SEO Contest 2008

by UW Digital Collections

Large Round Area rugs For More Interest in Your Space

Large round rugs are a fabulous way to pull a room together. Help define your space by placing your furniture completely on top of your rug. Modern home design with open plan living is fabulous for traffic flow and entertaining but it causes difficulties when it comes to defining areas.

Large circular rugs help to visually differentiate those areas. Make your dining area feature prominently by inserting a large round area rug beneath your dining table – allowing enough room for the chairs. The round shape of the area rug assists with the inviting feel of the room and yet the the area rug provides boundaries and definition to the eating room. And in the same way a large round area rug can help establish your lounge room. Even with lack of wall boundaries and open concept space, a great rug can give your home that feeling of order.

If a living room is dull and boring and needs a lift, try an area rug. Large round area rugs can be found in many colors and in hundreds of different patterns and materials.Muted or pastel colors can soften the feel of a room. Earth toned colors can be soothing and understated while still giving your room an added oomph. Vibrant colors can change your focus and make the room look immediately brighter.

Placing your rug in the center of a room will draw the focus to it. This will visually reduce the impact of flat walls and sharp corners When a room is narrow , place the rug closer to one of the walls – this will help shift the visual focus and create an impression of more space.

In home’s lacking an entry way, place a large round rug near the doorway to give the illusion of an entry. In this way you can use a large round area rugs to define, enhance, and even visually create rooms or spaces where they don’t actually exist.

Not many decor items can finish a room like a large round rugs can. A good quality, well-placed rug can change the flow of a space, finish a room, and even visually create places in your home that haven’t existed before.

Music video by Selena Gomez & The Scene performing Round & Round. (C) 2010 Hollywood Records, Inc.

by The Library of Congress

Creation of More States: Broad Way to Socio-economic Developments in Nigeria

Although some have argued against creation of states in the country, stating that such can only lead to over-dependence on the federal government, I differ from this argument, in that the experience drawn from the creation of states in Nigeria in previous years has yielded abundant dividends for the country. Many of these impacts this article will discuss as proves that the creation of states contrary to dissenting opinions has ushered in new dawn of growth and developments and in addition availability of social amenities in the country.

The remark that the Nigeria of today is much more developed than the Nigeria of 1966 before the creation of 12 States by Gen. Murtala Mohammed more than anything else holds water. The reason I feel indifferent to opinions that have arisen in condemnation of creation of more States in the Nigeria is that people who have been in condemnation of this arrangement fail to remember that the country is an artificial creation from many unrelated ethnic groups and tribes dissimilar in socially and religiously, and hurriedly put together for the benefit of the British. Today, neither our government nor the British who artistically created the country can statistically state how many tribes and ethnic groups that make up the Nigerian State. All our records tell us is Nigeria has is a country with more than 250 ethnic groups.

As a country with over 250 ethnic groups with 250 ethnic groups as our records tell us, political grouping of peoples with similar linguistics, history, ancestries, traditions, and other criteria will guarantee sense of belonging, off course granted that many would want to argue that as a nation, we need to co-exist. Co-existence is important and necessary but certain political wills and other certain tools are necessary if this is to be achieved. International Relations experts are aware of the big gap existing between “Nation-State” and “State-Nation.” The British tried to mould one geo-political entity with people that never imagined they could ever come together as one.

As we have already experienced in the country, marginalization reigns in the country, and minority ethnic groups made to geographically squat with giant ethnic groups within the country have no voices at all. It is for this reason that most ethnic groups in the country continue to shed tears of marginalization. Those of us with good knowledge of politico-economic situation of the Igbo people in generality have an unlimited understanding of what marginalization is all about. The South-East is the only geo-political zone of the country with only 5 States even as most the areas of the Geo-political zone with oil have been deliberately and carefully annexed to other States notably Rivers State. A new kind of marginalization of marginalization I am particular about is that which even ensures that peoples lumped in a States are still marginalized.

No sooner the National Assembly of the country announced the creation of more States than about 50 proposals were registered with the Country’s law makers. For sure, the people understand the immense benefits inherent in forming an organized political community as part of the country. The importance of Statehood forming part of the country cannot be overemphasized, it is a result of this development that the Law makers of Lagos State was able to successfully adopt Yoruba language as its second official language. One effect this has created is that the people of this State see one another as a people with common destiny. Discrimination again if ever it exists becomes limited, because the basis of intensely discriminating against one another becomes reduced to the barest minimum.

Cry of marginalization reigns in the country because the government of the country has not really gotten it wholly right when creating States in the country, thus federating amongst the existing States of the country is strangely suspicious and inefficiently meant to be. In the first place, it has made absolute nonsense of the geo-political zone, a new political design, which has no place whether in the administration or geographical composition of Nigeria. This would have at least found sense if political appointments in the country are genuinely designed to rotate among  these geo-political zones, rather geo-political zones merely exist as regions.

Number of States comprising geo-political zones in the country are unequal, yet the basis for arriving at which zone should posses more States is uniquely indeterminate, who can tell me the reason certain political zones of the country have as much as 7 States while many have 6 and even as low as 5. This is what creation of more States in the country will set out to correct. Our law makers should also see to it that both regions of the country i.e. North and south have equal number of States, so that both regions will regions will have equal number of representatives in all affairs of the State. Creation of more States will therefore usefully correct this impression.

Though one is absolutely unsure of exactly how many States the national Assembly may want to create, advisedly, I would implore the House to consider some necessary factors in creating these States to act as a limitation for future cry for more. Some of these factors or criteria to be given consideration should be linguistics, economic viability, ancestral history, homogeneity, histories, agreement to come together etc. Economic viability is necessary because over dependence on the federal government will further add burden on the central government, and in over all cause a reduction in the allocations to other States. A situation whereby a State may not be able to pay salaries if created should be totally avoided. This has formed one argument of the opponents of new State creation, but we know that if certain small and less economic viable States can survive, others alike are certain to survive.

Ancestral history, linguistics, homogeneity and histories are all necessary determinant factors in the creation of States, this is because a people are what they choose to be, and should be regarded as they so wish. The people of Anioma for instance today the oldest agitators for the creation of their own State are a people who under willing agreement decided to come together and form a State and a people in spite of difference in ethnicities. It is particularly wonderful that this group comprise of Enuani (Igbo,) Ika, Ndokwa, Ukwani/Ndokwa, Aboh, these peoples are willingly joined together by shared aims, being the first of its kind in a country where separatism is deemed preferable to unity. The Anioma people demonstrated the possible of different ethnics coming together to form one ethnic group, and has since been so since 1951 since the founding fathers of the union practically actualized the socio-political action.  

Linguistics should also form the basis of creating States in any environment because it is a natural cause that unity, peace and progress only prevails in an environment where the people see themselves as one. The case of the adoption of Yoruba as the language of law making in Lagos state has been cited in this work. Creation of States should rather gather displaced peoples who see themselves as lost because they are forcefully made to stay in the midst of people who they are bound to distance themselves from. It is for this reason that agitation for State creation continues. People should not be unwillingly placed where they not belong.

What  is the sense in having an Ika town of Igbanke in Edo State when they are in fact Anioma, recognize this and even regularly hold social inclined meetings with their Anioma kits and kin? The Igbanke for as long as they remain in Edo State where they do not naturally belong will continue to view themselves as strangers, which they really are. This ugly development explains the reason the community is in utmost marginalization, it was an impression Babangida failed to correct in 1991 and the opportunity is here once again.

Today’s Delta State is one which everyone agrees deserves further splits into several States because if for anything, the Anioma people should be made to exit the State with a State of their own joined by the Igbanke people presently unwholesomely lumped in Edo State where they do not belong. Anioma State should be created with its capital at Asaba, while the present State should remain but with its capital either in Warri or Ugheli. The Government may further venture into creating Ijaw and Itstekiri States from the said Delta State to make the State a non-volatile one. The Idoma nation presently located in Benue state, North Central also have a valid claim to statehood, this peoples need Apa State, as we know, the Idoma nation is one that has never produced a governor of the State, quite akin to the Anioma people of Delta State. A State will carve the political verves of the people.

On why more States should created in the country, the impact of this is too immense to mention here but we know that States that have been created so far in the country have all become developed more than they were when situated in other States. Anyone in doubt should imagine how many state and federal universities that existed in the country when Nigeria had 12/19 States and compare with how many in existence now with 36 States. With creation of more States it is compulsory that more ministries, universities, polytechnics, airports, seaports, Banks, press centres, mosques, church headquarters, government offices, stadiums, general hospitals, International organization centres, and other institutions necessary to make State etc that come with it. These may not all exist within a day but certainly they must be seen to exist in a state no more how long it takes.

There come into existence more job openings, people migrate into these newly created States to discover opportunities for greener pastures, which occasion leads to decongestions of major States like Lagos and Kano. Opportunities once again are almost immediately created for politicians who must jostle for political appointments and positions, secretariats are constructed. Roads are constructed; bridges are also constructed, with the governor of such state seeking to explore every available means of discovering means of revenue.

Who says creation of states does not come with benefits?

More State Articles

by 2002ttorry

Wide Angle Lenses – Five Tips for Photos With More Impact

Photographers shopping for a new digital camera are bombarded with information about the power of modern zoom lenses. “This camera has eight-times optical zoom and up to twelve times digital zoom but this camera has twelve times optical and…” You know the drill.

A powerful telephoto lens is terrific, and essential if you are shooting lots of sports photography, wildlife photography, or any photography that requires you to capture your subject from a distance. But with all the marketing that goes on around telephoto power, you could be forgiven for believing there is little value in a good wide-angle lens.

This is simply not the case. In fact, if you take a lot of travel photos, you may find that your powerful telephoto rarely gets a workout. As a landscape photographer, I use my wide-angle lens a lot more. I can tell you right now that even though the wide-angle lens makes everything smaller, it can create images with massive impact if you use it well.

So here are my five tips for creative photography with a wide-angle lens.

Wide-Angle Photography Tip #1. It Really Is A Wide Angle. When using a larger lens, you narrow your field of view considerably, so if you focus on a subject in the foreground you really don’t capture much of the background. On the other hand, with a wide-angle lens you capture a much wider field of view. Your foreground subject may still be the focus of the image, but you can make use of the background to add interest to the picture as well.

As a result, your picture can tell more of a story. Instead of a photo that says “Here is a shot of my kids” your photo can say “Here is a shot of my kids at the beach, you can see what a beautiful day it was and I managed to capture a sailboat going by as well.”

Wide-Angle Photography Tip #2. Depth Of Field. The wide-angle lens has a much stronger depth of field than a larger lens. Not only can you make a feature of both foreground and background, you can keep everything in focus while you are at it. To achieve the same result with a larger lens, you may have to close the aperture, which means slowing the shutter speed, which means using a tripod…a lot of exta effort. After all that, the depth of field may still not be as strong as if you had used your wide-angle lens.

Wide-Angle Photography Tip #3. Perspective. Perspective is exaggerated by a wide-angle lens, so it makes long objects seem even longer. If you are shooting a fence-line, a jetty, railroad tracks, a road…anything that stretches away into the distance, the wide angle lens can really give your photo a boost. The result will be a truly three-dimensional sense of depth. The strong lines of the composition will lead the viewer into the picture, so they feel they are not just looking at the photo, but right into it.

Wide-Angle Photography Tip #4. Powerful foregrounds. The exaggerated perspective of the wide-angle lens makes objects at different distances seem much further apart than they really are. Foreground objects may seem a bit smaller, but objects in the background can seem many miles more distant. As a result, the wide-angle lens is excellent for adding impact to a foreground subject. You can stand very close to a person (or a tree, whatever) and they will appear to tower over the scene in the distance. This is the opposite of a telephoto lens, which tends to bring the background into prominence.

Wide-Angle Photography Tip #5. Putting It All Together. All the above tips are helpful by themselves, but by putting them all together you have the power to create photos that really grab the eye of the viewer. There is not enough space in a short article to outline all the ways you can use these tips, so I will give you one example that puts all the strengths of a wide-angle lens to good use.

Imagine an old rustic farmhouse, with a striking cloud formation behind it. Your telephoto lens might fit in just the farmhouse, and a standard lens might fit in the house and the sky.

With a wide angle lens, you could walk down the driveway and look for some special detail (maybe a rusty old mailbox) to create a more interesting composition. If you stand near the mailbox, it will have prominence in the composition, but you will still have a clear shot of the farmhouse and the sky in the background. Even better, the strong depth of field makes it easy to keep everything in focus. The exaggerated perspective will make the driveway seem longer, adding a three-dimensional impact to the picture. If you do it well, the first thing that catches the eye will be the mailbox, but the driveway will lead the viewer into the distance, to appreciate all the detail of the background as well.

So there you have a quick introduction to the creative use of a wide-angle lens. I hope this little article does more than just just spark your imagination. Reading about it is not nearly as exciting as doing it…so grab your camera and start snapping!

More Wide Articles