The Blog Of Aaron Eugene Gibson.

Nollywood allows Africans to dream - MORRIS SESAY

2011-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

Nollywood allows Africans to dream - MORRIS SESAY

Nigerian Film and TV Addict: On Uche Jombo's Age controversy

2011-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

The things my Nigerian friends go on about...

*Nigerian Film and TV Addict*: On Uche Jombo's Age controversy: "Okay, so i have been on holiday but i've also been checking on other blogs, and i had to blog about this. I don't believe Uche is younger t..."

orkut blog: Comment on anything you want!

2010-12-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Orkut just keeps rolling out features, now just do something about that Android app.

orkut blog: Comment on anything you want!: "Have you ever wanted to comment when your orkut homepage shows that a friend you haven’t seen in a while just got married? Or maybe when so..."

orkut blog: New in orkut: Edit your photos with Picnik!

2010-12-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Orkut just keeps getting better, now do something about the Android App.

orkut blog: New in orkut: Edit your photos with Picnik!: "Orkut has an exciting new feature to share with you all: Now you can edit all the photos in your orkut albums with Picnik, the online photo ..."

Blogger Buzz: Blogger Dubbed the Most Reliable Blogging Service on the Web

2010-12-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

Blogger Buzz: Blogger Dubbed the Most Reliable Blogging Service on the Web

louisgray.com: Google's Blogger Introduces Mobile Templates In Be...

2010-12-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

louisgray.com: Google's Blogger Introduces Mobile Templates In Be...: "In the seemingly never-ending battle between Google's Blogger and Wordpress for the supreme full-featured blogging platform, Wordpress has l..."

Android Developers Blog: Android Market Client Update

2010-12-11T01:17:00.000-08:00

Android Developers Blog: Android Market Client Update

Naija Football 247: The shame of the Offa Township stadium

2010-12-08T00:36:00.000-08:00

Naija Football 247: The shame of the Offa Township stadium: "A poor Nigerian Stadium pitch Nigerians, especially those who watch the Premier League were shell shocked on Saturday when they saw live p..."

Official Google Reader Blog: The Android Google Reader app is here!

2010-12-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Official Google Reader Blog: The Android Google Reader app is here!

Google LatLong: Video: How To Hotpot

2010-11-30T13:08:00.000-08:00

Google LatLong: Video: How To Hotpot

Columbia College buys home of Ebony, Jet :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: David Roeder

2010-11-20T10:56:00.000-08:00

Columbia College buys home of Ebony, Jet :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: David Roeder

Google LatLong: Getting from A to B just got a little easier

2010-11-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

Google LatLong: Getting from A to B just got a little easier

louisgray.com: Google Hotpot Launches Social Place Reviews, Ratin...

2010-11-16T18:47:00.000-08:00

louisgray.com: Google Hotpot Launches Social Place Reviews, Ratin...: "The transition of location based services from simple game-oriented exercises to valuable review repositories is well under way. From the pr..."

Naija Football 247: Nigeria’s biggest football rivalries

2010-11-14T08:42:00.000-08:00

Naija Football 247: Nigeria’s biggest football rivalries: "Armed military personnel in Jos during a League match With the hype surrounding the Manchester derby between Manchester United and Manche..."

2010 JAPAN SERIES SCHEDULE | The Japan Times Online

2010-10-30T02:42:00.000-07:00

2010 JAPAN SERIES SCHEDULE | The Japan Times Online

PAC-MAN rules!

2010-05-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

PAC-MAN FOREVER!!!

PAC-MAN rules!: "We've been overwhelmed — but not surprised :) — by the success of our 30th anniversary PAC-MAN doodle. Due to popular demand, we’re making the game permanently available at www.google.com/pacman.

Thanks to NAMCO for helping to make this wonderful collaboration happen. Enjoy!

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience

VERY FUNNY FACEBOOK SONG ((I HATE FACEBOOK)) ((MUST SEE))

2010-05-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

Could not have put it any better myself

buzz test

2010-02-11T18:09:00.001-08:00

test post to buzz from blog

Sade’s Making Of ‘Soldier Of Love’ Video Featurette

2010-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:00

Sade, YAY!!!

Sade’s Making Of ‘Soldier Of Love’ Video Featurette: "

Check out the one and only Sade, as she takes us behind the scenes for the Making of “Soldier Of Love”. It is so good to see her back and better than ever.

Video after the jump…

Your Thoughts?

-Stay Fly!

Just Because I'm Tired Of This Shit....

2010-01-01T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ms Von again with more truth, again read carefully

Just Because I'm Tired Of This Shit....: "

This is for all the black people out there who actually use the Willie Lynch letter to explain away the FUCKED UP behavior of modern black folks. It has been proven that the Willie Lynch letter is nothing more than a FAKE piece of propaganda. That's right people...It is a HOAX! Please stop believing every damn thing someone puts in front of you. Start taking RESPONSIBILITY for your plight, your actions and your shortcomings.

The Willie Lynch Letter....

GENTLEMAN:

I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First, I shall thank you The Gentlemen of the Colony of Virginia for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me on my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still oldest methods for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious King, whose version of the Bible we cherish, I saw enough to know that your problem is not unique. While Rome used cords of wood as crosses for standing human bodies along its old highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.

I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple miles back. You are not only losing valuable stock by hanging, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the field too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed, gentlemen, you know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them.

In my bag here, I have a fool proof method for controlling Black Slaves. I guarantee everyone of you that if installed correctly, it will control the slaves for at least 300 years. My method is simple and members of your family and any Overseer can use it.

I have outlined a number of difference(s) among the slaves; and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use fear, distrust, and envy for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies and [they] will work throughout the South. Take this simple little list of differences, think about them. On top of my list is 'Age' but it is there only because it begins with an 'A.' The second is 'Color' or 'Shade,' there is intelligence, size, sex, size of plantation, status of plantation, attitude of owner, whether the slaves live in the valley , on a hill, East, West, North, or South, have a fine or coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action but before that, I shall assure you that distrust is stronger than trust and envy is stronger than adulation, respect and admiration.

The Black Slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generation for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.

Don't forget you must pitch the old black versus the young black and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skin slave vs. The light skin slave and the light skin slaves vs. The dark skin slaves. You must also have your white servants and overseers distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us. They must love, respect and trust only us.

Gentlemen, these Kits are keys to control, use them. Have your wives and children use them, never miss an opportunity. My plan is guaranteed and the good thing about this plan is that if used intensely for one year the slaves themselves will remain perpetually distrustful.

Thank you gentlemen.

Proof that it is FAKE....

Willie Lynch is Dead (1712?-2003) By Dr. Jelani Cobb

I long ago stopped listening to sentences that began with “The problem with black people” or ended with “and that’s why black people can’t get ahead now,” -- which partly explains my initial disinterest in now-famous William Lynch Speech. In the few years since the speech on how to train slaves first appeared, it has been cited by countless college students, a black member of the House of Representatives and become the essential verbal footnote in barbershop analysis of what’s wrong with black people. The rapper Talib Kweli laments on the song “Know That” “blacks are dyin’/how to make a slave/by Willie Lynch is still applyin’” and one professor at a mid-western university made the speech required reading for her class. Of late, the frequency of its citations seems to be increasing – at least three people have asked me about it in the last month.

According to the speech’s preface, Master Lynch was concerned enough with the fortunes of his slave-holding brethren in the American colonies to give a speech on the bank of the James River explaining how to keep unruly servants disunited. The old, he argued, should be pitted against the young, the dark against the light, the male against the female and so on. Such disunifying tactics “will control the slaves for at least 300 years,” he guaranteed. And that, it seems, is why black people can’t get ahead now.

There are many problems with this document – not the least of which is the fact that it is absolutely fake.

As a historian, I am generally skeptical of smoking guns. Historical work, like forensic science, is more about the painstaking aggregation of facts that lead researchers to the most likely explanation, but rarely the only one. Slavery was an incredibly complex set of social, economic and legal relations that literally boiled down to black and white. But given the variation in size of farms, number of enslaved workers, region, crops grown, law, gender-ratios, religion and local economy, it is unlikely that a single letter could explain slave policy for at least 151 years of the institution and its ramifications down to the present day.

Considering the limited number of extant sources from 18th century, if this speech had been “discovered” it would’ve been the subject of incessant historical panels, scholarly articles and debates. It would literally be a career-making find. But the letter was never “discovered,” but rather it “appeared” – bypassing the official historical circuits and making its way via internet directly into the canon of American racial conspiratoria.

On a more practical level, the speech is filled with references that are questionable if not completely inaccurate. Lynch makes reference to an invitation reaching him on his “modest plantation in the West Indies.” While this is theoretically possible – the plantation system was well-established in the Caribbean by 1712 – most plantation owners were absentees who chose to remain in the colonizing country while the day-to-day affairs of their holdings were run by hired managers and overseers. But assuming that Mr. Lynch was an exception to this practice, much of the text of his “speech” is anachronistic. Lynch makes consistent reference to “slaves” – which again is possible, though it is far more likely people during this era would refer to persons in bondage simply as “Negroes.” In the first paragraph, he promises that “Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented,” but the word “program” did not enter the English language with this connotation until 1837 – at the time of this speech it was used to reference a written notice for theater events.

Two paragraphs later he says that he will “give an outline of action,” for slave-holders; the word “out-line” had appeared only 50 years earlier and was an artistic term meaning a sketch – it didn’t convey it’s present meaning until 1759. Even more damning is his use of the terms “indoctrination” and “self-refueling” in the next sentence. The first word didn’t carry it current connotation until 1832; the second didn’t even enter the language until 1811 -- a century after the purported date of Lynch’s speech. More obviously, Lynch uses the word “Black,” with an upper-case “B” to describe African Americans more than two centuries before the word came to be applied as a common ethnic identifier.

In popular citations, Lynch has also been – inexplicably – credited with the term “lynching” which would be odd since the speech promises to provide slave-holders with non-violent techniques that will save them the expense of killing valuable, if unruly, property. This inaccuracy points to a more basic problem in understanding American history.

The violence directed at black people in America was exceptional in the regard that it was racialized and used to reinforce political and social subordination, but it was not unique. Early America was incredibly violent in general – stemming in part from the endemic violence in British society and partly from the violence that tends to be associated with frontier societies. For most of its history, lynching was a non-racial phenomenon– actually it was racial in that it most often directed at white people. “Lynch law” was derived from the mob violence directed at Tories, or British loyalists, just after the American Revolution. While there is disagreement about the precise origins of the term – some associate it with Charles Lynch, a Revolution-era Justice-of-the-Peace who imprisoned Tories, others see it as the legacy of an armed militia founded near the Lynche River or the militia captain named Lynch who created judicial tribunals in Virginia in 1776 – there is no reference to the term earlier than 1768, more than half a century after the date given for the speech.

Given the sparse judicial resources (judges were forced to travel from town-to-town hearing cases, which is where we get the term “judicial circuit”) and the frequency of property crimes in the early republic, lynching was often seen as a form of community justice. Not until the 1880s, after the end of Reconstruction, did “lynching” become associated with African Americans; gradually the number of blacks lynched each year surpassed the number of whites until it became almost exclusively directed at black people late in the century.

On another level, the Willie Lynch speech would seem to give a quick-and-easy explanation of the roots of our much-lamented “black disunity.” You could make similar arguments about the lingering effects of a real historical document like the 1845 tract “Religious Instruction of Negroes” – written by a proslavery Presbyterian minister -- or the British practice of mixing different African ethnicities on slave ships in order to make communication – and therefore rebellion – more difficult. But this too is questionable – it presumes that whites, or any other diverse group, do not face divisive gender issues, generation gaps and class distinctions. Willie Lynch offers no explanation for the white pro-lifer who guns down a white abortion-provider or white-on-white domestic violence. He does not explain political conflicts among different Latino groups or crime in Asian communities. Unity is not the same as unanimity and in the end, black people are no more disunited than any other group of people – and a lot more united than we give ourselves credit for.

The Root Of My Frustration With African Americans

2009-12-31T16:55:00.000-08:00

Real talk right here, read carefully, Von talks the truth!

The Root Of My Frustration With African Americans: "

We are a group of hopeless/helpless people. I see that now more so than ever before. I don’t care what any dumbass black progressive has to say about the matter African Americans are not moving forward in this country and it’s all due to this socialist “gimme” attitude the majority of us have. If we can’t get it for free, if it requires us to seek education, or if it requires good old fashion hard work the majority of us don’t want it! Instead collectively as a community we would rather stay down on our knees begging and pleading with the government (the very same government we claim is racist, prejudice and anti-black) for this, that, and the third. I’m sick of this shit.

I’m twenty-four years old and I’ve watched my life change dramatically over the last three years. I went from a college intern at the company where I work to an entry-level associate. I’ve watched my bank account grow accordingly. I’ve taken some of my income and invested in my future. I’ve purchased my first home (great house and a steal in this market). I’ve invested in the business ventures of friends and my own. The payoff has been outstanding. I recently started another business (with a friend). I’m making my way to a six figure income! On top of all that I’ve decided to attend law school in 2011. My goal is to continue growing businesses, practice law, and retire.

Tell me why I should feel any remorse for a group of people who sit around with their hands out waiting for someone to do FOR THEM. Tell me why I should feel any remorse for a group of people who spend most of their money on bullshit like weave and rims instead of saving or investing.

“You should feel bad for African Americans because they are your people, Von!”

Well, the hell with my people.

If black people don’t drop this socialist mindset sometime in the near future things are going to continue to go down hill for the black community. I don’t know what it’s going to take for black folks to realize no one is going to give them anything for free. Look where these socialist policies and progressive blacks have led us. We have a community of folks completely dependent on others. These folks don’t want to do better for themselves. They can’t see any reason why they should change their mindset. They love throwing around the race card and inciting “white guilt.” Collectively this group (perhaps the majority of African Americans) are still looking for that “40 acres and a mule” that was owed to their ANCESTORS NOT THEM.

God it is frustrating.

The more successful I become the more conscious I become of my wallet. I’m here to tell you…if given a choice between socialism and capitalism I’m sticking with capitalism. I’m not up for supporting Tameka and her two children. I’m not up for paying Tyrone’s college tuition. I’m not up for paying Brittany’s medical bills. Yeah some socialism is necessary, but a lot of it is bullshit.

Every dime in my pocket is one that I work for and these individuals need to follow my lead. When it comes time to send my own future children to college I want to be able to do so. When it comes time for me to retire I want to be able to do some comfortably. The welfare moochers, white liberals, progressive blacks and all other socialist advocates are not making it easy.

I don’t understand how black people in America could be so productive and “progressive” post-civil war and not be a damn thing today. They had it far harder way back when than we do now yet our ancestors managed to own banks, newspapers, and barbershops. What the hell is the problem today?

The majority of black folks are not buying land and real estate with their money. No, we’re buying bullshit like rims, cars, and crap that shines! Every black woman on welfare I know has one thing in common: At the end of the day they’re going to make sure their hair and nails are on point! No amount of money is too much to spare in order that their weave stay tight. On the flip side Li’ Ray Ray from the hood is going to make sure his car is sitting on some 24 inch rims, has a great sound system, and a “what the fuck was he thinking” paint job! WHY??? Talk about a waste of money.

This is the problem!

Black people are not taking their money and putting it into 401ks and CDs. They are taking their money and putting it into frivolous material things! Black men will take a piece trash of a car and turn it into a piece of trash with a blinding paint job, expensive sound system, and some rims that could support a whole family for months. Black women will keep their hair on point (in their opinion) and nails done even if they have to charge it to a high interest credit card. Then these same people will turn around and call me a “sellout” or an “Uppity Negro” for not wanting to take my hard earned money and “help” them out! When they were out spending their money on crap I was thinking about my future. Yet I’m a sellout!

This is why “well off” black people don’t reach out and help poor blacks. They will try to pull your ass down to their level at every chance. God forbid if you should call them out. At that point they are quick to call you a “sellout” or some other name.

I’m going to be honest. I took my “black card” and burned it a little less than a year ago. If being black means I have to support a village of fuck ups then consider me GRAY. If being black means supporting a group of people who don’t want to do shit to help themselves then consider me GRAY. Don’t claim me or my success as your own because I sure as hell don’t claim you, and everyone who reads my blog knows I don’t have any problem throwing motherfuckers under the bus.

Morning Song: Michael Jackson – PYT (Demo Version)

2009-12-31T16:38:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of The Couch Sessions

Morning Song: Michael Jackson – PYT (Demo Version): "

If you haven’t heard of Michael Jackson’s original PYT (Pretty Young Thing) then I might have to slap you. However, most of y’all never heard the original demo version of this song, which never really saw the light of day public ally yet has been cherished by true fans and crate diggers for years. This version has more of that laid back (pre) acid jazz feel to it, while the one that we know is an upbeat dance number re-imagined by James Ingram and Quincy Jones. The former single did end up being sampled by Monica for her tack All Eyez On Me.

Which one is better? Well, that’s for you to decide. I love them equally but they demo version is going to get multiple spins in the iPod soon.

BIG UP to DJ Stylus for playing this song at his Refuge party last night. It’s every Wednesday at Tabaq Bistro (basement) if you’re interested.

Test

2009-11-08T20:48:00.001-08:00

This is test post from the iGoogle gadget.

george.akpayen: Club Managers Or Damagers?

2009-08-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

One of the leagues I follow is the Nigerian Premier League, here is an article on the budgets the clubs have

george.akpayen: Club Managers Or Damagers?

Google Voice Blog: Google Voice for Newbies: Why am I calling myself?

2009-08-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a post from Google Voice that answers a question I've had for awhile now:

Google Voice Blog: Google Voice for Newbies: Why am I calling myself?

For the record, I have my T-Mobile phone as my default ringback. The iPhone only when necessary.

I getting my geek back

2009-08-17T22:03:00.001-07:00

One of the main reasons I started this blog was I wanted to get back into using a computer for more than just facebook. You see, I'm a computer nerd, but I don't DO anything, just consume. Well, it's time I fixed that. So Aaron Gibson is getting his geek back! How? Well, let's leave the details secret for now.

That was just damned fun!

2009-08-03T13:27:00.001-07:00

This past season, I decided to follow the Globacom Premier League (Nigeria) more closely than I would normally. By that I mean I went from the opening weekend back in September to the recently concluded Federation Cup (Up, Enyimba!). Through it all I found the best coverage was the men and women over at http://www.nairaland.com. Cannot wait for 2009-2010 to begin!

testing out a new service

2009-07-05T20:06:00.001-07:00

https://vr.shapeservices.com/play.php?hash=bfa4723c80e3fec2cd6f3dd548ad8b2c137c9f2e8458a68a1

testing VR+

___
Sent via VR+

This is CHONO!!

2009-06-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

No real reason for posting this, I like Masahiro Chono!

Getting My Google On

2009-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I've decided to see how deep into this Google thing I can go. Since I am already using Gmail, and now have a Google Voice account (510-747-8353, go ahead leave a voicemail or sms, I wanna give this thing a workout, besides, you harass me, I'll just block you :)

So let's see how deep I can go, Picassa? Groups? Reader (well already using) Calender (yeah this one too) Sites? (ehh...)

test

2009-04-07T12:19:00.001-07:00

This is a test, this is only a test