#Goal setting in Nigeria

[victorwinnersdotcom]

Effective Goal Setting: How to Set Goals & Achieve Them Fast

As an entrepreneur poised to uproot competition and climb the ladder to business success, learning how to set goals and achieve them is one of the most crucial tools that will make or mar your dreams. No! Don’t take my words for it. According to research, millions of businesses have wandered into the desert of oblivion because they know next to nothing about where exactly they are going in the…

[ana-bananya]

Some resources for Congo

On the ground efforts in the DRC to support:

Focus Congo

Friends of the Congo

Action Kivu

Iheartafricadotorg

City of Joy women's community

Panzi Foundation

The Ntibonera Foundation

Save the Children

Humanitarian support for displaced civilians in the DRC

Konzo

Voluntaryism In Action - Community gardens in the DRC

Malaika

Emmanuel's Peace African Hope Organization ($5,441/$45,000)

The Humanitarian Crisis in Congo will not go unheard (£4,049/£10,000)

Agissons Ensemble ($10,375/$20,000)

Goma Upendo ($18,205 CAD/$50,000 CAD)

Goma Actif (€57,561/€75,000)

Support displaced women in eastern DRC, organized by the Congolicious Foundation (€12,478/€50,000)

Medical and sanitary supplies to support women & children in Congo, Nigeria, and Sudan ($425 CAD/$3,000 CAD)

Give2Goma ($57,434/$100,000)

Together for Congo (€6,886/€12,000) *The gfm is till set at the initial goal of €6k but €12k is the next target to help fund a second shipment of aid

Nurses For Humanity ($4,686/$50,000)

BEL AV ($2,690/$30,000)

Support Congolese Refugees: Help Us Bring Hope to Refugees ($16,729 CAD/$100,000 CAD)

Relief for displaced civilians in the DRC (€6,929/€20,000) *the funds from this campaign will help ship clothes and shoes to deliver to displacement camps

Congolese families that need your support:

The Busimba Family ($15,110/$20,000)

Leon's Family ($1,492/$25,000)

Amina'a Family ($1,161/$5,000)

Help Mugisha come to Columbia ($1,952/$2,500)

Additional resources

Send a Letter to U.S. Lawmakers to demand that Your Tax Dollars Stop Funding Conflict in the Congo

Amnesty International report on cobalt mining in the DRC

Amnesty International report on human rights abuses in the DRC

Understanding the Congolese Crisis: A Starting Guide by @/baobaboperation on ig

Info, updates, and resources on Congo and Sudan by @/red_maat on ig

Who is funding the violence in the Congo? by @/voluntaryisminaction on ig

[angelsaxis]

Help for Lola!

Lola is a Nigerian trans woman who needs safe housing IMMEDIATELY. Her neighborhood is getting more and more dangerous as Nigeria gets more and more homophobic and transphobic, so she has to move. She's had to put her education on hold because of this. She needs funds for both safe housing and also hormones, so we're setting the goal at $1400 USD to help her.

0/1400 USD

[celticcrossanon]

BRF Reading - 12th of May, 2024

This is speculation only

Cards drawn on the 12th of May, 2024

Question: What does Harry want from this Nigerian visit?

Interpretation: He wants to use it to makes things go back the way they used to be, and he wants to be the centre of attention.

Card One: Death in reverse

Death is a card of change, of moving from one state to another with no way to go back, of letting go of things. In the reverse, it is someone who does not want to change, who is not letting go of things, who is repeating negative patterns, and who wants to return to a previous state.

Death is the card of Scorpio, and King Charles is a sun sign Scorpio, so I am taking this card as referring to King Charles in particular as well as things in general.

The energy of this card is of someone who does not want things to change, who wants to go back to the way things used to be. Harry does not want his position and privileges to change. He would like very much to go back to being treated as he was treated when he was a working royal. I hear the words 'I want to go home', but 'home' is the days of Hero Harry and being the most popular royal. Harry can't return to those days - he has shown us too clearly what he is really like for that to happen - but he wants to go back to those days.

With respect to The King, Harry wants to go back to the days when honours were set aside for him and given to him, when houses were provided for him, when he was included as a member of the BRF. He wants his father to treat him the way he used to, not like he is doing now, e.g. giving military honours to Prince William and not to Harry. I know and you know that Harry lost all that when he left the BRF, but it appears that Harry did not know this, and he honestly thought he could go and be a 'private citizen' and still have military honours awarded to him by the King, keep his houses and his patronages, etc. He wants to go back to those days and there is a lot of puzzlement coming through as to why they are not happening any more. He can't understand what he did to be punished in this way (he views the lack of more military honours, free housing etc as a punishment). In his mind, all he did was tell the truth, just like he had always been told to do, so why is he being punished for it?

With respect to the Nigeria visit, I think that Harry is desperately trying to show his father that he can behave like a royal, so please won't you let me back in to the BRF as a working royal with all my old perks and privileges?

Card Two: The Three of Pentacles in reverse

The Three of Pentacles is about teamwork, three or more people working together to achieve a goal, putting in the effort to make something. In the reverse, it is someone who is not a team player, who is in competition with those around them, driven by their ego, and/or lacks any motivation to do any hard work.

The energy coming from this card, very strongly, is 'not a team player'. Harry wants to be seen as unique and special, not part of a crowd (or a team) but as the leader, the inspiration, the one everyone looks up to. He also has no intention of putting in any hard work, preferring to sit back and let others do that for him.

Harry wants this trip to show what a unique, special, and inspirational person he is, and how he deserves a special place set above everyone else just because of who he is naturally. He wants to be treated as someone special. The energy from the card hints that this goal has been accomplished and Harry is satisfied with his reception in Nigeria - it has highlighted how wonderful he is to his satisfaction (it could have been better, of course, but he is not upset with what he was given).

Card Three: The Eight of Pentacles, in reverse

The Eight of Pentacles is the apprentice card. It is about gaining mastery, learning and honing your skills, having high standards for yourself and others and striving to meet them. In the reverse, it is about being lazy, not learning and not honing your skills, wasting your talents, a rushed job/poor quality goods, having little or no motivation to improve yourself, mediocrity.

The energy from this card is that of laziness. So much laziness. Harry does not want to work, he does not want to learn, he does not want to improve himself. He is mediocre at best and sub standard at worst but he thinks he is top quality and perfectly OK exactly the way he is.

Harry did not want to do any work at all for this visit. He was happy to turn up and be praised and admired, but there was never any intention of putting any effort into it. He does not want to learn about the country, the people, their problems - he does not want to know about it. He wants to turn up for a few things and be admired and praised. He doesn't want people to expect him to work or do anything that involves making an effort.

Card Four: The Pages of Wands

Pages are messages, Wands can be PR, upright is good news. Harry wants good PR from this trip. He wants glowing media reports on whatever he does or doesn't do. He wants fawning, bootlicking, over-the-top sugary articles about how wonderful he is and how much he is loved and what an inspiration he is, and if he gets that he will be happy.

Underlying Energy: The Sun in reverse

The Sun card is about optimism, success, everything going right, warmth, being the golden child (as Apollo, on the card, is the favoured son of Zeus), joy, confidence, vitality. In the reverse it is about not being the golden child, pessimism, things not going right, depression, sadness. It can also be being conceited or being over-optimistic.

The energy from this card is of someone who absolutely wants to be the centre of attention and have people fawning over him where ever he goes. It is either a message from the universe that Harry is being over-optimistic in what he wants from this visit, or it is that Harry wants to be conceited, he wants to be bombastic and talk on and on and on while people around him are smothering their yawns, he wants to be surrounded by yes -men who will pander to his conceits.

The Sun is the card of The Sun, the ruling planet of Leo, and Meghan is a sun-sigh Leo. This card is not about Meghan, though. It is about Harry. In astronomy, The Sun is your self, your ego, your core values etc. The less evolved aspects of The Sun involve being arrogant, conceited, egotistic, full of yourself, demanding all the attention be on you, etc, and this appears to be exactly how Harry wants to behave on this visit - and to get approval for it, as The Sun card can also be about other people approving of you and saying yes to you.

Conclusion:

Harry wants four things from this trip to Nigeria. He wants to be lazy, i.e. not asked to do any work, he wants to be treated as someone special and inspirational, he wants glowing PR, and he wants to show his father that he can behave like a royal so he will be let back into the BRF and everything will be the way it used to be. The 'back in the family' ask is the underlying motive, the other three are things that he wants all the time.

Underneath all this is a need to be conceited and self absorbed and have people agree with him, to display the traits of ego, arrogance, demand all the attention etc and have everyone just smile and not just go along with it, but actively pander to him. If he gets all this from the Nigeria trip then he will consider it a success.

[withdenim]

Idk if you guys have seen the trailer for MMANWU but literally go watch it right now and also!! Also also also!!!

Please donate to the kickstarter if you can!! They’re a little over halfway to their goal to get this project fully funded, and only have two weeks to get to their goal!! And the way kickstarter works, if they don’t reach their goal, they don’t get any of it! So this is a really important window for the project!

I’ll link the trailer here!!

“MMANWU is a 2D animated short film set in modern day Nigeria. The film follows Ogechi, a Nigerian-American teenager, as she travels back to Nigeria after the death of her grandfather. Riddled with grief, Ogechi’s mourning is interrupted when she’s confronted with an aspect of her culture she does not understand, forcing her to contend with her identity as both Nigerian and American. Centered around Igbo-Nigerian culture and traditions, Mmanwu mixes magical realism and horror to explore themes of grief, spirituality and cross-cultural understanding.”

(Excerpt from the kickstarter page :))

[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 20 June 1835, Tomás, an enslaved Nagô (from modern day Nigeria) was sentenced to death for his role in the Malê rebellion in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. The rebellion was organised by Malês – a 19th century Brazilian over term for Muslims – in an effort to free Africans in Bahia from economic and racial oppression. In the early 19th century, Bahia experienced severe economic decline that disproportionately affected the majority Black population. Enslaved Africans and freedmen in the capital city of Salvador developed cultural and organisational strategies to resist these conditions. Central to these efforts were educated Muslim leaders whose efforts would culminate in the armed rebellion. The rebellion was set to begin at 5AM on 25 January but plans were discovered by authorities who ambushed a home where some of the rebels had gathered on the night of 24 January. The rebels responded with fire, overcame the soldiers, and headed onto the streets. The rebellion was well-organised and the rebels managed to attack a number of targeted locations including the barracks; however, due to inferior weapons and being outnumbered by the authorities, the rebellion was quickly quashed. Altogether, about 600 Muslim and non-Muslim enslaved Africans and freedmen participated in the Malê rebellion, of whom about 50 were killed. In response to the revolt, over 200 Africans were taken to court, whether they had been participants or not. Sentences included prison, flogging, death, and for freedmen, deportation. The Malê rebellion created anxiety among Brazil’s elite and became inspiration for other enslaved populations in Brazil. Though it failed to achieve its immediate goals, the rebellion disrupted the status quo and had lasting impacts on Brazilian society. Tomás himself later had his sentence commuted to 800 lashes in June. More information and sources: https://stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9283/tom%C3%A1s-sentenced-to-death https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=647907094049176&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[jerriemofos]

Since its the January transfer window, i'll be talking about players that i would love to see at Arsenal!

Obviously, with the registered players being at the max, it's not realistic for new signings to come in this window. So these are players that i think will massively improve our squad in the summer especially if we do want to make it far in the uwcl and win the wsl!

Also, i would like to make another post about players that i will not be opposed to leaving in the summer to get better players in 🤔 but idt yall are ready for that conversation yet

1) Maëlle Lakrar

Amazing young defender, very attacking minded, fits in the playstyle of how jonas wants our defenders to be

Hard worker, loves to get interceptions in, 1v1 duels to win the ball back (i love defenders like this)

Tactically intelligent, able to get into good positions to intercept players and loves to progress the ball forward to quickly transition into attack

At 170cm, she handles aerial duels well and can be used as a threat in set pieces

Quite pacey and can handle speedy forwards when in transition

A lot of big clubs have already started enquiring about her as her contract ends in 2024, would be a shame if Arsenal lose her to a big rival.

2) Sakina Karchaoui

One of the best left-footed fullbacks in the world right now, very attacking minded defender, which again is how jonas loves our defenders to be

Only 160cm but what she lacks in height, she makes up for in work ethic, loves to be higher up the pitch to get involved in attacks but tracks back well to defend when caught in transition

Loves to get interceptions in, 1v1 duels to win the ball back, often both having a high rate of success

Same as Maëlle, her contract ends in 2024 and the opportunity to get a worldclass fullback on a free should not be missed. She will be a massive upgrade on Arsenal's left-back position.

3) Chiamaka Nnadozie

Goalkeepers are a harder one to judge because you cannot rely on stats, so this analysis is based on eye tests

At 23 years old, one of the best young goalkeepers in the world right now

180cm, an excellent height for a gk

Had an amazing WWC23 run as a starter for Nigeria

Currently, also having an amazing uwcl run with Paris FC

Very impressive aerial abilities for a young keeper (imo can be considered worldclass)

Great outside the box, able to play out from the back effectively

Although at times her decision making can be better, but with the right coaching, she's on her way to be a worldclass gk

Amazing gk for both Paric FC and Nigeria at only 23 years old, why not snatch her up? (if you can't beat her, buy her)

4) Angel Mukasa

21 years old, still needs more experience but at her age, shes phenomenal

No data on her height but from eye tests, probably around 170-180cm

Excellent shot-stopping

Great positioning, never caught out of focus

Her distribution is a stand out trait, amazing at her age

Great composure, doesn't make rash decisions in stress

In the uwcl against barca femení, if it weren't for her, FC Rosengård would've conceded more than 7 goals, she was phenomenal in that game

Not my choice for a starting keeper but would be an excellent 2nd keeper until she gains enough experience to be 1st choice

5) Kerolin Nicoli

NWSL MVP 2023, NWSL Best XI First Team 2023, Runner up for NWSL Golden Boot 2023 (what more can i say 🤷🏽‍♀️ she's a baller)

Lethal in the attacking third, loves 1v1 duels, excellent dribbling

Unselfish player, will pass to a teammate if needed but also loves taking shots at goal too

Right-footed player but is excellent at the left

Versatile player, can play on the left and right (as a winger or midfielder), up top but also as a CM

Not much else to say except that she will be lethal in Arsenal's left hand side. Just imagine Karchaoui, McCabe and Kerolin on our left 😮‍💨

Other players that i will love at Arsenal but too unrealistic:

Naomi Girma

Merle Frohms

Misa Rodriguez

Stina Johannes

Antônia Silva

Jule Brand

Morgan Weaver

Ary Borges

Anyways, if you've actually read the whole thing, thanks! I'm quite disappointed with the lack of movements in this window so i've decided to write it here.

Do you agree with this list? Any other players that you will like to see at Arsenal as well? Lemme know i would love to here you thoughts! (pls refrain from hateful words, if you don't like this list at all. criticism is fine but keep it civil)

[basicallyblank]

Australia vs England World Cup semi final; thoughts

ENGLAND ARE THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP FINAL !!! I thought we played fantastic today, eery player genuinely stepped up and got the job done. We went into this game looked at as the underdog, people didn't expect us to win, we saw who the ref was and didn't think this game would go well, we saw that we were wearing the away kit and thought some curse was going to get us, the code to the England fans allocated seats got leaked and Australian fans bought most of them, some Australian news paper sent a HELICOPTER to spy on us... but this team blocked out every single bit of that noise out and did all of their talking on the pitch.

Our backline was a brickwall today, for the most part :) There were mistakes made with the Sam Kerr goal, but they didn't let that happen again, they regrouped and Millie Bright put her body on the line time and time again to stop Sam Kerr. Her long balls were the difference today, passing the ball down down the field which lead to the Hemp ad Russo goals which made us abe to safely see the game out and relax was one of the reasons we won. Lucy Bronze was everywhere again today, she put her body on the line (her bloody ankle says it all) and her headers which got the ball away helped us, she knows how to see out a game ;) annoying for some but she knows. Jess Carter and Alex Greenwood have saved us throughout this tournament, Jess Carter covering for Lucy Bronze and allowing her to go forward and covering that space in behind her so that opposition attackers cant make crosses or get up the pitch has saved us many times, shes been a rock this tournament. Alex Greenwood, the stats speak for themself, shes been our best player. She's created the most chances at this world cup (14) and her passing is pin point, she only made 5 incorrect passes against Australia.

We've all had concerns about our midfield throughout this tournament, it was a target area for other teams to silence, which significantly damages our play, but this team always finds a way. Ella Toone, recieved a lot of criticism this tournament, from myself as well, but in this game she showed up and reminded everyone of what she's capable of, showing up in big moments. The pockets of space she was picking up during that game which allowed passes to flow through from the backline into our attacking line were fantastic, she scored a rocket of an opening goal and overall had a great match. Keira Walsh, another outstanding tournament from her, her off the ball work is excellent, probably been marked more than she would have liked but she still manages to make it work, KW4 world cup final first england winning goal incoming ?? ;)

Our attacking lineeeeee cmonnnnnn. goals galore, probably not as many as we'd like to have seen, but they got the job done ! most of the time :) Lauren Hemp has set this tournament alight, as has Alessia Russo. Rachel Daly has been good at the front and at the back, which speaks volumes of her quality. Now that we're in the final, means that Lauren James can return to the squad following a 2 match ban after recieving a red card in the RO16 against Nigeria, curious to see where she'll fit into the plans for the final, she was having a good tournament and could've potentially been in the race for golden boot.

Mary Earps has obviously been THEE difference maker, the life saver, the game changer. England have conceded THREE times in this tournament. Three times. She's the best in the world for a reason she the least she deserves is her shirt being sold.

The Jordan not playing thing, will address my thoughts because i get a few asks lol. Obviously its disheartening that she hasn't gotten any game time, she left Arsenal to get into this squad, she really wanted to be here. Jordan will know her role in this team, she's an older player now, she's been out of the national team for a while, on the outskirts not really having a role, she's come back with a fresh mentality and new experiences to draw upon for this tournament. She's elevating this team, the younger players, Alessia, Ella ect have all said how close shes become to everyone in this team, shes uplifting them so they can perform at their best. She'll have known her role going into this tournament, obviously its sad she hasn't gotten any game time but if she lifts that trophy on sunday, i dont think she'll mind too much.

On sunday, we play in the final of the World Cup for the first time ever, we've won the Euro's (where we beat spain), we've won the finilissima, today we defeated the only team we've lost to since Sarina took over in 2021. This team are not finished yet, people underestimated us going into this tournament, they underestimated us today, on sunday we'll show them that we cant, and shouldn't be underestimated. In Sarina we trust xx

[cypher2]

2023 Women's World Cup records

In addition to breaking numerous worldwide social media and viewing records, the 2023 Women's World Cup set and broke a number of unique tournament records as well. The players and teams that participated in this WWC should all feel extremely proud for the history they have made. Their performances continue to show the world that these athletes are capable of so much more than they are ever fully recognized for.

First team from their nation to qualify for a men’s or women’s senior FIFA tournament: Vietnam WNT 8 nations had their debuts for first time appearing in a FIFA women’s World Cup: Haiti, Portugal, Zambia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, and Panama. Canadian midfielder Quinn starts for Canada and becomes the first non-binary athlete to play at a FIFA World Cup.

Christine Sinclair (Canada) and Marta (Brazil) become the 3rd and 4th players in history to appear in 6 World Cup competitions men or women, with Homare Sawa (Japan) and Onome Zeno (Nigeria) being the other two. The player with the record for most world cup appearances in history remains Brazil’s Formiga, the only player to compete in 7 world cups (men or women).

Kristine Lilly still holds the record for most WC appearances by men or women with 30 games played - a record set and held since 2007. Followed by Formiga with 27 as of 2019 and Lionel Messi with 26 as of 2022. Brazil’s Marta still holds the all time leading record for most goals scored across all World Cup competitions with 17 goals in 23 appearances across 6 tournaments.

Zambia’s Lushomo Mweemba scores the fastest goal of this year’s tournament in group stage at 2min 11 sec, also marking Zambia’s first ever world cup goal in their debut. The fastest goal in a FIFA Women’s World Cup has stood for over 30 years - it remains the goal scored by Lena Videkull of Sweden, who scored after just 30 seconds against Japan in the inaugural 1991 tournament. Zambia’s Barbra Banda scores the 1000th goal in WWC history. Nouhaila Benzina of Morocco becomes the first Women’s World Cup player to wear a hijab.

Ary Borges of Brazil scores a hat trick in her WWC debut and the first hat trick of the tournament. First Caribbean nation to reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Jamaica First Arab nation to qualify for a WWC and reach the round of 16 in WWC history - Morocco Of the eight debutants, Morocco was the only one to advance to the round of 16. Two teams reached the round of 16 having conceded no goals so far in the tournament- Japan and Jamaica.

First time four African nations have been represented at a WWC with three of them qualifying for the knock out stage at this years competition - South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria. 3 of the 4 African nations appearing in this year’s WWC all finished 2nd in their groups (Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria). The US suffered its earliest elimination in WWC history, getting knocked out in the round of 16. The U.S. has never finished below 3rd place in all previous editions of the competition. Sweden’s Zećira Mušović sets a new record for most saves in any WWC 2023 game with 11 saves vs the US in the round of 16.

First manager to lead two different nations to a World Cup final (Netherlands and England)- Sarina Wiegman First goalkeeper to take and convert a PK in a WWC penalty shootout - Alyssa Naeher

Golden ball (best overall player of the tournament) - Aitana Bonmatí Silver ball - Jenni Hermoso Bronze ball - Amanda Ilestedt Golden boot (most goals scored in the tournament) - Hinata Miyazawa (5 goals) Silver boot - Kadidiatou Diani Bronze boot - Alexandra Popp Golden glove (best goalkeeper of the tournament) - Mary Earps

FIFA young player award (best player of the tournament under 21 years old) - Salma Paralluelo FIFA fair play award (team with best record of fair play during the tournament) - Japan Best mascot of the tournament (unofficial) - Waru Longest penalty shootout in World Cup history (20 penalties taken) - Australia vs France quarter final

The 2023 competition was hosted by Australia and New Zealand, making it the first edition to be held in the Southern Hemisphere, the first Women's World Cup to be hosted by two countries, and the first FIFA senior competition for either men or women to be held across two confederations (Asia and Oceanic).

First edition of the women’s tournament to feature an expansion to 32 teams and 64 matches, and largest women’s sporting event in history with 32 teams and 736 players. Only team to play all matches (group stage + knockout) undefeated with a 6-0-0 record - England All 4 previous winner nations (US, Germany, Norway, and Japan) were eliminated before the semifinal stage, marking the first time this has happened in the competition’s history.

For the first time in its 32 year and 9 tournament history, the WWC has a new champion (Spain) and new runner up (England) in 2023, with both nations never having made it to the final stage before. Only the 2nd nation in history to win both a men’s and women’s World Cup - Spain Top scoring country at the 2023 WWC - Spain with 18 goals First time a senior English football team has made it to a WC final in 6 decades - England WNT

First time advancing past quarterfinals in their WWC history and first host nation to advance to semifinals in 20 years - Australia placed 4th place for best in all 8 WWC competitions they’ve participated in and broke attendance records through all stages of the tournament, with an overall stadium attendance across all matches at 1.978 million. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold for the WWC, surpassing the entire tournament’s projected target in the first 5 days alone.

Two attendance records were broken for both host nations on day one of the WWC - largest crowd ever for a men’s or women’s football game in New Zealand (42,137) and largest crowd ever for a women’s football game in Australia (75,784).

Brazil's opening match v Panama was simulcast live on TV Globo and SporTV, delivering a combined audience of 13.9 million viewers - higher than any audience in the territory during the 2007, 2011, and 2015 WWC. China v England produced the highest audience for a single match, reaching 53.9 million viewers, becoming the highest in any global market so far. 17.15 million people tuned into the Australia v England semifinal cumulatively across Channel 7, Optus Sport, venues, and live-sites, comprising approx 64% of the entire Australian population - the biggest television event not just in any sport in the country, but in Australia’s television history.

The record for highest single match attendance still remains the 1999 WWC final between the US and China with 90,185 in attendance - a number that hasn’t been reached since the men’s tournament at the 1994 WC final between Italy and Brazil at 94,194.

The largest 2023 attendances were at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which saw four capacity-crowd fixtures, including Australia's opening win over Republic of Ireland and the final between Spain and England. The crowd of 75,784 was a record home audience for a women's football match in Australia and the third largest individual crowd attendance in Women's World Cup history. Over 50% of all matches had near sell out or at stadium capacity with a total of 1,977,824 fans in attendance at the 64 games in total, setting a new record for highest overall attendance in Women’s World Cup history across all 9 editions of the tournament. Highest grossing Women’s World Cup in history with a revenue of over half a billion dollars ($570 million), surpassing the projected revenue estimate by $100 million.

[ya-world-challenge]

A Long Way From Douala (🇨🇲 Cameroon)

[image1: book cover: a young Black man wears a traditional fabric wrapped around him that matches the fabric hanging behind him. A soccer ball is tucked under his arm; image2: a map showing Cameroon, tucked under Nigeria and Chad; image3: a street in Douala, Cameroon, lined with cars, palms, and residential houses]

A Long Way From Douala

Author: Max Lobe

World challenge read for 🇨🇲 Cameroon

Review

Seventeen-year-old Jean and his childhood friend, the older Simon, go on a journey across Cameroon to track down Jean's runaway older brother Roger, who has set off on the track to migrate to Europe (not surprising, considering their mother's abuse of him).

This was a short, pretty lighthearted novel that ends rather abruptly. The author's goal seems to be to show off local quirks on a road trip across the country—buying grilled caterpillars at a bus stop, riding the world's deadliest road for accidents, the stark difference in culture between the Christian south and the Muslim north.

While the queerness is mostly limited to longing looks at Simon's body, and I found the narration somewhat stilted, there are plenty of amusing moments and interesting setting to make the book enjoyable.

★ ★ ★    3 stars

Genres: #literary #contemporary #adventure

Other reps: #gay #christian

[pleas3pretendimnothere]

My mystery pain improved somewhat this month, so I was able to read four books! I'm still behind my 1-book-a-week goal, but whatever! I care more about my body feeling better. And it's too bad none of these books really stood out this month!

The Door In the Moon

By Catherine Fisher - This is the third book in Fisher's Obsidian Mirror series. The previous two books I enjoyed for their fast pacing and colorful characters. I did recommend adventure-enthusiasts read them! However, this third book may have changed my opinion somewhat...

This book feels like filler. By the end, I was asking, "Was an adventure in mid-revolution Paris really necessary?" It all felt a bit like pandering to the dramatic allure of this historical time period. The reader realizes the setting and thinks, "Uh-oh! How will our heroes get out of this one!" At least, I suppose that's what was the intended effect... It didn't pay off for me. Instead, the book shuffles things around in a way that should feel refreshing, but instead disappoints. Side characters whom I care very little for are reintroduced and made pivotal to the plot. Meanwhile, the series' most likeable characters are pushed into the background. This mix-up destroyed Fisher's usual intense pacing! And the big ending...well, it could have easily been the ending to the previous book. Why, why, why? What happened here!?

It's tough to be three books into a series and realize you've just read a worse book. You ask, "Do I still care?" And I think I do. The previous books were strong enough, so I will be finishing the series. I'll give my final verdict then!

Life After Life

By Kate Atkinson - A book opens with a woman assassinating Hitler. You, having freshly opened the scene in your mind, must decide: heroic, or campy? That question haunted my entire read.

The majority of Life is fantastic. Our protagonist Ursula Todd is reliving her own life over and over again. Each time she dies, she relives her life with new instincts, her own intuition linking her to the mistakes of her past failed lives. We as the readers see Ursula make mistakes, and then improve upon them in the next life. We see her at her lowest, and then at her highest. She makes decisions that have positive effects in some ways, and negative effects in others. Consequences riddle each small decision. Atkinson's ability to jump between lives, sometimes in ways that can be quite confusing to the reader, brings a huge amount of fun to this read. The reader constantly asks, "What will she do different? Will her life be better or worse? Do any of her decisions actually matter at all?"

And then you remember she is somehow going to kill Hitler. Huh???

Ultimately, Atkinson made it make sense. I too would kill Hitler if I realized he was the source of all despair in all my multitude of lives! Most importantly, this is emotional, thought-provoking literature. I often found myself reflecting on my own life and the decisions I make every day, how the smallest things might affect me years down the line. And then, I wonder if any of it really matters, or if it will all just end up undone.

I really enjoyed this read, but it is quite long, and the Hitler stuff comes off as quite distracting in this year of 2024. Still, I'd highly recommend you RENT IT!

Akata Witch

By Nnedi Okorafor - A thirteen-year-old American, albino girl of Nigerian parents returns to Nigeria, where she discovers she is part of a secret society of magic-users that spans the globe. It's giving Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, folks. It's a lot of fun.

Okorafor has written a children's novel that brings the readers into the world of African magic. It's tantalizing, it's magical, it's whimsical, and, in a wonderful Riordan-esque way, still quite serious! There are stakes and risk, and our adorable cast of characters must navigate huge responsibilities suddenly placed on their shoulders. And the story, the world, always, always, it's strange, and it's fun! I had a blast reading this.

Not a lot to say about Witch, but it's a delightful, quick and easy read. If you're looking for something light and refreshing like Rick Riordan, definitely RENT IT!

God Emperor of Dune

By Frank Herbert - And now for something completely different. The brilliant new Dune film inspired my return to the books, all of which I'd gobbled up. Dune was incredibly detailed and wise. Dune Messiah was a reflective finale to its predecessor. Children of Dune brought us back into the weird intrigue and horror of Arrakis. And God Emperor...um. Don't read this book....

Wow. This book was bad. I didn't think it possible, but hoo boy! The people weren't kidding when they said "Just read the first three!" This book is a miserable, patronizing slog.

There is virtually no plot. The God Emperor Leto II spends 80% of the book taking guests into his chamber and philosophizing at them. Herbert's writing is astonishingly nuanced and intelligent--to a fault. There's so much nonsense wordplay, that at some point, you just stop trying to understand any of it. You lose interest. You ask, 300 pages in, "Wait, what the hell happened to Siona???" Then, when Duncan cries out in fear of two girls kissing, you ask, "Is Dune bad??"

And the philosophy! Good god, it's dated. Hope you enjoy sexism and homophobia in your worldly discussions! Just know I spent a lot of time laughing. (That's right! Male armies always tend towards homosexuality, which always leads to self-destruction! I so agree, Frank!!)

If you loved Dune like I did, you will not love this book. If you MUST read it, I'd advise a tailored reading experience, where all the pointless nonsense is skipped. That would be a good 70%. Otherwise, SKIP IT!

[selaseldon]

Roundtable Queries: History Redesigned in Noughts + Crosses

Noughts and Crosses (2020) is a television show based on the book series by Marjorie Blackman that speculatives a past where instead of Europe colonizing Africa, parts of Europe were colonized by Africa. In Noughts and Crosses, Europe is colonized by the Aprican Empire. White people are referred to as “Noughts” and Black people as “Crosses.”  The show is a visually stunning and narratively a love  story of two people, Sephy and Callum who fall in love but live in a world that upholds segregation law which condemns interracial relationships. The show is set in modern times in a fictionalized colony in London called Adonia, where unrest is building due to the oppression of the Noughts.

What is the koinos kosmos (common world) and mutually assumed knowledge the series shares with viewers? 

The show itself assumes the audience is aware of the actual history between Europe and Africa, and that the racially charged occurrences depicted in the show, for example the police brutality the Noughts face, is reversed in our reality. 

How does the series depict cultural hybridity through the alerted history’s role in reflecting and reshaping cultural assumptions? 

The show is a very interesting blend of African culture but in the Western world, as it is set in London. The world the show depicts is one that is dominated by African culture, and so the goal of the show is to depict a world that is opposite of the one we live in now, and ultimately spotlight the experience of colonialism and how it has seeped into every aspect of society. This history places a troubling context behind relationships between the Noughts and Crosses, specifically a significant power imbalance. The altered historical context reflects and reshapes cultural assumptions by showing how these societies, with differing backgrounds, beliefs, and privileges, collide and intersect.

How does the series depict the power of understanding world-creation? 

The show includes Yoruba in the script, which is a language that originates in the south western area of Nigeria, and is spoken in mostly West Africa. By incorporating Yoruba within the script, the show displays how language and words are not just used arbitrarily, and that the use of certain languages over others carries precedent, and establishes power. Within the context of the show, it makes sense that Yoruba is a more “universal” language like English, which, once again, is reversed in our reality. 

Similarly to Thrall’s findings in “Shifting Histories, Blurred Borders, and Mediated Sacred Texts in Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle,” I found a scene set in an educational facility that shows an altered history of colonization that is the reality of the show. The end of “The Great World War” results in “Aprica seen as Albion’s saviour,” and “Europe is divided amongst the Aprican Empire, the Malian Empire and the Moors.” The map depicts different territories that were colonized by the Aprican Empire, such as Albion (London), Norway and Sweden. While it was a quick scene in the episode, it demonstrated how educational institutions are vital to the preservation of history and inherently uplift certain narratives over others. 

In what ways do formulations of the past, present, and future engage with prospective realities of what might have been and what might be in the series’ alerted history? 

What I think is really interesting is that because the show has flipped the role of the colonizer and oppressor, essentially all of our reality that we are experiencing now is depicted in terrifying detail in the show, just with opposite perspectives. The first episode is essentially a welcoming to a society that is just like ours, but with the roles reversed. Colonialism is a history that impacts reality, and that is the truth, both in the speculative fiction and our reality. 

How do multiple realities or contemplations of multiple realities merge with questions of authenticity? 

The show spotlights both realities of Noughts and Crosses, the most significant one in the first episode being police brutality. After Danny is hit by the officers, all the news and media depicting the story villainize Danny for being a Nought, and government officials and the general public of Crosses assume the police attacked in self defense, which was not the case. For the Noughts, this is the reality they have to face, and this is a reality that character Sephy starts to realize during the episode. I would say in Episode 1, the show displays how one's individual reality is not always congruent with others, or with the dominant "authentic" reality. Director Kolby Adom mentions how the goal of the show is to flesh out subtleties of experience and bring attention to such subtleties so that someone who has not experienced would not know of otherwise. This is somewhat similar to Thrall’s assertions that Dick asks the viewer to “contemplate global hegemony as practiced by the United States and other Western powers” and likens them (218). 

@oxyspeculativetv-fa23

[thatssosussex]

Day 2- The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at a luncheon reception thrown in their honor. The Chairman and CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, recently attended a sit-out event with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, at the Armed Forces Officers Mess & Suites in Abuja.

The purpose of the visit was to introduce the royal couple to Nigeria's rich socio-cultural heritage and provide an opportunity for the Duchess of Sussex to explore her Nigerian lineage.

Also, the event aimed to bolster Nigeria's bid to host the Invictus Games 2027 and support the proposal to establish the Invictus Centre in Nigeria, which would provide assistance to wounded, injured, and sick soldiers, among others.

During her address at the event, Dabiri-Erewa expressed joy at Meghan Markle's revelation two years ago that she has Nigerian ancestry, discovering she is 43 percent Nigerian through genealogy research conducted in 2022.

She also pledged the support of the over 20 million Nigerians in the diaspora towards achieving the set goals.

As a gesture of welcome, Dabiri-Erewa presented the Duke and Duchess with complete Aso-Oke attire, acknowledging Meghan's Nigerian heritage declaration made two years ago. Harry also made a moving speech. (5/11/24)

[that-soccer-guru]

HELLO THE 3 STRAGGLERS THAT ARE PROBABLY SEEING MY POSTS STILL, I HAVE MISSED THOU!

Happy world cup month, it is time for the biggest stage of the game and time for be to drop my obnoxious predictions that no one asked for but I'm gonna give anyways!

Here are my group predictions and notes

GROUP A:

I think Norway is gonna make a comeback and come in at #2 behind local New Zealand. The Swiss are great if they can rise to the occasion, and the Philippines has a great young core. They'll give us some very fun games going forward.

A1: New Zealand, A2: Norway.

GROUP B:

Honestly I think this is one of the TIGHTEST groups of this cup. With a fight down to the end I think it'll come down to goals and Fairplay. Depending on the result of Day 1 Canada vs Nigeria my picks are switching depending on the light with which I look at the table. SO.

B1: Australia (2W, 1D), B2: Nigeria (2D, 1W, Goal difference leaving Canada behind by ONE goal in a total group heartbreaker)

Group C:

Despite the big players refusing to play I think Spain has it in the tank for a great cup. If the Ticas can show some discipline they might surprise, but they're up against the TITANS of discipline so.

C1: Spain, C2: Japan

Group D:

Euro winners have one hell of a team. No notes for them today, second place is what is up for grabs. Haiti is always a dark horse pick but I think mettle and the money for great player health and conditioning will draw this one out so.

D1: England, D2: Denmark.

Group E:

One hell of a group here. Without Viv Midema the Netherlands is missing that finishing punch, but if they can bank on winning their other 2 games and forcing a draw or a one goal win with the US, they can go for first. Portugal is good but they have a lot of youth to adjust to the big stage. Vietnam has a delightful proposal and they play some very fun futbol, but they had the unfortunate luck of drawing 2 titans of the women's game.

E1: USA, E2: Netherlands

Group F:

The elderly stateswomen meet the bright eyed newcomers. Brazil is the titan of South America but they've proven to be way too rigid in their team selection. France is shaking off the cobwebs of a shit coach to see how far they can take it this time. Jamaica and Panama have everything to prove to show that 1. they belong here and 2. their federations NEED to stand in this fight with them. Despite the great teams I think this group is gonna be one of those low scoring ones where teams are making adjustments on the fly and we might get a surprise or two from some games.

F1: France, F2: Brazil (but just narrowly edging out Jamaica)

Group G:

Youth and a desire to prove that it's not only their men's team that know what's up. Argentina is pulling one hell of a legacy behind them, Italy is building a beautiful squad, South Africa comes up from fighting a war of speed and strength, Sweden has a chip on their shoulder. One hell of a group!

G1: Italy, G2: Argentina

Group H:

QUE VIVA COLOMBIA HP! An aging titan in Germany with some key injuries, a very disciplined squad that has been testing some amazing set plays and learning how to play through the lines in South Korea (but that tire out quickly), a fast and tough team that plays a fun midfield game with a solid defense in Morocco. And finally, a team composed of the women who paved the way for the youngsters, the maximum scorer in a Colombia jersey, a midfield filled with aggression and experience, a promising defense all led by the most promising young international that already took one team to a world cup final, Colombia promises a LOT to her fans. If Abadia can get his head out of his ass and learn how to make changes before exhaustion takes hold, this team can take it far!

H1: Germany, H2: Colombia

It's an amazing time to be a woso fan!

[thetrickster-blr-blog]

SHADOW

Having been born blind, Amara spent the majority of her childhood growing up in Nigeria. Fortunately, she was able to hone her other senses to help her live. Sadly, her family lived in a small village that was constantly preyed upon by criminals. One day, a group of bandits attacked the village and burned it down. In the chaos, her family was killed. She was then kidnapped and sold in a child slavery ring. While locked in a black market warehouse, Lady Lotus showed up to inspect the goods. Upon seeing the children, she was sickened and freed them. Noticing the blind girl, she adopted Amara and gave her a home. While living with Lotus, she was taught martial arts and took a particular love of the Boa staff. Before long, Amara was a member of Lotus' network of assassins. She gained the trust of many other members like Shinigami, Viper, and Scarlet Fox. When the time came for her first assignment, she was considered one of the best. The assignment was to go to the USA, specifically Harking City, California. Lotus was looking to move all of her operations to the city and planned to take over from the inside. Amara's goal was to see how viable it was, economically, culturally, and criminally. Lotus wanted to overtake any preexisting criminal operations in order to establish the network's presence in the city. Amara had been programmed by the network to follow orders unquestioningly. Upon arriving in Harking City, she set to work, scouting out every criminal enterprise in the city. It didn't take long to encounter the superhero team P.E.A.C.E. She witnessed the actions of Lady Lotus' nemesis, Ryuko, and admired her methods. She fought with skill but refused to kill the villains she fought. Mercy had not been taught to Amara, as it was practiced by the superheroes. They fought to protect the innocent rather than for personal gain. Remembering how much she hated criminals for killing her family, Amara turned her back on Lotus and join Ryuko.

[pulseafrica]

social media management agency in nigeria

Whether you're a newcomer to social media or have an established presence, understanding your social media management and marketing goals is crucial. It sets the foundation for your strategy and helps you connect with your target audience authentically. Let's explore three essential foundations for a successful social media marketing strategy:

1. Define Your Audience:

Identifying your target audience is the first step towards building meaningful relationships and conversions. By understanding your product or service, you can determine the ideal audience for it. Through various exercises, your key demographic will emerge. Armed with this knowledge, you can then focus on capturing their attention through your content.

2. Create Shareable Content:

Engaging, entertaining, and informative content tends to be shareable among your audience. Although it's challenging to predict the exact number of shares a post will receive, keeping your content fresh and captivating can lead to higher engagement. Encouraging people to share and making the process easy also boosts the likelihood of content being shared.

3. Platform-Specific Nuances:

Each social media platform has its own unique nuances, and adapting your content to suit these differences is essential. For example, Twitter thrives on humor, and using memes and gifs can add personality to your brand. On Instagram, high-quality photos, videos, and carousels tend to attract more attention. Tailoring your content and communication style to match the platform's audience helps you connect better, increase brand awareness, and build brand trust.

In conclusion, maintaining a successful social media presence involves more than simply posting daily. Understanding your audience and crafting a narrative that resonates with them is vital. If you find managing your social media challenging, considering the services of a reliable social media management agency like Pulse can be beneficial. Pulse, as a leading agency in Nigeria, has experience and expertise in managing social media platforms for prominent African brands and a massive following on their owned platforms. For inquiries about social media management and potential collaborations for your brand, you can reach out to them via email at hello@pulse.africa or contact them at:

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