Pride Toronto.

Profiling Patrick Vieira.

Senegalese-born but of Cape Verdian origin, Patrick Vieira is one of France's top assets. The chocolate skinned midfielder was born in Dakar on June 23rd,1976. He and his family moved to Paris when he was 8 and debuted at the age of 17 with AS Cannes and captained the team only two years later. He has played for such prestigious teams as AC Milan, Arsenal, Juventus and now France's national team for the World Cup.
The tall, dark and handsome Vieira is 6'4 tall and weighs 182 lbs.
Good Lord!

'Breast ironing' widespread in traditional Cameroon.

I was shocked to read in the news that in some rural areas in Cameroon, overly possessive mothers and aunties actually try to prevent their daughters and nieces from giving in to the advances of young boys or grown men who see them as potential sexual partners.
So young girls who hit puberty early and start developping breasts and other female attributes will be seen as easy targets for men, and their breasts will be literally "hacked off" using some un-orthodox methods.
In some cases young girls will mutilate themselves with such horrific practices just to fit in. Or to avoid going through it forcibly by members of their family.
The most widely used instrument to flatten the breasts is a wooden pestle, used for pounding tubers in the kitchen. Heated bananas and coconut shells are also used.

There are some good news though. Although the practice is widespread, it's actually punishable by law. That is only if the matter is reported within months. Which means that if the young girl is intimidated by their torturer and has to wait until she heals, the authorities may not do anything about it. However with a doctor's report they can always file some sort of complaint.
Also some teenage girls have gotten together and formed the "Association of Aunties" to launch a campain with the main focus of exposing the practice and it's potential permanent damages.

What a world!!

Profiling David Trézéguet...

I've made it a lifelong...I mean a World Cup-long commitment to profile those players that I find to be H-O-T. And in my opinion David Trézéguet is one of the hottest...I will make sure to post the top 20 hottest players by the end of the Championship.
"Dave" (yeah, it's that personal), was born on October 15,1977 in Rouen, France to a French mother and a French-Argentinian father, who was a pro football player himself.
Trézéguet won the 1998 World Cup with France, and scored the golden goal against Italy to give the French the2000 European Championship. He also played for France in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. Trézéguet was named one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.
He stands at 6'1 and weighs about 165 lbs of pure FINE-NESS... Yeah, uh-huh!!

Dictator threatens...Again!

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe warned opposition movements who are planning to boycott a national day of prayer the President is expected to attend, that they are "dicing with death if they went ahead with a planned wave of street protests."

The country is suffering an unprecedented economic crisis and the President camp is explaining it away as a "result of a Western plot by those opposed to his seizure of white-owned farms."
Yeah they're actually serious.

Ola papi...Ribeiro Adriano...

Yeah that's about all the spanish I can pull off for now. Okay,Okay...I know I said Malouda was one of the hottest soccer players for this World Cup but I didn't say he was the hottest!! Don't get it twisted now! Ribeiro Adriano IS!! Holly Mother of...Adriano! F-I-N-E. His full name is Leite Ribeiro Adriano and was born on a sunny (can you prove me otherwise?) Wednesday, February 17,1982 in Rio de Janeiro. He weighs about 189 lbs, stands at 6'2 and experts consider him the best player raised in Brazil in the last decade, that is since the appearance of Ronaldo. His body is chiseled in the long hours spent in a Milan gymnasium, you know since his day job is to play for Inter de Milan (Italy). As for his boots (size 43)...Well, let's just say that they give me chills...I've added a couple of pictures of him just for my own "well being".

I made a discovery today...Ozwald Boateng!

Believe it or not, I had never heard of O.B before today! And then as I sat home watching TV5...Yeah, one of my fave channels. Anyways...So this show comes on...Called D.
It's a Montreal-based fashion television show. And I see this tall ,lean black designer with an African last name and a british accent. The next thing I see, Ryan Seacrest, Jamie Foxx and the likes praising him. So I decided to google his ass and it turns out he used to be this great Creative Director at Givenchy. And now he's doing wonders to the straight male british populace and is coming to North America to take over thanks to Queer Eye For the Straight Guy or something like that.And it seems he once was named one of the Top 100 Great Black Britons. Sounds painful but hey...All the power to them.I checked out his designs...Oh my god...Dude can sew...Holly!!

Big plans for the week end...

I just love it when it's sunny,not warm and dry but not humid in Toronto. You just want to hop on a bike and ride across town back and forth. And God knows there's so much to see in this city of ours. And to top it all off, some of my great friends from out of town are coming for Toronto Pride. Good times ahead, that much I can assure you.

Profiling Florent Malouda.

One of the hottest soccer players for this World Cup Championship(both on the field and in my wild dreams... Ahem) happens to be Cayenne born Florent Malouda.
This french Guyanese born genius currently plays for Lyon, is one of France's best assets so far, weighs 161 and stands at 5'11...Mmmm sounds good to me.

David Morales in Toronto for pride festivities.

Dance music's famous remixer David Morales will be giving us a taste of his recipe. As the pride week end festivities get closer and closer, the famed DJ is expected to awe us once more at Sonic on June 24th and will be at Stereo bar in Montréal tomorrow June 21st.

The genius of remixes has worked with a variety of artists such as Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Jamiroquai and so many more.

Ex justice minister to be tried in connection with Rwandan Genocide.

Agnes Ntamabyariro, 69, was captured in Zambia in 1997 and had been awaiting her trial on alleged links to the awfull masacres of over a million people in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide. She's the highest ranking person of the former government to be tried in a local court as most of the cases are being tried in Arusha, in neighboring Tanzania.

As we commemorate World Refugee day, we should take the time to remember that millions of refugees fled the war torn country and even though some of them managed to come back as the country rebuilds itself, thousands are still scattered across the dense forest of eastern Kivu (modern day Democratic Republic of Congo) in horrible conditions. Images of suffering women and children, who often find themselves forcibly being enrolled in the rebelious armies surrounding them, make daily headlines but the international community has yet to act. Neighboring Burundi is currently living the same fate as its cousin to the north where horrific acts have been perpetrated over and over against innocent civilians for well over a decade now.

If it's not famine and diseases, women and children also have to worry about being gang raped either by the soldiers or the rebels. I remember watching an episode on Oprah where a young woman from Uganda recalled the horrors of being used as a human shield by one of the army officials. It was unbearable to watch so I had to imagine what she had been through.

Tonight on Anderson Cooper 360, Angelina Jolie is going to sit down with the famed broadcaster and talk about the plight of refugees in Africa and the rest of the World.
Hopefully enough people will tune in to watch.

Debt relief for world's poorest nations,most of which are in Africa

At the Gleneagles, Scotland summit last year, the most powerful nations agreed on 100% cancellation of the world's poorest countries; most of which are in sub-saharan Africa. On one condition though. The said countries had to complete a pre-requisite point which could be summarized as being able to maintain an economic stability and building the foundation for sustainable economic growth.
Here's a list of some of the countries which have successfully reached the completion point:
Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
------
“We have secured the total votes necessary to enact the Multilateral Debt Relief initiative,” said World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz. “Countries will now be able to put more resources into programs that directly help those who need it most - the poor who need better education, better health services and greater access to clean water, for example.”

Hijack attempt in South Africa.

A University of Cape Town student, Tinashe Rioga, 21 was apprehended after taking for hostage an air hostess with a syringe, BBC online reports. The young man demanded that the plane be flown to portuguese speaking Maputo, Mozambique.
Needless to say that with South Africa having one of the highest HIV infections in the world,and the fact that South African criminals often use HIV as a possible weapon, the man must have used that potentially infected syringe on that poor stewardess. Thank goodness that some passengers actually overpowered him and handed him to the police after landing back to Cape Town.
Just sad...

Men more suicidal than women?...Errrr...not in China!

This actually happens to be true and sad at the same time. I was just browsing through the web as usual, and I stumbled upon an article on BBC online which puzzled the living soul out of me.
China being the most populous country in the whole World, home to about one-fifth of the world's population and as anywhere else, women outnumbering men,there's a growing concern about societal pressures on women,mosty based on traditional beliefs that seem to belittle women in so many aspects. The full extent of this worrisome trend is available on the site below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/5086754.stm

Matte Babel,the hottest VJ on tv today...

This in my opinion is the hottest tv personality alive.
Matte Alexandros Babel was born in Thornhill, Ontario and graduated from Wilfried Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario with a double major in communications and sociology. After graduating, Matte showed up at MuchMusic and convinced the station to hire him as a VJ...Well, he would have convinced me of anything...Ahem...Moving on...His favorite artists are OutKast, Kanye West, Jigga, Spice Girls, Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, BSB.Matte Babel has lived in New York City, Atlanta, Toronto, Milton and now he calls Hamilton,Ontario,home.He has an older brother, a young brother, and a young sister. Apparently he played semi pro football in Austria...Okay...He considers himself to be a "cool dude" who values originality in people. His advice: "Just be you."Way to go Matte!!

Quai Branly Museum Exhibit:Re-discovering indigenous art.

From top left, clockwise : Marquesas Islands(French Polynesia),Kafir Bafhgali woman(Pakistan), Ife head(Nigeria), Aztec sculpture.

I just finished watching this amazing documentary on TV5 and I was just blown away.
It was a two-hour long exhibit of ancient art from "les quatres coins du monde", the full content of which will be displayed at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris when the museum officially launches off on June 23rd this year.
The museum will be displaying thousands of collections of ancient and contemporary art from as far away as indigenous Australia and China to the deepest forest of New Calédonia, via Africa.
I just wish I was in Paris when it launches off but I guess I will catch the exhibition some other time.
You can get a glimpse of the the show-in french I might add- by clicking on this link http://www.tv5.ca/horaire-television/details-emission/54/13270_SpecialmuseeduQuaiBranly.html

Toronto Pride week 2006...Goodies!!!

Pride Week is the fun and fabulous arts and culture festival that happens each year in Toronto. Pride Week celebrates our diverse sexual and gender identities, histories, cultures, families, friends and lives. Check out this link for details http://www.pridetoronto.com/
But of course for some of us, pride week also means, hunky hunks with shirtless sweaty bods walking up and down the legendary Yonge Street (the longest avenue in North America?!?) as well as a display of numerous vendor booths, artisans and the likes on the famous Church Street.

For me it means all of the above but especially the "pride after-event" part of it. What black people here call "Blockorama"or "Homo hop" also refered to as "Fierce Fearless Fabulous".

Stage show includes the incredible Michelle Ross, DC king’s roKETT, vocalist extraordinaire Ashley Veronica and Homohop stars Deep Dickollective of Oakland, California.

"Include the un-included",says Katharine Jefferts Schori on CNN

I knew that electing a woman as a bishop was a huge step for the episcopalian church but I had no idea that this particular lady was in favor of the ordination of Gene Robinson. Today on CNN, she briefly explained how she went from a catholic school girl to an oceanographer to faith and how essays from Einstein and the likes inspired her to ask the deeper questions in life. She was then asked whether or not she believes being a homosexual is sinful and she said " I don't believe so". She said that each and everyone of us is given a "different gift" and that some people find affection towards the opposite sex and others to the same. She was asked if the bible should be taken as black and white and she responded that a book to be written about the experiences of people who lived well over a couple of thousands of years before us doesn't tell us how to wear our clothes or even how to eat our foods, both of which are not observed today and that rather the book should be about how to love and cherish one another, as Jesus so vividly reminded us.
She also said that the teachings should be about "including the un-included". I just loved that last part. Now, I'm an atheist as some people know but I can't help it but applaude this woman.
I'm pretty sure she's bringing to the table what no one before has ever done.
Good job.

War crime dictator to be jailed in Britain.

Excerpt from BBC online:

This paves the way for his trial to start in The Hague, after other European countries refused to host him.
A UN-backed tribunal in Sierra Leone, where he is in prison, wants the trial to be moved due to security fears.
Mr Taylor faces 11 war crimes charges after allegedly backing rebels in the decade-long Sierra Leone civil war.
"I was delighted to be able to respond positively to the request of the United Nations Secretary General, that, should he be convicted, Charles Taylor serve his sentence in the UK," British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett said
However, she said new legislation would be required. Mrs Beckett said the decision showed the UK's "commitment to international justice".
The Dutch government agreed to host Mr Taylor's trial, as long as he was imprisoned in another country if he was convicted.
Both Sierra Leone and Liberia are recovering from years of conflict, in which Mr Taylor played a central role.
Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who took office in January, said she feared that putting Mr Taylor on trial in West Africa could lead to renewed instability.
Britain, the former colonial power in Sierra Leone, sent troops to help oust rebels from the capital, Freetown in 2000.
Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front rebels were notorious for mutilating civilians, by hacking off their arms or legs with machetes.
The UK's minister for Africa, Lord David Triesman, said they started the process in Sierra Leone "and we want to finish it".
"We believe that this is a really strong - probably the strongest signal you could send anywhere in Africa - that there is no impunity, that major criminals will be brought to justice and if they are sentenced they will serve their time," he told Reuters news agency.

Last friday....

From left to right:
Cedric,Raoul,Cynthia,Gito,Sonia,Phillip,Tina and Myself...

Black and White photography...The best!!!

Now,that's hot or what?

My baby bro and sis!!...Cuuute or what!!

Awwwww...!!

My girl Anita...I just luuuv herrr !!!

Anita Kuuku...She's just the down to earth-est, sweetest and coolest girl on the planet. Yeah and of course being my sister in law for ever and ever helps it too! LOL I love you babe.

Photography!!

Photography: By definition the word itself means: "The art or process of producing images of objects on photosensitive surfaces."

-I have always been a fan of this black and white art. Especially if it involves naked bodies or shots of beautiful landscapes. I found these on some website and decided to post them here. You know...Just for me...I find them beautiful. I hope whoever else sees them will,too!!

2006 : Léopold Sédar Senghor year!!

Born on October 9th,1906 in Koal, Sénégal, his life ended in 2001 in Verson, Normandy after a century of tumultuous life of which he became over time the main actor.
He was, in 1960, the 1st Senegalese president after the African nation gained independence from France.

He first set foot in Paris, thanks to a scholarship, in 1928 and quickly befriended George Pompidou (1911-1974), former head of the French Republic but at this point Senghor was a mere poet and that was his main focus. He then co-founded, along with Léon Damas and Aimé Césaire, both well known linguists of french carribean origin, what was to become " LA NEGRITUDE".

This movement both a political and literary faction of Afrocentrism, is there to fight ferociously prejudices brought about by centuries of slavery and exploitation of the "Dark Continent".

The "NEGRITUDE", by definition means : "Acknowledging one's blackness, destiny, history and culture". He wrote these words in 1934 in the "L'Etudiant Noir" review.

He, like so many young intellectuals of his time, had a passion for the french language. A language that he regarded as one of "gentillesse et honnêteté ( kindness and honesty)", for he firmly believed that one could use his/her oppressor's weapon against him.
Here are some of his famous quotes :

"Ma Négritude point n'est sommeil de la race mais soleil de l'âme, ma négritude vue et vieMa Négritude est truelle à la main, est lance au poing Réécade. Il n'est question de boire, de manger l'instant qui passeTant pis si je m'attendris sur les roses du Cap-Vert !Ma tâche est d’éveiller mon peuple aux futurs flamboyantsMa joie de créer des images pour le nourrir, ô lumières rythmées de la Parole !"

Excerpt from "CRL de Basse-Normandie / Julien de Saint-Jorres"

Been a while, huh?

I love taking time off and just get out of town for a while...It's refreshing on so many levels, "refreshing" is needing a new word. LOL...
I was in Montréal for a while and that is why I haven't been able to post on my blog for quite some time now...With Pride approaching and all, I probably will be outside enjoying the sun and all that I barely will get a chance to type a few words...
Well, life is still treating me fairly but I have so many complaints to make that it actually makes me feel that I'm somehow ungreatful. What I did instead was posting a few pictures of what I've been doing for the past few months which is pretty much just party,party and then some...LOL
After all,it's true what they say..."A picture is worth a thousand words"...So, enjoy!!

Damn I love that blazer!!!

At Thierry's...After a drink or two...or three...oh hell who am I kidding?

Myself, Raoul, Jocelyn, Mikado and Amadou

Je vous adore mes puces!!!

At Gitondo's mom...Had a blast

From left to right:
Gitondo,Aline,Myself,Raoul.

Today's Oprah!

I was dissapointed in today's Oprah that I can't say much but copy the e-mail that I sent to her.
Read on:

Hi Oprah,
I have nothing but love and respect for you.But when you constantly air shows that involve homosexual men for the sole purpose of painting them as evil,deceitful men and a danger to women,this does nothing but further the ill-informed notion of what sexuality in general is and also the negative attitudes and approaches towards it that people have here in America.I know you've received gazillions e-mails on this in the past.But it's just getting worse and worse. When are you going to finally bring on an expert on this issue?
Regards!

Child Sex Trafficking!!

I could not believe what I saw today on "The Oprah Show". I've known for quite some time now that such horrible acts are going on around the Globe,I just had no idea how serious and out of hand it has gotten!! To think that most of these men are "people of God" and other respected taxpayers and members of society. My heart was crushed!! I knew of one family,when growing up, where the father abused her daughter all the way until adulthood. The fact that my culture prevents anything sexual to be discussed openly also worked against the victim but in favor of the abuser. It never occured to anyone that such acts violently affects a young person's mind irreparably since no one has ever come out and speak out.
I sent a letter to friends and family asking them to sign a petition that will be forwarded to our MPs and other members of government to try and fight those horrible acts being inflicted on children here and overseas.