'BODEDEREK

The Princess Spy

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 21:40:00 +0000

Noor Inayat Khan

Alias Nora Baker, and codenamed Madeleine, was a beautiful and talented princess.

Before the war, she had bagged a degree in Child Psychology, had written a lot of poetry, as well as many children's stories.

Her stories appeared in Paris newspapers and on French radio.

By the time she was twenty five years old, her book, Twenty Jataka Tales, had been published in France, Britain and the United States.

Noor was also an accomplished musician.

Her greatest love was music and she was said to have played the harp beautifully.

WW2 began the same year her book was published, and during 1940, Germany invaded France.

Noor and her family became refugees and just managed to get on the last boat leaving the French coast for Britain.

She joined the Women's Auxiliary Air Force and trained to become a wireless operator.

Her excellent radio skills and fluent French brought her to the attention of SOE (The Special Operations Executive) and they came calling to recruit her.

Unknown to the SOE at that time was the fact that the individual Henri Dericourt, who met her plane when it landed in France, was a double agent who worked for both the British and the Germans.

Within days of her arrival, all the British agents that worked for the Prosper network she was assigned to work with, had been arrested by the Germans.

All of them, except Noor.

Because of this development, SOE ordered her to return to England but Noor refused, insisting that she would rebuild the network on her own.

She stayed at her post, and probably because SOE didn't insist hard enough, she ended up doing the work of six radio operators while the Germans hunted for her.

Her transmissions became the only link between the agents around the Paris area and London. Her work had become crucial to the war effort, as she helped airmen to escape and also in facilitating important deliveries to come in.

She moved constantly and evaded arrest many times, until...

The sister of the leader of one of the cells she worked with betrayed and informed on her. For money.

After her capture, the Germans asked her to send a message to London, a standard ploy that gives the erroneous impression that she was still operating successfully behind the line.

Princess Noor obliged, but deliberately omitted her "Bluff Security Check" which should have alerted London that she was in the hands of the enemy.

Amazingly, SOE for some reason missed this clue.

And so, when the Germans got control of her radio and used their own wireless operators to send messages to London, SOE sent in more agents.

Predictably, all of them got captured because the Germans were waiting for them.

Promised inducements at first by the Germans if she would cooperate, Princess Noor refused to talk.

They tried other tactics that had successfully been used on other captured agents, and still they got nothing out of her.

Exasperated and frustrated by her strong will, she was sent off to prison in Germany to receive the harshest treatment possible.

Kept under inhumane conditions and beaten every day, she remained resolute and unswerving.

Finally, she was shipped to the Dachau concentration camp in Dachau to be tortured and executed.

The final word out of her mouth before she was shot in the back of the head was Liberty!

She died because she believed that all people must be free.

Read More Here...Overlooked No More: Noor Inayat Khan, Indian Princess and British Spy

Noor Inayat Khan was recently suggested to be the new face of the £50 note.

This created further awareness of her war time efforts.

The Bank of England however decided that the subject would be a scientist.

In France, a primary school in Suresness has been named after her.

"Without sacrifice there is no resurrection.
Nothing grows and blooms save by giving.
All you try to save in yourself wastes and perishes."
~ Andre Gide (The Fruits of the Earth)

Peace

Christine Granville

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 20:36:00 +0000

Britain's Finest Female Spy

This lady risked her life so many times, solved problems by creating solutions, and many times acted as a catalyst to bring about, and in many cases, brilliant solutions to the problem of the Nazis during the second world war.

She died after the war in June 1952, murdered by someone she thought was her friend, it was totally unexpected.

To be murdered by a friend during the peace. A feat her professional enemies, crack troops, double agents and the Gestapo tried to achieve and failed to do, every single time.

She was at one time, at the top of the Gestapo most wanted list during World War 2.

Christine Granville O.B.E., George Medal and the Croix de Guerre, was the daughter of a Polish Count, Jerzy Skarbek. Her real name was Maria Krystyna Skarbek.

The amazing exploits of Prime Minister Winston Churchill's favourite spy is recounted by the British documentary series, Secret War, below.

It's not a stretch to speculate that Christine Granville would have survived the peace, as she survived the war, if her unique skills, courage and resilience had been harnessed and redirected after the conflict.

Most of those who worked for the Special Operations Executive, the group set up by Prime Minister Churchill to "set Europe ablaze," returned to what they were doing before the war.

But not Christine.

Read More About Winston Churchill's Favourite Spy Christine Granville Here

She was in Ethiopia with her husband of just one year when the German army occupied her native Poland.

A truly liberated woman, who was well ahead of her time, she acquitted herself admirably on behalf of the British state by fighting the evil fascistic tyranny of Nazi Germany within the major war theatres of Europe.

She fought in Poland, escaped treachery in Hungary, and was one of the key operatives that worked behind enemy lines with the French resistance (the Maquis) to eventually liberate France from Hitler's goons.

Laurence Binyon

Christine Granville, I salute you. You fought for peace. Rest well.

Derek Soyemi

Visit our sister site @ MusicArtinDesign

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Cold War Spy

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sun, 15 Dec 2019 21:00:00 +0000

KGB Agent Aldrich Ames

Is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole at a Federal Correctional Institution in the United States of America for a most egregious crime, espionage.

Rick had CIA in his blood. His father had worked for the company as an analyst in Turkey.

Rick joined up in 1962...

The job took him places. Mexico City, New York, Paris, Rome.

His Russian was better than good, so he could hang out, mingle and hobnob with the Soviets assigned to the UN.

As Chief of Soviet Branch of the Counter-Intelligence Division for the CIA, his hobnobbing with Soviets wouldn't have seemed suspicious to colleagues.

Sometime in 1985, CIA officer Aldrich (Rick) Ames walked into a Soviet embassy with a massive amount of classified CIA documents under his coat for the KGB.

A present, to show his good faith.

He knew the documents would convince of his good intentions, trustworthiness and loyalty to the KGB, after they had been examined.

The reason?

Money, Greed and Vanity.

"I needed the money." He was becoming knee-deep in debt, he said. He also had a personal grouse that he wasn't being promoted fast enough. The one thing everyone agrees on though, and Rick has never denied, was Maria...

Ames met his second wife Maria del Rosario Casa, a Colombian, in Mexico City when he worked there.

Some people spy for ideology, patriotism, a cause, or just out of pure bloody-mindedness. Others for personal, psychological, economical and political reasons.

Ames sold mens lives for his own convenience. "The men I sold... What happened to them also happened to me." He said, talking about the 'living death' of spending the rest of his life in prison.

IN CASE OF ED SHEERAN

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 17:36:00 +0000

Short Stories, Music News, Humour and anything else that comes to mind...

THE ABNORMAL BEAUTY COMPANY

What has one got to do with the other? Nothing. I'm just messing with you!

It's holiday season. Put away your handset and say hello to anyone within polite speaking distance.

Just try it. Dare yourself.

Now, let's eat.

Happy Holidays!

(The original intent was to post in MusicArtinDesign, tossed a coin and here we are)

The 40th President

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sun, 08 Sep 2019 08:08:00 +0000

Of Uruguay

Jose Alberto "Pepe" Mujica Cordano was no ordinary president.

When he was president, he didn't only talk the talk, he walked it as well.

In a world that's full of frivolities, egotism and superficiality, this is one man humanity should be proud to look up to and emulate.

We are living at a time when people are inspired and even encouraged to chase wealth and power in what I read somewhere described as; "an almost sociopathic way."

It should rather be a time to encourage each other to be rich in mind, body and spirit. A time when the needs of everyone should supersede the wants of the few.

Reggae legend Bob Marley's quote that "Some people are so poor all they have is money" puts former president Mujica's perspective and words into sharper focus.

Jose Mujica says the following...

"The way we live and our values are the expression of the society we live in. And we cling to that. It doesn't matter if I'm president (of Uruguay). I've thought about all this a lot.

I spent over ten years in a solitary confinement cell. I had the time. I spent seven years without opening a book. It left me time to think. This is what I discovered:

Either you're happy with very little, without overburdening yourself, because you have happiness inside, or you'll get nowhere.

I am not advocating poverty. I am advocating sobriety.

But we invented a consumer society which is continually seeking growth. When there's no growth, it's tragic. We invented a mountain of superfluous needs. You have to keep buying, (and) throwing away... It's our lives we are squandering. When I buy something, or when you buy it, we're not paying with money. We're paying with the time from our lives we had to spend to earn that money.

The difference is that you can't buy life... Life just goes by. And it's terrible to waste your life, losing your freedom."

(Taken from the documentary HUMAN)

Jose Mujica: The Global Interview - BBC News

If there were more leaders like this man on the planet, we would all have very little to worry about.

José Mujica, nicknamed Pepe Mujica, was President of Uruguay from 2010 to 2015.

A former Tupamaros freedom fighter in the 60s and the 70s, he was detained, like a hostage by the dictatorship between 1973 and 1985.

He advocates a philosophy of life focused on sobriety: learn to live with what is necessary and fairest.

Jose Mujica: 'I earn more than I need'

'I earn more than I need' Jose Mujica (Talk to Al Jazeera)

Adios Amigos.

Better Than Einstein

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 23:12:00 +0000

Short Stories, Music News, Humour and anything else that comes to mind...

Unknown Author

At the conclusion of the sermon, the worshipers filed out of the sanctuary to greet the minister.

As one of them left, he shook the minister's hand, thanked him for the sermon and said, "Thanks for the message, Reverend. You know, you must be smarter than Einstein."

Beaming with pride, the minister said, "Why, thank you, brother!"

As the week went by, the minister began to think about the man's compliment.

The more he thought, the more he became baffled as to why anyone would deem him smarter than Einstein.

So he decided to ask the man the following Sunday.

The next Sunday he asked the parishioner if he remembered the previous Sunday's comment about the sermon. The parishioner replied that he did.

The minister asked: "Exactly what did you mean that I must be smarter than Einstein?"

The man replied, "Well, Reverend, they say that Einstein was so smart that only ten people in the entire world could understand him."

"But Reverend, no one can understand you."

MusicArtinDesign

The Dogon Tribe

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

And The Ancestors From Space

The Dogon people of Mali in West Africa have a Space history, and it's quite a compelling one too.

Located in the middle of the desert on the South East corner of Mali; "they seem to know things about astronomy which they shouldn't have been able to know," says Laird Scranton, an author.

Artist's View of sirius A and Sirius B

Scranton has authored a number of books two of which are; The Science of the Dogon (Decoding The African Mystery Tradition) and Sacred Symbols of the Dogon (The Key to Advanced Science in the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs).

Nobody knows where the Dogon got this incredible ancient knowledge from, except the Dogon themselves who have done a wonderful job of preserving their traditions for centuries. Since they have no written language, they put a high priority on the purity of the spoken language.

They know facts about the Sirius star system without having access to modern telescopes and other equipment and speak about the second star which cannot be seen by the naked eye. The Dogon have called it the dark star for centuries long before it was discovered by astronomers in the middle of the 20th Century.

They know the correct orbital period of the two stars, Sirius A and Sirius B.

Dogon priests say their cosmology describes how a tribal god Amma created matter. Their knowledge is so amazing in that they have linguistic definitions for the scientific concepts of the Atom, Proton/Electron Neutron, Fundamental Particles and the Four Spin Categories of Particles. They also know that Matter forms Membranes, the Calabi-Yau space, how Matter begins as waves and that it vibrates. They describe how matter is woven from threads, a modern scientific concept that describes matter as woven from strings.

Read also: The Museum of Unnatural History's post about "The Dogon, the Nommos and the Mystery of Sirius B"

MORE SOFIA

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 14:12:00 +0000

Talking... About now and the future!

No more jokes Sofia, tell us what you really think.

So far every clip I've seen, Sofia has been bestowed and largely presented in or at a human level. People's perception cannot but be affected by this.

Sofia is not flesh and blood. That, she can never be... Notice how easy it was to assign this computer a gender identity. It's a sophisticated machine, a tool with it's bits of information stored in a cloud somewhere, while ours is stored in our heads.

Anyhow, enjoy the video...

The Laziest Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 20:58:00 +0000

On The Planet

Is sitting up in his bed. His mind is in a turmoil, whirring in a hundred different directions all at once. He wants to start writing again... what can he post today that will bring some satisfaction that he is at least beginning to write again?

Maybe he'll write about the twat that loves to post crap on Twitter. It's an obvious truth that he doesn't like twats who post crap on Twitter.com when he suddenly gets a flash from the past. It's funny how the mind works that he can remember a time period thirty years before with absolute clarity. A time when things were so real while at the same time, things weren't exactly what they seemed. Hindsight isn't twenty twenty, hindsight is a bitch!

He needs an angle to be able to tell just one story from those days. In years, it was such a long time ago but in his head, those things seem like it was just yesterday. Should he do a first person narrative? Goodness No! It wouldn't work, the reader wouldn't understand. Who would understand those days anyway? Idea dismissed.

His mind returns, this time to another twit on twitter. The writer is most definitely stumped.

His mind cruises into auto roam and random musings. Why do the spoils always end up with the wrongest, dumbest and least qualified? What is it about losers who see themselves as winners who consequently end up dumbing the rest of us down? Why do we the public, the media and good old nice, uncle Joe end up holding these characters in such high esteem? Twits buying from twats who end up dazzling the rest of us with other people's money.

Time to forget about the collective delusion and concentrate on some real shit. There are a diverse range of subjects and topics he could actually write about. He's sure that there are at least five good books he could churn out within a relatively short time frame. Who needs research? Decades of living on the edge trumps any research he could do.

He really believes in the book project, but what he needs right now is stronger than the urge to write. He knows deep down that once he starts, he cannot stop until it's finished. That's a problem because he happens to be the laziest writer on the planet.

So his mind wanders back to the twat on twitter: The least serious leading a society of serious minded people. God help us all.

Reflecting on current trends, he might just find a serious topic to think about, reflect on and possibly write a post on. But what are the chances that that too hasn't been covered by someone else. Not much can be expected from a lazy writer anyway. He's off the hook.

His mind strays back to the twat that tweets non-stop on Twitter.

Hoaxes

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 04:36:00 +0000

HOT TOPIC

And Fake News

Are trending. So, "what is the difference between a hoax and fake news?" They both seemed very similar to me.

According to Wikipedia:

"A hoax is a falsehood deliberately fabricated to masquerade as the truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgement, rumours, urban legends, pseudosciences, and April Fools Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes."

"Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership, online sharing, and internet click revenue."

Similar eh?

Okay, here's one...

Hamza Bendelladj was never executed. It was a hoax many swallowed hook, line and sinker. The real story is at the bottom of this post.

Surprisingly, many people are still being hoodwinked according to comments I've read on some platforms recently.

GMA News Online actually punctured the hoax in March, 2013. It didn't seem to make a difference.

The facts were eventually reported by BBC News online on 21 April, 2016 after sentencing as follows:

"Computer hackers who created malware that stole about $100m (£70m) have been given long jail sentences in the US.
Russian Aleksandr Andreevich Panin has been sentenced to nine-and-a-half years in jail. His accomplice, Algerian Hamza Bendelladj will serve 15 years.
They created the SpyEye virus package that is believed to have infected more than 50 million computers.
The sophisticated malware could steal sensitive data or let hackers use infectedmachines to send spam"....Full Story here... US bank hackers get long jail term

Remember that lying liars always get found out, and...

☺

MusicArtinDesign

Will AI probably kill us all?

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 08:15:00 +0000

Less than fifty per cent think not...

At least not anytime soon anyway.

A minority of researchers think the transition from Artificial General Intelligence to Artificial Super Intelligence will not happen for at least another one hundred years.

Current trends however show that the law of accelerating returns is very likely to radically slash that prediction. The one hundred years is more likely to be fifteen to twenty years.

At the moment, three of the most relevant individuals on the planet today are preaching caution when it comes to powerful machines.

Professor Stephen Hawkins states: "The rise of powerful AI will either be the best or the worst thing ever to happen to humanity.

Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates asks the question, "how can they not see what a huge challenge this is?"

Elon Musk Founder of Tesla thinks we should be extremely careful about this, while stating clearly that he is not against the advancement of AI.

Technologically, we have made huge leaps and bounds. Very far ahead than that of any other aspect of human endeavour.

Boyinaband's video explains "the law of accelerating returns," below.

We have to be aware that once AI gets on to the internet, within a short space of time, it will know everything.

And everything means, the accumulated knowledge of all humanity. It will also know about the habits and lifestyle of every living individual on the planet.

Our thoughts, interactions, brilliance, foibles, stupidity, wars, poverty, strengths and weaknesses will all be apparent to it.

AI is very likely to know us better than we know ourselves.

Confucius tells us: "The man who asks a question is a fool for only a minute. The man who doesn't ask, is a fool for life."

Very often, it seems that psychologically we're still in the seventeenth century whilst we're living technologically in the twenty first century.

I'll be a fool for a minute for the sake of tomorrow and ask, "will AI probably kill us all?

'Bodederek

MusicArtinDesign is also thinking of Tomorrow!

Meet Sofia

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 02:00:00 +0000

The New Saudi Arabian Citizen...

She is the first non human that's now classified as an earthling.

Sofia is an artificial intelligence robot and the first robot "citizen" on our planet.

I don't think anyone could have imagined that progress in Artificial Intelligence technology would develop as quickly as it has.

It's here, and it has come with many human characteristics.

The first-ever robot citizen has 7 humanoid 'siblings' — here's what they look like

The programming of artificial, self learning robots while we still have deadly conflict though, is a worry...

We know about the killer drones that are already in use over battlefields all over the planet.

Many more have been developed or are in different stages of development that we know nothing about. What I would like to know about are the safeguards that are in place that these intelligent machines wouldn't turn on us human beings.

Everyone is excited.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking to a group of Russian students, called artificial intelligence "not only Russia's future, but the future of the whole of mankind... The one who becomes leader in this sphere will be ruler of the world. There are colossal opportunities and threats that are difficult to predict now."

The technology that the science fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted 75 years ago, has arrived. Much more sophisticated and smarter than he imagined, and it's come 40 years early.

In Asimov's fiction novel "Runaround" there was a government Handbook of Robotics that included the following three rules:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot can protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Oren Etzioni, PhD, author, and CEO of the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence, has suggested an update for Isaac Asimov's three laws of Artificial Intelligence. Given the widespread media attention emanating from Elon Musk (and others) warning, that these updates might be worth reviewing.

Etzioni has suggested an update to Asimov's rules as follows:

1. An A.I. system must be subject to the full gamut of laws that also applies to it's human operator.

2. An A.I. system must clearly disclose that it's not human.

3. An A.I. system cannot retain or disclose confidential information without explicit approval from the source of that information.

Etzioni offered these updates and suggested to begin a discussion that would lead to a non-fictional Handbook of Robotics by the United Nations.

Elon Musk, together with deep mind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman and top specialists have called on the United Nations to ban the development, deployment and use of autonomous weapons within A.I. (Posted to the Robot Report and other sources.)

These warnings should be heeded.

Thinking about Tomorrow

Derek Soyemi @ Bodederek

MusicArtinDesign Trends

Most Daring

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 03:29:00 +0000

Eli Cohen

is a legendary Israeli spy whose work contributed to the capture of the Golan Heights from Syria.

The true story of a master spy who almost became the defence minister of the country he was spying on.

This is a short documentary about the fascinating story:

A national hero in Israel, he was indeed a daring individual.

His story inspired the film, "The Impossible Spy."

"without continuous personal development, you are now all that you will ever become, and hell starts when the person you are, meets the person you could have been." ~ Eli Cohen

Ambrose....Life Within Music

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Thu, 11 May 2017 23:12:00 +0000

Remembering Ambrose Campbell

The quayside was where most of the seamen hung out while on shore leave. From that section of the Lagos waterfront, you could see across the waters, from the marina, you'll see the docks where the merchant ships slept.

The pungent odour of palm wine, mixed with culinary aromas hung in the air. Occasionally a slight breeze would bring with it, a waft, a mild smell of weed, that would vanish as quickly as it came, it left you wondering if you smelt it to begin with.

Felabration Event

Young Ambrose approached the shelter where some sailors and locals sat most evenings with massive kegs of the elixir called palm wine within easy reach.

Bawdy tales and laughter. Stories of triumphs and tragedies, seafaring adventures and other fascinating tales of the war preceded the music. The stories were coloured and constantly lubricated by the intoxicating liquor. It all made a great impression on him.

But he was there for one thing and one thing only...the music.

Ambrose would come after dark to sit in and jam with the men. Playing percussion on a tin can, or sometimes he would be playing the boxed instrument called Agidigbo as the travellers played on their guitars, mandolin and other instruments.

Eventually he got kicked out of the house when his father, a strict Victorian era church minister found out about where his young son went after dark.

That wasn't the life he wanted for the boy, he was totally unimpressed by his son's talent and although the boy sang in the choir during Sunday service, it never mattered.

Musicians had a bad rap in those days. They were perceived as negative stereotypes, and he probably disobeyed his father, one time too many....

Rescued and adopted by Herbert_Macaulay when he became homeless, Ambrose ended up in London at the end of WW2 and quickly became a resident artist at Abalabi Club in Soho. The club premises exist today as Ronnie Scotts.

Baba Rosie as I've heard him referred to by those who knew him, was a wise old sage. None had a bad word to say about him. Ambrose Campbell enjoyed the immersive life of a music maker with all of it's ups and downs.

In 2006, he passed at a time his music was just being rediscovered by a new generation.

The sprinkling of Baba Rosie's rhythmical and melodic magic lingers within and across musical genres today. From Highlife to Jazz and even Country music.

I give credit here because some of that magic touched me too.

MusicArtinDesign

Food For Thought

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 20:23:00 +0000

Short Stories, Humour, Music and Entertainment! Occasional HOT TOPICs with a unique perspective..

What's On Your Mind?

"We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much. We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living but not a life. We've added years to life, not life to years." ~George Carlin 1937 - 2008

In the middle of one interview, L. Ron Hubbard was asked, "are you a mad man?" He answered; "We're all mad. The one person you will find who says or thinks they're not mad, is a madman!"

So when the biggest social network on the planet, as soon as I log in asks me; "What's on my mind?" I'm usually at a loss.

Asking what's on someone's mind, I think is really asking for trouble as we may quickly find, in one way or another that we're all mad.

The mind is very mysterious indeed. It's one reason psychiatry isn't an exact science. So, instead of asking someone what's on their mind..(however you want to define mind), wouldn't it be easier just to ask the question, "what are you thinking?"

So what exactly is the mind? Is it separate from thought? Is it an amalgamation of both, essential to concepts, ideas and our core personalities?

How likely are you to answer truthfully, when someone asks what you're thinking. Will you be honest with a potential employer or someone from whom you're seeking a favour, if what you're thinking will derail that purpose?

How truthful are you likely to be able to put out your sincere thoughts next time someone asks: "What are you thinking?"

Sane or mad, very few will be able to give an honest answer. The answers will usually be tailored to fit what the questioner wants to hear in order to accomplish our objective. The gain or fulfilment of a personal agenda...

Please don't ask what's on my mind. I hardly ever know. Rather, ask, "what are you thinking?" Or, "what are you going to do?" maybe even, "what do you say?"

If I'm sober and coherent, I might even give you an answer!

"If it is the beginning of madness, you can stop feigning sanity." ~ Robert Littell

'Bodederek

Click Here For The MAD Blog

The Best Laid Plans...

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 17:30:00 +0000

Short Stories, Humour, Music and Entertainment! Occasional HOT TOPICs with a unique perspective..

It's Christmas!

When a man politely opens the door of the car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing:

Either the car is new or the wife is!

What's the difference between stress, tension and panic?

Stress is when wife is pregnant;

Tension is when girlfriend is pregnant;

Panic is when both are pregnant!

Grammar Teacher: Do you know the importance of a period?

Kid: "Yeah, once my sister said she had missed one, my mom fainted, dad got a heart attack and our driver ran away!"

A young boy asks his Dad: "What is the difference between confident and confidential?

Dad says: "You are my son, ..I'm confident about that. Your friend over there, is also my son, that, is confidential!"

A bookseller conducting a market survey asked a woman:
“Which book has helped you most in your life?”

The woman replied , “My husband’s cheque book!"

A prospective husband in a book store, Do you have a book called, "Husband the Master of the House?"

Sales Girl : “Sir, Fiction and Comics are on the 1st floor!"

Someone asked an old man : “Even after 70 years, you still call your wife Darling, Honey, and Love." What’s your secret?"

Old man : "I forgot her name and I’m scared to ask her!"

Wife : "I wish I was a newspaper. So I’d be in your hands all day."

Husband : "I too wish that you were a newspaper. So I could have a new one every day!"

MusicArtinDesign

Airport Security

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sun, 06 Nov 2016 13:13:00 +0000

George's More Than A Pet Peeve.. But A Major Psychotic Episode

This is to clarify that the content of the video is entirely for comedic purposes. I wouldn't do anything he suggests in the clip. It's just a Joke! And, if this is George Carlin's own insight and unique perspective, I wouldn't know anything about it, because I never met the man.

George Carlin was very funny.

His humour can be cutting. Sometimes extremely, because often, he takes it to the very edge.

Some would say, terrorism is no laughing matter. Lots of innocent people have been killed and maimed by creatures that have no love, empathy, pity or consideration for humanity.

Their aim is to get governments to clamp down further on our freedoms, helping to feed on paranoia, with our consent.

Governments all over the globe are fighting the terrorists. There is vast support for everything the authorities are doing to detect, arrest and neutralise terrorists, but we must also do our bit. For instance, we can consciously decide to keep our eyes and ears open more than ever before.

The government's main job, (in my humble opinion) is to identify the sponsors, the sources of funding and the arms suppliers than keep terrorism in business.

The rest of us, should stay alert and observant.

We should all be aware of what is happening around us at all times because those days when we went about our daily business, blissfully unaware of what is going on around us, are over.

MusicArtinDesign

It can be perplexing and worrisome to see people engrossed on mobile devices in public. Many seem so unaware because they are usually caught up in their own private virtual universe to the exclusion of everything else that's going on around them.

We are responsible for our own personal safety, more than the security people who are in charge of keeping a professional eye out and apprehending those who are out to cause chaos and mayhem.

If we refuse to be terrorised, if we refuse to allow terrorism to change our way of life, the way we interact with one another, keeping an eye out for danger, all these extraordinary and tighter security will be totally unnecessary. We will also be giving a strong message to the sinister forces, that their actions will not impact negatively on our freedom.

George's complaint is about overzealous security whose approach can sometimes rub citizens up the wrong way at the airports.

A negative approach can give the wrong impression and a whole lot of satisfaction to the terrorists, that their terrorism is in some ways, curbing our cherished freedoms.

His answers to the three big questions are funny and will probably get him arrested at most airports.

At best, he wouldn't get to travel on the day, even if the airport security guys have a sense of humour.

We shouldn't really be afraid, instead, we should be alert to keep a keen eye out for anything that looks out of the ordinary at the airport and other public places.

Refusing to be intimidated by terrorists, is one way to turn the tables, and make them to be afraid of us.

History has proven that the human spirit is indomitably unconquerable. So walk proudly with your head held high. There is nothing to fear but the fear itself!

Bodederek

7 Cool Ways To Start A Business...

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sat, 03 Sep 2016 13:40:00 +0000

Without Quitting Your Day Job!

You think making money online sounds like a daydream? Well, think again!

There are plenty of ways to turn your skills and interest into cold hard cash.

Starting a business of any kind is hard work, but the fact remains that countless people have done it and are currently thriving. Chances are, you can too!

Whether you're looking to escape the daily grind, or you just want to earn some money on the side,
here are some simple ideas you can use to start a real business without quitting your day job (unless you want to).

Build A Drop-Shipping Empire by sourcing a pre-existing product from a supplier and have them take care of everything else, including packaging and delivery.
Start A Clothing Line - If you already own an online store, you can set up your very own clothing line using plugins. Printify, Printful and Merchify can automatically link your store to apparel printers.
Selling Your Art Online by turning your latest set of masterpieces into a stable revenue stream by having a beautifully designed ecommerce website. A great idea, if you're in the printing trade, are a photographer or a musician.
Become A Freelance Writer, Designer or Developer by putting your talents to good use by helping people across the world with their projects (while making some quick money on the side).
Teaching An Online Course - Put together a video walkthrough explaining a subject that you're familiar with and host it on your own personal website!
Flipping Your Thrift Store Finds - If you love hunting down great deals hitting up thrift stores, then opening up an online boutique to sell your second hand treasures is a natural next step.
Publish Your Own Book - It doesn't matter if it's a science fiction novel, a marketing guide or a children's picture book. There are now plenty of options to successfully self publish your work.

Read on for more information on how to start and scale these 7 online business ideas. They're simple, practical and effective.

You can take your first step by getting started for free today. The only thing you'll need to spend, is just the time it'll take to get the business off the ground!

Good Luck!

'Bodederek

Shopify.com

MusicArtinDesign

A Bad Boss Day?

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sat, 23 Jul 2016 20:01:00 +0000

Educating, Entertaining and Informing with Short Stories and Humour!

Are You Working for a Tyrannical Bully?

I have been lucky. Most of my working life, I can honestly say, I've had good bosses. Honest, hardworking and dedicated individuals who took their roles seriously.

The great ones were always courteous, kind and helpful, inspiring the workforce to higher levels of productivity.

These traits created a comfortably great atmosphere at work and the staff were always happy to go the extra mile because we had a great boss.

The only place I ever worked where the boss was a tyrant and bully, on my first day there, I noticed pinned on to the wall behind someone's desk, the following:

How The Asshole Became Boss

One day, all the organs of the body had a meeting to decide who would be boss. "I should be in charge," said the Brain, "I run everything and work out all solutions."

"Oh no," said the Stomach, "I process the food through digestion and provide all the fuel and energy. I should be the boss"

The Heart, Kidney and Lungs wanted to be boss too and made their cases.

And so it went on until finally the Asshole interrupted and said he should be boss...

They all laughed, giggled and smirked at the idea of asshole being their boss. They really found it funny.

At that point the Asshole went on strike and refused to function.

By the end of the week, the eyes got watery and blurred and the legs got wobbly.

At the end of the second week, the stomach became bloated and the arms became lethargic.

By the end of the fifth week, the heart and lungs were in severe distress and had begun to panic.

By week six, Brain had a fever and couldn't think straight anymore...

That was when all of them decided to plead with Brain to let the Asshole take over and Brain agreed.

So the Asshole became the boss and passed out shit while the others worked.

And that is the reason The Boss Is Always An Asshole!

Bad bosses pick favourites, communicate poorly, misuse their power, are usually rude, take all the credit for other people's work and usually neglect their employees.

Studies show that bad bosses never accept responsibility for their mistakes, the poor decisions and their bad attitude toward people.

17% of employees say their bosses are dishonest. 13% claim their bosses are lazy while 25% say their bosses don't provide enough guidance and opportunities for advancement.

Bad bosses can destroy good staff. Causing them to flee while the remainder lose all motivation.

Know them by their response when you confront them and tell him or her that they're terrible bosses;

1) "A bad boss. Me? You really think so?" Should tell you, he/she doesn't know they're bad.

2) "I could do better if only I knew how!" He/She knows they're bad and wants to improve.

3) "It's my way or the highway!" Tells you they don't care either way!

To all the bad bosses out there, I say; Karma's just sharpening her nails and finishing her drink. She says, she'll be with you shortly because she has your address!

A Future By Design ~ MusicArtinDesign

Meeting Prince

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 07:20:00 +0000

Short Stories, Humour, Music and Entertainment. Just Good Fun. If there's anything to worry about, it's about not having fun!

A Short Story

With Some Reviews

Stories are all works of fiction. Names, characters, place and events are the product of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events and places is totally coincidental

Camden

It was around that time in the early evening when the sun was just about to disappear beneath the horizon. The sky had that fading orange hue. I'd missed several buses going home. Now that I was in my neighbourhood of Camden town, I wasn't in any particular hurry to get to my house.

I was looking across the road, checking to see if the musical instrument shop on Chalk Farm Road was still open. Without paying attention to where I was going, I walked into what seemed to be a brick wall. In fact, I'd bumped into a man. My face was inches from his lower chest. The guy was huge.

I looked up at a stern looking face with bushy eyebrows, his thin lips rested on a square jaw. He was wearing a tuxedo that looked a couple of sizes too small. His biceps were about twice the size of my thighs and he didn't look amused.

Behind him was a little guy wearing a dark designer suit that fit perfectly. He had on a purplish shirt with oversized collars. He looked amused. The big guy hesitated, I hesitated before I said my inevitable sorry. "Hey, how you doing?" the small statured guy asked. "I'm okay," I answered. "You didn't hurt your nose or anything bumping into Roland here?" "No!" I said.

Roland relaxed, I relaxed. There was something familiar about the smaller guy, but I couldn't place the face hidden behind the oversized glasses. I could just about see the dark straight hair under the wide brimmed hat that he wore. The conspiratorial look on his face gave the impression that he'd expected me to recognise him. Personally, I couldn't have cared less. I see familiar faces all over Camden on a regular basis.

Camden High Street

My nonchalance must have impressed him and we had an interesting conversation which I promised not to reveal to anyone. They were on a mission scouting out Camden venues. I gave them a few insights about the neighbourhood and the clubs and we said our goodbyes.

Two days later, Prince performed at The Electric Ballroom in Camden. I wasn't in the audience. I didn't even know about it until it came out on the news. Our conversation that evening will remain confidential for now. I will try to keep my promise, although it gets harder every day not telling anyone.

There's more and someday, I'll spill my guts. But not quite yet!

MusicArtinDesign

A tribute...In Fiction.

Reviews:

First Peer Review ~

How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
First good choice of material. I would have liked to have the main character fleshed out more. The description of Roland and Prince was spot on.

What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
It was a light-hearted and a good description of Camden.

What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
I thought it could have gone places, after all he's met Prince! We could have been introduced to his jet set life.

Second Peer Review ~

How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
I enjoyed reading the descriptions, the characters came out vividly and quite mysterious.

What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
The narrative gave me the impression that a story was about to unfold; the fact that there were these mysterious two people and they seemed to want something from the narrator was the reason why I read on; and the revelation in the end was quite interesting as well.

What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
I think the most successful aspect of the writing was the description. The characters were normally but vividly described, fact which left me with an image from the story. However, the author exceeded the word limit (not much though), and it doesn't really seem like an introductory paragraph. I also think the description of the sky wasn't quite linked to what followed. The introduction could have been a bit more gripping.

Third Peer Review ~

How was the central character portrayed and was this portrayal clear and interesting?
The main character in this piece of writing is the teller of the story. He is clearly portrayed as nonchalant, cool, casual. particularly through his manner of speech in the genre of 1930's private eye, Marlowe type and in the way he responds to his surroundings and others e,g, He is not phased when he bumps into Ronald. It was entertaining and I enjoyed the interplay between the characters

What made you think this piece was a story and did you want to read on?
It was a story in that it set the scene and there was a moment of tension when the main character met Roland and the small guy. However we are not led towards the development of a plot because the character keeps his promises!

What were the most, and least, successful aspects of the writing?
I was drawn to the characters, found them amusing. Thought there was potential to further the plot; set up some kind of dodgy deal between them. The promise thing was disappointing, seemed a bit of a cop out maybe. The last two paragraphs seemed to change style and felt a bit of an after thought. (All respects to Prince though)

A Little Bit of Humour

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Mon, 02 May 2016 23:01:00 +0000

Educate, entertain and inform! Short stories, humour, relevant and non relevant. Just good fun!

Where's the Money?

This Mafia Godfather finds out that his bookkeeper, Guido, has cheated him out of $10,000,000.

The bookkeeper is deaf.

It was the reason he got the job in the first place. The mafiosi assumed that Guido would hear nothing so he would never have to testify in court.

So, the Godfather goes to confront Guido about his missing $10 million, he takes along his lawyer who knows sign language.

The Godfather tells the lawyer, "Ask him where the money is!"

The lawyer, using sign language, asks Guido, "Where's the money?"

Guido signs back, "I don't know what you are talking about."

The lawyer tells the Godfather, "He says he doesn't know what you're talking about."

The Godfather pulls out a pistol, puts it to Guido's head and says, "Ask him again or I'll kill him!"

The lawyer signs to Guido, "He'll kill you if you don't tell him."

Guido trembles and signs, "OK! You win! The money is in a brown briefcase, buried behind the shed at my cousin Bruno's house."

The Godfather asks the lawyer, "What did he say?"

The lawyer replies, "He says you don't have the balls to pull the trigger!"

The End..

One Night Out

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 04:35:00 +0000

Educate, entertain and inform! How to be relevant where ever you live!

On The Dance Floor

Kanda Bongo Man On Stage

Easter weekend was a self-indulgent one.

My occasional sense of entitlement kicked in and I over indulged.

Yes, I admit it...I get these occasional lapses. After all, I'm only human!

I get into the spirit of the holidays. It's usually very good, if I'm not alone.

But, if I end up alone during celebrations, I will sometimes eat a little bit more than usual. I will eat and drink portions I would otherwise serve to others.

Moments like these, I do as little as possible, act like a bum and lay around all day long doing nothing but over eating. I'm good at convincing me, that I deserve to treat myself...

But by the Easter Monday, I was having a pang of conscience because I'd had a few defiant smokes along the way too, I'm supposed to have quit.

It wasn't a good feeling but I got over that one too.

Persuading myself that, it was just a lapse and not a relapse.

The Wednesday after Easter, my body was telling me different. I felt bloated, lethargic and generally unfit.

I don't have an exercise regime and my one chance at a workout was to go dancing. But, where? And when? No clue!

Through Social Media I found out that Kanda Bongo Man was performing at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green. The promoter? Atta of the Focus Group. Good. I fire off a text!

"No problem, come on down," he replied.

So, on Friday 1st of April, I was at Rich Mix dancing to the music of the King of Kwassa Kwassa, Kanda Bongo Man.

Douglas on Bass

I boogied, gyrated and sweated tons.

Kanda's music will do that to you. He has been pumping out Kwassa Kwassa for decades and has acquired fans from all over the world.

The fans cut across race, ethnic and cultural boundaries and they all come to Kanda's gigs for only one thing. To Dance.

Ask those fans and they'll tell you, “If Kanda Bongo Man doesn’t make you want to dance, call an ambulance,” because, “you’re dead!”

Kanda with some fans

And so, I danced and danced. Got home in the early hours of the morning and slept like a baby.

The next morning, the conflict between my body and mind was fully resolved. I looked up to the heavens and muttered, "thank you God!"

Stay blessed my friends..

MusicArtinDesign ~ They call it MAD, I call them, and say, DAMN!

Celebrating A Classic Story

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 22:36:00 +0000

Educate, entertain and inform!

150 Years and Counting...

It was the 4th of July 1862 when Charles Lutwidge Dodgson took the fateful boat trip up the river Thames toward Godstow.

Accompanying him were three sisters. Lorina, Alice and Edith Liddell, the three eldest daughters of the Dean of Christchurch. With them was also Reverend Robinson Duckworth of Trinity College.

During the journey, Dodgson, a mathematician and keen amateur photographer narrated an adventure story to the Liddell sisters.

The story must have made an impression on young Alice Liddell because upon their return to Christchurch, she asked Dodgson to write out the story for her.

That same evening and on a train journey the following day, he set out the main headings of a story that would endure for over 150 years.

He began the manuscript text a few months later and completed it on 10th February 1863.

In November 1864, he presented the manuscript volume with his own illustrations to Alice Liddell. The title was, "Alice's Adventures Underground."

The manuscript version he retained for reference, was expanded into the fuller text of what later became "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."

Dodgson then translated his own name into Latin and back into English again and came up with the pseudonym "Lewis Carroll" under which the book itself would be published in 1865.

Totally unsatisfied with the way the pictures came out in the print, the book was withdrawn from sale. The rejected copies were presented to children's hospitals and institutions.

In November 1865 the second edition of Alice in Wonderland was published. This new edition was more satisfactory to Dodgson. It was said by the author to be "perfect of artistic printing."

Lewis Carroll's life changed forever after Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was published.

The British Library is currently holding an exhibition to celebrate 150 years of the publication of Alice in Wonderland. On display are the original manuscripts, engravings and many inspirational material.

http://www.bl.uk/events/alice-in-wonderland-exhibition

The exhibition will conclude on Sunday 17th April 2016. It's worth it, to take the time and the kids to The British Library to see this free exhibition. I can guarantee that children will find it fascinating.

FBD on MAD here soon!

Have A Happy Easter!

'Bodederek

AFROBEAT.. From Outside

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:08:00 +0000

Short stories, Hot Topics and relevant information on Music and the Arts! The official Blog page for Bodederek.com seeking to educate, entertain and inform. We invite aspiring writers to showcase their talent here. Read short stories for free here!

Looking in

"What is Afrobeat?" He looked me in the eye. I looked away for a few seconds to ponder the question. And then I said, " a successful blending of a tight African rhythm, a soul feel, add some poppy influences here and there. Put in heavy jazz inflections on the horns, that should do the trick."

Trying to explain this music genre in a nutshell to a seasoned session musician, a person I knew had worked many years with top bands and performers, can be unnerving. This guy had toured with some of the biggest names in music. I had the feeling he was trying to catch me out. Why else would he be asking for a definition?

He looked me out the corner of his eye, a few minutes after we discovered the spot we believed to be the most acoustic friendly in the club. The band on the stage played on. The publicity for the event specifically advertised the music as Afrobeat. What we were actually hearing being played was Fuji and not Afrobeat.

"I wish they wouldn't call this Afrobeat." I looked at him as I said this, he nodded. It could have been the lighting in the club, but he looked like he had a smirk on his smug little face. I moved away from him, better to put some distance between him and I, before I put my fist through that face.

Twenty minutes later, I was out of there. I can only take the Fuji sound in small doses anyway. I was irritated because someone had goofed. I felt deceived that either the promoter or the artist had described the music on offer as Afrobeat when it wasn't. It was a fraud, a deception. This kind of thing will water down a genre that happened to be on the up and up.

"Hey, wait up!" I looked back, it was him again. Lucky for him, I was a bit calmer now. "Are you going already?" he asked me. "Yeah," I replied, "that isn't the music I came to hear that's being played in there!" He beamed at me, "thanks for confirming that, I was wondering too. It's why I asked you in the first place what Afrobeat was. You're one person that should know, you were there from it's birth or so I'm told."

He was wrong though, Afrobeat was being played long before I was born. It just wasn't called that then. The truth is, Fela Kuti made it popular and guided it to ascendancy. His thinking that I should know was flawed, I really didn't know. The only thing I was sure about was, if this genre gets further diluted, it'll either be appropriated by other cultures or it'll disappear altogether.

"By the way," I said, "that definition I gave about Afrobeat in there?" I looked him in the eye, "well, it was incomplete, Afrobeat is also a way of life." I gave him a wave of my hand as I turned around and walked away.

...End of Part One

MusicArtinDesign

Google isn't The Enemy

noreply@blogger.com (Derek Soyemi) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 02:02:00 +0000

Leave Google Alone..

Google recently made a tax settlement with HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) in Britain.

A figure of £130 million was declared a sweetheart deal by the media, totally disregarding the known fact that the tech company hadn't broken any UK tax laws.

I'm actually surprised that nobody has come out in support of Google in spite of the benefits we all seem to enjoy, utilising a lot of their apps and products daily. Many are free and those that aren't, are usually quite affordable.

Where is all this envy and anger coming from? This company puts a lot of resources at our disposal, empowering, educating and informing at little or no cost to the consumer. Suddenly it's made the poster child for tax avoidance. Absolutely unfair!

The companies that need to be scrutinised are the tobacco company, the banking group, an oil company and a mobile phone brand that paid zero tax in the last financial year.

Another oil company and a major drugs company refused to disclose how much they paid in tax to HMRC.

Google is one of the most transparent, innovative and forward looking companies in existence today. A unique business model that should be copied rather than denigrated.

They hire the best talent available, developing productivity by investing in their workers and bring to market great products at affordable prices. I salute Google...

Is a company that hires on merit, inspiring it's employees by encouraging and providing resources for their workers to have and to own personal side projects.

A revolutionary business model that inspires and empowers workers should be lauded.

Here are some facts I found in Laszlo Bock's book - Work Rules (Insights from Google).

1. Google is consistently rated one of the best places to work in the world. Striking a balance between creativity and structure. They strive to build a better company from within rather than from above.

2. A manager at Google cannot unilaterally hire someone, make pay and promotional decisions without input from others.

3. The company creates a work environment of mass empowerment where employees feel and act like owners.

4. Where possible, Google tries to remove what Laszlo calls, "the signifiers of power and status." There are only four meaningful, visible levels at Google. The Individual Contributor, Manager, Director and Vice President.

5. The technical people remain individual contributors throughout their careers. They are free of course, to chose their own title as long as it isn't self-aggrandising.

We all have to realise that Google as a company, invests in people, technology and resources. They bring great products to the marketplace that people utilise and enjoy. They deserve to make a decent return on their investments.

There are different categories of Google haters out there, the most dangerous are those who want to preserve the status quo that Google directly and indirectly challenges. Those whose business models, employee relations and ways of working are outdated and as a result, are no longer relevant to consumers.

Those businesses that want to pay the barest minimum and extract an absolute maximum from their employees are the companies I love to hate.

I like and admire Google without whom my knowledge base would be incomplete. Please Google, don't get distracted, keep doing what you do, there are many out here in the real world that appreciate it all.

Remember Google, you're a company with a unique motto "Do No Evil." Sooner or later, the devil will come calling. When he does, you have my permission to spit in it's eye!

Museum info from Wednesday at MAD