The Nigerian State: 'Violence has been deregulated'

Who remembers the prediction of Nigeria's breakup come 2015? An op-ed piece in the Daily Times of Nigeria does, and the writer, El-Nathan John is angry. He is originally from Kaduna State in Northern Nigeria and is angry about the quasi-religious violence going on in his hometown. I don't know that we should only get mad when our states and communities are affected, but his piece is germane to the on-going debate about the state of Nigeria.

Calling my Readers in the DMV Area, I am in DC!

Yes! I am in Washington DC, and I'd love to meet you. Yes, you. Because someone has to tell me why it is so hot here. I can't believe I'm missing the cold of Seattle :)

Atala and I are spending a few days in Washington DC for our vacation this summer and I hear there are quite a number of my readers and blog followers in this area. So if you live within the DC, Maryland and Virginia area not too far from Obama's house, and you want to meet up, contact me at myne@mynewhitman.com.

Non Traditional Wedding Outfits for Men

Now, no matter how much I like to believe that I can think outside the box, I had the charge of shopping for my wedding back in the UK and the most non-traditional I got for Atala and his groomsmen was to pick a dark brown color for their suits instead of black.

It's Good to be Me - Seagram's Ginger Ale Review

There’s this one memory that always comes to my mind when I think of enjoying soda. This is something that happened over ten years ago. That day in university, the temperature was hotter than boiling tar and just as cloying. We had just finished a 2-hour lecture by a tedious professor, and I was drained. Luckily, the tuck shops weren’t too far away from the study hall, and five minutes later I was in one ordering a small bottle of soda or mineral as it's known in Nigeria.

Ken Weds Barbie In True Yoruba-Nigerian Style

I was minding my business on Facebook a few days ago when I saw this image above. I was like, who is this fierce groom, and then I saw the title beside it, Black barbie and Ken's Nigerian Wedding. Of course I had to check it out. I was blown away by the full set of pictures which I got permission from the photographer, Obi Nwokedi, to share with you guys.

Midsummer's Eve Giveaway Hop - International

It's amazing how fast time flies, it's halfway through summer already. And do you know what else we're halfway through? A million hits on my blog! I almost can't believe that after starting this blog with zero readership, I was able to achieve this in less than three years. More than racking up the numbers are the people I've met through this blog, the connections and the community. Thank you all so much!

Burning Love Web Series Spoofs The Bachelor

I've been seeing the Burning Love ads around and this past weekend, I finally clicked. The 10mins per episode web series is a one hilarious spoof that got me laughing so much. Just think of all the jaw drapping, wacky things on the ABC's The Bachelor and you'll find it on this show. They are 6 episodes in and it's getting even funnier, the Panda is gone but the Octogenerian and Pregnant woman remain. See the trailer below.

A Tale of Two Girlfriends

I had a girlfriend once.

Everytime I spent the weekend at her place, she had the exact same routine. She'd wake up sometime after six and before seven. She'd read till about seven thirty. She read everything; news, blogs, magazines...but sometimes she'd be in the middle of an excellent book and she'd wake up and read that. I often woke up to find her reading, tears silently streaming down her face as she got involved in a fictional tragedy.

She would get up at about seven thirty, pee, then brush her teeth. She would put on her running gear and go for a run. sometimes she was back after 10 minutes and sometimes after an hour, but she always went for a run. She'd wash her face, bring me a toothbrush with toothpaste on it and go and make breakfast. I'd brush my teeth and go and see what she was making. That was usually the first time we spoke.

She had speakers everywhere. She'd put on her present favorite album and it would play on repeat all day. really loudly. Then after breakfast, she would write. She was always in the middle of a story in her head. Sometimes, it was mundane and sometimes it was over the top. She was just always somewhere else. Sometimes she'd let me in by discussing her characters. 'Daniel cheated on Gabby, you know? I don't think she can take him back, even though she really wants to.' Then she would sigh. Her characters were always real to her, I could often not tell whether the person she was talking about was created or real.

My Sunday Sun Feature - Author Q&A

I had this interview some months ago with Sola Ojikutu and it has just been published on the Sunday Sun newspaper (June 17, Pg 46). Two of my friends gave me the pleasant surprise of getting pictures and uploading them on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you guys, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday, everyone.

Romance Meets Music: Omawumi - Bottom Belle ft. Flavour

When I first heard it, I loved the highlife spin which Omawunmi, with the help of Flavor N'Abania, brought to this song. The video for Bottom Belle is finally here, and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. Directed by Clarence Peters, there are several picture frame shots, and not only has this been done before, but done better. And maybe my expectations were high after the funny skit in the video for Omawunmi's If You Ask Me. Still though, this is a fun video, and the song remains classic.