Musical

Archive for the ‘Dj Hero’ Category

WHEN a hero comes along, this phrase comes inspired from listening to a Mariah Carey classic performed by the X Factor competitors in the United Kingdom. The single was played during my regular weekly fellowship meeting to remember the hundreds of thousands of military men who had given their lives for many during past and present wars.

Today I hope we would never allow ourselves to be immune from the many factors, the numerous occurrences, moments, occasions and opportunities that allow narratives of inspiration to change the course of history. The election of Barack Obama as the first President of the United States of America and leader of the ‘free world’ is one of them and of course the yearly Armed Forces Remembrance Day in the United Kingdom I believe is another of such instances.

May I suggest that in the midst of global gloom, hopelessness and disasters even in the most trying of circumstances, the ingenuity endowed with the human spirit, the drive to overcome can shine through and there is the capacity that our maker has endowed us with to constantly inspire one another through small acts of remarkable individual and personal acts of sacrifice and bravery.

However, right there in our very own Nigeria, it strikes me as very ironic that whilst the United Kingdom is remembering its own unique brand of heroes and selfless acts of bravery by its military in various theatres of war, past and present, Nigeria faces a quite different story. We are instead faced with the unfolding brutality of some men in uniform who appear to be the military of the naval vocation. If the video recording circulating around the internet and reports are to be believed then rather than acts of heroism from our own, some of our military have made brutality the order of the day. A harmless and defenceless lady, in the full glare of sunshine is beaten and stripped of all her dignity under the flimsy excuse of a minor traffic infraction and refusal to obey an instruction to meet with the Rear Admiral.

While our government busies itself through its ‘secret’ agents arresting an unsuspecting internet journalist and interrogating his right to free speech some of its military men appear to be on the rampage trampling upon much ‘cherished’ ‘rule of law’.

But curiously this story is very familiar to me and many others. When I was 6 years old, whilst returning from school with my siblings, driven by my mother in her Volkswagen Beetle, on the excuse of a minor traffic infraction we were accosted by some military men, my Uncle, now deceased the late Professor ‘Biodun Adetugbo came out of his car to protect and defend us, for his act of gallantry and kindness he was brutalised and beaten senseless by a dozen soldiers under the direction of their Major. My uncle bravely stood up to them and prevented them from escaping. True to type the military in the fashion of Fela’s description behaved like zombies without any control.

Today, however, I am glad to hear about the responses of Governor Raji Fashola, SAN and the belated but necessary response of the Federal Government to redress and investigate such alleged conduct and barbaric actions. To Miss Uzoma Okere a victim of the alleged brutality I can only offer words to the effect that as the hero who comes along, standing up to and exposing the character and the militant vavolence of power that lies at the heart of our military, you are in my view worthy of the song, the lyrics which I set out below:

“There’s a hero if you look inside your heart. You don’t have to be afraid of what you are. There’s an answer If you reach into your soul and the sorrow that you know will melt away.

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on and you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive. So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you

It’s a long road when you face the world alone. No one reaches out a hand for you to hold. You can find love If you search within yourself and the emptiness you felt will disappear.

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on and you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive. So when you feel like hope is gone look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you

Lord knows dreams are hard to follow but don’t let anyone tear them away. Hold on for there will be tomorrow and in time You’ll find the way.

And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on and you cast your fears aside and you know you can survive. So when you feel like hope is gone look inside you and be strong and you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you”



Dr. Ojedokun, a lawyer, lives in the United Kingdom

If you love cruising, but don’t have the time or money, spend a night on the Queen Mary — a historic ship that gives you the taste of a real cruise.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach is not going anyplace soon. But it really doesn’t need to – there is plenty to keep you occupied for a night or a weekend.

Pulling up to this giant ship ready to board with your suitcase-in-hand is reminiscent of that scene in Titanic where excited passengers are scurrying on board while the well-heeled are having their trunks portaged and their automobiles lifted onboard. While the Queen Mary is small by today’s cruise ship standards, it looks mighty big from the parking lot.

Up the elevator and along the gangplank you go, just like you’re boarding the Love Boat headed to the Mexican Riviera. The first thing that hits you, once on board, is that this ship is historcal – it’s like entering the lobby of a fine old hotel with its antique furnishings, although many aspects of the ship and its quarters have been updated to the 1960s, the ship’s later years. It’s also apparent during this weekday visit that many people on board are participating in some sort of a conference – whether it’s business, social or family-oriented.

After checking in at the lobby, we were anxious to see what our shipboard accommodations were like. Ours was a little larger than a standard stateroom, although not huge. We had two king beds, and all that you might expect in a reasonably upscale hotel room, with plenty of closets and work areas and a bathroom that, although small, offered both fresh and salt water, hot and cold. We were ona ship, all right, but we had phone service and TV. We also had a porthole – you might ask for a harbor view, as we had a fairly ordinary view of the dock and nearby construction.

Then it was off to explore this grand ship. Launched in 1934, the Queen Mary made 1,001 Atlantic crossings before its retirement in 1967. During its heyday, this was the way that America’s elite shuttled between the U.S. and Europe and so the ship was outfitted to make this journey as comfortable as possible.

As you move around the ship on a self-guided tour, you come across many salons – all regal with their decidedly British influence in decoration. In-laid wood gives many of these areas a boardroom feel, while original paintings and artwork help to complete the mood. Outside, the old-wood decks made it easier to imagine you are on the open sea taking your daily walk and enjoying the vast ocean scenery. But most interesting are some of the areas normally inhabited by the crew – the crew’s quarters, radio room, the wheelhouse. Throughout your tour, you begin to recognize the Queen Mary really is a museum – this is a big, old charming ship not to be confused with the gleaming, modern vessels of today.

That charm extends to the ship’s restaurants where you can choose between fine dining at the 4-star Sir Winston’s, the slightly less spectacular Chelsea or the surprisingly good Promenade Caf?, where we had a wonderful dinner for reasonable prices.

We also made a point to take a couple of special tours. The Ghosts and Legends Tour plays upon the ship’s reputation for being haunted and is the Queen Mary’s version of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. Through special effects and an over-the-top tour guide, this little 45-minute adventure aims to put a little good-natured fright into visitors. We were actually more intrigued with some of the places in the ship that this tour takes you such as the engine room and an indoor swimming area, all sparsely lit to make them as spooky as possible.

Moored next to the Queen Mary is the Scorpion, a Cold War Russian submarine that seems to be in good enough shape to head out to sea. Visitors can walk through or see all the compartments in this claustrophobic vessel and wonder at the ability of sailors to stay trapped inside this machine for many weeks at a time as the submarine patrolled underwater to avoid detection. It’s a fascinating self-guided tour – just be limber enough to squeeze through the round hatches that serve as passageways between the compartments.

The Long Beach area is a colorful waterfront with lots of restaurants and tourist attractions and major hotels. It’s well worth carving out a morning or afternoon to go see the Aquarium of the Pacific, just across the harbor from the Queen Mary. Home to more than 12,500 ocean animals, the Aquarium features 19 major habitats and 32 focus exhibits. We spent a couple hours wandering through the exhibits and found each one fascinating and a fun experience for oldsters as well as youngsters.

Of course one of the most popular exhibits at Aquarium of the Pacific is Shark Lagoon, the Aquarium’s newest. With more than 150 sharks, the lagoon includes large sharks, rays and shark touch pools where you reach down and feel them as they swim by. There is much more at the Aquarium including exhibits on Southern California/Baja, Northern Pacific and the Tropical Pacific. The Aquarium and the Long Beach Harbor are a nice complement to your Queen Mary “excursion” and help to create a complete travel experience.

Finally it’s time to check out of your stateroom and you realize this could be more than a one-time experience – a stay on the Queen Mary would be the perfect romantic adventure anytime. It combines elegance, novelty and history to make this a completely different experience than the average getaway.

AT A GLANCE

WHERE: The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach Harbor, an easy 90 minute drive from San Diego or less from most parts of Los Angeles.

WHAT: The Queen Mary Hotel, the actual ship that made 1,001 Atlantic crossings, a sea-going home to some of America’s most famous people.

WHEN: Midweek is always best if you can do it because you’ll have fewer people on board. If you go on a weekend be sure to reserve well in advance.

WHY: History, charm and the chance to stay on board one of the premiere cruising ships of its time. Numerous restaurants and attractions are nearby in the colorful Long Beach harbor area. We especially recommend the nearby Aquarium of the Pacific

HOW: Contact the Queen Mary at (562) 435-3511.

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