Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Christmas for George



The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. He had no decorations, no tree, no lights. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. There were no children in his life. His wife had gone.

He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through. Instead of throwing the man out, George, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the space heater and warm-up.

"Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy. I'll just go"

"Not without something hot in your belly," George turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty. Stew. Made it myself. When you're done there's coffee and it's fresh."

Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old 53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Top 10 things every 200L University student needs to know

Why did no-one ever tell me about this before...?

I'm sure by now, whatever CGPA you got in 100lvl has slapped you 95° back into reality. Maybe it was a "5.0", or maybe a "1.5". Well, whatever it is, you've got some idea of what you did wrong, and what you did right.

Here's a bit of friendly, not-rubbing-it-in-your-face, advice to get your pep and step back on the right track. (If it was ever there)


1. Stick to the right crowd 
Not this crowd. This is an example of the wrong crowd. Don't be like this crowd.

Deep in your heart, you know all those people dragging you to go to parties 3 times a week aren't good for your soul.

Starting now, Greet them with a "Hello from the other side". Or at least, get some friends that read a lot, to keep your wild cravings in check. Half-and-half good crowd is better than none.

Thursday, December 14, 2017

2017 in a nutshell



Mary Idowu

The year 2017 started with a bang for me. Sometimes, it feels like it was just yesterday I shouted happy new year; but when the year began proper, it seemed so long and tedious and there were times when time flew and at other times when I kept watching the clock. Looking through the year now, 2017 has been very dramatic with it's highs and lows, it gave some a new lease on life and from others, it snatched quite a bit. I don't know how 2017 was for you but for me, it was a mixture of fun and annoyance. So, as the year is gradually coming to an end, here are some highlights of  2017;

Donald Trump became President: 

I was part of the small percentage of people who felt like Donald Trump would become the President, yet it still came to me as a shock when I heard the news that he actually won the election. For some reasons I felt like something could still happen and Hillary would win; but when he was sworn in as the President and he moved into the white house on the 20th of January, I realized that anyone could become anything if they really want to. It is just a matter of determination, saying and doing the right things, meeting the right people and having some sort of tough skin. I mean c'mon!! The whole world was literally against the man.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Vote For Me



Emeka was a hard-working, honest man. 

He was head prefect of his school in SS2, got several positions of leadership in his SUG, held several posts in various NGO' s, both national and international. He always inspired people to follow him to do the right thing, and always did his best to curtail corruption anywhere he saw it. Soon enough he met a man, Mr. Tunde Adebanjo, who was making waves as a statesman and champion of the people. He worked in the government, and did so much for his people.

Tunde inspired him to enter the government too. He could change the country!! He could fix all the problems that the past leaders had been dumping on the system for years since. All he needed to do was win - and by the grace of God, he did...

Friday, December 8, 2017

The Sickle Cell Warrior



By Ugochukwu Ogbonna

Life picks us wildly; she has a way of dipping her hands and randomly selecting what transpires. The beautiful thing is that she has no favorites, doling out goodwill, pain, and all forms of human emotions in equivalent unbiased measure.

I lie stiff, as usual, when this seething pain trods in my bone marrow. My fist clenched to ease the non-ending agonizing maelstrom in my body. This agonizing episode; one never gets used to.

Two months ago, Olu proposed to me; I turned it down.
This is not a love story. It is my life, ‘our’ struggle.... 'our' fate.

I met Olu two years ago. He knew I was sickle-celled on our first date. My strange eye discoloration, my frail frame, and the Hydrocarbamide and Ibuprofen tablets that slipped off my purse gave me easily away. Conscious of the fact that he had found out my ailment, I excused any hint of trying to be who I was not. If he wanted me, he would have to take the whole package.

Monday, December 4, 2017

How To Shoot Your Shot (For Ladies) - Part 2



I'm not even going to waste too much time, I'll just be jumping straight into it. Make sure you've read part 1 HERE, before continuing, so you understand where we're coming from.

Now, please note that I'm not a PhD holder in human relationships, or a relationship expert, so take everything with a pinch of salt. (Or sugar... everyone likes sugar)

1. Do some light stalking.
Ah... he has 8 ex-girlfriends.
They must have been terrible girls then.
I don't mean take a catalogue of his entire life history. Just check his social media posts to see the kind of things he likes, or pays attention to. Know the kind of person you're dealing with.

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Time


MARY IDOWU

Time; Tempus in Latin. Time isn't a strange concept to us as humans. We go through our lives based on time. We make plans and decisions based on time. But, what does time really mean, what happens when you are not on time, what happens when time gets to you?

According to Wikipedia; Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur in apparently irreversible succession from the past through the present to the future. That is to say, time spans continuously, it's the only factor that has witnessed the birth,  growth and death of events, generations, technology and so on.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Merry Christmas Zimbabwe

Previously on this column, we examined elephants, grass, nuclear warheads and two guys who are not BFFs. Read up pal! at Bend the Knee


On the 21st of November 2017, 13:53hours, Christmas came early for Zimbabweans. Good ol’ Saint Nicholas and his 8 Reindeer and pulled sleigh transport decided to make an early stop in the landlocked Southern African nation.



Monday, November 27, 2017

How to shoot your shot (for ladies) - Part 1



I think a piece like this has been long overdue.

Let's face it. People meet each other every other day. And because a girl starts a relationship doesn't mean she's cheap or bad. However, some girls are just so bad at doing this, that it fails spectacularly. Like a bad comedy movie. The kinds that get 3% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I've had too many girls try, (if you can call them attempts) to "shoot their shot" and completely miss the mark. Conversations that seem like they may have had potential, end up falling completely flat.

I don't know if they were relying on their fine faces or robust curves to get me to fall head over heels, but I personally don't trust pictures I see on the internet. I've noticed that a majority of people look drastically different in real life than they do online. It's creepy. And frankly very disappointing. Now I have trust issues. Thank you.

Saturday, November 25, 2017

Let our boys be boys, and our girls be girls



Now, I know that in the TRJ we promote originally and personal creativity more than anything, but sometimes there are some articles I see that just need to get out and be shown strongly to the rest of the world. This is one of them. Do take a soda and popcorn and enjoy this thrilling read.

British journalist and television personality, Piers Morgan has attacked the modern trend where transgenders can alter the natural order they were born with.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm a man.

There, I've said it. At the risk of offending the world's increasing army of hypersensitive PC-crazed snowflakes, I am proudly and unapologetically identifying as a male.

I realise that for some people, this admission alone is currently tantamount to having me fired, arrested and possibly publicly executed.

Think I'm being ridiculous?
Think again.

Last night, popular US Teen Vogue writer Emily Lindin tweeted this to her 22,000 followers: 'Here's an unpopular opinion. I'm not actually at all concerned about innocent men losing their jobs over false sexual assault/harassment allegations.'

So yes, for some people like Ms Lindin, just being a man right now is enough to warrant a career and life being wrongly destroyed.

Friday, November 24, 2017

New Glo Data Plans!!



Globacom the self acclaimed “Grand Masters Of Data” are back again with a game-changing set of data plans, now especially for heavy download Internet users.
This new data plan features a 180GB data at the rate of N20,000 which is very suitable for firms, cyber cafe and other organisations that requires heavy data.

LIST OF THE NEW GLO DATA PLANS
2GB FOR N500.
4GB FOR N1000.
9.5GB FOR N2000.
24GB FOR N4000.
30GB FOR N5000.
55GB FOR N8000.
75GB FOR N10,000.
180GB FOR 20,000.

HOW TO GET THESE DATA PLANS
Just Dial *777# on your and follow the prompts that pop up .

DEATH!! AN ILLITERATE


Wednesday, November 22, 2017

He will find you



Reverend John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:

Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith.

That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long.. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.  I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange... Very strange.

Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back.

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

The Coming Race ( A novel by Edward Bulwer - Lytton)


Original cover of 1871 edition
               
             
About the book :

The coming race is a novel written by Sir Edward Bulwer- Lytton in 1871. It was reprinted as " vril, the power of the coming race  ". Among its readers have been some who say that the account to the  existence of a superior subterranean master race and the very powerful energy Vril, is accurate to some extent. All the same, the whole story has been accepted based on occult truth. Considering the fact that it's his very first sci-fi novel, it was taken very seriously  by the lovers of Atlantis. The plot of the book has also been recycled for various sci-fi movies and various crank theories.

Monday, November 20, 2017

The Flair



Among many wonderful grand things, I've been told by some people that I have a flair for the dramatic. The "drama king", they'd call me. The good kind of dramatic, I mean - not the overdo illogical drama screamers.

They say I walk, talk and pose dramatic.
(Do the pictures above, and below look dramatic to you? No, right? I know!! )

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Bring Back The Old!!



By Mary Idowu and Jamike Ekennia


WhatsApp! One of the most popular and convenient messaging application ever designed by man. It's like God's instant messaging gift to our generation. It's easy to use, cheap, efficient - it has brought ease to our communications and has almost made text messaging obsolete. It's even cooler than text messaging! I mean; you can send pictures and videos! Cool right?! Yeah...cool, till they broke my heart!

Monday, November 13, 2017

Bad Addiction - 1



I was 16 when I first smoked marijuana in high school. Amid the highness, all my family problems, personal anxiety and insecurities disappeared. It made me feel very good and it pretty much numbed all the pain I was feeling. 

Like many teenage addicts, my road to drug dependence started with smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol socially. Until a friend convinced me to smoke weed, but I became unsatisfied with the highness, so I started drinking large doses of cough syrup. Now, I have become a dangerous addict and the once heavenly feeling has become hell to me... 

BEND THE KNEE!

Previously on this column: We talked...or well, I wrote and you probably read or stubbornly refused to open that link about Donald Trump's YOU'RE FIRED! anthem. Now open and read - or I cry. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury, and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before” - President Donald Trump (United States)



"The Trump group's declaration of the reckless nuclear war exercises against the DPRK is a reckless behaviour, driving the situation into the uncontrollable phase of a nuclear war”- North Korean state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun

"Now that the DPRK's (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name) capability to strike the very heart of the US at any given time has been physically proved, the US would find it more difficult to dare attack the DPRK"- the North Korean Foreign Ministry

The N Word



"My nigga!!"
"The realest nigga I know!"

Ahem* ...I'm sure you've heard "The N word" used once or twice before, if not numerous times on a daily basis.

Some people are comfortable hearing this word, while some aren't - especially from white people, because it's taken as a racial slur, due to the origin of the word, ie from the term "nigger" which is a derogatory term for africans (including African Americans etc)

Looking at the history of the word, you'd see that the word "nigga" is an attempt to rebrand the insulting term given the africans, to make it less demeaning. Like an attempt to turn chains into arm accessories. But irregardless of this, it's roots are inherently based in the enslavement of a race and an assault of the human spirit.

I personally think it doesn't matter who uses the word. It's still a slur, it doesn't matter if you change "er" to an "a".

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

East of Eden (A novel by John Steinbeck)



Review:

East of Eden is a novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1952. It is a biblical recreation of Cain and Abel woven into the Salinas valley of California, which in a way depicts the garden of Eden. It tells the story of the Trasks brothers (Adam and Charles) and it is quite an east of perfection redefined.

Monday, November 6, 2017

Magic - 5



Trust me.

Everything you write is worth it. It doesn't need to have the best grammar, or be epic poetry, or the greatest story since "Half of a Yellow Sun". Write it for yourself. You will only get better with each thing you write, reread and revise. Your first may not be any kind of masterpiece, but it will be just as important as one. Open it up years later and you'll discover more about yourself, than you could ever believe.

I remember when I had a diary in secondary school. I read it up the other day, and I couldn't stop with the feels. I laughed, i felt sadness, i blushed, i felt things i thought had been hidden away.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Magic - 4



It's amazing how far we've come. From a world where we thought too little of ourselves, to a world where we think far too much.

We have bothered ourselves so much of; how much we deserve, how awesome we are, or how little nonsense we can take, that we have now forgotten that others are deserving too. Others are awesome too. Others don't need a little or a lot of any nonsense either.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Transfer codes for Nigerian Banks



How to transfer from your bank account. (All banks)

1. Access Bank:
----*901#

2. EcoBank:
----*326#

3. Fidelity Bank:
----*770#

4. FCMB:
----*389*214#

Open the link to see the other banks...

Monday, October 23, 2017

Magic - 3



When I was younger, still in secondary school, I had read a story about some young child that needed do a life-saving procedure, and was desperately requesting for well-meaning Nigerians to donate any amount they could in order to help her.

I understood that the way this worked was that; by appealing to a large audience, the few people who responded with small donations together could sum up to make a difference.

It wasn't the first time I had seen this kind of thing before, and it wouldnt be the last. But this time I was prepared. I had saved some money, and was willing to help. It wasnt easy to give up my money, but I decided that this person needed it more than I did. I could be a hero!! I took the details of the Wema account number down and found my way across the town to send my little hero fare across. 

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Deeper



A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer's showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.  Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called  him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift box.  Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed in gold. Angry, he raised his voice to his father and said "With all your money, you give me a Bible?" and stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Monday, October 16, 2017

Magic - 2


Someone I know once asked me to convince her why she should have children.

Now, while I don't believe its compulsory to have children, I do believe it's an awesome adventure. It has beauty, and purpose.

Children are magic.
The good kind

The kind that makes you wake up early in the morning to make sure they brush their cute little teeth and eat the delicious meals you make.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

12 Laws to live by


THE GREAT LAW
As you sow, so shall you reap.
This is also known as the Law of Cause and Effect. Whatever we put out in the Universe is what comes back to us. If what we want is Happiness, Peace, Friendship, Love… Then we should BE Happy, Peaceful, Loving, a Friend.


THE LAW OF CREATION
Life doesn’t just HAPPEN, it requires our participation. We are one with the Universe both inside and out. Whatever surrounds us gives us clues to our inner state. BE and DO for yourself… what you want to have in your life.

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Drugs In ABUAD

(1)


more...


So, I'm not meant to be online but I just happened to see this twitter thread that annoyed me so much this very good morning.😡😡😡

I do NOT agree with all the fingers pointing at ABUAD or it's school system as the cause of drug addiction.

I'm just here waiting for their concrete evidence, cuz the majority of ppl I know don't do drugs. All those people need to check the kind of company they keep.👌

Monday, October 9, 2017

Magic - 1



I once told someone that I believe we're all special. Everyone. She replied saying, "If everyone is special.. hasn't 'special' lost its meaning?"

As good of a point as it is - because it really is logical, I was quick to point out the truth. Everyone is a different kind of special, a different shade of color on the rainbow that makes up all of life.

We all bring something to the table that no-one else can. Doesn't matter if they can do it in a similar way as you, they can never be your shade of blue. Or red. Or mahogany. And you can also never be theirs.

Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Fill It Up



There was this philosophy professor in a prestigious university who loved to teach students about important theories of the subject. Once, while his lecture was about to begin, he just closed the book and instead stood before his class with some items on the table in front of him.  Students were curious but the professor without looking at them silently picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar. Thereafter, he started to fill it with small rocks. Once the jar appeared full, professor proceeded to ask his students ‘whether the jar was full?’

Sunday, October 1, 2017

Pray For Me


Pray for me
By Layomi Oyelami


I am flowing with milk and honey
My milk is sour, my honey is bitter
Pray for me

I am a giant
Falling at the fling of a stone
Pray for me

I am suffering from a heart failure
While I'm supposedly the heart
Pray for me 

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

DEATH OF AN INNOCENT



I went to a party, Mom, I remembered what you said.
You told me not to drink, Mom, so I drank soda instead.
I really felt proud inside, Mom, the way you said I would.
I didn't drink and drive, Mom, even though the others said I should.


I know I did the right thing, Mom, I know you are always right.
Now the party is finally ending, Mom, as everyone is driving out of sight.
As I got into my car, Mom, I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me, so responsible and sweet.


I started to drive away, Mom, but as I pulled out into the road,
the other car didn't see me, Mom, and hit me like a load.
As I lay there on the pavement, Mom, I hear the policeman say,
the other guy is drunk, Mom, and now I'm the one who will pay.

Friday, September 22, 2017

The Unseen - #4



CHAPTER FOUR

It wasn’t going to take them anytime to get down and out of the building, and so I had to establish some distance before that happened. I was running as fast as I possibly could, I could feel the adrenaline surging through my whole body as I pushed on.

They were out through the main building door in seconds, and it was clear that I had underestimated them. They might be middle aged men, but they didn’t run middle aged. They were going to catch up to me sooner or later, and I could already the hear their footsteps growing louder.

 I was running a straight line down the sidewalk, and they were going to catch up to me if I kept it that way. I looked to my right to see if there was any junction or alley I could turn to, but there wasn’t any; I looked to my left, and saw cars parked separating us from the roadway. I gathered momentum from my run, and jumped onto one of the parked cars, landing on my butt and skidded through the bonnet to the other side. I thought it was going to create distance between me and the police, but I was wrong. One cop followed me, climbing on top of the car, while the other went behind the parked cars, and followed.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Daughters



A Couple made a deal the night of their wedding to not open the door of their room to anybody who comes knocking in the morning for no reason. In the Morning the parents of the husband came and knocked the door, the Husband and the wife were looking at each other & as they agreed before, they didn't open the door.

Monday, September 18, 2017

15 things when you have a younger brother.


Do you have a younger brother or two hanging around the house or country somewhere? Well, some of us at TRJ do too, and we want to touch back at all those things that make us love them (well, most of the time). Here we go...


1. He will always be touching your things.
Nothing is safe. No toy. No game. No clothes. No phone.

2.  He will get you in trouble so many times with your parents, you'll stop involving him in anything you're doing for a while - as punishment


Saturday, September 16, 2017

PET PEEVES




Pet peeves are basically the things that happen that really gets on our nerves. It could be different for every one in twenty persons however. Well in this case, enjoy the pet peeves below😏.


1. CHEWING WITH YOUR MOUTHS​ OPEN:
    The first one has to be chewing with your mouth open. That slurpy and churning noise people make can be so irritating. If you won't shut your mouth while eating, then please do not eat in public. 

sluuuuuurp* Lick* smack* swallow* burp* heavy exhale*

Friday, September 15, 2017

The Unseen - #3



CHAPTER THREE

*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*

That was the third time whoever was out there had knocked on my door.
We were playing a game of silence, both of us, waiting for the first person to make a move, separated by mere inches - the door, me and whoever was out there. Was it the killer?

Quiet. It was all quiet. I wouldn’t dare speak, I didn’t know what was waiting on the other side, time was moving so slowly in those moments.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Be The Smart One



Many years ago in a small Indian Village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender. The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer’s beautiful Daughter. So he proposed a bargain.

He said he would forgo the farmer’s debt if he could marry his Daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the Proposal.

Friday, September 8, 2017

The Unseen - #2



CHAPTER TWO

A sweat broke on my forehead.
What did I just read? It didn’t make any sense.

I reread the letter several times, trying to make sense of it. No matter how many times I read it, it didn’t make any sense to me.

To hell with it. I reached for the handle of the cabinet, and that’s when I felt it - pure unnerving dread. I was stuck. I couldn’t bring myself to turn the handle, I didn’t think I was ready for what I’d find behind the door. I was panicking on the spot. The panic translated to hallucinations.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

10 centimeters



A man bought a new pair of trousers for his primary school mates reunion dinner. When he tried out at home, he found that the trousers were too long by 10cm. He asked his mother to help him shorten the pants. His mother said she could not do it as she was not feeling well and would like to rest early.
So the man approached his wife to shorten his pants. His wife said she was very tired and had a lot of work to do that night, so she could not help him to shorten the pants that night. Then the man asked his daughter. His daughter apologized for not able to do it that night because she had agreed to go dancing with her boyfriend

“Ah well!” The man thought and decided he could wear his old trousers to the reunion.

Later that night, his mother thought to herself, “My son has been very nice to me. I’ll just help him to shorten his pants before going to rest.” So she shortened the pants by 10cm.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD (2017) - Movie Review



SUMMARY:  The world’s top protection agent, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds), must get his new client, Darius Kinclaid (Samuel. L. Jackson), one of the most notorious assassins in the world and his worst enemy, to the Hague where he is to testify against a merciless east European dictator Vladislav Duhkovich (Gary Oldman). Things do not go as planned and they are forced to fend for their lives against the dictators mercenaries, which leads various action-packed and comedic antics.

RATING: 6.5/10