DgistCASTER (Gist + more....)

Enoch Adeboye talks Politics and Religion

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 09:32:00 +0000

Best Use of Science…& Rap? Meet Debo Olaosebikan: The Rapping Physicist

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 09:30:00 +0000

25-year old Debo Olaosebikan,aside from being a finalist in the Young Person of the Year Category,won the Best Use of Science award at the 2011 edition of the FutureAwards, Nigeria’s most prestigious youth awards. Graduating Summa CumLaude from the Illinois Wesleyan University with concentrations inPhysics and Mathematics, he embarked on a PhD programme having beenselected to the Cornell Nanophotonics Group and assigned to work ondeveloping the world’s first electrically operated Silicon Laser, aproject supported by a $6 Million grant from the United StatesDepartment of Defense. His research interest dates back to 2005 when heworked at IBM on record-breaking magnetic memory storage technology. Hehas also built an application centered around improving education inNigeria, which made the final cut in a $100,000 USAID/Western UnionCompetition (2010) and he is currently in advanced stages of discussionwith the Lagos State Government for a state-wide implementation of thetechnology. In 2007, he founded CATCH AFRICA scholarship competitionfor gifted Secondary School Students. This young Nigerian scientist whoalso doubles as a rapper won at a nationwide rap competition hosted byB.E.T. Hall of Famer and ex-Ruff Ryder member Jin in 2006, underprevious moniker – “D2dbo”. He has also performed at the NigerianConsulate in New York (2009) and in D.C. with MTV-featured artist, PhilAde. In 2010, he released a 17-track Mixtape “Next Level” (2010). Inthis interview with BN Editorial Assistant, Gbenga Awomodu, he discusses science research, rap music, and Nigeria.

Please let us into your world.
I am Levelz/Debo, a 25 year old rapper and scientist – currentlycompleting a PhD. in Physics at Cornell University in New York and atthe same time working on music for fellow Nigerians to fall in lovewith and relate to. On the way to this point, I lived around a verysupportive family that had no problem with me ripping my trousers whiledoing the splits to MC Hammer songs, right after learning my ratios andproportions from a loving grandfather. This diversity of interests isat the root of who I am and I think it has been encouraged (probablyunwittingly) for as long as I can remember. The most exciting days forme, however, were my days at Kings College, Lagos – the laughs, thejokes, the Q.C. girls I bought chocolates for, the night-long studysessions and the boarding house pranks somehow molded me into theperson I am today. It still blows my mind to think that I and peoplelike Cobhams Asuquo (producer) and Olumide Adewumi (Gidilounge) were inthe same 1995-2001 set and that back then we were just kids having fun,eating our NASCO cornflakes and generally trying to do well in school.I remember my time in K.C. very fondly and I will continue to showerpraises on that school even when I am old and grey.

You recently won the Best Use of Science award at the Future Awards. How did you feel, receiving the honour?
It was a very humbling experience. Winning in the Best Use of Sciencecategory and being a finalist in the Young Person of the Year categorygave me a strong sense of value and appreciation. It felt very good toknow that one could do science and technology research and be valuedand recognized by one’s people. I also felt that by winning, Irepresented a whole school of people who would undoubtedly berecognized in upcoming awards. There are many extremely talentedNigerians doing good work in the sciences and because of our tight-knitsocial network, I felt like in my own little way I would help get moreof these people aware of and involved in The Future Project. Inaddition, getting to meet people like Chude Jideonwo, Adebola Williams,Demola Adesina, Rick Nwanso and Kenneth Oliko, was probably the mostenlightening part of the whole experience. I got to see a strong senseof community and dedication to a noble ideal. I saw people working withassembly-line perfection in the sweltering heat of Surulere in order toensure the success of The Future Project. There aren’t that manytwenty-something-year-olds that would spend their golden yearsspear-heading an effort to change their country in a way that isstripped of vanity and aggrandizement. I applaud these men and Iapplaud their vision.

Why study Physics in the university?
It is impossible to overstate how important the transistor is to all ofmodern electronics: from computers, iPads, iPhones, radios andtelevisions to your MTN, Glo, and Airtel mobile phone lines and yourever-so-special blackberry! Physics and physicists play a veryfundamental role in advancing the kinds of radical technologies thatpush the world forward. They help advance the basic understanding ofthe principles behind technology and so they tend to receive a verybroad training that can be of use in many fields of the physicalsciences and engineering. Because I like to be able to solve problemsin multiple fields and like to be able to work at the fundamentallevels of potentially ground breaking technology, I decided physics wasthe way to go.

What motivated you to take up a Ph.D. programme and what challenges have you encountered so far?
The world’s biggest problems in technology and engineering cannot besolved any more by one person sitting in a room, working in anunder-funded laboratory. We are faced with an energy crisis, and thechallenge of providing communication and information to an explodingglobal population at ever increasing rates. These problems must besolved through extensive research and by dedicated groups of people.This is precisely the kind of environment that a PhD. program provides.It allows one work on big problems without having to worry about whereto get the money to fund one’s projects.

Could you explain the significance of your PhD research in relation to the world?
It’s basically about the computers of the future and a better Internet.The world’s computers continue to get smaller and faster. Theblackberry is nothing but a computer that fits in the pocket and isalso able to make phone calls! The trend of computers getting fasterand increasingly complex while remaining compact has gone on fordecades, but due to limitations that arise from the laws of physics,these computers will not be able to get smaller and faster forever. Infact, the end might be as near as five years. In addition, the world’sinternet infrastructure is very power hungry. In fact, Google has fileda patent that talks about putting the servers on the ocean! This ispartly to help make cooling the computers easier and to help userenewable energy from the water waves to power the operations. Atpresent, servers at the internet’s huge data centers use up asignificant fraction of the entire U.S. electricity demand and costbillions of dollars to setup and maintain. This is clearly notsustainable especially as internet penetration starts to increase incountries like Nigeria and the demand for bandwidth continues toexplode, both there and in already developed countries. The energyefficiency of our internet infrastructure must increase in order tosatisfy the billions of new people in the world that must communicateand stay informed at ever increasing speeds. My research is part of abroad goal to re-invent how the world builds computers and its internetinfrastructure. We are trying to move away from the use of electriccurrents for communicating information as in today’s computers andinstead build much faster and energy efficient machines thatcommunicate and process information with light — the same object thatAlbert Einstein told us has the highest speed of all entities. By usinglight to process and transfer information, we can send and receiveinformation within and between computers at breathtaking speeds whileusing very little energy and at low costs. In this way we can help theworld’s computing and internet infrastructure continue to scale andexpand into new territories with increased and as yet unimaginedfunctionality. There are also as yet unimagined possibilities sinceusing light as a primary entity inside of computers allows for entirelynew computer architectures. Light-based computing could lead toentirely new computer architectures whose capabilities are probablyonly limited by our imaginations.

But…Where would the light in these computers come from?
Since all of the electronics in current computers are built/based onsilicon, it would be ideal for the light source on which the computersare based to be made from silicon as well. This way, the whole processcan be very low-cost and hence easily scalable. However, silicon isnotoriously terrible at emitting light. People have triedunsuccessfully for over a decade and so getting a laser out of siliconis a very big missing piece in the quest to make these computers of thefuture. My project is to build the world’s first electrically operatedsilicon laser. I work as part of a team that includes member from MIT,Stanford and Caltech and is funded to the tune of about $6 Million bythe US Department of Defense. At present, I have measured stimulatedemission (a necessary first step to obtaining a laser) in asilicon-compatible material and am working hard to get the laser (orsomething close to it) as a next step.

When did you discover your love and talent for rap music?
I have always loved words, writing, and music. I wrote poems and essaysin primary school. I danced to Michael Jackson and MC Hammer early insecondary school and then I started memorizing Coolio, Busta Rhymes,Nas and Jay-Z and drumming on lockers for our “miming” sessions in thedormitories. I also started a little “group” that would sing everySunday at the school service. It’s kind of funny, but one of themembers of that group is doing pretty well as a singer in the musicindustry now. In any case, given my musical and poetic backgrounds, rapwas an instant hit with me as a kid in junior secondary school.

Why do you rap and who are your target audience?
I rap because I love it. I rap because it is the form of music that cantake a Jude Abaga from a place of uncertainty, to a place where hiswords are recited by the Igbo man next to me when I am trying to buysuya (grilled meat) and by thousands of cheering fans. It is theperfect medium of communicating with a mass audience. It is veryimportant to me that I use a channel of communication that isaccessible to millions of people. It’s very easy to understand wordsplaced over a beat. I find this kind of reach simply amazing! I alsorap to entertain. I want to make people happy and to put smiles ontheir faces. I take pride in being pretty lyrical, but I also want tomake sure that I have songs that people can just vibe, dance or crack asmile to. For example “Supawoman” is a track with YQ that doesn’t callfor too much thinking. It celebrates beautiful women (Supawomen) andshouts out those really “Supa” women: Omowunmi, Genevieve and Oluchithat we have all come to love…

Venus vs Mars is also an example of a song that is pretty witty but sits on a very relaxed vibe and is just me having fun again.

Inaddition to entertainment, it is important for me to add an informativeelement to my music. I respect people like Fela and 2Face who havealways entertained but, at the same time, informed the people. In thissense, I try to be versatile. My song, Niger Delta, is about thehorrible exploitation of the people who generate our country’s wealth –my own little way of informing and voicing my discontent artistically.

Mymusic is first for Nigerians and then for the whole world. I repNigeria, I was born there, I live it, breathe it, speak it, eat it andlove it and nothing will change that. When I make music I have Lagos onmy mind and it is very important to me that all 150 million (includingthe 2 month old babies!) co-sign me. However, by definition, rap musicis international and cuts across all cultures and so from a marketperspective I definitely want the whole world to be my ultimateaudience. I just ensure that independent of the target demographic, myraps and my music always scream out Nigeria.

How do you cope, doing rap and science research?
The “inconvenient truth” is that I barely sleep and that sometimes Idon’t get to answer the phone calls of people very dear to me. Iapologize to any of them that get to read this! However, I am used tothis balancing act. I have been combining my extracurricular interestswith work for a very long time now and so even though the ante is beingupped, I should be fine. It isn’t easy and it’s not going to get anyeasier. However, it is in critical times such as these that a greatteam is invaluable. I work with some of the most supportive people atPlug N Play Records. With my partners: Zezewo “Travis Touchdown” Petersand Wali Akande, a growing brand and our publicity and managementteams, the work load becomes bearable. There is always more work to do,so we welcome anyone who is interested in getting aboard this alreadyexciting journey.

What should we be expecting from you after your doctorate?
For the remainder of my Ph.D., everyone should expect more hard work,humility and dedication. The hope is that all of this would yieldsignificant progress towards the laser, great music, an E.P., and a newface in the Nigerian hip-hop community that we can relate to. Duringand especially after my PhD, I intend to continue to explore myinterests in both technical and non-technical fields. Hopefully, Iwould be able to make little contributions in my own way to improvingquality of life and generating wealth for our people.

Whatdo you think about Nigeria and in what ways do you hope to furthercontribute to your country’s development in the near future?
Nigeria is a collection of 150 million strong, happy and endowedindividuals. It has the most enterprising people and, at this time, issitting on the cusp of the biggest right-turn into the road that leadsto opportunity. Nigeria is a country that has always been for those whosee opportunities where others see problems. There have always been andwill continue to be opportunities for its citizens to contributemeaningfully at the highest levels of government and business. Theenergy, education and information technology sectors are just a few ofthe areas that young people can contribute towards improving. Ratherthan make grandiose statements about what my contributions will be, Iimplore young people to work hard and gain the skills that they need tomake concrete changes. With these skills in hand, rather than go forindividual glory, they should work together to do tangible thingseither as for profit or non-profit entities. One man has never made aforest and so what I will do definitely suffers and thrives within thislarger picture.

Any plans returning to Nigeria soon?
My permanent address is still somewhere in Ikeja, Lagos Nigeria! Idon’t view myself as someone who has to “return” to Nigeria since Ihave known it all my life and I still live there. In the current phaseof my life, I just happen to school in the U.S. In addition, being amusician requires me to travel home frequently for short and longstretches and so I stay very in touch with the country. After my PhD.,I definitely intend to get a home, start businesses, spend considerabletime in Nigeria and join the many great people who are alreadyaccelerating its development.

Any other thing(s) you want to tell our esteemed readers?
Keep on reading Bellanaija. The numbers don’t lie—it is hands-down thebest at what it does… as I said elsewhere, haters can definitelymassage cactus! Keep an eye out for Levelz this year and show him allthe love and support you can muster. I encourage everyone to laugh justa little bit more this year. Minimize the time spent around thenaysayers and spend more of your time around those who add positivelyto your life. Regardless of whatever your resolution was at thebeginning of January, realize that February is already half gone andthat 2011 is your year only if you get up and grab it now! Much Love.Levelz/Debo

Courtesy: bellanaija.com

Hon. Patrick Obahiagbon explains why he speaks too much grammar (cp-afri...

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 09:17:00 +0000

Trybson Dudukoko to Play Lead Role as DA GRIN in DA GRIN Movie!

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:18:00 +0000

Da Grin will be played by rising talent Trybson Dudukoko
AMAA and ZAFA awards winner Doris Simeon will play the role of Da Grin’s girlfriend.
Other cast members include: Wole Ojo, Richard Dike, Kayode Odumosu (Pa Kasunmu) who will play Dagrin’s father, Rachael Oniga who will take up the role of Dagrin’s mother, Gabriel Afolayan, Kelechi Udegbe of Super Story fame and Oyindamola Odeshola, winner of next movie star, 2009.

About Trybson

Discovered by Stingomania Records, Trybson matured into a credible recording artiste when he teamed up with his childhood friend, Da Piano, to produce 11 consecutive hit tracks for Stingomania records including the monster track titled Dudukoko.
With Dudukoko currently taking over the airwaves from coast to coast, it is no longer in doubt that Trybson is ready for the big leagues.”
Listen to Trybson here.

Free Photography Scholarship

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 11:10:00 +0000

Want to take your photography skills to the next level? Want to do it for FREE?

The Pastor Eskor Mfon Foundation currently has 2 scholarships (valued at 150,000 naira each) available for the upcoming session of the GO PRO @ Terra Kulture
photography school!

2 lucky winners will be given the opportunity to study professional photography under the direction of award-winning visual artist, Isaac Emokpae.

The 3-month class cycle begins March 1st, 2011 and will specialize in areas including: Portraiture, Events, Photojournalism, Landscapes, Interior/Architectural, Advertising and Fine Art.

Interested Applicants Must Send the following items to PEMfoundation@gmail.com:

1.Current CV
2. Cover letter expressing your interest in the program and stating how the skills learned in this program will help you achieve your career goals.

DEADLINE is 12 a.m. February 24th 2011

HOUSE REAL BIG: Britney Spears $20 Million Mansion

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:57:00 +0000

Is this Britney Spears' new digs? Last we heard the singer was living in an $8.9 million mansion in California. Now reports are surfacing that the singer, who's currently enjoying her billboard hit "Hold It Against Me," has uprooted her things and her two boys and moved into a $20 million mansion in the Hidden Hills community of Los Angeles.

Britney's new crib is huge: it has 10 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, a tennis court, a game room, a swimming pool and tons of gardens. Total square feet? 20,000. Check out her new place.

The mansion boasts a huge chef kitchen

Huge private gardens complete with swimming pool

This house is a mock tudor stle house with spacious rooms and high ceilings

This unique property has dark wood panelling and real fireplaces.

Double staircase with giant chandelier

One of the 10 bedrooms in Britney's new joint is shocking in pink

The fabulous game room has arcade style games

CNN Inside Africa Spotlight on Nollybooks

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:08:00 +0000

CNN Inside Africa has a special feature on Nollybooks, a new chick lit publisher on the continent. The Founder describes her books as “Sex and the City” meets “Mills and Boon.” Here are some excerpts from the feature…

Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry has revolutionized African cinema, and Nollybooks is hoping to do the same for South African publishing.

Nigeria-born Moky Makura is a writer and TV presenter. When it came to starting her own publishing company, she made it her mission to get young women reading again.
“There are lots of illiterate people in South Africa,” she said. “They can read but don’t read.

But like any good story there’s a twist — it’s romance without the smut. As Makura argues, “You don’t need sex to have good storytelling.”

“I see Nollybooks as almost having a soap opera in your hand,” Makura explained.

Read the full feature here.

NGOZI ANYIAM IS REPRESENTING NIGERIA AT USEDO, GERMANY FOR TOPMODEL OF THE WORLD 2011

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 10:02:00 +0000

wow!
Peeps, am over the hills with gladness...we are doing it again and we are doing it big...

If you missed it, I will refresh your memory...last year, June 26th, the biggest names all around Nigeria, from music, to movies, to fashion, style, entertainment & government stormed Owerri for the first and biggest ever fashion gathering...the HATS AVIATION FASHION WEEK & AWARDS 2010...that same event also saw the crowning of one of the finest models in Nigeria: NGOZI ANYIAM...as BEST MODEL OF THE YEAR.

Am pleased to announce that Ngozi Anyiam will be representing Nigeria on the international stage as one of the over 80 delegates storming Usedom, Germany for the 2011 edition of TOP MODEL OF THE WORLD PAGEANT.
Please support your gurl as she fly high the 'green white green' in Germany come March 3rd 2011.

For more details about the show, please visit:
http://www.topmodeloftheworld.com/

For a direct link to Ngozi's page, please click:
www.topmodeloftheworld.com/contestants/article/nigeria/

“WHY I SET UP A BRIDAL HOUSE TO HELP BRIDES”- NDIDI OBIOHA

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:47:00 +0000

Ndidi Obioha is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Enthyst Event Management. Five years in the business, her event management outfit has hosted countless events which include A-list fashion shows, corporate events, top celebrity weddings and birthdays. She is not just a planner, she conceptualizes, organizes, defines, packages, plans, manages and co-ordinates events. Before she ventured into event planning, she had a stint in the banking industry. And like a seasoned professional, she handles all requests for attention with saintly calm, dealing with each situation and tackling each request in an orderly manner. And one commendable thing about this industrious woman is the fact that she has been able to juggle between her different lines of businesses without batting an eyelash. She is the owner of a beauty salon, Haircraft Beauty Zone; CEO of Enthyst Event Management; a stylist; and fashion editor of TW magazine.
And recently, she shocked everyone as she floats a multi-million naira one-stop- bridal house, also called the Enthyst Bridal House that specializes in all bridal dresses and accessories from head to toe. The outfit which took her 4 months to turn into a reality with the help of her husband was launched in a classy way on January 23, 2011 at the store outfit located at Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos. The event attracted a lot of her friends and clients, the likes of Ifeoma Williams, Kate Henshaw, Ifeoma Nwachukwu, Genevieve Nnaji, Adesuwa Onyenokwe, Ose Amusa- Eke, Susan Eyo-Honesty and a host of others. She also unveiled some of her latest collections ranging from the bride’s outfit, groom’s outfit, maids of honour outfit and red carpet outfits to thrill the guests, and the styles were indeed mind-blowing. City People Fashion Editor, BOLA AKINBOADE met with her and in this interview, she opens up on why she is floating a one-stop-bridal outfit.

What is Enthyst Bridal House all about? What does it entail?
It’s a one-stop- centre. What I have realized in the industry having planned a lot of weddings is that a lot of brides don’t put themselves together correctly. And for me, it’s a once in a lifetime thing. So one of the things we do here is to also offer consultation services, where we help you look right. So the idea here is that we have a one-stop-centre whereby everything you need, from top-to-bottom, you can get it as a bride, from the dresses which are stunning. We try not to pick the usual dresses, when we are picking our dresses, we are after quality of fabric and style; those are the determining factors for what we are looking for when we are picking our dresses. So the idea is pick up your dress, everything thing you need you can get from here, the Tiaras, the Veil, the hair accessories, the jewelries, the shoes, your guest register book, everything that you can imagine that you will need, you can get from here

So what let to the idea of you floating a bridal house since you are doing so well as an Event Planner?
For me, it was to help brides look right, it’s very important, because I have seen a lot of brides don’t look right on their wedding day, that is one thing that kind of inspired this. So it’s to help them get together and to create confidence, which is the whole idea of a one-stop-centre. Even for red carpet clothes, you can come here, pick up your red carpet outfit, go straight to the salon and have your hair done, and enter your car and go to your events, that’s the whole idea of what we tried to do.
I heard that it took you only 4 months to pull all these together. You are in money o, and its just a confirmation that you have been cleaning out big time as an Event Planner
(Laughs). It is God oh, but trust me, not a dime was borrowed. The truth is this, the idea came during one of my trips back to Nigeria, I traveled, and on the flight, because I’m always thinking, I’m always trying to do something new and all that. I’m a very restless person, and something said to me, open up a one-stop- bridal centre and I’m like, okay. So initially I was going to do it in my Yaba outfit. But I said to myself again, no, if you want to do this, do it well, have the location right. So I knew what I wanted, and then, just like that, it just kept happening. My husband totally designs all of this for me. So with his help and all that, I have approached an interior decorator and they gave me some scary bill, and I believe so much in what my husband does. He has this natural gift for been able to turn a place around. So I just told him to equally do this, and he came and did it and that is what we have today. So between the 2 of us, it took us four months to put our heads together. We got the place in September and started working in October, by December, the place was already near completion

What about the choice of color, you played with a lot of purple?
Purple is my favorite color, I have always been a purple person. It’s my brand color. And my birthstone is Amethyst which is purple. It’s brought me so much luck and I believe in the color. I’m a sucker for purple, any day anytime.

What I also find interesting about the whole thing is that, over the years, you didn’t really portray yourself as a wedding planner. You are more of a fashion show planner. How did you now infuse all these together?
Wedding has always been there but you know because I have done a lot of fashion shows, because, a lot of my colleagues were not into the fashion shows. We were like one of the few companies; everybody just automatically assumes that is what we are into. But we’ve done a lot of wedding. So for me, I also wanted to bring out that aspect of the company and that is one of the things that made me put this together. And I have realized that in this industry that when you talk about event planning, it was more my name than the company name. This to help put the company name, Enthyst out there. That is also one of the things that inspired this whole thing.

Talking about your collection, where do you get there from?
I travel out of the country to get all my collections. Like I mentioned earlier that I was particular about what I want, I didn’t just want anything. We went to Lebanon, Turkey; we went to the United States of America, so it’s from all over. We went to South Africa

So when you were shopping for those dresses, what was going through your mind?
I was after quality of fabric first; I see the kind of quality that people carry around. I was disturbed by quality of fabric, because, you know, it is for bride. There should be this angelic look about the bride and the fabric helps to bring that out. So it was first the fabric for me, then the style. Those were the things I was actually looking for and not about the 2010 or 2011 look. And also taking into consideration the way a Nigerian woman will like to portray, that also helps me in selecting the style.There are a lot of style I pick here that have to do with totally identifying the Nigerian woman’s look, I try to help enhance their curves and all that. I also help a lot of bride to have a double look, at some point during the reception; you will change to a stunning outfit. So we have that collection where you have outfit that you can change to.

What are your price ranges like?
The prices range from as low as $700 dollars to as much as $2000 dollars. It’s not a lot compared to the quality of what you are getting and that is the truth. Because these are the same dresses you will see for thrice abroad, but we are dealing with suppliers and manufacturers directly, that is why we have them at rock bottom prices.

What are the extra efforts you will be doing to push this new line into a household name, because it’s different from your event planning business?
We will do a lot of shows, but the truth is, each outfit will speak for itself. The moment you see one of our outfits, it’s enough to bring you here to come and see what we have, that is the whole idea.

So how do you want to juggle between your line of businesses, because your event planning outfit is already a hectic one with a busy schedule?
Everything is fun for me; I enjoy every single thing I do, so I never get tired, that is the truth. I have fun when I do what I do. So that is what is most important. I must enjoy what I do for me to do this, if I don’t enjoy, I will not touch it, because that is what will tire me and wear me out. So I’m not scared, because anything I tried to touch or get involve with, it’s because I have a passion for it. So passion totally drives me, and from the passion, I get a lot of fun for what I do. There is nothing else that I will rather be doing than what I’m doing.

Another aspect of your life most time people always overlook, fine you are successful woman, but we should not forget that you are a mother and also a wife. How have you been able to maintain that balance between your home and business?
My greatest luck is that I have gotten a very understandable family, my husband, I don’t know how to describe him but he is a huge blessing to my life. He is totally very supportive, for him, what I need to do is dream it, and do it. He is 100% behind me, even at my events. So because I have my immediate family around me, that is what that matters to me. So far, it’s been a smooth sail for me because first and foremost, my home front is right. I have a very understanding family, they totally understand what I do, and they are all involved, they come up with ideas. Like when we were putting this place together, my kids came, and they were like mummy like that, everybody was involve and been part of what we were doing. So its not just about me, its all of us together. So that is what it is, its been good.

You are very admirable and loveable person from the way you handle your things. What would say makes Ndidi tick?
I think its simply because I’m a free spirited person. And whatever I can do to help, it might not be financially all the time, but as long as you can tell me what your dream is, I can help you realize it, that is one gift that have got. And people are always willing also to share their dream with me. And its never about money for me, its just like I like people getting to whatever height they want to get to, because God has helped me and he keeps helping me, the least I can do is to be there for people. And I’m also very friendly too.

One interesting about your business is that you have been able to maintain a strong relationship with your client over the years. How did you achieve that?
Because my client appreciates the quality and professionalism in the work we do. I mean a lot of my clients, from business, we become very strong friends. And that is because they have come to see that I put my all in all into whatever I do. I never take any client or any job for granted. A lot of my clients, we have become very good friends. This building I’m occupying right now belongs to a client of mine, I rented it from her. I have been planning her daughter’s wedding. And because from one job w do, they try us out, and just leave it to us to continue to handle all their events, because of the way we handled our stuffs. We are very professional and very detailed, and very passionate about what we do. And that is what people want. People want you to take their things as your own thing. And that is it for me; I take it as my own event and put my all into it.

Courtesy: www.bebeakinboade.blogspot.com

The official Trailer for The Return of Jenifa by celebregion.com

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:35:00 +0000

Enjoy!

Registration is Now Open for 2011 Human Rights International Conference

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:31:00 +0000

Know Your Constitution Initiative, presents a 2-Day Human Rights international conference, under the Chairmanship of Professor Akin Oyebode, an international law expert.
The conference is aimed at empowering
Nigerian and Non-Nigerian participants on their fundamental rights and other rights critical to people survival in Nigeria. The sessions include: The power and functions of the Police vis-à-vis the rights of accused person, Political Participation; A right or a privilege, Alternative Dispute Resolution; Its application to infringement of human rights, Contracts: what I need to know and why I need a lawyer.
The Human rights Conference goals are to contribute immensely to expanding the frontiers of liberty, human rights, democracy and happiness of people in Nigeria.
The plenary Speakers include Madame Reine ALAPINI-GANSOU, Chairperson, African Human rights Commission, The president, ECOWAS Court of justice, Mr. Joseph ’Bodunrin Daudu, SAN, President, Nigerian Bar Association and Mr. Rowland Ewuabre, Executie secretary of the National Human Rights Commission. Our session speakers include Mr. Afiz Ringim, the Inspector General of Police, Justice Atinuke Oluyemi, Prof Itse Sagay SAN, Mr. Femi Falana, Prof. Ayo Atsenuwa & other twenty seasoned lawyers as speakers.

The Conference is schedule to take place at the University of Lagos Main Auditorium, Akoka, Lagos on Friday and Saturday 25 and 26^th March, 2011.

FREE Registration is open to 2,000 participants. For more information visit their website http://www.thenhrconference.org.ng/

In 2010, “Know Your Constitution” Initiative donated free 10,000 copies of Nigeria constitution to Lagosians

Oleku Featuring Brymo (OFFICIAL CHOCOLATE CITY MUSIC) 2011

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 09:29:00 +0000

It's Micheal jackson week this sunday on Nigerian Idol

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:25:00 +0000

The show producers say that as a means of paying tribute to the late king of pop, the contestants will on Sunday perform select songs from Michael Jackson’s rich collection.

Since the show entered its final leg, the contestants have followed different themes for their performances. From disco to Movie Soundtrack to Abba, and now Michael Jackson, the producers say this is not the end as plans are in motion for a full week dedicated to African music!

“It’s been such a privilege being a judge on the show, and I really look forward to seeing the contestants perform Michael Jackson’s songs this weekend, I really can’t wait” Jeffery Daniel who was a mentor and choreographer to Michael says

Obviously the highlight of the evening will be when Jeffery mounts the stage to do the world- famous moon walk!

In a short frame of three weeks, six contestants with the lowest public votes have been eliminated from the contest and as the show gets hotter, the reality is beginning to dawn on contestants that if they don’t sit up, eviction is inevitable.

Just like the premise of the original show Pop Idol, Nigerian Idol is a television reality show with a nation-wide search for Nigeria’s next solo superstar, which will offer one young hopeful the opportunity that raw talented singers have until now, only dreamed of. Nigerian Idol aims to find the best singer in the country who can be defined as the “National” singer, and International Artiste. One contestant will win a top quality management deal and a recording contract with an international record label, setting them on the path to stardom.

The stiff competition this year began with ten thousand contestants slugging it out for a grand prize of 7.5 Million Naira, a car and a record deal with Sony BMG.

Enyeama Receives his Award for Sportsperson of the Year

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:20:00 +0000

At the 6th edition of The Future Awards, known as Nigeria’s most influential youth event, Vincent Eneama, the 28 year old football international, was declared Sportsperson of the Year and
rewarded alongside other exceptional young Nigerians aged 18-31.
Enyeama who was out of the country could not personally receive his award, which was reserved on his behalf by sports journalist, Shina Okeleji, at the event held on January 30, 2010 at the Landmark Village in Lagos.
He was however presented with his award in February by his colleague and national team mate, Joseph Yobo. Both kitted in the nation’s team gear, Yobo presented Enyeama with his plaque as Sportsperson of the Year.
“I am very excited about this award,” Enyeama said, by phone from his base outside the country. “I am glad to be recognized and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
28 years old Enyeama, who currently plays football as a goalkeeper for Isreali club Hapoel Tel Aviv was named the Isreali player of the year 2009, the third foreigner ever to win it since 1965 and the first foreign goal keeper.
Vincent Enyeama justified claims as one of the best shot-stoppers in football at the moment, with a defiant display to restrict Argentina to a 1-0 win in their Group B 2010 FIFA World Cup match. Enyeama, who was playing his 56th international for the Super Eagles, made six fine saves, four of them from Lionel Messi, and was the major reason for Nigeria coming so close to almost pinching a draw against the two-time world champions. Lionel Messi described him as ‘phenomenal’ after this match. Despite the loss, he was named Man of the Match and Goal.com World Player of the Week.

VIDEO: WIZKID'S APOLOGY TO BASKETMOUTH, COKOBAR.COM & HIS U.K FANS

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 10:18:00 +0000

Wizkid on arrival at Hartfield

UPDATED: WIZKID HAS ARRIVED THE U.K AND HAS LANDED IN HARTFIED, apparently the U.K Embassy sorted the Visa thing out.

Mo'Cheddah - No Be Money Official Video

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:19:00 +0000

Meet Nigerian born Paralympian, Ade Adepitan!

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:09:00 +0000

Having survived polio as a youngster, Ade Adepitan has gone on to play wheelchair basketball at an international level and has a wealth of TV presenting experience. He is an inspiring motivational and sporting conference and keynote
speaker uplifting all audiences that he speaks to on subjects such as adversity, success, peak performance and teamwork.

Ade Adepitan the Television Presenter

Ade works as a very enthusiastic television presenter for the BBC. He has hosted shows including Xchange on the CBBC Channel and has reported for Sportsround and the travel show Holiday. He also appeared on the BBC One "Hip-Hop" ident as the lead dancer.
In 2006 Adepitan was in a CBBC drama Desperados about wheelchair basketball.

Ade the Olympic Athlete

Ade was a member of the Great Britain team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens and the gold medal at the 2005 Paralympic World Cup in Manchester.
Ade also commentated on wheelchair basketball for the BBC at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

MBE

Ade was made a Member of the British Empire for services to disability sport in 2005. Ade is Patron of disability sport charity, WheelPower, who are based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics.

Honorary Doctorate

Ade was presented with an Honorary Doctorate of the University, from Loughborough University in recognition of his outstanding services to, and performances in, disabled sport.

Ade Adepitan as a Motivational Speaker

As a motivational speaker, Ade is much in demand in the corporate sector, coving numerous topics including adversity, success, peak performance and teamwork.

Watch video below:

For further information or to book Ade Adepitan, call us on +44 (0) 20 8365 3200 or email info@speakerscorner.co.uk

Tosin Otitoju: A Whiz Kid’s Journey of Self-Discovery & Fulfilment

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:48:00 +0000

Born on May 1, 1981, Oluwatosin Helen Otitoju is perhaps the most decorated young Nigerian her age. At a tender age of 14, she was already the head girl of Queens College, Lagos. She had the second best Junior School Certificate results nationwide and became the overall best in the May/June 1996

Senior School Certificate Examinations. She went on to shatter records at the Howard University, graduating Summa Cum Laude (First Class) in Electrical Engineering and becoming the first ever Howard graduate recipient of the Poincaré Fellowship at the California Institute of Technology for postgraduate studies. In 2004, she received a national merit award (FRM) from the Nigerian government and two years later received the Young Person of the Year Award at The Future Awards 2006. Less than three years later, she had a teaching stint in Yola, Adamawa State, and currently lectures at the Department of Systems Engineering, University of Lagos. An Associate of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, she holds a Masters degree in Control and Dynamical Systems from Caltech and is the author of Comrade, a collection of poetry published in 2010. She was actively involved in Caltech Theater Arts (2002-2006) as an actress in five full productions, including Molière’s The Misanthrope, Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure and As You Like It, and modern works: Inspiration by Iona Morris and Krishna by Sid Jaggi of OASIS. In this exclusive interview with BN Editorial Assistant, Gbenga Awomodu, she shares details about quitting her PhD programme, teaching experience in Nigeria, and her continuous journey of self-discovery and fulfillment in marrying science and the Arts.

Could you briefly describe your journey from primary school to the California Institute of Technology?
After Primary 1, I was promoted to Primary 3 where I was in the 8th position after the first term; 7th after the second; then, after that, I probably remained 1st. My dad was very competitive and wanted me to be the best. There were only two terms in JSSI and when I came 23rd, out of over 300 students, I started crying, like they were going to kill me at home. They didn’t. Then, I moved to the 11th position. In JSS 2, I was 5th, and then there was a turning point: there was a Speech & Prize Giving day, but I couldn’t give my parents the invitation card out of shame. I decided to work towards the next session so I calculated what I needed to top the class. I worked towards it and even overshot it! And the rest is history. I finished secondary school in 1996 and had the best national result in the May/June 1996 SSCE. In June 1996, I took part in the EESI programme sponsored by NASA and entered the Howard University to study Electrical Engineering in 1997. I started working on my PhD in 2001 and got the FRM, a national merit award from the Nigerian government in 2004. I don’t go around thinking about the laurels or letting them get into my head. Maybe that’s good…

Any fond childhood memories?
Running, skipping, and jumping to/from the house on TinCan Island. It was an idyllic place. You know – cooking with sand and leaves, and one time we planned and planned a Christmas concert…

Why did you halt your PhD programme at Caltech?
I was satisfied that I had learned a lot and by that time there was a mismatch between what a PhD is about – deep research into a small topic – and my broader goals. I didn’t have a strong research interest or a clear path to the PhD. On the other hand, I had developed strong interests outside my PhD and was pining to explore them. Put it another way, I had overdosed on elite science and wanted a change of diet. Some people call this whole thing “burnout”. Anyway, it’s a complex and popular PhD disease… There are not so many places where you find such intellectual density. It’s so super amazing, but it’s very irritating too because there’s nobody else. Nobody you can talk to and share problems with. No church, not many religious people, no buffers – people who care. No real community – everybody’s just really, really, smart…really, really, competitive… After you go to a place like that, you appreciate women. In the absence of this oiling, and the people who say “how was your day?” and pay attention, the world wouldn’t work. People didn’t understand me, I didn’t understand them, but I knew that I was in an amazing learning experience and the emotional climate there was horrible.

In July 2006, I let people know I was heading out. I talked to my friends and they gave me good advice. I told them everything that I thought that I had been going through and what I had decided and they told me what they thought. Six months before I quit, I had spent a month in Yemen in the Middle East studying Arabic and that was probably why I finally made the move out of grad school because when you have been that happy, it makes it less tolerable…

Could you describe your experience in Yemen?
Not everyone has experienced falling deeply in love – with a place. I can say that I have. I felt something indescribable in my five weeks there. I’ll have to turn to one of my poems to explain:

In each town
I will stand on a roof, trembling with pleasure
When the spirits in the sights and the sounds whisper:
Stay, stay in this your primordial home.
That first reunion with the winds
Carrying the sands from the brown mountains of South Arabia -
It was like falling deep in love.
It drew love songs from my lips and tears from my eyes.
Let me return to Yemen before the longing drives me mad. (from Arven: The Inheritance, in Yalla!)

My next-to-be-published poetry collection is about the joy of travel and the essence of place; of location. It is titled Yalla! (Let’s Go), Yemen had amazing Architecture and that was the first Eastern place that I liked. I just had a perfect time there. Everything was right, felt very right like I was from there in a sort of ancestral sense. Well, I returned from Yemen to Pasadena, California, where I was again not in love. With such a marked contrast, what could I do but leave?

How did you find California after you returned from Yemen and what were you up to for the period before leaving the US?
The moment you go to Yemen and you’re like “this is life… wow!” and then you come back? When I came back, it was like Jesus after praying on the mountain for forty days, all pure and everything, clean and happy and, you know? Then, you’d interact with somebody like two minutes and then you feel the toxins coming back, and then you’re thinking ‘maybe I can breathe… maybe I can let it out’, and there are so many things that happen and within a week, it’s like you’re back to your nervous state again… so it wasn’t easy… so I started saying to myself again… me with the PhD, me without the PhD, plus or minus… you know? I went to an Arab film festival in San Francisco. For once, I could actually, see events, and just attend whenever I wanted. I also watched a lot of tennis. I was looking for a job with truth, with excitement. But it was hard to take any. I wasn’t going to lock myself in something I wasn’t ‘mad’ about. I had a few dollars saved; I always have a few dollars saved. That way you can live; you can do your own life. You won’t be like ‘If I don’t do this, then I can’t eat tomorrow’. I don’t spend a lot and I like money for security. It was just a big change from the really stressed thing. It was hard for me to even do credible interviews because I was very honest with myself and with the interviewers and many people would just politely run away, because when you are talking about freedom… the interviewer’s like “No!…You will not be free, go!” I was blogging a lot. I wanted to start teaching for a while; that didn’t work. I did one little FOREX trading thing. I just played, you know? On the last day of 2007, I think, I left the U.S. and in 2008 I had a job in Egypt. I worked in Cairo at a Software company for six months. It’s very good for the soul. Sunshine is there and the people are warm. I love the Middle East, not necessarily Egypt. I loved Egypt, but I love Yemen more. I will do my honeymoon in Yemen, if I ever married someone (I didn’t say I was marrying anybody) Anyway… [laughs]

How has your teaching experience in Nigeria been, and what challenges you have had to tackle so far?
In Yola, they gave me a lot of freedom there so it was great… I’m still in touch with my students; even though some of them have now graduated. I had a quick stint in Abuja, then Lagos. I like acada, but I don’t like Lagos. I’ve found my way to adapt and enjoy it, but spiritually still, I’m not a Lagosian. 20 years from now, when Lagos is Barcelona, I may actually be in tune, but now mehn! I’m passing through! (laughs) I’m a pilgrim. I like the north; I love rural life right now. I love teaching and learning, in any country. I love the heightened sense of mission when it’s in my home country. We have to take better care of our young people, not the criminal neglect that exists. Care for our youth includes providing for their food and security, but it also includes their social and economic development, which is ensured by sound education. Nowadays you still see classrooms in Nigerian universities with hundreds of students – this is an insult to the students, it shows a lack of care. In the academic world, they try to tell people that it’s all about research; it’s not about teaching. Really, what does the world need? More critical people, more educated, more prepared and then you say somebody who’s providing that service is inferior? My former advisor was interesting by being unconventional and weird and he had a world record in rowing. For instance, he didn’t put a lot of equations on his slides…

What do you miss about the Caltech environment and when do you intend to go back to finish up your PhD programme?
At a place like Caltech, you learn about extreme efficiency. We’re perhaps the most intense technical institute in the world. We joke that MIT exists “because not everyone can go to Caltech.” Besides being saturated with brilliance, it’s also wealthy. All this is to say that it’s an excellent place for science and I don’t miss it. However, I would like to get another dose of immersion in which I would learn something new and important. It’s also somewhat important to me to write a thesis and get closure; to slay the dragon as it were. Yet I must say my work right now is very fulfilling, and the PhD itself will add little value to my life. I should return in about one year; I’m looking for funding now.

What is the single most important decision you have made in the last decade?
No idea which one. I like my decisions.

How do you manage Engineering and Literature?
I teach engineering better because I have been a performer and writer, and I started thinking more creatively about scientific research only after I gained confidence as a published writer. On the other hand, I think my literature is part social engineering, part language engineering. I like the synergies. However, it seems I have to educate people about the synergies, since many people are wedded to the specialization myth: this is art – that is science – this is social science – that is language.

What inspired your collection of poetry and its title – Comrade?
I had just returned to Nigeria and felt sad about the society I was seeing. We had not united to improve our lives – no wonder things were so bad that we did not have simple electric power, let alone justice or prosperity. Not only was there a lot of work to be done to build the society, but also all the people were not busy building. Then I went to Yola for NYSC, and it was so dreamy and peaceful that I started writing tonnes of poetry. I decided the first collection, where I put all the political-, or struggle-, themed poems had to be called Comrade. The word evokes images of coming together and acknowledging a shared struggle. We struggle because we want better, and there is no shame in it. It seems the Nigerian youth today has got that message actually.

If you were Nigeria’s president, how would you solve Nigeria’s electricity problem?
If I was the president of Nigeria, I would ask Ernest Ndukwe, formerly of NCC – the telecoms regulator – to spearhead the deregulation of the Electric Power Industry. Since I am not the president of Nigeria, I am asking him to do so. (President Jonathan, you don hear?) We are lucky to have several great talents in this country, yet so often we do not respect the importance of the right person in the right job.

What are your personal dreams for the next ten years?
I want to marry Rafael Nadal – tough one, he has a lovely girlfriend. I want to keep being an academic – one that is successful in relation to my students and other academics, and also publicly, in engagement with the larger society.

What are your plans for marriage, or are your folks not giving you the eye or even raising the question?
I’m interested in partnering with someone, but (fortunately for me) I’m not overly driven to accomplish this or to do so by a certain date. OK, to be honest, I go out of my way to deter some applicants because some people have longa-throat – they want to be with someone that they can’t handle. Later now, they’ll say “do this”, “change that”. If it’s love that we’re talking about, I think it’s not romantic to set goals on love.

Why do you keep a haircut, unlike many other ladies who do more sophisticated things with their hair? How do you respond to people who give you that quizzical look?
My hair is natural and beautiful and random and nice. I don’t think people looking quizzically is like, sinister or anything so I suppose it’s not a problem. Sometimes people go beyond looking and advice me to do something different and on occasion I take that advice. I understand that some people may not be used to jagajaga hair as a style, but the hair is not sinister or anything and the owner-of-the-head likes it, so kini big deal?

How do you spend your leisure time?
Usually reading, but these days I want to spend more time swimming and/or watching tennis.

What would you say to young Nigerians out there who hope to make a positive change in our nation?
This is our time, this is our home. This is it. And we are capable. And my favourite colour, since you didn’t ask? I’ve never met a brown that I did not like. Other than that, green makes me happy. Both are colours of earth and nature. Some occasions call for red, on the rare occasion that I need to attract attention, like for a book cover.

Courtesy: Bellanaija.com

Banky W - Follow you go (Sisi Eko)

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:25:00 +0000

London 2012 Olympic Games schedule released

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:24:00 +0000

An artist's impression of the London 2012 Olympic Stadium

The schedule of events for the London 2012 Olympic Games has been released.

The first action will be women's football in Cardiff, Glasgow and Coventry on 25 July, two days before the official opening of the Games.
The middle weekend
promises to be unmissable, with British trio Jessica Ennis, Christine Ohuruogu and Paula Radcliffe set to be going for gold.
The men's 100m final, with Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt likely to be centre stage, takes place on Sunday 5 August.

Download the full London 2012 schedule (PDF format; 5MB)

The dates, times, venues and prices for more than 600 sessions of competition across all 26 Olympic sports will be emailed to the 2.2m people who have signed up for information ahead of tickets going on sale on 15 March.
London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe described them as the "greatest tickets on earth for the greatest show on earth".

The things people remember are head to heads and we could potentially have one of the best given that Tyson Gay is going to make this a really tough run for Usain Bolt

Sebastian Coe

Double Olympic champion Coe said: "This is a really big moment, a huge moment.
"In my own experience as a competitor this is the point that it suddenly becomes very real.
"I remember this point in the build-up to Los Angeles, and suddenly realising I was going to be running seven races in nine days.
"We are now getting to the business end of the project and we know from the number of people who have signed up for ticket information that there is a real hunger from all parts of the country to be there."
After the women's football group games on Wednesday and Thursday, the opening ceremony of the games will take place inside the Olympic stadium at 1930 BST on Friday 27 July.

Find out which events you can watch for £20

Mark Cavendish could capture Britain's first gold of the Games in the men's cycling road race the following day.
Attention will turn to the Aquatics Centre on Sunday 29 July, where swimmer Rebecca Adlington hopes to be defending her gold medal in the women's 400m freestyle.
On Monday 30 July swimming legends Michael Phelps and Ian Thorpe could be going head-to-head in the men's 200m freestyle, while Tom Daley expects to be competing for his first medal of the Games in the 10m synchronised platform diving final.
Rowing, taking place at Eton Dorney, will also feature heavily in the opening week, with Greg Searle's comeback 20 years after his Barcelona 1992 gold set to be one of the Games' most romantic tales.

DAVE GORDON'S BLOG

Who are likely to be the stars of the Games? Can our heroes of four years before repeat their successes? Where will the dramatic action take place? Will history be made? We'll shape our plans accordingly

Track cycling, dominated by the British at Beijing in 2008, gets underway at the velodrome on Thursday 2 August with Sir Chris Hoy hoping to lead the hosts to gold in the men's team sprint.
The Olympic Stadium's track and field events begin on the Friday, with Ennis in line to begin her quest for heptathlon gold and finals in the women's 10,000m and the men's shot put.
Saturday 4 August is already being dubbed as "Super Saturday" with the climax of the heptathlon competition and the women's 100m final taking prime-time slots. The Olympic rowing and swimming competitions will also reach a conclusion.
The following day features an equally mouth-watering array of sport, with Radcliffe and Ohuruogu hoping to be involved in the women's marathon and 400m final respectively, before a potentially electrifying showdown between Bolt and American Tyson Gay in the men's 100m.
Coe added: "We can already start to picture what might happen. There is a recognition now that the men's 100m is a pretty serious moment and we have planned that to be fairly early on the evening of that Sunday.
"The things people remember are head-to-heads and we could potentially have one of the best given that Tyson Gay is going to make this a really tough run for Usain Bolt."

Phillips Idowu will be looking to go one better than his silver in Beijing

Also on the middle Sunday, British gymnast Louis Smith should be aiming to surpass his Beijing bronze on the pommel horse at the O2 arena, Ben Ainslie could be lining up to add to his three Olympic titles off the coast of Weymouth and the men's single's final will take place at Wimbledon.
Hoy and gymnast Beth Tweddle should be in action on Monday 6 August with Alistair Brownlee expected to be vying for a home gold medal in the men's Hyde Park triathlon the following day.
Canoeist-cum-doctor Tim Brabants, a gold medallist in Beijing, hopes to defend his kayak single 1000m title at Eton Dorney on Wednesday 8 August.
On Thursday 9 August, Phillips Idowu could be adding an Olympic title to his world and European crowns in the triple jump final, while the women's football final takes place at Wembley.
The men's football final is on the concluding Saturday of the Games when the athletics programme reaches a finale and Daley competes in the individual 10m platform dive.
British boxers Tom Stalker and Bradley Saunders will hope to still be involved when the medals are decided on the final day of the Olympics on Sunday 12 August.

Courtesy: bbc.com

Lady Gaga - Born This Way Live the Grammys

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:09:00 +0000

Pictures from Grammy Awards 2011

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:00:00 +0000

Dportas Valentine’s Day Packages!

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:23:00 +0000

Valentine season is a time to show a little extra LOVE. We love chocolate, we love flowers, we love nice dinners and more
.

For your valentine package and flowers for love ones, Dportas can take the stress off you. They are experts in gifts deliveries......

Dportas is a one stop food and errand company aimed at saving you time, and taking the stress off you by ensuring all you need is available at your doorstep. The company has been able to introduce a range of hygienically packed raw foods sold in various departmental stores in Lagos and Abuja.

Contact Details:
Olajide Olayemi
Address: 17 Aliu Iboyimi Street off Alli Dada Street, Ago Palace way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos
Phone no : 08035035392,07084482781

2011 Grammy Award Winners

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:54:00 +0000

The winners...

Record of the year:
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

Album of the year:
"The Suburbs" - Arcade Fire

Song of the year:
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

Best new artist:
Esperanza Spalding

Pop performance by a duo or group with vocals:
"Hey, Soul Sister" (Live) - Train

Pop vocal album:
"The Fame Monster" - Lady Gaga

Rock album:
"The Resistance" - Muse

Rap album:
"Recovery" - Eminem

Female country vocal performance:
Miranda Lambert, "The House That Built Me"

Country album:
"Need You Now" - Lady Antebellum

Producer of the year, non-classical:
Danger Mouse

Female pop vocal performance:
"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga

Male pop vocal performance:
"Just The Way You Are" – Bruno Mars

Pop collaboration with vocals:
"Imagine" – Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

Pop instrumental performance:
"Nessun Dorma" – Jeff Beck

Pop instrumental album:
"Take Your Pick" – Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto

Dance recording:
"Only Girl (In The World)" – Rihanna

Electronic/dance album:
"La Roux" – La Roux

Traditional pop vocal album:
"Crazy Love" – Michael Bublé

Solo rock vocal performance:
"Helter Skelter" – Paul McCartney

Rock performance by a duo or group with vocals:
"Tighten Up" – The Black Keys

Rock song:
"Angry World" – Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)

Alternative music album:
"Brothers" – The Black Keys

Female R&B vocal performance:
"Bittersweet" – Fantasia

Male R&B vocal performance:
"There Goes My Baby" – Usher

R&B Performance by a duo or group with vocals:
"Soldier Of Love" – Sade

Traditional R&B vocal performance:
"Hang On In There" – John Legend & The Roots

Urban/alternative performance:
"F*** You" – Cee Lo Green

R&B song:
"Shine" – John Stephens, songwriter (John Legend & The Roots)

R&B album:
"Wake Up!" – John Legend & The Roots

Contemporary R&B album:
"Raymond V Raymond" – Usher

Rap solo performance:
"Not Afraid" – Eminem

Rap performance by a duo or group:
"On To The Next One" – Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz

Rap/sung collaboration:
"Empire State Of Mind" – Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

Rap song:
"Empire State Of Mind" – Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Burt Keyes & Sylvia Robinson, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)

Male country vocal performance:
"'Til Summer Comes Around" – Keith Urban

Country performance by a duo or group with vocals:
"Need You Now" – Lady Antebellum

Country collaboration with vocals:
"As She's Walking Away" – Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson

Country instrumental performance:
"Hummingbyrd" – Marty Stuart

Country song:
"Need You Now" – Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

Gospel performance:
"Grace" – BeBe & CeCe Winans

Gospel song:
"It's What I Do" – Jerry Peters & Kirk Whalum, songwriters (Kirk Whalum & Lalah Hathaway)

Rock or rap gospel album:
"Hello Hurricane" – Switchfoot

Pop/contemporary gospel album:
"Love God. Love People." – Israel Houghton

Southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album:
"The Reason" – Diamond Rio

Traditional gospel album:
"Downtown Church" – Patty Griffin

Best contemporary R&B gospel album:
"Still" – BeBe & CeCe Winans

Latin pop album:
"Paraiso Express" – Alejandro Sanz

Contemporary blues album:
"Living Proof" – Buddy Guy

Traditional folk album:
"Genuine Negro Jig" – Carolina Chocolate Drops

Contemporary folk album:
"God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise" – Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs

Zydeco or Cajun music album:
"Zydeco Junkie" – Chubby Carrier And The Bayou Swamp Band

Reggae album:
"Before The Dawn" – Buju Banton

Traditional world music album:
"Ali And Toumani" – Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté

Contemporary world music album:
"Throw Down Your Heart , Africa Sessions Part 2: Unreleased Tracks" – Béla Fleck

Musical album for children:
"Tomorrow's Children" – Pete Seeger With The Rivertown Kids And Friends

Spoken word album for children:
"Julie Andrews' Collection Of Poems, Songs, And Lullabies" – Julie Andrews & Emma Walton Hamilton

Spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & story telling):

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook)" – Jon Stewart (With Samantha Bee, Wyatt Cenac, Jason Jones, John Oliver & Sigourney Weaver)

Comedy album:
"Stark Raving Black" – Lewis Black

Musical show album:
"American Idiot (Featuring Green Day)" – Billie Joe Armstrong, producer (Green Day, composers; Billie Joe Armstrong, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast With John Gallagher, Jr., Michael Esper & Others)

Compilation soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media:
"Crazy Heart" – (Various Artists) Stephen Bruton & T Bone Burnett, producers

Score Soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media:
"Toy Story 3" – Randy Newman, composer

Song written for motion picture, television or other visual media:
"The Weary Kind (From Crazy Heart)" – Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett, songwriters (Ryan Bingham)

Instrumental composition:
"The Path Among The Trees" – Billy Childs, composer (Billy Childs Ensemble)

Instrumental arrangement:
"Carlos" – Vince Mendoza, arranger (John Scofield, Vince Mendoza & Metropole Orkest)

Instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalist(s):
"Baba Yetu" – Christopher Tin, arranger (Christopher Tin, Soweto Gospel Choir & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Recording package:
"Brothers" – Michael Carney, art director (The Black Keys)

Boxed or special limited edition package:
"Under Great White Northern Lights (Limited Edition Box Set)" – Rob Jones & Jack White III, art directors (The White Stripes)

Album notes:
"Keep An Eye On The Sky" – Robert Gordon, album notes writer (Big Star)

Historical album:
"The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)" – Jeff Jones & Allan Rouse, compilation producers; Paul Hicks, Sean Magee, Guy Massey, Sam Okell & Steve Rooke, mastering engineers (The Beatles)

Engineered album, non-classical:
"Battle Studies" – Michael H. Brauer, Joe Ferla, Chad Franscoviak & Manny Marroquin, engineers (John Mayer)

Remixed recording, non-classical:
"Revolver (David Guetta's One Love Club Remix)" – David Guetta & Afrojack, remixers (Madonna)

Surround sound album:
"Britten's Orchestra" – Keith O. Johnson, surround mix engineer; Keith O. Johnson, surround mastering engineer; David Frost, surround producer (Michael Stern & Kansas City Symphony)

Engineered album, classical – TIE:
"Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina" – Mark Donahue, John Hill & Dirk Sobotka, engineers (Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony Orchestra), AND "Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works" – Leslie Ann Jones, Kory Kruckenberg, Brandie Lane & David Sabee, engineers (Eliesha Nelson & John McLaughlin Williams)

Producer of the year, classical:
David Frost

Classical album:
"Verdi: Requiem" – Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master; Christopher Alder, producer; David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers/mixers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer

Orchestral performance:
"Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina" – Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Terrence Wilson; Nashville Symphony)

Opera recording:
"Saariaho: L'Amour De Loin" – Kent Nagano, conductor; Daniel Belcher, Ekaterina Lekhina & Marie-Ange Todorovitch; Martin Sauer, producer

Choral performance:
"Verdi: Requiem" – Riccardo Muti, conductor; Duain Wolfe, chorus master (Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli & Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus)

Instrumental soloist(s) performance (with orchestra):
"Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 23 & 24" – Mitsuko Uchida (The Cleveland Orchestra)

Instrumental soloist performance (without orchestra):
"Messiaen: Livre Du Saint-Sacrement" – Paul Jacobs

Chamber music performance:
"Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2" – Parker Quartet

Small ensemble performance:
"Dinastia Borja" – Jordi Savall, conductor; Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial De Catalunya

Classical vocal performance:
"Sacrificium" – Cecilia Bartoli (Giovanni Antonini; Il Giardino Armonico)

Classical contemporary composition:
"Daugherty, Michael: Deus Ex Machina" – Michael Daugherty (Giancarlo Guerrero)

Classical crossover album:
"Tin, Christopher: Calling All Dawns" – Lucas Richman, conductor (Sussan Deyhim, Lia, Kaori Omura, Dulce Pontes, Jia Ruhan, Aoi Tada & Frederica von Stade; Anonymous 4 & Soweto Gospel Choir; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

Short form music video:
"Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga

Long form music video:
"When You're Strange (The Doors)" – Tom Dicillo, video director; John Beug, Jeff Jampol, Peter Jankowski & Dick Wolf, video producers.

An Interview With A Child Of Destiny:OLAYEMI OLAJIDE

dgistcaster@yahoo.com (DgistCASTER) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 12:24:00 +0000

Problems are opportunities in disguise.

Not so many young people know how to take advantage of the opportunities in their immediate locality. Instead they grumble and complain. But this young, intelligent and good looking lady wouldn't join the bandwagon- where others see problems, she tweaks out opportunities.

Olayemi Olajide is the CEO of DPORTAS, a food and errand company aimed at saving you time, and taking the stress off you by ensuring all you need is available
at your doorstep. The company has been able to introduce a range of hygienically packed raw foods sold in various departmental stores in Lagos and Abuja. Their services include Market Errands (For food items/household needs), Gift Shopping (for Birthdays, Anniversaries, Valentine, Hamper....etc), Cooking Errand (Local soups and stews cooked and delivered to your doorstep), Pick-Up and Drop-Off Services and Vacation Needs (All you need when moving in or out of the country).

Even before Yemi started Dportas, she was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug while in school and she hasn't looked back.

The 26 years old Yemi is a graduate of Yaba College Of Technology and has attended Trainings like "The Future- Entrepreneur Development Programme" and "The Future Writers Workshop."

What prompted you to start Dportas?
I asked God for an idea...he gave me dportas.

Did starting Dportas require a large capital and how did you obtain your start up capital?
I think every business requires a considerable amount of money to start. Dportas is no xception,but I dint have so much when I wanted to start,I had to make do with the little that was available. Got most of the start up capital from family.

What is your unique selling point? What are those things that set Dportas apart from other companies in it niche business area?
Consistency,possibility and variety. With dportas,the service gets better than the last time. We stay in touch with customers making sure they get exactly what they requested .dportas is interested in making sure customers operate a balanced life even when they think it impossible.Thats why we do the things you have to do while you accomplish what you want to.

What are your future plan for the company?
Dportas will be a global brand for Nigerian food products and errands.

Tell us about your family and childhood days.
I grew up in an average family,I got everything I needed as a child. My parents were business people so somehow I picked the trait and started selling at an early age and my mum encourages me (she would help me buy things to sell).I am the 3rd of 4 children(3 girls n a boy).

What major challenges have you faced so far?
Acceptance.

What package do you have for your customer who want to "wow" their love ones on valentine's day?
Flowers(roses and bouquets),cakes,perfumes,dinner...surprises...name it,we are just a call away.

Advice for the youth.
God,Hard-work,smart-work,selflessness,determination,honesty is what I preach.

Check out these:

add: 17,Aliu Iboyimi Street, Off Ali Dada Ago Palace Way,
Isolo, Lagos.
pnone: 08035035392, 08081069473
email: monamiae@yahoo.co.uk

Follow Yemi on Facebbok @ Olayemi Olajide