Why Are Humans So Careless?

March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 jacquelineobyikocha37 Comments

I walk by these waters often enough to catch occasional sights that cause me to pause in my steps and wonder at the human attitude.

The surface of the water has a film of dark oil residue that glistens and I presume it comes from boats and I am certain that it’s not the best for marine life – then again, what do I know.

The second photo is a can of empty 7-up perched by the water. The slightest blow of breeze will certainly cause the can to tip over and into the water.

Environmental issues, Trash, Marine Life, Human Behaviour

Environment Issues, Human Behaviour, Marine Life, Garbage Handling

The third photo which was taken on a different day is about those who I describe in my mind as the ‘unseen one’s.’ These men go about in their boats taking out the trash that people carelessly toss into the water. I’ve seen the horrifying amount of rubbish that they pull out of the water and can’t help but wonder what the situation would be like if these unseen ones’ were not there in the background clearing filth?

The sad part is that there are visible trash collectors every few meters along the track, yet humans are far too inconsiderate to dispose of their trash in the right manner.

The interesting thing is, if you ask the next man if he cares about the environment and marine life, he would say ‘of course, I do,’ but he can’t be bothered to walk a few meters to dispose of his garbage appropriately.

It bothers me. What about you?

I am not a tree hugger, but an ordinary person who loves nature. Forget the first part of this sentence. Yes, I’m a tree hugger.

Jacqueline

Challenges · Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Lifestyle · Little rants · Social critic

You Are Banished! Go To Your Room 101!…Ranting

February 9, 2016February 9, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha22 Comments

What a delightful way to cast my baleful eyes and vent at some poorly behaved humans while having fun doing it as well.

Thank you my dear Amanpan for your generous invitation.

Now, I don’t have to feel bad for using my imperial power of thinking to banish some people 😉

Here are my nominees:

I have a tidy list of offenders that I would like to banish to their room, but I will just stick to five as specified.

That ungentlemanly behaved fellow that traveled up the 43rd floor with me, on a lift that stopped on every floor. He was ‘Chewing gum so loudly’ and blowing the bubbles like a total ass. I love to chew gum but not in a clackety clack manner, right in someone’s face. I felt like taking the gum and sealing his lips for just a few seconds, but only managed to give him a malevolent look 😉

Loud phone calls in public. I love people watching quite alright and eavesdropping occasionally, but for the life of me, I don’t want to know everything about your life that you must have your entire conversation right in my ears in your loud voice. Save the quarrel for when you get home or wherever it is. I sat in the bus beside a lady and my bus ride which was taken as a pleasure to Deira market turned into a cacophony of hisses and heated argument of a lady and whoever it was at the other end for a whole 45 minutes and unfortunately, I did not have my headphones with me.

Can you make up your mind? Keeping everyone else waiting while you dash off to get the tomatoes, then the milk, then the stick of butter, then a loaf of bread. Geez! Make a shopping list please.

The man blocking the plane aisle with his over-sized carry on which cannot fit and we all have to queue behind him whilst he tries to squash it in by force, with all the extras that he has as well. What happened to checking it in?

I know it seems the in-thing these days, but for the love of heaven, can that lady with the need to show some extra cleavage cover up a bit more of those mammary glands and young man, by the way, I don’t think I want to see your butt-crack either. Thank you very much.

I would have loved to continue, but I have to stop now. That guy that leaves his sweat all over the machines in the gym drives me crazy 😉

Here are the rules:

Thank the blogger that nominated you.
Award 5 bloggers who fascinate, intrigue or tickle your curiosity with the Room 101 (award) badge logo on their About pages and linking to them in your post.
Tell us the 5 things you would banish to Room 101!
Attach these rules to your post.
Grab your badge above and enjoy adding it to your trophy case, but please be respectful of the creator of the award by never altering the logo and never changing the rules.

Enjoy the rant.

Little rants · Musings · Social critic · Social Issues · The Daily Post

…And The Eight Cardinal Award Goes To…

January 30, 2016January 30, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha24 Comments

Maybe when the seven Cardinal sins was written, ‘selfishness’ had not yet become a cancerous problem that is gradually eating it’s way into the backbone of societal values.

Maybe back then, the sense of Community, empathy and being your brother’s keeper was far more in abundance and the syndrome of eating your cake, other people’s cake and having it, had far more reaching repercussions than today, when for very little selfish reasons, a young man would go on a shooting spree.

Even the seven that were written eons ago are now looked upon as old-fashioned, in a syndrome of our present generation that suffers from acute self gratification of the ‘Me, Myself and I alone and the entire World can go to Hell in a hand basket.’

Who knows? If they could possibly re-write it, they should add Selfishness with a promise of Extra dose of Hell-Fire, Brimstone and Iodine for cleaning the burnt sores, that might result in having less selfish humans on Earth.

The Daily Post The Eight Sin

Remember the seven cardinal sins? You’re given the serious task of adding a new one to the list — another trait or behavior you find particularly unacceptable, for whatever reason. What’s sin #8 for you? Why?

(Hat tip to 99 Problems and Done for suggesting a deadly sin-themed prompt!)

Blogging · Little rants · Musings · Social critic

Please Correct Me If I Am Wrong, But I Beg To Disagree!…a little rant.

January 7, 2016 jacquelineobyikocha188 Comments

Maybe I am wrong to rant, but allow me to stew a bit in some of my righteous indignation juices 😉

I came across a post with regards to blogging etiquette and best practices and I would like to holler a bit.

A blogger friend had to start extra blogs based on another bloggers advise to break down her current blog into different blogs, because they deemed it that her articles on devotion do not fit in with articles concerning her mental health and I am like what?

In essence, the advise is that for a mental health blog, all that is expected of the blog are issues about the person’s mental health and depression. How depressing is that? Is that all that her life is about?

Who decides these things and makes these rules? I feel that humans who tend to make this suggestion have issues with other peoples happiness and therefore decides that a person who has mental ill health has no business praying

I am still struggling to grasp and understand so maybe someone will educate my poor mind a bit more.

The ‘so-called blog experts’ say that your blog must be themed to be deemed worthwhile and to get like-minded followers. I don’t need only like-mindedness. I love variety and its that simple.

It’s all a matter of choice, or isn’t it? My blog, my rules 😉

To me, it sounds a bit as if she is being asked to break herself into compartments *the blog represents* her to me.

Some of us write not necessarily to score points and what not, but because we find healing in our hearts by doing so. We write because we hope that our words will encourage someone else out there, even if it is just one person.

Why do we like to put ourselves in manacles and strictures? Actively managing one blog can be hectic not to talk of two or three.

Some of us just want to share our mundane conundrums without having some persnickety human, pointing fingers at where you should fit in x or y and souring the juice of fun in the blog.

Very soon, they would want us all to turn into little wound up robots, all saying the same thing and fitting into one tiny box.

Typically, I dislike stereotyping and labeling. I see it as being narrow-minded, when we assume just a little too much.

If someone who has mental health issues or any other issues for that matter, cannot have a category in his/her blog where he/she connects with his/her intrinsic self, as well as show her readers her self-help survival tips through her devotionals, just how dry do you want the blog to be?

What if a reader is not inclined to follow all the other blogs they have started because they like the original one-stop shop of a blog? Then I suppose they should just be contented in losing their readers.

Mental ill-health or any ill-health is not who the individual is, but a condition that he/she has.

Little rants · Social critic · Social Issues

Oh Yes! I Told Her Off And I Am Not Sorry I Did!…

November 20, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha60 Comments

There are loads of shopping malls over here in Dubai. Huge Ones, Medium Ones, Small Ones and with them come hordes of humans from all walks of life.

We went shopping for a no-frills plain white shirt for my daughter, which is required for a school programme (last week it was a red one, for flag day, I wonder what it will be next week) and mid-way trawling the shops she needed to use the ladies.

We duly went to the ladies and I felt it was also better to do a little tinkle just in case, luckily like every standard up-to-date mall, rest-room convenience is easily accessible and over here, they do a very good job at keeping it spick and span.

As usual, the ladies-room is filled with women; young and old, re-doing their scarves, patting and brushing their hair, dusting their noses, powdering their faces, pouting their lips and squinting their eyes as they apply the required make-up mask. It is really a bee-hive of femaleness.

My daughter came out and I observed that her skirt was somewhat askew, so I had tried to adjust it a bit and that required a little lifting to straighten the lining.

From the corner of my eye, the not so young lady stood in front of the mirror directly in front of our view (we were caught in her reflection) after all her primping, she started pouting her lips in all manners of contortions and NO! you don’t say, went clicking happily on her phone, taking pictures in the TOILET.

I counted to 10, telling myself to just go, but the little imp in me refused to let go of the bone.

I told her “my dear lady, I don’t think that taking photo shots in the restroom where other ladies are milling around is a proper thing to do!”

She stared at me in disdain. I don’t know if she understood English or not.

I proceeded to explain better in sign language gesticulating all over the place, asking her to check if her pictures had caught people in the rest-room and to delete it.

She simply went into a tirade of Arabic and left in a huff.

I also went into a tirade of Igbo (my native language) and left in her wake in a huff.

These selfie absorbed moments can get ridiculous at times.

How smart is a human who takes pictures in a public rest-room where you have so many other users? Why not wait until you get to your private bathroom and then you can say all the cheese and contort all the pouts required?

I don’t get it! I think rest-rooms should come with big signs of ”No Photography Allowed.”

Blogging · Family · Little rants · Social critic · Social Issues

Puhleez! Just Stop!….

November 17, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha52 Comments

It is hard for me to desist from ranting about this dark sexual communication nonsense, because I have never felt that unnecessary railing over social issues resolves the problems, but consistent positive acts are the only way our society can change for the better.

No, I am not a hater and I am not discriminating! I also appreciate the good side of sex very much, but that is hardly the topic of my vexation.

It is not a religious rant! Being a christian does not make me any better than anyone else out there, neither does it place me in a position to judge anyone.

I am just a community minded human, who sees the wicked seeds planted carelessly out there with disregard to its consequences and they are disguised under the ambiguous blanket of freedom of expression.

I have plenty of my own planks that needs to be removed from my eyes each day, but one thing that I will not fail to try is to respect others, their sensibilities and propagate as much positivity as I can.

In the bid to be politically correct these days, truth is shunned and lies encroach like a wily burglar that calls when the owner is not around.

Stop hiding under the voluminous cloak of seeking sexual equality rights to propagate your filthy degrading acts.

These prolific dark pornographic communication targeted at young children are no different from those of men who use the cloak of religion to perpetrate heinous acts!

Excessive propagation of insane, extreme sexual proclivities in the name of campaign for sexual equality, is very much part of today’s problem.

Do these adults who spend time in selling these items for material gains, infiltrating the entire web with filth that should be kept in their dark minds and rooms where it belongs realize the wicked seeds of indiscreet promiscuity, sexual degradation and laxity that they sow into the lives of the upcoming generation?

Nowadays, such materials are available at the click of a finger which is such a crying shame.

Young impressionable children are targeted and fed with pornographic nonsense which takes root in their minds and breeds so much more negative repercussions than you care to think of and most of these young ones have these gadgets at their disposal.

We all wish for a better World and it starts from each and every one of us.

If you think that your acts don’t count, please think again!

Do show some care for the future generation.

Life does not end with perverted selfishness.

An intelligent person can make their arguments known without the graphic bestial nonsense that is put out there.

I was thoroughly shocked this morning as I went through my reader and opened a seemingly innocent blog only to have my eyes pop with the graphic pornographic video content of this blog.

Nowhere did it indicate adult above 18 content.

I am not preaching to anyone to change their lifestyle.

Far from it! Someone’s lifestyle is their prerogative.

Just Act Responsibly! Or is the mental decency acuity dead as well?

This is simply irresponsible of this blogger and wrong on so many levels.

Pornography gives birth to hydra-headed monsters. You may like to read this article.

You know yourself and I am chewing your ears.

It might not mean anything to you, but know this and know it well, PROVIDENCE never forgets.

Have we become such a selfish generation filled with entitlement and gratification that we have become so desensitized while we are busy selling ourselves the mantra that it’s only our happiness that matters?

I rest my case.

Little rants · Social critic · Social Issues · The Daily Post

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire…

November 7, 2015November 7, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha32 Comments

There are some humans who are such inveterate liars that even the combination of lie detector and truth serum will not be able to drag the truth out of them.

Lying has become such a habitual thing to them that they don’t even know the truth if it jumps up and bites them in the butt.

They have told those lies to themselves and others so much, that it becomes a distorted truth in their minds.

When such people tell you good morning, you better take a very good look out of your window. You shouldn’t trust them as far as you can throw them.

Honesty and integrity should be a key character for me to relate with any human and once it is clear that you are a liar, your trust quotient becomes non-existent and unfortunately, whatever you say will be heretofore taken with a pinch of salt, if taken at all.

I respect the truth even if it is bitter. It is better to deal with. Telling a lie about a bad situation simply makes it worse.

That said, if I come in possession with one vial of truth serum; I wonder why only one vial, I think I shall first test it on to all the lying politicians especially those from my home country.

They have been hell bent on robbing a richly blessed Nation blind in the bid to cripple it’s economy with corruption and to the detriment of its citizenry.

It would be interesting to hear them sing their confessions like canaries about where they hid their stash of stolen booty which they will be made to restitute.

It makes me so unhappy to watch citizens of a society richly endowed with natural resources live in penury, while some hopelessly unprincipled leaders selfishly and greedily grasp that which is for general commune.

The Daily Post prompt Truth Serum

You’ve come into possession of one vial of truth serum. Who would you give it to (with the person’s consent, of course) — and what questions would you ask?

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Little rants · Social critic · The Daily Post

A Comic Race to the White house…

October 26, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha36 Comments

One seat, too many feet!

Trampling on toes, ready to defeat,

Like Badgers and Otters!

We watch as they dance to the beat.

One politician barks and takes painful bites,

Armed thoughts with flying spittle, laden down for a fight,

Indeed it is quite a sight!

In mad glee the thatch flies off the hook,

It’s plain to see there’s not much in his nook!

From too many tweets,

Not very discreet,

One politician tells tall tales,

It’s difficult to tell,

Which side of the face to face,

There is drought in this place!

One politician sleeps on his feet,

It’s a wonder what will happen to the seat?

Will he slumber?

Like a lumber?

This is simply, just not it!

One politician reckons since there’s no anarchy,

Maybe it’s my turn, let’s form a monarchy,

O! It’s tiring to watch the entire malarkey!

In response to The Daily Prompt Snark Bombs, Away

Try your hand at parody or satire — take an article, film, blog post, or song you find misguided, and use humor to show us how.

Humor - Bellyful of laughter · Musings · Personal story · Social critic

Gossip…

October 16, 2015October 17, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha19 Comments

That sizzling piece of news about someone, burning your lips like hot potatoes, that you can’t wait to spit out; all mangled up and embellished with your juices to sweeten the tale, It’s called gossip. As delicious as it can be, its dosage can equally be very virulent and in some cases destructive.

The hair salon was quite modern and well kept. Better than a couple of African owned hair shops that I had been to. It was my second visit, and I came back because I was satisfied with the first job.

It was spacey (I hate cramped quarters) with white ceiling boards and studio lights running in the center of the ceiling. They had comfortable black swivel chairs and independent work stations with large mirrors from wall to wall, giving you (the customer) vantage views of all sides of your hair-do and allowing a spot check, on progress with your braiding (it can be a tedious assignment to sit and braid one’s hair). The walls were painted lilac and pink and the black and white linoleum floor covers were spotless. I liked the place.

I was right on time for my appointment, but the ladies were adding finishing touches to a guy’s hair-do. I watched in fascination and wondered to myself, why a man who could easily shave his hair and have some peace would choose to sit through torturous hours of fixing tiny hair pieces and twisting his hair a few strands at a time. I shook my head in my mind, wondering what I would give for such wonderful opportunity to have water cascade down my head in the shower at every blissful given moment.

It got to my turn eventually and the butt numbing, knuckle cracking job of looking beautiful started. My head is pulled ~~every which way~~ by the fast and deft fingers of the three Ivorian stylists, whilst they chattered to no ends on top of my head in their broken French.

I was privy to all the inner life details of the last customer. He had been their good customer for a while, but the amount of disdain and blistering comments they made about the poor paying guy was disturbing. I decided not to become a good customer, there and then.

I was entertained with possibly embellished stories of auntie Jolie, and how she was cheating heavily on her dear, faithful husband. I also learnt that she was a kleptomaniac. I knew that these viperous women would be a source of someone’s broken marriage sooner than later.

Lo and behold, to my utter surprise, these women started talking about me and about Nigerians, in French of course, and on top of my paying head. I could barely keep still. I struggled very hard to keep my tongue in my mouth and I waited patiently – as I did not want to leave the salon in a huff with my hair half done. I listened in chagrin as they analyzed my sizable anatomy and evaluated my entire outfit.

What I really found perplexing was the blatant attitude of throwing caution to the wind and engaging in unprofitable talk that can only get them into trouble one day. It was also very presumptive to think that because I am not Ivorian, I obviously would not understand their french. Very erroneous speculation because, unbeknownst to them, I speak French as well as I speak English.

My hair was finally done, but I deliberately made a little fuss about the smoothness of the braids; which by the way was okay. I made them redo several whilst they cursed me out under their breath and I had my tongue in my cheek.

Finally satisfied with my hair-do, I stretched my entire length of 5’11” to its limits and in Parisian French, I chewed off their ears and castigated them for their porous lips and careless tongues. I was satisfied with the mortified looks on their faces (not that it will make them stop gossiping), and I would have loved to see how many shades they could turn into but unfortunately, they are too dark to blush.

I walked away, a satisfied customer, no tips were paid.

I however want to leave you with a thought: Gossip is not a sport to engage lightly in and it’s sharp two-edged points can equally be turned on the propagator. I don’t think one ever wants to get involved in a case of come and repeat what you said. It can be very distasteful.

Little rants · Social critic

The Minister’s Clay Feet…

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 jacquelineobyikocha7 Comments

He strutted and postured,
His fists pounding the podium from time to time,
In a bid to pontificate his points,
To give breadth to his enunciation’s.

His oily words rolled off his tongue,
Slick, cajoling and compelling,
To a crowd captivated by his glittering Italian shoes, which served in disguising his hideous clay feet,
His expensive shiny suit strained to contain his well rounded tub; fed fat by the grease of other hands,

His bugled eyes, beady, shrewd and greedy,
Stood out in his plump and shiny face,
With his wobbly rich jowls,
Bouncing with every step,

Amen; Shout Alleluia he bellowed,
Taking note of each and everyone of them,
Those whose envelopes bulged,
Those with the slimmer ones and those with none at all

He blessed the thieves, the roguery politicians,
And the lying tongue,
Nary a word of love or repentance was uttered at all,
Prosperity, Prosperity, Gain and more gain,
As his oily basket grew bigger by the second,

But the poor in their cast-offs,
A pity to behold, at odds with the glitterati,
Hardly a seat could they find in the pews nor warmth to enfold,
Whatever on Earth is happening to the Salt of the Earth?

What manner of pervasive erosion is leeching our hearts and our minds?
Robbing us blindly of our timeless essence and values;
And replacing them with decrepit morals,
Lack of conscience and loss of empathy,

Is it a wonder that the World is what it is today?
I guess not….,

The statement that says “you reap what you sow”, must indeed be true.

Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha