How dirty old used cars from the US and Europe carry on polluting … in Africa

The typical car will go for its last drive sometime between its 10th and 15th year on Earth. At this point, the vast majority are sent to be recycled or sold for parts. But for a few autos, a second lease on life awaits, as a significant percentage are exported from richer nations to developing nations for a few more years on the road.

In countries across Africa and Latin America, old used cars from places like the U.S. and Europe provide vital access to transportation to people who would otherwise be unable to afford their own vehicles. While this process extends the lives of these cars, the practice is not without problems, in particular with regards to pollution and passenger safety.

Kids and screen time - an expert offers advice for parents and teachers

 How much time did your child spend looking at a screen today?

The answer likely depends on how old they are, what grade they’re in at school and what rules you have in place at home about screen time. But the reality is that, for children and adolescents growing up as “digital natives”, it is almost impossible to imagine life without screens of some sort.

Devices like cellphones, laptops and tablets have become ubiquitous as tools for entertainment and education in most parts of the world. This has led parents, guardians, teachers and researchers to wonder whether screens are good or bad for children.

The World Health Organization recommends that school-going children (five-17 years) limit their recreational screen time. The recommendation for two to four year-olds is not more than one hour of screen time per day (less is better); it suggests that children younger than two should have no screen time. Research evidence suggests that children and adolescents were already exceeding these recommendations, and that the COVID-19 pandemic only made this worse.

The transgender madness

According to Wikipedia, a transgender person (often abbreviated to trans person) is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender proponents and activists have taken the issue to ridiculous dimensions that portend serious danger the normal human society. They are literally trying to rewrite everything we know about relationships and society. Women and children are mostly affected. The article below highlights aspects of the dangerous trend of transgender madness.

We must halt this transgender madness– it is hurting women and girls - LEO McKINSTRY

TRANSGENDER ideology continues to tighten its demented grip on our society, destroying the rights of women, ruining the innocence of childhood and making a mockery of biological science.

Without any mandate from the public our civic institutions are surrendering to a tiny band of zealots, who are bent on the subversion of humanity.

It was revealed that Altrincham Grammar for Girls, one of the country's most successful state schools, is to adopt so-called "gender neutral" language to avoid offence to pupils who are "questioning" their identity. In this linguistic exercise in social engineering, girls are now to be called "students" because, according to head teacher Stephanie Gill, "being misgendered can be very hurtful".

Such words almost sound like a parody of politically correct dogma but tragically Altrincham's example is just part of a growing pattern of transgender madness. The National Association of Head Teachers sent out guidance in late 2017 which urged "gender neutral phrasing" for uniforms and called for the celebration of "trans people, issues and experiences within the school" to "ensure the visibility of trans perspectives".

In the same vein the Scottish Government has proposed to let 12-year-olds change their legal gender, while the Lancashire NHS conducted a survey in 2017 asking 10-year-old children if they "feel comfortable in their gender". 

The trans movement pretends to be progressive but it is the very opposite. Its entire doctrine smacks of cruelty, misogyny and bigotry. As the Altrincham case demonstrates it wants to airbrush women and girls out of the story.

Artificial intelligence is potentially dangerous - Dr Hinton, the Godfather of A.I.

Geoffrey Hinton helped nurture the technology at the heart of chatbots like ChatGPT but is now worried it will cause serious harm.

Geoffrey Hinton was an artificial intelligence pioneer. In 2012, Dr. Hinton and two of his graduate students at the University of Toronto created technology that became the intellectual foundation for the A.I. systems that the tech industry’s biggest companies believe is a key to their future.

On Monday, however, he officially joined a growing chorus of critics who say those companies are racing toward danger with their aggressive campaign to create products based on generative artificial intelligence, the technology that powers popular chatbots like ChatGPT.

Dr. Hinton said he has quit his job at Google, where he has worked for more than a decade and became one of the most respected voices in the field, so he can freely speak out about the risks of A.I. A part of him, he said, now regrets his life’s work.

Serving God with the whole family (Joshua 24.15; Colossians 3.18-21)

The family is the unit of the society. If the family is peaceful, godly and prosperous, the same trend would be seen in the society and the nation at large. That is why the devil targets the family and seeks to disrupt and destroy the home. An example is what Satan did to the families of Job and David with the attendant negative consequences on the society. Today, the devil causes divorce, waywardness, rebellion, conflicts, business and career failure, poverty, backsliding, infidelity, etc in order to remove harmony from homes and destroy the family.

One way to defeat this enemy of the family is to serve God together as a family. God has placed believers in homes to serve as the connecting link with heaven’s power and as intercessors for those who are still aliens to the grace of God. Believers must do everything in their power to see that members of the family serve God together.

The family is an institution that is of great importance to God. Having instituted it, He gave clear commands in the Scripture concerning it. These commands reveal His original plan for the family and how it should be preserved to continue to fulfil that plan. Departure from these clear commands will certainly bring problems in families. When God’s commands are broken, His blessings cannot be claimed or enjoyed.

The devil is unrelenting in his quest to disrupt families so as to frustrate God’s purpose and negatively impact the society at large. Part of his weapons include spirit of disobedience, waywardness and unscriptural ambition in children; marital and financial unfaithfulness among couples; immoral activities in the family fuelled by social media and wrong use of technology; peer pressure and worldliness. The believing members of the family must stand in the gap and contend against these ungodly forces threatening the families. The Lord will surely salvage and secure our families and bring His will for our homes to pass as we call on Him.

Ponder: What are the best things in life?

The best things in life are things money cannot buy. You can buy a crowd but you cannot buy true friendship. You can buy fear but you cannot buy loyalty. You can buy insurance but can't buy well-being and health. You can buy security service but cannot buy safety. You can buy religion but cannot buy salvation. You can buy happiness but you cannot buy joy. You can buy serenity but you cannot buy peace. You can buy power but you cannot buy authority. You can buy the things of the world but you cannot buy heavenly things. You can buy ephemeral things but cannot buy eternal things. So, evaluate your life. What are the things you have? If all that you have is what money can buy or has bought then your life is suboptimal and you are very poor. 

Inspiration corner: Be Focused

A ship that sails by every wind never comes to harbour. If you stop to throw stones at every dog that barks, you'll never get home. A life without focus is like an unsharpened pencil, it has no point, and cannot make a meaningful impact. The convex lens focuses sunlight on a spot of a paper and can cause it to burn through. The focused life is a life of power and impact. Focus has to do with heart fixation, prioritization, purposefulness, and persistence. Challenges are inevitable in life but the right focus will pull you through. If you aim at nothing, you'll surely hit it. A goal-less life is wasted existence. Have focus in life, but much more importantly, have the right focus - PowerLines.

Why Nigeria is making progress backwards

 Many reasons are responsible but 90% of the problem is due to leadership failure.

Abysmally poor leadership

Incompetent leadership

Corrupt leadership

Undisciplined leadership

Lying leadership

Lost leadership

Confused leadership

Divisive leadership

Oppressive leadership

Suppressive leadership

      Deluded leadership

Ignorant leadership

Visionless leadership

Thoughtless leadership

You may add your own.

“Good governance is the art of putting wise thought into prudent action in a way that advances the well-being of those governed.” 

― Diane Kalen-Sukra    

In other words, good government requires justice, and justice ultimately requires that people be governed by their friends. In a democracy, where we govern each other, we must all be friends, or the system will become oppressive.” 

― Michael Austin

Please show mercy and be considerate

 These are not the best of times for the economies of nations across the globe. But these are not the best of times for the economies of individuals and families as well. So, trying to fix the nation’s economy and to ensure that the nation stays afloat, should not translate to strangulation and suffocation of citizens.

©PowerLines 2020

Calm down? For how long?

 

The need to calm down has been impressed upon Nigerians following the viral video of the smart infant negotiating his way out of a parental spanking. Our leaders have seized the opportunity to echo the need to calm down to all and sundry. I think it is good to heed their advice. Unlike that smart kid, the negotiating power of Nigerians has been taken away and they have been reduced to a state of helplessness not knowing what would come next at any point in time. Nigerians are manipulated, oppressed, abused, misused, and impoverished.

Stay calm (PowerLines Blog 2020)

Without real leaders, Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria will remain backward

This region is the most economically backward in the world. It is the White man's burden. It comprises nations that depend on handouts from the West. Critical sectors of national life in these nations - Education, Power, Health - are comatose. The quality of life in these countries is very low. Nature has endowed many of these nations with wealth but they can not manage it for their economic benefit. Citizens from these countries are scattered all over the world like sheep without a shepherd. And the pitiable part, it's like the scenario won't get better any time soon. Reason: fake, corrupt and incompetent leadership.

The pain of a country called Nigeria

A nation so rich, yet so poor; so blessed, yet so backward. Nigeria is supposed to draw strength from its diversity and leverage on it to the advantage of the citizens. But what do we see? Instead of unity in diversity we have confusion and discordant voices in a forced unity. 

There is so much suspicion and mistrust. A lot of bitterness and ill feeling. Sectional and regional interests take the upper hand over loyalty to the nation. There is a lot of unfair dealing with one region/section shortchanging the other because of being in authority. 

When will Nigeria get it right?

With all the optimism being expressed in political and religious circles that Nigeria is almost there, the future of Nigeria is very bright, Nigeria is making progress, etc, I personally feel that as a nation, Nigeria is not making any positive, concrete and sustainable progress on any front.

Virtually every important sector of the nation, except politics, is neglected and in decay. Education is the worst hit. A government that does not understand that the quality and quantity of its investment in education determine the growth and development of the nation is one without vision. University funding is still very inadequate. If Nigeria is to compete with the BRICS countries and other developing nations like Malaysia, not to mention the West, it must be prepared to spend the way they do, on tertiary education and research.

The health sector is in a pitiable and pathetic state. Millions of dollars are lost in capital flight as Nigerians - both leaders and the led - scamper all over the globe to manage their health. Facilities for the treatment of cancer are grossly inadequate and Nigerians groan under the affliction of this terrible disease that is on the rise in the nation. The nation still depends on handouts from donor countries to finance most of its health projects and programmes. It is a shame for the so called Giant of Africa.

The Only Hope For Turning America Back To God - Del Fehsenfeld, Jr.

 America did not become great because of her vast resources, her superior intellect, or her sheer willpower.  America became great because God made her great.  The Bible says that righteousness exalts a nation, and that the nation whose God is the Lord is a blessed nation (Prov. 14:34; Psa. 33:12).  In First Samuel 2:30, God says, “...For them that honor Me I will honor....”

    God honored America because America honored Him and upheld His standard of righteousness.  This nation was forged out by men who recognized their dependence on Almighty God.  In fact, many of those founding fathers had more respect as lost sinners for the living God and His Word, than many so-called believers in the church today.  They knew that neither they, nor their nation could make it without the assistance of God.

    In this generation we are forever looking for better methods to deal with the perplexing problems of our day, but God is still looking for better men – men like our founding fathers who were willing to risk everything for what they believed.  Many of these men had much to lose in the struggle for liberty.  They were men of means, well-educated, and respected by their contemporaries.  But one common thread bound their hearts together, and it was for this that they risked their wealth, their sacred honor, and their very lives to give birth to the great experiment of freedom that we call America.

    These were men of conviction who stood for what they believed, no matter the cost.  They were men of character, who refused to give up in the face of adversity and hardship.  They were men of creative wisdom.  For example, they didn’t form a democracy based on the changing whims of each passing generation.  Rather, they formed a republic based on the unchanging, eternal absolutes of God and His Word.

    They were also men of commitment.  They were men committed to God, to His authority, and to the foundational principles of His Word.  They did not hesitate to legislate morality.  For the first 160 years of our history, most of our laws (for example, blue laws, divorce laws, property laws, criminal laws) were based on the laws of God.

    These men of conviction, character, creative wisdom, and commitment, purchased with their own blood the freedom that you and I enjoy.  Because they honored God, God honored them, and we are still reaping those blessings today.

    In just 200 years, God elevated America from a place of infancy to world leadership in almost every field of endeavor – technology, industry, medicine, agriculture, aerospace, business, science, electronics, and communications.  When you stop to think about it, it is really incredible!  And it never could have happened apart from heaven’s aid. 

But – Cause for Alarm!

    But as we bask in the glory of past blessings, we have cause for great alarm, for the same God who was true to His Word and blessed America must also be true to His Word and exercise judgment if we do not repent.

    America has a heritage that cries, “We cannot go without God.”  Yet for the past few decades we’ve tried.  We have sown to the wind and now we are reaping the whirlwind.  In the ’60s, we began to openly tolerate that which was vile and sinful.  In the ’70s, we began to legitimize, condone, and excuse what we had already accepted.  In the ’80s we actually began to legislate that which is immoral and contrary to the laws of God’s Word.

    As a nation, we have provoked the fury of Almighty God in heaven.  America simply is not big enough to

Man ruptures throat while stifling a sneeze

If you have to sneeze, it's best to just let it out. Image Credit: CC BY 2.0 mcfarlandmo

As one unfortunate man recently found out, trying to stifle a particularly explosive sneeze is not a good idea.

The unnamed 34-year-old reportedly went to the emergency room suffering from a swollen neck, pain when swallowing and a peculiar popping sensation after attempting to stifle a sneeze by pinching his nose and squeezing his mouth shut at the same time.

Scans revealed that the increased pressure of the stifled sneeze had ruptured his throat, causing air bubbles to collect in the soft tissues at the back of his neck and halfway down his back.

Man claims 'aliens' delayed his tax return

Add caBe wary of aliens when you do your taxes. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 swamp dragonption

British tax authorities have released a list of some of the most ridiculous reasons for late tax returns.

While there are many legitimate reasons why someone may have failed to submit their tax return before the deadline, some of the excuses offered for late submissions are downright bizarre.

Perhaps the strangest of them all was the case of a man who claimed that he had been unable to file his tax return on time because his wife was seeing aliens and wouldn't let him in to the house.

'They ensure each twin baby dies': the secret killings in central Nigeria - The Guardian

The room is filled with the cries of 30 or more babies. Steven Olusola visits each cradle, peering into their eyes in search of illness.

“They fall sick often because they never received any breastfeeding,” says Olusola, who founded Vine Heritage Home Foundation with his wife, Chinwe, 13 years ago. This is a sanctuary, for children rescued from one of the most remote areas of Nigeria, where being born a twin can be a death sentence.

Few Nigerians realise that the killings of twin babies continues. The practice is shrouded in secrecy, says Dioka Bridget, research fellow at the Centre for Igbo Studies, University of Nigeria.

“Many researchers don’t believe this practice takes place in [Nigeria] because it is absolutely absurd and ridiculous. And since most of us believe the stories to be fabricated, there is reluctance to approach or investigate the practice,” she says. “Now, as more media reports confirm [it], it could trigger the necessary investigation.”

First monkey clones created in Chinese laboratory - BBC

Image copyrightQIANG SUN

Image captionZhong Zhong and Hua Hua are being bottle fed and are growing normally

Two monkeys have been cloned using the technique that produced Dolly the Sheep.

Identical long-tailed macaques Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua were born several weeks ago at a laboratory in China.

Scientists say populations of monkeys that are genetically identical will be useful for research into human diseases.

But critics say the work raises ethical concerns by bringing the world closer to human cloning.

We’ve taken Obasanjo’s admonition in good faith – FG (Punch Newspapers )

The Federal Government on Wednesday replied to an elder statesman, Olusegun Obasanjo’s criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, saying it had taken his admonition in good faith.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Lai Mohammed, gave the response in a seven-page statement read to state House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council Meeting.

He thanked the ex-president for the letter.

The Minister said that the administration had no reason to believe that Obasanjo’s motive was not beyond the well-being of the nation.

“We have no reason to believe that former President Obasanjo has any motive beyond the well-being of the nation in issuing his Special Press Statement.

Shelter: America's Homeless Veterans - Al Jazeera

After years of waging war overseas, US veterans returning to civilian life struggle with PTSD, homelessness, addiction.

Roger Schultz served as a cannoneer sergeant in the US Marine Corps. He liked serving in the army, because "I learned how to be a Marine and nothing else. You always had somebody on your side."

Eventually he quit the army to be back with his family, but his wife left him the following year and his life spiralled out of control. Schultz ended up living out of his truck, barely getting by.

In search of a place to stay, he finally checked into a Veterans Resource Center (VRC) in California, which provides housing and group therapy for former members of the military.