges as well.
By the way, what are your plans for the 2012?
Plans really are subjective, I must tell you.
As for me, I will always get better on every side I find my self.

Hehehehe, not forgetting the issue of Nigeria, on the first day in the New Year (2012), a new price for premium motor spirit (PMS) oft known as fuel was introduced due to the removal of fuel subsidy. @ the moment, Nigerians are agitating since the removal of subsidy implies an increase in the cost of fuel as well as other products/services necessary for daily survival and the running cost of ventures. It is funny to know that fuel can be likened to other products @ retail markets where consumers and sellers negotiate for prices. A good example to buttress this, is the price of a measurement of beef. I bet, you'll find both parties bargaining for the best price, this is what fuel in Nigeria, a major contributor to the world, has become. Fuel in Nigeria is like beef and ice fish.

You want to read more se?
Ehn, wait a bit for matters arising.

Images of Iyana-paja

A continuation of the narration '21 days on the clarion call'. Scroll down to feed your eyes.

PPA.

Mammy things

Commodore Zino.

The aesthetics of mammy.

An then, there was Sarah.

21 days On The Clarion Call.

 

.

Youths obey the clarion call, 

let us lift our nation high.

Under the sun or in the rain,

with dedication and selflessness.

Nigeria's ours', Nigeria we serve.

The week prior to leaving for the NYSC Orientation camp, Iyana-paja, I received my call-up letter and to an extent excited since I was in Lagos-Lagos but I was financially constrained and was ready for whatever. My aim was to go and have fun in Iyana-paja in preparedness for the months remaining in 2011. D-day was less than 16:00hrs and I'd not packed up my luggage. I got home late and tired from my day's activities and meeting but tried to pack up before retiring for the night.

IYANA-PAJA CAMP

I arrived Iyana-paja camp before 07:30hrs  on 5th July, 2011 hoping to get registered on time and secure a bed space but my registration did not occur as hoped though I got a bed space at about 10:00hrs. Though this was not achieved without enduring several hours of standing and jumping over the queues. Like other gentlemen corps members, I was allocated to a room to be shared with other 31 corps members from different institutions of higher learning, belief systems, disciplines and attitudes with 1 among us who snored every night like a debilitated cassava processing machine. Most of the bathrooms in the male accommodation block had water flowing but one needs a skii board to get through.

Having heard about Iyana-paja camp, I'd hoped for a more spacious environment but I spent my 21 days in a mini-sized 4-walled compound having a few number of soldiers attached to the camp as platoon instructors while the camp market other wise known as mammy market was right adjacent to the parade ground. The camp kitchen and the registration points were located behind the hostel and beside the kitchen was the Man 'O' War village.

MY WELCOME PACKAGE

Having cut corners on several points to get registered before dusk, I got my code tag with number  0816 inscribed on it at about 15:40hrs. I got my kits from 6platoon instructors and it was time to freshen up. On getting to the bathroom, I met water flowing but half-way to completing my bath, the water stopped. Gush! I had no bucket to back my self up and the bugle was calling for the first parade at about 16:30hrs. Should I mop without rinsing off the lather?  Was the first option that flashed my mind. Since I was ready for whatever that was to come my way, I wrapped my face towel around my waist, bumped into room ecomog lamenting my ordeal, immediately, Bruno (who was selected as the room governor) walked in with a bucket of water and allowed me to share with him.

PLATOON-TION!

7th July, was slatted for 11B swearing in ceremony for corps members nation wide and responsible for the parade in Iyana-paja camp was Capt. A. Mohammed of the Nigeria Army who was supported by various junior army officers as well as para-military personnel.

On the evening of 5th July, all corps members were commanded to cover up on the parade ground according to their various platoons and the orientation course began with the bugle calls and what each call meant. We were told at what time Nigeria sleeps and the time she wakes up as well as coordinating ourselves while on parade. At every 20:00hrs, it was time for lights out which some corps members failed to adhere and sanctions were the results.

Parade rehearsals commenced with 'standing at attention and at ease'. This was followed by "attention by number codes 1 &2", "stand at ease by number codes 1 & 2". We thought these minors were all that was expected by the Camp Commandant, Capt. A. Mohammed. The parade was dismissed but we were to be visible on the parade ground for 3weeks by 04:30hrs for drills and leave for bath at 08:00hrs. Day 2 was not funny at all, that was 6th July .

On 6th July, 2011 we got a call after bath to be on the parade ground, it was scorching, water was not allowed and we were drilled for several hours till it was launch time. We were always wrong while in camp, we never got anything right. Our lives were regimented all the way. After launch, we were called again for parade since the day after was the corps members swearing-in ceremony. As a result of the drills while the sun was malevolent, some corps members were assisted off the parade ground. I made it through the day, I could not believe it. 

We continued with the drills on 7th July while awaiting the guest of honour to whom we gave 3-hearty cheers. The guest came and in no time, he left with his entourage. Corps members from the parade pimped a parade command for themselves "permission to remove boxers" in place of "permission to remove head-dress".

After the guest left, we were informed of our first allowance other wise known in camp as allawee and without fronting, formations were formed based on code tag range.

I had fun during the morning drills and I made some new friends. As part of the morning drill, we had our physical training (PT) going on by an instructor in the army. One of his commands that cracks me up is "hands on your waist position huh". Before leaving parade in the morning, the Man 'O' War personnel would motivate all gentlemen corps member to "hold something" and most time, I heard the females accusing the guys of handling them aggressively.

 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE (cds): ANTI-HIV & AIDS CAMPAIGN

I volunteered to be trained in other to foster at least 40 adolescents in secondary schools on reproductive health issues. This is because these are the vulnerable ones in the society. As each day passes by, a number of them are subjected to unfavourable conditions at home and thus, they choose to run their lives without understanding the implications that abound. 

The training for reproductive health commenced on the my second week in camp and it gulped my entire week. This was because it ran for 6 days and on each day, we were to kick-off by 09:00hrs and round off for the day at 17:00hrs with lunch break from 14:00hrs - 15:00hrs and on the 7th day, we had our induction. Hence, I became an advocate for the spread against HIV and AIDS.

MY OMG MOMENT!

I think it was the first Sunday in Iyana-paja, and it rained mercilessly for several hours. While buildings in several parts of Lagos were washed off campers (boys & girls) did not restrain themselves from queueing  for their meal. 

In more than one event, I saw two African ladies carried buckets of water on their heads. These were from Eastern Nigeria, I can bet it. You need to witness how campers changed the parade against the platoon instructors for calling off the camp-fire night after party.

For me, you are wrong if you didn't have your orientation in Iyana-paja.

RATIONALISATION: 1 of my bad habits.

About two years ago, my partner and I strolled into a religious building which we are familiar with and we discovered the clergymen had some audio gears which we were in need of and if we had asked for any of them, chances are that we will not receive. At a corner in the audio store was lying a pair of a beautiful mini speaker purchased maybe by worship days' offerings or some form of donations but this output gear was being under utilized. With none watching, the gear was gone. What's popping in your mind? No. Yes, you dudes stole. What? You are an accuser of the brethren.

I had reasons to justify our actions even if we were seen and called to the outer court, though my partner was not sure if the act was right or wrong (by the way, he was the one who took the gear) I gave him several reasons justifying our act: 

• the first was that it was purchased from the missionary's purse (offerings, donations etc).
• the second was that the gear was under utilized and I believed the Creator of the universe would not have been happy about the condition of the gear.
• the third was based on our need.
• the fourth was that (an assumption), if we had asked, our need would not be meet.

Recently while in church for a mundane Sunday service, I heard the preacher talked about certain acts which we ought to desist from in a sermon titled the dangers of spiritual window shopping and she made several comments about standing straight with God. What struck me was her comment on restitution even though I have heard about it a million times. I gave in.

While having my brief bible study, I read  Hebrews 4 from the NKJV and verse 15 says For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all point tempted as we are, yet without sin. The High Priest was in all points tempted as we are, this caused me to put on my thinking cap and questions began popping in my mind. Was the High Priest tempted with sex? Did He ever had a girl friend in the first place or did He see nude babes? Did married women offered Him sex? Did He ever thought of living a luxurious life style like present day monarchs and missionaries? Was He in charge of the temple's treasury and in need of money for His personal up-keep and took from it without being authorized?

MICROPHONES

MICROPHONES

It has been ages since the first microphone were invented; the name microphone was coined in 1827 by Sir Charles Wheatstone and several kinds of microphones have emerged after Thomas Edison’s carbon microphone (1876) for all sorts of uses. From the fluid microphones that made unintelligible sound (until the coming of Alexander Graham Bell) to condensers for studio and laboratory recording purposes and to laser microphones invented for spying devises and nowadays, we have contact microphones which can be used to record the heart beat of snails. But for the sake of this magazine, we shall limit ourselves to a few commonly used microphones. But first, what are microphones?

Microphones are input devices that convert sound waves into an equivalent electrical energy. In a simplified way, a microphone is used to capture the sound an instrument or voice makes either for recording or for a live application. Having the appropriate set of microphones as well as other appropriate components for your job, will enable you deliver an effective and pleasant sound to the hearing of your audience.

TYPES OF MICROPHONES

DYNAMIC MICS: These categories of microphones are till date the most widely manufactured and commonly used types for sound reinforcement. If you were to fragment a dynamic microphone, you’d come across a capsule, in it lies a moving coil which is being pushed by a diaphragm. When sound hits the diaphragm it moves gently which allows for a minute electrical charge to take place along the coil. As a result of this action, an electrical pressure is sent to the console which is then being preamp to increase whatever sound is coming in to a more audible level.

RIBBON MICS: Ribbon microphones are another form of dynamic microphones but are fragile and rare nevertheless, they have had a name for a superb sound quality. They rely on step-up transformers usually built into the microphones to get the sound to a level to be heard.

CONDENSER MICS: Condenser microphones are very responsive to a wide range of sounds as a result of how they were designed. They are capable of extreme high-quality output and are more responsive to high frequencies. Condenser microphones are powered by phantom power that is, they require a power supply for the microphone either directly from the console (9v-48v) or an external battery being inserted into the microphone. It is interesting to note that the entire range of orchestral instruments would utilize the condenser microphone as well as the guitar during recording and live applications.

A lapel microphone is a variation of a condenser microphone which is usually clipped onto a person’s shirt with a cable that leads to its transmitter.

The Shotgun microphone is another condenser microphone variation which is mainly used for broadcast and film. These extended and thin microphones are capable of picking sound frequencies over a fair distance which makes them vital when trying to segregate one sound from another.

POLAR/ PICKUP PATTERNS

All microphones can be manufactured to have a unique pickup pattern that fits whatever purpose for which that microphone was made. Some microphones could pick all frequencies available in a room whereas others could only respond to sources directly in front of them. Having said these, we will move on to discuss the various polar patterns.

TYPES OF POLAR PATTERNS

Cardioid microphones are directional with a heart shaped polar pattern. What this means is that they pickup sound mainly from the front and are least sensitive to sound from the back. The good thing about the cardioids microphones is that they can be positioned to mic or record a particular voice or instrument while ignoring any unwanted sound.

Bi-directional microphones have the shape of figure of 8, such microphones pickup from the front and rear and have null points on both sides. They can be used to mic two vocalists facing each other.

Omni-directional microphones pick up sound from all angles, virtually giving a 360 degree coverage. They are good for picking up the tone and reverb of rooms and tend to sound very natural when positioned close to instruments.

BASIC RULES WHEN DEALING WITH MICROPHONES

During sessions of recording, the engineer always aim to get the overall sound of the voice or instrument he/she wants to record, for this reason, the engineer needs to position the microphone away from its source. Except, the engineer needs to get a localised or a particular sound from the source that he/she will have to position the microphone extremely close to the sound source. For example, if I want to get a bass sound from a vocalist, I’d rather place the microphone to the point that the vocalist’s lips will have to touch the microphone basket.

Another important rule while recording which should be in mind is the 3:1 rule. This rule comes into play when using 2 microphones to get different sounds from the sources. The rule simply states that if microphones were 1m away from the source, the microphones should be 3m away from each other in other for each microphone not to overlap the other.

BEFORE PURCHASING A MICROPHONE

There are several factors which one has to look out for before making a purchase, before purchasing, you should consider the purpose which the microphone is out to serve. Is it for worship, studio recording/mixing, broadcasting, etc? One could ask for technical support if one is new in the subject. Then ask yourself how many microphones are needed for this purpose. Quality/output is another factor which should not be taken for granted, this is because we have to think of our long-term investments. Price/cost is another factor. Compare prices from different manufacturers.

I hope you do find the right bargain for your microphones.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: CONCEPT & BENEFITS

Public relations is one vital aspect of the communication mix which business owners still fail to optimize its usage. What then annoys its practitioners is when they are being seen as ad people.

What is PR?

PR as a concept, allows favourable ties, contacts, dealings and relations for organisations, products/services, places, institutions, events, persons etc with its stakeholder groups through diverse media. It also can be seen as developing a brand identity for an entity with its stakeholders (employees, suppliers, resellers, end-users, shareholders, financial agencies, journalists as well as government officials) Ismael D. Tabije sees PR as the art and science of managing communications between an organisation and its key publics to build, manage and sustain its positive image. Put in another way, PR deals with image enhancement and reputation management.

WHY YOU SHOULD ENGAGE PR IN YOUR ACTIVITY

PR has evolved over time, that is to say that conventional methods of gaining publics' attention through print and broadcast media can no longer be sustained in this flat world which we presently find ourselves. Practitioners and proactive business persons now use social media, bulk sms as well as viral marketing to support their PR tactics. PR now entails managing conflict/crises that impend the image or reputation of an entity in focus. It has incorporated corporate social responsibility (CSR) in building goodwill among an organisation's external stakeholders. PR intimately monitors and samples public opinion as far as an organisation, product/service is concerned. PR creates awareness and favourable stories by the use of third-party endorsement for products and organisations. Unlike the cost of advertising, PR is relatively cheap.

Even though PR, ad, and other forms of communication in the marketing mix are employed to reach a targeted audience, PR and these forms of communication are not one and the same thing. One strong argument to this end is because PR capitalizes on the influence of third-party. As a result, PR as a form communication can be and it's been used to brand or re-brand an entity if the need arises. Thus, once this is done, customers/public turnout increases as well as the ROI.

Unplanned Vacation turned Greed for Self Re-invention.

While expecting the news from my supervisor on when the office will be opened for work this year, I rather heard him on the phone say he would be travelling for four weeks and I should take this as a vacation for myself. Though I'd barely worked with the company for a month. This is four weeks to be precise.

Within these four weeks, I have come across several online materials to assist me on my job, not just because I do PR, but these will evidently help me as an individual who wants to succeed in all I do. Within this period of my vacation (which I didn't bargain for), I have been following successful biz gurus on twitter and I have subscribed to several online platforms. Really, my learning consumption is increasing by the day and as part of what I have achieved, is an online test Certificate of Completion on Managing Supplier Performance (an online purchasing course I took).

I have read Stephen M.R.Covey's The Speed of Trust once before and I am reading it for the second time. This is because there are loads of things to be learnt from the text at the same time, I am reading Ashley Wirthlin's Public Relations Book: A Guide to Public Relations Best Practices, Social Media, and PR Careers. I have downloaded E-books on how to write news releases and how to utilize social media. I read not because I want to impress myself but because I have to demonstrate what I have learnt and what I will learn as I progress in time. I spent my four academic years learning how to read, write, and be analytic. The authentic reading and writing starts now for the self re-invention. This is because self re-invention is what will make me remain indispensable in today's flat world.

Harbay Ct

Hanging out with my friends Harbay Ct

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Home turned Cinema

Hmn,
the entire sitting room used to be off white but the colour on the walls changed since the plan to move out of the apartment changed.
The three out of the four walls now carry a tony-red paint while one part still carries a touched off white. Weird you might think right?  This is courtesy of Olayinka in expectation of a 32" tv and a 5:1 surround sound home theatre system hung on the walls as well as an interactive AV system which tends to be wireless.
But we can rug the walls in the sitting room even though it is newly painted, can't we? This is another weird thought. Do not crucify us yet. Well, we think we are smart and creative. Rugging the walls will make our sitting room acoustics befitting while the painting makes it look dark and cool.

Better than yesterday

My blog has a few final touch to make it dazzling. Really, it will be a fun site to for you to be part of. To follow Abiodun Olaniyi, click on the company tab.

my blog site

Hi,
my blog site is still a work in progress.
Please, do keep your fingers crossed.