..bEfoRE yOu set tHose goALs fOr 2014

Over and over again i have voiced my preference for setting goals over making new year resolutions. I won't concern myself about explaining away the difference. The objective of this piece is to nudge you towards political and social awareness especially since we are entering into another election year. I am still very much an optimist and a patriot but blind optimism and patriotism is way behind me.

We all generally have the tendency to make yearly resolutions at this time with the mental assumption that all will continue to be well in our environment, except you are doing that in faith it may be a dangerous way of living. As a matter of fact most of us hardly ever have backup plans for when things ever go south. It might be already apparent to some that as we inch closer and closer to the general elections funds are generally being taken out of the system and stored up by the political class and in this new era of subtle political threats as portrayed by our sudden love for letter writing in Nigeria especially as seen in the last month, it is my believe that you would be doing yourself and your family for those it applies to, a great deal of injustice if you don't plan for that. So based on the subtle premise above i would like to suggest a few points for you to have in place while you set those goals for 2014:

1. If you carry the ECOWAS passport as your only form of travel ID. ensure you still have ample time before expiration and get valid VISAs to one or two foreign countries of your choice.

2. Have a Stash of funds saved up preferably in hard currency for such a time as may be needed for an emergency exit should the need arise.

3. Stay informed and Keep your plans to yourself...lol

4. Hope and Pray for this Country especially for Only God's counsel to stand concerning the affairs of this country irrespective of what political class may say or do.

5. Stay in constant touch with your family and loved ones.

6. Be smart enough to know that nobody owes you anything irrespective of your relationships with them. In context these politicians will put their pockets and their families before you and yours in exactly that order. Be your own government and be wise enough to look out for your own.

All that said be smart about your activities and decisions this new year. let Gen 1:28 guide you as the benchmark at which God appointed you to operate, if any business endeavors, relationships, or commitments will make you fall short of God's original desire for you to subdue and dominate the earth from your aspects of endeavor then rethink and retrace. Plan well  and have a wonderful 2014.

-g.d

tOp 10 gUiNeSs wORLd RecoRd 2013 roUNd uP

i found this video round up of top 10 Guiness World Records  for 2013. You should watch this:

NoSa- wHy yOu LoVE me So *NEW VIDEO*

NOSA releases his much anticipated video for his 2nd official single 'why you love me so'. We did have the privilege of interviewing NOSA a couple of weeks ago on HolyHolla (Rhythm93.7). Enjoy!

LaRa gEorGe on hOLyHoLLa

I had an amazing time on holyholla earlier today with the beautiful Lara George. It's amazing how people can transmit hope without saying much. This woman is unarguably blessed and it was such an honor to have her on our show. Listen to the Podcast of the show below:

SABC Livestream of MANDELA memorial Service

foOtpRintS oF hOpE

Imagine rocking these slippers that just lets you leave these words of encouragement with every step you take.

46664 a diFFeReNt kiNd oF LeGeNd!

 

Alas Mandiba has left us. For a time in my life I wondered how the world would respond to the death of both Michael Jackson & Mandela. Now we know! 

Never in the history of the world has there ever been a man highly respected practically respected by people across the world even his enemies. 

The only true legend to live long enough to enjoy tributes made to him: from having to spend the SA Rand with his face on it to witnessing various Holywood  tributes. No man comes close to his selflessness. RIP Mandiba.

- @gozzim

tHE eXpeRieNcE...

As much as I love the experience of production rooms and concert, I am slightly agoraphobic. The only time I get free of this sickening fear of crowds is if I am responsible for that gathering and I am making a shit load of money from bring that crowd together.

I visited the setup site for the 2013 Experience concert. It's probably as Close as I would be to experiencing the concert. With all that has been spent putting this together this year's edition should be a huge success.

niGeRiaN fAvOurS...

The sad part about doing people favors is that you are liable to face the same insults people who get paid to do exactly the same thing would face if ever anything goes wrong. The thing about doing any business transaction in Nigeria is people's words are never good enough.

Over the years i have learned to stop hating on ruthless business men. even though i have never really been a fan of being an entrepreneurial bull i totally see the reason why some people choose to be totally merciless. Everytime some one approaches me for favours i take off even before they complete the famous 'Please could you do me a favor speech' especially since i do not desire to have a sour relationship with them at that point in time. A great part of being an up and comer has to do with delayed gratification, ass-kissing and ... but the truth is just like with everything in life there is a time and season, and the concept of delayed gratification has its own short window in any life. 

What am i saying in essence? 'Sell you self for free, NEVER for cheap!!!' People generally dont give a flipping blip about you and no one owes you anything not even your parents save for bringing you into this world and putting you through school. So if you ever feel the need to do stuff for free in exchange for the joy of having that sense of entitlement that some one owes you think again!

Don't sell yOuRseLf sHoRt!!

~g.d

wiSdoM aCCordiNg to cHiLdreN

I really think that sometimes watching videos like this just puts the real essence of life in perspective. As adults the very things we take for granted are the things little children remind us of.

watch what it feels like when children work together to fight bullying

This kid popularly know as 'Kid President' teaches us the important things in Life we should say often

Sokleva Interview on +HOLYHOLLA (Rhythm93.7)

We had an amazing time on the show with SOKLEVA last sunday. For those of you ho were wondering what the ROOFTOP MCs have been up to you can find out in the very insightful interview. I personally didn't know he almost became a Reverend Father, and that He auditioned to join the Rooftop MCs. Enjoy!!!

i Am MaKiNg GoD fAmOus!!! aRe you?

In the last 3 months and by divine orchestration i have found myself Producing and co-hosting a radio show called HolyHolla. A show that celebrates contemporary gospel artistes and music domestically and internationally. This show asides from being a ministry initiative has given me a new sense of fulfillment and purpose. From time to time i will share personal experiences from the show that you will not find on  the shows social platforms. So far the show has featured: Flo, Kennykore, Provabs, PITA, IBKspaceshipboi, Okeysokay, Differentstone among others. I have put together a few of the videos for your viewing and listening pleasure.

Also you can download an audio version of our interview with kenny kore here: http://hu.lk/2izbnzupgv34

BiLL GatEs: LeSSoNs i LeArNed fRoM WaRReN buFFet

"I’m looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I’ve learned in my career atMicrosoft and the Gates Foundation. (I also post frequently on my blog.)

Last month, I went to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. It’s always a lot of fun, and not just because of the ping-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffett. It’s also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks.

Here are three things I’ve learned from Warren over the years:

1. It’s not just about investing.

The first thing people learn from Warren, of course, is how to think about investing. That’s natural, given his amazing track record. Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of people stop, and they miss out on the fact that he has a whole framework for business thinking that is very powerful. For example, he talks about looking for a company’s moat—its competitive advantage—and whether the moat is shrinking or growing. He says a shareholder has to act as if he owns the entire business, looking at the future profit stream and deciding what it’s worth. And you have to be willing to ignore the market rather than follow it, because you want to take advantage of the market’s mistakes—the companies that have been underpriced.

I have to admit, when I first met Warren, the fact that he had this framework was a real surprise to me. I met him at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, “Why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks?” I thought he just used various market-related things—like volume, or how the price had changed over time—to make his decisions. But when we started talking that day, he didn’t ask me about any of those things. Instead he started asking big questions about the fundamentals of our business. “Why can’t IBM do what Microsoft does? Why has Microsoft been so profitable?” That’s when I realized he thought about business in a much more profound way than I’d given him credit for.

2. Use your platform.

A lot of business leaders write letters to their shareholders, but Warren is justly famous for his. Partly that’s because his natural good humor shines through. Partly it’s because people think it will help them invest better (and they’re right). But it’s also because he’s been willing to speak frankly and criticize things like stock options and financial derivatives. He’s not afraid to take positions, like his stand on raising taxes on the rich, that run counter to his self-interest. Warren inspired me to start writing my own annual letter about the foundation’s work. I still have a ways to go before mine is as good as Warren’s, but it’s been helpful to sit down once a year and explain the results we’re seeing, both good and bad.

3. Know how valuable your time is.

No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time. There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day. Warren has a keen sense of this. He doesn’t let his calendar get filled up with useless meetings. On the other hand, he’s very generous with his time for the people he trusts. He gives his close advisers at Berkshire his phone number, and they can just call him up and he’ll answer the phone.

Although Warren makes a point of meeting with dozens of university classes every year, not many people get to ask him for advice on a regular basis. I feel very lucky in that regard: The dialogue has been invaluable to me, and not only at Microsoft. When Melinda and I started our foundation, I turned to him for advice. We talked a lot about the idea that philanthropy could be just as impactful in its own way as software had been. It turns out that Warren’s brilliant way of looking at the world is just as useful in attacking poverty and disease as it is in building a business. He’s one of a kind."

-Bill Gates

courtesy: Linked-in Leadership Channel

Photo: Bill Gates 

gRaviTistiC~check out this amzing wristwatch

gravitistic magnetic watch by jaemin jaeminlee

 

when examining the significance of time, what is truly important is not to know the moment of the day it is but to recognize the invaluable significance of each passing moment. 'gravitistic' by designer jaemin jaeminlee is a magnetic watch that expresses the concentration of the hour. the units point towards a minute hand, arranged as if they are being pulled by gravity. by utilizing the force of a magnet, the device relies solely on the laws of physics to deliver an accurate reminder of time.

 

Gravitistic is a watch that expresses the concentration of time. The units of time pointing toward a minute hand are arranged as if they were pulled by the gravity. By utilizing the force of a magnet, this watch performs a role that symbolically delivers the message to remind the meaning of the current hour rather than to tell the exact time of the moment.

 

nEW MTV mOOn mAN dEsiGN

brooklyn-based artist KAWS has given the MTV video music awards trophy a redesign for the first time in its 30 year history. the original 13 inch (33 cm.) tall chrome statue was conceived by manhattan design in the early 1980s and is based on the image of celebrated american astronaut buzz aldrin. for this one-year-only event, the iconic MTV moonman will take on the characteristics typical to KAWS' style. the artist is best known for his fine art merchandise -- series of vinyl toys and memorabilia produced in extremely limited quantities and highly sought out by collectors -- as well as his collaborations with brand giants nike and marc jacobs. MTV executives thought the shift was an appropriate way to mark the change in venue for this summer's award show at the newly-built barclays center in brooklyn, new york. KAWS will also design the stage for the august 25th show which will include an 18-meter (60 foot) inflatable version of his limited-edition moonman.

Get More:
2013 VMA, Artists.MTV, Music

cERtiFied pLatiNuM!

JayZ receiving the Platinum Sale recognition from the RIAA

Talk about changing the rules! 

once in a while individuals come along that change the rules and rewrite them. By now we all know Jay cut a deal with samsung to distribute 1million free copies of his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail, but at the point of the deal there was the controversy of RIAA certification which required at least a million units to be sold through conventional means (music stores etc) for the platinum certification to be confirmed. The unconventional approach of selling your album to a corporate entity is not necessarily new but was first successfully exploited by Jay on a global scale. Thanks to this feat the RIAA has been forced to rewrite their rules on record sale certifications.~ NICE!

hOw dO yOu dEFiNE iNNovatiOn? ~how babies learn to talk and walk

i found this video on the TED talks site, totally amazing approach to understanding how humans learn as children. Deb Roy has to be one of the brightest minds out there with genuine innovative thinking. My particular interest in this research lies in the potential benefit of his finding to advertising and music promotion.

mOtHeR dENzeL

Remember this next time you walk up to the ticket window of your local movie theater with $10 in your hand. The Media (Accidentally?) missed this one!!!! Please read this: The troops oversees would like you to send it to everybody you know. Subject: Denzel Washington, and Brooks Army Medical Center. Don't know whether you heard about this but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center , in San Antonio , Texas, (BAMC) the other day. 

 

This is where soldiers who have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the United States , especially burn victims. There are some buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a Hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the Hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base, but as you can imagine, they are almost filled most of the time. 

While Denzel Washington was visiting BAMC, they gave him a tour of one of the Fisher Houses. He asked how much one of them would cost to build. He took his check book out and wrote a check for the full amount right there on the spot. The soldiers overseas were amazed to hear this story and want to get the word out to the American public, because it warmed their hearts to hear it. The question is - why do: Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Tom Cruise and other Hollywood fluff make front page news with their ridiculous anticsand Denzel Washington's Patriotism doesn't even make page 3 in the Metro section of any newspaper except the Local newspaper in San Antonio . A true American and friend to all in uniform! This needs as wide a distribution as we can create. Please share it!

~courtesy Travis Augustine

#iMbiBe

courtesy Peg Fitzpatrick

tHE $6M fLoAtinG dUpLeX

Austrian firm has developed this boat. It's used the two small diesel engines.The oval-shaped "Orsos Island" has been designed to combine the mobility of a yacht with the comfort of a house. It has 6 bedrooms, 3 floors, 4 tennis courts, worth of luxury living space. Measuring 37 meters long, the island can be anchored anywhere in the world its owner fancies. This ship has 160 square meters of solar panels on the roof, as well as wind generators that can produce 28-30 kilowatt hours of power (kwh) the average daily.

sO wHat iF yOu aRE diSaBLe??

we all have a tendency to think that by virtue of our unique circumstances we deserve some form of favoritism, especially when we are required to queue before receiving certain services. Truth is you never really know how bad somebody else has got it till you hear their story. The video below describes aptly what i mean. when next you have to create that extra lane in traffic, or jump a queue or jump to the top of a waiting list remember other people's needs might be more pressing.

An IRS contractor named Braulio Castillo hurt his foot playing football in military prep school. He never served in the actual military. Then one day, decades later, he used it to get preferred treatment in government contracts. Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who lost both her legs and still could lose her arm from combat injuries, felt that this might just be a touch inappropriate. It gets amazing around 4:30.

aUtisTic gEniUs

i find this really inspirational. The caption speaks for itself...

dEaR dRake: cELeBriTy sTatus iS NoT a MasTeR kEy... (VIDEO)

apparently being a celebrity no longer means all access. Drake found out the hard way that he isnt at the top yet. watch him getting denied access to the miama heats locker room, also notice all the other unpopular pple strolling past into the same locker room.

f*&k oUr fANs!!! - Game of Thrones

when George R. R. Martin (GRRM), the primary writer of Game of Thrones decided to kill the entire 'story valuable' cast of Game of Thrones, he must have been under the influence of some premium product, or at least thats what i think cause it made absolutely no sense, so much so that even Ryan seacrest went after him in an interview to find out why. and Yeah thats an unapologetic spoiler for all y'all who haven't seen the latest season of GoT. Despite all we have done as fans to make the show so popular as seen in the analysis below from social baker, its pretty obvious the writer doesn't give a rat's ass about the viewers. 

Ok lets say we gave GRRM the benefit of doubt and say he was trying to clear a path for the emergence of the Dragon Queen in the next season the extreme gore experienced only comparable to the worthless blood letting available in Spartacus was absolutely unnecessary especially not at the hands of an almost unknown entity in the series. That said, GRRM i hope you never see another supply of what ever you smoked before ruining this season of GoT for us.

mY nOt bEing pRo-gay is iGNoRanT???

at moments like this i care very little for being politically correct!  what is it about the world and forcing general beliefs down people's throats in the name of being politically correct? Decades ago it was sacrilegious to even bring up the issue of  homosexuality let alone gay rights. The very fact that gay rights is now front and centre is evidence of how far we have come as humans. This is the 2nd time ever i am putting forward my opinion on this issue... The tweet from Kobe Bryant below is behind my agitation: My understanding & belief in the order God established at creation is not a Display of ignorance.

As much the world says Gay rights must be taken seriously, i am of the opinion that despite my tolerance of-  and a conscious choice to co-exist with the gay movement i should reserve the right to my opinion on the distastefulness of homosexual behavior, just as long as i don't encroach on anyone's right to freedom. I am a christian and in very clear terms my christian doctrine is anti-gay. The same doctrine also preaches tolerance towards all. So if i have a made a conscious effort on my own to live peaceably with the gay movement don't take advantage of my meekness and Lord BS over me. If it were so right, why would people have to hide for years ; or why does a decision to 'come out' have to feel both physically and professionally suicidal to those who 'come out'? Think about it! while the world finds more politically correct ways to pervert the world at the end of the day the ultimate race towards eternal life is an individual one.

~g.d

nEw mUsiC frOm mRWaLz...

niGGa mOmENts & tHe LaGos LiFE

if you ever got a chance to see the hit TV animation #Boondocks, you might be familiar with the term 'nigga moment'. The urban dictionary defines this term as "A moment where ignorance overwhelms the logic of an otherwise rational negro man".
Like it or not at some point in our lives we all have had nigga moments. Nigga moments are unpredictable, an incident as mild as bumping into someone can quickly involve guns, but quickly, they devolve into a mild annoying situation. Nigga moments always end up badly.

A couple of weeks ago i had a nigga moment- blow out with the CSO of a certain Carbonated Soft drinks  depot at Marina (although no guns were involved).  It all happened so fast but in all honesty in my mind i felt like killing him, over a simple misunderstanding over the legibility of my name and address in a register. so what exactly is the point of bringing this stuff up?? 

The key ingredient of any Nigga Moment is -PRIDE. That world famous phrase: 'do you know who i am?' which so easily rolls off our lips in that intense moment of provocation is responsible for deaths on our campuses, loss of jobs, bloody noses and much more. What amazes me most is how it can be so hard to take full control  of our emotions when faced with direct provocation.
Lately the weather in Lagos in the last few weeks at least has been terribly hot, mix that with ample traffic, impatience and pride and its a surprise we haven't even had a riot in the last 2weeks.

The greatest battle any man can ever fight is the battle of the mind. I'm not even going to pretend to know how to avoid such moments but one  thing i know for sure is "silence never offends anyone". As you get back to work today, and sit in that traffic, management/ staff meetings weigh the consequence of your every thought, words and actions. Some say under intense provocation counting from 1-10 before reacting helps well i say whatever works for you but one thing i know for sure is this: 'if the pain of the consequences of your actions out weigh the pain of present provocation, WALK AWAY'

have a spectacular week.

~g.d

...tHe 'bLadErunneR' & thE buLLEt iN thE cHamBRe

The sad part about living your life in the limelight is that: the general perception of guilt, before an actual conviction is the norm. The media ever so hungry for the viewers attention would stop at absolutely nothing to be first on the scene, first to report, all in a bid to keep us from using the channel dial on our TV Remotes.

Early today the record setting double amputee Oscar Pistorius was charged with the Murder of his super model girlfriend whom he allegedly shot four times through a bathroom door, but of course this is no longer news. what may be news however is that in the short period prior to the London Olympics and now, Oscar, asides from setting a record as the first double amputee to run at the olympic and paralympics  has amassed for himself a great deal of fortune by way of corporate endorsement deals. With Endorsements from Nike, British Telecomms, Oakley Sunglasses, Thiery Mugler Fragrances, etc. The blade runner without a doubt has done quite well for him self. A while back Nike began running ads with the catch phrase: ' I am the bullet in the Chamber' which serendipitously bears a striking ressemblance to his current predicament considering he shot his girlfriend with a pistol. What really happened however in that house, time will tell. #SAD

As we have come to understand, most Brands do not possess the kind of agility some 'people brands' like Chris Brown may possess to bounce back strong after getting rocked by scandal, so you can understand why corporate brands get jittery  when scandals surround their endorsement deals. As of today Nike pulled the ads and other brands are lining up and stay alert to protect their brands via dissociation from the blade runner. In all if Oscar Pistorius is indeed convicted, he stands a chance of not only loosing tens of millions in dollar earnings but possibly his freedom for life.

aNd wE sTaRt bAck @ oNE...

well its a freaking new year! and for most its time for a fresh start. New year resolutions promises, promises and more promises... but then at the end of the day a change in attitude generally has nothing to do with the number of promises we  make at the beginning of every year. It makes perfect sense to set and write down goals for the year ahead but with those goals should also come fresh approaches/attitudes to our challenges after all Its only a fool that keeps doing the same thing and expects better results. so as you fine tune those resolutions and goals remember its beyond just writing or wishing, we all have to find a deeper source of motivation to keep pushing for these goals to be realised. For me its a chance to re-ignite your interest in my pieces by taking a whole new approach. Have a spectacular 2013!

~g.d