Robert Mugabe Goes The Way Of All Dictators

 According to Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, it is strange that men would fight and kill to grab power, kill and dehumanise others to stay in power, strain by all means to force their will on their people and then be forced to resign, retire, be dethroned, kill themselves or get killed in disgrace.

Robert Mugabe

 

Tuesday night, November 14, 2017, the last chapter in the long history of Robert Mugabe in the Zimbabwean public space was opened. He was brought under house arrest by the military as a first step to his forced departure from office.

 

Born 93 years ago on February 21, 1924, Mugabe became President of Zimbabwe in 1987 and remained in power willy-nilly for 30 full years. Before then he had been Prime Minister for seven years( 1980-87), following the Lancaster House agreement that brought Ian Smith’s White minority rule to an end. Before that he was the Chairman of the Zimbabwe African National Union, ZANU, for five years( 1975-1980).

 

Robert Gabriel Mugabe started his political odyssey as a Marxist-Leninist in the ’70s, was imprisoned for sedition ( 1964-74), before becoming a revolutionary leading the Rhodesian Bush War and turned a socialist in the ’90’s. After changing the name of his party to ZANU-PF( Patriotic Front), he crushed Joshua Nkomo’s Zimbabwe African Peoples Union( ZAPU).

 

Using his 5th brigade which reportedly killed over 10,000 civilians, especially the Ndebele people, he quickly transited from a revolutionary to a dictator. He encouraged the violent seizure of White-owned land. Food production was severely impacted, generating famine, international sanctions and unprecedented economic decline.

 

He refused to hand over power to any other and got re-elected in 2002, 2008 and 2013 through electoral campaigns dominated by violence and electoral fraud and was planning to run again in 2018 at age 94. Having dominated Zimbabwean politics for nearly four decades, Mugabe had become a controversial and divisive figure.

 

He was previously praised as a revolutionary hero of the African liberation struggle who helped to free Zimbabwe from British colonialism, imperialism and White minority rule. But then he turned a dictator responsible for economic mismanagement, wide spread corruption, anti-White racial discrimination, human rights abuses, suppression of political critics and crime against humanity.

 

It is regrettable that many men who start as revolutionaries end up as dictators and finally resign, retire,are removed or die in disgrace. History is replete with these men who played god, who forced their wishes on their people and imprisoned or killed those who resisted. According to Wikipedia, a dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power and wields it in an oppressive and abusive manner.

 

History has thrown up  men who seized power to make laws, suspend elections, proclaim state of emergency and repress political opponents without following due process. Some of these men were former liberators who have turned into egocentric sociopaths; others are democratically elected demagogues who are now in disarray, but most   were or are outright usurpers of political power through military might, hereditary militancy or hijacked revolution.

 

According to Plaid Avenger, while these despots come from from diverse backgrounds of debauchery, they all share a core common callous characteristic which put them into the cross-hairs of high- powered rifle of history.

 

These tyrants suppress freedom of speech and religion, destroy all political opposition, crush or control the press and grab as much of the national resources of the state as they can grab for themselves and their families.Such men include Adolf Hitler( 1889-1945), Josef Stalin ( 1928-1913), Pol Pot( 1925-1998), Idi Amin( 1925-2003), Augustino Pinochet ( 1915- 2006), Francois Duvelair( 1907- 1971), Francisco Franco( 1892-1925), Saddam Hussien( 1937-2006), Charles Taylor( 1948-), Mengistu Haile Marian( 1937-). Also included on this despicable list of tyrants are Benito Mussolini of Italy, Vladimir Lenin of Russia, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev of Russia, Chiang Kai Shek of China, Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany and Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam. Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha of Nigeria also feature on this list.

 

These men and others too numerous to mention in this space are held responsible ( directly or indirectly) for millions of lives lost and crushing the human spirit out of hundreds of millions more.

 

Most maintained their self righteous positions by brutal repression, the use of torture and systematically dis-empowering the peoples of their nations by keeping them impoverished, illiterate or misinformed via the manipulation of the press.

 

The greatest irony is that some of the deadliest of these despots who became self-absorbed, self-assured, above the law and power hungry first came to power through democratic elections.

 

Most notable among those who rose on this democratic platform are Muamar Ghadaffi ( Libya), Kin Jim Il ( Korea), Than Shwe( Burma), Hosni Mubarak( Egypt), Teodoro Obiang( Equatorial Guinea), Omar-al Bashir( Sudan), Ayatollah Khamenei( Iran), Alexander Lukastenko( Belarus), Abdulaziz Bouteflika( Algeria), Ali Abdullah Saleh( Yemen), Silver Berlusconi( Italy) and our man of the moment- Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who rose to power through electoral deception and fear mongering. He  allegedly killed more than 20,000 civilians by fabricating stories of rebellion and treason.

 

It is estimated that through his time in office, over 3.1million Zimbabweans either lost their lives or jobs and livelihood due to his ”land reform program” where he bulldozed any village that voiced dissent.

 

With death starring him on the face and afraid to end up at the International Court of Justice, ICC, in the Haque, Mugabe began to prepare his wife ‘Gucci Grace’ to succeed him and would broach no opposition or competition.

 

Having previously neutralised the opposition posed by his former ally Morgan Tsvangirai , whom he ran out of town, he followed the same route most recently. He unilaterally sacked his Vice President and then potential successor- Emmerson Mnangagwa ( now true successor) and that opened the last chapter on Mugabe and his stranglehold over Zimbabwe allowing him to go the same way all dictators exit- by disgrace.

 

It is strange that men would fight and kill to grab power, kill and dehumanise others to stay in power, strain by all means to force their will on their people and then be forced to resign, retire, be dethroned, kill themselves or get killed in disgrace. Can the remnants of this tribe still in power- 21 in Africa, 18 in Asia, seven in the Middle East , one in Europe and two in the Americas learn any lessons?

 

I pray that Assad of Syria, Erdogan of Turkey, Maduro of Venezuela, Duterte of Phillipines, Musoveni of Uganda, Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Lukashenko of Belarus, Nkurunziza of Burundi, Biya of Cameroun, Derby of Chad, Bongo of Gabon, Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong-un of North Korea, etc., who are trappling on their people, playing god and manipulating their constitutions to remain in power perpetually are listening? I just pray.

 

***

Written by Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

#MissUniverse 2017: Tears of Joy as Miss South Africa Wins Title

22-year-old beauty queen from Sedgefield in the Western Cape has been crowned Miss Universe, becoming the first Miss South Africa to take this prestigious title.

Former Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere, right, crowns new Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters at the Miss Universe pageant Sunday, Nov. 26, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

 

Miss South Africa 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has been crowned Miss Universe, becoming the first Miss South Africa to take this prestigious title since Margaret Gardiner won in 1978, according to a report by The Independent UK.

 

The pageant was held in Las Vegas in the US, an ecstatic Demi-Leigh competed against 91 contestants from around the globe – the biggest number of entrants in the history of the competition – and justified the faith thousands of South Africans had that she would win.

 

Runners-up were Miss Colombia (first princess) and Miss Jamaica (second princess).

 

The 22-year-old from Sedgefield in the Western Cape was one of the hot favourites going into the pageant and received huge support from around the world on social media.

 

In her acceptance speech Demi-Leigh said she was both proud and humbled to have won and that her dreams had become a reality.

 

“I resonate with everything that the Miss Universe organisation stands for, especially empowering women across the globe.

“I have always tried to be the example of the change I want to see in the world, and this platform will give me the opportunity to make a difference. I hope I have made South Africans proud and that I will continue to do so during my reign,” she said.

 

During her time as Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh launched her highly successful Unbreakable campaign to empower thousands of young girls and women throughout the country, by teaching them skills on how to handle difficult situations like hijackings, muggings, robberies and toxic relationships.

 

She partnered with specialists to give women the necessary knowledge to be able to handle any unwanted situations.

 

She held six workshops around South Africa and has said she would like to promote this campaign internationally.

 

Demi-Leigh wowed both the judges and the audience in a sheer flesh-toned, long-sleeved hand beaded dress by Anel Botha. It was inspired by the constellations and consisted of 50 000 hand placed Swarovski crystals which took a team of eight people 168 hours to complete.

 

The Miss Universe pageant was hosted by Steve Harvey and Ashley Graham. Judges for the finale included Wendy Fitzwilliam (Miss Universe 1998 from Trinidad and Tobago); Jay Manuel (TV host, creative director and makeup artist); Ross Mathews (TV personality); Megan Olivi (Fox Sports 1 host and reporter); Lele Pons (Vine and YouTube personality) and Pia Wurtzbach (Miss Universe 2015 from the Philippines).

 

Before she was crowned Miss South Africa, Demi-Leigh had completed her B. Com in business management and entrepreneurship and was a part-time model.

 

Demi-Leigh’s father and stepmother Bennie and Elzabé Peters and mother and stepfather Anne-Mari and Johan Steenkamp were in the audience and were overcome when Demi-Leigh’s name was announced.

“Demi-Leigh has worked incredibly hard for the past few years to achieve this goal and we are all so proud of her,” said a tearful Elzabé.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Zimbabwean Govt Honours Mugabe, Declares His Birthday National Public Holiday

Ousted former President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe has been honoured by the new government of President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.

Former President Robert Mugabe and wife Grace

 

Former President Robert Mugabe’s birthday, Feb. 21, is now a public holiday after the Zimbabwean Government gazetted it as Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, the state-controlled media reported on Monday.

 

The designation of the day as a public holiday comes after the government adopted the decision in August following intense lobbying by the ruling ZANU-PF Youth League.

 

The day has been previously commemorated as the 21st February Movement by the party in celebration of the principles and ideals of the former president.

 

The party youths pushed for the birthday to be declared a holiday in recognition of Mugabe’s efforts in empowering the youths.

 

Mugabe resigned on Nov. 21 after military and public pressure, ending his 37-year rule.

 

-NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

BMW Shocks the World with Futuristic Model of Motorcycle (Photos)

BMW, a Germany-based company which currently produces automobiles and motorcycles, and produced aircraft engines until 1945 is designing a strange model of motorcycle for the future.

 

Khan motorcycle

 

This exotic model of motorcycle has been dubbed the ‘KHAN’.

 

The sharp motorcycle concept depicts the future of motorcycle brand, BMW. Turkish designer, Mehmet Erdem, has created several motorcycles and otherworldly vehicle concepts in the past. Based in Istanbul, Erdem has created no less than eight other captivating BMW motorcycles, which all exhibit a unique and authentic interpretation of the brand.

 

In addition to the name, the ‘KHAN’s’ stylized form appears to be rather fitting for blade runner. surely, if this vehicle were to ever be produced, it would be something that Rick Deckard would consider upgrading to, due to its radical design and probable performance capabilities.

 

Similarly to the science fiction movie, this design exercise will almost certainly never make reality and will remain only at a concept phase.

 

Still, Erdem's renderings can serve to inspire manufacturer’s designers to take greater risks, to design truly dramatic and mesmerizing motorcycles.

 

See more photos:

 

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

National Assembly: SDF MPs Create The Unexpected, Disrupt Plenary Session

Parliamentarians of the Social Democratic Front-SDF (main opposition party in Cameroon) have today November 23, 2017 created the unexpected by blocking the plenary session, demanding the inclusion of the Anglophone crisis in the November session discussions. According to reports the MPs staged the unexpected as they disrupted the session, singing about the country not moving well. The brouhaha caused other MPs especially of the ruling CPDM to stage a walk-out. The MPs expressed their disgust over the maneuvers that some MPs selectively went into the field without them.

Note should be taken that SDF MPs had boycotted the opening session which started November 14. The lawmakers had said the November session, normally assigned to fixing the country’s budget, cannot be business as usual, given the ongoing crisis which has grounded activities in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon for more than a year now. Last week boycott, the MPs state, was aimed at showing their disapproval over government’s management of the escalating crisis in the country’s two English speaking regions. Speaking in a press conference at the party’s Yaounde headquarters, one of the SDF MPs, Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam (SDF Parliamentary Group Leader) explains the reason for the boycott. “We had enumerated a list of grievances particularly the violence that is being meted out in the North West and South West regions. We had warned that violence begets violence that the forces of law and order are now involved. “As representatives of the people, we condemn these spirals of violence and our absence today, is to alert people that we disapprove of the policies that are being taken to handle the crisis and we are rebelling against government’s inertia in resolving the Anglophone crisis”. Asked if the boycott will be indefinite, the MP said the party’s executive board dubbed NEC had asked them to participate in the deliberations. “We will take part in the deliberations. NEC asked us to attend and gave us directives on what to do. We will be fulfilling NEC resolutions”. It is not yet clear whether the illness that took the Lower House (Parliament) will also contaminate the Upper House (Senate). Impressionists have described the move by SDF MPs as a step to the long awaited genuine dialogue. However, it is not yet clear whether the MPs will continue with the disruption of the parliamentary session which is aimed at fixing the 2018 state budget. (a suivre )

 



When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Wold's Richest Man, Bill Gates, Prescribes 17 Books that can Make you Rich

 Being an authority on how success can be attained, the world's richest man, Bill Gates, has named some books everyone should read.

 

Bill Gates

 

While Bill Gates has a schedule that’s planned down to the minute, the entrepreneur-turned-billionaire-humanitarian still gobbles up about a book a week.

 

Aside from a handful of novels, they’re mostly nonfiction books covering his and his foundation’s broad range of interests. A lot of them are about transforming systems: how nations can intelligently develop, how to lead an organization, and how social change can fruitfully happen.

 

We went through the past five years of his book criticism to find the ones that he gave glowing reviews and that changed his perspective.

 

1. Tap Dancing to Work: Warren Buffett on Practically Everything, 1966-2012 by Carol Loomis

 

Warren Buffett and Gates have a famously epic bromance, what with their recommending books to each other and spearheading philanthropic campaigns together.

 

So it’s no surprise that Gates enjoyed Tap Dancing to Work, a collection of articles and essays about and by Buffett, compiled by Fortune magazine journalist Carol Loomis.

 

Gates says that anyone who reads the book cover-to-cover will walk away with two main impressions:

 

First, how Warren’s been incredibly consistent in applying his vision and investment principles over the duration of his career;

 

[S]econdly, that his analysis and understanding of business and markets remains unparalleled. I wrote in 1996 that I’d never met anyone who thought about business in such a clear way. That is certainly still the case.

 

Getting into the mind of Buffett is “an extremely worthwhile use of time,” Gates concludes.

 

2. Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization by Vaclav Smil

 

Gates says his favorite author is Vaclav Smil, an environmental-sciences professor who writes big histories of things like energy and innovation.

 

His latest is Making the Modern World. It got Gates thinking.

 

“It might seem mundane, but the issue of materials — how much we use and how much we need — is key to helping the world’s poorest people improve their lives,” he writes.“Think of the amazing increase in quality of life that we saw in the United States and other rich countries in the past 100 years. We want most of that miracle to take place for all of humanity over the next 50 years.”

 

To know where we’re going, Gates says, we need to know where we’ve been — and Smil is one of his favorite sources for learning that.

 

3. The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert

 

It can be easy to forget that our present day is a part of world history. Gates says that New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert’s new book The Sixth Extinction helps correct that.

 

“Humans are putting down massive amounts of pavement, moving species around the planet, over-fishing and acidifying the oceans, changing the chemical composition of rivers, and more,” Gates writes, echoing a concern that he voices in many of his reviews.

 

“Natural scientists posit that there have been five extinction events in the Earth’s history (think of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs),” he continues, “and Kolbert makes a compelling case that human activity is leading to the sixth.”

 

To get a hint of Kolbert’s reporting, check out the series of stories that preceded the book’s publication.

 

4. Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises by Tim Geithner

 

Gates stood at the center of an enormously complex system as CEO of Microsoft. Timothy Geithner did much the same as U.S. Treasury secretary — and saw the structure fall down around him during the financial crisis.

 

“Geithner paints a compelling human portrait of what it was like to be fighting a global financial meltdown while at the same time fighting critics inside and outside the Administration as well as his own severe guilt over his near-total absence from his family,” Gates says. “The politics of fighting financial crises will always be ugly. But it helps if the public knows a little more about the subject.”

 

Stress Test provides that knowledge.

 

5. The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined by Steven Pinker

 

In Better Angels, Harvard cognitive scientist Steven Pinker branches out into the history of the most contentious of subjects: violence.

 

Gates says it’s one of the most important books he’s ever read.

 

“Pinker presents a tremendous amount of evidence that humans have gradually become much less violent and much more humane,” he says, in a trend that started thousands of years ago and continued until this day.

 

This isn’t just ivory-tower theory. Gates says the book has affected his humanitarian work.

 

“As I’m someone who’s fairly optimistic in general,” he says, “the book struck a chord with me and got me to thinking about some of our foundation’s strategies.”

 

6. The Man Who Fed the World by Leon Hesser

 

Even though Gates can get a meeting with almost anyone, he can’t land a sit-down with Norman Borlaug, the late biologist and humanitarian who led the “Green Revolution” — a series of innovations that kept a huge chunk of humanity from starving.

 

“Although a lot of people have never heard of Borlaug, he probably saved more lives than anyone else in history,” Gates says. “It’s estimated that his new seed varieties saved a billion people from starvation,” many of whom were in India and Pakistan.

 

Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts — and is one of only seven people to receive that honor.

 

For Gates, Borlaug is a model in getting important work done in the world.

 

“Borlaug was one-of-a-kind,” he says, “equally skilled in the laboratory, mentoring young scientists, and cajoling reluctant bureaucrats and government officials.”

 

Hesser’s The Man Who Fed the World lets you peer into the personality that saved a billion lives.

 

7. Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street by John Brooks

 

Back in 1991, Gates asked Buffett what his favorite book was.

 

To reply, Buffett sent the Microsoft founder his personal copy of Business Adventures, a collection of New Yorker stories by John Brooks.

 

Though the anecdotes are from half a century ago, the book remains Gates’ favorite.

 

Gates says that the book serves as a reminder that the principles for building a winning business stay constant. He writes:

 

For one thing, there’s an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn’t matter if you have a perfect product, production plan and marketing pitch; you’ll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans.

 

Learning of the affections that Gates and Buffett have for this title, the business press has fallen similarly in love with the book. Slate quipped that Business Adventures is “catnip for billionaires.”

 

8. The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism by Doris Kearns Goodwin

 

Like us, Gates is fascinated by the way Theodore Roosevelt was able to affect his society: busting trusts, setting up a park system, and the like.

 

For this reason, Gates appreciates how Goodwin’s biography uses the presidency as a lens for understanding the shift of society.

 

“How does social change happen?” Gates asks in his review. “Can it be driven by a single inspirational leader, or do other factors have to lay the groundwork first?”

 

He says that TR shows how many stakeholders need to be involved.

 

“Although he tried to push through a number of political reforms earlier in his career,” Gates says, “[Roosevelt] wasn’t really successful until journalists at ‘McClure’s’ and other publications had rallied public support for change.”

 

9. The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme Simsion

 

Gates doesn’t review a lot of fiction, but The Rosie Project, which came on the recommendation of his wife, Melinda, is an oddly perfect fit.

 

“Anyone who occasionally gets overly logical will identify with the hero, a genetics professor with Asperger’s Syndrome who goes looking for a wife,” he writes. “(Melinda thought I would appreciate the parts where he’s a little too obsessed with optimizing his schedule. She was right.)”

 

The book is funny, clever, and moving, Gates says, to the point that he read it in one sitting.

 

10. On Immunity by Eula Biss

 

Even though the science all says that vaccines are among the most important inventions in human history, there’s still a debate about whether they’re a good idea.

 

In “On Immunity,” essayist Eula Biss pulls apart that argument.

 

She “uses the tools of literary analysis, philosophy, and science to examine the speedy, inaccurate rumors about childhood vaccines that have proliferated among well-meaning American parents,” Gates writes. “Biss took up this topic not for academic reasons but because of her new role as a mom.”

 

11. How Asia Works by Joe Studwell

 

Joe Studwell is a business journalist whose central mission is understanding “development.”

 

The Financial Times said that How Asia Works is “the first book to offer an Asia-wide deconstruction of success and failure in economic development.”

 

Gates says that the book’s thesis goes like this:

 

All the countries that become development success stories (1) create conditions for small farmers to thrive, (2) use the proceeds from agricultural surpluses to build a manufacturing base that is tooled from the start to produce exports, and (3) nurture both these sectors with financial institutions closely controlled by the government.

 

12. How to Lie with Statistics by Darrell Huff

 

Published in 1954, How to Lie with Statistics is an introduction to statistics — and a primer on how they can be manipulated.

 

It’s “more relevant than ever,” Gates says.

 

“One chapter shows you how visuals can be used to exaggerate trends and give distorted comparisons,” he says. “It’s a timely reminder, given how often infographics show up in your Facebook and Twitter feeds these days.”

 

13. Epic Measures by Jeremy Smith

 

Reading this biography was especially meaningful for Gates because he’s known its subject, a doctor named Chris Murray, for more than a decade.

 

According to Gates, the book is a “highly readable account for anyone who wants to know more about Chris’s work and why it matters.”

 

That work involves creating the Global Burden of Disease, a public website that gathers data on the causes of human illness and death from researchers around the world. The idea is that we can’t begin finding cures for health issues if we don’t even know what those issues are.

 

Writes Gates: “As Epic Measures shows, the more we make sure reliable information gets out there, the better decisions we all can make, and the more impact we all can have.”

 

14. Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik

 

If you’re like most people, you use steel razors, glass cups, and paper notepads every day without thinking much about the materials they’re made of.

 

In “Stuff Matters,” Miodownik, a materials scientist, aims to show you why the science behind those materials is so fascinating.

 

That premise might sound similar to “Making the Modern World,” a book by Gates’ favorite author Smil, which Gates has also recommended. But Gates says the two works are “completely different.” While Smil is a “facts-and-numbers guy,” Miodownik is “heavy on romance and very light on numbers,” potentially making “Stuff Matters” an easier read.

 

Gates claims his favorite chapter is the one on carbon, “which offers insights into one atom’s massive past, present, and future role in human life.”

 

15. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

 

It might be hard to imagine Gates curled up with a book of comic drawings. But Hyperbole and a Half, based on the blog by the same name, is more moving and profound than it is silly.

 

The stories and drawings in the book are based on scenes from Brosh’s life, as well as her imagined misadventures.

 

“It’s funny and smart as hell,” Gates writes, adding that “Brosh’s stories feel incredibly — and sometimes brutally — real.”

 

Gates was especially moved by the parts of the book that touch on Brosh’s struggles with severe depression, including a series of images about her attempts to leave an appropriate suicide note.

 

It’s a rare book that can simultaneously make you laugh, cry, and think existential thoughts — but this one seems to do it.

 

16. What If? by Randall Munroe

 

Another book based on a blog, What If? is a collection of cartoon-illustrated answers to hypothetical scientific questions.

 

Those questions range from the dystopian (“What if I took a swim in a typical spent nuclear fuel pool?”) to the philosophical (“What if everyone actually had only one soul mate, a random person somewhere in the world?”) Each question was posed by a different reader, and Munroe, a former roboticist for NASA, goes to the greatest lengths to answer it accurately through research and interviews.

 

Gates writes:

 

The reason Munroe’s approach is a great way to learn about science is that he takes ideas that everybody understands in a general way and then explores what happens when you take those ideas to their limits. For example, we all know pretty much what gravity is. But what if Earth’s gravity were twice as strong as it is? What if it were three times as strong, or a hundred? Looking at the question in that way makes you start to think about gravity a little differently.

 

For anyone who’s ever wished there were someone to indulge and investigate their secret scientific fantasies, this book comes in handy.

 

17. Should We Eat Meat? by Vaclav Smil

 

Gates isn’t shy about proclaiming Smil, a professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, his favorite author. In fact, he’s recommended several of Smil’s books before.

 

As usual, Gates writes, Smil attacks the issue of whether humans should consume meat from every possible angle. First he tries to define meat, then he looks at its role in human evolution, as well as how much meat each country consumes, the health and environmental risks, and the ethicality of raising animals for slaughter.

 

Gates, who was a vegetarian for a year during his 20s, is especially impressed by how Smil uses science to debunk common misconceptions, like the idea that raising meat for food involves a tremendous amount of water.

***

Via TIME

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Caught on Social Media: Son of Incoming President of Zimbabwe Caught Flaunting Cash, Luxury Car

 Many people have been left worried after photos appeared on social media showing son of incoming President of Zimbabwe flaunting wealth.

Michael Sean Mnangagwa

 

It obviously looks like Zimbabweans have exchanged a bad President for another one, after photos of Michael Sean Mnangagwa, the son of Zimbabwe's former Vice President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who will be sworn in as president following the resignation of Robert Mugabe on Tuesday appeared on social media showing him flaunting wealth.

 

According to LIB, the photos which appeared on social media have raised eyebrows.

 

 

Mnangagwa is known to be an ally of Mugabe and was instrumental in all the years of decay that happened in the country. Many people have frowned at the photos of his son flaunting wealth believed to be money stolen from his country.

 

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Robert Mugabe To Attend Emmerson Mnangagwa's Inauguration Tomorrow

The erstwhile president of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, is set to attend the inauguration ceremony of Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Robert Mugabe

 

Former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe is expected at tomorrow's inauguration of the new Zimbabwean president, Emmerson Mnangagwa.

 

BBC reports that this was made known by the state broadcaster ZBC TV.

 

Preparations are under way at the National Sports Stadium in the capital Harare where the event is to be held.

 

Diplomatic correspondent Judith Makwanya said the outgoing head of state is expected to inspect the parade to say goodbye while the incoming head of state will introduce himself to the parade.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

How To Detect If Someone Is Lying To You

If you have been looking for the surefire ways to tell if someone is lying to you or not, then these are the tips you need to consider.

File photo

 

Some people can be masters of deceit, but this is how you can spot a big fat fibber.

A man who has been dubbed the “human lie detector” reveals exactly how to rumble a liar.

 

You may think you’re adept at spotting a faker, but apparently a lot of the usual tells are actually myths.

New research reveals that 89% of Brits believe they know the top giveaways, with a lack of eye contact claiming the top spot (64%), followed by delayed responses (50%) and a change of tone (40%).

Men and women also suspected behaviours such as fidgeting, sweating, scratching your nose and covering your mouth when speaking as surefire signs that someone is lying.

However deception detection expert Darren Stanton said these clues are not as clear cut as they may seem.

He said: “While most of us think we can spot a liar many of the classic tells are unreliable.

“Liars and especially those with a hidden agenda, find it very easy to look others in the eye.

“Fidgeting is another myth, if someone is trying to sell you a lie, watch for an unusual level of stillness in their behaviour.”

But the psychologist and body language expert shared his top tips for exposing the truth.

 

Darren said: “Change of tone however, is a good indicator.

“The voice may go up in pitch or even crack.

“Also look for scratching of the nose, back of the neck, or even picking invisible fluff from their clothes – all distraction techniques.

“In younger people, covering the mouth is often a sign of lying, it’s a gesture that’s saying: ‘I wish I didn’t say that.’”

The study was commissioned to mark the launch of the PlayStation 4 PlayLink exclusive Hidden Agenda.

 

Top three ways to tell if someone is lying to you:

 

1. Change of tone in their voice

 

2. Scratching their nose, neck or picking fluff from clothes

 

3. Covering the mouth

 

***

Via Daily Star UK

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Meet the Man Who Will Take Over From Robert Mugabe

 The man to take over from ousted President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has been revealed.

Zimbabwe's fired vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa is seen at the Heroes Acre in Harare in this Wednesday, Nov., 1, 2017 photo. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

 

A Zimbabwe ruling party official tells The Associated Press that recently fired Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa will take over as the country's leader within 48 hours after President Robert Mugabe resigned.

 

Ruling party chief whip Lovemore Matuke says Mnangagwa, who fled the country after his firing, "is not far from here."

 

The official spoke to the AP immediately after the Parliament speaker announced Mugabe's immediate resignation during impeachment proceedings.

 

Matuke says they look forward to Mugabe doing the handover of power "so that Mnangagwa moves with speed to work for the country."

 

Earlier, Zimbabwe's Parliament erupted in cheers as the speaker announced the resignation of the elderly statesman.

 

The speaker stopped impeachment proceedings to say they had received a letter from Mugabe with the resignation "with immediate effect."

 

It is an extraordinary end for the world's oldest head of state after 37 years in power.

 

-AP

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Forbe Ranking: See the List of the 2017 Highest Paid Women in Music

Beyonce has been declared as the 2017 highest paid woman in music after raking in a whopping $105 million this year.

Beyonce is the 2017 highest paid woman in music

 

Shortly after Adele took home the Grammy award for Album of the Year in February, she broke it in half--with the intention of physically sharing it with Beyoncé, the internet concluded—in recognition of the latter's Lemonade. But Queen Bey won an even more valuable distinction outright: she's this year's highest-paid woman in music, pulling in a whopping $105 million pretax.

 

Lemonade was a hit with both critics and fans, giving Beyoncé her sixth solo No. 1. The ensuing Formation World Tour, much of it falling into our list's scoring period, grossed a quarter of a billion dollars. Then she took time off as she and husband Jay-Z welcomed twins Rumi and Sir this summer. Adele finished second, earning $69 million, boosted by seven-figure nightly grosses on her first proper tour since 2011.

"Adele’s music appeals to listeners of all ages all over the world with her undeniably powerful, emotional vocal interpretations paired with timeless songwriting and production," says multiplatinum singer-songwriter Skylar Grey. "No matter what genre someone generally subscribes to, it’s hard to find a music lover who doesn’t appreciate what she does."

 

In order to form our list, we looked at pretax income from June 1, 2016 through June 1, 2017, and did not take out fees charged by agents, managers and lawyers. We gathered data from Nielsen SoundScan, Pollstar, the RIAA and interviews with industry insiders. The two mononymous stars both earned tens of millions more than the rest of the pack, but there are plenty of notable names further down the list.

 

Taylor Swift raked in $44 million to claim the No. 3 spot, representing a significant dip from the peak of her 1989 Tour. With the release of new alum Reputation—already the best-selling album of 2017—which came after the end of this list’s scoring period, look for her earnings total to rise significantly in next year’s accounting.

 

Celine Dion ranks fourth with $42 million, resuming a lucrative Las Vegas residency last February after going on hiatus in the wake of her husband’s January 2016 death. Jennifer Lopez rounds out the top five with $38 million, also boosted by a standing Sin City gig, as well as new show World of Dance, where she serves as both judge and producer.

 

The rest of the list proves that age is just a number: 71-year-old Dolly Parton (No. 6, $37 million) still tours with the rigor of stars half her age, grossing mid-six figures per city across 63 dates during our scoring period; Barbra Streisand (No. 10, $30 million) remains a huge draw even at 75, selling $46 million worth of tickets on her 14-show stint last year. Next up: Netflix special Barbra: The Music…The Mem’ries…The Magic!

 

Earning double-digit millions does not guarantee a spot on this vaunted list—as near misses Madonna, Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande can attest. The first two names should be back in the running the next time they go on tour; the latter two could be, too, as their careers continue to progress.

 

Despite the success of the female stars on the list, there are regrettably still more than twice as many men than women among music's top-earning stars. Acts like the ninth-highest-paid woman, Katy Perry--who earned millions from endorsement deals with the likes of CoverGirl, Claire's and H&M--are doing their best to change that.

"I am proud of my position as a boss, as a person that runs my own company," she told Forbes. "I'm an entrepreneur. ... I don't want to shy away from it. I actually want to kind of grab it by its balls."

 

As for Adele's Grammy? Sorry, folks--it seems she broke it in half by accident.

 

See list of top 10 highest paid women in music

 

1. Beyonce $105 million

2. Adele $69 million

3. Taylor Swift $44 million

4. Celine Dion $42 million

5. Jennifer Lopez $38 million

6. Dolly Parton $37 million

7. Rihanna $36 million

8. Britney Spears $34 million

9. Katy Perry $33 million

10. Barbra Streisand $30 million

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

End of Mugabe Era

The fate of President Robert Mugabe will be decided today as the Zimbabwean parliament meets to consider his impeachment proceedings.

President Robert Mugabe

President Robert Mugabe has reached his worst political situation in 37 years as the leader of Zimbabwe; as the two chambers of parliaments began impeachment proceedings against him.

 This is the first time such move is taking place in the Southern African country.

According to CNN, a joint sitting of the Senate and National Assembly took the bold step to ask for Mugabe to resign.

The ruling party, ZANU-PF, had plans to table a motion that will begin the process of formally removing the president who has been clinging on to the presidency despite a military takeover last week.

 ZANU-PF, which Mugabe co-founded and led for decades, ousted the 93-year-old leader as their party chief on Sunday and gave him an ultimatum to step down in 24 hours or face impeachment.

 The former vice president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is said to have joined those calling for Mugabe to step down, in his first comments since the President fired him on November 6, triggering the political firestorm.

 Mugabe called a cabinet meeting for Tuesday morning, but most members didn’t show up, state media reported, in a further indication that his authority was ebbing away.

 The party had set a deadline for midday Monday for Mugabe to resign or face impeachment.

 The former vice president’s statement offered no clues about his location. Mnangagwa was named as ZANU-PF’s new party chief on Sunday, paving the way for him to contest the 2018 presidential elections.

-NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)