Africa is becoming increasingly important politically and economically, yet the Harper Government is not realizing Africa’s value maintains Professor Edward Jackson in The Mark, a progressive Canadian politics and culture publication.

The Harper Government intends to close more embassies in Africa and has already reduced aid to African countries instead focusing more on strengthening ties with the United States and the Americas among other national priorities.

The article enumerates the reasons why Canada should foster more meaningful diplomatic and economic relationships with Africa maintaining that it is both “bad policy” and ‘“bad strategy” to neglect the continent.

Historically, Canada has enjoyed a positive reputation in Africa for its development activities. Canada was thus able to wield greater influence in world affairs due to relationships fostered with African countries, particularly those within La Francophonie and the Commonwealth.

Secondly, by cutting aid funding to Africa, Canada is also undermining its commitment to poverty alleviation in some of the world’s poorest countries. Reengagement with Africa would not only address the poverty crisis, but as well Canada could gain a leadership position in key areas such as local governance, microfinance, anti-corruption and other important areas.

Thirdly, Canada’s commitment to democracy promotion and human rights with emphasis on women is being challenged in Africa by competitors such as China, Saudi Arabia and Iran, all of which have questionable human rights records.

Africa is also important from an economic point of view. By neglecting Africa, Canada is undermining important economic interests. There are commercial opportunities that have yet to be explored within Ghana for instance and other African countries with impressive economic growth. If Canada does not explore them other countries will reap the benefits of these opportunities such as China, India and South Africa that already have a strong presence in the region.

The article then sites issues of security as an important reason as to why Canada should have a greater presence in Africa. Terrorism, drug networks and regional warlords are potentially a threat to global stability which should be of great concern.

The article does echo the sentiments of many in the diasporic Caribbean and African-Canadian community -  Africa is not irrelevant and moreover needs to be a national priority. However, the article only scratched the surface of Africa’s worth, omitting the cultural and historical value of the continent as well as its growing innovative spirit. In reducing Africa to poverty alleviation, security concerns and a set of economic interests that must be explored lest China or India will take them is deeply problematic. Questions of economic colonialism, exploitation of resources and paternalism arise.  Africa’s value certainly goes beyond how it can best serve Canada’s and other countries’ interests.

Full Article: http://www.themarknews.com/articles/3181-why-canada-must-commit-to-africa

By Darling Nicky

An Unsung Canadian Hero Dies at 61

“This is very hard. It was just May that I wrote an article about Jack Layton’s amazing Federal Campaign. Now, I’m writing about his death.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

It was just 112 days after John Gilbert “Jack” Layton led the New Democratic Party to form the Official Opposition with 103 seats won, which made Jack the most successful leader of the party in history, passed away on August 22, 2011 after a rapid decline in health due to cancer.

For those who don’t really follow politics and perhaps don’t even understand how the Canadian government works, Jack did BIG things in his career.  Liken him to “The Little Engine That Could”.  His last official post was NOT as head of a mere political party, he was the LEADER of the Official Opposition – Jack got to sit directly across from Prime Minister Harper in the House of Commons! Yeah Son – that’s HUGE! Did I mention he “repped” Toronto too?  Oh yes, Jack Layton was a Member of Parliament for the Toronto-Danforth constituency and even held the rank of (acting and deputy) Mayor a few times.

One of the qualities that Jack Layton will be most remembered for is his loyalty to this country and his ability to involve and engage young Canadians in modern politics.

“…truly a loss to Canadian politics both as a voice and as keeping it entertaining and relevant to young Canadians.” via @botzie_sWc on Twitter

Survived by his wife Olivia Chow, MP for Trinity-Spadina, Layton left this Earth with the following words from an open letter to Canadians written 2 days before his death.

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” – Jack Layton

#thatswhatHEsaid

Will and Jada: Happiest Couple on Earth Calls it Quits?

“Do YOU believe that Will Smith’s and Jada’s marriage is over? Why? I coulda sworn they had that “open” arrangement. #jussayin.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

By the time you read this, I’m sure we’ll all know a little more about what’s really happening with this breaking news that Hollywood power-couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith are divorcing after 13 years of (disgustingly) happy wedded bliss.  You don’t need me to recap their story for you – Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star and emerging Hollywood heavy-hitter finds romance with Cosby Show spinoff A Different World’s spunky and rebellious breakout actress.  Will finds comfort (and nookie) in the pint-sized beauty as he regroups from the shadows of his first marriage with Sheree Fletcher (with whom he had his first son Trey), and marries a 2-months pregnant Jada Pinkett in 1997.  For 13 years, this couple has been revered as one of the most committed and loyal couples in all of Hollywood, never shying away from PDA’s and going on record several times saying that divorce is not an option for them.  Entertainment Tonight ran a story last night indicating that the on-set relationship between Jada and Marc Anthony (yes, J.Lo’s ex) as they filmed Hawthorne may have contributed to the separation.

At this point, everything is just speculation until an official response to the rumours is issued, and preferably from them jointly, but it definitely does get you thinking (even more) about what in the world is really happening to the marital institution.

“They have money, success, talent, talented children, and love. If they can’t work, perhaps we need a NEW norm for relationships.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Darling Nicky is an entertainment writer, blogger and publicist.  Check out her out at www.darlingnicky.ca

By Tendisai Cromwell

Box office hit, The Help depicts the life of African-American maids during the ‘60s in Mississippi.  The film centres around the lives of housemaids, their white employers and an offbeat journalist who subtly attempts to challenge the racist social norms that place maids at the complete mercy of their employers.

The central character, Aibileen is a kind and dignified figure who reveals her silent strength and patience in her role as a maid.  Her experiences are solicited by Skeeter, the journalist who secretly endeavours to write a book about the hardships endured by maids from their perspective. Minny, another maid with a fiery personality and uncompromising attitude reluctantly becomes the third in a quest to give a voice to the voiceless by contributing her life story to the book.

The film is ultimately an exploration of class and race in a historic period in America. However, the Association of Black Women Historians (ABWH) accuses the film of failing in its attempt to address these sensitive topics. The ABWH released an open statement to fans of the film, challenging its depiction of the lives of African-American maids. The statement heavily critiques the film for lacking in both historical context and accuracy.

“The Association of Black Women Historians finds it unacceptable for either this book or this film to strip black women’s lives of historical accuracy for the sake of entertainment,” the statement reads.

The ABWH claims that both the book and film completely omit the common and unfortunate reality of sexual, physical and verbal abuse endured by the maids. As well, it is noted that the rich history and key developments of the Civil Rights Movement go almost unacknowledged. The ABWH also charge the film of mischaracterizing the racism experienced by the maids.

“Portraying the most dangerous racists in 1960s Mississippi as a group of attractive, well dressed, society women, while ignoring the reign of terror perpetuated by the Ku Klux Klan and the White Citizens Council, limits racial injustice to individual acts of meanness.”

The ABWH conclude that the film is not simply a superficial and inaccurate account of African-American maids, but it is not even primarily an exploration of their life narratives. Instead, it is asserted that the film revolves around the white journalist’s journey for self-discovery:

“The Help is not a story about the millions of hardworking and dignified black women who labored in white homes to support their families and communities. Rather, it is the coming-of-age story of a white protagonist, who uses myths about the lives of black women to make sense of her own.”

The following is a list of the ABWH’s recommended readings for insight into the lives of African-American maids:

Fiction:

Like one of the Family: Conversations from A Domestic’s Life, Alice Childress

The Book of the Night Women by Marlon James

Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neeley

The Street by Ann Petry

A Million Nightingales by Susan Straight

Non-Fiction:

Out of the House of Bondage: The Transformation of the Plantation Household by Thavolia Glymph

To Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors by Tera Hunter

Labor of Love Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work, and the Family, from Slavery to the Present by Jacqueline Jones

Living In, Living Out: African American Domestics and the Great Migration by Elizabeth Clark-Lewis

Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody

The full statement can be retrieved here: http://www.abwh.org/images/pdf/TheHelp-Statement.pdf

By Tendisai Cromwell

Last week, the streets of England were set ablaze. Characterized by wanton violence and lawlessness, thousands of youth engaged in some of the most destructive rioting England has endured in decades.

What began as a peaceful protest against the shooting death of Mark Duggan by police in London, rapidly devolved into a chaotic three-day street rampage resulting in deaths, assaults, the destruction of property and widespread looting.  Hundreds have been apprehended and it is expected that up to 3000 individuals could be implicated in the rioting. How this anarchic, violent spirit swept across England has yielded much conjecture and many are pointing to race and class.

Residents of Tottenham, where Duggan was fatally shot, are no strangers to police violence. With yet another death of a young black man at the hands of the authorities without due explanation, members of the community had risen up. The rioting that emerged from that protest raged on in largely, but not exclusively black and lower income neighbourhoods. This is causing heated debate about whether the riots were the result of legitimate grievances of a marginalized segment of society or whether anti-police brutality protests were usurped by thrill-seeking, opportunistic youth.

Brit Rochelle Ross-Goulding, 25, tells swaymag.ca that she had been raised in the lower income areas of London describing those years as a period of instability, living on benefits and moving every two to three years between temporary and subsidized housing.  Having lived in some of these communities herself, she is intimately aware of the conditions within. Ross-Goulding staunchly condemns the rioting and looks inwardly to the communities in placing the blame rather than outwardly to the government.

“Young people have to start taking ownership for their decisions. It’s difficult sometimes because of the cards some of us have been dealt, but we can’t hold other people to blame forever and do nothing about it ourselves, ”Ross-Goulding said.

While expressing profound disappointment in the behaviour of the rioters, Ross-Goulding hopes that the British government will take note and address disparities in a progressive manner.

Amina Sheikh, 26, an international student at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London believes that the root of the riots lies in government actions.

“I think what we saw is a result of the society, institutions and culture. It’s not an individual issue, or a black issue, or a particular community issue, it’s a result of the state and system. It’s the fault of the British government and economy,” Sheikh expressed.

Many more voices are emerging from the ashes of the torched buildings, including that of Tottenham’s MP David Lammy. Lammy remarked in a speech during a General Debate on Public Order, that although the behaviour displayed was inexcusable, there are many systemic problems that have caused many youth to feel disconnected from their communities and resultantly unbound by a moral code to British society. He also made an appeal for an open and independent investigation into the death of Duggan.

Lammy, himself, was referenced by British historian and broadcaster, David Starkey. Starkey suggested that Lammy, as a successful black man, is an exception amidst a pervasive black culture responsible for the rioting violence.

“The whites have become black, a particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion and black and white, boy and girl operate in this language together, this language which is wholly false, which is this Jamaican patois,” Starkey said in a BBC interview.

Starkey’s inflammatory statements invoked a fury of criticism, though his opinions are shared by many as the debate widens and is had on all levels – in political and academic realms, locally and globally, on the streets and online.

Some say that the events should be a wake-up call to the British government who can no longer afford to ignore certain social realities hidden beneath the surface.

The Guardian reported on Monday that in response to the rioting, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced his committment to help England’s 120,000 most troubled families. While condemning the violence, Cameron admitted to some sense of responsibility on the part of the government.

“Social problems that have been festering for decades have exploded in our face,” Cameron remarked. “People’s behaviour doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it’s affected by the rules that government sets and how they’re enforced, by the services that government provides and how they are delivered and perhaps above all by the signals government sends about the kinds of behaviour that are encouraged and rewarded.”

Whether or not the riots represented the unbridled cry of the underprivileged, marginalized and racially profiled may never fully be ascertained, yet a very important dialogue has opened about a society that may have very well been crumbling long before rioters took to the street.

By Darling Nicky

Co-Host of The View marries long-time boyfriend

“I find it interesting that Joy Behar married her man after being together 29 years. Like really, what difference did it make?” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

I don’t watch The View regularly, but for some reason I always knew about this Steve Janowitz fella as the comedic co-host of The View Joy Behar’s main squeeze.  Like Oprah and Stedman, it was a non-issue for us as an audience as much as it was for them (for 29 years) that they weren’t married.  They did plan a 2009 wedding, but Joy herself called it off citing “wedding jitters”.  Really?  Jitters?  Like as if they didn’t know each other by then.

As the divorce rate climbs and climbs, I’m really trying to understand why so many people are still holding onto traditional relationships.  If I’ve lived with a guy for even five years, we’re as married as the couple who walks down a church aisle and signs a certificate in front of a bunch of people who are there (in part) for the free food and open bar at the reception later. In fact, if you share the same residence for 12 months, you are legally common-law spouses, so apart from being able to collect some medical benefits and receive life insurance funds uncontested, why the heck would anyone just up and decide that seeking the legitimacy of a certificate would make their relationship any more valid.  AFTER 29 YEARS?  I don’t want to hear about any kind of religious obligation, if you’ve “lived in sin” for so long, your devotion to your religious values can’t be that overwhelming.

Maybe they did it just to say they did it.  So, in a few years when they feel claustrophobic in the constraints of their legally binding relationship, perhaps they will divorce.  Just to say they did it.

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Rapper The Game under Investigation for Twitter Prank

“The authorities said that the ’1st Amendment does not permit you to do the social media equivalent of yelling FIRE.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

Wow!  Rapper The Game should really consider deleting his Twitter account because he is once again in hot water over a recent tweet that was sent from his account encouraging his almost 600,000 followers interested in an internship to call a number which turned out to be the City of Compton’s Sheriff’s Office.  This in turn inundated the Sheriff’s Office with phone calls causing police officers to have to filter through the barrage of calls to determine which were legitimate, and which were related to the prank.

When Headquarters Bureau Captain Mike Parker tweeted The Game to remove the tweet, The Game replied with,

“Yall can track a tweet down but can’t solve murders ! Dat was an accident but maybe now yall can actually do yall job.” via @TheGame on Twitter

The Game may face criminal charges for delaying and/or obstructing police officers while on duty.

The Game may be a playful stage name, but c’mon Son, Twitter tricks are for kids!

#thatswhatSHEsaid

In another Twitter scandal, New Edition member Johnny Gill is embroiled in a legal battle over another incident using the 140 character social media.  Turns out he accused the wife of his record label’s CEO Bill Dewitt of leaking a song with this tweet:

“I have every reason to believe ira from the record company put this song out might cry with unfinished vocal from me,” via @RealJohnnyGill on Twitter

Allegedly he also referred to Ira Dewitt as “f*cking nuts” which led her to file a lawsuit against him for defamation of character.

“Let Johnny Gill’s legal woes be a lesson to keep your beefs OFF Twitter.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Darling Nicky is an entertainment writer, blogger and publicist.  Check out her out at www.darlingnicky.ca

By Tendisai Cromwell

The internet show Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is quickly gaining notoriety in North America for its relatable characters, comical portrayal of office life and the central character, an inhibited black woman named J.

Trapped in an uninspiring office job, J finds herself in an array of socially awkward situations. Unable to navigate social waters with ease, hilarity ensues when J endures those painful moments interacting with her office crush or passively accepts the poor treatment of her coworkers. She compensates for her social ineptitude by acting overly friendly and appeasing others. J mentally scripts many of her interactions, only letting loose with her equally awkward best friend. The show is interspersed with comedic scenes of J aggressively performing rap lyrics in private or experiencing internal moments of extreme anger to deal with her reality.

In dealing with office politics, interracial dating and friendship, the show is generating interest among those who haven’t seen this type of relatable black female character on mainstream television. The show indeed adds much needed variety to the overwhelmingly one-dimensional representation of black women.

The relatively low budget production is the creation of director, writer, editor and Stanford graduate Issa Rae, who is also the main character of the show. The episodes are generally under 10 minutes and released every first Thursday of the month on the official website.

To watch episodes visit the official website: www.awkwardblackgirl.com/episodes

Visit the Facebook page

By Samuel Getachew

Kallie Ejigu is a rapidly emerging young journalist. As an executive producer with EBS TV, a Maryland-based specialty channel targeting the global Ethiopian community, she hosts ”The Benchmark with Kallie Ejigu.” The show, which can be seen on EBS in Canada, has gained popularity among many Ethiopian Canadian households across the nation. She talks to Sway about influence and gender equality.

SG: You once described notable women such as Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama as women “who have and are changing the way we not only live our lives because of their political and social actions, but because of how they have been changing the way women can be perceived”. Please explain.

Ejigu: Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama are two examples of women who have been able to break the rigidity of what it means to be a woman. They aren’t exclusively a journalist or a lawyer; they are business women, motivators.  First Lady Michelle is a wife and a mother, and Oprah represents a break from the traditional family setting. They both don’t just represent the changing climate of politics, media, and activism but also what it means to be a woman who pursues everything she wants without being beholden to societal expectations of her role.

What do you think of the current status of Ethiopia when it comes to the important issue of gender equality?

What’s interesting about gender equality is that even in the most developed nations women are still fighting to be paid equally or to be hired without discrimination. It’s truly a global issue. I believe a women’s elevation deals with her voice, the ability to speak and be heard and to act. This is called agency, and in Ethiopia women do not have much agency.

Because much of the population is rural, there are hierarchies which have perpetuated themselves and are in the fabric of daily life that maintain gender inequality. I don’t think the issue is unique, but that simply the prescription must come from Ethiopians. It’s a fabric of our culture that has shaped us, so we must be actors in changing and re-working it to better progress everyone. It’s possible, we just need to act.

Tell us about your new show ‘The Benchmark with Kallie Ejigu”?

I was approached by EBS in November of 2010 to produce a show for them. Knowing that the main demographic would be Ethiopians in Ethiopia, I felt that a show that could better shape the perceptions and truth in the minds of Ethiopians of what was going on in the Diaspora was important. More importantly though, I wanted to provide inspiration for young people to feel encouraged to pursue their dreams, as my guests had, and to persevere through challenges.

It’s difficult everywhere in the world to have a goal and to be humble enough to not only continually change and mould oneself but to accept failure as a blessing and as a means of growth and self-elevation. So for me, having the range of guests that I’ve had, they’ve all represented Africans here in North America who have had the courage to not only recognize their dream but to go whole-heartedly in the pursuit of it.

You have been involved with broadcasting for a long time. When and how did you get in to it?

I grew up watching 20/20, 60 minutes, PBS, and Oprah and knew the impact positive TV could have on the young and the old. I first started working in television when I was 17. I began at a local school station working as an anchor and reporter for two shows there. It was a lot of hard work, but I fell in love with the pre-production and production process. From that experience I knew I would have to give my all and work at as many different mediums and formats as possible, to better shape my skills as a journalist. It’s been six years now, and, God willing, many more to come.

If you “could change the world” as your Blog suggests when it comes to Ethiopia – what would it be?

That’s the billion dollar question. For me, education, hands down, is the most magnificent catalyst in positive change. Whether it be elementary, university, or trade schools; learning a new word, new skill, new equation little by little opens our eyes to understanding not only our current condition but what was wrong with the past. Ethiopia’s wealth rests in her population, and it’s currently a population of untapped minds. The trajectory could be enormous if we worked on building literacy and trade skills.

Who are some of your Ethiopian heroes and why?

That’s also a difficult question, honestly. It’s hard for me not to say my sister and father, only because my most intimate and propelling moments were encouraged by their hands. I’d have to say some of the most inspiring heroes in Ethiopia are the journalists who’ve maintained and stood by the integrity of their work, in the face of discouragement, being silenced, and jailed. They hold on to faith and courage in the face of fire. That’s heroic.

Where would you want to be in five years?

In five years, I’d love to be producing documentary films; ones that speak not to starving bodies but to vibrant culture and endless possibilities. I’d like to be intimately tied to a development project in Ethiopia and to also have several passports full of stamps.

Anything you would like to add?

I’d like to thank those who have watched either “The Benchmark” or any other productions I’ve been involved in. The support from back home is overwhelming and incredibly encouraging. I pray I can give back, some time soon, the same kind of love and support that everyone has given me.

Deeq M Afrika

By Tendisai Cromwell

The merciless rain has not touched the land upon which you rely for your source of food and livelihood for some time. This dry earth is barren, unable to yield sufficient crops for years. The last of your livestock has died and scarcity is common in your household. Weakened by malnutrition, your youngest child cries from the pangs of hunger as your wife rations the ever-depleting food from the family reserve. In desperation, your family packs only essential possessions to embark upon an arduous 20-day journey towards an uncertain future in Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Upon your departure, you will have 1400 travel companions, but many, mostly children, will die along the way littering the path with their bodies.

This is the bleak picture that the UN and aid agency reports paint of the famine plaguing Somalia, which has claimed the lives of ten of thousands. Extreme droughts, the worst in six decades, are affecting much of East Africa which UNICEF has characterized as “the most severe humanitarian emergency in the world.”

Currently affecting two regions in southern Somalia, Mark Bowden, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia warns of the spread of famine to all regions if swift action is not taken. 2.8 million Somalis are currently in need of emergency assistance and an estimated $300 million is required within two months.

Samiya Ahmed, Aspire2Lead founder

For Somalia-born Samiya Ahmed, founder of the Toronto youth-based nonprofit organization, Aspire2Lead, the drought is deeply personal. Her uncle residing in the less affected eastern region has lost half of his livestock.

“Famine is spreading all over. This is the tip of iceberg,” Ahmed says.

Aspire2Lead has been engaging in famine relief and awareness initiatives, partnering with local and international organizations to coordinate efforts.

One such partnership is with the Global Somali Emergency Response consisting of Ahmed Farah, Abdisalaan Aato and Deeq M. Afrika, young media professionals who recently travelled to Dadaab refugee camp and neighbouring Somalia. They assessed the extent of the famine, documented it and provided aid. The screening of their documentary, Dadaab: get there or die trying, will take place this evening at York University which explores the hardships endured by refugees fleeing Somalia.

Their website offers first hand accounts of their experiences. One entry describes an elderly woman who journeyed for 22 days from Somalia to Liboi, Kenya, 75 kilometers east of Dadaab.

“We ask how old she is. She doesn’t know. What she knows is that they have walked for 22 days. What she knows is that the woman next to her left Somalia with six children. She abandoned two children of them [sic] on the road to Kenya; they were weak and she was weak. They were about to die and she couldn’t carry them anymore. Two more children died. She now remains with just two of them.”

UNICEF reports that are over 550,000 children in Somalia are malnourished. The journey from Somalia to Kenya has proven far too difficult for many children to endure who die or are left before they reach Dadaab.

“70% of these children are dying. We’re on the verge of losing a whole generation of Somalis right now,” Ahmed says.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations issued its first warnings of a severe drought in 2010, but with a lack of media coverage, financial aid and political will on the part of many governments, the looming famine remained largely ignored.

“We need a better plan to prevent this from happening. We need a ‘never again’ slogan. This cannot be happening is this day and age, knowing what we have in terms of technology, in terms of methods of predicting climatical change,” Ahmed says. “ There was no contingency plan; there was no prevention.”

Aid agencies are appealing to Canadians to donate. The Canadian government has pledged $72 million dollars of federal aid for the East African drought and recently announced its commitment to match charitable donations made by September 16.

Deeq M Afrika

While Samiya believes donations are essential, she does not wish Somalis to be portrayed as helpless victims eternally dependent on aid. She would like to see an emphasis placed on Somalia-based sustainable development programs.

“They are not here to beg or ask for handouts, they are people who are dignified and have honour,” she says, speaking of her countryfolk. “They are independent people, they are very proud people, they are resilient people.”

Via Facebook, Deeq M Afrika shared a similar sentiment of the unbreakable resilience and honourable nature of Somalis.

“We said to one of the refugees, ‘We know this is very little. We are sorry if this is not enough for you and your family, but there are very many people on the road and we have to save a little for them as well.”Do you know what that man did? He returned half of the little we had given him. ‘Please,’ he said, ‘Give it to them.’”

Click here for more information about Aspire2Lead.

For more about the Global Somali Emergency Response, visit globalsomaliresponse.wordpress.com or  Facebook.

To Donate to the Global Somali Emergency Response to send survival packs to Somalia visit: www.globalgiving.org/projects/survival-backpacks-for-somali-refugees-in-kenya/

By Darling Nicky

Fish, Oil and one of the most heinous mass murders in Scandinavian history.

“I really think Norway’s gonna need to revise its 21-year maximum sentencing policy. #PrayForNorway” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

I have had the privilege of travelling to the Scandinavian region many times in my life.  Sweden, Denmark and Norway all share similar historical traits – they are all “Kingdoms” meaning they observe a monarchy, they share abundant resources in fish and oil and they boast some of the most beautiful people in the world – bet you didn’t know Paris and Nicky Hilton were Norwegian-Americans? But on Friday July 22, 2011, the course of Norway’s history was forever changed by an anti-Muslim act of terror committed by admitted lone assailant Anders Behring Breivik, 32.

After deploying a home-made bomb (à la Oklahoma City Bombing circa 1995) in the government district in the capital city of Oslo, this one-man tour de force opened fire at a Labour Party Youth Camp killing 87 people, most children ages 12 to 19.  Breivik who surrendered without incident after the attacks has chosen to plead “not guilty” claiming that he wanted to send a message to the Norwegian Labour Party about their pro-immigration policy.

In researching for this post, I stumbled across this very interesting analysis of the Numerology of this attack on www.adventofdeception.com :

Twin Attacks symbolizes the number 11
7/22/2011 = 15
15 reduces as 555 which symbolizes the modern day triple death number.
The date may reduce as 7:22:22
22 is a power number of the occult.
87 dead? = 15
560 members of the Labour Youth Movement on the Island 5+6=11

Time between the shooting spree of 2007:
4 years, 3 months, and 6 days = 13
Actual Number of Days = 1558 days
Days not in leap year: 1192 = 11:11
Days in leap year: 366 = 3:33:33

Personally, I think the only numbers they should be reviewing are the number of life sentences they are going to give this guy in what has become the most historic massacre in Norwegian history since the days of the Vikings.

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Mile High < Club 27

If Amy had have felt the love she is receiving today when she woke up yesterday, maybe today wouldn’t be happening. ” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

The music industry suffered another devastating loss with the confirmation that British singer Amy Winehouse was found dead in her London apartment on Saturday July 23, 2011.   As soon as the news leaked on Twitter, my timeline ignited with an outpouring of “RIPs” and “wasted talent” tweets from a variety of people who both loved and revered her, and who (perhaps) just wanted to demonstrate some social etiquette by acknowledge her passing.  Riddled with irony, Amy’s death makes her the latest inductee into Club 27 – the age that several other talented (yet drug addicted) musicians like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin all left this earth.

Amy’s breakthrough hit “Rehab” put her on the North American radar in 2006, although she had been making music for many years before, reigniting a love affair with jazz and vintage sounds.  She won five Grammys for that song, which transparently spoke about her refusal to enter rehabilitation treatment for her substance abuse.  She was also an admitted physical abuser, having been involved in many attacks against her long-time partner Blake Fielder-Civil.

Although the police at time of press are listing the cause of death as “unknown”, there is endless speculation that it was from a drug overdose.   I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t some intent behind all of these tragic celebrity deaths.   I mean, a user knows how much their body can take, what the normal amount of drug is that they require to give them the high they are seeking.  So, if more drug is administered than usual, then there has to be some intent to that. Many critics have said that Amy was already dead inside, her body just caught up.

For the many that appreciated her and her music, this is certainly a terrible loss, and I hope that her trendsetting legacy lives on with her impressive catalog.

“Absolutely RIP Amy Winehouse, but how many of you tweeted yesterday, “I loooooove her and her music”. Don’t wait ’till ppl are dead.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

#thatswhatSHEsaid

Darling Nicky is an entertainment writer, blogger and publicist.  Check out her out at www.darlingnicky.ca

By Darling Nicky

Those are some HIGH ceilings – and I’m not talking about architecture!

“Hmm….so while we try to figure out why J.Lo and Marc Anthony didn’t make it, the US is going to default on their debt ceiling. Awesome. ” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

Like watching a speeding train come towards you while you stand there blissfully unaware because your iPod headphones are turned up to loud – this is a fair depiction of how the US looks to the world as Republicans staunchly refuse to budge on their position of the looming and probable default on their $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.   President Obama has been trying to instill urgency in Congress leaders to either accept his proposed compromise package that includes a $1 trillion hike in taxes or come to the table with a solution.  The deadline for the US to avoid defaulting is just days away – August 2, 2011.

So what exactly happens when a big country like the US has to file for bankruptcy? We all seen what happened in Greece. #smallting ” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

Things are looking very shaky for the global economy.  While the Bank of Canada holds at 1% lending rate, inflation is on the way because our more (or less) stable economy can’t remain stable indefinitely when more powerful economic markets are in such jeopardy.  Greece’s debt situation places the entire European Union in uncertainty, while the Chinese, who are major shareholders in US Treasury Bonds, also rely on US spending on goods manufactured in China. Basically, it’s a vicious circle–not unlike the relationship you have with your credit cards.

In other news….

J.Lo and Marc Anthony announced their separation.  *crickets*  Even though as recently as April, they were seen lovey-doveying down the place at public engagements, we all know that J.Lo is the master of her own public image.   Who needs a publicist when J.Lo has it locked down to a science.  See what she did to Ben Affleck.   That guy never looked more polished in his life than the years they were a couple.

J.Lo resurrected her career from stagnancy once she landed the judging gig on American Idol, because let’s be honest, how else would she have TWO songs from her album LOVE? on Billboard’s Hot 100 right now?  Word is, she played a little hard-to-get (really, J.LO – hard to get?) with AI producers, and it paid off big time, as she landed a $20 million contract to return to the long-running talent competition.

“I feelin’ that Marc Anthony sufferin’ from short-man inferiority complex. B/c really – J.Lo is a friggin’ good catch and she’s loyal.” via @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

J.Lo might be a very shrewed businesswoman, but her “Love Don’t Cost a Thing”.

#ThatsWhatSheSaid

He Finally Gets a Piece of the Pie

“You gotta give it up for Wendi Deng. She’s definitely a “don’t you dare throw foam pie at my man” kind of a woman. #MurdochTrial.” @darlingnicky999 on Twitter

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you are well aware that the Murdoch owned News Corp. is at the centre of a horrendous phone-hacking scandal that has several of the biggest names in media and politics in the hot seat.  News of the World Editor Rebekah Brooks resigned as a result of the scandal and is actually being held in connection with allegations of phone hacking and police bribery.

With the British tabloid now in ruins, Rupert Murdoch and his son James sit in court, denying any involvement with any illegal activities that may have occurred at News of the World, and yesterday (June 19, 2011) British Comedian Jonnie Marbles attacked the 80-year-old Murdoch with a foam pie, to which Wendi Deng, Murdoch’s wife leaped to his defence and swatted Marble away in an effort to protect her media mogul husband.

If your hubby was worth in the neighbourhood of $7.6 billion, you’d be happy to throw yourself in front of a moving foam pie too.

#ThatsWhatSheSaid

Darling Nicky is an entertainment writer, blogger and publicist.  Check out her out at www.darlingnicky.ca