THE PRICES HAVE FALLEN YAKATA!!

The #YakataBlackFriday is only 1 day away. Konga Black Friday 2016 will come up on Friday 25^th November 2016 and it promises to be mind blowing.

Already the #Yakata sales have begun but the very best deals with jaw dropping discounts will be live by Friday and you can’t afford to miss out. The event will cut across ALL categories on Konga so whether u’re looking to upgrade your phone or u want to spice up your kitchen or prepare for the Yelutide season ahead, all that u need will be on sale on Konga and you only have to GET IN on the act.

QUICK HINT: Don’t wait till the morning of the 25^th before u start shopping. Endeavour to be up at 12 midnight or thereabout cos that’s when the BIGGEST discounts will be out.

Access and shop on Konga’s website here 

Hurry and enjoy the best deals this season!  Good luck

HOW SWIMMING AIDS YOUR HEALTH

We all know or believe that swimming being an exercise is good for the body which is very true. What a lot of us don't know though is the "real good" swimming does to our body such as lowering the risk of heart diseases and that's what I'll be sharing with us at this moment in time.

Swimming builds your muscle strength

Water is 12 times denser than air thus providing resistance that makes your muscles work harder and in return, toning and building those muscles when you engage in swimming. The resistance provided by the water is so much like that of weights in the gym. The amount of resistance you generate depends on how hard you are pushing against the water. Doctors usually recommend swimming to injured athletes to help them stay in shape and prevent further injuries.
Swimming also has a way of strengthening the muscles in your torso that enables you to stand erect.

Swimming improves flexibility

Swimming is an n excellent exercise that can be used to increase flexibility because swimming allows you to utilize most of the muscles in your body. Swimming helps you stretch and elongate your entire body with every stroke. Add workouts and stretches in water to this and you'll discover that poses that are difficult to accomplish on land become easier to achieve in water.
Additionally, if you are suffering from inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, swimming helps you to move those stiff joints while bearing less weight.

Swimming helps reduce the risk of heart diseases

Being an aerobic exercise,swimming is very advantageous to cardiovascular health. Swimming helps to improve heart rate and blood flow. Moreso, continued swimming helps to burn lots of calories which is very necessary for people suffering from obesity. All these help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Swimming aids you in exercising your body for longer periods of time

One can easily swim for long periods of time because water supports body weight without stress being applied to joints and bones. This is highly beneficial to the aged who may be unable to engage in other gruelling exercise as a result of their age. Studies have shown that swimming maintains or at times improves bone health because being in water, one is less likely to come in contact with hard surfaces that may be injurious to the bone.

Swimming improves mental health

Swimming and warm water therapy decrease anxiety and depression while improving one's mood. Swimming boosts the hormone endorphin which when released makes us feel better, improves our  mood, increase pleasure and reduce pain. It has also been revealed that swimming produces the same relaxation responses as yoga.
Swimming in a cool pool is also a good way to exercise safely on a hot day. 

~Beezle

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE OLYMPICS

The biggest perennial event in the world of sports is here again and like every other previously held Olympics, Rio 2016 promises to be lit!

Some people know about the Olympics while some very few, surprisingly, don't know about it. Overall though, the Olympics doesn't seem to garner as much interest as it should when compared to other sporting events like the FIFA World Cup. Today, I'll be sharing with us some interesting facts about the Olympics with the hope of endearing our hearts to the games as we would our babe(s). Without much ado, let's dig in! 

The Five Ring Symbol and Brief History of the Olympics

The Olympic games started the wooded valley of Olympia in Greece in 776 BC. It has been argued that the games held in 776 BC were not the first, but rather the first games held after the Olympics was organized into a festival held every four years.

Why Every Four Years?

Very Simple. Scholars learnt that the planet Venus traced a perfect pentacle across the ecliptic sky every four years and as a tribute to this magic of Venus, the Greeks used her four year cycle to organize the Olympics.

The Five Ring Symbol

The PENTACLE traced by Venus (a five -pointed star) nearly became the official symbol of the Olympics but was belatedly modified to five intersecting rings to better reflect the games' spirit of inclusion and harmony.

The Winners Medal and Importance of The Olympics

Initially, winners at the early Olympics were crowned with a victor's wreath to signify honor. The wreath was made from a sacred Olive tree reportedly planted by Hercules behind the temple of Zeus. Today though,  the wreaths have been replaced by medals of gold, silver and bronze while still serving the same purpose.

Importance

To the ancient Greeks, the ultimate goal was to be the best. All aspects of life especially athletics was centered around this concept such that it's considered an honor to be victorious at the Olympics as indicated by the prize given to Olympic victors back then - Olive wreaths. The Olympics also serves to promote harmony and friendship among nations  of the world.

The First Contested Event

The first event contested at the Olympics was the stadion - a sprint of about 190 meters. It was also the only event contested at the 776 BC Olympics.

The Modern Olympics

The Olympics was banned in 394 AD but was revived and made international in 1896. The winter games were added in 1924. The Olympics were forcibly cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to World Wars I & II and was resumed in 1948.

The IOC

The body governing the modern Olympics is known as the international Olympic committee and was founded in 1894 in Paris, France with its headquarters at Lausanne, Switzerland.

Consistent Events

Only five events have been contested at every summer Olympics since 1896. They are: athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics and swimming.

~Beezle

THE WASTES DON'T SMILE

A few years ago, a friend told me a short tale about one of his secondary school teachers who made it a MUST for his students to dispose waste materials such as papers, nylons and all sorts properly or keep them neatly folded in their pockets until they find themselves near waste bins where they can dislodge these wastes into. At that time, I thought of that noble teacher as absurd and funny and may be a little deranged to enact and adhere strictly to such a rule because it felt like a waste of time and effort. 

Today however, I dare to say that noble teacher should be applauded and possibly awarded for his actions. 

In Nigeria, it is common practice for people to litter their surroundings without flinching. Albeit many were taught against this 'little misdemeanour' in their formative years, none or little truly considered the lessons holy enough to practise it religiously and I am just as guilty of this awful deed. 

Ever since I heard that short tale though, my attitude towards waste disposal has gradually changed for better and I believe  every other Nigerian or whosoever reads this piece and who is guilty of this crime can change as well. Some of you may wonder how does proper waste disposal affect you or the price of garri in the market? The answer is quite simple. It does affect you and the price of commodities and below is how: 

Firstly, waste disposal affects your health. It's no secret that flies, mosquitoes, germs and bugs make dirty places their breeding place. The multiplication of these animals mean more of diseases like malaria, cholera, typhoid etc to us humans. If wastes are disposed off properly, and reduced to the bearest minimum our healths will automatically improve, we'll be free of dirty diseases and we can be as beautiful as God wants us to be. 

Secondly, waste disposal affects the prices of goods in the market. Studies have shown that the Nigerian government and even private entities spend hundreds of millions of naira to dispose and treat the tons of wastes that we drop on the streets, in our gutters and on the highways just to keep us safe and our environment clean. Some may feel it's the government's duty to do that but have we thought that we can prevent that occurence by acting more aptly with regards to our wastes. The government doesn't litter our streets and schools, it's us, the citizens who do that but we expect the government to clear it up. If we act right however, the government can channel those hundreds of millions of naira into other sectors of the economy that will positively affect the market price of our beloved garri. 
When used and disposed off properly, some of these waste products can be recycled and reused thereby reducing cost of production and in turn reducing market price of our common goods. Some of us know this but refuse to care about it, yet we complain of inflation. Some other countries thrive on this simple principle but here it doesn't appeal or make sense to us does it? 

Thirdly, improper waste disposal is just a diabolical act that doesn't portray us as good or clean people to others in the diaspora who are more enlightened on this issue. Before publishing this post, I read some articles written by foriegners who visited Nigeria and their reports as regards how we treat wastes are BAD and shameful. Imagine wanting to take a selfie and the background is so unkempt, a good natured person will have to look for 'greener pastures' just to take that selfie. Dirts don't beautify our surrounding, they denature them instead. 

There are other disadvantages of improper waste disposal such as causing erosion, impeding plant growth, ozone layer depletion among others which are all unpleasant to human nature. 

Notwithstanding, it is possible for us to transform our dear nation and mother earth from looking like this:

To this: 

To achieve this, we all need to manage our wastes properly, treat our environment with care and respect and be religiously consistent about it just like the noble teacher in the short tale above. 

Let's join hands to make the world a better place. 

~Beezle 

PORTUGAL : WORTHY WINNERS OR LUCKY WINNERS

Euro 2016 has come and gone with Portugal emerging as the new kings of Europe but one argument that refuses to go away is whether Portugal have won the championship based on luck or based on their efficiency. 

When Fernando Santos took charge of this Portuguese team for the first time in 2014 against France, he lost that game but said something after about bringing the team to the Euros and going all the way in Paris. As fate will have it, it has panned out exactly as Santos 'the gaffer' envisaged. It's clear then that the belief has been there from the onset. What Santos didn't share with the world is that he would carry out his intentions the 'ugly way'. 

Despite boasting footballers of immense talent, Santos never sought to play football the expansive way. He knew his side couldn't match the likes of Spain and Germany by playing openly and aesthetically so he made them play together as a well drilled unit based around a sturdy and formidable defence waiting to pounce on any given opportunity through their talismen. This to me looks like tactical ingenuity. 

It can be argued though that Portugal were boring and rode their luck throughout the tournament - sneaking past the group stage without winning a single game, forcing their Round of 16 and Q/Final matches into extra time and penalties and largely playing the final with almost all their men behind the ball but a popular saying says "You make your own luck". Maybe they made their luck by playing defensively but can they be blamed for the inability of their opponents to break them down? Definitely not. In the showpiece event, France took the game to Portugal but were toothless in attack. Many of their stars didn't turn up when their country needed them the most and after spurning a number of chances, you get the feeling the title may just slip off their hands and yeah it did. Portugal went into the final with the same game plan they've employed all through the tournament, losing Ronaldo their star and go to man to injury should have put them at France's mercy but instead it galvanized the other Patriots to become Heroes while France surprisingly became deflated and lost the title in the process. 

The triumph of Fernando Santos' men won't go down as the most beautiful in memory  but they won't care as long as they are remembered for delivering their nation's first ever international football trophy. These set of players have written their names into historical folklore and they have done it through hard work, commitment and with the help of lady luck. 

TOP TEN HEALTH BENEFITS OF EATING BANANA

Eating banana is good. Many of us eat banana for pleasure and like it for its exceptionally sweet taste. What many don't know is that eating a banana each day can help keep the doctor away. Banana contains an awful lot of vitamins and nutrients that are highly beneficial to mankind. 

Some of the nutrients contained in bananas include vitamins A,C and B6, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, potassium, natural sugars among others.

Below are the top health benefits of eating banana

1. Helps people with ulcer

Bananas help to neutralize acidic foods that can contribute to the formation of ulcers. Also bananas contain protease inhibitors that can help to eliminate bacteria in the stomach, which is one of the main causes of stomach ulcers.

2. Lowers risk of heart disease and hypertension

Bananas are rich in potassium, an essential mineral electrolyte for the heart. Potassium helps the circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. Potassium also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and water balance. All these keeps our heart healthy. Potassium also lessen the effect of sodium thereby lowering the risk of hypertension which may be caused by high salt intake.

3. Regulates bowel movements

Bananas contain an ample amount of insoluble fiber that travels through the digestive tract, sweeping up waste and producing bowel movements that are soft and easy to pass. It should be noted that too much banana must not be taken to serve this purpose without water as that may lead to constipation.

4. Prevents/Treats Anaemia

Bananas are a good source of iron for people suffering from anaemia. Iron deficiency is a common characteristic of anemia and eating banana regularly can help replenish the iron.

5. Provides natural energy

Bananas have a blend of three natural sugars: glucose, fructose and sucrose whose combination gives huge energy potential. Bananas contain both simple and complex carbohydrates that will give you quick energy and energy that can be stored for later use respectively.

6. Relieves menstrual cramps

You must have heard that you should eat a banana after exercising to prevent muscle cramps. I'm happy to tell you ladies that the same thing is applicable for menstrual cramps. Eat banana before or during your cycle to prevent cramps and bloating.

7. Reduce/Heals itchy mosquito bites

Itchy mosquito bites can be treated with banana peels. All you need do is rub the inside of the banana peels on the spot where you got bitten for about five to ten minutes and you're good to go. This simple remedy works better than some creams and medications.

8. Promotes eye health

Bananas contain vitamin A, a very important vitamin for vision. An adequate daily intake of vitamin A reduces the risk of night blindness and other eye related disorders. Vitamin A also acts as an anti-oxidant (specifically Beta-carotene) which helps protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals

9. Helps reduce weight

To our obese friends who want to lose some weight, bananas are the perfect food for you.  Bananas are low in fat but high in fiber and vitamins. The fiber in bananas absorb water and take up a lot of space in your stomach thus making you feel full for a longer period of time. Bananas also enhance metabolism due to their high vitamin content.

10. Boosts brain power and help manage depression

Personally, i find this particular benefit of banana to mankind to be the most astounding. I was swept of my feet when i discovered this and truthfully, I'm still very amazed.

The nutrients in banana can be used by the brain to aid its proper neurological and cognitive functioning . As stated earlier, bananas are an excellent source of potassium which helps deliver oxygen to the brain to keep the mind sharp. Magnesium contained in bananas can be used by the brain to promote proper electrical activity between nerve cells within the brain. The magnesium also helps to get rid of waste products of protein metabolism - ammonia. By reducing the brain's ammonia concentration, the ability to focus has been reported to improve.

Bananas are great for improving mood. Bananas provide the amino acids TYROSINE and TRYPTOPHAN which are precursors to the mood - regulating neurotransmitters SEROTONIN and DOPAMINE which are known to help you relax,improve your mood and make you feel happier thereby preventing depression.

Again, the brain uses magnesium to offset stress. I hope you still remember that bananas have magnesium in abundance.

Furthermore, when suffering from insomnia due to depression, you can eat banana before going to bed as the tryptophan contained in it can help you sleep better.

Ask yourself, are all of these benefits of eating banana not too good to pass up? It's time for you to add bananas to your list of "daily manna" and improve your own health.

THERE IS NO FUTURE IN TOMORROW...

Right from our childhood, it has been embedded in us by everyone and everything around us that the path to success is to Go to school, Graduate with pretty good grades so that we can a get a GOOD JOB that will set us up for life.

I'M AFRAID THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE...

The future continues to look bleak with job cuts, downsizing, retrenchments among others being reported in the news almost everyday. 

It is therefore time for this generation to seize the bull by the horn and step out of the shadows. Yes, being in school is good but since we are not being taught outright how to secure our future financially, then we must always remember that:

As an undergraduate or one who has just finished high school, you have the privilege of being free to do almost anything at any time. Many people in this category however do not realize this opportunity of free time presented before them so they end up misusing or not using it at all. As much as education (your course of study as it were) remains your number one priority as a student, you are not expected to engage in that alone. Ever wondered why peeps on the street(hustlers) seem smarter than students? It's because they are always exploring what's on their 'street'. Many students do not realize that they can also explore their street - campus to see and learn new things from there. And the fun of it is that you can choose to do whatever you feel you can do. Just take that first step.

Now, many of you may not have an understanding of the message I'm trying to pass across just yet but it's simple - Use your time as an undergraduate or high school graduate to develop a skill set for yourself apart from your course of study that will truly make you your own boss. 

Some graduates today are unemployed and still dependent on their parents to provide for them not because they are not qualified for jobs but because they didn't learn something to set them apart while they were in school. On the other hand, some are raking in cash endlessly and are on the path to financial freedom as a result of one or two skill sets they learnt or developed while in school. I'm pretty certain you don't want to fall in that first category. To avoid falling into that category, then you need to do something simple - LEARN SOMETHING NEW AND VALUABLE FOR YOURSELF. To do this however, it is advised that you discover yourself first.

     Pharell Williams the popular musician once said "If you never discover, forever you'll suffer". Who wants to suffer? Absolutely no one! But you will if you're not careful. Everyone has been blessed with something special, now we must find that special thing and put it to use.

After discovering yourself then every other thing comes with ease. You can chose to be a writer like myself if you've got the knack for writing. You can be a professional dancer if that's where your talent lies - Shaffy Kaffy is an example of such a person. You can be a musician if you feel you have what it takes. Who says you can't be a percussionist like my friend Adeoulwa, a graduate of Microbiology from OOU and now CEO AMBIDEXTRALS MUSIC RESOURCE who specialises in training people to be like him. A DJ won't be bad either would it? A footballer or basketballer would not be bad too. Just think of how much John Obi Mikel or Cristiano Ronaldo makes per week. how about LeBron James and Kevin Durrant? You don't even want to think of it

If you lack the natural talent for any of these things, then it's time for you to learn! Nothing is too hard to be learnt, studies have shown that the human brain is designed to assimilate about 10MB of information per second. Isn't that sensational?! You really don't have any excuse not to learn more

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world" - Nelson Mandela

"You ca never be overdressed or over educated" - Oscar Wilde. 

These great men are simply telling you to continue learning, and if you notice they didn't mention formal education.So if you want to change your world,your status for better, you just have to keep learning. You can therefore learn tailoring, bead making, learn to speak a new language, learn to do anything as long as it is something that can earn you an income and is legitimate. Don't forget, school is very good it is however proving not to be enough.

With each passing day, people(graduates and undergraduates) are beginning to realize that having a different skill set from their course of study in college is the key to ending poverty and wretchedness in this nation because judging by our present economical state, THERE IS NO FUTURE IN TOMORROW UNLESS YOU ARE READY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

If you don't want to be crippled by the economy;

If you wish to be your own boss;

If you want to earn that extra cash apart from your salary;

If you want to be creative and innovative, 

Then go ahead to learn that new skill, don't think of the few bucks it may cost you - cos it will surely pay its dividends. 

And as Mark Twain once said "NEVER LET YOUR SCHOOL INTERFERE WITH YOUR EDUCATION"

~Beezle

The NSBS Lautech Dinner and Awards 2016

  

Fathers: Our genesis yet elements of murky celebrations

         HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!
  

       
 Are fathers being truly celebrated or are they being recognized  just for the sake of it?
Are fathers and potential fathers doing enough to even warrant celebration?

    A father is crucial to every child birth in the world. Without a man's sperm to fertilize a woman's egg(s) either in the womb or laboratory,no child will be born. This simply highlights how crucial fathers are. They are the genesis of us all but when the day to celebrate fathers comes along, the glitz and glamour expected to come with it becomes missing or somewhat incomplete thus leading to the above questions.

    When mothers are being celebrated on their days, the whole world feels the vibe, social media are lit with appraisals, messages are exchanged aplenty. One simply can not help but join in and appreciate them. Yes mothers are unique and deserve every bit of love and care shown towards them but why does Father's day enjoy less glamour?  Is it because nature wants it that way? Is it because a mother's love toward her child is unconditional? No, definitely not. Something therefore is terribly wrong somewhere. I have identified a few problems that may be the reason why fathers are less recognized or celebrated. Let's ride together as we look into these problems and proffer solutions to them

* Some fathers/men are utterly irresponsible heads of their family. I know we've all been through this before at one time or another and it's getting a little boring but still irresponsibility on the part of fathers seem to be an endless thing. Many fathers spend so much of their time and money at cool spots and bars,indulging themselves in more bottles than their bodies can take while smoking till their lungs choke and they're dizzy at the same time committing adultery with young women who are usually no better than their housewives. Then they get home at odd hours to practise their boxing skills on their wives in the presence of their children. Typical examples of such men are the Russian and English fans that marred the ongoing football spectacle in France (Euro 2016) with their hooliganism - destroying valuable properties and leaving many people injured. If fathers are to be appreciated as mothers are, then acts such as this must stop. Just how many times do we see women constituting nuisance on the global scene or on the local streets? It's almost always men, fathers and this must stop.

*Some fathers simply can't find the balance between when to be soft or hard on their wife and kids. Many at times fathers are seen and expected to be the disciplinarian of the house. This is very right but then many fathers take it too far thereby becoming too hard on their family and are thus seen as monsters that they are not. Imagine your own son finding it hard to look you in the eye or take a selfie with you all because he fears  you are devil waiting to devour him. That's not right. Some fathers however are too soft, feeble infact that they are perceived to be weaklings by their family. Fathers are meant to be pillars of strength for their children providing support at all times while being fair and just yet. Fathers in this category should learn from their better counterparts, read books that can help them and pray for wisdom to do things right.

*Some fathers think money is everything and do not show the necessary parental love and care to their kids. Some fathers are not irresponsible but they are all about making money to meet their needs and those of their family that they forget they've got some parenting to do as well. Admittedly, mothers are naturally adept at showing love and care towards children. However, it is something fathers can learn to do as well. Wear that shoe for your child, tie her scarf or knot his tie and watch your kid grow fond of you in no time. Do those things that seem little and watch your wife and kids appreciate you for it. Show some love fathers, it doesn't hurt.

*Some fathers don't build up/sustain the chemistry between themselves and their wives. For whatever reason you can think of, you must keep the fire of love burning between yourself and your spouse except of course you guys need a divorce. For as long as a man and woman are together, the chemistry between them must remain intact. Yes there may be a few cracks here and there as there's no perfect home but don't ever let those cracks lead to the collapse of your personal relationship with your spouse. Children whether young or old like to be in a place where the feeling of love is evident this can only earn you more respect from your children as a father. Also, you will be indirectly teaching your children how to love and manage love which is something essential in everyone's life. So fathers and potential fathers, learn to love your spouse and show your love toward them. Even the Holy Bible instructs us to do so.

    We can be better fathers, all we need do is change some of our attitudes. We can take one less bottle of that beer, we can come home an hour or two earlier to spend some quality time with our families. We can tolerate those seemingly bad behaviours of our women. If mothers can show love, we can too. We can settle fights with calm words instead of throwing punches. We can do all these positive things, all we need to do is try. 

    And to every 'good' father out there I say KUDOS and don't relent your efforts.  
     Happy father's day to all fathers!

                                                            ~Beezle