Saturday, 29 November 2014
Introducing North West, the stunning fashionista (photos)
Over 200 killed in the bomb blast at Kano Central Mosque yesterday
According to eyewitnesses, three bombs went off one after the other at the 10,000 capacity Mosque during the Friday Jumat prayers. Two went off inside the Mosque, and one outside. And when people tried to flee the scene, gun men opened fire on worshipers. Many of the casualties were children who couldn't run as fast. Some were trampled to death in the mayhem that ensued.
When normalcy returned hours after the attack, the dead and wounded, said to be over 250, were taken to the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital and the Nasarawa Hospital.
The Emir of Kano was out of the country when the incident occurred. He'd left the night before.
President Jonathan also cancelled his meeting with Nigerians entertainers at the Creative Industry event last night because of the blast.
Photo credit: Punch and thisday live news
Photos: Peter Obi shops at a local market
Khloe Kardashian's family wants her to dump French Montana
From TMZ
Khloe Kardashian needs to run for the hills -- away from French Montana -- and that's exactly what her family told her during a heart-to-heart talk Wednesday.
Sources familiar with the situation tell us ... the Kardashians believe French has been unfaithful to Khloe, and their evidence centers around his recent trip to Dubai.
We're told the family believes French was hooking up with a very pretty woman during the trip, and tried to use Kim as a cover. We know they told Khloe French sought out Kim during the trip so Khloe would see pics of the 2 of them and think he was just hanging with her sis ... nothing nefarious.We're told the Kardashians say French's plan unraveled when Kim came home and told Khloe she was literally with French 10 seconds here and there. The family is convinced he used Kim to deceive Khloe
Why I beat the 18-month-old Baby to near death" - Ugandan Nanny From hell Finally Open up! [Photo]
"The baby was brought here for examinations and a number of tests will be done to establish whether she is in good health," confirmed a source at the national referral hospital.
Jolly Tumuhiirwe, the maid who is the main actress in the 'horror movie' has been charged with attempted murder and she is due to appear in court on Dec. 08, 2014.
Speaking from Luzira prison, Jolly Tumuhiirwe has asked the 'world' to forgive her for what she did..she said;
"My dad in Kabale was very sick and yet my mom did not have any money. I asked my bosses for some money to send to my dad but they told me that I hadn't made a month yet and my father was dying, so it kept on haunting me."
"That is the more reason I referred the anger to the baby but I'm sorry. But that madam (Arnella's mom) is not easy. She used to say that I steal money from the clothes and Eric's wallet, I eat the babies food...and yet I can't eat the food, I'm not a baby, those were all lies, so, I was also not happy from my heart."
"I feel guilty..ok when I was doing it I thought I was disciplining the baby because also the mother sometimes slaps her, I also saw from the mom. The torch I used was small and it's not hard. I think, I will never do it again"
..of her experience in Prison, she said;
"It's not good at all even my fellow prisoners don't want to associate with me, they want to beat me up. In fact they were saying that I should join them in their rooms, nobody likes me and I'm feeling bad I will never do it again, I ask the world to forgive me and also tell the bosses who have maids to treat them well."
Friday, 28 November 2014
Pains of Motorists on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
With the ongoing reconstruction of the
Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Hopewell Ukpebor toured the busy highway to
observe the progress of work. He writes on the slow pace of work, its
low quality and the challenges confronting motorists plying the routeIt is described as the busiest highway in Nigeria. Every day of the week, hordes of cars swarm the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for one purpose or another, moving from one direction to another, in a bid to get to their various destinations.
As the major link road from Lagos, the commercial nerve of the country, to other states, the importance of the 105 kilometre expressway cannot be overstated. Yet, the reconstruction of the road has been shrouded in controversies and politicking, much to the suffering of motorists and commuters alike.
It was in 2009, the federal government handed over the expressway to Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, an Indigenous construction firm to concessionaire for reconstruction of the road, in order to ease traffic movement that had characterised the expressway due to the damages that caused incessant road accidents, and led to loss of lives.
The contract was a 25-year old Design, Build and Transfer (DBOT) arrangement with the federal government to reconstruct the road, in which Bi-Courtney was expected to make an investment towards the modernisation of the express.
However, just a few years into the agreement, the federal government decided to terminate the project, citing a breach of contract on the part of Bi-Courtney. Following that, the reconstruction project was handed over to Julius Berger Construction Company, who was to handle work from the old Toll Gate to Sagamu which forms Section I, while Reynolds Construction Company, (RCC), was to handle section II of the Expressway.
The Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, had stated that the federal government had engaged the services of the aforementioned construction companies to start work on the road. He said: ‘’ the N167 billion project entailing rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion works was awarded to two contactors. While Julius Berger would handle section I: from Lagos to Sagamu Interchange, RCC Nigeria will be responsible for section II: from Sagamu to Ibadan’’.
The Minister had stated then that the Lagos to Sagamu Interchange end of the road will be expanded to three lanes on either side, while the portion from Interchange to Ibadan will have the two existing lanes reconstructed.
As THISDAY visited the highway, where construction work is ongoing, it was inundated with complaints of the slow pace of work that has become a daily show on the road, which has led to heavy traffic build-up on the highway, frustrating motorists on a daily basis.
Asides that, there appear to be questions on the quality of material used in the construction of the roads, which could have fatal consequences for motorists who ply the expressway, this being more than a year after it was handed over to both construction firms.
A motorist, who plies the expressway regularly, told THISDAY that the experience is always horrible, as he has to be in heavy traffic gridlocks that delay him and deprive him of good business opportunity, a situation that is not pleasurable for him and his family.
Decrying the pace of work being carried out, a motorist, Mr. Tejumola Olajuwon, said: “I have not really been impressed with the level of work being done on the road. I sometimes wonder if the federal government wants to inflict suffering and pain on us the citizens intentionally, because this is a straight forward thing, the government ought to force their hands to work better and faster.
‘’The kind of trouble I go through on this road anytime I use this road is better imagined than experienced. Hardly a day passes that there is no traffic jam, either because of an accident or because a part of the road is bad. There is always something causing the traffic.
‘’But who should take the blame for that?, he asked, ‘’if they work faster and efficiently, then they would have been through with it, and that part that is closed will be accessible, so the truth is I am not impressed at all, until I begin to see progress. They might have good intentions but the suffering on the road is too much’’, he added.
As THISDAY observed, the roads even though appeared reconstructed, had many damaged portions that suggests that poor quality materials might have been used. From Conoil Filling station, up until the Sagamu Interchange, there were pockets of damaged spots that lined the road, and formed small ponds of water on the additional lanes being constructed, while further down the road to the section II, the condition of the roads appeared worse, even as very little work seems to have been carried out.
With a little over 200,000 vehicles plying the road daily, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is as busy as it gets.
As such, the highway is not just a link road, but an important socio-economic infrastructure that holds the bearing to the commercial success of Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole, as it serves to move goods and people.
At the commencement of the project estimated at N167 billion in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan had charged the construction companies to do an efficient job, in terms of reconstruction and expansion of the road. The expressway was billed to be completed in 48 months.
The president said:‘’Today I am happy to inform you that we are ready to bequeath to Nigerians, a better and more durable road after 35 years when the first construction was made and completed. This event reflects government’s commitment to practically and relentlessly meet the yearnings of people and improve the national transport infrastructure’’, he said.
However, the reality appears to be that all is not well with the reconstruction efforts of the companies, as despite the charge by the federal government on quality of the Expressway and delivery time, very little appears to have changed.
Victor Maduabuchi, a cab driver, despite not being an expert on construction materials is less than impressed with the quality of the roads, and the pain it causes to the motorists.
According to Victor, ‘’this road is not being constructed well, if It was it will not keep breaking. They ought to have been done with this road, or at least some parts of it, but as you can see it is still going on.
‘’These days in fact, I barely go all the way to Sagamu because the traffic is a big problem. Nobody wants to stay in the traffic, but these trailers are not patient enough, they are always rushing, it is in the process of their reckless driving they start to damage this part of the Express.
‘’But what I believe is that the right quality construction materials are not being used, and that is why the roads keep breaking open, if it was the original them it would stand firm. The problem now is the more the roads continue to be damaged or continue to fall off, this construction will keep on being extended, and that is not good for my business.
‘’If this place remains closed, we have to use one lane, and too many
people want to go through this place, that is why there is always
traffic on the road. If there is serious traffic it affects work.
Everybody becomes stuck at the same place.”
With the concern for the quality of materials being used always a sore point in Road construction in the country, the snail-paced reconstruction currently ongoing on the Expressway could turn out to be a merry go round endeavour for those involved, but painfully to the detriment of Nigerians, many of whom have lost loved ones to the carnage that has been done to the road over the years.
Sharing this concern is an observer who notes that the apparent low quality of materials being used to reconstruct the road could have dangerous side effects for the people that ply the roads, especially considering the heavy duty trucks that use the Expressway unabated.
“It is a big concern; I work around here so I also take time to monitor the work that is being done. I just thank God that this is not raining season, because if it were, then the rain would have washed away the ground they say they worked on.
“The worst part of it is that, the part they say they have completed has been left like that since then, if it is good to be used, then why is it not open. They have to use the right materials and not compromise on it, because this is the lives of Nigerians we are talking about.
He however offered words of advice to the contractors, ‘’there is every tendency that the weather will eventually affect it, and then the heavy duty trucks that use the express lanes will also contribute to its damage and make it have contours. I must suggest that they scrap off all the old layers of asphalt and lay a fresh one, because if the one laid before is truly of inferior quality, then like I said, when it starts to rain, the weather will affect it. They will start constructing all over again’’, he opined.
To make matters worse, the plight of motorists who ply the ever busy expressway stranded in hours of traffic, a situation that has become normal these days, as a result of the ongoing reconstruction, but alarmingly also, due to the bad state of the roads which ought to have been repaired.
At intersections and U-turns, the situation is unpalatable for motorists, as even before the blink of an eye, long queues start to form, as each car tries to avoid the pot holes, gullies, and bad spots that line the road.
In cases of trucks or vehicles that breakdown, the situation becomes almost unbearable for motorists and passengers, as it causes obstruction to the free flow of traffic, while there is little or no help from the construction companies in clearing the road, and when help is offered, it is usually after a long period, when vehicles would have been stuck in the traffic gridlock for several hours.
With these challenges befalling the present contractors, many are asking why the federal government cancelled the initial arrangement of concessionaire with Bi-Courtney, especially as the company was vindicated of any wrong doing or breach of contract.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, a federal government umpire headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan had absolved tBi-Courtney of any wrong doing and reeled out possible reasons that led to the failure of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway concession in line with the contractual agreement between both parties.
In 2011, the annual report of the ICRC presented to the president back in 2011 had noted that the implementation of the project was delayed due to various issues that were not properly spelled out by both parties in the agreement.
Identifying some of the issues that caused the skirmish in the agreement, the ICRC exonerated Bi-Courtney of any blame for project delay citing issues with approval for the design of the road, securing the Right of Way, financial model and environmental and social impact assessment
True, it is hard to argue that despite facing some challenges; Bi-Courtney an Indigenous company had a unique plan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the road.
However, the termination of the contract was a chink in that armour of the project, and it cannot be disconnected from the many anomalies noticed in the present construction of the road, and the pains that confront motorists daily, even as that shift of plan has affected the speedy completion of the highway
SOURCE:THISDAY LIVE NEWS
Aregbesola Sworn in, Says Enough of PDP-led FG
Governor Rauf Aregbesola
Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
As Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, took the oath of office on
Thursday as governor of the state for the second time, All Progressives
Congress (APC) leaders of the party and both serving and non serving
governors extolled his virtue of pragmatism in the political development
of the state and Nigeria at large.
Also, Aregbesola stated that in 2015, “Nigerians are going to say
enough is enough to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the APC
would defeat the PDP because it is beatable.”
The oath of office was administered by the Chief Judge of state,
Justice Adepele Ojo, who equally performed the same ritual for the
Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye.
Aregbesola defeated the PDP candidate in the August 9 governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
According to him, “the God that helped us to beat them (PDP) in the
state, will also beat them for us in the national election. Do not be
afraid, do not be hopeless. Victory is at hand.”
Aregbesola who promised more development in the state stressed that
“what we need now are God-fearing and incorruptible leaders who would
galvanise our people and judiciously manage our resources to overcome
our challenges.
“We must terminate the regime of self-seeking manipulators which
currently parade the corridors of power, accruing political profit by
turning us against one another and further dividing us along ethnic and
religious lines.”
The governor opined that the result of PDP politics of division is that
Nigerians are poorer in the last 16 years, whereas Nigeria as a country
has never been richer, save for recent months when oil price has
declined.
“This manifests again in their continued lawlessness evidenced in the
desecration of the National Assembly and the travesty at Ekiti State
House of Assembly,” he said.
Aregbesola also noted that the PDP had demonstrated without doubt, its
inability to protect Nigerians and the territorial integrity of the
country, saying Nigerians must therefore be determined to vote out the
party which he said had brought the country to this state and show the
party the way out.
He said: “Our party, the APC, promises prosperity, national unity and
integration, security of lives and property, job and wealth creation,
rule of law and constitutionalism and deepening democracy,” nothing that
all these have been showcased “in all the states where our party holds
sway-Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti (until recently), Edo, Imo, Rivers, Kwara,
Nasarawa, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Borno and Yobe.”
Also, leader of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu, has charged the people of
Osun State to arm themselves with whatever they have to defend the 2015
general election and liberate themselves from the PDP-led government.
Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony, Tinubu charged the people on what
he described as ‘Common Sense Revolution’, saying the people should
stand firm to defend their votes in 2015 as they did in Osun State.
He lambasted the crisis in the oil industry, suggesting that it is time
to go back to our local produce like banana, cocoyam and cocoa.”
Tinubu, who lauded the people of the state for standing firm to defend
their votes despite the presence of armed security men, assured them
that APC will reclaim their mandate in Ekiti State.
“I want to charge you to buy rings, amulet and whatever you have in
your capability to defend the 2015 election as you did in Osun State.
“I salute your steadfastness to make over 30,000 armed policemen
shameful. I want to assure you that what they stole from us in Ekiti
State will be reclaimed,” he stated.
Also in his remarks, former interim National Chairman of the party,
Chief Bisi Akande, described the coming back of Aregbesola as the
opportunity for the applicants and unemployed, saying: “Full employment
for the youths is the next in the agenda of the governor.”
The ceremony had in attendance former governors, chieftains of the
party presidential aspirant under the platform of APC, General Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd), among others.
SOURCE;: THISDAY LIVE NEWS
Boko Haram Kills 35 in Adamawa Roadside Expl osion
A bomb explosion scene
Daji Sani in Yola
Daji Sani in Yola
Once again, insurgents suspected to be members of Boko Haram struck on
Thursday at Maraban Mubi area of Adamawa State where they killed 35
persons following a roadside bomb explosion.
An eyewitness said the bomb was planted by the insurgents to ambush
local hunters and military personnel who had been detailed to fortify
Mubi town from further attacks by the insurgents.
He said the explosion was timed by the perpetrators so it could blow up
the hunters and military personnel, who had arrived at the scene.
The accuracy of the attack resulted in the death of five military personnel and a local hunter on the spot.
It raised fears over access to intelligence by Nigerian troops.
According to the eyewitness, the scene of the blast is a busy area
where people returning to the town after the recapture of Mubi gather to
conduct business transactions.
A resident of the area, Mallam Usman said the explosive may have been
planted by members of the Boko Haram on the day before the blast
occurred, adding that the perpetrators knew that the spot was where the
soldiers and the hunters usually gather in the morning to strategise on
their next line of action.
According to him, the military had also converted the spot where the
explosive went off to a checkpoint, since there is usually heavy human
and vehicular traffic at the location most of the time.
“My house is some meters from the scene of the incident. I stood
outside my compound watching the suburb, then all of a sudden, I heard a
loud bang which shook the entire surroundings.
“The few people who were returning to the area started fleeing and it was immediately cordoned off by the military,” he said.
The explosion also prompted the military authorities to declare the
vicinity a “no go area” and advised returning villagers and passersby to
be extra cautious along the route.
The authorities further cautioned residents to be wary of strange
objects and polythene bags within their reach, warning that they might
be explosives fashioned out to look attractive to uninformed victims.
Meanwhile, hundreds of local hunters keeping vigil with the military in
the recovered areas of Adamawa State have vowed to ensure that the
sect’s members are completely chased out or eliminated.
The hunters, who were returning to the recaptured areas of Mubi and its
environs, told reporters yesterday in Yola that their main
pre-occupation was to ensure that the area is completely secured for
inhabitants to return to their homes.
The leader of the hunters, Young Moris pledged that they will do all
they could to ensure that Michika and Madagali are equally cleared of
the insurgents soonest.
On the constraints faced by the group Moris said despite their personal
sacrifices for their motherland, the state government’s gesture had not
been encouraging, especially in the area of mobility and feeding, and
advised politicians to stop sabotaging the efforts of government and
playing politics with the insurgency.
SOURCE; THISDAY LIVE NEWS
Photos: Riot in Lekki Lagos between Okada riders, thugs and police
The touts allegedly beat up one of the Okada men after he refused to let them seize his motorcycle and this led to a serious fight between some of the Okada men, bus drivers and the thugs. The police was immediately called in to stop the riot from escalating. The gate leading to the estate was shut immediately. See some photos after the cut...
This Is Shocking! Femi Kuti Reveals Recent DNA Test shows 2 of his 5 children are not his...
According to Encomium, Femi
Kuti revealed that,out of his alleged five children: Made, Afolabi,
Dupe, Tosin and Ayomide, two of them, Dupe and Tosin (a boy and a girl)
have been discovered not to be his biological children, according to a
recent DNA test.
“I did a DNA test and was told two of the children are not mine. The first two (after Made), a boy and a girl. It is very serious. I never knew somebody could give you what is not yours. I’ve three boys now. I can’t father children I was tricked to believe I am their father,” he lamented.
Because of the betrayal, he returned the two children, Dupe and Tosin, to their mothers.
Funke, his
ex-wife, gave birth to his first child and son, Made, who Femi treasures
so much. And Bisi Ajala gave birth to Ayomide and one other child that
the DNA test recently proved not to be Femi’s. The third woman’s name
was not revealed.
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Check Out KWAM 1's daughter, Honey B, Looking So Hot in new photos
Honey B, The RnB/Afropop singer looking stunning in her promo pics for her soon to be released new single
Oh Not Again! Another Popular Producer Is Annoyed With Wizkid! [SEE WHY]
Now, another producer has voiced his annoyance and displeasure with the Afro-pop star.
This is coming from the popular music Producer, Osabuohien Osaretin known as Sarz is the popular music producer who is responsible for the production of countless hit singles by Wizkid, the Edo state born music producer is responsible for songs like ‘samba’, ‘Jaiye Jaiye’, and several others. So here’s what led to their fall out. There’s been a cold war between both parties when Wizkid began to work more with other producers like Legendury Beatz and MaleekBerry, and it got worse when Saeon’s ex-manager Alex Adegbenro while narrating his version of the Saeon and Wizkid saga said,
"..And I remember he gave us a list of producers he could work with, he said it was either, Samklef, Sarz or Maleek Berry and we picked Sarz and then when he heard the beat Sarz made, he didn’t like it, so he called Sarz and was like ‘dude, you know my new sound, why do you keep making beats like this. So we went back the second time and Maleek Berry just laced a beat and the song happened like a freestyle."Wizkid’s 5 years contract with his current record label E.M.E would expire on December 1, 2014, and his fans expects a smooth transition as he’ll officially transit to running his own ‘Star Boy’ records and prepare to drop a new album.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
Buhari Returns Presidential Form, Calls for Unity
Muhammadu Buhari
- Party sets up governorship screening committees
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Former Head of State and one of the presidential aspirants on the
platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd), tuesday returned his nomination form with a pledge to
continue to work for a united Nigeria.
Buhari, who came to the APC national secretariat with just a few of his
campaign officials, thanked the party leadership for their efforts at
forging a united front ahead of the 2015 elections.
Speaking on the recent fracas at the National Assembly, Buhari slammed
the security agents for over-reaching their constitutional powers by
locking down the legislative chambers.
“ It is a distressing situation where those who are supposed to protect
the constitution are the ones undermining it. That place-House of
Representative and Senate-sacred place they shouldn’t go there as
members of law enforcement agencies much less fire teargas and harassing
them, they are brreaking down and undermining the constitution and if
they are doing that who is going to correct it? “ He said.
The National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, described
Buhari as one Nigerian who has show great passion to bring about change
in the affairs in the country.
“We are glad that you are one of those Nigerians who have offered
themselves on the platform of the APC with the vision and passion for
change and the time has come when business has to be transacted
differently in this country. Genuine concern for the people of this
nation should become the number one priority of any government in this
nation.
“If the good Lord had chosen you to be the leader of this nation or any
other aspirant for that matter, it is my prayer that one of you in the
APC win the presidency,” he said.
Meanwhile, APC leadership yesterday inaugurated six zonal screening
committees made up of five members each to undertake the screening of
the party’s governorship aspirants ahead of the 2015 general election.
The six committees and their chairmen are North-central - Chief
Olagunsoye Onyinlola, North-east -Senator Chris Ngige, North-west -
Malam Bolaji Abdulahi, South-east Timipre Silva, South-south, Alhaji
Tijani Gwazo and South –west, Senator Danjuma Goje.
The screening panels are to resume work by Wednesday..
The screening panels are to resume work by Wednesday..
Speaking while inaugurating the six zonal screening committees, Oyegun
said the critical nature of the assignment of the committee had been
made even more manifest with the events that have been occurring in the
last one week. He said the committees are made up of quality men whose
words are taken seriously.
He said the assignment of the committee’s was coming in critical times and as such they should be transparent and above board.
The APC leader said the public was looking up to them to show that APC is the agent of change and whether the party would be truly the agent of change for country.
The APC leader said the public was looking up to them to show that APC is the agent of change and whether the party would be truly the agent of change for country.
According to Oyegun, the peoples’s anxiety had become heightened
because of the insane things that have been happening recently.
“Why should security agencies invade a National Assembly which was convened at the request of the presidency and in which there is only three days that are critical to the approval of extension of the stage of emergency in the three trouble states?
“Why should security agencies invade a National Assembly which was convened at the request of the presidency and in which there is only three days that are critical to the approval of extension of the stage of emergency in the three trouble states?
Oyegun commended the legislators for subjecting themselves to the
integrity of climbing the fence, adding that were it not for such
courage exhibited by the lawmakers, may be something more biizarre
things would have happened.
He said the storming of the APC office in Kagos only disrupted the compilation of membership register of the party.
Oyegun added that the reasons given by the State Security Service (SSS) “cannot just fly. You cannot but begin to wonder what is going on in this country.”
Oyegun added that the reasons given by the State Security Service (SSS) “cannot just fly. You cannot but begin to wonder what is going on in this country.”
He charged the committees to ensure that aspirants are friendly and
accommodating in the campaign and to also ensure that they are all
properly documented to avoid disqualification during or after election.
While responding on behalf of other committees, Oyinlola said they
would work diligently to deliver a good job, adding that the committee
would do a thorough job that would make Nigerians see the difference
between APC and other parties.
Also, the Chairman of the committee in charge of the North-east,
Senator Chris Ngige, said the party considered the governorship seat
as the second highest position in the land and as such, the committees
would try to as much as possible to insist on a transparent exercise.
He said the North-east committee which he heads was considering using Abuja as centre to screen the aspirants from the zone.
According to him, there are 21 governorship aspirants for the APC ticket in the six states of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe.
According to him, there are 21 governorship aspirants for the APC ticket in the six states of Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe, Bauchi and Gombe.
Borno has only the incumbent governor who will be seeking re-election for a second term.
A Year With Google Glass Will Turn You Into an Obnoxious Monster
What happens when you spend a year wearing Google Glass? People find you awkward and weird, and you learn to hate your phone.
Wired's Mat Honan spent the last year wearing Google's wearable technology at every available opportunity, and his biggest takeaway was that people find wearable technology very, very weird. "Again and again, I made people very uncomfortable. That made me very uncomfortable," says Honan.
Honan found Glass was inappropriate for all manner of social situations, like eating dinner, commuting, and helping his wife give birth to their second child. Even his coworkers at Wired, the geekiest magazine on the newsstand, made fun of him for wearing Glass.
Glass was also not welcome at his oldest child's school, "because sometimes it scares children," which is exactly the kind of press Google wants you to read.
That's why, for now, defeating the social and economic obstacles of wearing an ugly $1,500 computer is nearly impossible. "Glass is a class divide on your face," according to Honan. Despite the splashy launch, Google has had to fight the social backlash against wearable technology since Glass debuted earlier this year. Besides the undeniable aesthetic problems, sometimes people threaten to beat up Glass users.
But Honan's year with Glass did yield one significant benefit. Disconnecting from the Internet was a popular trend story in 2013, and now there's a backlash brewing against our addiction to phones. "Backlash against cell phones won’t arrive until we understand the real problem," Robert Lanham wrote for the Awl recently. "Cell phones have made us dull." Which is precisely what Glass did for Honan. Glass helped Honan realize "what a monster I have become," for spending too much time on his phone:
Glass kind of made me hate my phone—or any phone. It made me realize how much they have captured our attention. Phones separate us from our lives in all sorts of ways. Here we are together, looking at little screens, interacting (at best) with people who aren’t here. Looking at our hands instead of each other. Documenting instead of experiencing.We are all guilty of this now—standing in a group at a bar where everyone has a drink in one hand, phone in the other, and there are routine breaks in the conversation for everyone to check Twitter. Friends checking out to send an email or a text message, or just to check Instagram, Snapchat, Tinder or anything else we can do on these little wonders of technology
Glass sold me on the concept of getting in and getting out. Glass helped me appreciate what a monster I have become, tethered to the thing in my pocket. I’m too absent.
Though Honan isn't entirely sure that Glass is the answer to this problem. "Can yet another device make me more present?" he asks. "Or is it just going to be another distraction? ... I have no idea." But the important thing is Honan acknowledged he was spending too much time on his phone instead of interacting with humans.
Is a reckoning against smartphones coming? Probably not. There are too many phones now, and they're too integrated into every part of our lives. But expect the "I abandoned my smartphone for a dumb phone and got my groove back in the process" to be the regressive tech trend story of 2014.
This post previously appeared on The Wire.
GRAPHIC IMAGE:Two Female Suicide Bombers Hit Maiduguri Market
Scene of a bomb blast
By Michael Olugbode
Two female suicide bombers Tuesday hit the vicinity of the busy
Maiduguri market killing several people, an eyewitness, Kolo Masta,
said.
He added: "As I am talking to you we are still trying to rescue the
injured and evacuate the corpses. I cannot give you a number yet but
there a lot of people dead."
He said it was also hard to rescue people as the entire place had been cordoned off by the military.
A youth vigilante source, who does not want his name in print, said
that one of the female attackers kept a parcel in one of the shops on
One-way, a commercial area beside the popular Monday Market
She had told the traders that he had something to pick from the market.
Sad the source: "The package detonated a few minutes later.
"And as people were still wondering what happened and were trying to
rescue the injured, another woman in the same area detonated a bomb
planted on her. This claimed so many lives."
There is serious security alert greeting the suicide bombing of the
Maiduguri market as vehicles moving in the town are seriously screened
which have caused traffic jam all over the town.
People are made to go through serious screening before been allowed to go into public buildings in the troubled town.
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