WHO OWNS WATER?

Countless sources point out that water is headed towards a crisis. Little do we know, we are in the midst of a worldwide water crisis.

Is water a human right?
Many believe that water is a renewable resource, that once it is used, more can be manufactured, created, manufactured and so on. This is not true. Corporations believe that water is a commodity. In a study by the Environmental Business Journal, the United States alone generated over 100 billion dollars in revenue from water in 2003. The study also states that the industry is growing by 10 percent every year.
However, is water a commodity? In an article by Kathleen O’Hara of the Toronto Star entitled World Views Collide Over Water, she points to dedicated individuals like the Council of Canadians chair, Maude Barlow (she also wrote the book Blue Covenant: the Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right of Water). O’Hara points out that “on one side, large corporations with, as Barlow points out, the assistance of most First World governments, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and even the United Nations, are trying to promote the concept of water as a commodity, like oil, to be owned, sold and traded.” O’Hara also goes on to quote Barlow that these corporations and organizations “have established an elaborate infrastructure to promote the private control of water, and they work in close tandem with one another.”
On the other side of the fence, there are people that Barlow believes that water is “the common heritage of all humans and other species, as well as a public trust that must not be appropriated for personal profit or denied to anyone because of an inability to pay.”
Which side of the fence would you choose? Is water a human right or a commodity to be bought, sold, packaged, marketed, traded and bartered with? With the dwindling fresh water reserves around the world, do you want someone to control that water in order to make a profit or do you believe that it is something that must be guarded, protected and shared. It’s a simple choice, but a relevant one considering the global water crisis that is underway. We all have one thing in common, from the villager in the smallest African communities to the inhabitant of sprawling metropolitan centres; we need water to live. Do we deserve to own water?

10 THINGS TO DO TO OVERCOME DEPRESSING MOOD SWING.

Now, here is my list of 10 good and easy things to do to get yourself out of the lack of motivation, in overcoming depression or what they call "funk":

1. Go for a walk - I'm not talking about going and joining a marathon here. If it is possible for you to walk around the block, or go for a round in a nearby garden to your place, you better go for it. Assure that you take in certain deep and meaningful breaths while you are outside. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly  helps a lot in clearing your lungs and mind, thereby ultimately helping you in overcoming depression.

 

2. Hug a Tree – I have mentioned this in one of my posts too. Nature heals a lot and being with the nature, trees and birds, is my favorite and most efficient way to de-stress myself. How wonderful it feels to just get away from all the worries and anxieties and get lost for a few hours near a babbling brook. If you can not find time to get away from your place for long trips or trekking, just try to walk bare foot on a lawn. It will help a lot.

 

3. Clean out clutter - One of the fastest and most effective ways to create new and fresh energy within you would be to clear away dull and lifeless energies. This can be done by putting away all the useless things around you. It is a great way to tell your subconscious that it is high time, you should get rid of all the unnecessary garbage and trash within yourself, thereby entirely energizing your mind, body and soul, once you get the hang of it.

 

4. Change the bed sheets – I love to do it, whenever I am feeling low. The feeling of lying down on soft, crisp, newly washed and color bed sheet, is one of a kind and extremely comfortable. The best would be, if you can go out and buy some nice set of colorful bed linens to make your room brighter. This even calls for the “retail therapy” to bring up your low moods. When was the last time you changed your bed sheets? Try to make it a routine to weekly change bed sheets and keep a track of it. It can be a great way to work as your mood meter. For instance, whenever you feel you are off this routine of regularly changing your bed sheets, you would know that you are slowly slipping into the” funk” territory.

 

5. See some funny videos – Forget about the tear-jerkers, action, dramas and romance which could be the most happening things around you at theatres, auditoriums and televisions. You need a good hearty laugh to get out of that funk. The best way is to watch you favorite comedy movie to beat the mood. If you are not very fond of long movies, you can still any time watch funny videos. Since, you are able to read this post, I believe you have some decent access to the internet. Go to www.youtube.com. On the search textbox, type “funny videos” or “funny commercials”. You will get a plethora of such videos. Some may not be funny. But, still there are certain videos which are really good and can work extremely well in helping you breaking that “funk”.

6. Experiment with a new recipe – It is usually quite boring and sometimes depressing too, to just keep on preparing and eating the same kind of meals and foods again and again, every day. Try to be a bit adventurous here and experiment with your cooking. Get some new flavors, try a new recipe. It helps a great deal in changing your mood and bringing up some spice in your life.

 

7. Spend quality time with your pet - Take your dog or cat, and if you don’t have any, you can still go for your neighbor's pet, out on a to some nearby park, and play throw-catch there.  Animals love to be playful and help you also enjoy a lot, thereby de-stressing you.

8. Pamper yourself – Just list down the things that bring you the most joy. It could be anything right from getting into a bubble bath, reading a novel by your favorite writer, or going out for swimming/cycling/shopping, etc. And, for your sake, try to put off that negative voice which may threaten you saying that you don't deserve it. BECAUSE YES YOU DO!

9. Volunteer at a charity service – You can try putting yourself in a position to provide service to those who are less fortunate than you are. It will give an immense sense of peace and satisfaction when you help them. You will find your own worries, less troubling when you see the firsthand the plight of others.

10. Make a day special for someone – Try to let go off your feelings, and simply stop feeling sorry for yourself. The best way to divert your mind from you is to focus on giving something good to some one else and make his/her day special. I guarantee, later, you will both feel better.

GRIEF AS THOUSANDS ATTEND BURIAL

The body of the late Nigerian president, Umaru Yar’Adua was buried on Thursday evening at the Danmarna public cemetery, Katsina under the weepy gaze of thousands of relatives and associates of the late politician. The ceremony was carried out amidst evocative readings from the Holy Koran and praises for the departed leader of Nigeria who died on Wednesday. Most offices, businesses and shops in the city were also closed as a mark of honour for the deceased and most roads in the city were overwhelmed with traffic.

The burial, which took place according to Islamic rites, was witnessed by tens of thousands of sympathisers, including top government officials. Mr Yar’Adua’s body was lowered into the grave by a number of Nigerian governors, including the governor of Katsina, Ibrahim Shema, as well as his in laws - the governors of Bauchi and Kebbi states, Isa Yuguda and Aliyu Dakingari - his relations, and other dignitaries for internment. Mr Yar’Adua started his final return to Katsina - where he was governor for eight years until he became president in 2007 - when his remains were moved out of the State House, Abuja at 11.02 a.m for transportation to the airport. It was wrapped in green-white-green cloth, representing Nigeria’s flag and was conveyed by a State House Ambulance Registration Number 572. A military aircraft which carried the body left Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja at about 12:30p.m. for Katsina. The aircraft was welcomed by hundreds of relatives, associates and townsmen of the late president. Late Yar’Adua’s wife, Turai and her children accompanied the remains. Also on the trip were Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who is leading the federal government delegation, and the governors of Kwara, Bukola Saraki; Benue, Gabriel Suswam and Bauchi, Isa Yuguda. Ahead the arrival of the team, hundreds of armed soldiers and policemen patrolled the city of Katsina on Thursday and a police detachment was deployed to cordon off the road leading to the Yar’Adua family home.

At the house itself, scores of women wept loudly to express their grief at the death of the accomplished scion of the Yar’Adua family. Funeral prayers were held at the cemetery by the Chief Imam of Katsina, Liman Lawal, at 4.43 p.m.

Shortly after the prayers, Mr Yar`Adua’s remains was buried in the family grave at 5.20 pm. Due to the large crowd, sympathisers had to walk a little more than a kilometre to the graveyard. Among the dignitaries present were former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; state governors; the immediate past National Security Adviser, Sarki Muktar; former national security chief, Umaru Shinkafi; the Prime Minister of Niger Republic, Mohammad Tander; serving and former ministers. The others were members of the National Assembly, as well as state legislators and traditional rulers. The body was received by the Federal Government delegation, led by Mr Bankole; Mr Shema, as well as the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir; ministers and state governors. Mr Yar’Adua’s widow, his children and grandchildren had arrived at the airport in an air force aircraft, NAF 510 FGN, which landed at 1.35 p.m. followed by the federal delegation, which arrived in two aircraft. Shortly after the arrival, the body of the former president was driven in a motorcade which moved at snail speed to the family house with people on both sides of the road paying their condolences.

It took more than an hour before the body arrived at the family house because of the crowd.

Katsina quiet

Katsina town itself was quiet and in a sombre mood while the burial ceremony took place. Since Wednesday night, when the news of the death reached the town, the place has been quiet, and this continued into Thursday. The state government had declared a one-week period to mourn the death of Mr Yar’Adua.

A statement from the state government said that the work-free period was to allow the people of the state to pray for Allah’s forgiveness for the late president. The one-week period of mourning, which started on Thursday, would also enable the state civil servants to condole the family of the late President, the statement added. The late president was the second Yar’Adua to die in national limelight.

FACTS ABOUT DOGS...

Dogs can register sounds of 35,000 vibrations a second where as a human can only hear 20,000 vibrations.

A German shepherd has smell sensory cells of 220,000,000 where as a human has only 5,000,000 cells

Theobromine in chocolates, a substance similar to caffeine, can kill the dogs, or at the very least make them seriously ill.

The tallest dogs are the Great Dane and the Irish wolfhound. The smallest dogs are the Chihuahua, Yorkshire terrier and Toy Poodle.

The oldest age recorded for a dog is 29 years and 5 months.

The world’s heaviest and longest dog is an English Mastiff named Zorba which weighed 3423 pounds and eight feet three inches long from nose to tail.

Laika was the world’s first ever space astronaut dog which was sent into space in 1957 by the Russian government.

Greyhounds can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour in short bursts.

In Second World War, Russians trained dogs to run suicide missions between the tracks of German tanks with mines strapped on their backs.

In the Middle Ages, Mastiffs used to be dressed in light armor to which was strapped a pot of flaming sulphur and were then made to run into battle against mounted knights.

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