Dumbing Down Education

 In 1966, I entered my first year in college in North Carolina.  As a member of the Freshman class, we were brought into the auditorium for the Dean of Students to talk to us about our future.  His comments stayed in my mind.  "look at the person to your right then look to the person on your left.  Neither one of them will be here at the end of your first year."  It was a statement that most of us did not understand and if we understood the comment, because of our age, we would have not have given a shit.

In 2006 (40 years later) the Dean of Students at that same Freshman class, no longer makes that comment.

What does that mean?

It means that colleges are no longer wanted to flunk people out so that the best of the best are the only ones who survive their first year and ultimately graduate...

Why is this happening?

Colleges and Universities are more interested in generating revenue than they are in graduating only the best, most educated students.

In fact, some colleges and universities are no longer using entrance exams to see if the Freshmann class has the intellectual capacity to be a college student.

We are now pumping out college graduates who are not educated in the hopes of competing with the rest of the world who are well educated and can run circles around American College Graduates.

The unintended consequences of these intellectualized stupidity will show itself in 2030...  a mere seven years away...  

Oh yea...  by then it will be too late to do anything about it.

Welcome to your future, idiot...

Santa Trump

 

Strictly Political

 

A Country in Pain

The 2022 midterm elections conveyed to our political leaders, that while the USA in turmoil, the voting public did not see a viable solution being offered so they kept the status quo...

1. What is the status quo?
2. A Divided Country
3. Increased Inflation
4. Increased illegal immigration
5. Ending Oil/Gas energy
6. Increased Illegal Drugs
7. Increased crime and violence
8. Increased racism

Those of you who are working can see that your wages are now being spent on items that have higher price tags so you money does not buy as much as it used to buy...  like gasoline and food...

What this means is that you either buy less or take money out of your savings accounts or increa

se your debt because you do not want to do without.

More often than not, Americans will make it through these issues but if the economy does not grow, then by the time the next election takes place in 2024, we will have fewer and fewer jobs available while there will be push in the area of robotics not to hire American workers at all.

The other issue that is creeping up on us is the problem with illegal drugs.  As more and more illegal drugs come into this country my first question is:   IS THE SUPPLY INCREASING BECAUSE THE DEMAND IS INCREASING?

If the demand for drugs is increasing that means that Americans are wanting more illegal drugs.  The need for more drugs is because the number of our drug addicts is increasing.  Increasing drug addicts means that will commit more crimes in order to pay for those illegal drugs.

This problem is not seen by most Americans until the crimes for drugs pull in your family or until you are a victim of these crimes.  Then you become one pissed off person...  especially if there is a death involved.

Americans are responsible for the destruction of America and Americans are frigging selfish that they cannot see the big picture, they only see what they want or have or need.  We deserve everything that is happening to us.

Lets have more inflation

Lets have less economic growth

Lets have more drug addicts

Lets have more unemployment

Lets have more robots taking our job

Lets have more national debt

Lets have more control over Americans by the Chinese

Lets have more censorhip of the news

Lets have more censorship of opposing opinions

Lets have MORE SOCIALISM

 

Crossing the River

 

Nigeria's Lekki Deep Sea Port

Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial center, has a storage problem. At the West African trade hub’s shipping terminals, projected demand for container space far outstrips capacity. To narrow the gap, the state has embarked on one of the region’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, Lekki Deep Sea Port.

Construction of the $1.5 billion port, located east of Lagos city, was recently completed, designed to handle the equivalent of 2.7 million 20-foot-long container units a year.

With a 1.2 kilometer quay, the 90-hectare site becomes the largest port in Nigeria, significantly expanding the country’s ability to process imports and exports.

The port arrives at an important time for Nigeria’s economic outlook. According to the African Development Bank Group, the country’s economy is projected to grow at a decelerated rate of 3.2% in 2022-2024, while the oil sector has contracted amid low production and inflation is close to 17%.

Lekki Port is expected to create nearly 170,000 jobs, according to its developers, and generate $360 billion over the next 45 years, per the Ministry of Transportation.

It is located close to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which is currently under construction, and when completed will be capable of processing 650,000 barrels of oil per day. Both the port and refinery sit inside Lekki Free Zone, a 16,500-hectare free trade area, the masterplan for which also contains a proposed airport, a start-up community, and commercial and residential areas.

The port, the refinery and the trade zone are among the biggest infrastructure projects in the continent. Look through the gallery above to see more of Africa’s most ambitious infrastructure projects.

The Situation in Nigeria

As Africa’s most populous country, largest economy and most notable democracy, Nigeria is a bellwether for the continent. A weakening economy, rising insecurity and violent conflicts threaten progress made in its democratic development. Amid deepening distrust in government and institutions, Nigeria has significant work to do in improving national, state and local security and governance ahead of national and state elections in 2023.

Nigeria’s federal system gives governors great responsibilities in addressing the issues driving the country’s multiple conflicts, including farmer-herder violence, deepening regional divides, armed banditry and the Boko Haram insurgency. USIP brings together state governors, national policymakers and civic leaders to design and implement inclusive policies that mitigate violence and strengthen community-oriented security. 

The Institute engages a variety of influential figures, empowers citizens and uses its expertise and convening power to inform Nigeria policy in the United States, the region and around the world. 

Recent work includes:
Nigeria Working Group on Peacebuilding and Governance

Since 2016, this working group has fostered relationships between citizens, policymakers and national and international figures to ensure that a diverse array of voices impact decision-making processes. These relationships allow the working group to turn expert analysis into tangible, actionable policy advice. For instance, recommendations for addressing the country’s current security and political challenges — informed by a 2021 convening with religious and civic leaders from the National Peace Committee and the Inter-Faith Initiative for Peace — were published in leading Nigerian newspapers. 

In 2021, amid deepening public mistrust, the working group harnessed its collective experience and relationships to advance high-level dialogue between major civic groups working for peace across the country and the Nigerian government. The working group is regularly invited by state and national policymakers to provide recommendations on a range of issues, from inclusive governance and electoral violence to communal conflicts between pastoralists and farming communities.

Network of Nigerian Facilitators (NNF)
The NNF is a group of professional peace mediators trained by USIP to resolve local conflicts through nonviolent means across several states throughout the country. NNF dialogues focus on strengthening community-security sector relationships and mitigating intercommunal, pastoralist-farmer and election-related violence. Since 2019, the NNF has collaborated with state peacebuilding institutions to address conflicts and support local peace processes. In 2021, the NNF helped conduct USIP research to better understand the drivers and dynamics of communal conflicts across Nigeria.

Working with State Governments and Peacebuilding Institutions
USIP helps governors and state peacebuilding institutions to establish inclusive, cooperative strategies that prevent and resolve violent conflicts; ensure that policies focus on citizens’ needs; stem the potential for all forms of violence; and allow communities to play meaningful roles in the transition process.

Strengthening Local Security
Through USIP’s ongoing Justice and Security Dialogue project, citizens at the local level collectively identify security challenges and organize dialogues that bring together internally displaced communities and police in Northeast Nigeria to develop practical and concrete solutions to address security concerns, build trust and foster accountability.  READ MORE...

What is Nigeria Best Know For?

(CNN) — From email scams to oil spills and charlatan Pentecostal preachers, it's clear that Nigeria has something of an image problem.
While the outside world's perception of Africa's most populous country hasn't always been overwhelmingly positive, there's plenty more to this nation than its unsavory associations.

With its vibrant culture, sense of humor and adaptability, Nigeria has become the "Giant of Africa" in more ways than just population size.

In honor of Nigeria's Independence Day on October 1, here are 10 of the many reasons why the destination one in five Africans call home stands out from the rest. You may be inspired to add Nigeria to your travel list:

Traditional weddings
In Nigeria, if you've reached your 30th birthday and are still unhitched, the elders will harass you down the aisle, which is why barely a week goes by without someone staging a traditional wedding ceremony somewhere.

Weddings are a sacred part of cultural life, but also an excuse to show off cuisine, fabulous clothing, music and dance moves in one life-affirming, chromatic bonanza.

With 250-odd ethnic groups, the ceremonies come in a variety of styles, depending on your region.

In the southwest, the groom and his friends might prostrate themselves at the start.

However, in the southeast you'll see them dancing their way into the ceremony, wearing bowler hats and clutching walking canes.

In other regions, the bride and groom's families send each other letters of proposal and acceptance before getting down to dowry negotiations.
Once the serious stuff is done, it's back to music and dancing and, best of all, the tossing of banknotes in the air to make money literally rain down on the newlyweds.

If you haven't experienced a traditional Nigerian wedding, you haven't experienced Nigeria.

Jollof rice
This mouth-watering tomato-based rice dish is a party staple.
There are many ways to cook it, involving endless permutations of meat, spices, chilli, onions and vegetables.

While it's widely accepted that Senegal invented this dish, the concept spread to West African countries.

The most notable are Ghana and Nigeria -- two nations that have vied with one another for supremacy in a never-ending battle known as the jollof wars.

Nigerians are the indisputable champions, of course, serving up "advanced level" jollof that our Ghanaian rivals can only watch and admire.  READ MORE...

What to See in Nigeria

From everyday activities such as eating at a local buka, to specially constructed recreational experiences such as going camping at Idanre Hills, there’s an incredible variety of things to see, do and unravel all around Nigeria. Here are 10 of the best.

Visit Ikogosi Warm Springs
Ikogosi Warm Springs in Ekiti State is one of the most astounding creations of nature in the world. The warm spring flows down a hill, right next to a cold spring, after which they meet at a confluence and continue their journey into a river. Visitors are enchanted with stories about the healing powers that can be accessed by bathing in water from the spring. The fact that both springs’ temperatures flow from the same source remains a cause of wonderment to geologists and tourists alike. Ikogosi Warm Springs are surrounded by dense, beautiful greenery, and there’s also a resort.

Collect Artsy Decor and Souvenirs

Go to Calabar Carnival

Climb the Magical Idanre Hills

Check out Bukas, Snack Stands and Joints

Revel in Art

Enjoy the Resorts

Visit the Museums

Shop at the Traditional Markets

Witness the Creative Arts

READ MORE

All About Nigeria

Nigeria, country located on the western coast of Africa. Nigeria has a diverse geography, with climates ranging from arid to humid equatorial. However, Nigeria’s most diverse feature is its people. Hundreds of languages are spoken in the country, including Yoruba, Igbo, Fula, Hausa, Edo, Ibibio, Tiv, and English. The country has abundant natural resources, notably large deposits of petroleum and natural gas.

The national capital is Abuja, in the Federal Capital Territory, which was created by decree in 1976. Lagos, the former capital, retains its standing as the country’s leading commercial and industrial city.

Modern Nigeria dates from 1914, when the British Protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria were joined. The country became independent on October 1, 1960, and in 1963 adopted a republican constitution but elected to stay a member of the Commonwealth.

Nigeria is bordered to the north by Niger, to the east by Chad and Cameroon, to the south by the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west by Benin. Nigeria is not only large in area—larger than the U.S. state of Texas—but also Africa’s most populous country.
Relief

In general, the topography of Nigeria consists of plains in the north and south interrupted by plateaus and hills in the centre of the country. The Sokoto Plains lie in the northwestern corner of the country, while the Borno Plains in the northeastern corner extend as far as the Lake Chad basin. The Lake Chad basin and the coastal areas, including the Niger River delta and the western parts of the Sokoto region in the far northwest, are underlain by soft, geologically young sedimentary rocks. Gently undulating plains, which become waterlogged during the rainy season, are found in these areas. 

The characteristic landforms of the plateaus are high plains with broad, shallow valleys dotted with numerous hills or isolated mountains, called inselbergs; the underlying rocks are crystalline, although sandstones appear in river areas. The Jos Plateau rises almost in the centre of the country; it consists of extensive lava surfaces dotted with numerous extinct volcanoes. Other eroded surfaces, such as the Udi-Nsukka escarpment (see Udi-Nsukka Plateau), rise abruptly above the plains at elevations of at least 1,000 feet (300 metres). 

The most mountainous area is along the southeastern border with Cameroon, where the Cameroon Highlands rise to the highest points in the country, Chappal Waddi (7,936 feet [2,419 metres]) in the Gotel Mountains and Mount Dimlang (6,699 feet [2,042 metres]) in the Shebshi Mountains.  SOURCE:  Britannicai

Weird Animal

 

Playing Dog

 

Strickly Political

 

The Louvre in Paris, France

The Louvre is the world's largest museum and houses one of the most impressive art collections in history. The magnificent, baroque-style palace and museum — LeMusée du Louvre in French — sits along the banks of the Seine River in Paris. It is one of the city's biggest tourist attractions.

History of the Louvre
The Louvre was originally built as a fortress in 1190, but was reconstructed in the 16th century to serve as a royal palace. "Like many buildings, it was built and rebuilt over the years," said Tea Gudek Snajdar, an Amsterdam-based art historian, museum docent and a blogger at Culture Tourist.

During its time as a royal residence, the Louvre saw tremendous growth. Nearly every monarch expanded it, according to History.com. Today, it covers a total area of 652,300 square feet (60,600 square meters). In 1682, Louis XIV moved the royal residence to Versailles, and the Louvre became home to various art academies, offering regular exhibitions of its members' works.

During the French Revolution, Louis XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette, were forcibly removed from Versailles and imprisoned in Tuilleries Palace, which was then adjacent to the Louvre, according to the Louvre’s official website. They were beheaded there in 1793.



The National Assembly opened the Louvre as a museum in August 1793 with a collection of 537 paintings. The museum closed in 1796 because of structural problems with the building. Napoleon reopened the museum and expanded the collection in 1801, and the museum was renamed Musée Napoléon.

"It was Napoleon Bonaparte who created the foundation for the world famous museum the Louvre is today," said Gudek Snajdar. "He wanted to be in charge of creating a collection of art in Louvre. That's why he renamed it in 1802 to the 'Napoleon Museum.' He wanted to create a museum of France with a wonderful collection of art from all around the world. He enlarged its collection by bringing art from his military campaigns, private donations and commissions he made."

Napoleon's contributions included spoils from Belgium, Italy, Prussia and Austria, according to Napoleon.org. In 1815, when Napoleon abdicated with the Treaty of Fontainebleau, almost 5,000 artworks were returned to their countries of origin. France was allowed to keep only a few hundred works, and the Louvre reverted to its original name. Many artifacts from Napoleon's conquests in Egypt remained, according to History.com.

After Napoleon, the Louvre continued to expand. The multi-building Louvre Complex was completed under the reign of Napoleon III in the mid-19th century, according to napoleon.org.  READ MORE...

The French Baguette

Baguettes took me the longest to master. Perhaps it's because my bread baking adventure started (many years ago) right after I baked my second loaf of no-knead bread and I lacked the necessary experience. So many factors here that can affect how your baguette will look and taste.

WHAT FRENCH BAGUETTES ARE MADE OF?
A traditional French baguette is made of flour, water, yeast and salt. It's fascinating how these four simple ingredients produce a beautiful, flavorful, crusty baguette. What's even more fascinating is how different bakers, using the same ingredients, can make baguettes that differ from each other quite substantially sometimes.

Baguettes took me the longest to master. Perhaps it's because my bread baking adventure started (many years ago) right after I baked my second loaf of no-knead bread and I lacked the necessary experience. So many factors here that can affect how your baguette will look and taste.

Up to about a century ago making bread with natural leaven was the rule for bakers in France. Later it was a mix of natural leaven and baker's yeast, which made the crumb lighter and more open. Lately, many bakeries seek efficiencies and switch to using baker's yeast as using natural leavens requires more work.

OTHER FACTORS THAT DEFINE A BAGUETTE'S APPEARANCE AND TASTE
As was mentioned above, many French baguettes, while using the same ingredients, differ in appearance and taste. This is largely due to the process that is employed. You can make the dough rise very quickly using warm water and warm ambient temperature but it will lack flavor. 

Slowing down the fermentation process, known as cold retarding, results in complex flavor and improved taste. Thus, how you ferment the dough, how long you retard it, how you proof it, how you shape, score and bake it - all contribute to how the final product looks and tastes.

BAGUETTE MAKING PROCESS
This baguette recipe uses baker's yeast and is influenced by the method used by Anis Bouabsa, winner of the 2008 Best Baguette in Paris contest. In an interview, Anis mentioned using baguette dough that has 75% hydration (meaning the ratio of water to flour), very little yeast, hardly kneaded, folded three times in one hour then placed in the fridge for 21 hours. He also added that baguettes are not fully risen when placed in the oven, it is the wet dough and the very, very hot oven (480F) that make baguettes get the volume.

A Guide to French Wine

Want to add the best French wine bottles to your collection?

The fascinating world of French wines is vast. The many wine names, regions, appellations, grape varieties, and so on might seem confusing indeed!

Which French wines should you try? Or add to your investment collection?

In this article, we explore everything you need to know about French wines. We’ve handpicked 21 of the best ones that you should get hold of. We’ll also tell you the easiest way to buy French wines for drinking and for investing!

A Brief History of French Wine
French winemaking started in the 6th century BC after the Greek settlers colonized Southern Gaul. However, it was the Romans who planted vines in all the major wine regions in the 300s.

Since then, the French wine industry continued to flourish - until mildew and Phylloxera spread in the 19th century, and entire vineyards had to be destroyed and replanted.

The following economic downturn in Europe, and the two world wars led to a depression in the French wine industry that lasted for a few decades.

In 1935, the Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) was established to protect French interests. This system defined geographical wine regions and their distinct characteristics (terroir) to protect the quality of the produce and to prevent fraud.

Later, huge investments and the efforts of a new generation of French winemakers since the 1970s created the modern French wine industry as we know today.

Ever wondered what the terms terroir and appellation mean?
What is Terroir?

You may have heard a wine region being loosely referred to as terroir. But, terroir is a concept that refers to the environmental factors, including soil, climate, and altitude, in which grapes are grown. All these terroir factors combine to give a wine it’s unique flavors and aroma.
What is the Appellation System?

An appellation is a legally defined area where grapes are grown. In France, the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, or AOC system, strictly regulated the grape varieties that can be used in each appellation, minimum alcohol levels, how densely you can plant a vineyard, and how much it can yield.

In 2012, it was replaced by the Appellation d'Origin Protégée (AOP), which is now followed by the entire European Union.

Categories of French Wine
There are four categories or classes of French wine.

1. Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), now AOP, as we saw earlier.

2. Appellation d'Origine Vin De Qualité Supérieure (AOVDQS): This falls just below AOC wines in the hierarchy. It has rules and regulations similar to AOC in terms of grape variety, amount of production, and winemaking processes.

3. Vin de pays: All the “country wines” that don’t fall under AOC appellation rules come under this category. It only has lenient rules for grape type and production methods.

4. Vin de table: “Table wines” come under this lowest category of French wines. There are no rules governing vineyard management or winemaking. You won’t see any grape varietals, vintage, or appellations listed on their wine labels.  READ MORE...

What to See in France

 

From rolling vineyards and plunging canyons to towering sand dunes and majestic villages, we share the most breathtaking places to visit in France.

There’s a reason why France is the most visited country on the planet. Not only does it boast some of the most exquisite wines and cuisine in the world, but also some of the most beautiful destinations. Indeed, wherever you travel within l’Hexagone, there are countless scenes that will take your breath away. From rolling vineyards and plunging canyons to towering sand dunes and majestic villages, there is more than enough to satisfy curious travelers.

But with so much to see and do, choosing which places to visit in France can feel overwhelming. So, to help you whittle down your options, here are our favorite picks to inspire your travel bucket list.

1. Champagne: home of Dom Pérignon
Let’s face it, a roundup of the best places to visit in France wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the birthplace of bubbly. Located in the northeast of France, just a 1.5 hour’s drive from Paris, the Champagne region is an absolute must-visit for anyone who loves to sip on bubbles. Just watching the sun set over the idyllic rolling vineyards and dreamy landscape is reason enough to visit the region. That said, those who do wish to sample the fruits of the land can embark on a tour of one of the prestigious Champagne houses. And this is sure to make for an unforgettable experience – or perhaps not if they choose to overindulge!

2. Provence: land of lavender

3. Gorges du Verdon: the Grand Canyon of France

4. Mont Saint-Michel: the real Rapunzel’s Tower

5. Dune du Pilat: Europe’s tallest sand dune

6. Saint-Tropez: land of luxury

7. Rocamadour: the sacred hilltop pilgrimage

8. The Loire Valley: the garden of France

9. Auvergne: the land that time forgot

10. Corsica: the island of beauty

READ MORE...

All About France

France, officially French Republic, French France or République Française, country of northwestern Europe. Historically and culturally among the most important nations in the Western world, France has also played a highly significant role in international affairs, with former colonies in every corner of the globe. 

Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Alps and the Pyrenees, France has long provided a geographic, economic, and linguistic bridge joining northern and southern Europe. It is Europe’s most important agricultural producer and one of the world’s leading industrial powers.

France is among the globe’s oldest nations, the product of an alliance of duchies and principalities under a single ruler in the Middle Ages. Today, as in that era, central authority is vested in the state, even though a measure of autonomy has been granted to the country’s régions in recent decades. 

The French people look to the state as the primary guardian of liberty, and the state in turn provides a generous program of amenities for its citizens, from free education to health care and pension plans. Even so, this centralist tendency is often at odds with another long-standing theme of the French nation: the insistence on the supremacy of the individual. 

On this matter historian Jules Michelet remarked, “England is an empire, Germany is a nation, a race, France is a person.” Statesman Charles de Gaulle, too, famously complained, “Only peril can bring the French together. One can’t impose unity out of the blue on a country that has 265 kinds of cheese.”

This tendency toward individualism joins with a pluralist outlook and a great interest in the larger world. Even though its imperialist stage was driven by the impulse to civilize that world according to French standards (la mission civilisatrice), the French still note approvingly the words of writer Gustave Flaubert:  

"I am no more modern than I am ancient, no more French than Chinese; and the idea of la patrie, the fatherland—that is, the obligation to live on a bit of earth coloured red or blue on a map, and to detest the other bits coloured green or black—has always seemed to me narrow, restricted, and ferociously stupid."

At once universal and particular, French culture has spread far and greatly influenced the development of art and science, particularly anthropology, philosophy, and sociology.  SOURCE:  Britannica

Horses

 

Warm Fire