50 YEARS AGO... A MAN SPOKE OF HIS DREAM

I was but  a little child when I first saw the video of Dr. King's memorable speech and that was several years after his assassination. I saw how my father was moved by that speech; he wasn't living in America then but in England and he knew all about racial discrimination and segregation. This man was a man who didn't want racial supremacy but racial equality and a time when black people were regarded by their personalities, their strength of character and what they could achieve in life, not by their race or the colour of their skin. He spoke  not only of civil rights,  equality and integration  of his longing for a time when America and the rest of the world would finally embrace universal brotherhood and get along with one another, regardless of race.
That speech and the march for civil rights  was 50 years old today and that match wasn't only participated by blacks but by those who believed in the end of segregation and the fight for civil rights- the soldiers of change.  Even though a lot has changed over the years; no more 'for whites only' establishments and an African American man as the American President  currently serving his second term; there is still some things left to be achieved. Here and there, there are still displays of racial inequality especially in forms  of racial and ethnic profiling and God knows what else. How does America and the world in general expect to actually make the world a place of Universal brotherhood if they keep judging people by the colour of their skin. Thanks be to God for those who still remember Dr. King's speech, those who are still fighting for change and improvement - 'The Soldiers of Change' as I call them- those who are still following Dr. King's stand on non violence and love. I speak as a person who is a firm believer of  universal brotherhood and equality and hope to be an American citizen some day.
Dr. King's speech should sink inside of the minds of those who need enlightening about racial discrimination and its evils. To all  those who marched that day and took this good man's speech to heart; and still remember it today; determined to emulate every word- I salute you.

We must remember that the dreamer is also a doer. Let us recommit to be doers. #MOW50
— Ben Jealous (@BenJealous) August 28, 2013

BEN AFFLECK AS BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT'S MANY FACES

I don't know why there's some negativity  here and there about Ben Affleck being selected as the next Bat Man even if Christian Bale will be greatly missed. Why shouldn't he be chosen- he's  a good actor besides having the blessing of being very, very yummy (be still my beating heart). And since his alter ego Bruce Wayne is usually decked out in dark suits- I would say that this very handsome actor is definitely the right

choice. Let's not forget he played Marvel's Daredevil/ blind lawyer Jack Murdock in 2003; alongside the lovely  lady who is now his wife,  Jennifer Garner- who played Elektra Natchios in the film and its spinoff  Elektra.
When I told my brother about Affleck's new role, he said, 'No... he's too well known, why can't they pick an unknown?'
 I pointed out that his predecessors, the ones we Nigerian fans know of, weren't exactly unknowns- Keaton, Kilmer and Clooney. He snorted and said 'Clooney was dry as Batman, in BATMAN  & ROBIN he tried to be funny.'  Like Batman ever tried to be funny!
Any how... this upcoming movie is not a new addition to the Dark Knight franchise but a sequel to the still much talked about MAN OF STEEL starring Henry Cavill. Another actor that gives me  flutters in my stomach and  I'm not ashamed to say that my favourite scene in that movie was the sight of him shirtless;

 Oh My God, wow!. This is a very interesting development since the Superman/Batman movies that exist so far are animated ones- SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES( adapted from the story arc World's Finest and where Lex Lutor actually framed Superman for murder of all things), SUPERMAN/BATMAN: APOCALYPSE (where Superman met his cousin Kara Zor-el a.k.a Supergirl) and of course there is the animated series JUSTICE LEAGUE. This new movie is to be directed by the same director who did MAN OF STEEL Zack Snyder; the title is yet to be known. I for one can't wait to see it!

Superman has been more of a favorite of mine than Batman as a child but Batman comes as a close second. Like Clark Kent's, Bruce Wayne's background story is fascinating, although more tragic and the adaptations gave way for actors to portray him on screen.        
                                                                          

 I'm not familiar with the very early actors to play the dark Knight - before I ever saw Michael Keaton in the 1989 adaptation; we saw Adam West in reruns of the  1960s version. My brothers took one look at him and, sorry to say,  burst out laughing. Having read the comics, I guess we expected to see someone more intimidating but we found the guy a bit too genial  to be Bruce Wayne/Batman and each episode rather campy; we weren't exactly impressed.

In an odd twist of fate, we saw BATMAN FOREVER before BATMAN and BATMAN  RETURNS and we loved Val Kilmer in the role. He was suave, aloof as Bruce Wayne and a commanding presence as Batman and his costume was far better than the one Adam West had- that one was just too ridiculous for us to take seriously and Chris O' Donnell was equally very good as Robin/Dick Grayson.

After seeing BATMAN FOREVER, we, well my brothers, said that Kilmer was the best Batman. But that all changed after we finally got to see Keaton as Batman in BATMAN RETURNS, the one we should have viewed first. We saw him in this scene when he gets up at the sight of the bat signal...

 and little brother exclaimed, 'No, this IS Batman, proper Batman! He has the chin, the face, everything!' I completely agreed with him; he was aloof too but stern, intimidating and yes... an even more commanding presence as Batman- far more than Kilmer though we remain impressed with his portrayal. But we can't ignore Keaton; he really nailed it hence he's our favorite Batman to date.

 

Clooney in the role, well... no; we weren't impressed. Maybe we were already used to Kilmer and Keaton or perhaps it was BATMAN & ROBIN'S story plot; it was completely wack and more comic than gothic like the others and to me, he was not intimidating enough as Batman. Sorry George if you happen to read this. 

Christian Bale, no question! He was super great in the role and every inch of Bob Kane's Dark Knight; it's almost a pity that he won't be in the upcoming movie movie. But I say The Dark Knight fans should give Affleck a chance- don't analyze until you've seen him in the role. Best of luck to him.

DIGITAL ERA VS 'THE OLD DAYS' ERA

 

A friend came by the other day when I was in my room tidying up and on seeing my scattered tapes (most of them recorded movies)  asked how will I get rid of them. I said, 'I'm not; I have a VCR to watch them with.'  (pic of the model I'm currently using above)

 'Come on Amina, you still watch  video cassettes? You're so old school.' was her  reply. 'Nobody watches tapes these days.'

 Is that really true? 

 

The digital age has not only brought about radical changes in our gadgets and appliances but also the way we do things. I remember the times when I would buy blank audio tapes, record as many tracks as I could from my favorite radio station and listen to them for hours on my battery-run Walkman. Earlier memories of music listening are mostly listening to  my older brother's records on the turntable - New Edition, Michael Jackson, Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire, Atlantic Star etc. as well the ones my parents prefer-

King Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey and others... those were the days.

Along the line came CDs and CD Walkmans where one has the option of buying a CD of any artist or 'burn' a mixed one to listen at leisure and then was the introduction of the ipod and mp3 players which plays music files that are bought/found and  downloaded on the Internet and instead of bulky audio tape walkmans strapped to the belt or held in the hand, these little gadgets can be easily slipped into the pocket. Those who can't afford the luxury of ipods/mp3 players have the option of listening to them in their cell phones or their laptops if they wanted to just listen online.

From audio cassettes to mp3 music files; the same changes came to videos. When films came to the world, there was the projector. After TV, came the VCR where people watched movies via VHS cassettes (which I still do) before the advent of VCDS and now the DVD; plus video files that can be watched online on popular sites like Youtube and other sites where you have to pay for a subscription.
But the question, are there people like me who prefer the old days? I love the digital era, no question but my friend was wrong about people not listening to tapes any more.VCRs still exist and still sold by electronic companies; these days VCRs come with DVD compartments

and movies/T.V series, especially  those  that aren't  on  DVD  sold in VHS cassettes.Most radios these days too have both tape and CD compartments so I guess audio tapes are still used too.
While I love the picture and sound quality of today's DVDs; I still love (and prefer) my tapes. DVDs gets scratched when handled badly and the image ruined. There's the argument about  video tapes developing fungus  after some years  and making the VCR's head dirty but these days, tapes are treated with anti fungus during manufacturing. Like DVDS, you can continue from where you left off and let's face it... they last better. So with that last fact, I'm not old school at all; I know very well what lasts better and what does not. And people have the right to hold on to their preferences in general. My older brother and a cousin still listen
to music on the turnable; I asked why and they simply said the music they love just doesn't sound right on CD. I don't know how many people still use typewriters but I know I prefer my old laptop to Ipads; I tried using a female cousin's when I was visiting and I found it far too awkward. Just like I hold on to my hardback and paperback books in my bookcases instead of thinking about saving money to buy a kindle; I have nothing against ebooks exactly but I would rather read and own something I can physically hold in my hand.

The digital era has been kind to the world in terms of media, communication; even education. But when one tends to go 'old school' once in a while it's not up to people to judge. Preference is a person's right and it does feel good to slip into 'the old days' now and then.

CARBO FAN FICTION: Return Journey Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Daniel held his wife’s hand tightly as the ambulance conveyed them to the hospital. Under her abundant black hair, Darcy looked like death; her face ghostly pale and sweaty.

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR "THE TALK"?

 

Sooner or later, children will discover sex; it's inevitable. In more developed countries like America; teenagers are enlightened about 'the birds and the bees' via Sex Education in their schools; which is actually a good idea but a double edged sword depending on how one sees it. On one hand, they are educated about what goes on between a man and a woman, how babies are conceived and the consequences of unsafe sexual practices-Unwanted/Unplanned Pregnancy, STD(Sexually Transmitted Diseases)  and the importance of abstinence until the right time. On the other hand, despite warnings and advice- some teenagers may indulge out of curiosity, defiance or just youthful exuberance/raging hormones. All the same, Sex Education covers all the bases. 

In a country like  Nigeria, no such luxury exists in the schools yet though there are now petitions from several notable bodies  demanding for the addition of Sex Education in the curriculum. Most Nigerian parents tend to be tight lipped and put  on a prudish attitude  when their teenagers ask the inevitable question 'Mum... Dad... what is Sex?' When that question is unanswered and they are given a reprimand instead, they(girls especially) end up asking the wrong person like maybe a male neighour, a male teacher or a male friend and if the person happens to be a horny irresponsible fellow; the girl could end up raped and then forced to carry an unplanned pregnancy or worse. Who is to be blamed then? 

Personally I never got 'the talk' from my parents; I found out on my own when I was a little girl of about 7 (shocking enough). Despite Mum's efforts, I somehow found myself watching romance films on T.V where I would be wondering why a man and woman held each other so close under the sheets. But my education really began when my older brother's friends came to visit one day and slotted in a tape in the VCR which turned out to be a porno film. To say I was shocked was an understatement; till today I can still remember what I saw and the first thought in my mind that afternoon, 'Oh... so that's what goes on under the bedsheets.' (Don't judge the guys too harshly, they had no idea I was in the room) Lurid Magazines, Mills & Boon and Biology covered the rest 7 years later.

 From my research among several female friends, I gathered that none of them got 'the talk' from their parents. Some found out on their own from different sources but not as early as I did; some  were reprimanded when they asked for sex to be explained to them and the others never thought about asking/parents never volunteered to enlighten them. I don't know how it was handled during my Mum's time; she went to Convent School where, according to her, the nuns were extremely strict (mere crossing of the legs when sitting down got them into trouble) but I strongly suspect that she and the other school girls were given the talk in the guise of a long, lengthy lecture about the sin of premarital sex; which probably gave them the shivers and caused them to maintain complete abstinence until the 'licence' (wedding ring) was on their finger.

Until Sex Education is added to the curriculum, parents have to play a huge part in enlightening their children about Sex in order to prevent them from discovering it the hard way and suffering the consequences. For the boys, Fathers' job; Girls, Mothers' job naturally and both parties should not even wait for them to ask! The time for 'the talk' is of course the time of Puberty, age 12-14 at the most; when their sons and daughters' bodies begin to change and hormones start acting funny. There is no room for prim and proper or prudish attitude; they should get on with it and the sooner the better  if they care about  safe guarding  their children's bright future and protect them from going astray. 

 So which way is the best way  for children to be enlightened about sex; Formal Sex Education or from the parents?

Racial Equality Under The Law: A Myth? Trayvon and Marissa

Trayvon Martin's case is still an open matter; not just because he died so senselessly but also the reason why his killer shot him in the first place and why he was found not guilty instead of imprisoned. It simply doesn't make sense to me and, I'm confident, a lot of people who feel that Zimmerman should be punished.
 Here was a boy returning from an errand and a supposedly well meaning neighourhood watch volunteer-Zimmerman- trailed him why... the boy's hoodie and (whether he wants to deny it or not), the colour of his skin. Trayvon was not armed and obviously was offended when Zimmerman approached him thinking he was a criminal and before we could catch our breath, Trayvon was shot in a so called  act of self defense; not an accident, so called self defense. Zimmerman's lawyers seem to blame Trayvon than this killer, for what exactly, when once again, I emphasize, he was not armed? I don't take sides with anybody nor judge anybody because of their race- I'm all for universal brotherhood. And I honestly thought that after all these years, America would treat its citizens equally regardless of race; yet some thought that Trayvon was at fault and deserved what he got. I read in Huffington Post about a  rascist- a 17 year old waitress- who actually posted on Facebook this terrible sentence: "Thank God For the Bullet That Killed Trayvon Martin". As a result she was sacked. (Unless she repents, she will answer to God in the Hereafter and May she burn in hell)
The all-female jury; another thing I did not understand at all- were they no mothers among them for God's sake? How would they feel if their own children were profiled because of their skin and manner of dressing and then killed? One juror fought for Trayvon to receive justice but being the only one she was in the minority and as such, Zimmerman went free. Why did they decide to say NOT GUILTY when Zimmerman had obviously killed Trayvon for no damned reason? Lack of evidence or rather lack of witnesses? So many questions that are yet to be answered. 
Supporters of Zimmerman no doubt feel that the African American citizens and the Africans round the globe shouting for this man's punishment are playing the race card. No... we are NOT playing the race card nor a persecution complex because a travesty of justice like this occurred some time back.

 Last year a black woman, practicing the same Florida law of ' Stand Your Ground' that protected Zimmerman, fired warning shots while fleeing her abusive husband, an attempt to scare him. Warning shots that was in no way aimed at him yet... yet!... she was sentenced to 20 years in prison! How that that possibly sound fair when she did not kill anybody and did the judge happen to remember she was trying to escape domestic abuse? My God!
If this is a racial issue, the law that allowed Zimmerman to go free forced the African American populace and other supporters  to make it a  racial issue because honestly- the verdict was so stupid and biased. Marissa Alexander's 'Stand Your Ground' defense was thrown out and she is to spend 20 years in prison while Zimmerman is grinning like a fool and free as a bird after killing Trayvon. If that is not racial discrimination; I don't know what it is!
I am sad, angry and very disillusioned. I know there is still some level of racism in America but I did not know it extended to such unfairness in justice. America is a country I hope to live in; but with this; all I can think about is how people with my skin have to be careful of what they say, do or go in order to avoid problems with the law or racists who are still bent on judging us because of the colour of our skin. Thank God for those who aren't like that; those who marched and advocated for racial equality. Trayon and Marissa's unjust justice is simply too outrageous to be ignored like that and the fight for them goes on.

I SAY NO DEAL!

First off, what sort of man like this inhuman creature would keep helpless women in his cellar for his own perverse and sadistic pleasures? The incredible story itself and Ariel Castro's face on CNN made my skin crawl and I felt ill at the thought of the long ordeal those women faced until they finally made that fateful desperate attempt at freedom. He raped and  tortured them continuously  and his fourth victim  did not even get out alive. Yet, he pleaded 'Not Guilty'.  He deserves all the punishments that can be listed out and then some! With the terrible things he did, how on earth, according to what I found out, that he is to be offered a plea bargain and apparently if he accepts, he will dodge the death penalty  A plea bargain, after everything he did to those women? 
THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS! were the words that came out my mouth after hearing this. Why give this evil man an option at all;  besides the physical trauma he inflicted on his victims, what about the emotional trauma they suffered, as well their distraught families? No, no, no... I don't agree with this idea. It's almost like the case of that rapist in Morocco some time back who was given the option of marrying his 16 year old victim or going to jail. And what happened... that poor girl committed suicide!
This is not about about the death penalty; this is about Castro being given an option at all. He deserves no options at all- he is an animal; a filthy, twisted creature who deserves to rot in hell.
I'm all for the 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty' procedure but his lawyers can talk all they want- this man is glaringly guilty and should get whats coming to him. Plea Bargain indeed!
With this plea, he has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole instead of the death sentence. At least he has been punished and his victims can now breathe easy and thank God for His deliverance.