The seed of advancement - Confidence!

You may have probably been in a meeting where solution was being sought to an issue and you had a contribution to make but didn't do so because you thought your idea was likely to be mocked by your fellows or that you were not qualified enough to speak or that you did not have the ability of an orator; consider also a line of business, trade or profession you probably wanted to delve into, but were afraid that you would not fare well in it or that people would wag their tongues negatively; you marvel when you see people speak in public places before hundreds or thousands or even millions of people and you

Opinion Re-Public: Should I Accept or Flee?

Hi Friends,

Here's a real life scenario requiring your candid opinions.

There is this lady from a very humble background (the word 'humble' in this context is synonymous with impoverishment or living below the poverty line....) dating a guy from a very wealthy and influential background. 

Their relationship has been okay, except for the fact that

Opinion Re-public: Would you rather confess?

Back to relationship issues, dear friends. 

I saw a programme on TV yesterday, which drew me to this particular question: if you ever cheat on your partner/spouse, would you confess or keep it to yourself, knowing the possible implications of such confession? Would you wait to get caught and confronted before confessing? Or would you still deny even when you have been caught right in the act? LOL...some people are high-profile film stars in this because even when you are looking at them committing the act, they try to prove to you that you probably are hallucinating or have gone berserk...LOL.

Then again, If your partner/spouse cheats on you and confesses, would that be the end of the relationship or would you offer him or her another chance?

Please don't forget to give reasons for your answer.

Stereotypes...Do people 'really' conform?

A stereotype is a thought that may be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things but that belief may or may not accurately reflect reality. It can be described as prejudice, which means a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

Most, if not all of us, while growing up, were told certain things about certain groups of people; we have now grown to accept those ideas as fitting for those groups of people whether we have proved them true or not. 

For example, in Nigeria, people from

Workplace Romance - Kill it or Save it?

Before you brandish your killer rifle, consider that Objectivity should be the watchword when any issue is being analyzed. The trend is that the issue of Workplace Romance has been viewed negatively over time and many Organizations have developed policies preventing it. 

What then, is Workplace Romance? It simply describes a situation whereby two (or more) members of the same organization develop a relationship with mutual attraction (and often sexual benefits).
Since the workplace is a place where people share a common interest, and spend most of their time, it provides the perfect opportunity for love. While love can make one do crazy things, it is important to

Opinion Re-public: Education or Craft?

Recently, with the alarming rates of unemployment, underemployment, Incessant strikes (the current ASUU Strike is a case in point), Lecturers' palaver, etc.,  some fellow Nigerians have argued that it is perhaps, better to avoid spending one's youthful years in pursuit of an Academic degree with tiresome rigours and lackluster benefits in the end. 

Thus, some people are advocating for young people to 'forget' about Western Education, start early and learn a trade or craft as it appears Craftsmanship pays the bills nowadays - We now see a lot of graduates who have dumped their certificates and are now doing very well in one business, craft or trade. 

So, what do you think? Are you pro-education or pro-craft? What are the pros and cons of either of the two choices?

The Powers WE carelessly Abuse

POWER!!! A five-letter word we all use fairly carelessly, a recurrent feature in all human activities, yes, ALL.

By the way, this discussion is far from Political; so while you are reading this, kindly take off your political shoes, shut your political eyes, then wear your social goggles and your thinking caps.- this article is not about our political leaders, the corruption, the abuse of power, bla bla bla...those issues overshadow the roles we, as 'ordinary' citizens, play in power relationships, which inevitably find expression in the political power process. 

Ready? Let's shoot!

Ask the average man on the street if he is powerful or if he has power and the ready answer you hear is 'Ah, which power? Abeg, I never reach o, I no get power'. This is because we usually view power as something big, extraordinary, far-fetched...and often,

Does It Matter, Anyway?

We agree that a lot of things do matter in life...what we do not realize is that there are a few other things, or perhaps many other things, depending on our standpoints, which do not matter so much or at all.
The reason it is important to differentiate appropriately is to avoid certain conversations, situations, mindsets, etc, which could put you in very awkward positions or undermine your self-worth.
Therefore, take a cue from the following:

1.) You know that no matter what you say or do, people will always have their opinions about it...for compliment or for ridicule. Why then do you dress to impress the next person, who may not even notice you? One thing you should remember is that people (even renowned 'fashionistas') usually have different views about a particular dressing...watch 'Fashion Police' on E! and you can agree. Some of us while trying to standout, end up masquerading and feeling very uncomfortable. You wear very high stakes you can barely walk on, thus either taking baby steps or walking like a skeleton and probably

Break-ups in relationships: say what? do what?

Break-ups are never funny and never taken kindly but I must confess that some break-up lines are 'tot-solutely' hilarious. Check out a few of them below:

Qualities that sustain a relationship

Relationship, Relationship, Relationship...aren't you tired of hearing it? Well, I would have nodded in affirmation but even if I refuse to talk about it, I can still not exempt myself from it and neither can you :p.. LOL. This is because every now and then, one person or the other is going through one emotional stress or the other; it could be a single person having an issue with his or her partner or a married person struggling with patching things up or risking a divorce. It is worthy to note that there is no

Opinion Re-public: Music or Movies?

Some of us are addicted to music while others are addicted to movies. However, some people would argue that they are addicted to both but we know that no two addictions can be of equal proportion. 

So, pray tell, are you the type of person that wears ear plugs listening to music all day, while working, cooking, washing, eating, even while sleeping (hehehheeee...yes) or while walking on the road? 

Do you know the tunes, lyrics and the artistes of most songs?  

Or are you someone who would miss

Opinion Re-public: iPhone, Samsung, Nokia, HTC, Sony or Blackberry?

There have been serious debates about whether one should stick to Blackberry 'pinging' or switch to other mobile brands; often, we are bothered about the better brand. Mobile phone brand is also fast-becoming a status symbol among we young people...hilarious, isn't it? Well, I guess that's one of the fall-outs of the Net age.
It is often difficult to choose between these brands because the smartphones they produce seem to be unique and different from each other in diverse ways, thus resulting in situations where some people change from one brand to the other, while the 'gbo gbo bigzzz' people, especially ladies (hehehehheee :p) go as far as having up to three of the above brands. Most people complain they are

Opinion Re-public: Should a wife 'submit' her income to her hubby?

I got inspired to talk about this topic after seeing the fuss it generated on my friend's facebook page. 

Seriously people, is it "okay" for a woman to give her husband the money she makes as soon as she gets paid?  Let's have your views and feel free to back your thoughts with references if any. 

I hope we are having a great week already?

Cheers!

Spotlight on Taylor's "Swift" Affairs:

Taylor Swift, the 24 year old American-born singer-songwriter has become a phenomenon especially in the area of relationships...*phew*. Her relationships seem to pass-by very "swiftly" and left in the wake of such rude awakenings, she usually compensates herself by making the "culprits" the subjects of her songs. Infact, she has personally stated that her ex-boyfriends are the greatest inspiration for her songs...hehehheeee...
Till date, she has been linked to well over eight (8) guys and here's the duration of some of these affairs starting from the very first:

Joe Jonas (remember him? one of the Jonas Brothers - broke up with her over

Opinion Re-public: What or Who is your inspiration?

Often, we hear people say "I'm inspired by God". True, but it is also worthy to note that some people do not share the same view on this subject. Some people are inspired by a cause or causes, some by celebrities or famous personalities, some by an activity or behavioural trait, some by notable quotes, some by their parents, some by their lovers; however, are you aware that some people derive their inspiration from the lifestyles of certain animals? Yes, animals. Well, that's the diversity of the human race...different strokes for different strokes. 
So, how about you? Where do you derive your inspiration? Or from whom or what do you derive your inspiration? Share your views.

Opinion Re-public: Divorce - To be considered or not?

The divorce rate in Nigeria and indeed the rest of the world has become very alarming in recent years. 
Why do you think this is so? 
Would you ever consider divorce under any circumstance? What are those circumstances? Or do you think marriage is for better and for worse? 
Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? 
Share your thoughts. Happy Weekend!!!

USA to cancel American DV Visa Lottery

Africans could be the big losers as the United States reforms its immigration laws and eliminates the green card lottery, of which Africans are the main beneficiaries. Half of the 50,000 residence permits handed out at random each year are earmarked for Africans. It is a hugely popular program that has allowed hundreds of thousands of Africans to settle in America since the mid 1990s. But the ambitious reform project under debate now in Washington, which would provide papers for million undocumented immigrants, contains a clause that would do away with the lottery. In its place would be

Opinion Re-public: Legalization of Same-sex relationships - make it happen or blow it away?

This is a new segment on our blog. Share your thoughts on the topic. 
There have been lots of debates, rants and chats on this issue; so, let's read your views. You never know the impact your opinion will have in determining the outcome of this debate in the long run.
So feel free to state it the way you feel, give reasons for your standpoint; remember, you are entitled to your opinion and 'talk' on this blog, is entirely free. 
Cheers!!!

Rain! Rain!! Rain!!! Weather for Two

We have all heard about, witnessed and often talk about 'Rain'. Rain is defined by Wikipedia as liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then precipitated—that is, become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Well, pardon me but this definition sounds like it can only be understood by Geologists and other Scientists. What the lay man knows about rain is that it's water that falls from the sky...some people would say it's God's Showers of Blessings from Heaven. However, we are not in this discourse to define rain but the significance of rain to people.
To the Farmer, rain represents a vital part of his work as it will ensure that his crops germinate and produce the harvest he desires.
To Traditionalists, rain may signify some other things; don't ask me oooo, I'm

Welcome back

Hey lovely people, it feels really great to be back with the buzz. I've been away for a program but I'm glad I'm done and back. I promise not to stay off for so long anymore.
Hmmm....let's resume our jolly-good ride. 
Welcome back, everyone and lest I forget, Happy New Year in arrears :) :D