Pan Leads Race For First Nigerian Car

That Pan Nigeria Limited, the local assembler and promoter of the Peugeot brand of vehicles in the country, is under pressure is not in doubt. But the pressure is neither coming from scores of new car dealers dotting the nation’s landscape nor is it about getting a ready market for its high volume of vehicles coming from its recently rejuvenated Kaduna factory. It is all about producing a vehicle that is accepted by all and qualifies as a truly Nigerian car.

Pan is not alone in the race. There are other contenders. Since the introduction of a new automotive policy in September, 2013, at least 23 firms have shown interest in setting up vehicle assembly plants in Nigeria. Some have commenced operations and rolled out a number of vehicles from the local plants. Prominent among them are the Stallion Auto Group (assembling the Nissan brand of vehicles), Dana/Kia Motors of Nigeria, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited and the ANAMMCO-ABC Transport partnership producing Shamac trucks.

The decision to introduce the automotive policy, according to the government, is to encourage the establishment of automobile factories in Nigeria and speed up the revival of the steel industry as well as tyre manufacturing firms.

The idea of producing truly Nigerian cars has continued to agitate the minds industry stakeholders. The Director-General, National Automotive Council, Mr. Aminu Jalal, gave a hint about features that would guide the public in taking the decision.

With a zero tariff on completely knocked down vehicles imported by local assembly plants and about 70 per cent tariff imposed on imported fully-built cars (old and new), many automobile firms are encouraged to set up production firms in Nigeria.

According to Jalal, it is not enough to assemble a vehicle in Nigeria; it must have a reasonable percentage of local content. And it must be affordable and acceptable by most Nigerians.

And after many years of suspending vehicle assembling operation, Pan returned to vehicle production July last year with the inauguration of Peugeot 301 production at its Kaduna factory.

The resuscitation of the moribund vehicle production line was done along with the inauguration of a site for auto components’ cluster park.

Pan Nigeria said it was starting with the 301 saloon car on a semi-knocked down 2 and plans to graduate into the Completely Knocked Down model this year.

The firm also said its plant had been modified to simultaneously carry out the SKD11, SKD1 and CKD operations, adding that the plant had the capacity to churn out 250 vehicles daily.

Pan said the new 301 had been produced to adapt to the Nigerian environment in terms of road conditions, climate and fuel.

The Chairman, Pan Nigeria, Alhaji Munir Ja’afar, said, “Factors such as our road conditions, climate, geography, motoring attitudes and performance are highly considered in packaging the car with the sole aim of satisfying our esteemed customers.”

The Managing Director, Pan Nigeria, Ibrahim Boyi said the migration into the 301 CKD programme would offer greater opportunities for local content development, skills acquisition and technology transfer. The new Peugeot 301 has three variants with Allure as the top of the range. Is the company positioning the 301 to breast the tape in the first Nigerian car contest?

Formerly known as Peugeot Automobile Nigeria, the firm may have changed its name to Pan Nigeria to reflect its current transformation.

Under the old name, the firm made many of its products household names. Notably among them were 504, 404, 505, 406, 307 and 508. It has switched over to a new generation of vehicles in line with global competitiveness and has commenced the production of new generation vehicles such as 301, 3008 and 4008.

The firm said the new 3008 and 4008 which took its inspiration from the sport utility vehicle, also rose to the challenges of the future with technological equipment to enhance both safety and driving pleasure.

The company recently organised a nationwide test drive for some motoring journalists to feel its new generation vehicles.

The team took off from Lagos, driving on smooth and rough village roads across Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Kogi states. The journey continued through Abuja, the nation’s capital and finally ending on Monday in Kaduna, the home of Pan.

Boyi said the test drive was to give the media team a firsthand experience about the products and expose the auto writers to pan’s quality production processes.

He said that the objective of the test drive was to restate the values of Peugeot vehicles through the unbiased driving experience of motoring editors and other experts and to inform the public about the evolution of Peugeot vehicles.

According to him, Peugeot vehicles still maintain old attributes of durability, luxury and ruggedness, with new attributes of style and fuel efficiency to position the brand as one of the leading automobiles in sub Saharan Africa.

He also said the launch of a site for the automotive cluster pack and local production of Peugeot vehicles in Kaduna last year was to ensure that the automotive policy would not only be implemented but sustained.

The Stallion Auto Group, led by its Chairman, Mr. Sunil Vaswani, presented three Nigeria-made models of Nissan vehicles to President Goodluck Jonathan last year.

The vehicles, produced at the Stallion Nissan Motors plant in Lagos, are Nissan Patrol (SUV), Nissan Almera (Sunny) saloon car and a Nissan NP 300 (pick-up).

Vaswani said the vehicles were of global standards and produced in Nigeria, in accordance with the Federal Government’s new automotive policy.

He said the plant was established, following the signing of the agreement between Nissan Motor Company and West African conglomerate of the Stallion Auto Group on October 9, 2013.

“The current population of Nigeria can convincingly support more than half a million vehicles annually, which is more than sufficient to sustain an emerging automotive industry,” he said.

Since the President inaugurated the Nnewi-based Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company last year, the factory has produced and sold a number of vehicles.

In one fell swoop, it rolled out 500 new cars. It’s SUV and trucks are also said to be doing well.

The Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, said, “Our vehicles are well accepted in the market, the dealers, the end users and Nige¬rians are happy with our range of vehicles. We are amazed by the demand and level of patronage of our vehicles by Nigerians. In¬dividuals, corporate organisations, institu¬tions, governments and other Nigerians are demanding our vehicles.

“A good number of states in Nigeria are already using the various types of our vehicles: buses, SUVs, trucks and cars and they have found them very efficient and durable. They are very happy to use our products. Our trucks are doing well in the states that are using them. Remember that we manufacture these trucks on specification and order.”

Kia also recently unveiled its made in Nigeria vehicles such as Kia Rio, Cerato, Optima, Sorento and Soul, with a promise to start producing other Kia models, including sedans, SUVs and pickups before the end of the year.

Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani, said, “We are committed to making Nigeria a leading auto manufacturing country in Africa and to contribute immensely to the development of the nation through this multi-billion naira investment.”

The Anambra Motor Manufacturing Company Limited and a subsidiary of ABC Transport Plc, Transit Support Services Limited, also rolled out a new brand of locally assembled trucks, the Shamac trucks, being assembled at the revived ANAMMCO plant in Enugu.

The Chairman, Transit Support Service, Mr. Frank Nneji, also confirmed that the Shacman operations would lead to “the revival of local component manufacturers in diverse areas such as automotive lubricants, batteries, windshields, clutch-cables, mudguards, wiper blades, brake pads, paints and tyre components.”

He expressed confidence that the new auto policy had the potential of creating 700,000 jobs.

Rise Of Technology, Tesla Revelation

Tesla will introduce a battery for your home during its highly anticipated April 30 event.

In a letter sent to investors and analysts on Tuesday, the electric car company said it will announce a "home battery" and a "very large utility scale battery." Similar products already exist on the market, but Tesla said it will explain why its batteries are better than competitors' solutions at the event. CEO Elon Musk thinks rivals' batteries "suck," according to the note from Jeff Evanson, Tesla's investor relations director.

Tesla (TSLA) shares rose more than 5% Wednesday on the news.
Home batteries power up overnight, when energy companies typically charge less for electricity. Then, they can be turned on during the day to power a home. Though home batteries cost thousands of dollars, many utility companies will offer rebates.
Musk announced the event late last month on Twitter, only hinting then that the new product is not a new electric car. The event will be held at Tesla's Hawthorne, California, Design Studio on April 30 at 8 p.m. PT.
Tesla has talked about releasing a home battery storage product for about a year, and Musk announced on a conference call with analysts in February that Tesla would unveil a home battery "fairly soon."
At a battery conference last year, Tesla's Stationary Energy Storage Director Arch Padmanabhan showed off some of the company's early plans, including a 10 kilo-Watt hour residential battery and a 400 kWh commercial/utility battery for large buildings.

Tesla unveiled plans for residential and business batteries last year.

In a pilot project, Tesla has already begun offering home batteries to SolarCity (SCTY) customers, a solar power company for which Musk serves as chairman.
There are 330 U.S. households currently running on Tesla's batteries, the majority of which are in California, according to company analyst Trip Chowdhry.

A Tesla residential battery being installed in a home

Those batteries start at about $13,000, though California's Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PCG) offers customers a 50% rebate. Tesla's batteries are three-feet high by 2.5-feet wide, and they need to be installed at least a foot and a half off the ground. They can be controlled with a Web app and a smartphone app.
It's unclear if the batteries that Tesla plans on announcing next week are the same as the ones in the pilot program or in the presentation made at the battery conference last year.

Ali, Sugar Ray Are Not Better Than Me - Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather has characteristically addressed the debate over who is the world’s greatest boxer by boasting that he is better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

Speaking ahead of his mega $300m May 2 fight against Filipino great Manny Pacquiao, the 38-year-old American welterweight, who is unbeaten in 47 professional fights since making his debut in 1996, believes he has surpassed the legends in what he has achieved.

“No one can ever brainwash me to make me believe that Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali were better than me,” Mayweather told ESPN.

“But one thing I will do, I’m going to take my hat off to them and respect those guys that paved the way for me to be where I’m at today.”

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Ali is considered one of the greatest in boxing history, winning both the coveted Golden Gloves title and an Olympic gold medal, while Robinson is considered the greatest ‘pound-for-pound’ fighter among non-heavyweights with 173 wins in 200 professional bouts.

Mayweather was also quick to remind everyone of his self-proclaimed invincibility, when referencing Ali’s 1978 defeat to Leon Spinks as a pointer to his dominance over his rivals and his unbeaten record.

He also hit out at the much publicised ‘rope-a-dope’ tactics that the heavyweight great famously used in his 1974 world heavyweight title win over George Foreman.

“Leon Spinks only had seven fights,” he said. “Never put a fighter in there with Floyd Mayweather with seven fights.

“Take punishment and let a man tire yourself out from beating you? You hit him with a few punches and go down and quit and you want to be glorified for that?”

Mayweather made his debut on October 11, 1996, at Las Vegas, where he displayed his now legendary defensive skills and precision strikes to beat Roberto Apodaca 37 seconds into the second of four scheduled rounds.

Although he was genuinely tested by Reggie Sanders in his next fight on November 30, 1996, in New Mexico, his quartet of wins over Jerry Cooper, Edgar Ayala, Kino Rodriguez and Bobby Giepert in a single year, 1997, announced him as potential champion.

More recently the biggest wins of his career came against major rivals like Oscar De La Hoya (2007, split decision, 12 rounds), Ricky Hatton (2007, technical knockout in Round 10), Juan Manuel Marquez (2009, unanimous decision, 12 rounds) and Miguel Cotto (2012, unanimous decision, 12 rounds).

Pacquiao’s resume is equally impressive.

The Filipino is the first boxer in history to win ten world titles in eight different weight divisions.

Not only has the 5ft 6in fighter beaten bigger men, he has defeated the top fighter in each division such as: Marco Anonio Barrera, Marquez, Erik Morales, De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto and Antonio Margarito. He is also rated as the best fighter at any weight in the ring today and is considered one of the sport’s all-time greats.

South Africa, Tale of Ubuntu

If you grew up in my generation in Nigeria, you could not fail to know about apartheid South Africa. At school, we learnt about Nelson and Winnie Mandela, Amandla, Oliver Tambo, the 1976 Soweto killings of fellow schoolchildren and the brutal effects of the apartheid regime. Our parents were asked — and many did not object — to having money deducted from their salaries to help fund the work of the anti-apartheid movement. On TV, we learnt about how men, women and children were reduced to second class citizens in their own country. The image of Soweto as a horrible slum where many black people were restricted after dark was etched on our memory. Nigeria of course was at the forefront of pushing for economic boycott of South Africa in solidarity with the oppressed blacks and as a way of forcing the apartheid regime to relent. Then Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, in utter desperation and exasperation, even came up with the idea of using “African juju” to fight the racist Pietha Botha and his ilk. If there was ever any demonstration of “ubuntu” — “all for one” in action, the key role that many African countries like Nigeria played in supporting and pushing for change in South Africa was one.

But aside from this, the struggle for freedom in South Africa was also etched on my mind as part of my personal growth and educational development. As an undergraduate at the University of Benin, I was privileged to have strong “Marxist” lecturers like Tunde Fatunde and Frank Dimowo who mentored so many students. I still remember Fatunde’s office. It had a huge poster of the young Nelson Mandela. That memory of the poster was so ingrained in my mind that I was a bit lost when Mandela was released from prison – he looked so much older than in the poster!

Nigerians therefore did not just financially support South Africa, their pain was our pain – all for one. Many South Africans who managed to escape the apartheid regime were given a home in Nigeria. I have friends who named their children “Mandela” or Amandla” – all signs of support and solidarity with the anti-apartheid movement. Even though I had left Nigeria in 1990 when Mandela was released from prison, it was such a joyful moment to see him walk hand in hand down the street with the great Winnie Mandela – my heroine!

This little bit of a background is essential to provide an insight into the mind of an average Nigerian like myself in relation to the ongoing xenophobic attacks and killings of foreigners by black South Africans in the country. Of course, this is not the first time such violence would occur. The first outburst of violence was in 2008 when Thabo Mbeki was President (Mbeki, in case you never knew, also spent about seven years in Nigeria in exile during apartheid). The attitude and response by the government were delayed and tepid – very much like now. I was so appalled by the images I saw on TV, I decided not to visit the country and only made it last year.

However, five years down the line and those images are back – but this time more brutal, more gruesome and more deadly. It seems like black South Africans who for about a century had been oppressed, suppressed and hurt are now waking up to their pain with a relentless attempt at vengeance. Only that the vengeance is misdirected. The new victims of South Africa’s brutality are the black African foreigners and the non-citizens like the Nigerians, Zimbabweans, and Malawians. The people being targeted are those perceived to be weaker and more vulnerable – a sort of pedagogy of the oppressed, the weak oppressing the weaker.

It is not difficult to understand some of the factors responsible for the anger most black South Africans feel. Years after the end of apartheid and the instalment of black majority rule, most of them still live in abject poverty. So many jobs that cannot be filled by citizens have been opened up to foreigners. It is said that over 40 per cent of the medical doctors in the country are of Nigerian origin.

Unfortunately, what South Africans don’t realise is that attacking foreigners is not in any way going to solve their problems. Indeed, while this is a wake-up call for the South African government, the consequences of these xenophobic killings and attacks are far-reaching. The bond between South Africa and the rest of the continent – built and sustained by the spirit of “ubuntu” in the fight against apartheid is well and truly broken. In retaliation for the attacks on their citizens, South Africans and South African businesses in other countries are being targeted. There are diplomatic rows between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Robert Mugabe who also played a key role in supporting exiled members of the African National Congress during apartheid is of course mightily disappointed by how his country is now being repaid by the so-called “brothers”.

It will take a long time for the wounds caused by this great betrayal to heal. For now, the spirit of “ubuntu” is no more, killed no less by those who birthed it.

Construction Of Nigeria's Honor

 Tale of No End

There is absolutely no doubt that Nigeria is a great country and indeed a land of plenty in terms of human, material and mineral resources. Yet, a vast majority of her population live in abject poverty. It is so bad that most of the poor in her land live below the acceptable world poverty line.

Crude oil, otherwise known as black gold, flows like a river run wild; deep beneath the earth on which she stands but the refined petroleum products required to make life productive and comfortable for her citizens are a rarity and almost viewed as a luxury and privilege rather than a right.

Nigeria is blessed with a vast arable land which lies waste because farming has not been given its pride of place. As a result, farming is neglected for white collar jobs which are limited and hard to find. This has led to massive unemployment amongst the country’s once proud and vibrant youths.

University graduates roam the streets in search of jobs to enable them to survive; but many find none. In anger and frustration, many have turned to crime and many more have been reduced to suicide bombers as well as spontaneous and sporadic killing machines.

Inequality of the wealth distribution amongst her citizens has increasingly widened the gap between the “haves and the have-nots”; (a term I borrowed from the famous Karl Marx). This has created venomous hatred in the hearts and minds of the have-nots, against the Nigerian state.

Her once cherished communal life, where everyone genuinely loved, cared and protected one another regardless of religious or tribal affiliations has been thrown to the dogs and is long gone with the wind. It has seemingly been replaced by somewhat more personalised western civilisation where the dominant focus is self; nuclear family and society.

The dreams and aspirations of her founding fathers and nationalists who fought for her independence, have been flushed down the drain by Mr. and Mrs. Greed and their children; Bribery, Corruption and Mediocrity.

Her pride amongst the comity of nations has been buried for selfish gains and ambitions by a select few. Her currency, the naira, hitherto stronger than the dollar, which once upon a time was accepted as a legal tender abroad, has been reduced almost to a loaf of bread. Sit tight rulers with no clue to the nation’s problems nor solid and creative plans to solve them have previously held on to power for many decades, refusing to let go.

Hardwork, honesty and integrity have been laid to rest as mediocrity, corruption, connection and kick-back have become illegally enshrined in our polity even as the blood of innocent citizens waters the earth.

Nigeria; arise! Awaken from your deep slumber. A giant you are; a giant you will remain. A sleeping giant no matter how powerful is of no real threat to anyone and is at best of no use to anyone.

No group of people no matter how strong or powerful can be greater than the collective will of the people. Let all Nigerians arise and unite! Let us send poverty; bloodshed, mediocrity, ethnic and religious divisions and dissentions, packing from our land. Let our bands of unity be for a new and better Nigeria and better quality of life. A place where improved services, youth employment and empowerment as well as the security of lives and property are key; a place where our children can go to school and return in peace and of course a place where basic infrastructure and amenities are provided and life is held sacrosanct.

Arise; Nigeria! The time has come for you to take into captivity all that held you captive and to take back your pride of place in the comity of nations and in international politics.

Nigerians have arisen and spoken boldly and bluntly at the polls. It is now time to act.

Ariana Grande And Big Sean Split

Such supportive siblings! Frankie Grande dished to Us Weekly about his half-sister Ariana Grande's recent breakup, and how he's standing by the newly single singer.
"I'm just always super supportive of my sister and she’s always super supportive of me," the YouTube personality, 32, told Us on Tuesday, April 21, at New York City's Hotel Beacon, where he was a part of MTV's 2015 Upfront Press Junket.

PHOTOS: Celebrity Siblings
Ariana, 21, and rapper Big Sean have parted ways after eight months together, as Us Weekly exclusively revealed this week. The two performers had a hot-and-heavy relationship for the time that they were together, but their reps said in a statement to Us that they are only "close friends" at this time.

After news broke that the "Problem" singer was no longer with Sean, 27, Ariana reached out to her fans to thank them for standing by her.

PHOTOS: Ariana Grande at the Grammys
"I love u babes so much," she wrote this week in a since-deleted tweet. "You're a bunch of angels honestly. Your love/care is appreciated so much. I'm good I promise."
"I'm always going to be there for her as her big brother," Frankie told Us of his younger sister.

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Treatment of Hernia

A two-month-old baby was laid up with hernia! At the height of the baby’s medical challenge, his whole intestinal organ had been ‘housed’ in his scrotum. He couldn’t excrete for several days; so, he battled, though helplessly, with the attendant pains.

Consequently, the lot fell on his already traumatised parents to begin a frantic search for a cure to the ailment that had made their beloved child bedridden right before their eyes. So, they moved from one hospital to another.

Yet, it was always the same story: they were always advised to come back for the surgery when the baby would have been two years.

But help soon came their way when, by fortuitous circumstance, they came to a non-governmental organisation, The Grace Hernia Foundation. The doctor said to them “Ordinarily, you are not supposed to operate hernia on a child that is less than two years old.”

They had gone to some General Hospitals and some big private hospitals, where they were advised to come back when the child is two years old.

But there was no way the baby would have survived the two years! The surgery was done because the blood supply to the area was being compromised with high suspicion of strangulation. The baby survived and is still alive today.

Also, a 45-year-old welder was under the vice-like grip of the life-threatening ailment of hernia for several years. It all began with some chronic pains in the lower part of his abdomen in 2010. The father of four went through hell during the period. Initially, he had ignorantly thought it was a spiritual attack, so he sought refuge in a number of churches.

But he soon knew better that all he needed was an urgent medical intervention. Consequently, he practically flew to a General Hospital in Ogun State.

He was given three-month appointment after the first visit for no obvious reason. Afterwards, second and third appointments were given for another three months apiece.

Aware that delay might be an invitation to danger, the man was then referred to Graceland Hernia Foundation in October 2012, where he eventually smelt peace after undergoing a successful surgery on his second day at the NGO.

What is hernia?

Hernia is a protrusion of normal intestinal organs which break through a defective wall in the body. We have normal organs that are supposed to be inside us, but because there is a defect in the wall or anywhere in the body, these normal organs will now migrate outside from where they are supposed to be, thereby constituting a nuisance.

There must be an organ that is mobile, which will form the contents of the hernia; there must be a wall that is weak in structure as a result of a disease or a congenital abnormality, so you now have this structure that is mobile, pushing through the wall and creating a sac.

Hernia will normally have a neck, sac and content. There is always a neck through which the sac is protruding and there is a sac that contains the contents. They are not necessarily diseases; it is just because the wall is weak.

Hernia constitutes more than 70 per cent of the major surgical burdens facing Nigerians.

Incidence

Out of every 10 people with hernia, nine are male, with a higher incidence among men 40 to 59 years of age. The congenital type is also common in children, especially the pre-term male neonate.

The risk factors in men are obesity, chronic cough, constipation and heavy lifting. Farmers are also at risk probably because of the hard labour they engaged in.

Among women, taller height, chronic cough, umbilical hernia, old age, and rural residence have been associated with a higher incidence of inguinal hernia.

Symptoms

Symptomatic patients often have groin pain, which can sometimes be severe. It may also be a swelling in the groin that may appear with lifting and be accompanied by sudden pain.

An impulse (increase in swelling) may be palpable on coughing. Inguinal hernias may cause a burning, gurgling, or aching sensation in the groin, and a heavy or dragging sensation may worsen toward the end of the day and after prolonged activity. An abdominal bulge may disappear when the patient is in the lying position.

The definitive treatment of hernia is surgery, but this will be discussed in detail in the next piece.

Graceland Hernia Foundation is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation set up mainly for the relief and general amelioration of human suffering; and to also promote welfare activities aimed at overall improvement in the general wellbeing of Nigerians.

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Foods For Backache Relief

Use ginger: There are good reasons to eat ginger even when you’re not doubled over. Another natural aspirin impersonator and anti-inflammatory, it can offer relief from migraines, arthritis pain, and muscle aches. Make ginger tea by placing sliced, peeled gingerroot in boiling water and letting it steep for 15 minutes. For ginger lemonade, combine grated gingerroot, lemon juice, and honey with ice water.

Eat salmon, herring, sardines: Eating fish low in mercury and high in omega-3 fatty acids can help relieve back pain. Omega-3s help by improving blood flow and tamping down inflammation in blood vessels and nerves.

Take turmeric: This essential curry spice has anti-inflammatory properties, courtesy of a substance called curcumin. Turmeric can protect the body from tissue destruction and joint inflammation and also preserve good nerve cell function.

Eat yoghurt: Several bacterial strains that are often in yogurt reduce pain, inflammation, and bloating. Look for a brand with “live and active cultures.”

Drink coffee: Coffee delivers a one-two punch by reducing pain-promoting compounds and amplifying the effect of other pain relievers too. However, don’t drink too much.

Eat hot peppers: The same peppers that singe your tongue and bring tears to your eyes can take away pain. An ingredient in hot peppers called capsaicin does the trick by stimulating nerve endings and depleting a chemical that relays pain signals. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it contains.

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Social Network Won't Last Forever

I have two questions for you: What comes to mind when I say “Shakespeare?” What comes to mind when I mention the “water wheel?”

Both were born in the 16th century. Both advanced Elizabethan culture in profound ways. One wrote “Romeo & Juliet.”

That’s the difference between platform and art.

Technology and story

Technology can bring you stuff (like water and Facebook posts). Story can change your idea of the stuff you want brought to you.

The technology platforms Rally uses to “bring stuff” to consumers on behalf of our clients have familiar names: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr, etc.

We’re experts at integrating these platforms and we don’t mind saying so. They help ensure our campaigns are as effective as possible.

As storytellers, we feel lucky to have them.

But we also have our eyes wide open and believe you should, too:

Someday, Facebook will fade (or morph into something far different than its current form).

At least one of the social media platforms I’ve mentioned is destined to become a relic (I don’t know which one but I’m sure I’ll refer to it fondly from time to time).

Many of the digital and social platforms we can’t think of living without will likely meet the same fate as Second Life and Friendster.

It comes down to history, really

As humans, we often don’t remember how the things that impact us are delivered. We don’t think very much about the platforms on which they arrive.

We do remember – and value – how things make us feel, stories, in particular.

Story is what engages us. “When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”

Story stays with us. “This above all; to thine own self be true.”

Story makes us smile. “I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed.”

When a platform is no longer the best way to experience the stories that fuel our desires – I’m talking to you Betamax; I mean VHS; I mean DVD – we move onto whatever platform is next.

It’s really no big deal

In fact, most of us (as marketers and as consumers) judge a platform by how well it performs three key functions: delivering stories we desire; when and where we desire them; in the form that’s easiest to enjoy and share.

As Shakespeare liked to say, “The play’s the thing!”

He never said, “The stage (or the platform) is the thing!”

That’s why today’s major technology and social media enterprises – Apple and Amazon and Facebook and Google – are in the throes of a hiring frenzy. Not just for developers and coders, but for art directors and writers and strategists and storytellers.

That’s why Facebook, the behemoth that once cajoled marketers into adopting “more useful metrics” such as “likes” and “engagement,” has unapologetically tossed its old playbook.

In fact, Facebook now extols its virtues as a “storytelling medium” and an “awareness” play.

Hey, who can blame them?

Do they want to eventually “disintermediate” their agency “partners” and work directly with brands? Of course they do. But that’s an article for another time.

What they are doing now is acknowledging that the moment they become less than the best at delivering what people desire – relevant ideas and stories created by those who know how to create relevant ideas and stories – that’s the moment their value disappears. And, in many cases, their business (sorry, Meerkat).

Sure, many of these companies have market capitalizations that surpass the GDP of small countries. So, if you’re inclined to judge your digital and social media marketing platforms by how wealthy they’re making company founders and Wall Street advisors then, my apologies, this article has been a waste of your time.

If, on the other hand, you prefer to evaluate these platforms by how successful they are at getting people on Main Street to buy your frozen dinners or purchase your handbags or visit your chain of restaurants, you’ll want to make sure you delve more deeply into just how well they can deliver the most powerful, compelling, enduring, and memorable deliverable any platform can deliver.

As Shakespeare put it: “It’s not in the stars to hold our destiny, but ourselves.”

I’ll see you and your story down the road – on whatever platform comes next.

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Digitally Oriented Businesses, Unlimited Outcome

With almost three billion users and tens of millions of businesses online, the Internet offers a unique opportunity for companies to reach their potential customers more easily than ever before. Exporting, or globally expanding using the Internet, can be profitable for businesses of all sizes including SMEs. On the average, sales grow faster, more jobs are created, and employees earn more than in non-exporting firms.

Exports will play a key role in the recovery of the Nigerian economy. Every day we see Nigerian businesses using Google not just as a search engine, but also as a growth engine powering their businesses to sell overseas. Whether they use our tools to find new markets, advertise to new customers or communicate in multiple languages, these businesses are finding great opportunities in digitally-led exports.

Here is some advice for companies that have an established presence online but which have yet to take the plunge to begin exporting:

First, find new target markets.

Powerful marketing tools and free translation tools already exist online to help businesses attract, communicate with, and sell to audiences everywhere in the world.   For example, by using Google Global Market Finder, businesses can find audiences around the world that are likely to be interested in their products or services. It uses data from Internet searches around the world to show the number of times people search for keywords relevant to your business. It covers 56 languages and also provides cost and competitive estimates. This information can help a business to review the estimated cost of acquiring a new customer and to determine whether targeting a particular market is a good investment. You’ll find this if you search for Google Global Market Finder in your Internet browser.

It’s also worth checking out another free service, Google Trends at google.com/trends. This lets you see what people have been searching for, from anywhere in the world. For example, if you want to find out if anyone in the US searched over the last month for Aso Oke, Google Trends gives you an instant snapshot of the interest in Aso Oke.

Secondly, connect locally

When you’re exporting in particular to non-English speaking markets, it’s necessary for a business to adapt to local consumer needs. To help with this, Google commissioned an online survey of consumers in 56 countries, with around 3000 interviews in each country to produce a consumer barometer. For your business, this means that, whenever you want to dig into the data for a specific demographic/product in a target country, you will be able to consult good quality data which will help you make the right decision. This data is freely available at www.consumerbarometer.com.

You can then use these insights to adapt your site, marketing materials, and advertisements to the local languages of its target markets. This is recommended business practice, even in countries where a high percentage of the population speaks English fluently.

So, whether you’re looking for a quick translation to test your site with different audiences or a more formal translation, free online tools such as Google’s Website Translator plugin for websites can save you time and money. This tool will make your website instantly international. You can control which parts of your site are translated, adding a snippet of code to any sections you want to leave in their current language. By tracking page views on your translated site, you can decide whether to invest in the complete localisation of your website. For example, if your site receives lots of French or Spanish speakers, you may want to translate it into French and Spanish to improve the user experience for these potential customers.

Thirdly, help potential customers to find your business online

By using online advertising, your business can reach relevant audiences of scale. No matter what the advertising budget may be you can show ads when people search online. Showing ads next to relevant search results means that a business is advertising to an audience that’s already interested in their product or service.

Finally, internationalise your business

There are some logistical and legal requirements to operating in an international environment. Here is a quick checklist for your business – We at Google haven’t covered everything here so come and talk to us if you have more specific questions:

Electronic payments

Simplify your international sales with electronic payments. You should make sure that you can process transactions with the most common international cards, such as Visa or MasterCard. Payment options are an important element of online shopping so investigate the various online payment systems common to different countries.

At Google, we are optimistic of the opportunities for growth in Nigeria and of the vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems that are supported by the Internet.

Companies need to learn how to use these online tools to develop insights to understand the export opportunities and to navigate language, cultural and commercial differences in external markets. The potential rewards of doing so make good business sense and can help turn a good business into a stellar performing one.

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Developing An Abundance Mindset

The opposite of lack is abundance, more than enough. Like poverty, abundance is a mindset. While the poverty mindset leans towards taking, the abundance mindset leans towards giving. The best way to receive on a sustainable basis is to keep giving. Giving sets in motion the process of receiving which is unstoppable. It may be delayed, but like a boomerang, it always finds its way home.

We were brought up to believe that human needs are insatiable and resources are limited. This mindset predisposes us towards the tendency to want to grab our share of the cake. So we become go-getters instead of go-givers. In order to have more, others will have to settle for less, so we have to beat them to it. We look at life as a zero sum game – winner takes it all, while the loser makes do with the crumbs – if any.

This concept was very evident in the industrial age, a hangover which is still with us today. Most organisations are like a pyramid, with one ‘oga at the top’, the MD/CEO; the higher you go, the fewer the available positions and the stiffer the competition. Since there are not enough positions to go around, a lot of factors outside the company’s manual come into play. Eye service, butt licking, back stabbing etc sometimes come into play. Sometimes, a spiritual and diabolical dimension is thrown into the fray. The battle is hardly about service, innovation, company vision etc. It is a survival of the fittest and the prize is money and power. People have been assassinated because of a business deal, land tussle etc. Friendships and partnerships have gone sour because of money, material possessions or power.

We can all win

When a group of young men the same age join a company, only one of them can become the CEO. However, with an abundance mindset, all of them that desire to be CEO can achieve that dream. They can move to other companies after gaining enough experience or start their own companies. The economy is in dire need of startup companies to absorb the growing army of unemployed. When Steve Jobs was sacked in 1985 by the board of Apple, the company he formed, he did not take the board to court or hire an assassin to takeout his opponents. He started other companies – NeXT and Pixar, went on to do fantastic things till Apple started to get into trouble and he returned on a rescue mission as CEO in 1996.

Changing your mindset

If you have a poverty mindset, developing an abundance mindset will not happen overnight. You have to come to the realisation that there is more than enough. There is no need for strife. No one can take what truly belongs to you. It will always come back if you remain true to yourself.

The issue becomes; how do you get to this place of awareness? Knowledge is key; though knowledge is not enough, but it is a good place to start. In your journey of personal growth and development, you get to that ‘aha’ moment when you finally get it. We have different ways of getting there, the same way we have different ways of learning. For most, it is to keep learning till you get to the tipping point whereby you have learned enough. Also mentors can play a key role. Anyhow you do it, you need to get to that place where you experience a paradigm shift, and see the world through the eyes of abundance rather than lack.

What we see is a choice

If you take your mind briefly off the rat race and observe nature, you will observe that the universe is brimming with abundance. Apart from areas devastated by the activity of humans, there is no lack in nature. There is more than enough to go around. There are more than enough fishes in the ocean and animals in the forests and savannah. Of all of God’s creatures, it seems only humans have the unique ability to create scarcity out of abundance.

Rather than nurture and produce more, we try to exploit. You see it everywhere around you. I have often witnessed a traffic jam created by two cars in an open road. Due to a constriction in the road due to double parking, both drivers want to pass at the same time and at the end, nobody moves. As they stand arguing, more cars join the queue and a gridlock is created. Often it takes uneducated bystanders to resolve a mess created by supposedly educated folks dressed up in suits and tie.

An abundance mindset seeks to give, yield, and do something to make things better, not worse. The focus is on how to make things better. This is the driving force of new startups. A need is identified and a system is put in place to meet the need. If the need is identified correctly and met, then you have a win – win situation.

One sign that that you are developing an abundance mindset is when you start focussing on how to make things better, innovate, give, grow capacity rather than focussing on how to grab your share of the limited pie.

An abundance mindset will enable you to see the seed in your income and propel you to seek to multiply it. It helps you see opportunities and possibilities rather than limitations and excuses. Abundance mentality makes you realise that there is enough room for everyone under the sun. You do not need to pull someone down to be able to shine. There is more than enough sky for every bird to fly.

It all comes back to our paradigm, the lens through which we see things. We think we see things the way they are, whereas in reality, our perception colours what we see. We look for evidence to confirm what we already believe as true. It takes an open mind to appreciate another point of view.

When you have an abundance mindset, you can be, do or have whatever you strongly desire. You can dream big dreams. You are free to be yourself and run your own race. You are not envious of other’s success because there is enough to go round and your time will come. You don’t have to trip up others in order to rise. Your rising pulls up others. Your becoming yourself makes the world a better place. As you think abundance, start giving your gifts and talents to make things better, you start to experience abundance as you get better and better. You finally get to understand that giving does not diminish you, it makes you shine brighter, and that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive.

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BMW 5-Series GT features

That BMW is a strong contender among the frontline luxury automakers is not in contention. And the German auto firm appears to have accentuated this conviction with the release of an all-new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo.

Already, auto reviewers have taken more than just a look at the car, many have assessed and test-driven it and say its beauty and features are respectively stunning and impressive.

Even the local dealership, Coscharis Motors, in a release, says the new product is the most advanced BMW 5 series ever: as a sedan, touring, active hybrid, GT and M5 sedan.

Interior

An online auto reviewer, Left Lane, provides a succinct summary of other reviews about the features of the car. Starting with the inside features, the reviewer notes that the interior offers an optional panoramic sunroof, fully adjustable rear seats and a dual-function trunk lid.

According to Coscharis Motor, the elegance of the frameless doors is the first indicator of what awaits one within. It adds that the interior of the BMW 5 series GT treats all passengers to stylish selected materials, lovingly crafted with plenty of attention to detail.

The uniqueness of the BMW 5 series GT is also said to highlight the absolute comfort and surroundings in which passengers can feel at home whenever they are seated.

The Left Lane appraises its other interior features. It says the GT offers the same rear-seat legroom as the 7-Series full-size sedan and the same rear-seat headroom as the X5 SUV, while still maintaining 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space.

It says, “If more cargo room is needed, the rear seats can be moved forward four inches, leaving the same rear-seat legroom as the 5-Series sedan, creating 20.7 cubic feet of cargo room.

“For all-out hauling duties, the rear seats can be folded flat, revealing a cavernous 59.5 cubic feet of space.”

Its other notable features include the Dynamic Drive Control and the optional Adaptive Drive that will further ensure the GT’s sporty nature.

Entertainment

The car has the BMW’s ConnectedDrive, a unique feature that includes Cruise Control with Stop and Go, a High-Beam Assistant, Lane Change Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Speed Limit Info, BMW Night Vision with detection of individual persons, side view, top view and a back-up camera.

Exterior

The lines of the BMW 5 series GT makes its attraction very clear, the stylish presence of a sedan combined harmoniously with the sporty elegance of a coupe. This gives the BMW 5 series GT its individual character, says Coscharis Motors.

The glass roof, it decribes, opens up new perspectives. The additional light let in by the roof also highlights the exceptional interior atmosphere of your car. If the sun is too intense, the double floating headliner can be closed electrically.

The car combines the attributes of a wagon and crossover as it offers a lot of space for people and cargo.

Engine

The new GT offers a choice of six- and eight-cylinder engines, both of which team up with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The rear-wheel-drive is standard, while those looking for extra traction inclement weather can spec xDrive, the company’s all-wheel-drive system.

The 535i GT is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injected 3.0-litre inline-six that produces 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque.

This engine returns 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway (18/27 mpg with xDrive) and propels the car from zero-to-60 mpg in just over six seconds.

The 550i GT packs a twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 upgraded for the latest model year with BMW’s Valvetronic variable valve timing and lift system.

The change increases output by 45 horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque for totals of 445 ponies and 480 lb-ft.

Available locally, according to Coscharis is the BMW 5 series GT turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve inline-6 with aluminum block and head.

This also has a direct fuel injection, 182 cu in, 2979 cc, fuel economic advantage and a warranty of four years and/or 50,000 miles.

Fuel economy

Its fuel economy is rated at 15/22 mpg for both the standard and xDrive-equipped models, and the zero-to-60 mph sprint is achieved in under 5.5 seconds.

BMW says, “The engines of the BMW 5 series GT provide particularly impressive proof of this. With outstanding performance, spontaneous response and commendably smooth running, it meets the highest standards of cultivated driving comfort.”

For the Eco PRO Mode, it notes, “As soon as you switch on the Eco PRO Mode, everything is geared towards a greater efficiency and depending on your individual driving style, this results in a reduction in the fuel consumption of up to 20 per cent.”

Safety

All 5-Series GT models come standard with dual front, side and front and rear side-curtain airbags as well as traction and stability control systems.

The may be placed in the same segment with traditional crossovers like the Audi Q7 and the Infiniti QX60.

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2015 Panamera Model, Porshe

The Porsche Centre in Lagos is strategically positioning some models of the Panamera in Nigeria to raise the brand’s profile and increase its market share.

It says, for instance, the Gran Turismo model comes with extensive standard features and stands out through elegant styling combining with a significantly expanded range of standard equipment.

The firm also says two models with powerful six-cylinder engines will be offered: the Panamera Edition and Panamera 4 Edition both come with an engine that delivers 310 hp.

“The Panamera 4 Edition features active all-wheel drive with an electronically controlled, map-controlled multi-plate clutch (Porsche Traction Management),” it states.

The auto firm also notes that the Porsche’s four door sports cars play an important role in the brand’s profitable growth and help to safeguard the financial foundation for investments in future generations of sports cars.

The Panamera has been one of the key pillars of success since its premiere in 2009, with a total of 24,864 units of the model delivered in 2014 alone.

The exterior of the Panamera Edition, for instance is said to be marked by additional subtle design tones, including high-glossy black trim strips on the side windows and door handles (if Porsche Entry & Drive is chosen as an optional feature) in the same colour.

Extensive technical features also included in the Panamera Edition are Porsche Active Suspension Management, bi-xenon headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System, Park Assist (front and rear) including reversing camera and Power Steering Plus.

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US & Nigeria Military Ties Be Restored, Says Buhari

The President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), on Tuesday said his administration would restore military cooperation with the United States of America.

In an article published by the New York Times in its Tuesday edition, Buhari promised to, among other things, reform the military.

President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration had cancelled the training component of its military cooperation with the US, citing a lack of sincerity on the part of the Americans for its decision.

But Buhari said, “My administration will welcome the resumption of a military training agreement with the United States, which was halted during the previous administration. We must, of course, have better coordination with the military campaigns our African allies, like Chad and Niger, are waging in the struggle against Boko Haram. But, in the end, the answer to this threat must come from within Nigeria.”

Buhari also said he would deploy additional troops in the battle field away from civilian areas in the south and the north central parts of the country.

In the article, the President-elect said in the fight to end the Boko Haram insurgency, “We must start by deploying more troops in the front and away from civilian areas in central and southern Nigeria, where for too long, they have been used by successive governments to quell dissent.

“We must work closer with our neighbours in coordinating our military efforts so, an offensive by one army does not see their country’s rid of Boko Haram only to push it across the border onto their neighbour’s territory.”

A member of the Buhari team, who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said, “Without being told, you should know that what he is simply saying is that under his administration, the military will revert to their constitutional role of defending the nation against external aggression; QED!”

It was also gathered that the military would be overhauled and professionalised while the police would be better empowered to take the leading role in internal security.

According to the New York Times article, which carried Buhari’s byline, the incoming administration will aside from using the military to deal with terrorists’ threat, it will pay greater attention to counter-terrorism initiatives.

Buhari noted that his administration would seek to address why young people were attracted to join the sect, identifying some of the reasons to include poverty and ignorance.

He said, “Indeed Boko Haram – which translates in English, roughly, as ‘western education is sinful’ – preys on the perverted belief that the opportunities that education brings are sinful.

“If you are starving and young, and in search of answers as to why your life is so difficult, fundamentalism can be alluring. We know this for a fact because former members of Boko Haram have admitted it: they offer impressionable young people money and the promise of food, while the group’s mentors twist their minds with fanaticism.

“So, we must be ready to offer the parts of our country affected by this group an alternative. Boosting education will be a direct counter-balance to Boko Haram’s appeal.

“In particular we must educate more young girls, ensuring they will grow up to be empowered through learning to play their full part as citizens of Nigeria and pull themselves up and out of poverty. Indeed, we owe it to the schoolgirls of Chibok to provide as best an education as possible for our fellow young citizens.”

He observed that Boko Haram fed on despair, lack of hope that things can improve.

The former Head-of State also argued that by attacking a school, and kidnapping more than 200 schoolgirls, it sought to strike at the very place where hope for the future was being nurtured, and the promise of a better Nigeria.

“It is our intention to show Boko Haram that it will not succeed,” he said.

The retired army general also promised that his administration would not only defeat the sect militarily, it would ensure that it provides the very education the sect despises to help our people help themselves.

Quoting the late Nelson Mandela, Buhari said the sect would soon learn that “education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

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61 Ways to Lose Weight

A few years ago, one of my friends at Men's Health stepped on the scale and was horrified by the result. He'd somehow managed to pack 20 pounds of flab onto his previously skinny frame. When he looked into the mirror, he saw a fat guy staring back. He decided to make a change, quick.
That day, he gave up his beloved soda. He was only drinking two or three bottles a day, but over the course of six months, he dropped those 20 pounds. It was a small change to his lifestyle—no big deal, really. And yet, it had a massive impact on his health and his body.
My point: Making small decisions each day can result in big-time fat loss.
Below are dozens of simple ways to lose weight. Start with one—today!—and watch the weight begin to melt away. Trust me, this is going to be easier than you think.
1. Have a clear goal. It should be one that anyone in the world can measure and understand.
2. Drink tea. Research suggests that those who drink tea—black, green, or white, as long as it's from real tea versus herbal tea—have lower BMIs and less body fat than those who don't consume tea.
3. Eat cayenne pepper. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that when compared to placebo, capsaicin—the active ingredient in cayenne—increased fat burning.
4. Decrease/eliminate processed carbs. They do nothing for you outside of creating a favorable environment for gaining fat.
5. Eat more veggies. They fill you up, without providing many calories. Just avoid the high-calorie dressings.
6. Eat more fruit. No one ever gained weight from eating more fruit. And that includes the so-called "high sugar" fruits like bananas and melons.
7. Lift weights. Heavy weights. Build more muscle, burn more calories.
8. Cut down rest time between sets. This will keep your heart rate elevated causing an increase in calories burned. The good news: You can sky-rocket your heart rate and torch belly-fat fast with Bodyweight Cardio Burners—the new Men's Health DVD that gives you three incredible 20-minute workouts.
9. Do intervals. Study after study after study continues to show intervals are more effective and time efficient than longer activity performed at a lower intensity.
10. Eat more protein. Replacing refined carbohydrates with lean protein will not only help satiate you, but will also increase your metabolism—through something called the thermic effect of food.
11. Eat protein more frequently. It's important to also time your intake so you're eating protein regularly throughout the day—not just in one lump sum, like most do at dinner. Every meal and snack should include some protein.
12. Supplement with fish oil. A study published in Lipids fed mice diets enhanced EPA and DHA – a.k.a. fish oil. The researchers learned that the mice fed diets higher in omega-3 fats had significantly less accumulation of body fat. Other studies have shown similar results.
13. Do full body exercises. Think: squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, and pushups. You'll get more bang for your buck out of each workout.
14. Cycle your carb intake based on your activity level. Sure, carbs are important. But on the days you don't work out, you simply don't need as many compared to the days you exercise hard. Rule of thumb: The more active you are, the more carbs you can eat, and vice versa.
15. Start your meals with a salad. Salad will provide some bulk to help fill you up – so that you eat less calories overall.
16. Don't forget the fiber. Think of fiber like a sponge; it absorbs water and makes you feel full.
17. Drink water. Professor Dr. Brenda Davy and her Team from Virginia Tech University found that giving people 2 cups of water before each meal resulted in greater weight loss after 12 weeks. The reason? It helps fill you up.
18. Add beans to your salads. It's a nice way to add some additional fiber, protein, and healthy carbs.
19. Replace one meal a day with a large salad and lean protein. This is a simple way to instantly improve your diet.
20. Keep a food journal. There's no better way to track what you're putting in your mouth.
21. Watch your portions. Avoid the buffet line and never supersize. Instead make sure you're following what the nutrition label recommends for a serving.
22. Switch to calorie-free drinks. All calories count, whether they're liquid or solid. So unless it's low-fat milk, opt for tea or water. Or something I was introduced to in the Netherlands—large bunches of mint, lemon and hot water.
23. Weigh yourself. Studies show daily weigh-ins help enhance weight loss efforts. Don't live and die by the number. And of course a scale doesn't decipher between fat and lean body mass, but it can still be of benefit to keep things "in check."
24. Eat whole eggs. Daily. A study published a couple years ago showed that those who ate whole eggs versus a bagel for breakfast ate less at the next meal. A similar study showed eating whole eggs increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
25. Eat breakfast. A review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who eat breakfast are more successful with long-term weight maintenance. Other research has shown the same for weight loss. Grab hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs, Greek yogurt, a piece of fruit and handful of nuts, or make a smoothie. It doesn't have to be fancy.
26. Eat the bulk of your meals in the A.M. Then eat progressively less throughout the day. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that eating most of your calories earlier in the day positively influences weight changes.
27. To burn more calories, stay upright. This means not sitting in front of a computer, TV, phone, etc all day. Stand and you'll burn more and be more productive.
28. Use the stairs. That's right: Skip the escalator and elevator. This won't make or break success, but every little bit helps.
29. Eat low-energy, dense foods. These are foods that are high in water and lower in calories, such as fruit, veggies, soups, and salads. Studies at Penn State University have showed that the inclusion of these foods helps individuals eat less total calories overall.
30. Don't grocery shop hungry. If you do, you'll buy everything in the aisle – instead of sticking to your list. And most of the time, the foods you buy when hungry will the kinds that sabotage your weight loss efforts.
31. Replace side dishes with steamed veggies. Restaurants will often allow you to substitute the fries or chips with steamed veggies. All you have to do is ask.
32. Bake, don't fry.
33. Use the fat-burner in your backyard: your grill.
34. Order dressing on the side. But here's the bigger secret: Dip your fork in dressing, and then in the salad. This saves a ton more dressing than if one was to order it on the side, and the pour the entire cup on the salad anyway. Fewer calories equal less weight.
35. In the airport: Carry your luggage, don't roll it. Again, not a deal breaker in terms of success—just another way to increase energy expenditure.
36. Skip the "Venti lattes" and opt for plain coffee. (Or better yet, tea.) Those extra large "designer" coffees can pack a belly-inflating 500 or more calories per serving!
37. Embrace oats. Plain rolled oats will help fill you up more than the high sugar breakfast counterparts. Moreover, 1 serving provides a lot less calories than the sugar coated alternatives.
38. Fidget. A study published in the journal Science showed that those who fidgeted more often – for example, changed their posture frequently—weighed less than those who didn't. This extra movement was termed NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).
39. Laugh often. A study presented at the European Congress on Obesity found those who laughed hard for approximately 10 to15 minutes each day burned an additional 10 to 40 calories/day. Multiply that by 365 and those calories can add up!
40. Leave something on your plate at the end of the meal. Every little bit counts.
41. When out to eat, split a meal. The portions are usually big enough to feed a family.
42. Skip dessert.
43. Don't socialize around the food tables at parties. You're more likely to munch mindlessly, even though you may not be hungry.
44. Don't eat your kid's leftovers. Every little bit of food adds up, including what we call "BLTs" (bites, licks and tastes).
45. Keep chips, dips, and other high fat junk foods out of the house. It's not about willpower; it's about being realistic.
46. If you have a dog, take him for a walk. It's better for both him and you than just letting him out the back. (Bonus: He'll love you even more!)
47. If you don't have a pet, offer to walk a neighbor's dog. Make friends; lose weight.
48. Use smaller plates and bowls. There will be less room for you to fill up and it makes less food seems like more.
49. Skip buffets. It's a foregone conclusion: If you don't, you'll feel like you have to get your money's worth and overeat.
50. Slow down. It takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes for your stomach to sense it's full. If you wolf down your food like a starving dog, you'll likely out-eat your hunger.
51. Decrease your food intake by 100 calories per day. Theoretically this translates to losing nearly 1 pound per month (1 lb = 3500 calories)—with hardly any effort.
52. Buy a pedometer and accumulate at least 10,000 steps each day.
53. When possible, walk or bike to do your errands.
54. Don't buy in bulk. The more that is there, the more that you'll eat.
55. Plan ahead. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
56. Keep some healthy snacks—like nuts—in your glove compartment so you're prepared at all times.
57. Take before pictures.
58. Get new friends. If your friends prefer pizza, wings, nachos and beer on a regular basis, find one's who are like-minded and want to be healthy. Research has suggested that friends enhance (or can hurt) success.
59. Put yourself first. Many people (women in particular) put everyone else ahead of themselves and let their health fall by the side.
60. Remember: It's not all or nothing. If you fall off the bandwagon, jump right back on. Don't let yourself continue to fall until all progress has been lost.
61. Wake up early to exercise. You're more likely to get it done if you don't wait until after work.

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Lifestyle May Predispose You To Back Pain

 Exercise Can Do A Lot, Try It

Pain in any part of the body is undesirable because … well, pain, being what it is, is painful and makes you miserable.

One area of the body where people usually experience pain is the lower back. Generally, there’s no task that we perform that does need the input of the backbone. Whether you walk, lie down, lift things or simply sit down, you need the support of your backbone.

Many people don’t know how to maintain the wellbeing of their back, and they behave as if whatever they do is exclusive of this all-important part of our body.

Indeed, pregnant women would tell you that without the backbone, carrying pregnancy to term would have been impossible. Ditto those who do heavy-duty jobs such as lifting or driving heavy trucks. They need all the support the backbone has to offer to get by their daily schedule.

Physicians say the use to which you put your back will determine whether or not you could live pain-free. But then, what causes back pain?

Generally, experts say, the back is very prone to injury, and the risk is higher among extremely tall persons and the aged. Indeed, doctors warn, a simple act of twisting the back by turning full 360 degrees can lead to disc injury.

Family Physician, Dr. Damilare Okikiolu, says most low back pain is due to injuries that people sustain as a result of poor body posture when lifting heavy objects. If you don’t know how to lift heavy objects and you do it anyhow, you may sustain muscle sprains on the lower back.

He says sometimes, low back pain can also be caused by certain disease conditions such as cancer of the spinal cord, ruptured or herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, kidney infections, or infections of the spine.

Other conditions that can give you lower back pain include arthritis, long-term pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles and tendons (fibromyalgia), inflammation of the joints between the spinal bones (spondylitis), severe infections of the bladder, pregnancy, and many other gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis.

Physicians also note that traumatic injury such as the type encountered in road accidents can lead to lumbar radiculopathy – a nerve irritation that is caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae.

Worse still, as simple as it sounds, the type, texture and age of your mattress can determine whether or not you get lower back pain! Mattresses come in various shapes, sizes and texture. Sleep experts say in order to enjoy comfortable and pain-free sleep, your mattress must be firm enough to keep the spine straight and lessen pressure on all the joints and the structures around the backbone.

Okikiolu says if you use a mattress that is too stiff or too saggy, it may not properly support the joints, and could therefore cause pain.

Again, your sleep position can give you lower back pain, physicians say. Okikiolu says if you sleep on your side, you should draw your legs up slightly toward your chest and put a pillow between your legs. This will take the pressure off your back, unlike if you sleep on your belly – a position that can put further pressure on your back.

Experts add that if you love sleeping on your back, you should place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back; while you also support your neck with a pillow.

And for those who prefer to sleep on their stomach, you can reduce the strain on your back by placing a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen, while also resting your head on a pillow.

Beyond sleep positions, though, Okikiolu says if you’re a smoker, lower back pain may be your experience for the better part of the time.

“The nicotine in cigarette restricts blood flow to vertebrae and disks, so they may age and break down more quickly. It may also interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and use calcium, leading to osteoporosis-related bone and back problems,” the physician submits.

In essence, Okikiolu says, if a back pain persists or becomes quite unbearable, don’t do self-medication. Rather, he counsels, it’s time to see the doctor in order to eliminate life-threatening causes.

Home remedy

Normally, when you see the doctor, after making your complaint, the next thing the doctor wants to know is what medications you’ve used or efforts you have made to ameliorate your pain. So, try these home remedies first; but if you don’t get relief, don’t hesitate to see the doctor.

• Rest: Stop your normal physical activities for a couple days.
• Apply ice: Generally, doctors recommend using ice for the first 48 to 72 hours then switching to heat.
• Massage.
• Stop smoking.
• RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is recommended within the first 48 hours.
• Alternate ice packs with a heating pad to relax muscles.
• Take over-the-counter pain medication.
• Sometimes, lying on your back causes more discomfort; if so, try lying on your side with your knees bent and a pillow between your legs; if you are lying on your back reasonably comfortably, it is helpful to place a pillow or rolled-up towel beneath your legs to elevate your feet to reduce the pressure on the lower back.
• A warm bath can often relax stiff and knotted muscles in the back.

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