Monday, July 30, 2007

Udoji in Tokyo

Just like many people have been praying for, the heaven's opened in Tokyo and what came down was nothing similar to liquid. For the first time in my life I wish I was Japanese.

Mystery money in Japan appears in mailboxes, falls from sky
TOKYO (AFP) - A mystery gripping Japan over anonymous cash gifts has taken a new twist. For those who want the next batch of giveaways, the place to look is in their mailboxes -- or even right at their feet.

Residents of a apartment building are baffled after a total of 1.81 million yen (15,210 dollars) was found in 18 mailboxes by Saturday, a police spokesman said.

"The money was in identical plain envelopes, which were unsealed and carried no names or messages," the spokesman told AFP.

But residents became "spooked" rather than pleased with the anonymous gifts -- and were too upright to pocket the money secretly.

"Some people initially suspected they were fake bills. When they realised the bills were real, they reported them to us," the spokesman said.

The predominantly middle-class apartment building in Tokyo is not alone. An envelope with one million yen was left in the mailbox of a 31-year-old woman in the western city of Kobe on Wednesday.

Police admit they have no idea who is leaving the cash -- whether a few people are behind the bizarre giveaways or if Japan is witnessing a craze of copycat benevolence.

Since June, dozens of city halls and other public buildings across the country have reported finding neatly packaged envelopes full of cash in men's restrooms.

The bathroom money has come with identical letters asking people to do good deeds -- leading to speculation that the benefactor may be a public servant trying to cheer up his profession or perhaps a member of a new-age religion.

Japanese cash dropoffs are not always so neat.

On Wednesday, bills worth 960,000 yen were inexplicably seen "falling" in front of a convenience store.

"We can just say the money came from the skies," a puzzled police official said. "There were other passers-by outside and customers in the store but the incident caused no confusion," he said.

"People thought it was too eerie to touch."

A man who contacted police saying his daughter had dropped the money had his claim rejected as groundless, the official said.

The largest single dropoff so far was in the ancient city of Kyoto on July 23, astonishing a 67-year-old woman who found an envelope containing 10 million yen of stacked bills in her mailbox.

But mystery money does not always reach police intact.

A woman walking on a bridge over Tokyo's Sumida River told officers that she saw bills falling at her feet from an elevated expressway above on July 6.

She believes 30 to 40 notes fell but police managed to collect only six notes worth 46,000 yen by the time they arrived.

"Some people were picking the money up on the bridge," the Tokyo Shimbun quoted the woman as saying.

No one can say if more people have collected money and not told police.

Media tallies suggest more than four million yen, including some found last year, has been found in the public restrooms.

Dutifully, police are holding most of the money in case the rightful owner eventually decides to reveal their identity.

To douse the tension

Here's a dose to 'douse' the tension.

A driver is stuck in a traffic jam on the motorway. Nothing is moving. Suddenly a man knocks on the window. The driver rolls down his window and asks, "What's going on? the man responded "Militants have kidnapped, OBJ, IBB, Atiku, Buhari, Tony Anenih, Ahmadu Ali, Dariye, Nnamani, Odili, Ibrahim Mantu, Tinubu, Kalu, Ibori and Igbinedion. They're asking for a $500 million ransom. Otherwise they're going to douse them with petrol and set them on fire. So, we're going from car to car, taking up a collection." The driver asks, "How much is everyone contributing, on the average?" the man responded "About a litre of petrol and a few sticks of matches."

Friday, July 27, 2007

I rest my case

Upon the receipt of the news that former governor of Bayelsa state in Nigeria, who was charged with corruption has been sentenced, I rest my case.
Though the sentence is viewed to be mild, half or full justice is justice. The name of the nation has been redeemed. This is a plus for us.
Can you see the public treasury in his cheeks?

Thursday, July 26, 2007

My friend Udeme is a great man

You would wonder what lack of standards and unwillingness to set the right precedence would do to African countries. It's up to African countries to wake up and set things straight. So does it mean what is dissed in the West would find its way to Africa to continue business? Anything goes?

Guinness firm 'eyes Africa sales'

The maker of Guinness is looking at expanding sales of the Irish stout to Africa to offset falling demand in European markets, a report says.

Diageo's chief executive told the Financial Times that sales outside of Ireland had been growing by about 5% and ruled out selling the brand.

Sales of Guinness fell 4% in Europe in the six months to December.

Changing behaviour in the UK - including people spending less time in pubs - was behind the fall in sales.

Guinness made up 13% of Diageo's total sales in 2006.

Growing the brand

The fall in demand in Europe had "nothing" to do with the way the brand was being marketed, chief executive Paul Walsh insisted.

"We have to continue to grow the brand outside its home market," he added.

He said that places like Africa offered good opportunities for growth.

Guinness is brewed in more than 20 countries throughout Africa and is exported to many others.

It is gaining popularity, with Nigeria being the third-largest Guinness market in the world.

The amount of Guinness consumed in Africa is three times more than the amount consumed in North America, Diageo says.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Police charge painting smoocher

I read this & I laughed. Atimes there's need to exercise caution when expressing our emotions.

A woman who says she was so overcome with passion for a valuable painting on display in France, has been charged with criminal damage after kissing it.

The immaculate white canvas so attracted Sam Rindy she smudged it with her lipstick, saying later she had wanted to make it even more beautiful.

The 3x2m (9x6-foot) painting by US artist Cy Twombly is valued at more than $2m (£970,000).

Ms Rindy, herself an artist, is due to appear in court on 16 August.

Staff at the Collection Lambert museum in the southern French city of Avignon alerted police after the incident on Thursday afternoon and she was arrested as she was walking out.

"I left a kiss," she told La Provence newspaper on leaving the police station.

"A red stain remained on the canvas... This red stain is testimony to this moment, to the power of art."

Speaking to French news agency AFP, she said the artist had "left this white" for her.

The museum is hosting an exhibition of works by Twombly entitled Blooming.

The artist was born in Lexington, Virginia, in 1928 and has been living in Italy for nearly half a century.

He won the prestigious Golden Lion award at the 2001 Venice Biennale.

Friday, July 13, 2007

The hand that feeds the mouth

Hiya!! Did you all hear that two Ex-Governors were arrested, especially the technology governor? Let's see what comes out of that. At least something is being done.

How often do you hear of or see the hand that feeds the mouth being bitten? Many people here are beginning to wonder if it's gonna happen. Remember what happened to Chris Ngige of Anambra State and his god-father?
It was with great wonderbility (as my friend would call it) and confusion that we received the news of Chief Ojo Maduekwe being simply asked to take a bow and leave during the ministerial screening. Chief Maduekwe has been in government since God-knows-when. He shares a similar political CV with Senator Jubril Aminu & Professor Jerry Gana in the length of time they've spent in the corridors of power. Before the screening, a large bunch of people (senators inclusive) petitioned the inclusion of Chief Ojo Maduekwe in the list. All man think say dem go comot am ni o. Only for him to come for screening and take a bow. Does the Senate mean that with that great number of years spend in government, there wouldn't be any actions taken/supported by him that they cannot inquire about?
We sure do smell a rat there. There must have been stern warnings to all PDP senators that they would be biting the hand that feeds their mouth if they do so. If you talk perenh, no ghana-must-go allowance for you. Wetin dem go do now? Man must wack! Whatever happened to that senator who refused to collect recharge cards given as bribes. Was he re-elected? I guess not.

Over to Olabode George. Does it mean that once you are an exco in the ruling party you have automatically become C-in-C or an authoritative body in the government of a country? The recent harrassment of the Lagos State Government brings me to my wit's end on who is ruling the country - sElected officers or PDP stalwarts? Fela already said if you have a friend fighting in the roforofo, better tell him to to stop fighting. I guess that's about how far you can go in discouraging him from fighting, except you wouldn't mind not being distinguishable from the ones fighting and the one separating them. And this man na person papa/uncle /husband oh. I urge all family & friends of Uncle Bode to call him to order.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Baba at the steering

I resume with comments on good old Baba Iyabo who has refused to go back to school and continue his theology lectures, but busy wrestling for power about. We were almost fooled that he would retire to his chickens and pigs at Otta farm. How will he not get carry-over in his courses? Well, he would do what he did for the 49 poor lectures at Unilorin to them.

How are you all jare? I hope you are having a nice time? Please try indulge yourself o. Even the wicked people and the gluttons are trying to live an enjoyable life. So I don't see any reason why we all shouldn't enjoy ourselves. There'll be more time to chat, now I gotta run. C'ya.