Petty Traders "New Trend " In Freetown Today

Do you remember 10 years ago what petty traders used to sound like, or look like? Remember the gentleman around St. John that sells the funny puffy doughnuts? For me, he was the most audible street hawker of my time. Even though what he sold was a mixture of flower and sugar deep fried in cooking oil, I always listened for his voice when passing through St John in the evenings or even buy some. I am referring to the musical “More” trader. “More!!! Buy More!!! If you pikin dae cry, gee am more” etc. I am not sure if he used to move from point to point, but St. John was the place I always saw him.

I don't hear him anymore, but the new trend of hawking goods in the city of Freetown got me mesmerized. If you haven't been to the central business district of P.Z or east end of Freetown lately, you will be too.

Local traders do their hawking with style, comedy, even technology.

I was unable to grab photos form the traders selling slippers, fashion junk etc. They have a microphone, with their voice recording, with continuous playback, advertising whatever merchandise is on display. 

The goods are displayed in either a tray or wheelbarrow; the petty trader sits quietly behind, waiting for passers by to enquire or even buy whatever they are selling.

Some of the messages that they broadcast are so hilarious!! One got stuck in head! "Nor wait tay you rival buy im yon bid! Get you yon first before e take you man” AH! I am not sure I want to translate that in English, it’s an inside Sierra Leonean joke and I wish to keep it that way.

As for comedy, I found the WINNER!! See pictures below.

Suited up for selling his "Ice!"Cart, Glasses, full body suit, music player, so that he could do a little performance for those who wish to buy or NOT...

The young man is comfortable being the clown in the midst of other traders :)

He is so proud of his job and doesn't mind posing for News Hunters

Petty traders are evolving. But will they ever move or be moved off the streets? 

Marvel John- Marvelycious

Internet Causes Madness..."Intermittent Explosive Disorder"

Some people overreact to happenings in their lives. You on the other side might conclude that they are maybe going through some stress - some unhappy incident that occurred in their little life or they are just crazy!  

Unfortunately, it's a medical condition that has affected their very human brain; a medical condition caused by spending too much time on the internet.

We spend so much time tied down to the internet that we forget how to live! Instead, we are consumed by these chat systems, social websites, etc., creating new, but disturbing personalities; personalities that are unhealthy and make our friends and families uncomfortable around us, due to our weird behaviours.

Thanks to my good friend who is into mental health. I was able to get my hands on her little medical research, which I will share with my readers, of course with her blessing.

Below is a severe case of a internet related syndrome, called Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED).

In the real world, IED is an impulse control disorder that can make a person act like you killed their family just because you mess up their orders. Maybe they asked for extra onions, or no ketchup or something along those lines, they are prone to fits of uncontrollable rage.

In real life, it affect not more than 6% of the people, but on the internet, you can run into such people, in almost every blog, chat room or places that have options for comments, everyday.  It only takes a simple cross word to trigger them off! 

A perfect example of this syndrome is below. Someone emailed an American congress man's office and accidentally referred to his assistant Elizabeth as "Liz". Watch out if you have a friend of the same name; I have two. The mention of LIZ instead of Elizabeth prompted an explosion of emails in which Elizabeth demanded that she be called by her full name.

From: XXX 

Sent: Friday, May 22, 2009 11:38 AM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: JPMC Meeting Request 

Elizabeth, Attached is a meeting request for JP Morgan Chase who will be in DC June 3rd-4th and would like to request a brief meeting with the Congressman.  Let me know if you need any additional information.  Thank you! 

Best, 

XXX

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:05 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Liz,  just checking in on whether the Congressman is available next week. [REDACTED] can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at [REDACTED].  Thank you! 

Best, 

XXX

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Importance: High Who is Liz? 

Elizabeth Becton 

Executive Assistant/Office Manager 

Office of Congressman Jim McDermott 

XXXX Longworth House Office Building 

Washington, DC 20515 

XXX phone 

XXX fax 

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:07 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, I thought you went by Liz - apologies if that is incorrect.

Best,

XXX

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:08 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

I do not go by Liz. Where did you get your information? 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:10 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I thought you had gone by Liz at Potlatch, this was my mistake.

Best,

XXX 

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:11 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

NEVER. I hate that name. 

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:13 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry if I offended you! I must have mis-heard. My mistake!

Best, XXX

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:20 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Importance: High XXX:  If I wanted you to call me by any other name, I would have offered that to you. I think it's rude when people don't even ask permission and take all sorts of liberties with your name. This is a real sore spot with me. My name has a lot of "nicknames" which I don't use. I use either my first name or my last name because I row with a lot of other women who share the same first name. Now, please do not ever call me by a nickname again.  As for your meeting request, who is the point of contact for this meeting? If it's not you, then I need to know who because it's very time-consuming to deal with a lot of people for one meeting.  Thanks.

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:23 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, I'm so sorry I offended you! My mistake!  XXX can confirm a meeting time for you - she is available at XXX XXXX.  Thank you!  Best, XXX 

[UNRELATED EMAILS REDACTED] 

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:33 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request  Of course! Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I must have mis-heard and it was in no way my intention to make you upset. I always enjoy working with you and seeing you at the WSS events J 

Best, 

XXX

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:37 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Sounds like you got played by someone who KNOWS I hate that name and that it's a fast way to TICK me off. Who told you that I go by that name? They are not your friend... 

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:38 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't want to cause trouble as I clearly must have mis-heard the person at Potlatch. It was in no way my intention to make you upset. 

Best, 

XXX 

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:41 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Importance: High I REALLY want to know who told you to call me that.

From: XXX 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 5:44 PM 

To: Becton, Elizabeth 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Hi Elizabeth, 

Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I don't recall who I overheard. It was in no way my intention to make you upset. 

Best, 

XXX 

From: Becton, Elizabeth 

Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 6:04 PM 

To: XXX 

Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request 

Let me put it this way, they don't know me and perhaps they were PRETENDING to know me better than they do and pretended that I go by Liz. They did YOU a disservice.  In the future, you should be VERY careful about such things. People like to brag about their connections in DC. It's a past time for some. It's also dangerous to eaves drop, as you have just found out.  Quit apologizing and never call me anything but Elizabeth again. Also, make sure you correct anyone who attempts to call me by any other name but Elizabeth. Are we clear on this? Like I said, it's a hot button for me. 

And please don't call the office and not leave a message. My colleague told me you called while I was away at the Ladies' room. I do sometimes leave my desk.

#END 

Does this sound like a similar occurrence in your life? I hope this never happen to me.

First, there's the obvious: Most of us suppress our real-life spurts of rage for fear of getting punched in the face by the person we're screaming at. Second, on the Internet, where your looks, job, income and fancy clothes won't buy you any respect, some people seem to think they have to protect their reputation.

But then there's the third, and least obvious reason, which is that without tone of voice and body language, it's hard to convey mere annoyance or mild anger, without the fear that the person you're conveying it to just plain won't notice. So they think they have to crank it up to a 10 every time they're crossed, even if they don't mean it.

That's probably the weirdest part that these people who are SCREAMING INSULTS IN ALL CAPS are often at the same time sitting in a cubicle somewhere, sipping coffee and conversing pleasantly with the person next to them.

MORE DISORDERS COMING UP!

By Marvel John (Marvelycious)

'Champion Minister' to be buried in his village

The corpse of the former Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Mohamed Daudis Koroma (Champion Minister) arrived at the Freetown International Airport in Lungi in the evening hours of Sunday 15th May 2011.

The former minister who died in London on Friday 29th April 2011 is expected to be given a biffiting burial on Tuesday 17th May 2011.

The late man would be buried in his Mathoir village in the Masiaka/Mile 91 Highway.

Family sources say the corpse would be laid at his former residence in Wellington in the morning hours, then at the APC party headquarters and later at the Miatta Conference Hall, prior to conveying it to the village for burial.

Government functionaries, members of the diplomatic and consular corp, journalists, friends and bereaved family members are all set to escort the corpse to Mathoir for a befitting burial.

He would be sorely missed by all. May his soul rest in peace

By Abdul Fonti

Mysterious Boy & Oldest Man in My Village

I was at my village, Kamakonie, in the Bombali District, over the weekend to grace the burial rite of an uncle, but the latest visit to my village ended in unearthing the mystery of a four-year old boy with extra-ordinary actions. I was also opportune to behold the oldest man in my village who is as strong as a youth.

This piece will serve as an opportunity to let you into some of the activities of this boy and man.

Patrick Samura, the four years old boy, commonly known as P.S, can eat more than anybody else in the village. Yes, he is the eating hero of my village.

In a bet display, P.S scoffed three (3) cups of cooked rice right in my presence to the surprise of many. This happened few hours (2pm) after he had eaten his lunch at 12pm.

Following his three cups rice eating competition, all attempts to restrain P.S from participating in another eating round proved unsuccessful. He actively ate from another bowl of rice with other boys.

I later learnt that P.S had earlier eaten a bowl of boiled cassava in the morning, prior to the rice he ate few minutes prior to the competition.

This is P.S’ usual eating rounds and nobody in the village has been able to unravel the mystery behind the boy’s eating spree, I learnt.

I need not comment on the looks of his stomach after consuming the three cups of rice, as the picture here speaks for itself.

The Mysterious PS after consuming three cups of rice

Pa Manso, 113 years old, is the oldest man in my village, and presumably the oldest in the country. He will attain age 114 this September 2011.

He is still physically fit with perfect eyesight. He has never in his entire life used glasses but can read comfortably.

He walks without being aided. Every morning, he walks three miles to work on his pepper farm.

Pa Manso visits the Wesleyan Hospital in Kamakwie every Wednesday for medical checkups and it would interest readers to know that the said hospital is eleven miles from his village; which means Pa Manso walks twenty two miles from and to his village every Wednesday.

His family members confirmed to me that Pa Manso has not complained illness for the past eight years.

The Author and Pa Manso

These are the mysterious events I unearthed in my village during my weekend visit. I was not told, I saw it myself.

By Aruna Turay

Why should I believe Osama has been killed?

President of the United States of America (USA), Barack Hussein Obama, break the news of the ‘death’ of America’s most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, in the evening hours of Sunday 1st May 2011.

According to him, Osama Bin Laden was killed in a special US military offensive assault in a compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan, where the Al-Qaeda Leader was seeking refuge.

The operation that lasted for forty minutes claimed the lives of Osama Bin Laden himself and a couple of his relatives, reports claimed.

The American government has further disclosed that the government of Pakistan was never informed about the operation for fear that the information could have been leaked to Osama.

The news of Osama’s death has been widely acclaimed as a major achievement in the fight against terrorism.

I totally condemn all forms of terrorism, and strongly believe that the death of Osama will go a long way in the fight against terrorism.

But with the host of answered questions surrounding this reported death of Osama Bin Laden, one would not be blamed to believe and argue that the news is nothing other than a political hoax.

This piece intends to highlight and deliberate on some of the questions begging answers if only all and sundry should believe that the number one world terrorist leader has been finally killed.

Why was the unarmed terrorist leader shot on site?

Reports have it that Osama Bin Laden was shot twice on the head and chest because he was opposed to being captured alive. The White House in America has however failed to clearly explain how an unarmed Osama resisted live capture to an extent of shooting him twice to death. Why was he not shot on the leg or arm?

A White House Spokesman has clearly explained how a wife of Osama rushed at a US assaulter and was shot in the leg, but fall short of elucidation on how Osama resisted arrest. The assaulters have a clear mandate to get Osama dead or alive but with the first option to capture him alive if he didn’t appear to be representing any kind of threat.

There is this need for the Obama government to clearly show which threat the unarmed Osama posed that forced the assaulters to kill him on the spot.

Why the conflicting reports on how Osama was killed?

The circumstance surrounding the death of Osama has also witnessed conflicting reports. At first, it was reported that Osama’s wife who was used as a human shield was shot to death in the compound followed by Osama. 

That report was later replaced with the latest stating that the woman that was killed in the compound was not Osama’s wife and was not being used as a human shield. According to the new report, the woman in question was cut in cross fire and that Osama’s wife was not killed in the operation. We were later told that Osama was killed right inside his room.

Where is the corpse of Osama?

As at time of writing this piece, nobody has given an account that he/she physically saw the corpse of Osama. Even the President of America hasn’t had the opportunity to actually see the corpse of the world’s number one terrorist, though he was the one that sanctioned the operation.

Although it is being alleged that Obama watched the operation live via a satellite link, it is clear that he never had the opportunity to have physical eye contact of the corpse.

Also, in this age of technology, neither a single picture nor video clip of the dead Osama has been released. How could this be possible for the west to decide to conceal pictures of the murdered terrorist, especially so when the White House is yet to provide any convincing explanation as to the rationale behind concealing such photos and video footages.

When Saadam Hussein was arrested, photos and videos of his arrest were immediately released. Such releases continued from the bunker where he was captured on to the time he was killed.

What is so special about the Osama photos and video clips?

President Obama has ruled out the possibility of releasing a single photograph or video footage of Bin Laden's body. He said it was important to keep photographic evidence from "floating around as incitement or propaganda tool". Whatever that means is only understandable to the White House and Obama himself.

Hope what am thinking is not true. But if it is true, then this episode will not only serve as the biggest political hoax that ever existed in the world but it would be a big slap on the face of Obama and America in the future.

Why was the corpse of Osama thrown at sea?

At first, the news was that Osama has been killed and that his dead body was in the possession of the Americans. That sounded great until reports started filtering in that the remains has been dumped at sea. According to report, Osama’s body was first flown to Afghanistan and later to the US aircraft carrier, the Carl Vinson, in the north Arabian Sea.

A White House Spokesman identified as Mr. Carney said the body was prepared for burial "in conformance with Islamic precepts and practice", then placed in a weighted bag and dropped into the water from the vessel's deck.

This was to avoid his grave becoming a shrine; US officials are quoted as saying.
So the Americans want us to believe that the fear that Osama’s grave could become a shrine was what prompted throwing away of the corpse even before President Obama could see it? What a joke of the century!
 

How could such an operation be possible?

A BBC report states that the compound in which Osama was ‘killed’ is in a residential district called Bilal Town, home to a number of retired military officers.

“It is just 1km from the Pakistan Military Academy, an elite military training centre described as Pakistan's equivalent to Britain's Sandhurst or the West Point academy in the US. Pakistan's army chief is a regular visitor to the academy, where he attends graduation parades, and it is likely the area would have had a constant and significant military presence and checkpoints”.

Both US and Pakistani officials have confirmed that Pakistan was kept in the dark about the operation.

In the aforementioned circumstance, how could it be possible for the US assaulters to undertake a forty minutes military operation using fighter jets and heavy artilleries without provoking any reaction from the Pakistan army? How could it be possible?

Even our soldiers here at Wilberforce Barracks will not sit by and allow unapproved assaulters to undertake a forty minutes military operation at the Wilberforce environs without robustly reacting against the assaulters, not to talk of a Pakistan army with fighter jets and more advance arms than the Sierra Leone army.

I will be the last person to believe that it was only after a forty minutes military operation that a well trained army with all the equipment could start scrambling fighter jets to react to an assault that took place very very close to its academy.

Is this not terrorism?

Several people have described the move by America to enter into Pakistan and besieging a whole town with fighter jets and other artilleries as an act of terrorism.

Whether or not this operation constitutes an act of terrorism remains unclear, but it surely lends credence to the popular saying that it is only a criminal that poses the knowhow to detect a criminal.

As we await clear explanation from the American government with possible release of photos and video footages of the dead Osama, let me personally thank the President and people of America for their tireless efforts in the fight against terrorism. We will celebrate Osama’s death but not under such circumstance.

Shame on the Pakistan government and army?

Before ending this piece, let me drop a few comments about the Pakistan government and army. Allowing the Americans to invade Pakistan without permission, and terrorized the country for at least forty minutes without any reaction from the government and soldiers, is indeed a big shame on the government and its soldiers.

The government of Pakistan has proved itself incapable of protecting its people, while the soldiers are supposed to be bowing their heads in shame for allowing a forty minutes military operation right under its nose without reacting.

He who lives by the sword dies by the sword

It is bizarre to celebrate the death of a human being, but Osama’s death should serve as an exception. I hold the view that the brutal murder of a terrorist like Osama is worth partying.

Why should I not celebrate over the death of somebody that has killed hundreds of innocent people?

Obama, please don’t spoil our celebrations. Release the pictures of this murderer for us to commence the jubilations; release the video footages and make Africa proud; showcase the corpse and elevate the status of the black man.  Please don’t betray us, please.

By Abdul Fonti

Paramount Chiefs Durbar in Pictures

News Hunters Correspondent, Mohamed Kabba, was at the recent Durbar of Paramount Chiefs held in Bo. 

He compiled the ensuing photos.

By Mohamed Kabba