Saturday, July 24, 2010

TRUTH!!!

This video was posted by one of my friends, Franki. Even though she is younger than I am she is really conscious. Being conscious is never a bad thing but ignorant people make it seem like when someone is this way the person is just an angry person. Wow, how stupid could we be. You hardly find twenty year olds who know what they are about. You hardly find twenty year old Africans who know their roots or are comfortable with who they are and where they are from.... It is sad.



Tuesday, July 20, 2010

So what is a journalist meant to do now?

This is from Ato Kwamena Dadzie's blog 
http://atokd.com/
19 Jul 2010 | 08:50 PM

A few hours ago, I was charged with a criminal offence. It’s the same charge being faced by Nana Darkwa, who accused Rawlings of setting fire to his own house.

The state is charging me with the offence of publishing news “with intent to cause fear and alarm” after I refused to name the sources behind a news item broadcast on Joy FM. If convicted, I could be jailed for no more than three years.

As some of you may be aware, I have been acting as news editor at Joy FM since Matilda Asante’s resignation in April.

On July 6, we published a news story that the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) withdrew its petition to parliament against the STX Housing deal after some of its members were threatened either with death or the abrogation of government contracts.

The next day government issued a strongly-worded statement alleging that the story had been “concocted”.
“The station, by this wild and deliberately concocted report cloaked in investigative pretentions, sought to cause fear and anxiety amongst the business community and the general citizenry,” the statement, signed by Information Minister, John Tia, said. “Government is deeply offended by the JoyFM publication and demands that the management of the station substantiates its claims immediately or retracts the allegations and apologizes to the President, Government and people of Ghana accordingly. Meanwhile, Government has directed the security agencies to investigate the claim because death threats are not to be handled lightly.”

A few days after the release of that statement, we received a letter from the CID Headquarters, inviting me to report at the CID headquarters to help with the investigations. I responded to the invitation last Friday – in the company of a lawyer, the producer of the Super Morning Show and the business development manager for the Multimedia Group, Charles van Dyke. After waiting for about 45 minutes we were ushered into an office whose walls were almost entirely adorned with the photographs of former heads of the CID – even from as far back as the colonial era.

There were four men seated at a large table. The man at the head of the table spoke first in a raspy voice.
“My name is Dorvlo,” he said with a smile. “I hope you have heard the name before.”

“Not really,” I said.

“Well, I am the new CID director,” he announced, asking to be pardoned for his voice because he had a cold.

He proceeded to tell us why he had invited us to his office – they were investigating a story aired on Joy FM. He then handed us over to two men later led us into another office on an upper floor in the CID headquarters building for questioning.

They asked me to name the source of our report, saying they needed to know those who had been threatened so they could offer protection for those who had been threatened, and possibly, prevent a crime from being committed.

I refused to name the sources, insisting that no journalist worth the paper he writes on would reveal his sources.

Then they took my caution statement. They set a bail of five thousand cedis for me and asked me to report to today.

I went back to the CID headquarters, as scheduled, this afternoon at 1pm. After waiting for about an hour, I was told to call my lawyer. I did and shortly after he showed up – along with some members of the top brass of the Multimedia Group – I was informed that I was being charged with the “publication of false news with intent to cause fear and alarm.”

Once again, bail was set and Charles van Dyke signed the bail bond. I was released and initially told that I’d make my first court appearance on Wednesday. But about two hours after I returned to the office, the investigator called to tell me that I will be informed about the court date on Wednesday afternoon.

“I need to submit a report to my bosses first,” he said.

I have no choice so I’ll wait for those “bosses” to make up their minds.

In the meantime, lawyers have advised that I refrain from making any comments on the criminal charges leveled against me. All I can say, for now, is that I am unfazed. I am hoping for the best but I’m very prepared for the worst.

SHAKING MY HEAD...

The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) wishes to express its grave concern over the arrest and formal charge yesterday of the Acting News Editor of JOY FM, Mr. Ato Kwamena Dadzie, for refusing to disclose the source of a story carried by his radio station on the STX Housing deal. Without going into the specific facts of the case, we wish to remind the State and all its agencies, including the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of the Interior, that they are enjoined by the Constitution to respect and promote respect for the rights and freedoms enshrined in Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution as well as the specific protections accorded the media in Chapter 12 of the Constitution.

We note that, Article 162(4) of the Constitution states unequivocally and without limitation that, "Editors and publishers of newspapers and other institutions of the mass media shall not be subject to control or interference by Government, nor shall they be penalized or harassed for their editorial opinions and views, or the content of their publications."

Furthermore, the Constitution mandates the mass media "to uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people of Ghana." Protecting the confidentiality of one's sources is integral to the practice of journalism; demanding, under threat of arrest or prosecution, that a news medium or journalist reveal or disclose their anonymous sources strikes at the heart of the practice of investigative journalism in Ghana, especially given the habitual and entrenched culture of secrecy on the part of the State and its agencies.

As a result of the private initiative and enterprise of media owners and publishers and other practitioners of journalism, the media space in Ghana has expanded progressively since the coming into force of the 1992 Constitution. The repeal in 2001 of the repugnant Criminal Libel Law, which had been used to hound and harass the media in the 1990s, was expected to usher the country into a new era devoid of censorship and other media repressive actions by the state and its agencies.

It is therefore alarming that the Ghana Police Service, in just a few months, has had cause again to activate the moribund, anti-free press and antidemocratic provision of Section 208 of the Criminal Code, 1960, which criminalizes the publication or reproduction of "any statement, rumour or report which is likely to cause fear and alarm to the public or to disturb the public peace, knowing or having reason to believe that the statement, rumour or report is false." This action of the Police is as retrograde as Section 208 itself.

Section 208 of the Criminal Code of 1960 is a throwback to the era of authoritarian rule in Ghana. Unfortunately, it is not the only such law still existing on our statute books. Sections 183,183A, and 185 are among the existing laws that have no place in our Fourth Republic. So-called "false news" statutes similar to Section 208 have been struck down or repealed as unconstitutional impediments to free speech in a number of Commonwealth countries. They are also routinely criticized by the UN Human Rights Committee as violating international instruments protecting free speech, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (of which Ghana is a signatory).

Section 208 is clearly offensive to the spirit of the 1992 Constitution. Its continued existence in our statutes and revived application clearly threatens to undermine the gains Ghana has made in promoting and protecting media freedoms and advancing democracy in the Fourth Republic - something for which the country has received international acknowledgement and praise.

For these reasons, we demand the immediate cessation of the actions instituted against Ato Kwamena Dadzie and Joy FM. We demand a stop to the continued application of Sections 208, 183, 183A and 185 of the Criminal Code of 1960 and call on the Government and Parliament to move to repeal these archaic
and obnoxious provisions of our Criminal Code.

Signed: Prof. E. Gyimah-Boadi, Executive Director

THE FOREIGN BEGGARS.

FOREIGN BEGGARS
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Members: ORIFICE VULGATRON, METROPOLIS, DJ NONAMES, DAG NABBIT, & MANY MORE




After an amazing year of touring with The Prodigy, the video for Contact reaching over a million views and smashing it at a load of shows all over the world we are proud to announce we have been nominated for Best European Hip Hop Act at the Urban Music Awards. The other nominees are Ken Ring (Sweden] Roots Manuva [UK], La Fouine (France] Tinie Tempah (UK) and Professor Green (UK) so the competition is big. We need your support to make sure we win, to vote for us click here.


Much respect to all of those who bought the records, watched the videos and went to the shows as it’s all of your support that got us this nomination.
Peace
Foreign Beggars

P.S. my brother is Metropolis and I think their music is awesome so pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeas vote...TENKS...

Sunday, July 18, 2010

The Sorceror's Apprentice

Do you guys remember the bit in Fantasia where Mickey Mouse plays apprentice to a wizard, tries to use magic to clean up and it all goes horribly wrong?



Well, Disney took the idea and made it into a live action movie and it's the dopest movie I've seen so far this year.



I like that they inserted a tribute to the original cartoon in the middle of the movie.

Nicholas Cage was fricking amazing, as was Jay Baruchel who played the apprentice. The special effects were so 'on poin-t' that they made my inner nkonsoness come out during the movie. I was shouting and bouncing up and down in my seat... just like my father does. Oh charley.

The director (Jon Turteltaub) and producer (Jerry Bruckheimer) should clap for themselves.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

UNNECESSARY PT.2

When I was in class 5, there was this assessment week that my Grammar book got missing. It was very strange because it wasn't possible that I had left the book at home. We searched everywhere for this book until someone found it on top of the cupboard. I opened it and saw that someone had torn some of the pages and insulted me on the remaining pages. Back in the day those insults were a something else...lol...

Anyway,after investigation by the headmistress we found out that it was this yankee girl called Alexis that did it. She was asked why and she was like I am always teasing her about her English (I think she was from the ghetto so her English was different) and how she thought my teachers were doing favoritism. Trust. I will be the first person to notice you 'gbaad'(grammatical error) and laugh. I had the ear for it too...

Years have passed and I still find myself laughing at people who can't speak good English. Our president gbaas and its a big deal in Ghana. Is English our first language? Was it not our slave masters that brought it to us? Why are you not allowed to speak (what was that word that they so faithfully loved using) vernacular in school? Why were we punished for it? Are we English?

If you speak good English then good for you. Let's allow those who don't to speak what they know. After all, the language we are claiming for ourselves is nowhere near ours. We should be permitted to speak anything we want as long as we are still in our motherland.

Once again, if I ever laughed at you because you gbaad I am sorry. I know it's going to be hard for me to stop but chale I've got to start from somewhere. Right?

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

UNNECESSARY PT1.

From primary to secondary school, I recall I was one of the 'chief teasers'...I would laugh at you if you didn't fit into my description for 'dadaba' because all the schools i went to were 'dadaba'. A dadaba person should be able to speak very, good english, wear nice clothes at school parties or some event that allowed us to wear house clothes, how often you traveled outside Africa, the car your parents use, if a driver drove you around, hmmm more nonsense. I used to look down on people a lot.

Chale, I remember my friend Tracey and I had this competition for who had more Louis Vuitton and Gucci shit. I was for LV and she was for Gucci (my dad was going out with this loaded woman who got me that shit,lol..bags, purses etc...). This was in J.S.S 2. I used to think we were doing something aaaaaaaaaahma...

I made having a lot of fancy material things cloud my mind. You couldn't be my friend if you weren't as materialistic as me and I mean materialistic with equally fine things.

Was it necessary? No. I realized you die and leave all that behind. Maybe you get buried with it but are you going to use it while you are dead? I am sure my silly behavior made these children give their parents pressure because they wanted the same things too. As if they didn't have more pressing issues. Mtcheeew.

I don't blame myself completely mome because I have realized when you are brought up in a privileged environment material possession rules your world. From parents friends to relatives and even acquaintances.

Thank God I noticed this early and don't really care what or who I'm wearing. At the end of the day I look nice and that is  what matters to me. If you are someone I went to school with and I made you feel like shit I am very sorry.

Friday, July 9, 2010

SMH. I WONDER.

Yesterday, I decided to wear my MAKSI Shift dress (really short number.Imaging my long legs in it) to go hangout with a couple of my friends at Venus. I look HOT in that dress.

I don't own a car so I had to 'twa' some walkings to the taxi rank at the junction. On my way people looked at me paaaaaaaah. Men stared and of course the women just looked and shook their heads. Bitter bitches. I'm not after your man.

Then the ordinary Ghanaian did what they do best. The women started gossiping, little children gossiped and some tried following and got called back and the stupid,bush men who will never get a woman like me started shouting silly things like, 'Shame! Ashawo! oooh hoooo'.

I was wondering why the fuck they always do that. Is it because of sexual frustration or just frustration with life. Or does it make them feel better because they won't ever get a woman like me? I'm not trying to look down on anyone here but those are the facts.

I wasn't walking around naked, I wasn't showing half my ass, I wasn't showing the small breast that I have. So what the fuck was that?.

I should be used to this by now mome but since I have a blog and its main purpose is to say what I feel I'm doing just that!

I will get a picture with me in the outfit and post it here later.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

DOES YOUR PAST MATTER?

I got into a conversation with my friend yesterday about how he felt knowing every single detail about his partners past was necessary. I thought it wasn't because in a relationship it's the present and the future that count.

His reason for saying this was because he friend was hanging with this girl and they were trying to make babies but it wasn't 'sourcing' for them. They then went to some 'pastor' who told them they should get married then because God would bless the with a baby...Yea whatever. So they get married but still no show and the girl finally confesses that she's had four abortions so therefore she can't be a baby making machine. That is rather unfortunate mome.... Instead of trapping my man, she should have been honest.

I understand where he is coming from though.

I kind off disagree with this whole past bullshit because some fools dwell on your past. In fact what could anyone possibly do that will be such a big deal?(maybe kill someone). I like sex so if i want to sleep with you I will. Society makes this look like you are Satan's wife.If i like you I like you. Everyone is like that too but we've been programmed to hide. For fucks sake WE are always hiding. People need to mind their own business and start thinking about profitable shit.

I am taking this personal because I was in a relationship like that. Ex-boyfriend always coming up to me with some fuckery he heard from a friend. Sad part is most of the shit he was hearing wasn't true and those same tattle-tales wanted to fuck me. Ended a seemingly beautiful relationship because of this nonsense...

Instead of dwelling on past happenings rather focus on NOW and FUTURE.

By the way no one should pull a Bible stunt here. Don't want to hear it. Tired of the Robotsheep way of life.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

PRESSURE...

Never thought I was the kind of person 'Peer p' barbed but of late dieeeh serious peer pressure.

Hmmmmm, I joined Twitter when most of my friends were on Facebook but I wasn't active because I thought Twitter was shit. Chale I remember my big brother trying to convince me that it wasn't and I'll just blow him off. I realized most of my acquaintances (yes acquaintance, not everyone you know is your friend) and my hommies were or do I say are on that twitter crack.

Now I see myself waking up at 6 am and tweeting..

By next week Wednesday or infact by the end of nent week I should be on the Blackberry service. The way I used to diss people with the BB eeeeh...Making noise about how I'll never get a BB because I didn't think it was worth it. I still don't think it is worth it but most of my hommies have it and I want the messaging thing...Cheap asses don't want to be calling me all the time...''Oh you too get a BB eeeeeh''. I'll get it o k. Ei, so MTN will be taking my GHc 40 every month. Hmmmmm...

PRESSURE!!!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

So What?

Akola wie dieeeh won bu adi3... I don't respect and so what?. You get respect when you give respect or when you act your age. It bugs me a lot when adults think they can get away with being dense.

If you think you are sooooooooooo old and demand respect, go create your own world and people so they treat you like a god. Taxi drivers are culprits when it comes to shit like this. Idiots! You behave stupid and want me to be calm...

Just had to vent...

Thursday, July 1, 2010

What warning signal?

Isn't it annoying when you are in traffic and those silly policemen, ambulances and the 'susu pickups' unnecessarily turn on their sirens? Where aaaaaaah are you in hurry to get to? You ah you are not chasing anyone, you to no one is dying in your van and do you think its sensible to draw attention to yourself that you are moving money around? You are lucky you are not in some country that people will make wild no matter what and rob you...IDIOTS!

Me mome paa dieh, I pray one of those people get a serious accident that would be entirely his fault. Then some hardcore judge will seriously kick his ass and then they will stop messing around.

Police should only put theirs on when they are pursuing someone, ambulances should do theirs when someone is really in need of urgent sorting out and those silly trucks shouldn't do it at all.

Sometimes,there's nowhere on the side of the road that you can stop your car when they are coming and they will insist you move still. Should i ruin my car because of your impatience? Will you fix it for me? We need to start blocking their way you know.

Put a stop to this nuisance.