What can you get for less than 500 GHC these days? I’m not talking about small-small things oooh. I’m talking about something you can be proud of. Something with proper swagger.

Each Renault Duster now comes with a monthly payment plan.

I know what you’re thinking… NOTHING! That’s where you’re wrong. Today-today, thanks to CFAO Motors’ new comfortable monthly payment plans, you can get a brand new 4*4 Renault Duster from under 500 GHC a month!

That’s right! A brand new 4*4 Renault Duster, equipped to handle the most rugged roads with ease while you ride high and comfortably, like a king in a palanquin. With the AC on full blast and the comforting reassurance of a 3 year warranty.

All for less than 500 GHC a month. Step into a CFAO Motors showroom, and drive out in a shiny new Renault Duster. Drive Happy.

Paul Boakye

Writer, editor and marketing specialist who sat on The Power Inquiry. Former editor and CEO of the consumer lifestyle magazine, Drum (UK), and author of five plays published for an academic audience by Alexander Street Press, USA. Recipient of business and writing awards, including prestigious accolades such as advising British government, BBC radio and TV commentator, and invitation to meet Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. Currently works as a communications professional, creating contagious ideas to help great brands change the conversation to their advantage, across the entire Central and West African region.

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I’ve always had a fascination with Pajeros. Rugged yet refined, these machines have been one of the first vehicles to actually create a new niche, that of the affordable SUVs. Yes, there always have been super luxury Range Rovers on the one hand and utilitarian Land Rovers on the other, but nothing quite in the middle – that is until the first generation Pajeros were launched in the early eighties. They offered turbo charged engines, independent front suspension power steering and those lovely suspension seats on the driver side.

2010 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – All-round SUV with superior terrain handling ability

I still remember driving a Pajero Super Wagon Turbo way back in 1986. It was quite a machine and generously appointed too, including an oversized sliding sunroof and rear seats that folded to create two beds! And of course, to top it all off, the Pajero had personality. With numerous wins in the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally, the Pajero had created quite a stir with four wheel drive enthusiasts and it wasn’t long before the Mitsubishi Pajero had become quite a global star. Sold in the US as the Mitsubishi Monteros and Dodge Radier, offered in the UK as the Mitsubishi Shogan and in the rest of the world as the Pajero, it had become a well loved vehicle with die hard loyalists. And for good reason of course.

When I was shopping for a four wheel drive last July, there were many options to choose from. Of course there were the home used cars (whose home, I have never understood) which to me, were sick imports that would never be able to be properly serviced in Ghana due to the lack of service expertise or spares or both. So, that really wasn’t an option. In the new car market, there was the Toyota Fortuner which came with sterling Toyota credentials; there were a host of ‘soft roaders’ or crossovers, ranging from the Mitsubishi Outlander to all kinds of ashy Korean imports. And then of course, there was the Pajero Sport. Seeing the Pajero Sport and taking it for a drive, my mind was quickly made up.

As I walked around the Pajero Sport, with one of my colleagues from work, we couldn’t help notice the incredible ground clearance, great for Ghana we agreed. We saw the low angles of attack and departure which give the car a go anywhere, climb anything stance undoubtedly masculine and with no apology. Popping the hood we saw the highly acclaimed 2.5 liter turbocharged ‘commonrail’ diesel power plant, offering exceptional power and performance o the back of four modestly sized cylinders.

Premium Interior Cabin Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2010

Having had the car for almost a year, all I can say is that it has been an absolute joy. Offering exceptional off road ability while maintaining great road manners the Pajero Sport comes with Mitsubishi’s very own rally inspired ‘super select’ transmission, which allows both low and high range four wheel drive operation in addition to a central differential lock, which, as o road enthusiasts will tell you, can be quite a life saver when the going gets really-really tough. Putting it into the diff lock mode is really quite an awesome experience. With all four of my all terrain tires struggling in the sand, I decided to test the central di lock, which works like a charm. Once locked, you can feel the torque of the low ratio gears transferring power to both front and rear wheels in roughly equal measure. This gets your vehicle out of the stickiest of situations, so long as you know the fundamentals of off roading.

On the road, the Pajero Sport really is a surprisingly rened road vehicle as well. The perky engine means that it gives this two ton truck quite a perky acceleration, which is such a help on the highways. Diesels are prized for the their power and torque and not their acceleration and yet the commonrail technology offered on this powerplant means quite a spirited and smooth power band, without having to rev the engine too high. It has an amazingly good turning radius, which means that getting in and out of parking spots is a breeze. And of course, great visibility all round.

It comes with a decent stereo system with steering mounted controls; the dashboard has a nifty little console that is ever willing to calculate your fuel economy over the past four hours (even draws a graph!) or indicate your altitude or give you a compass direction. There is even a barometer and of course a thermometer which gives readings as and when you like. The climate control is quite a nice feature as are the easy to read instrumentation and controls.

With fantastic service and support (and in a part of town that I can get to) scheduled maintenance is as quick as it is professional. Sum up? Great go anywhere car. On the downside, it can’t wait to get out of town and play.

Jack Dee

I've been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek... but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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I got invited by CFAO Motors (Ghana) to test drive the new Renault Duster. I have to say, it’s a interesting vehicle. From the outside, it comes across as a pretty compact car. And it is. But it still manages to seat 2 adults and 3 kids comfortably.

Test drive the new Renault Duster today at CFAO Motors on the Airport Bypass Road (Accra).

Inside, it feels very snug and safe. The high seating positions give the driver a commanding view of the road ahead and a sense of complete control. The interior is neatly put together; most buttons are laid out in the centre console. The sound system can be controlled from the steering wheel, so you won’t have to keep looking down to adjust volume or find a station. It took me a while to figure out where everything was, but once you get used to the button placement, you’ll be fine. I was especially intrigued by the horn. For me, it was pretty unconventional. I spent a lot of time honking it. Good fun.

The Duster may not look extraordinary at first glance, but it is for a few reasons:

First off, Dusters come in 4*4 or 2*4 versions. But whichever version you decide to get, one thing’s for sure: you’ll never have to worry about driving on rough or uneven roads again. The high ground clearance on these cars means they won’t hit or scratch any high bumps. The tough suspension complements that and allows you to confidently cruise along on any sort of terrain, rough, muddy or smooth, in total control.

The second thing is fuel consumption. With a 1.6 litre engine, it stands out as a very sensible car choice – especially for quickly darting in and around down. It’s the only crossover vehicle I know about with a 1.6 litre engine, and that’s because there aren’t many.

The third thing is price. At US$22,500, there isn’t much competition out there in terms of value. And if you combine that with the expert after sales servicing that CFAO Motors does on all its cars, you can be sure that value will last for a long time.

Truthfully, beyond looks and beyond the name (I’ve never understood why they named it “Duster” apart from the fact that it might sweep away any competition), it’s one of the most practical options out there in terms of cost and value. And the fact that you can go anywhere with it and it will comfortably handle any road condition is just a load of stress off the shoulders.

If I had to sum it up in three words, they would be: Practical. Smart. Affordable. See for yourself!

Jack Dee

I've been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek... but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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Alzheimer’s disease is a growing problem in the US population of African-Americans and Hispanics. Non-whites have a significantly higher risk of developing dementia. In fact, African Americans are almost twice as likely to contract Alzheimer’s disease than Whites. Currently there are no known genetic causes for this dramatic disparity. Researchers believe that it could be related to other health conditions that are prevalent in both African-American and Hispanic communities. Diseases like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure may contribute to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a disorder that destroys brain cells and causes memory loss. It can result in a disruptive life and is progressively fatal. It is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.

While the average lifespan of an African-American has been increasing in recent years this hasn’t resulted in increased health span. The health of our brain has not kept up with the extension in life span. More and more elderly people are suffering from dementia and a disproportionate number of African-Americans are plagued with Alzheimer’s disease.

To make matters worse, the people who are most at risk of developing the disease are much less likely to have it properly diagnosed. According to a study by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to dismiss the symptoms of dementia as just a normal part of ageing. Some 70% of African-Americans versus 53% of Caucasians think that dementia is naturally expected to occur in the elderly. This means that people who display symptoms of early onset Alzheimer’s are not getting the medical attention they require.

While Alzheimer’s disease is incurable at this time not every form of dementia is Alzheimer’s. There are other reasons why an older person will display symptoms of dementia and some of them are treatable. There are circulatory problems that can create moments of forgetfulness and certain pharmaceuticals that can have adverse effects on cognitive abilities. By recognizing the symptoms sooner, medical professionals can make recommendations that may improve the brain health of individuals with certain types of dementia.

Brain health research suggests there are things that you can do to decrease your chances of developing dementia. Improving your overall health will have the biggest impact on your brain’s health as you age. That’s because the brain is vulnerable to damage is caused by poor diet and cardiovascular disease. By beginning an exercise program along with sensible diet rich in fresh vegetables, whole grains and low fat foods you can expand your lifespan and increase your health stand too.

Older adults are advised to seek medical advice before beginning any type of exercise program or a significant change of diet. Start by increasing your physical activity slowly day-by-day, and eventually, ramping up to being much more active than you are right now. Studies have shown that just regular walking, 30 minutes a day, three days a week, will have a dramatic impact on your overall health.

Within months of beginning a walking exercise program, you should see a decrease in high blood pressure, low levels of bad cholesterol, and an increase in energy along with better digestion and sounder sleep. People who regularly walk, live longer, and perform better on cognitive tests. Best of all, it doesn’t cost a thing to get out and start walking. With so much to lose, it’s vital that we encourage our elders to begin a fitness program.

Marie Clark

I write about health and elder care. My goal is to improve the quality of life for the elderly.

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There are two possible motives for David Kato’s death, retaliation for a court judgement or as the police claim, he refused to pay for having sex with another man. The former is part of the wider culture of religiously influenced homophobia, while the latter, made out to be mundane, is being used as a cover for the former.

“I highly think his death is related to the homophobia from the religious groups and to winning the High Court judgement against the newspaper,” said Frank Mugisha, executive director, Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG).

Murdered Ugandan gay activist David Kato.

Kato was brutally beaten over the head with a hammer in his home on January 25, and died shortly after on his way to hospital. Police reports state that Nsubuga Enock, also known as Sydney, was arrested and had confessed to the crime.

Against the backdrop of mounting international pressure to cancel the stalled anti-homosexuality bill which criminalizes anyone who is gay and tendered in parliament in 2009 by David Bahati, and scrutiny of abuses against members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT), it seems apparent that the Ugandan authorities are deflecting the motive for Kato’s murder from one of retaliatory action for the High Court judgement and the virulent homophobia to besmirching his memory.

The Ugandan state police in a statement issued by Major General Kale Kayihura, Inspector General of Police, and published on the Uganda’s official Website on February 3, while carelessly mistyping the month of the occurrence as February instead of January, said that “Nsubuga on the 25th of February 2011 negotiated with the suspect to be paid money for using him as [a] sexual partner, but the promise was never fulfilled. He claimed the deceased convinced him to play sex with him in the night after making him drunk from a nearby pub. He claims he was provoked to hit the victim because he was demanding to play sex with him that afternoon and yet he was not interested in the same.”

The statement said that Nsubuga has a long criminal record. He was on remand for theft of a phone but also had other criminal records in his home area. The statement does not say whether or not Nsubuga participated in any sexual activity with Kato.

“Nsubuga confessed that he picked a hammer from the bathroom and hit him on the head, which resulted into his death. Nsubuga, further said that he locked the house and took off with some of the items belonging to the deceased,” the statement said. Senoga, a car driver who Kato frequently hired was also arrested and held for further questioning. He had visited the house earlier in the day and like Nsubuga, was seen by neighbours behaving suspiciously.

Kayihura said that investigations so far conducted show no indications that the deceased campaign against the Homosexuality Bill was a contributing factor to his death, “The police has not received any information pointing to a hate crime apart from speculation from the public. In addition, I request sections of the Clergy campaigning against homosexuality to exercise restraint.”

In response, Mugisha, who has known Kato for several years, since their years working together at Integrity Uganda, said, “It is highly unlikely that David would pay anyone for sex.”

As with many others who worked with SMUG, Kato often had to scrounge around for money to help bail people who were arrested, especially if they were LGBT, which meant that they would have been disowned by their families, and on their release from jail would have been homeless, said Mugisha. As part of his work, Kato, he said, had quite likely bailed Enock out of jail and since he was homeless, offered him a place to stay. He added that given the depth of his relationship with Kato, he would’ve known if anyone was staying with him in his home.

Contradicting Enock’s claims and the insinuations made by the police, Mugisha said, “Anyone who knew David knew that he didn’t have any money to promise anyone a house, car, as was reported. The media says David had a house and car, but all the stories are untrue. They are saying that David was trying to give money to a straight person and that SMUG and David were getting money from foreign sources, and that he had lots of money.”

But the story of Kato’s death could be traced back to Oct 2, 2010 when The Rolling Stone newspapers published photographs of Ugandans suspected of being gay with the headline “100 Pictures of Uganda’s Top Homos” and a banner “Hang Them”, which prominently featured retired Anglican bishop, Bishop Christopher Senyonjo and Kato side by side. It was as if they and the 98 others, including human rights activist Kasha Jacqueline and Pepe Onziema were suddenly marked as targets.

Even before the publication of Kato’s picture in the newspapers, his work as an advocacy and litigation officer for SMUG, who championed the cause of LGBT rights and in real ways the plight of many who were arrested and jailed, meant that he was the focus of many people’s attention and ire. According to Mugisha, a month before his demise Kato had told him that he was afraid for his safety.

Jacqueline, the founder and executive director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, on Feb 15 published a statement in the Kampala Dispatch. In it she said that Rolling Stone accused her of having held parties and orgies for homosexuals at her home and that she was involved in brainwashing children into being homosexual, and reputedly quoted her as saying, “We are targeting those as young as 12-years old, as they are easy to persuade to join gay groups.”

The Ugandan newspaper Rolling Stone in Kampala, Uganda, Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010, reveals the identity of allegedly gay members of Ugandan society and calls for public punishment against those individuals.

The accusation of influencing children to which Jacqueline refers was a tactic used by U.S. religious evangelists, including Scott Lively, who had visited Uganda in March 2009 and advised those who attended a workshop that gays and lesbians in Uganda are receiving funding from international organizations to turn their children gay, and that the gays and lesbians in Uganda are using money to buy, coerce and force children to become gay.

“I have never said such a thing. I have never even thought such a thing – and even if someone was throwing homosexual orgies at my house, they never invited me,” she said. Jacqueline added that those people whose pictures were published in the newspapers were attacked, had rocks thrown at them, many had to abandon their homes, and have gone into hiding in safe houses around the country. Because it was known that there would be no support or relief from the authorities, Jacqueline said they all were too afraid to file police reports.

It was in this atmosphere of homophobic hysteria stirred up by the newspapers that in November 2010 Kato, Jacqueline, and Onziema filed a suit in the Ugandan High Court against Rolling Stone on the grounds that whether gay or straight, all Ugandans have a right to privacy and safety against incitements to violence. Jacqueline said that while she never denied her sexual orientation in her affidavit, the issue concerned the rights that Ugandans should have to be protected from the incitement of violence and violation of their privacy, “No one should ever wake up and see a call for violence and his [or her] home address published in a newspaper.”

On his Facebook page, Giles Muhame, editor of the newspapers, issued a “press” statement where he repeated many unproven and unsubstantiated calumnies against Kato. Drawing on references of child corruption, he said that in the court case, a man named Kagaba swore that Kato “was seriously recruiting kids into homosexual circles,” and that Kato was fired from his job as head teacher of a Christian-founded school in Nkoni, Masaka District, likely because “he could have been sodomizing kids, including one Douglas whom he stayed with.”

Mugisha said that Kato was never fired from his position as head teacher of the school, but it was the naked homophobia, including being physically attacked, as the reason he never returned to the school. The members of SMUG, he added, now after Kato’s death, have to work even stronger, “We cannot give up. This death was an eye-opener for our security. We always underestimated our security. Before we never paid much attention to the church groups, but now we have to.”

Following filing the suit, Justice Kibuuka Musoke issued an injunction against the newspapers prohibiting it from publishing more photographs and awarded the plaintiffs 1.5M Ugandan Shillings ($640) as compensation. Muhame said the paper is appealing the ruling. But, according to Jacqueline, the proceedings turned ugly in December, when as well as being bodily mistreated by court officials, she was attacked by known anti-gay pastor Solomon Male. On Jan 3, she said the judge’s ruling “clarified a nuance of the law, that while certain homosexual acts may still be illegal, maintaining a homosexual identity is not. In Uganda, a person is free to identify themselves however they please, and cannot be persecuted for it. Therefore, a newspaper like The Rolling Stone cannot incite violence against innocent citizens, and cannot invade their privacy.”

As one whose face was plastered on the newspaper’s front page, Bishop Senyonjo on Feb 8 broke his silence surrounding Kato’s death and the High Court ruling. The bishop, a heterosexual married man, was forced to retire and was denied his pension by the Anglican diocese of Uganda because of his work with and for the LGBT community. In an open letter to Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams, other primates, bishops, clergy and people of the diverse Anglican Communion, Bishop Senyonjo said, “A loving Anglican Communion should not keep quiet when the Rolling Stone tabloid in Uganda openly supports the “hanging of the homos,” including a fellow bishop who pleads for their inclusion and non-discrimination! Silence has the power to kill. We have witnessed its destruction this past week in the tragic and cruel murder of David Kato.”

Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, often referred to as the Desmond Tutu of Uganda, is an outspoken advocate for human rights.

The Bishop added that if Anglicans in one country dehumanize, persecute and imprison minorities, that people everywhere must be true to the Gospel and challenge such assaults on basic human rights.

“The key to our ministry must be to educate our people and encourage LGBT people to tell their stories and the impact of homophobia in their lives. Listening to the stories of LGBT people was the beginning of my own transformation,” he said.

Mugisha said that the virulent anti-gay pastor Martin Ssempa reportedly said that Kato was killed because he was living a dangerous life as a gay person.

The newspaper’s editor, in an interview with the Guardian Newspapers on Jan 27, said that he was sorry for Kato’s family and his death, repeated many unproven and unsubstantiated allegations surrounding Kato, “This looks like any other crime. I have no regrets about the story. We were just exposing people who were doing wrong..”

But in comments to his posting on Facebook, one person, Hyena Rubahoma said, “I highly doubt if that Kato guy was murdered, as said by the Police. Chances are 99.5% that he could have been excessively bum-drilled that he lost sense and later died. And besides, death of such evil guys reduces on the number of such evil activists.” As if agreeing, Muhame replied, “hehehe…that’s a good one my dia friend….hehehe….”

The court verdict, Jacqueline said, has shown that indeed, justice is possible in this world and more so in this country. She added that as members of a marginalized community, many people have taken advantage of their oppression to satisfy their political, economic, and social greed and bigotry, “We are victims of oppression in so many ways. And for being just who we are, many have turned us into targets of oppression. But we refuse to be silent. The stories of people fighting against injustice have always been about a minority, because social justice struggles are fought by a minority for a majority.

“The court verdict reminded us all that Uganda is no place for hatred and impunity. Irresponsible journalism has no place in this country. The Rolling Stone tabloid and its editors may not have anticipated that they would be victims of their own actions, but we would never wish for or call for them to be “hanged”. A media that is based on untruthfulness is an enemy of the nation. Let this be the beginning of responsible journalism for justice and equality.

“But one verdict does not mean that we have won the struggle. We still have a lot of sensitizing to do, especially to the people in rural areas, before people fully understand just how big a lie The Rolling Stone published. We have to know that we are all different in many ways and that we cannot all be the same. My hope is that we can learn to live together in this beautiful country of our without stigma and discrimination, but with respect and tolerance.”

The editors of the Kampala Dispatch said that two weeks prior to publishing Jacqueline’s statement, they tried to obtain a comment from at least two people behind the anti-gay vitriol, Bahati and Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo, who would not return any calls.

Antoine Craigwell

Antoine Craigwell is a journalist/writer for Out In Jersey magazine. He has written for several newspapers and magazines, including FORTUNE Small Business magazine. In 2008, he earned two awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) for his investigative reporting. Antoine obtained a double degree in journalism and psychology from Bernard M. Baruch College of the City University of New York (CUNY), and he is a member of NYABJ, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Deadline Club (the Society’s New York chapter), and the Baruch College Alumni Association. He was a volunteer tutor with Harlem Live – teaching journalism to high school seniors, and was the Secretary of the Board of Directors of Queens Pride House. Antoine’s public speaking included as a guest speaker on “Recapturing the Male Image” for the 3rd Annual Men’s Conference, and the Barbershop Series of the Black Male Initiative, both held at York College, CUNY. He was also a panelist on GritTV with Laura Flanders in Jul 2009, discussing anti-gay violence in the Sacha Barron Cohen film, “Bruno”. He has presented at workshops for the Annual NYC High School Journalism Conference at Baruch College, CUNY and participated in panel discussions discussing the state of the Black gay community in New York, and the media and the Black gay community. Antoine is in the process of completing work on a book and a documentary “You Are Not Alone” about depression in Black gay men.

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Have you noticed how women have all these musts/must nots for men but get appalled if a man should have strong preferences? I don’t like wigs and weaves for instance but when I vocalise this I’m almost looked at as a Fascist. Yet the facts are:

I like skinny women

I like thick women

I like dark women

I like red women

I just don’t have any preconceived type of woman that I select above all others. Of course, I want a woman with the kind of mind and shared ideals that I can work with. But in my experience far too many women have unrealistic preconditions about the type or kind of men they’ll even consider dating. And still large numbers of these women claim either to be in bad relationships or are single and looking.

I was reading an article on Yahoo Lifestyle some time ago, and it was odd how the comments showed that many of the women felt they were in ‘fakelationships‘. But why, I found myself asking, are these articles always on the attack towards men? None of the so-called indicators of ‘fakelationships’ was actually negative in itself: “You haven’t met his parents; He doesn’t want to move in with you; He still goes out with his mates a lot,” etc. So what? But these articles tell women that there is not only an ideal person to be with, but an ideal place to be in a relationship – and if you are not there, you are incomplete and the man you are seeing is not worthy of you.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr…

It was around the same time as I’d got into a conversation with a group of black women on a train where they were listing their various demands of men and relationships. “I don’t wanna carry nobody,” and “if he’s unemployed he shouldn’t be getting into no relationship, anyway, he should be sorting himself out,” or “he can’t be wearing no earring, and no, no – no tattoos,” and “he’s got to know how to be a man and how to treat me like a lady” plus “if he ain’t got a degree, a car and a house by… then…” blah, blah, blah. Like the white woman who sat opposite me, I kept thinking, how sad. And I hear similar demands so often from women of colour, especially with the public musings on Facebook and elsewhere these days.

List 1 – Man must have…

List 2 – Man must not have…

It is sad. I watch women’s chat shows and read women’s magazines: the socialisation of women has made them more susceptible to the influence of these two factors. So many women don’t know how to break free from the shackled of perception and consumerism.

The woman who is struggling with self-esteem fills the void by buying stuff and more stuff – so products that are targeted at women buyers are constantly attacking and eroding their confidence.

The foundation needs to be built at home and in the community.

So women decide that a man must be/must not be: it’s a defence mechanism, the man is another commodity like a handbag or a pair of shoes so she thinks that she can define the characteristics that are desired in the man like any other object. If she cannot find the man that fits the bill, she can be justified in slagging off all men – no one reached the bar – so all are undeserving. What she does not know is that the bar does not exist and if it did, she has limited power in defining it.

The bar is a construction of the media that influences her.

Is like how older black people are the ones that old their bags tightest when I past them – because they believe what they see/read in the news. The media tells them that young black men (especially those with locks) are a danger to individuals and society and they believe it.

In the same way, women are told that they are too this and not enough that by people wanting to sell them products to correct those perceived imperfections – and they believe the advertising. The advertisers target their perception of men as well – the ideal man is described and women are told this is what you can do to get and keep that man. The fall out is that they wholeheartedly believe that this fictitious definition of manhood is manhood. She believes that she has created herself as the counterpart to this man. Since this man does not exist, she seeks continually for him and refuses to ‘lower her standards’ to accept any other man because that would negate the work she has done to ‘improve’ herself.

The question is – how can we heal our communities – both men and women? What’s the media antidote?

How do we heal our communities – men and women?

I believe the first step to healing must be actually having the nerve to talk about these things, openly and honestly, and without fear of retreating to entrenched positions. In that way, perhaps some of us may grow to love ourselves, and in so doing, maybe our women will realise that the “ideal man” is a mental construct that does not exist, and that they must open up their hearts to allow him to emerge in the best approximation that destiny has to offer.

Jack Dee

I've been an IT consultant for over 15 years. Strange to get paid for doing what you love. May be in danger of being called a geek... but who cares? I actually enjoy every opportunity to drive through the concepts, design, and creative framework on even personal web-based projects. My other passion is travel: 72 cities in 35 countries at the last count.

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Dear All,

Someone amongst you, one of you, has been going around telling little innocent children that the Tooth Fairy does not exist. It’s appalling, and I’m here to tell that she does exist; in fact, as you can see, she has a gender, she’s a she.

This letter is to make it clear to you why she exists so that you can stop misguiding poor, innocent gullible souls who have done just fine so far. I send it with the authority vested upon me as a parent, and also based on the fact that indeed, I too believe that she exists because I have seen her at work. We have worked together on all kinds of projects and I can tell you that she always delivers on time and according to instructions.

The Tooth Fairy comes to my rescue on matters not just relating to teeth, but everyday things as well. To systematically show you how, let’s start with what we all know she does best – the teeth. Sometimes, one of my kids will have a tooth that has been shaking in its root for weeks and they won’t let anyone get near it. All I need to say is that if they don’t get it out, the Tooth Fairy is going to send a dog tooth instead of a good tooth. Like magic, the child is suddenly asking everyone if they can help them get the tooth out. As a result, all my children have straight teeth. If a tooth happens to get out on time, the Tooth Fairy and I keep our end of the bargain: she continues to exist and all I have to do is buy cheap candy and place it under the pillow. We, the Tooth Fairy and I, are now exploring how we can actually make sure that we get the straight teeth brushed as recommended.

Sometimes I have to leave the kids for 1 or 2 hours unattended so that I can get an errand done. I only have to say that my Tooth Fairy is watching for any kind of mischief and she will let me know right away if any of the children is causing a ruckus – she just whispers in my ear wherever I am. I can tell you that each time, I get back home and the kids themselves are intact and so is my house. Try that without having the Tooth Fairy help you’ll and see what happens.

The Tooth Fairy sees no gender.

There are nights when a tummy is bad and a child cant sleep. Have you ever tried telling them that you’ve just had a word with the Tooth Fairy, and she is sending her sister who is a nurse to come and have a look and the tummy will be better? You see, the Tooth Fairy has a family too and they work in a sort of company where everyone has an allotted role. You know that the bad tummy is nothing serious – the child was trying out the taste of the weeds in the garden, and a trip to the doctor is not really necessary. The Tooth Fairy takes away pain, and she is within reach, and so I use her.

The Tooth Fairy has a relative called Snitch. And Snitch sits on the shoulders of children who do bad things and goes back to report everything to the Tooth Fairy herself. My children know that should they be caught in the act, they can forget anything nice that was coming their way because the Tooth Fairy only works with good children. Snitch, oh, I love Snitch. It means that I don’t have to be in the same room with them every waking minute – Snitch is there doing my work for me.

The Tooth Fairy comes out at night.

There is another relative I must mention, and her name is Candy. She is terrific for keeping kids on the straight and narrow. She is plump, round and sweet and all she asks is that I have a secret stash of cookies for when we, she and I, need them. Her work is to notice good things that the kids have done. She tells me, and I have to hand out a cookie and say thanks, good boy, or good girl. The buzz from that will last for hours on a kid – I know because I get to rest in that time.

One of the most useful relatives when it comes to matters of hygiene is called Tub. Tub hangs around bathrooms and usually sits on bubbles that are on the soap. If he doesn’t get a bubble to sit on all day from each of us, he can get pretty upset and then the Tooth Fairy has to deal with that – she doesn’t like it at all because it’s hard to make Tub happy. She will get him to smile in the end, but trust me, she won’t be visiting you with anything nice for a while. All children must make bubbles for Tub with soap and water by taking a bath. Tub and I, and the Tooth Fairy of course, make sure that baths are rather regular.

You can see why you cannot possibly say the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. I could go on, but I have to go because I have a feeling Snitch has just flown in. I could intervene for whichever child of mine for whom the visit is intended on this one occasion so that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t get to hear about it.

One last time, please, if you are a self-respecting adult who has any kind of regard for the hard job of parenting, do not any child that the Tooth Fairy doesn’t exist. They just might believe you.

Mutuo Mbilla

Article by Mutuo Mbilla - www.goodarticlewriter.com Mutuo is a professional article writer and IMer who likes to occasionally emerge from her work and catch up with the rest of the world. Her articles here are mainly from what she sees when she sticks her neck out :-).

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The present fusion of fragrance and their accompanying cute, hot bottle designs appear to be getting BOLDER and even more DARING than ever.

He is almost there. “Yep. I’m the man,” he sings cheerfully and almost seductively with a cheeky grin on his face as he stares at himself in the rear-view mirror. He pulls up by her place. His car, made solely of intricately designed crystal clear glass parts from all his favourite travelled places, glistening fiercely in the sun. Engine off, he leaves Ne-yo’s “Monster” track on low volume spinning in the mini-vinyl player his boss set up for him in honour of winning ‘employee of the month’ at his advertising company. Just one more step. Just as quickly as he rings the bell, the door opens. Luckily, she has already let Marc Jacobs out the back door, who is now safely in his little boat sailing away soon to be joined by a Box of perfume waiting patiently on the other side.

To be continued…

Gwen Stefani (Harajuku Girls), Thierry Mugler, Marc Jacobs, Pacco Rabane, Katy Perry, Rihanna (her fragrance titled ‘Reb’l Fleur’ set to come out in the US in 2011 followed shortly thereafter for international distribution), Mary J Blige (My Life produced in collaboration with prestigious beauty company Carol’s Daughter) and the list goes on. These are just a few of the artists who have crossed the traditional bottle design barriers and gone into a free-style zone in artistic design. Not to mention that a lot of the fragrant concoctions seem to include fruity notes like coconut (the fruit, which is not a botanical nut), orange, apple and peach.

A little research has shown that a lot of consumers these days are more concerned with owning the latest cutest or hottest bottle and any accompanying accessories it may come with (like the Marc Jacobs solid perfume Daisy ring or Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku punk chain on a charm bracelet for example) than what the fragrance smells like. Some recent posts online have shown that most people feel that there are too many copy-cat scents and that they are not worth the hype. Add to that, they feel most scents may not last long enough or simply disintegrate to another not so charming note on the skin after about an hour or so. Having said that, this is not slowing down the slew of consumers, especially females, to the beauty shelves for more.

It is a case of he did, she did. The production of fragrance goes as far back as anyone can remember (as far back as the 14^th century according to the fragrance fact file online at www.wikipedia.org) and nowadays they seem to be spreading the shelves like wildfire. The problem is the more dramatic the design, the more the cost but will this stop anyone from buying?  Very doubtful.

On the note of advertising, I am loving ads by Thierry Mugler for ‘Womanity’ (colourful and bold) J’adore dior  featuring Charlize Theron (fiercely feminine and freeing), Pacco Rabane’s One Million and Lady Million (fun and captivating), Chanel No. 5  featuring Audrey Tautou (adventurous) and Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gioia (for its sense of freeing yourself). Lets not forget Beyonce for Heat. The  fiery ad where sensuality and fierceness compliments its equally firey fierce bottle.

Who would I like to see fragrances from in the near future? Oprah, Ozwald Boateng, and Avatar’s James Cameron are a few names that spring to mind.

I am curious to know what the next fragrance and bottle prototype will be like. In the meantime, I’m sure you will be enjoying what the eye can see and the nose can smell this festive season.

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Vera Kufuor

With a background in Media, I have a passion for the arts. I also write poetry and curently have a short feature film in working progress. Other works in progress: Project 2011 Fragrance bottle designs and fashion collection to include a comic strip.

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On November 13, 2010, Burmese generals surprised the democratic supporters around the world with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel peace laureate and pro-democracy leader of Burma. Her release was warmly welcomed by People of Burma with tears of joy. The release of Aung San Suu Kyi also brings a new hope for democracy and national reconciliation in Burma.

Born on 19th June, 1945 in Rangoon, British Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of General Aung San (a national hero assassinated in 1947) and Khin Kyi (a prominent political figure).

After her release, private or general discussions took place on the political matters of Future Burma among the political activists, political analysts and ordinary citizens. Some critics view that the decision of the military regime could be a starting point for democratization process. On the contrary, some argue that Burma’s democratic transition is in no way guaranteed by Aung San Suu Kyi’s Release. Some have expressed their great concerns about her safety by taking the scenario of Pakistan democratic leader, Benazir Bhutto. These opposing views and concerns point out the following questions:

1. Will the decision to release Aung San Suu Kyi by the military generals be actually a starting point for a new chapter of the history of Burma?
2. Will there be a probability of any assassination attempts on Aung San Suu Kyi?
3. Will the release of Aung San Suu Kyi actually bring a new hope for political dialogue and the end of prolonged and inconclusive political struggle in Burma?

Burma: A country with intra-state conflicts

For more than five decades, Burma has been entrenched in political and armed conflict between the repressive ruling military regime, political opponents, and ethnic groups. The ruling military generals committed grave breaches of the Geneva Convention of 12 August 1949, by the acts of wilful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and taking civilians as hostages in armed conflicts with ethnic minority groups.

The ruling military regime also violate the laws or customs of war such as wanton destruction of villages, attack or bombardment of undefended villages, seizure of, destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments as well as the plunder of public or private property. Thousands of villages were destroyed as part of the military campaigns against the ethnic groups. For several decades, crimes against humanity were committed by the junta against the civilian population. Burmese prisons are full of political prisoners.

Persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds were taken place. Monasteries were raided. Churches were burnt down. Monks were shot dead. Women political activists were raped or threatened by some forms of sexual violence. Rape was used a weapon of war in armed conflict zones. These acts result in the displacement of millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

Gravely concerned at the continuous violations of human rights in Burma, the Commission on Human Rights passed a resolution 1992/583 on 3 March 1992 to nominate a special rapporteur to establish direct contacts with the military regime and with the people of Burma, including political leaders deprived of their liberty, their families and their lawyers, with a view to examining the situation of human rights in Burma and following any progress made towards the transfer of power to a civilian Government and the drafting of a new constitution, the lifting of restrictions on personal freedoms and the restoration of human rights in Burma. Since then, various UN special envoys, rapporteurs including the UN Secretary-General have visited Burma several times to urge the military regime for all party-inclusive, transparent and national reconciliation.

National Reconciliation and Aung San Suu Kyi

As the political and armed conflicts were entrenched between the repressive military regime, political opponents and ethnic nationalities within the context of constitutional crisis and democracy movement, a ‘Tripartite Dialogue’ among three parties: the military regime, pro-democracy forces (NLD) and the ethnic nationalities, was recommended to resolve Burma’s constitutional crisis, create national reconciliation and initialize the move toward democratization. It highlights the possibility of restoration of trust and confidence and mutual reconciliation after a prolonged inconclusive political struggle through negotiation process and conflict management.

In all conflict situations, the role of Track I leaders who move forward with preparations is an important requirement to generate the political support or ‘will’ for a joint solution. Aung San Suu Kyi fulfils this requirement by calling for dialogue with the junta several times. Some critics argue that Aung San Suu Kyi’s party (NLD) was only interested in negotiation as a means to provide diplomatic cover. In fact, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party have attempted to seek several terms that can be acceptable to the junta side and it was the military junta that has no real interest in reaching agreement at all. Instead, the members of NLD and other democratic forces were arrested and tortured. Aung San Suu Kyi was also put under house arrest during the 15 years of the past 21 years.

For Aung San Suu Kyi, this is not her first time being released from house arrest. At first, she had to spend six years under house arrest until 1995. After her release, she was physically attacked by the members of pro-military organization called Union Solidarity and Development Association (which became Union Solidarity and Development Party in 2010). In early November 1996, she was in her car to visit supporters when a mob of thugs – some throwing stones, some wielding iron bars – surrounded the vehicle and smashed the wind-shield. This was in an area controlled by military forces, who did nothing to intervene.

Aung San Suu Kyi overwhelmed by well-wishes at the games to her home upon release.

Again in September 2000, She was put under house arrest until 2002. After her release, she made a lot of organizing trips around the country despite of harassment and interruptions by the ruling junta and pro-military USDA members. On May 30, 2003, Depayin Massacre took place with 500 unarmed civilians being attacked by military junta and USDA organized thugs. At least 70 people were killed in this massacre. In fact, Aung San Suu Kyi was the victim of a well-organized crime, however, she was put under house arrest again. She had to spend seven years and have been released on November 13, 2010. By taking these events into account, there would be a probability of assassination attempts on her in the future.

Indeed, it could be very difficult to predict the real intent of the decision of the junta to release her, especially after the rigged election on November 7, 2010. Will this decision could actually start a new chapter of the history of Burma? Do the generals have the real intent to start negotiation process among the newly-elected authoritarian government, the democratic forces and ethnic nationalities? Despite of her release, the junta has not made any further announcements regarding the formation of government based on the outcome of election results as well as no formal decision of engagement with the pro-democracy forces yet.

Changing the political climate

By this time, both Aung San Suu Kyi and the military generals need to reassess the political calculus again. Burma is a country with constitutional crisis and conflicts can only be resolved with a ‘Tripartite Dialogue’ among three parties: the military regime, pro-democracy forces (NLD) and the ethnic nationalities. It is obvious that the military regime could not resolve the decades-long political struggle by hand-picking some ethnic groups and holding the authoritarian elections. It is also clear that Aung San Suu Kyi and democratic forces could not resolve the inconclusive struggle without using all types of leverage (normative leverage, coercive leverage and walk-away leverage) and having a sound BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement).

While applying leverage (relative strength) for Negotiation and Dialogue, it is important to use BATNA as a negative inducement. It is an effective signal that its counterparts would be left in a worse position if they do not come to the negotiation table. Developing effective BATNAs could induce the military regime to negotiate with the democratic forces and ethnic groups. On the other hand, these could be useful if there were no prospect for any political dialogue and the pro-democratic forces had to use the replacement mode of democratization. There should be several contingency plans in the case of partial agreement or no agreement at all.

Along with the development of BATNAs and various contingency plans, Track II leaders (highly respected individuals who occupy formal positions in sectors of education, health, business, etc.) should focus on creating a shared vision, building relationships and forming highly-structured reconciliation commissions. Track III leaders (local community leaders, organizers of grass-root NGOs, etc.) should pay attention to the humanitarian needs of the community and attempt to build a broad-based reconciliation process.

Conclusion

From the wider perspective, it could be the greatest moment of the history of Burma if the military leaders decide to engage with pro-democracy forces and ethnic national leaders after the release of Aung San Suu Kyi. However, if the junta decides not to engage, Aung San Suu Kyi and pro-democracy forces should adopt all types of leverage. History tells us that only normative leverage could not bring a successful political dialogue. It must be accompanied by powerful BATNAs and walk-away leverage.

Khin Ma Ma Myo is a Joint- General Secretary (1) of Free Burma Federation and Director of Strategy and Policy of the National Council of the Union of Myanmar. She has written articles in various political journals and co-author of Handbook of People Power Movement, Fighting for Freedom and Anti-Dictatorship Struggles.

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Khin Ma Ma Myo

Khin Ma Ma Myo spent most of her years on Burmese Democratic Movement as a Director of Democratic Federation of Burma, an elected Joint-General Secretary (1) of Free Burma Federation and Director of Strategy and Policy of the National Council of the Union of Myanmar. She has written numerous articles for Burma Digest Journal, Renaissance Journal, Burma Today Journal, Women Rights Journal, Journal of Burmese Studies and various political journals. She works as a Chief-Editor for Freedom Journal of Burma and co-author of 'Handbook of People Power Movement', 'Fighting for Freedom' and 'Anti-Dictatorship Struggles'. Khin Ma Ma Myo holds degrees and professional qualifications from Thames Business School, University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate, University of Aberdeen and Chartered Institute of Security and Investment (UK). She is currently pursuing LLB degree from University of London International Programmes and Ph.D. in Political Studies from University of Aberdeen . She has a variety of experiences as a security officer, financial analyst, Visiting Lecturer on Government and Politics and researcher on National Security and Counter-Terrorism.

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The body of international reggae singer, Gregory Isaacs, will be flown to his homeland, Jamaica on Thursday 11th November 2010. He will be escorted by a cortege comprising his children and grand-children who reside in Britain.

Gregory Isaacs: Memorial Service Announced.

In the meantime, his wife, Linda, has announced that a memorial service will be held in London before the entertainer is returned home.

The UK service is scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday 10th November 2010 at the All Saints’ Church in Harrow Weald – the singer’s London hometown.

All Saints Church
90 Uxbridge Rd
Harrow HA3 6DQ
020 8954 8865

Mrs. Isaacs confirmed that Jamaica’s Culture Minister, Babsy Grange, has organised a state funeral to be held at the National Arena on the island.

It is understood that the singers’ family in Jamaica would like to see him interred in the National Heroes’ Park. They believe that the reggae star has made a significant national contribution that is as notable as any made by other personalities buried in the park. They have requested a meeting with Jamaican government officials on the matter.

Gregory Isaacs, known for hits including Tune In, Night Nurse, and All I Need Is Love, died in London on Monday, October 25, after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

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Luke Williams