Welcome to the Advocates, where topical issues are discussed in a no-holds-barred manner. In other words, we call a speed by its name. My myth is, with the insensitivity of the federal government towards persons with disabilities, mostly in relation to the COVID-19 situation and the relief funds, Baba Sholaz is saying we should stop with the unnecessary hailing of our politicians over bare minimum. Kayode is talking about the injustice of the Nigerian justice system. Sholaz, who makes her debut, takes us through the legal issues with e-commerce and finally Tolu explains the cancel culture to us. Sit back, the panellists are here to present your Sunday dose of provoking thoughts after this break. COVID relief funds persons with disabilities. Back in July of this year, it was announced that the federal government would begin data collection to identify people with disabilities to benefit from the post-COVID relief funds. Chris Aber writes in his article, the Executive Secretary National Commission of Persons with Disabilities, NPWD, in a press conference announced the plan of federal government through Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, disaster management and social development to transfer cash to 50,000 persons with disabilities as COVID-19 intervention fund. He stated that the Ministry will implement the program through the commission which would start identifying PWDs to benefit through a data capturing and thereafter the cash would be transferred to them electronically. Now, fast forward to the evening of Saturday, August 14th and parents with children who have special needs like myself received notification that we should come to Teslan Balogun Stadium Lagos by 9am with our special needs child for data capture. Immediately, I had serious reservations. Firstly, the use of the abbreviation PWDs already pointed to the lack of consideration. They are actually real human people and not an association or entity to be abbreviated. Secondly, the federal government and its associates wanted all parents in Lagos to bring their children with disabilities to this one location. One location in the whole of Lagos. As far as I'm aware, COVID is still here and so is the Delta variant. I could already imagine the scene, rowdy crowd, no social distancing and no organization. There was no way I was going and putting my child who has Down syndrome and a heart condition at risk. But I have that choice because I come from a place of privilege. For some parents, they had no choice but to go in chance of gaining access to crucial funds to aid their families given the devastation of the past 18 months. I feel for these mothers and fathers who take their children with disabilities to the stadium. The government did not even consider how people would get to and from the location. Given for many, mobility is a massive issue. Why not decentralize the exercise to the local level so that access would be much easier? Instead, these families and especially the children had to endure more trauma. In my opinion, this exercise was utterly reprehensible. From 9am to beyond 10pm, these families were there and many unfortunately unsuccessfully in the exercise. On top of the lateness meant mosquitoes and hunger. As far as I know, all they were given was pure water and gala to sustain them. My heart and the heart of many of our special needs parents and advocates broke that day and many tears were shed. Why? Because it was a stark confirmation and physical form of what we already suspected. Our special needs children are not considered valuable as full human beings. The federal and legal state governments do not have sincere intentions and frankly do not truly care for the state of our disabled people in this country. That is all I am lip service. If there was true will behind this exercise, it would have been decentralised for easier access and consideration for those the funds are actually for. That corruption and wickedness is so bad to the point that they are literally stealing from the mouth of babes. So... I... you see lately... You see I'm stuttering but I don't even know which words to use first. First of all, before we go into the children with special needs and let's look at the idea of grouping people at one place. And it goes back to that attitude we have as a people and that attitude is we like to be quote-unquote being charged. We want to be, yeah, the mizaka, I'm the one doing it. So that's why nobody... I can't imagine how, like you said, all over Lagos you're bringing people to one place. During the pandemic. During the pandemic. Even without the pandemic. I want to learn from what happened during the immigration recruitment years ago where people died and now you're bringing children with special needs. They don't have total control, they need help of someone and all that. And you see that's the same thing we do with our retirees. When we say 80-year-olds, 70-year-olds come for recapture almost at a point where we have to tell mom, leave it, it's not a big deal. So that one on its own is an issue that we need to trash both in government and outside government as a people. Now the idea of addressing these children, like I like what you said, that it's not an association where it's okay, all these people, these are our children, they are human beings. They have the only thing is they have needs. And even in other climes, in spite of the needs, some of these children go ahead to be very influential and resourceful for the nation. But do we even have, okay, let's even say the capturing is done. What plans do we have for these kids? That for me is the question. What plans do we have? How do we, okay, we just capture them, give them how much? Like I said, gala and water, so... It's not sustainable. It's the biggest problem. I mean, what you're talking? In my head, I was just picturing a meeting room. Where human beings that have brains that function have sat down to say, we want to deploy an intervention. Right, these guys have brains. They're thinking, they thought, okay, it's a great idea. Oh, there are people with disabilities. Oh, let's help, right? I'm sorry, they've called them that, right? Then when you decided you made that decision, did you now ask yourself, how do we execute this? Like thinking people. You know, my problem is also thinking. It's a thinking problem. You know, did you ask yourself, or there's a pandemic, did you ask yourself on the average, how many people will come to this place? Did you ask yourself when they get there, what is the process for accreditation? Did you ask yourself, what's the process for the actual accreditation to registration and then to the actual disbursement? I mean, this is not rocket science, guys. They leave that difference. This is not rocket science. And what about for the welfare while they're there? Well, exactly. I mean, it's, you're trying to give money to what? 5,000 people, 200,000 people, you don't even know.  So I mean, I think it was a thinking problem because in my head, I'm thinking, this was probably a commissioner somewhere or a governor somewhere or a minister somewhere. These people went to school now. Who, unfortunately, might have meant well. Yes. That's the whole reason, that thing. Unfortunately, it might have good intentions. Oh, let's cater for this, you know, the children with special needs and all that. But I don't know about the implementation. You don't know about the implementation. Because for me, it reads more as a PR exercise that went back. That's what I say, I don't know about the intentions. To be honest, because who did they consider? Who did they talk to? Who did they go and meet? Who are the stakeholders with this? I do know that they trained about 70 people from, I think it's called the NIPPD or it's an association, I think, of intellectual people with disabilities. And they've trained 70 people who are disabled, some of the data capture. But that's the only thing, like community-wise, I think that was done. Really, if this is meant to be something that's happening over 36 states, it's also something the federal government has controlled over and the state governments will obviously be implementing. However, the actual work, I don't think anybody thought about it. The actual people. Yeah, the people. The thing is, they add good intentions. I want you to assume. Yes, yeah. Absolutely. Assume. It's okay to assume. I don't think I'm going to say that. I want you to add good intentions. But the thing is, what would have been, the solution would have been to share this between the local government. Thank you. I think I stay in Ali Mosho and I close to Ali Mosho. A child with disabilities has challenges with even moving to that location. So that's really the first thing. It's a mobility problem. You bring me to somewhere close to where I can access these resources. And that's what makes it difficult for me. Or even go to their schools. I don't know what Baba Alemah is thinking back in the UK. I know your case is different in the UK. You guys are well. You have a structure. I was going to say, let me come from another angle that I think it's funny that in 2021, the federal government of Nigeria still believes that every child with disabilities is poor. You know, because if you start down and thought, the best thing you can do is to share money. I mean, this throwing money at problems is the reason why poverty levels in Nigeria is increasing. And you know, that's not killing ourselves. Nobody have good intentions. These guys are going to pay off all these funds and justify it with this fruitless exercise. It's very annoying to see that even despite all the criticism for this conditional cash transfer, you know, schemes that have been in the midst of this, Nigeria has continued to do worse, you know, on the poverty index. But yeah, they still think that the only solution they can provide for people living with disabilities during COVID is to give them share 10,000, 10,000 and a half of them. I mean, if 20-year-olds don't think the 10,000 and a half have done much, made the difference to, or to even the poorest kids. You know, it's always like, it's always like, you know, we're always, we keep doing the same things. Even when we've seen that, it didn't work for normal people. And then now we're going to do the same thing again. A really, really good point, especially in terms of throwing money at things. We actually have to tackle the problems and it's not just about throwing money. So, up next is actually Babazala. Stay with us. Ha! How we must stop hailing politicians. A politician builds a makeshift wooden bridge across a wide gutter and invites dignitaries to a fanfare to commission the contraption. Probably erects a signboard there with his name boldly on it. Stashes pictures on social media. I have not subbed anyone, honestly. We applaud, we hail the politician because we remember suddenly that there has not been a project like this in the area for 50 years. This is the first we say conveniently, forgetting that this is the year 2021. The former students of a public school put funds together to build a toilet for the school. They invite the commissioner or permanent secretary of the Ministry of Education in the state to commission it. The government official shows up proudly to cut the tape of the toilet in the school that they are paid by us to run, but that has now ended up having a basic or compulsory facility such as a toilet built by private citizens. The people who pay for the toilet hail the commissioner for taking time out of their busy schedule to attend. I have concluded that there is something seriously wrong with the Nigerian public office holder. But the disease is not half as bad as that which is plaguing the Nigerian people. Yes, the suffering masses. We complain about how hard and bad things are on a daily basis. Yet, when the time comes to take a stand, we are the chorus leaders and the applause commanders. We just love it. It's almost as if it is part of some custom or tradition to show gratitude to ineffective public office holders. It is as if we disagree the public officials or us and by us, I mean their bosses. Yes, we are the bosses. The citizens value for our money. These people actually all swore to an oath. One, they disregard almost only per second basis. Our politicians in Nigeria are some of the highest paid in the world and I mean legally and illegally. Yet, when they embezzle billions of Naira and give us of standard rules, bridges and other infrastructure, captains of industry and traditional leaders will line up to sing their praises. Now, let me take you somewhere else to the UK where the UK government spent an estimated 500 billion pounds just to support UK citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nobody clapped for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In fact, all they have done is question his methods, policies and preparedness. Boris Johnson rides in a two car convoy. Nobody clapped for that. He sometimes goes to work or about his duties in public transport. Nobody clapped. Roads are built and commissioned without fanfare, no foundation lanes ceremony or ground breaking. Nobody clapped. Now imagine this was Nigeria. One would begin to think the people who live in these countries are absolutely heartless or ungrateful. But there is a simple reason they don't clap. It is because there is no reason to clap. Public servants are servants after all. In fact, I see them more as paid slaves. They are being funded by taxpayer funds to serve their masters, the people. So why should the masters clap for their servants when they do a job they are handsomely compensated to do, not to talk of them drooling over the most mundane achievements? A governor awards the construction of a six-kilometer road to a contractor who is his friend or crony. At an exorbitant value, the contractor does a shabby job, but by the grace of God, God with small letters, just manages to complete the project. The governor and the contractor share the profits, but the masses who get it badly built road are the ones who organize praise and worship sessions for the governor for building a food park where an expressway should be. Nigeria is still way off the mark in terms of development, and this is not by accident. Public hospitals and schools and ISO, institutions of deep shame, I call them. This healing of public officials has to stop today. Ah. Absolutely. Well, I don't even know what to say. I don't know why. Let's take a minute to take you there. Yes, I know, right? Why was the commissioner there to cut ribbon for toilets? To tell you. There's no need for you to go there. Why did we invite him? Yes, someone invited him. Why did we invite him? For toilets or for cutting a ribbon for a window at a local government office. Or a wooden bridge. Oh, the wooden bridge. So I think it's a fundamental problem, is that we don't understand the meaning of the word service. Or servant. Or servant. I don't say servant. You know, if they say servant, they won't show up. No, but public servants. If they say public servant, they won't show up. Public servants. You know, service. The word service is derived from the word serve. And to serve means to be the servant. It brings you back to the word servant. If you understood that fundamentally, that this person is here to serve me, you know, then it changes the game instantly. But you see, for us, it's more of a game of, you know, I'm here to help you. It's that thing we're talking about, the Mesa complex. So I've built a road. I have a right to put a billboard. And then say road constructed by. Sir, is this what you're paid to do? By the way, it's public service. Even if you're not paid enough, that's the whole point. But I think it goes back to why people go into politics. It's not to serve. It's not here. It's not to serve. Because they know that the structurally is made to go and make money. That's why you go and make your money. You go and make your name. You're not there to serve. You're not there to do good. You're there to enrich yourself and your colonies. So we also need to understand that, that that is actually the lay of the line. It's great to say, oh, we're meant to be public servants, public service, but let's look at the reality on ground. That's not how it's looked and perceived as, right? General public perceives it as his excellency, her excellency, excellency of course. I really despise having to say his excellency. What have you done that is excellent? Yes. What is excellent about it? You see, OK, you go. OK, I would say that if you go to some local governments where you young youth core members serve, you hear about some youth core members who build bridges using their own allowee. As they use their $23,500. I don't know what they're paying now, yes. But they use something that leads to, to build bridges, to offer free medical care. So you're wondering, so why do we have leaders? There's a local government chairman, exactly. And there's a governor in that state. And there's a councilor in that state. Exactly. And those people earn, you know. And more money. But you see, I want to look at it from this angle. You see, we're talking about the government or the politicians. I'll even say, let's leave the politicians alone. Why? Now, let's look at this.  The woman is there busy talking on phone. And she's telling you, I'm busy. Just wait, just wait. And there are other shops there. And you see a Nigerian there waiting for the woman to finish talking. The question I always ask is, why won't you just move on to the next shop? Let her know that if you're not serving me well, I will move to another person and have an option. Service, that's what I'm saying. So what I'm saying in essence is that, that is what would bring into politics. You see, we've been so battered over the years that we've lost our sense of demanding for rights. Absolutely. So now we just take anything goes. We are like a man that gives somebody money. OK, hold this for me. When I need it, I'll come for it. Then you go there and say, oh, your money I've kept it somewhere, but I can loan you money. Then you keep taking the loan, taking the loan. And it's interest, and it's interest.  Is that thing, you know that syndrome? What's that syndrome where people? Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome. You know, I use this example all the time. You know, let's say you're married to a man that is an abuser, right? And he just abuses you emotionally, physically. And then never comes home. You know, the day he comes home at 7 PM, you say, ah. Thank God. Or come at midnight to say thank God. He even came home today. You call your friends and he came today. Is that Stockholm syndrome? Is that what is so battered? We don't even understand. We don't even know what our rights are. Someone builds a road, we heal them. Why? That's your job. And it's even so sad that you see some commissioner, you say the governor is so ready to work. Excuse me, that's why we voted him there. He's telling me he's ready to work. So, I mean, he cares about you. Hello. This applauding, not even of mediocrity. I think, Baba Shala, you've been very kind. Yeah. The applauding of everything's substantive. As long as it's finished, though. Or even, you don't even need to finish. There are so many uncompleted elephants' projects. It's not about the person that can do anything. So we're so apathetic as a population that for them, if nobody's holding them accountable, why should they bother to hold themselves accountable? That's it. The interesting thing is, I don't think anybody even measures politicians' performance against their promises.  We never had a bubble in my committee. We don't say he promised us X, Y, and Z, and he's only done A. And that is not good enough. I think I always use my uncle as an example. When he was chairman of the legacy health management board, that he not only refurbished hospitals, but insisted that any member of his family, including his wife, who was Irish, had to use those same public hospitals. He said, because how can I tell the public to use a hospital that my family are not using? You've got to show that confidence. It's that kind of service that is missing in Nigeria. When people are ready to put themselves and show that, look, I've done this bit of work and I have confidence that it works. Well, I think that's a massive, massive point. And we could go all day on it. The injustice of Nigeria's justice system is next with Oluwakao Day. Stay with us. A country can only develop whether it's equity, property, and accountability, or at least a semblance of it. Globally, there is no executive that is incorruptible. People who are saddled with the responsibility of managing state resources are likely to abuse the privileges extended to them. From America to Zimbabwe, everywhere capitalist thrives, there is bound to be an abuse. How then do these economies thrive? How do they manage an image of property and accountability? The reason is simple, the judiciary. In order to run a successful capitalist economy, you need an active judiciary, a judiciary that is functional, independent, and autonomous, effective, and efficient. Simply put, we need a judiciary that works. Can the Nigerian judiciary be said to be active? At the mention of the judiciary and average Nigerian cringes, we shudder at the thought of standing in the witness box, to an average Nigerian facing trial is as good as being charged to court, or being condemned. There is no relationship between the judiciary and the people. The people do not feel the judiciary is there for their good, no trust. This makes it impossible for an average citizen to take someone to court, let alone take the government to court. When the executive goes wrong, we commit them to the court of God. In heaven, rather than the court of justice on earth, because as the saying goes, any tiakbe nioka, akpa alonoka, that means anyone you cannot handle, there is God there who can handle such a person for you. We know how much influence the executives have on the judiciary. We accuse the executive of controlling judicial cases and the outcome of these cases lend credence to our accusations. But wait a minute, how many cases are prosecuted smoothly at the judiciary? Even cases between two individuals drag on forever. Case in sight is Evans, the kidnapper. He's been on for about four years. This is a case that everybody in the nation is interested in. No known politician or no known political influence, no tribal buyers, no need for regional balance in this case. Everybody wants one and same thing, justice. But it's taking four years. And during this period, Bill Cosby was charged, sentenced and his charges reviewed. Judge Floyd's killer cop was tried and sentenced. Oscar Pistorius was charged, tried and sentenced. Sam Sinceresia was tried, sentenced, he challenged his case at the court of arbitration for sports and got a lesser charge. Ash Puppy's arrests, it was charged and the case has begun. And I'm sure it will conclude before the end of Evans' case. A case that has no political twist, no pressure from the executive arm has taken four years. Does justice have a will in Nigeria? Does it grind at all? And there are so many cases as such in Nigeria. Cases drag for years until both the appellant and the respondent get tired of the case and stop showing up in courts. Is this an indication that no arm of government works in Nigeria, which way Nigeria? I think we almost acknowledge that there's two justice systems. One for the wealthy and even upper middle class and one for the poor man, the poor masses. Because you have so many people who are, should we say, have been really innocent or their crimes are so little by something like stealing bread. But they have spent years waiting for their trial and they're languishing in jail. Not prison yet, in jail. And it's a real problem and judiciary doesn't seem to care. And it also makes you aware of just how many cases there must be. I don't know why it takes so long to address cases. I don't know why they insist on keeping people in jail who are nonviolent, right? Or should have a process for some of these lighter cases. Yes, when a person is actually charged to, when the person commits a crime. Yeah, the lawyer. Okay, when a person commits a crime and the Panamata is reported to the police, the person is not supposed to be detained for more than 48 hours. That is what the criminal justice law, even the ACJ, the administration of criminal justice law of legal state, state sue. But today you go to the police station, you see people there for five days, seven days. And nothing is happening. Yeah, they're not being charged to court. Even those who, the Abattas are being tried to court. You hear certain delays that the magistrate is in town. So the person just keeps languishing in the police cell. Now the conditional police cell is not, is not anything to write him about because yesterday's about, you know, they've been beaten, being bullied by somebody else inside the cell. Yet they're coming out, no food. The rice is bad, the food is not well cooked. Yeah, no sex and all that. Exactly. So now, there's also a situation where the police also take advantage of these persons, these suspects. They are not aware. Yeah, because the law says that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. So the law says not yet a criminal. This is just a suspect. So a suspect could actually be innocent. Not in Nigeria. Exactly. Once he heard what suspects in Nigeria, he could not start the investigation. He's dead, you know, he's pretty much. And I think it goes to the fact that people don't know their rights. Yes. To a large extent. You know, I've heard a lot of cases where people come and say that bail is free. You know, people don't even understand that the bill is free. Right? You have to do something. And that just goes to a lot of, there's a lot of education required in that sense. When people are arrested, for instance, or when people are invited, you know, to police station, or when people actually are, you know, sued, there are different levels to these things and there are different laws that apply in different circumstances. Because most people are not even aware of what the law says. They are not aware of what their rights are.  I've heard that in police stations, once the lawyer shows up, you know, the police get a bit aggressive, you know, because they're like, you know what, this person knows a bit more than the average Nigerian. You know, so this goes to every Nigerian. I believe that everyone should arm themselves with at least some semblance of education with what the law says, what is required. And you know, I had a friend that took last month to court and he won.  Again, it would take a lot to know, but he had to know that he had those rights. You know, right? For him to have thought, he took them because... I know what's even more, you know... He should have made that victory public. Absolutely. He should have let other people know. But you see, what's even more, I mean, instructive here is that, listen, we're talking about the violations of people's rights, but I'm looking at a case where everything is gone through and you're in court. And the process just drags on endlessly. And that's why... Why does it drag on endlessly? That's what we don't know. It feels like you're running a campaign. You need so much money. I don't get it. Or the background has just come to a point. Or the systemic problem, I think that was about it. Maybe. So those are the things we need to look at. And that's why I said that, okay, we accuse the executives. They have to call the blame. We accuse the legislative. They have to take away all the blame as well. But then we ignore the justice system, of which, if that functions, if you're able to function to the extent that you know that if I take you to court, I can win. The average lawmaker will be a lot more careful.  Then secondly, he has all the sounds to back him up. And you, how many can learn? So there's also generally that perception that, you know that in the incident, that nobody who first called police did. No, no, no. There's that perception that, if this person goes to court first, then naturally they win. But that's sometimes where, if you're actually not guilty, you can fight your case. Baba Shalao, what do you think? Well, as a roundup. Shot went to Mr. Bill was free. Because in every police station there's a, forget about it, there's a sticker that says Bill is free. Right there. Well, you try and get it for free and then you know whether it's free or not. But it's really not, I mean, although I can't make any point, you know, the justice system is painful. It's almost, I mean, that's, it's almost like the last resort that has been abandoned.  So, you know, the justice system shouldn't even be thinking about Evans as is he innocent or guilty.  But let's just look at another case. Yeah, I don't know about that. That can be his wife. Even if he's not cheated, must be. I mean, these people were shot by soldiers who were shot. His wife had bullets, bullet wounds when she was arrested. But they've been detained for more than five years. And that's what we're talking about. On a charge, on a charge of causing the killing of the members of their sects. No, they didn't have any arms at the time. So, I mean, that does show you how painful it is because these guys were armed. They were the ones that were shot at. They were wounded when they were held in custody. But it took a cut five years to be able to establish that they actually did not. That's the painful part, Mawashallah. But you know what, this justice system is something we can talk about all day long. But we need to move on. We just need to think through it and make sure that we get our justice system working. But let's go over to Shola, who is giving us a lecture in e-commerce. Stay with us. Legal issues in e-transactions. e-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services through the internet. It has also been defined as the sharing of business information, the maintaining of business relationships, and the conducting of transactions by means of telecommunication networks. This has led to the emergence of electronic commerce through which commercial transactions are conducted between parties from different parts of the world and who may never see themselves in their lifespans. However, the emergence of electronic commerce has also brought with it a number of legal and socioeconomic problems, especially in the developing nations such as Nigeria. Problems which pose significant challenges to the legal regime of electronic commerce in those countries. It is not restricted solely to the actual buying and selling of products, but includes pre-sale and post-sale activities. In more liberal terms, once a contract of sale is effected between a buyer and a seller, using such electronic means as the electronic mail, regardless of distance or any geographical barrier, it is within the province of electronic commerce. The objectives of e-commerce include the facilitation of international cooperation through trade, making goods and services available to consumers all over the world, irrespective of distance, the expansion of the consumer base for manufacturers or producers of goods and services, and a reduction in the cost of service delivery by delivering this electronically. It encourages a single-world trading system which is facilitated by access through electronic means to goods and services from different parts of the world. Consumers in e-commerce are faced with a number of risks arising from the general lack of understanding of the operations of the internet. This has been compounded by a number of legal issues which have been largely taken care of in more advanced and sophisticated countries, but which issues are still being grappled with in developing countries such as Nigeria, where internet trading is something fairly new. There is no legislation on the protection of data presently in Nigeria, and the situation pertains a great danger for consumers in e-commerce. It is suggested that a queue be taken from the United Kingdom where there are principles that govern the protection of the data or communication of the parties in all internet transactions. The determination of the moment when a contract can be set to have come into existence on the internet, giving rise to the existence of rights and duties as between the parties has been one of the best issues in e-commerce. The special nature of internet contracts has made most of the common law rules applicable to commercial contracts in applicable to such contracts. For example, websites are designed in such a way as to constitute an invitation to make an offer and not situations of real offers by the web owners. However, in sales over the internet, both the display and the actual sale are often bonded. Making payment for goods and services both through the internet poses unique problems because of the fact that the parties may be thousands of kilometers apart. The problems associated with internet payment are in relation to the inability of the internet to guarantee the safety of such payments and the possibility of duplicating payment since a computer could potentially become a forger of detailed banknotes. Thank you. Hmm. A computer can be a forger of detailed banknotes. Yes, of these sub-banknotes. It's not even reliable. Me, I'm a complete Lodite. So, that does blew my mind. But as more of a, I've heard a lot of stories of people with their experiences with what they call online vendors. Yes, online vendors. There's a lot to be said. You know, again, I think that it's also the problem of education. People are not aware of what, you know, what's, I mean, a lot of things you just never heard about them before in terms of the legal parts of it, right? People just feel they have something to sell or you have the money for it, to pay for it. Whether they run the service or not, you know, it's not really their business. And, you know, customer service is a big, big problem in Nigeria anyways, you know.  Not so much as over the phone, you know.  Some of them will say that, right? What's the worst you can do? What's Gandhi's going around on social media? Well, the next customer. So, I think there has to be laws that are put in place. And there's a Consumer Protection Council.  I'd rather just walk there. So, as a walker as I am. So, I just let me just go to the store. Fill this with my hands, right? Pay my money and go my way.   Yeah, and the challenge of what I ordered against what I bought or what I sold.  Yeah, we can have a whole section of that. I can't be delivered. By the time the shoe is delivered to you, you're seeing a different color of the shoe. Yes. So, in that case, what is the legal, you know, what is the legal process in that case? Can you sue? I mean, it's an e-commerce entity. How do you sue that kind of entity, right? And then are they going to answer? Yes, you can return and you can ask for a refund. And even if you don't get one? You can ask for a refund. You can, you can even enforce a legal action, but the problem you mentioned about the judiciary, when you sue over a matter, just the issue of 15K, you know, you're taking the matter to court. By the time you calculate the filing fees, going back and forth, what's the point? Just let it go. But it also says in terms of the structure of these e-commerce platforms, right? So some are, you know, set up very well.  And that's probably the number one marketplace. Digitally, in Nigeria. God bless the soul. Yeah. So while there are these actual platforms, major platforms that exist in Nigeria that have these kind of things in place, you can return goods, they hold their vendors accountable. However, I would say probably the average person is using Instagram, is using Twitter, who is buying and selling. And so they're just going to do, you have to, you're really just at the behest of that person. And if they are willing to refund you or change and give the customer service. And there are lots of good vendors who are. But unfortunately, there'll be just as many who aren't. I've bought a platform where I've bought things twice and I've returned it twice. I have a friend who's bought, I don't want to mention names, he bought some things and when he bought it, he returned it, and they actually returned his money for him. To him. He refunded it. But it's true this day. I mean, outside all those ones, those are the established ones you're talking, you're referring to. But outside the established ones, the major thing we should look at is, what should a buyer, a potential client or customer look out for when you go online to shop? What are the limitations? Because for example, I know that when you're shopping online in Nigeria and when you use your card, it sends an OTP to your phone. But when you're shopping online at a foreign and international website, it doesn't send you OTP, it deducts immediately. So these are some of the things we need to look at to regulate. But I don't know what Barbara Scholar thinks. I think again, when I heard the word legal, I just think about the court and what we just said. But I also think about the cost of getting the lawyer to regulate or to intervene in a small matter. Now, I think what the only I can advise is that anybody who is shopping online should actually refer, I mean, all websites should have a returns policy which you can refer to in case you do buy something that you think you want to return and the issues. And that returns policy should inform what the process is and what your agreement is with the company. So I think before you buy anything from the website, where the returns policy, that said, an agreement is only as good as the person who wrote it. So we know some people who have copied and pasted other people's policies into their websites. So it may just be a mere formality, but at least if you're dealing with doing reputable companies and what you do, check their returns policies. Thank you very much, Mr. Barbara Scholar. Tolu is next after the break. Stay with us. Cancel culture, is there a better way? This is how Wikipedia defines cancel culture. I quote, cancel culture or color culture is a modern form of ostracizing in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles, whether it be online, social media or in person. Notably, many people claiming to have canceled, to have been canceled, often remain in power and continue their careers as before. End of quote. Those subject to this shunning, I usually refer to as having been canceled. The expression cancel culture has mostly negative connotations and is commonly used in debates on free speech and censorship. The notion of cancel culture is a variant on the term call out culture and constitutes a form of boycotting or shunning involving an individual, often a celebrity, who is deemed to have acted or spoken in a questionable or controversial manner. Moreover, some cancellations have also been defended as exercising free speech and promoting accountability. Others criticize cancel culture as creating a chilling or bullying effect. But the question is, why do we draw the line between cancel culture and bullying?  So while we are passionate and concerned about censorship, when is it okay not to cancel? When is it okay to be silent? You can be argue that silence culture has also done us a lot of harm as many atrocities have been swept under the rug of silence that should have been brought to book. Now, when and how do we decide when to cancel or when to be quiet? Or should we rather err on the side of caution? The other concern is, as a nature of all things culture or cultural, it has a tendency to be created by a few for an intended good reason, or for good intentions, but also has a tendency to ride a wave and get washed off with the tide of time. We must continue to hold ourselves accountable, must also act right, not for fear of being judged or being canceled, but because we are self-respecting responsible individuals. So what is the most sustainable way to speak to power or to popular figures without cancelling ourselves back to the silence which was feared as dangerous? Where is the critical balance? The Rotary Club, four way of the things we say or do comes to mind. So of the things we think, say or do. One, is it the truth? Two, is it fair to all consent? Three, will it build goodwill and better friendships? And four, will it be beneficial to all consent? I advocate that we'll be careful not to cancel ourselves out of reason, instead let us constructively criticize ourselves to growth and to progress. Really interesting, really interesting.  Because I've witnessed a few occasions where people have been called out online, either for bad business practices and, you know, years down the line, we have found, you know, the accusations to be true. There are also, you know, people who have, you know, been called out online for things that they had said to have done which are not true. I mean, I remember a sad incident where a young man committed suicide, I think a year ago or two. And, you know, it's just been able to draw the line. I always say that, you know, we should not be silent when we see things being done in the wrong manner. Or we should also think about it like you said, what is the purpose of what I'm about to say? What good will it do? You know, I'm posting something on social media about someone else. Is it better to ask as a question and have that person answer so that it's not like I've just blatantly assumed that they, you know, they've done something illegal or wrong? I think it's very difficult in the heat of emotions to be able to get, you know, to find a proper way to do things. But I think if we just all stop for a minute or two to breathe and think about what we're doing, I think, you know, it will reduce all the, you know, tension and, you know, mishaps. All right, I think that, in my view, the council culture blatantly stampets people a lot of times into a movement that they might nest really not before. Because let's take, for example, where mainly amongst the youth and online nowadays, because let's take, for example, there's a discussion going on in a particular area and you're speaking in different, I mean, not necessarily against it, but not for it. And suddenly it's like you're canceled. You're no longer relevant to that. So for you to be relevant to the friends, you need to tour their line. So it's like you're stampeded into, okay, let's go with the flow. It's when you step bullying and I say, yes, that's actually, it's a silent way of bullying you, especially for people who are not self-sufficient who feel they need probably the approval of the lot to just flow the tide and... So what about this, right? And you say it a lot and I'm so tired of celebrities apologizing. I'm done with it. Thank you. We were all different 10 years ago, right? Some of the things we said and did 10 years ago, they bring it today, but we're not the same people. Stop cancelling people for things they said 10, 15, even 20 years ago, five years ago, people change and we need to give people that chance to grow and understand that every single person that exists on this earth does not agree with everything they did back then. So people just want to troll through the old history and bring it out and cancel people. And I just think, don't say sorry. Stop saying sorry, because you are then helping them cancel you. Yeah, because who do you need to cancel next? Guys, please apologize. Yeah, but that's not to say that. I mean, so my problem is the culture, right? Is the thinking behind saying, let's attack this person and then get them to take an action because we attack them. So it's a motive for me because I believe strongly as well that there's a lot of good social media can do in terms of accountability. So for instance, Shola said earlier that politicians promise something and it's five years out of the line or two years out of the line. It's okay to say, sir, I mean, post his what's it called, his manifesto and say, sir, this was your manifesto two years ago. We're here to say any of this thing. So there's a place for calling out. I'm even afraid to say calling out now. I love that you said call out culture. I'm all for call out culture, not cancel culture. It's different because what cancelling does before you come into your time is that it's typhoon divergent views. So you almost go in a particular line of thoughts. No other person must go wrong. I actually think that it also affects if we keep remaining quiet over issues that come up every day, then what happens to somebody who faces that same challenge? The person feels intimidated already. For instance, in rape cases, where you see young girls come out to say, I was raped, there's this attack, this silent attack. Some people would like to keep quiet, but you hear some people come out to say, are you sure? Are you sure? Are you sure? That question, what are you wearing? Is that the question? So most ladies who were raped just try to keep quiet or try to keep it as a secret. Nobody's talking. And it goes on and on. And before you know it, it's affecting our psychology. She's developing, she's growing in a different manner. She's having a particular mindset about men. So it affects the culture and it affects our children and even the youths. Absolutely. Because you're patting down a culture that doesn't go well. Yeah, so how do you get the critical balance? So there's a silent culture, if you like, and there's a call-out culture. So it's basically straddling more than achieving a critical balance. Making sure that you give people room, because the whole point of social media again, I mean part of the point of social media, is that you have a platform to express yourself. But that really showed the realness of who we are as humanity. And just shows we had a lot higher esteem of who we are. And it's actually showing the true nature of human beings. And we're telling. Now the thing is that Shola, you spoke to something there and it doesn't even have to be extreme as rape. In that people are just scared to speak up because they don't want to speak up. Because everybody in that comment section would now be terrorizing you. So there's a certain amount of lack of emotional resilience, emotional maturity. And that speaks to how we're raising our children. So something happened between, I think, my generation, I can't count for you, and the one after. Because there's a stark difference. We are still open to hearing other views and debating other views. We understand that we can't all agree. But we should all hear each other out. Because in that discussion and in that debate, is how we create things for the better. Absolutely. So we can disagree without being disagreeable. Without being disagreeable, without being exact. You said there's this program I host on TV, Lego Stalks at 1.3 FM on radio rather. And it got to a point where when I started the program, some people called it. And they said to me, you have your breath of fresh air. What was it? Is it breath of fresh air? Breath of fresh air. Breath of fresh air. That's the point. That you allow people to hear their views without nudging them in a particular direction. And I think that's why, like you said, when we draw the line, there is no drawing the line. The cancel culture is wrong. Call out is better. Call out is pointing at what you're doing wrong. The cancel culture is more like stifling, oppressing, bullying, limiting, they are judging. Limiting someone's ability to even think along a particular line. Because you don't need to agree with me. But there might be sense to what I'm saying. And when we're younger, you hear, what you're saying makes sense, but I don't agree with you. Yes. It's simple. That's absolutely. And that's independent thinking. That's part of education. What education should do is allow you to have your own opinion. But then be sensible and intelligent enough to take over those opinions. And not agree with it and still not fight them. Exactly. All right. On last week's episode, on the issue of special needs children in the Nigerian location system, great adventure book says, teachers need to learn how to reach every child, irrespective of how the child learns. That's the size of the show today. Join us again next week on another edition of The Advocate. The Advocate continues on our social media platforms and Facebook, plus TV Africa, hashtag The AdvocateNG, and Instagram, at plusTVAfrica, hashtag The AdvocateNG. So catch up with previous broadcasts, go to plusTVAfrica.com, slash The AdvocateNG. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel, plusTVAfrica. Join us next week, same time, on this station. Let's keep advocating for a better society. Bye-bye now.


I'm Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers from the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon and I think the key to evangelization is the parable of the sower. You know Jesus talks about there's a God that goes out with a some season he throws the seeds and some land on rocky soil some land on thorny soil some land on sandy soil the weeds come and choke it the birds come and take it and some land on good soil where the seed lands that's not our issue our job is to be faithful and throw the seeds why because when the seed of faith lands on that person's heart it's the Holy Spirit that has to till the soil of that person's heart to give it water and sunlight and fertilizer and allow to see the faith to grow you can't do that only God can do that our job is to be faithful and throw the seeds how do we do that first of all by understanding that evangelization is all about the encounter with Jesus Christ at the end of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass we hear the Deacon say go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life get out of here you just received Jesus in the Eucharist now go out there in the world and be Eucharist to the world let people see and encounter Jesus Christ first and foremost through you because that's when they first meet Jesus everybody thinks I'll introduce him the father I'll introduce him some holy person no Jesus gave you you are baptized you received those gifts of the Holy Spirit and confirmation nourish and strengthened by the Eucharist that's where they encounter Christ the problem is we think that evangelization means I have to have this devastating argument if I give these five proofs of St. Thomas Aquinas if I give him a Scott Han CD if I give him this if I just do these things then they'll be converted wrong answer that all we have to do is plant the season we give an example I was doing theology on tap and the bartender you know I asked a rhetorical question I said how many of you would give your kids drugs and alcohol and everybody laughed except the bartender said I would and I thought he's trying to help me I'm like okay man I have to talk to you after we're done and so we finish and I pack it up the guy goes hey I thought we're gonna talk about this I'm like what I said what who put person at right mind would give the kids drugs and alcohol he says like when I do the shrooms man I said you mean you ingest hallucinogenic mushrooms yeah there's like this entity man there's this spiritualness out there man I want to feel connected to it so I drive through this beautiful place and I go into the to the woods and I sit down I eat the mushrooms and I get high and I feel connected to the universe and I said you know what I could appreciate that so what you're saying is that there's something out there beyond yourself that you want to connect to and the way you do that is you drive to a beautiful place you go and sit down you eat these mushrooms you get high you feel connected with whatever is out there to entity the universe and with everything around you he said yeah man I said you know what let me tell you do this Catholics we also feel as something out there beyond ourselves we call him God and when we want to encounter this God we also go to a beautiful place it's called church and when we're in the church we don't eat mushrooms we receive the Eucharist which is the body and blood soul divinity of the God that we are encountering and when we we don't get high but we're connected with God of the universe and when we're connected with him we're one with him and with all these other people around us he was like yeah man I was like yeah man and then I got out of there you know before you asked anything else but but that's the key meeting people where they are so that the key is once you that person encounters Christ the next thing is okay how do I get this person to want to listen to more of what I have to say it's not about winning an argument how do I get that person to go deeper in their walk with Jesus Christ


Hi everybody, welcome to today's barns takeout. My name is Amy Gillette. I'm a collections researcher here at the foundation and today I'm going to go with you up to room number 21 at the barns to look at what's definitely one of our more unusual objects, this so-called portable oil lamp down here on the floor between these two and irons. And before we do a deeper dive into that object, I would like to take a sec to think with you about its place in the gallery, a display which I should note Albert Barns head personally arranged and remains exactly as he left it. And I'm going to read to you a passage that he actually himself wrote once he started to seriously collect metalworks in the middle of the 1930s. And barns wrote that antique ironwork exhibited alongside the paintings has two purposes. First, the motifs such as arabesque patterns etc discernible in a picture have their analog sometimes a very close one in the ironwork. Second, we regard the creators of antique wrought iron just as authentic and artist as Titian, Renoir or Cézanne. And so what we've got here is him really upholding the art of metal working and asking us to look for formal analogs in the objects and pictures that surround it. And so say looking at the main vessel of the lamp maybe we can see its sinuous forms in this reclining nude up here by Amadeus Modigliani. Maybe we can even see again the kind of wavy pattern in the flame around the Renoir. And then sometimes I like to think about thematic connections as well like with this being a lamp something that involved fire maybe looking at this biblical image of the three Hebrews in the fiery furnace or over here with thinking about the lamp's light the transfiguration of Jesus Christ where he's radiating divine light and I do think it's rather nice that the lamp stands between these two and irons down here. And so you know kind of having looked at its place in the gallery that gives us a place to start looking closer at our object itself. So here let's head on in now. Okay so what we've got is a lamp standing on mounted on top of a turtle down here. You can see got maybe a little smile on his face scales three little toes on each foot. The shell is subdivided up and each of the little like cells in the shell has this square with a dot in the middle and then there's this stem that's mounted on this little square base made up of four kind of squarish twisted twisted rods that as you go up get like narrower and twistier and then once we get to the lamp up here which I have maybe some doubts that it would have been functional but we've got the body of the lamp and then over here the little man who seems to be hairy hanging with his hands clasped around the nozzle his head is kind of affixed to it up here. His shape the shape of his body nicely echoes kind of an opposite the shape of the spout and he's got one leg affixed on its underside and then the other kind of dangling or kicking and then his companion on the other side is this dragon also scaly like the turtle below and it has its forepaws out and it's got these these wings that fold around the body of the lamp and then a kind of corkscrew tail over here that very nicely echoes the twisted rods of the stem and then on top we have another motif which seems to be acting as a handle of a snake all curled up in the sort of O shape and that refers to a mythological motif called an oroboros which means a serpent swallowing its own tail. Now how on earth do we make sense of this kind of wild and wonderful lamp? I think I ought to start by saying that we believe that it's actually made it's an assembly of unrelated fragments put together at an unknown time and we don't actually know where or when Dr. Barnes acquired it but I might want to think about its symbolism and look in terms of first of other lamps and then what it's iconographic elements between the turtle, the man, the dragon and the oroboros what they might what they all might mean together. So to look at lamps I tried very hard but could not find any very close analogues to ours and certainly non-identical but it does seem to be echoing imitating the forms of older oil lamps such as this Byzantine one oh and I should have noted by the way that generally they would have burned olive oil it seems where this one likewise has a stand in this case it stands on a tripod and then we've got this sort of receptacle I suppose for catching spilled oil we've got the main body of the lamp and then on top of it we have this little canopy on its lid you can see the hinge for it to go like up and down right over here and it looks just like the kind of canopy you'd find over an altar in a Byzantine church and indeed you might notice as well this Christian cross back here and so maybe this lamp would have been used in church rituals in Byzantium and symbolically it could refer to say the leading spiritual light of Christ such as we saw in that picture of the transfiguration at the barns and I also was very happy to learn that strangely shaped lamps were no rarity and while we don't see other combinations of you know dragons and men and auroboroi I found that the Romans had a particular predilection for foot shaped lamps as we see here where the vessel is shaped as a foot in a sandal and then the strap of the sandal becomes a nozzle and we've got this bird kind of cosily resting at the top here and so I suppose that we have kind of we're seeing history of shaped lamps maybe for just pleasure maybe for symbolism and so with that having been said I'd like to think a little bit more closely about the potential symbolism of ours so starting with the auroboros actually this motif of a serpent eating its own tail it was something that seems to have originated in Egypt first known instance actually on the tomb of King Tut to symbolize the cyclical nature of time of the seasons of rebirth renewal and as it passed through say Greek mythology for instance got to be kind of again more broadly conceived in terms of say repetition or later the eternal return and within the practice and practice in theory of alchemy as a kind of predecessor to chemistry that kind of tried to harness the forces of nature in order to overcome them say in for instance in the process of turning baser materials into that proverbial cold that the auroboros could be associated with the patterns of material change and so we've got the alchemist over here working away in his lab he has this big glass alchemical vessel that's on fire to precipitate the change and then right in here we've got the rather I think annoyed looking auroboros in this case a dragon eating its own tail and its self-breathing fire and then over here I'm going to show you another very similar picture where we've got in this case the auroboros is a snake again in fire telling us that this is the sublimation phase of chemical change and then I did find as well something I'd not realized that the auroboros would show up in Hindu mythology and here is a picture of the Hindu conception of the structure of the cosmos where I wanted to bring this in because as you can see it features a turtle as the base of the cosmos on which we see say elephants and then the dome of the earth with other strata up here like clouds and then the entire thing is surrounded by the auroboros and I think it is less likely maybe that whoever kind of cobbled together our lamp was making reference to say Hindu mythology but I suppose you just can't know but to go with that to think about it even if it is really kind of our own interpretation to think of it at the barns all right so there we are again in the gallery and so if we're looking at our lamp you know just maybe we've got some kind of comment on the alchemical process driven by human beings harnessing the forces of nature in order to create chemical change using say the forces of fire and light and I think that given barns's aesthetic stance on metalwork as well as his background as a chemist I think he would have particularly would have particularly appreciated that kind of interpretation and to close I'm going to read you a passage from an aesthetic writing on the art of metalworking that barns may well have been familiar with and I think certainly would have agreed with regardless and so this is called on the preeminent dignity of the arts of fire written by a Frenchman named Paul Valerie and so Valerie wrote among all the arts I know of non more adventurous more uncertain and thus more noble than the arts that invoke fire that they impose under the most dramatic aspect close combat between man and form their essential agent fire is also the greatest enemy no sooner had man tamed fire subjugated its heat and threw it metal creating tools arms and utensils than he diverted it to shape for himself objects of contemplation and pleasure and so you know with all that said I hope that this lamp today has um has brought you contemplation and hopefully pleasure as well so thank you so much for watching and that's it for today's takeout I'm Tom Collins new Bauer family executive director of the barns foundation I hope you enjoyed barns takeout subscribe and make sure your post notifications are on to get daily servings of art thanks for watching and for your support of the barns foundation


outside Africa an Australian sailor who spent three months adrift with his dog in a catamaran less than 10 meters inland has been explaining why he set sail across the Pacific Ocean and what went wrong. Timothy Shardegard quits his corporate job to Yerzalea and move to Mexico to pursue his dream of sailing solo across the ocean. The 54-year-old needed a place to live and he liked their isolation. When he arrived in Mexico in June 2020, he arrived in Livvoi while in San Miguel de Allende, a colonial town popular with foreign tourists.  In an interview he described his thoughts on the day he set sail. There's one moment where you know you're going and it's most likely that you will not stop and I remember that day very well and because once you hit the Pacific the wind and the current is behind you it's one way you cannot come back. It was very good sailing on that full moon. The boat was moving fast, it was a clear night, the winds were strong. You know I could just I was amazed how the boat moved and it felt so good like to sail under that moon in perfect direction. Hello, hope you enjoyed the news. Please do subscribe to our YouTube channel and don't forget to hit the notification button so you get notified about fresh news updates.


of farms that would not pass that have not passed that couldn't so I would like to see that word protected uh and its integrity kept intact with that said Vermont's hemp program does allow those folks that are certified to forego pesticide testing and I would love it if that is something that the state would consider because the cost of testing is probably one of the biggest things I think that's going to ding people and I don't think they realize how much it is it's a lot a full panel test is about $740 out of state and so keeping that consumer protection would be great but this might also be a way to incentivize people to get into a program to have some sort of reduced testing but increased scrutiny in other areas and it's kind of a kind of a balancing act in a sense so I know we've modeled some of this off the hemp program this would be something that I would love to also possibly see and part of it is you know going back to clean green who I work for and have been certified through they do test for 118 different compounds before you even get a certification unlike the USDA and unlike NOFA who don't test for anything this is a little bit of more consumer protection it also protects the farmer knowing that what they're planting in is clean before they get into it so those were my main comments and thank you for your time as always and I appreciate all your efforts and I highly appreciate this meeting and all the efforts that you have done to help the small guy get into this market thank you thanks Matt so I don't see anyone else with their hand raised there we have a number of people who joined via the phone if uh if you joined via phone and would like to make a comment please hit star six to unmute yourself and we'll just try and manage if multiple people comment one so I see seven eight one nine three nine five three yep hi everybody this has been mervis calling in by phone today thank you for the meeting and I just want to say you know I'm glad that we're hearing from so many legacy although I know that some folks don't like that term but uh legacy cultivators I think that you all are doing an excellent job keeping in mind something that I I think needs to be balanced which is the needs of these cultivators but also the needs of the consumers who maybe are not currently buying cannabis because they're looking for a little bit more assurance and safety when it comes to lab tests I think that it's a great opportunity for these cultivators for for us to prove to an entirely new customer base that Vermont growers have such high standards particularly when it comes to the safety of the flower I also wanted to add in to the conversation about social media great comments so far the specific policy that I've seen as best practice from operators in current markets and even from other comparable industries is that we not be allowed to show the products being used that is a big one that often makes it into policies so that we can show the quality of the flower but there is certainly a line as as much as I love and a lot of people have seen my work I love to shoot somebody smoking a joint but it's not strictly necessary for showing off the quality of the flower and attracting people to the market so that is some language that could be included to go way back to the beginning of the the meeting I wanted to thank board member Halberg for uh seemingly taking the lead on this peer networking among social equity and economic empowerment candidates um one topic that I would definitely suggest to be included in the roster there is banking and other professional services um as we already heard from the Mr. Z group today uh I wanted to go to a note that Kyle uh board member Harris had made about incubation for cultivators and it was a really poignant point about uh how we want the industry to look and uh Kyle I want you to know that you were heard with that and I think that from again the customer standpoint that's very important um we've seen in the established markets that I've worked in that there is a certain amount of marketing that needs to go into these sales in particular to attracting new customers to the market which will bring us to the valuation that is being placed on it um and it does take a certain amount of spin to when you're being transparent about the quality of the product to talk about it being grown in a basement or in a spare room um so I do think that cultivators who are doing that certainly meaning no offense to them but it would be helpful to think about how they could grow and progress into a more professional setting that makes their products that much more marketable and that much more saleable to customers um I also think that uh sorry I lost my thought there um oh I also just wanted to say on that note I think that there are certain incentives that the board has already put in place in terms of providing incubation space so hopefully there's a certain amount of that that will already shake out per your comment Kyle um that folks will will offer these professional commercial spaces to cultivators who realize they would like to grow out of their their smaller space um I also just wanted to my last point going with uh chairperson uh pepper's point about retail receiving from cultivators it sounded like there there's a lot here for you all to work out I just wanted to call to attention that it definitely is an interest supply chain topic with cultivators who might be supplying flower in bulk to product manufacturers or to wholesalers who are also able to prepare the flower for the general market when it comes to these packaging that it might be as simple as a a simple it might be as simple as saying that the cultivator just has to have a contract or an arrangement somewhere in the supply chain that accounts for x y and z being the testing the testing results the batch numbers all this um and the that just putting the the cultivator is required for making sure that that is taken care of once it leaves their hands if they don't have to send it out the door that way themselves um so thank you for bearing with me on that and have a great rest of your week thanks so much for the time thanks Ben so anyone else who joined via the phone um feel free to hit star six to unmute yourself i'll just give it a minute there hi can you guys hear me yep hi it's jesse with old growth organic um i'm at an airport so would you if an announcement goes off just because that's what it is um thank you guys for putting this on i haven't been able to catch every detail uh i've been traveling for my jaw um but i as i've been kind of growing with you guys in my dream have been taking off on its own i my partner and i are arriving in a position where we might end up with like a five thousand square foot um and opportunities are just being presented to us as a family because of networking and um just because i guess it's the way it's supposed to go but i am still keeping to our foundation here which is the reason we started this was because it was the skill my partner had for the past decade plus in the legacy market and we want to be with family um so that's what this is all about for us is we want to run a farm a cannabis farm but also you know a sustainable property for our family and our community that we end up in um and so i just wanted to plant the seed i was so shocked that someone else had talked about the family aspect of this just a few um commented out so i was really excited about that i was kind of sharing in my little seed over here um so i don't know what we can do with that i'm i'll think about it but i just wanted to make note of it as we're growing i guess um you know we're not qualifying for this small cultivator uh breaks anymore um and i'm just imagining being regulated at our home um so a lot of this you know we just have to roll with and see what's up but i just wanted to put it in your guys's mind like maybe there's something maybe we can work with this somehow like if it's a family business um because that's what we want that's like one of our pillars in our mission here is to involve the community um and to help people find a living wage makes um you know provide skill training and all of these things like that's what it's about for us so i don't know i'll ponder these things and um see where it goes but thank you guys for your work and um i will talk to you again next time thanks jesse um anyone else who joined via the phone um star six to unmute yourself if you'd like to make a comment glenn i do see your hand raised in the in these meetings we don't generally have repeat commenters um so if you have something you'd like to kind of add on to what you said already please feel free to email us um and uh you know our email address is all over the website got it thanks yeah thanks glenn hi can you hear me yeah so just want to uh echo what Amelia said about being able to utilize clones um it's very important you know there are people who have been phenyl hunting certain you know certain strains certain phenotypes for a while now and they would like to be able to use those clones growing from seed is great but actually expressed yesterday it is expensive but you know also the fact that there are certain varieties out there that are clone only and um you know it's important that it's important that we're able to utilize that method thank you thank you so i don't see any other public comments um so uh unless someone joins in the next you know a few seconds here i think um we'll um close out the meeting i did want to just mention briefly that our official public comment period on rules three and four um officially opens on wednesday um and runs till at least um the 25th of february again we staggered the filing of our rules um focusing on the ones that are most important for early adoption and so um you know any comments that anyone's made about rules three and four to date um we the board will consider but the official comment period opens on wednesday um so um with that um i don't the we're through the agenda do you have any concluding thoughts for today there's a lot to revisit but yep that was a good meeting thanks everybody for your comments and we're getting there great all right well i'll um adjourn the meeting then thank you


Ruben and Judy. First let me say and I want to repeat the lovely words of Oliver who said Ruben, you are an inspiration. Please give him a big clap. Overcome all the human challenges and has not stopped. Give him another clap. I met Ruben last year during our interesting election fight. And among the aspirants that were being cast aside I want to tell you he was my most adult partner. We went to the end no matter what. Give him another clap.  I tell you and Julie I agree with you about three four hours. You call me at one in the morning to tell me you know there's something I found here and there about this petition over as a strategist. The man just kept moving and kept fighting and I must say it was an honor. It may have been late in our life but it has been a great honor knowing you Ruben. I know that from now until whenever God decides to call us we shall be in this world fighting the cause of the Kenyan people. Our former CJ I want to call him Professor I think he is a bishop and Imam and a wish doctor at the same time. It's good to see him here. Carry on the good fight. But you can see what you left in the judicial is not what it is today. What you began under the new constitution is not what it is today. Let us be honest and sincere with ourselves. We have a great constitution but its implementers have been the greatest disappointment you can imagine especially since you left Kwanazitia. We have seen disappointment after disappointment and the rights that I know you and I know each other for many minutes. The rights that you have championed over the years in civil society are being squashed every day. Governor Kibwana I am sure you will attest to that. We have been squashed every single day here. We are in a situation where we must look at ourselves again and I love the fact Ruben that this book is opening up chapters in our lives and our history that many and I am sorry to say this Damsung does not want us to open I am sorry our former colonial masters do not like us visiting the history ever since they came here in 1890 on this continent. They keep telling me many times that I raised it that you know yeah get over it get over it it came it has passed let us move on but when you hear the Jews talk about the Holocaust do you hear anybody saying get over it why should we get over it we must stop hitting ourselves we must start loving ourselves and loving ourselves starts by knowing who we are exactly where we came from because before they came here we did have a civilized society we did have religion we did have honor and glory and customs they came and named us even the religions you are talking about or the tribes you are talking about we did not name ourselves not the names we have today anyway they came and named us they divided us they parted us so we were one people somewhere some time ago and it's also good to hear the question that came from the song from this lovely Lingala music the question was when when we become black when we become black anthropology is telling us every single name that we were all black in fact people became white in the process of time we all came from the gorilla and the orangutan we are all our genealogy is the same so what is the difference it was a new Caucasian that started somewhere and I can tell you it was just a simple conquest agenda people did not want to fight anymore where they were and they decided this is the place to reign and to separate us, divide us and come and take from us this colonization has not stopped it has not stopped it is perpetuating and there is a new one coming and we must be very careful about it it is a new one coming and this new one is revolving around green energy it is revolving around green energy we must not allow it to penetrate us we must take the reins of our resources and we must take the reins of our resources and it must be about us first this time not others let us not forget who we are let us love each other and loving each other is the beginning that I believe Ruben is doing here understanding where we come from understanding our own lives first before anybody else thank you Ruben I want to also say that I take on my Muwanimu's challenge Alfred for those who don't know he was my Swahili teacher and I think we had about how many lessons did we have we didn't even have many lessons so why do you want to learn from me you already know this language Alfred was one of the best doctors to my Swahili Muwanimu was such a son na shkuri ma name Alfred he's not only a lover of music but a lover of Swahili the man I mean I really I don't know he must do poetry my brother because you really have mastered the language now in light of that I will take on your challenge we must turn this book into our language and I want to do that today so on the final of the foundation 200,000 shillings 200,000 shillings 200,000 shillings towards going to turn this book into Swahili you can collect it even tomorrow this is something we would like to see and we want this book spread everywhere Asante Nisana, God bless you let's appreciate Honour Boy June 21


The paper provides a step-by-step introduction to interpreting decision-curve analysis, which is used to evaluate prediction models and diagnostic tests, by re-labeling the y-axis as benefit and the x-axis as preference, and recommending a model or test for clinical use if it has the highest level of benefit across a range of clinically reasonable preferences. This article was authored by Andrew J. Vickers, Ben van Kolster and you, W. Steyerberg.


The scene of the crime is presented by Billy Johnson Jr. Attorney-at-Law. Today on The Scene of the Crime, we take a look back at three unsolved cases covered in 2017 that remain unsolved. First, the case of Clancy Adkins. In February of this year, Adkins was fatally shot in his home on Coon Branch of Island Creek in Pike County. He has a mother that's 77, and she's really sick, you know. Someone needs to come forward. I'd hate for her to die, you know, and not knowing who killed him and why.  One's three years old, and that's all she talks about. And it's just hard, you know, not knowing who done this.  They don't think he even means anything, but, you know, it might mean something. Next, the case of Glenburke Keith Osborn, who went missing over a decade ago and has yet to be found. March of 2006, Post-9 receives a call from the family of Glenburke Keith Osborn reporting and missing. You know, we had our detectives, I think some of our troopers went out, run that timeframe. We located Mr. Osborn's vehicle and went to Plaza here in Colrun. During that timeframe, a lot of people was interviewed. And, you know, at this point, we believe there is people that's still around who can assist us on this case. However, for whatever reason, they haven't came forward as of now. Finally, the murder of Billy J. Hall of Mud Creek in Floyd County. November 5th, 2015, family members located Billy J. Hall at his residence in Branham Creek area of Mud Creek in Floyd County. He was unresponsive and called EMS, EMS determined that he was actually deceased. And when the coroner arrived, it appeared that there was some foul play. If you have any information about any of these cases, please contact Kentucky State Police Post-9 at the number on your screen. Reporting in Pikeville, I'm Polly Hopkins for EKB News.


TLO what's poppin? We are on kick KIC K dot com That's why I stream everything live when I go live if you happen to miss it This is where the highlights will be We are not live right now. So you can leave a like comment subscribe turning a post notification bells Let's continue to grow the family from Chicago to the UK Don't forget we do got the merch Appreciate those who have purchased and I still appreciate those who have not but you know supporting any other way they can Yeah, okay, we got the patreon. This is a up-to-date list of everything that's on there and We got the discord make sure you're part of the discord man all the links to this is down in the description This ain't funny, but it's out of the thumbnail look funny to me Oh Chases woman into house on ring doorbell. Yeah now this I didn't read the title. This is not funny at all But look how desperate men are How desperate do you got to be to chase a woman into her home, bro? Y'all in the UK just go to France or something go to go to the red light district or something That's not in France. That's in that's in somewhere else, but like go there's options No, I'm saying you don't go quench your thirst some other way. This is I'm this ain't it Big dog. Oh, yeah, this is the merge by the way Joining me today in this story comes from Halston CCTV shows the moment that a man chases a woman that he doesn't know inside her home and tries to smash his way into her property This was caught on ring doorbell footage and for many years I've covered stories about the dangers that opposed to women and also cases where women have been killed by strangers in the street And this is a rare example of actually seeing it in reality for what it really Do it's clearly off some type of so I don't even know But this is I tell y'all all the time when we watch in police interceptors Doors are underrated Doors keep you away from people like this Keeps people out of your house. They're very severely underrated. Make sure you got you a good door is as well And how terrifying it must have been for the victim Look at this threat look at this guy Hall of fame pervert like what are what are you doing? Strength attributes are at zero can't kick down the door, but thank God. That's a good door This is a nice house, too They got a little brick thing right here like dude, like at this point the police have been called Yeah, buddy, you're on camera not the they got two cameras Like at this point Brody has no care about going to jail or anything because he's been at it for a minute At least the police have definitely been called and this is the UK. You're right So they're probably around the corner You're hitting it with a bike lot.  I know we're you know, I like to compare it to Chicago But if this is in Chicago, well, we call this is a free KILL a free one Take it.  He's as good as unalived All over the took is one kick at my front door. I would open the door with that fire and put it right on them And that's perfectly legal to do you got a right in America to protect your home The what second amendment first amendment say one of them. It would have been feathers and BLO od everywhere And this is another reason why I'm I'm I Don't get glass doors. I would never have a glass door on the front of my house or on the back In the UK, you should be able to defend your home at all cost something Yeah, that's a free one, that's a free that's a handout. Thank you Add it to the total Look, I'm telling you as soon I would have been on the ring camera on my phone 17 with the beam and the flashlight on the other side and I would have put the beam the light and tactical mode Where it's flashing as soon as he would have went to kick that door. I would have opened it He would have ran right into a nine millimeter hollow point. I swear to god He would have ate that Right here The victim was on FaceTime to a friend when she was randomly attacked by goali Stainze who was 22 years old on the 26th of february 2023 in holster, northwest london She was so scared. She managed to flee into a stranger's home who bravely provided shelter for her The footage was taken on two cameras one at the side of the house and the other above the door It shows stanzé taking long run-ups to try to kick down the door And when this doesn't work, he smashes one of the cameras using a demon and then uses it to smash the glass inside the front of the door The homerun is heard inside screaming Christ and stanzé smashes the door for another minute Towards the end of the video a police officer arrives and said we did our best to find him and we chased after him But we couldn't find him. Yeah So where the dog's at? Where else all that technology are we having dogs? You know, I'm saying helicopters drones officer then goes on to this guy's still free No, this woman is living and walking every time Petrified she can't even Playing that there was a large event going on at wembley stadium and there was limited police in the area The homeowner did an interview with the newspapers and said that she kept on being given a different time of arrival for the police And she said that i'm traumatized. It was so slow and they took forever to turn up Stanzé was arrested on march the first three days after police were first called to reports that he had assaulted two people And also damaged vehicles in the location He has since pled guilty to aggravated bodily harm and two counts of criminal damage And this means the horrifying footage can now be released And this story definitely shows the real reality of it and the dangers that are posed to women every single day So i'd really appreciate it if you shared this story and leave a comment below on your thoughts and ways to obviously improve safety for What's wrong with this? I mean every single day on the streets of the uk Please don't forget to like comment share and subscribe and follow on social media as well at scarcity studios I'll be back again very shortly with some more news I'd say what i had to say man, tell all of you like comment subscribe turn your post thumb down


Hey everybody, Christopher here from jaspyscasebreaks.com and it is time that we open up our 2023 hit parade holiday multi-sport edition and this is actually that jaspys exclusive ten box case break. Yeah so it's going to be case break number four and in case you are wondering this is what's going on. Look at this all the players that are in on it and we want to thank everybody who is able to come in on this one. So the 30 spots double them up because we have to get to 60 players. Everybody is going to get two players. So good luck and these are the 60 players that you could potentially get. What does the dice tell us to roll? The dice tells it a one and a one a two. Alright something that hasn't happened to me before. Is it called that snake eyes? And here we go. Good luck everybody randomizing it one and two so you can see right here you got two and this is where it randomized that let me just copy all these names and put them on this sheet. Now what about the players that you could potentially get from Aaron Judge all the way to Zion Williamson. We got to do what the dice tells us to do that is two one and good luck everyone two. And for someone like this just pretty much print out the sheet and they can see who they got or go down by their whole entire 60 list. Practice. Okay gotcha. Here we go. And then it is going to go here. There we go. And put this at about 150 so they can see it. Alright so Tristan with Brock Purdy, Cameron with Chris Olave, Josh with Aaron Jones, Chad with Justin Herbert, Jason Kaye, Austin Riley, Alan Matzoo with Shohei, Logan with Kyler, Anthony, William Saro with Tyreek Hill, James with CD Lam, Tristan with Tua my guy, James with Christian McCaffrey, William with Juan Soto, Ryan with Drake London, Eugene with Ronald Acuna, Tristan with AJ Brown, Ryan with Amon St. Brown and then Josh Allen will be going to Joseph Park. Chad with T Higgins, Damien with George Pickett, James Connell with Lamello Ball, Ryan Hines with Tyrese Halliburton, Chad Bright, Garrett Wilson, Joseph Park, Trey Young, Damien Lee Grant is going to be getting a Fernando Tattis Jr., James with Devonte Smith, Ryan with Zion, James with Pete Alonso, Logan with Chet Holmgren, Ryan with Jordan Alvarez, Alan with Anthony Davis, Chaim with Jose Altuve, Alexander Warpin with Aaron Judge, James with Julio Rodriguez, James again with Bo Bichette, Josh S with Mike Trout, Barry Roberts with Jalen Waddle and then CEO Akram with Donovan Mitchell, Ryan with Bam Adebayo and then we have Akram with Sangoon, we have Alexander with Kevin Durant, Chad Wright, Charles Barkley, Barry Roberts, Jamal Murray, Chale with Ali Rushman, James Connell with SGA and then we have Cameron with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and then Don Kuhn with Anthony Richardson, James Connell with Breece Hall, Jason K is going to be with Brandon Ayu, Justin Jefferson goes to Jason K as well. Luke gets Anthony Edwards, Jason K gets Evan Mobley, James gets Alvin Kamara, Luke gets Steph Curry and then James gets Nikola Jokic, Ryan gets RJ Barrett and Ryan with Jamar Chase, Dong gets Jalen Hurt, James gets Franz Wagner and Eugene caps it off with Manny Machado. Alright, so if any of you happen to want to do a trade, you now have a trade window and that starts now. You will have 30 seconds. Alright, trade window is closed and now it is the moment you've all been waiting for. Hey, congratulations everybody who's in on this. I hope you all get something that you like and once again, this is what we're working with. So, good luck everybody and it is time for us to flip the screen. Here we go. So we can get to break in. Check this out. Look at that. Jaspie's hit parade. Hi everybody. As you can all see right now, we have a total of the ten boxes from that entire case. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Here we go. Good luck folks. I hope you get something that you like. This is really quick. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Who's it gonna be? Now we have first card, Alperin Singoon. Houston Rockets. This is the Jaspie's hit parade. Yeah, so this is cool. Like PSA 10 and this one for the Rockets. Let's see. Alperin Singoon is gonna be going to... Singoon, Singoon, Singoon. To COA Chrome. There we go. Congratulations on this one. Life's gonna be a lot easier if you alphabetize by player. Got it. You can find them pretty quickly. There we go. All right. Alperin Singoon. That's a cool hit. Moving on to our next one. Nice Tristan. Was this card better? Was the other one better that you've seen so far? I like it though. It's a clean looking card. Awesome that it's a PSA 10. We have a ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten. That was about the same. Wow. 2022 Cosmic Chrome. Yordan Alvarez. Gold interstellar refractor. PSA 10. 14 out of 50. And Yordan is gonna be going to... Ryan. All right. Congratulations on this one. I'll just keep... I'm gonna fix the printer here. Of course the printer would just do this as we're trying to have fun. I feel you, Jim. I feel you, Tristan. It's a polarizing player.  So here we go everybody. Who do we have here? And it is going to be PSA 10 2022 Snake Skin Prism in the 49ers uniform. Christian McCaffrey. Sweet card. That's Snake Skin Prism. PSA 10. McCaffrey. Ball it out this season. Wow. Like this is sweet. James... James Connell. And James Connell. This is awesome. This one going to... It is a nice hit. Congratulations to James Connell. Yeah, we do have two James. But this one is going to Connell. The box is now empty. Moving on. Here we go. That's true. Appreciate that pointer, Tristan. That's what I'm actually gonna do now. I thought about it and I was like, yeah, these cards are huge. And this little card hider. Yeah, it doesn't do justice. But this does. Who do we have here? Franz Wagner. 43 out of 88. Impeccable. Rookie. That's sweet. What a nice card. And Franz Wagner is going to be going to... to... James Connell. All right. James Hitton. A lot of sirens today. They know they're about to be some big hits coming. It's a hit parade, baby. Here we go. Let's see who this is. The upside down. The upside down. Let's see who it is. Wow. Legacy. Futures. Auto. Colts. Anthony Richardson. Rookie right there. This one is going to be going to... Don. Don Kuhn. 182 out of 249. Definitely a sick and beautiful card right there. Well, that's nice. Everybody, let's keep this going. What are you all hoping for? Let's speak it into existence right now. Go. Maybe we speak it into existence. It comes true. You know, just throwing it out there. Ooh. This box says that it is one out of 100. Maybe it comes with some good luck being the first box. Is there any... a party, Tristan? All right. Good luck. That would be pretty cool to see. And what do we have here? Imagine. The MVP for the NL, Ronald Acuna Jr. 30 out of 99. Nice. This is going to be from 2019 Top's Triple Threads Baseball. This is that single jumbo rally right there. Beautiful. You can see. 30 out of 99. Beautiful card. Ronald Acuna Jr. is going to be going to Eugene. All right. Congratulations. Down to our final four. Let's dance. Yeah, Jim, he is decent in baseball. What do you guys think about Mike Trout not being traded by the Angels? That they 100% want to keep him. Our next hit will be... Our next hit is... Thunder. Auto. Kevin Durant. Wow. There's a card you don't see every day. Him in the Thunder jersey. This is, well, totally certified from 2013. Feel bad. He may never win a championship. Tristan, you talking about Kevin Durant? Will he win two of the Warriors? Or are you just saying he won't win a championship with Phoenix? Because if that's your statement, I agree. Okay, Kevin Durant right here. Oh, Trout. Yeah. Yeah, Trout definitely isn't going to win a championship with... Even though they have a new manager who's pretty cool. They still got to put pieces around him. And this Kevin Durant is going to be going to Alexander Weprin. Nice. Final three. I don't know. I'm just getting nervous for you guys right now. I just feel like I want to see some cool hits. And I appreciate everyone who is watching right now. Thank you for being in on this. Any predictions where Otani goes, everyone? Hoping he goes for my squad. I'm hoping he comes out here. I know, right? That's what scared me, Rex. Otani said he's going to hold it against people if he announces that they had meetings with him. But you know what? It's the winner meetings. The Blue Jays announced that they had meetings with him. He had meetings with the Cubs, the Braves, the Dodgers. But he didn't give away like what the deal was about. So maybe that's what he meant. So we'll see what happens. This is a red shimmer. Tyreek Hill. Wow. 2022. Tyreek Hill going to William. Look at that PSA 10. This is my squad. 25 out of 35. What a cool card. Nice. Be honest, I don't think any team is technically out on Otani. I think they're just all getting a feel of like what's his mind at, where he wants to go. And because he would have signed by now if he already knew where he was going to. And I think right now it's just about his agent seeing where that price point can be driven up to. Hey, Tristan, I agree. Last box is Magic Double Down. Here we go. Let's speak into existence. Let's pull some fire out of this one. What's this one number two? 88, double infinity. Hey, Jim, you want to see him in San Fran? I just don't know what pieces are going to be in San Fran. Let's think about that one. Who do they really have? They got Logan Webb. But aside from power hitters that can help him and win now, they've got a decent pitching core.  What do we have here? 2017, Anthony Davis. Fundamentals, Red Shimmer. This one number? No, it's not number. Maybe it is and I just can't see it. Red Shimmer, PSA-9, Anthony Davis. New Orleans Pelicans. AD is going to be going to Alan M. Last box magic. So we've seen all of that. There's got to be something else that's epic. What kind of hit are we going to see right here? Please be something epic. Like I've been pulling some good stuff. Need a seedy lamb in a Devontae tour. Imagine that was actually coming out. Who knows, anything is possible. PSA speaking to existence. You just never know. Sometimes it can just happen. Feels like a graded card. It's a 10. PSA-10. 2022, Eleanor Ginter. Peter Lanzo, Otto. That's how we're going to end off this one. That Peter Lanzo Otto, PSA-10. Congratulations, this one is going to be going to James. Nice card. This is awesome. Nice, and that does it for our 2023 hit parade holiday multi-sport edition. Jaspy's exclusive 10 box. And yeah, I appreciate you, Jim. Thank you for that. And James definitely cooked on this one. So congratulations to everybody that got something that they liked. And I'll see you on the next video.