Mitnids Enterprise: Are you ready for the £750m Clasico? Bale and Ronaldo v Neymar and Messi - the four best players on the planet set to collide in the biggest club game of all Barcelona-Real-Madrid-El-Clasico-Lionel-Messi-Neymar-v-Gareth-Bale-Cristiano-Ronaldo.

Mitnids Enterprise: Are you ready for the £750m Clasico? Bale and Ronaldo v Neymar and Messi - the four best players on the planet set to collide in the biggest club game of all Barcelona-Real-Madrid-El-Clasico-Lionel-Messi-Neymar-v-Gareth-Bale-Cristiano-Ronaldo.

'I'm FOUR and smarter than my parents': Toddler who can recite every capital city and boasts IQ over 145 becomes Mensa's newest member

Anala Beevers from New Orleans learned the alphabet when she was four months old and by 18 months had mastered numbers in Spanish

A four-year-old girl who can recite the capital of every country and claims to be smarter than her parents has become the newest member of the genius club, Mensa.
Anala Beevers from New Orleans, Louisiana, scored more than 145 in a standardized IQ test putting her in the top one per cent of the population.
Her mother and father told Aol that she learned the alphabet when she was four months old and by one-and-a half had mastered numbers in Spanish.

The names of planets and dinosaurs are her current preoccupation.
'She's a handful, I'll tell you she is a handful . . . she keeps us on our toes,' her father  Landon said, adding that she should have her own reality show.
 

When she's not exercising her brain she enjoys playing in the company of her big sister.
Currently, American Mensa has more than 2,800 members under the age of 18 with the youngest being three years old.
Emmelyn Roettger became the youngest ever invitee last year, at the age of two.

ARE YOU AS SMART AS ANALA BEEVERS? TAKE HER CAPITAL CITY TEST

On the world map what is the capital of:

1. China
2. U.S.
3. Greece
4. Czech Republic 
5. Russia
6. UK
7. Japan
8. Spain
9. New Zealand
10. France
11. Kenya
12. South Korea
13. Netherlands

1. Beijing 2. Washington DC 3. Athens 4. Prague 5. Moscow 6. London 7.Tokyo 8. Madrid 9. Wellington 10. Paris 11. Nairobi 12. Seoul 13. Amsterdam
In the U.S. what is the capital of:

1. Oklahoma
2. Florida
3. Delaware
4. Indiana
5. Arkansas
6. Louisiana
7. Missouri
8. Alabama
9. Georgia
10. Kansas
11. Colorado

1. Oklahoma City 2. Tallahassee 3. Dover 4. Indianapolis 5. Little Rock 6. Baton Rouge 7. Jefferson City 8. Montgomery 9. Atlanta 10. Topeka 11. Denver

'Who am I to judge?' Pope Francis refuses to condemn gay priests and says their sins should be forgiven and forgotten

Pope Francis yesterday signalled  a more tolerant era of Vatican thinking after he spoke out in defence of homosexuals.
In remarks at odds with traditional rhetoric, the Pontiff refused to condemn homosexuality, saying: ‘We must  be brothers.’
In the most conciliatory words yet from the Vatican on the subject of gay priests, he added: ‘If a person is gay and seeks God and has goodwill, who am I to judge him?’
The new Pope used a talk with journalists covering his visit to Brazil to emphasise Roman Catholic teaching that says  those who have gay orientation should  be accepted.

Conciliatory: Pope Francis during a press conference on the flight back to Italy after departure from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where he signalled a dramatic turnaround in the Catholic church's approach to gay priests

Massive: More than three million people were estimated to have gathered for the farewell Mass

He stressed that the official position of the Church is that homosexual acts are sinful, but homosexual urges and thoughts are not.
The message that gay people should be ‘integrated’ into society rather than marginalised marks a clear departure for the Papacy.
In recent years the pronouncements of Francis’s predecessor Pope Benedict have fiercely condemned gay rights and at one point the former Pope described gay relationships as ‘evil’.
Speaking on his flight back to Rome from Rio, the Pontiff saved his criticism for gay pressure groups and lobbies. ‘The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains this very well,’ he said.
‘It says they should not be marginalised because of this orientation but that they must be integrated into society.
‘The problem is not having this orientation. We must be brothers. The problem is lobbying by this orientation, or lobbies of greedy people, political lobbies, Masonic lobbies, so many lobbies. This is the worse problem.’

‘But with regard to the ordination of women, the Church has spoken and says no. ‘Pope John Paul said so with a formula that was definitive.’
The change of tone from the Vatican on homosexuality comes three weeks after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, said in a key speech on gay rights that criticism of the Church of England’s attitudes may be  justified and ‘pretending that  nothing has changed is absurd  and impossible’.
Archbishop Welby told Anglicans that the Parliamentary debate on same-sex marriage showed the Church was out of touch with majority thinking.
He told General Synod that ‘the cultural and political ground is changing. Anyone who listened to the Same Sex Marriage Bill second reading debate in the House of Lords could not fail to be struck by the overwhelming change of cultural hinterland. Predictable attitudes were no longer there.’
He added: ‘We may or may not like it but we must accept there is a revolution in the area of sexuality

He's an average-looking man with an average talent': Sharon Osbourne slams Kanye West and claims he 'should sell cars'

Sharon Osbourne has ripped into Kanye West calling him ‘average’ and saying he should switch careers from singing to selling cars.
The outspoken X-Factor judge made it clear she has no time for rap star West.
‘He bores me. He’s an average-looking man with an average talent, but he’s a great salesman,’ said Osbourne, 60.

Not holding back: Sharon Osbourne (R) has lashed out at Kanye West, calling him 'average'

‘He should sell cars because they would f***ing fly out the door. He’s his No. 1 fan.’
In an expletive laced interview Osbourne also reignited her feud with Danni Minogue branding her ‘insignificant.’
She said her decision to quit X-Factor was because of her hatred for Minogue.
She said: ‘I chose to leave because I was uncomfortable there at that time with a woman that was on the panel.’

When asked if the woman was Dannii Minogue, Osbourne replied ‘right’ and added: ‘She’s insignificant, but at that time, I let her get under my skin and I should have been the bigger person.
‘But hey, I chose to leave. That’s all in the past.’
Osbourne said she only has plans to appear on the X-Factor judging panel for one season.
‘I wanted to end it on the right note. I’m only doing it this one season, it’s been 10 years, and I want to end it on the right way,’ she said.
Speaking to the Daily Beast website, Osbourne also weighed in with her opinion on teen brat Justin Bieber.

‘There’s this little kid with a huge dream, he’s cute, girls love him, and he wants to be a mean boy, and he’s about as mean as a f***ing kitten, and he’s trying to act out,’ she said.
‘It’s like pissing in a bucket. It’s like, “Oh, we’re the bad boys!” You don’t know what bad is.
‘And I think that he’s lost, I really do. I think he doesn’t realise he’s white and not black, that’s a huge problem. And, at the point he’s at in his career, it’s so dangerous because we’ve seen it all before a million times.
‘Where do you go when you’re a child entertainer and then you want to transition to be a man? Very few make it.’

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Are you ready for the £750m Clasico? Bale and Ronaldo v Neymar and Messi - the four best players on the planet set to collide in the biggest club game of all Barcelona-Real-Madrid-El-Clasico-Lionel-Messi-Neymar-v-Gareth-Bale-Cristiano-Ronaldo.

It's always the hottest ticket in Spanish football and this season’s El Clasico threatens to blow all previous incarnations out of the water.
October 27, Nou Camp. Be there or be one of the zillions watching all over the world as, arguably, the four best players on the planet prepare to lock horns - if Gareth Bale moves to Madrid.
In the Catalan corner, Barcelona’s irresistible Lionel Messi and the precocious talent of Neymar. In the white of Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo and, probably, Bale.

Mouthwatering:  Gareth Bale (above left, mocked up in a Real Madrid kit) and Cristiano Ronaldo could clash with Lionel Messi and Neymar

South American flair and imagination versus European power houses, wrapped up in a fusion of skill, pace, goals and testosterone.
Such has been the hype in the last couple of weeks over Bale, Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez, it seems like a lifetime since Brazil striker Neymar agreed his £50million move to Barca from Santos earlier in the summer.
How he will link up with Messi remains to be seen, but a combination of the Argentina maestro’s vision and Neymar’s finishing could be deadly.
Possible line-ups at the Nou Camp on October 27

Barcelona (4-3-3)

Valdes £10m (estimated value)
Alves £5m
Pique £30m
Mascherano £5m
Alba £20m
Xavi £5m
Busquets £40m
Sanchez £25m
Messi £150m
Neymar £50m
Iniesta £50m
Total: £390m

Real Madrid 4-2-3-1

Casillas £10m
Carvajal £5m
Varane £30m
Ramos £30m
Marcelo £15m
Khedira £20m
Alonso £10m
Isco £25m
Ozil £35m
Bale £85m
Ronaldo £100m.
Total: £365m

Nigerian celebs and their luxurious cars

Celebs and their toys

Celebrities have a high taste when it comes to the luxuries of life and they do not spare any cost when going for new toys. Some say it is to show that they have the money to throw around; others argue that such luxuries complement their lifestyle. Saturday Beats highlights some entertainers and their recently acquired toys.

Wizkid

He is young and definitely getting the money. So far, anything this young man puts his voice on becomes a hit. As the hits swell in number, so does his bank account.

Recently, Wizkid launched his own record label, Star Boy, and signed on some artistes and music producers. Some days after, the young lad welcomes the newest entrant into his garage, a Porsche Panamera car with customised number ‘W’. The artiste shared the news on his Instagram page when he posted pictures of himself with his new wonder-on-wheels.

With an acceleration rate from a dead stop to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 167miles per hour, Wizkid must have also considered safety before acquiring the automobile as the hybrid speed machine comes with eight airbags, including dual front, side impact and curtain airbags. The car is said to be valued at $75,200

Solidstar

With just an album under his belt and some hit singles currently riding on the airwaves, the fast rising musician in his bid to show that life is good, got himself a 2013 Infiniti JX35. The car is valued at N7m. Rumoured to be in a relationship with controversial actress, Tonto Dike, Saturday Beats learnt that the singer, who is known for his Omotena and One in a Million hit singles, got himself two plots of land worth over N30m in the Festac area of Lagos a few months back.

Seems 2013 is his year to ride high.

Linda Ikeji

Unarguably one of the most popular bloggers in Nigeria, the beautiful model decided to spoil herself with a 2011 Infiniti FX 35. Why wouldn’t she? It is said that the entrepreneur earns millions per month from blogging. Asides that, she gets involved in some modeling gigs too. Saturday Beats gathered that the delectable entrepreneur paid N8m for the automobile.

I Go Save

Popular Warri-born comedian decided to give himself a treat by acquiring a 2012 customized Range Rover Vogue SUV as a birthday present. Although he has been in the comedy business for a while, he does not headline as many shows. Yet, he was able to come up with N11m for the wonder on wheels. He was also said to have been hosted by Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, for his birthday. I Go Save is also a close friend of I Go Die, a superstar comedian in Nigeria.

Basketmouth

He intended it to be his Christmas gift but it came two months later. It was obviously worth the wait as the humour merchant got himself a one of its kind car -a customised 2013 Opel Insignia. Saturday Beats learnt that the car is the first of its kind in Africa. Shortly after the arrival of the car, the comedian took to Twitter and posted, ‘she is the first and only in Africa, I built her from the scratch, as in… I cooked her like soup. #inogetshame’.  It was gathered that the automobile cost the humour merchant N10m.The comedian was recently in South Africa for Comedy Central. He was also featured in a short Hollywood movie.

Ebube Nwagbo

Aside from being an actress, the lovely damsel is into movie production and owns a hair line. She recently added to her garage, a Porsche Panamera car. The elated actress took to Twitter when she got the car to inform her friends and fans. She tweeted, “It’s here finally!!! Loving my new toy!! 4eva thankful Lord!!,” then posted a picture of the car.

Iyanya Mbuk "the kukere master"

 He announced his acquisition of an expensive automobile. The Calabar, Cross River State-born singer posted on his Instagram page a picture of the car and dropped a note 'who God don bless'. 

Iyanya, who has been smiling to the bank since his Kukere hit single became a household song, bought a N30million Aston Martin car in addition to his other fleet of cars

Kcee

Singer Kcee acquired for himself a tear rubber 2013 Range Rover and 2013 BMW X6..... and my father talked me out of doing music...shet!!!

How Fathia Balogun, Iyabo Ojo almost disrupted Toyin Aimakhu’s marriage with their “I am not your mate” argument

If not for the prompt intervention of some colleagues in the movie industry, the low-keyed but highly hyped wedding of Nollywood actress, Toyin Aimakhu to his Tinsel actor husband, Niyi Johnson would have been marred by drama.

This is because Fathia Balogun and Iyabo Ojo nearly disrupted the ceremony with a fight. If you think a man might be the cause of the brouhaha, then you are very far from the 411.

As we reliably learnt from eye witnesses, seniority claims led to the rise of their adrenalins.

We were informed that Fathia Balogun first got to the event held on Monday, July 8, 2013 at Sabitex Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, after the marriage registry at the Ikoyi Registry, before Iyabo Ojo got there. It was while Iyabo was greeting her colleagues that trouble started, which led to a hot exchange of words between the two stars.

Those who claimed to be at the event said when Iyabo got to where Fathia was 
sitting, she allegedly called the former wife of Saidi Balogun by her name, which angered Fathia. She was said to have told others at the event to warn Iyabo from calling her by her name if she cannot add the prefix ‘aunty’ to her name as a sign of respect in Yoruba land.

We learnt Iyabo didn’t take this lightly with Fathia, who reportedly insisted on knowing what Fathia would do is she refuses to add the prefix to her name. The two were almost throwing punches at each other but for the quick intervention of their colleagues.

The fight for the ‘aunty’ prefix is not new in the industry. Lizzy Anjorin and Iyabo only settled their bitter fight of many years because of the same reason.

Efforts to speak with Iyabo Ojo on this issue proved abortive.

When we called her line, her PA picked and claimed she is on set. But when we insisted to talking to Iyabo, the actress’ aide declined to give her the phone for us to talk to her on this story.

Rapper Olamide acquires brand new Range Rover

We say congrats to him! and he would always "duro soke" and will not "kowale" 

Music star Olamide who is signed to his own record label recently acquired the latest Range Rover SUV and showed it off on his Instagram page.

He captioned the photo “#YBNL nigga frm da bottom … No record label buh … Hello oooh… We are blessed”

When you are blessed, you are indeed blessed!

Top movies :Box Office: The Wolverine Slashes The Conjuring, Takes the No. 1 Spot

Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Fox's latest installment in the X-Men franchise pulled in $55 million in its debut, knocking low-budget horror flick The Conjuring down from the No. 1 spot. 

In spite of its success, however, the super hero film still fell below analysts' projections, who estimated that The Wolverine would nab upwards of $85 million.

Meanwhile, in the battle of the animated flicks, Despicable Me 2 continued to top Turbo, taking in $16 million in its fourth weekend, over the DreamWorks flick's $13.3 million. 

Also of note, Fruitvale Station, catapulted to the top 10, rounding it out with $4.7 million after landing at No. 17 last week.

The film tells the story of the last day in the life of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was unarmed and killed by a police officer on New Year's Day.

Here's a complete look at the weekend's top movies, per Friday-Sunday studio estimates and stats as compiled per Box Office Mojo:

1. The Wolverine, $55 million

2. The Conjuring, $22.1 million

3. Despicable Me 2, $16 million

4. Turbo, $13.3 million

5. Grown Ups 2, $11.5 million

6. Red 2, $9.4 million

7. Pacific Rim, $7.5 million

8. The Heat, $6.9 million

9. R.I.P.D., $5.9 million

10. Fruitvale Station, $4.7 million

Small scale Business u can start to big

Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria-
Most Nigerians that are wealthy started with a small business which they gradually nurtured to  big corporations.
But succeeding in a small scale business in Nigeria is not an easy job

Therefore you need to possess certain qualities embedded with patience to succeed as an entrepreneur. According to Calvin Coolidge, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Now that you know you need persistence and determination, let’s discuss other qualities to succeed as an entrepreneur:

Start a small scale business in Nigeria  on what you are passionate about: Before considering the small scale business in Nigeria to do, ask yourself what is it that you love doing and passionate about? What is it that you will keep doing, even if you don’t receive a pay?


Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria

If you are passionate with your business, you will not mind putting in several hours daily until you succeed. As a new entrepreneur, you need to put in more effort to succeed.

It’s the passion you have for the business that will give you the energy and patience to keep working even when the money has not started coming.

That is, associate with people that can complement your business and avoid people that have nothing positive to contribute to your business.Below are Small Scale Businesses in Nigeria

Agricultural and Agro allied sector
Poultry farming business
Catfish Farming
Livestock  farming
Livestock feed production
Dog breeding business
Equipment leasing services
Soya beans processing
Maize Cultivation and procession
Rice Processing (Milling)
Cashew production and processing
Cassava processing
Ethanol production (from cassava)
    Employment Services Sector
You can start a resume writing business
Career advice and counseling
Job placement and recruitment agency
    100+ Profitable Small Business Ideas in Nigeria You can Start in 2013

   Education Sector
Start a tutorial centre for exams like JAMB, WAEC, GCE, ICAN, CIS,etc
Crèche School
Day care centre
Start a self defense training school
      100+ Profitable Small Business Ideas in Nigeria You can Start Today

    ICT/ Technology sector

Computer repair services
Mobile phone repairs
Mobile apps development
Games development
Software development
     Web Based Business Services
20 Profitable Web Based Business Ideas
Web design and development
Search engine optimization services
Search engine marketing services
                Business to Business services
15 Profitable Business Services (B2B Business ideas) you can start with no money
   Green Technology
86 Green business ideas
Waste management
Waste recycling business
Alternative power generating devices installation services
      Security
You can start a security guard training school
Start a security company
Import security gadgets
Import non-lethal self defense weapons
ere’s 100+ profitable small scale business in Nigeria to start in 2013.

Therefore you need to possess certain qualities embedded with patience to succeed as an entrepreneur. According to Calvin Coolidge, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.

Now that you know you need persistence and determination, let’s discuss other qualities to succeed as an entrepreneur:

Start a small scale business in Nigeria  on what you are passionate about: Before considering the small scale business in Nigeria to do, ask yourself what is it that you love doing and passionate about? What is it that you will keep doing, even if you don’t receive a pay?

Best Nigerian Stocks To Buy For Your Retirement?

This was discussed in a meeting held yesterday about how to secure our future..

So am putting this forward for you to share your professional views on this matter and help others make the best decision of their future


Hello stock market Experts:

What are the top five stock to buy that will assure one of a happy retirement over the long term?
What is going to yield 1000% return in the next 10-15 years?

Nigeria lawmakers are highest lawmakers paid in the world

The jumbo salary being paid the country’s legislators, which ranked the highest in the world, according to a new study, has attracted sharp criticisms from Nigerians across the country, including economists and lawyers.

A report by The Economist magazine revealed that Nigerian federal legislators with a basic salary of $189,500 per annum (N30.6m) were the highest paid lawmakers in the world.

Quoting data from the International Monetary Fund and The Economist magazine of London, the study looked at the lawmakers’ basic salary as a ratio of the Gross Domestic Product per person across countries of the world.

According to the report, the basic salary (which excludes allowances) of a Nigerian lawmaker is 116 times the country’s GDP per person of $1,600.

The $189,500 earned annually by each Nigerian legislator is estimated to be 52 per cent higher than what Kenya legislators, who are the second highest paid lawmakers, earned.

An Associate Professor of Economics at the Ekiti State University, Dr. Abel Awe, said the lawmakers’ jumbo salary was indicative of the huge gap between the poor and the rich as well as between the ruler and the ruled.

He said it was unfortunate that the country was running the costliest democracy in the world.

Awe said, “This is part of the reason why 70 per cent of the nation’s budget is allocated to re-current expenditure. We are using a huge chunk of the nation’s resources to service just less than 1,000 people in a country of over 160 million people.

“We are running the costliest democracy in the world.  We can’t develop this way when we spend huge money to service a few people. How will you get money for productive activities to expand the economy? An average Nigerian cannot access good medical care, good roads and other basic things of life when the legislators are smiling to the bank.

“This democracy is satanic. We have to review this democracy. The cost of maintaining the lawmakers is outrageous. What they are taking is too much.”

An economist, Mr. Henry Boyo, said the study had shown clearly that the cost of governance in Nigeria was very high.

Boyo, who noted that the cost of governance was predicated on the provisions of the Constitution, said it was high time Nigerians cried against the bloated cost of governance.

He said, “Our legislators’ actions or salaries are actually accommodated by the Constitution. In the past, we had less money and we had enough as a country. People are asking for a change of Constitution.

“It is unfortunate that it is the people who will do it that are the ones in charge. The legislators will not vote against themselves.”

The Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said although Nigeria remained a complex environment, that did not justify excessive wages.

“We cannot underestimate what it takes to bring law and order to a state that has been in a virtual state of anarchy for years, but there’s no justification for excessive compensation,” he said.

The Chief Research Analyst, Stakes Capital, Mr. Sanyaolu Kehinde, said this was an obvious case of how politicians were running government.

He said, “There’s nothing to justify the amount these people are earning because we don’t see the work they are doing. It also exposes the fact that we don’t value work. We prefer to reward work not done. The Nigerian politician is not service-driven.

“If we have 12 elections in one year, I can assure you that we will still not have good leaders because the system is faulty. The number of people who are not service-driven in Nigeria is high. There are only a few good people in Nigeria, very few people are left who are not thinking about themselves.”

The Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Monday Ubani, said the legislators had created “a big hole” in the nation’s treasury.

Ubani, who scored the legislators low on output, said they had failed to justify their fat pays, adding that their submissions in both legislative chambers “are at variance with that of sovereign Nigerians.”

He called on Nigerians “to decide whether we need both Houses, and if yes, whether on part time or full time basis.”

Ubani said, “This is a fact already and well known to Nigerians and the world. It is not a new story. What is baffling is that their legislative output is not commensurate to the amount of salaries and allowances they are earning.

“Take for instance, the ongoing constitution amendment. Their propositions and submissions on almost all the important clauses are at variance with that of the sovereign Nigerians. Both Houses have created a big hole on our national treasury.”

On his part, human rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, lamented the wide disparity between the earnings of the citizens and their legislators, who according to him, are the idlest, yet earn the most in the world.

He said what was obtainable in Nigeria was a parody of democracy whereby the ruling class earned well but preferred to subject the issue of N18,000 minimum wage to debate.

Aturu said, “We are running a parody of democracy in this country. It is a democracy for the rich. The people are getting poorer for building a nation, while the politicians are getting richer for doing nothing. Those who are not creating wealth in the country are sitting on the wealth of the people, and those who are creating the wealth, the workers, are being paid peanuts.

“Can you imagine there is still a raging and scandalous debate among some governors on whether or not to pay N18,000 minimum wage? Yet we are in a nation where the idlest legislators are being paid the highest in the world.”

The National Assembly has, however, rejected the report that its members are the highest paid lawmakers in the world.

While reacting to the report published in The Economist magazine on Monday, the spokespersons of the two chambers of the National Assembly described it as grossly exaggerated.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said the report was misleading and incorrect.

He said it was easy for anyone to verify what Nigerian lawmakers earned given that such information could be obtained from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

Abaribe said, “My reaction is that the report is incorrect. It is very easy for anybody to know what we earn by going to the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission.

“The report is not correct because it did not emanate from the RMAFC, because that is the only body that determines what a lawmaker earns.”

In the same vein, the spokesman of the House of Representatives, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, dismissed the report as incorrect.

He said, “Whatever is being written is mere exaggeration and does not reflect what is accurate. They fail to realise that what we take as salaries are different from what we use in running our offices.

“These are two different issues. Most times, people just lump everything together and claim that it is our monthly salary; that is not correct. At the appropriate time, we shall react, because it is not just about the House but the National Assembly. The National Assembly will react at the right time.”

The report had suggested that a Nigerian federal lawmaker earned $189,000 or about N30m annually.

The magazine also published details of the annual salaries of legislators in other countries, some of which include Ghana, $46,500; Indonesia, $65,800; Thailand, $43,800; India, $11,200; Italy, $182,000;  Bangladesh, N4,000; Israel, $114,800; Hong Kong, $130,000; Japan, $149,700; and Singapore, $154,000.

Royal Babies And 5 Things You Don't Know

Drum roll ... George Alexander Louis!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announced Wednesday that they've named their new bundle of joy.

The tot "will be known as His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge," according to Clarence House, the official residence of heirs to the throne.

 Earlier Wednesday, word came that the couple are doing what new parents do: They are enjoying some incredibly sweet moments alone with their baby.

The official statement said William and Catherine are now down to the business of getting "to know their son."

The parents and the perhaps future king left Kensington Palace in London by car around lunchtime, UK media reported. The couple has been mum about their immediate schedules.

British media were feverishly reporting where they might be, with the consensus being that the couple and child went to the village of Bucklebury, where Catherine's parents live.

Earlier Wednesday, Queen Elizabeth II went to Kensington Palace to see the newborn for the first time. Uncle Harry paid a visit, too, the palace told reporters.

The public got its first look at the child Tuesday evening, outside the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital in London.

Five Things You Do Not know Abt The Royal Babies 

Amid all the excitement and wall-to-wall media coverage about the eagerly-awaited new addition to the royal family, you may think you know all you could ever want to about royal babies. But did you know...

1. A government minister used to be present at royal births, to make sure the baby was not switched

The practice is believed to have begun in 1688, when dozens of officials watched Mary of Modena, wife of James II, give birth to a son, to scotch rumors that Mary was not really pregnant and that the baby was to be smuggled into the room in a bedpan.

2.  Royal husbands have not always attend the birth of their children

Queen Elizabeth II may not have had to contend with ministerial interference in her birth plan, but she also didn't have her husband there for support; while she gave birth to Prince Charles, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh was busy playing squash.

 Prince Charles was on hand when Diana had Prince William, but William himself may not be there for his own child's birth -- expected any day now -- if he's at work as a search-and-rescue pilot when the big moment arrives.

3.Queen Victoria was the first royal to use anesthesia in childbirth

 The long-reigning monarch and mother-of-nine was given chloroform for pain relief during the births of her eighth and ninth children, Prince Leopold (born in 1853) and Princess Beatrice (born in 1857)

4.Prince William was the first heir to the throne to be born in hospital

 William was born in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, on June 21, 1982. His brother was born at the same hospital two years later.

While that might seem the normal way of things, in fact it was something of a break with tradition -- until then, all heirs to the throne had been born at home (or at one of the royal family's homes at least).

 Prince Charles was born at Buckingham Palace; Elizabeth II herself was born in the Mayfair home of her grandfather in 1926 -- though at the time she was not expected to become queen as her uncle, and not her father, was next in line to the throne.

5.Titled royal babies do not have surnames

 Members of the royal family are famously burdened with plenty of names -- Prince William was christened William Arthur Philip Louis, and his father is Charles Philip Arthur George -- but many (those titled His or Her Royal Highness) do not have a surname.

Prince William and Prince Harry have used "Wales" at school and during their military careers, but this comes from their father's official title as Prince of Wales. William and Kate may continue to use this for their new baby.

Contd 3: How to build an Android application, step by step

Using intents to launch other applications

Initially, an application may only be launching activity classes defined within its own package. However, with the appropriate permissions, applications may also launch external activity classes in other applications.

There are well-defined intent actions for many common user tasks. For example, you can create intent actions to initiate applications such as the following:

• Launching the built-in web browser and supplying a URL address
• Launching the web browser and supplying a search string
• Launching the built-in Dialer application and supplying a phone number
• Launching the built-in Maps application and supplying a location
• Launching Google Street View and supplying a location
• Launching the built-in Camera application in still or video mode
• Launching a ringtone picker

Recording a sound

Here is an example of how to create a simple intent with a predefined action (ACTION_VIEW) to launch the web browser with a specific URL:

Uri address = Uri.parse("http://www.perlgurl.org");

Intent surf = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, address);

startActivity(surf);

This example shows an intent that has been created with an action and some data. The action, in this case, is to view something. The data is a uniform resource identifier (URI), which identifies the location of the resource to view.

For this example, the browser's activity then starts and comes into foreground, causing the original calling activity to pause in the background. When the user finishes with the browser and clicks the Back button, the original activity resumes.

Applications may also create their own intent types and allow other applications to call them, allowing for tightly integrated application suites.

The OpenIntents.org website keeps a list of intent actions atwww.openintents.org/en/intentstable. This list includes those built into Android as well as those available from third-party applications.

Working with dialogs

Handset screens are small, and user interface real estate is valuable. Sometimes you want to handle a small amount of user interaction without creating an entirely new activity. In such instances, creating an activity dialog can be very handy. Dialogs can be helpful for creating very simple user interfaces that do not necessitate an entirely new screen or activity to function. Instead, the calling activity dispatches a dialog, which can have its own layout and user interface, with buttons and input controls.

Important dialog methods of the activity class

Method	Purpose
Activity.showDialog()	Shows a dialog, creating it if necessary.
Activity.onCreateDialog()	Is a callback when a dialog is being created for the first time and added to the activity dialog pool.
Activity.onPrepareDialog()	Is a callback for updating a dialog on-the-fly. Dialogs are created once and can be used many times by an activity. This callback enables the dialog to be updated just before it is shown for each showDialog() call.
Activity.dismissDialog()	Dismisses a dialog and returns to the activity. The dialog is still available to be used again by calling showDialog() again.
Activity.removeDialog()	Removes the dialog completely from the
activity dialog pool.

Activity classes can include more than one dialog, and each dialog can be created and then used multiple times.

There are quite a few types of ready-made dialog types available for use in addition to the basic dialog. These are AlertDialog, CharacterPickerDialog, DatePickerDialog, ProgressDialog, and TimePickerDialog.

You can also create an entirely custom dialog by designing an XML layout file and using the Dialog.setContentView() method. To retrieve controls from the dialog layout, you simply use the Dialog.findViewById() method.

Logging application information

Android provides a useful logging utility class called android.util.Log. Logging messages are categorized by severity (and verbosity), with errors being the most severe. The table below lists some commonly used logging methods of the Log class.

Commonly used log methods

Method	Purpose
Log.e()	Logs errors
Log.w()	Logs warnings
Log.i()	Logs informational messages
Log.d()	Logs debug messages
Log.v()	Logs verbose messages

Excessive use of the Log utility can result in decreased application performance. Debug and verbose logging should be used only for development purposes and removed before application publication.

The first parameter of each Log method is a string called a tag. One common Android programming practice is to define a global static string to represent the overall application or the specific activity within the application such that log filters can be created to limit the log output to specific data.

For example, you could define a string called TAG, as follows:

private static final String TAG = "MyApp";

Now anytime you use a Log method, you supply this tag. An informational logging message might look like this:

Log.i(TAG, "In onCreate() callback method");

You can use the LogCat utility from within Eclipse to filter your log messages to the tag string.

Summary

You've seen how different Android applications can be designed using three application components: Context, Activity and Intent. Each Android application comprises one or more activities. Top-level application functionality is accessible through the application context. Each activity has a special function and (usually) its own layout, or user interface. An activity is launched when the Android system matches an intent object with the most appropriate application activity, based on the action and data information set in the intent. Intents can also be used to pass data from one activity to another.

Contd2: How to build an Android application, step by step

Managing activity state

Applications can be interrupted when various higher-priority events, such as phone calls, take precedence. There can be only one active application at a time; specifically, a single application activity can be in the foreground at any given time.

Android applications are responsible for managing their state, as well as their memory, resources and data. The Android operating system may terminate an activity that has been paused, stopped or destroyed when memory is low. This means that any activity that is not in the foreground is subject to shutdown. In other words, an Android application must keep state and be ready to be interrupted and even shut down at any time.

Using activity callbacks

The Activity class has a number of callbacks that provide an opportunity for an activity to respond to events such as suspending and resuming. The table below lists the most important callback methods.

Key callback methods of Android Activities

Callback Method	Description	Recommendations
onCreate()	Called when an activity starts or restarts.	Initializes static activity data. Binds to data or resources required.
Sets layout with setContentView().
onResume()	Called when an activity becomes the foreground activity.	Acquires exclusive resources. Starts any audio, video, or animations.
onPause()	Called when an activity leaves the foreground.	Saves uncommitted data.Deactivates or releases exclusive resources.
Stops any audio, video, or animations.
onDestroy()	Called when an application is shutting down.	Cleans up any static activity data. Releases any resources acquired.

The main thread is often called the UI thread, because this is where the processing for drawing the UI takes place internally. An activity must perform any processing that takes place during a callback reasonably quickly, so that the main thread is not blocked. If the main UI thread is blocked for too long, the Android system will shut down the activity due to a lack of response. This is especially important to respond quickly during the onPause() callback, when a higher-priority task (for example, an incoming phone call) is entering the foreground.

The image below shows the order in which activity callbacks are called.

Important callback methods of the activity life cycle.

Saving activity state

An activity can have private preferences - much like shared application preferences. You can access these preferences by using the getPreferences() method of the activity. This mechanism is useful for saving state information. For example, PlayActivity for your game might use these preferences to keep track of the current level and score, player health statistics and game state.

Shutting Down Activities

To shut down an activity, you make a call to the finish() method. There are several different versions of this method to use, depending whether the activity is shutting itself down or shutting down another activity.

Within your game application, you might return from the Scores, Play and Help screens to the Menu screen by finishing ScoresActivity, PlayActivity or HelpActivity.

Working with Intents

An Intent object encapsulates a task request used by the Android operating system. When the startActivity() method is called with the Intent parameter, the Android system matches the Intent action with appropriate activity on the Android system. That activity is then launched.

The Android system handles all intent resolution. An intent can be very specific, including a request for a specific activity to be launched, or somewhat vague, requesting that any activity matching certain criteria be launched. For the finer details on intent resolution, see the Android documentation.

Passing information with intents

Intents can be used to pass data between activities. You can use an intent in this way by including additional data, called extras, within the intent.

To package extra pieces of data along with an intent, you use the putExtra() method with the appropriate type of object you want to include. The Android programming convention for intent extras is to name each one with the package prefix (for example,com.androidbook.chippy.NameOfExtra).

For example, the following intent includes an extra piece of information, the current game level, which is an integer:

Intent intent = new Intent(getApplicationContext(), HelpActivity.class);

intent.putExtra("com.androidbook.chippy.LEVEL", 23);

startActivity(intent);

When the HelpActivity class launches, the getIntent() method can be used to retrieve the intent. Then the extra information can be extracted using the appropriate methods. Here's an example:

Intent callingIntent = getIntent();

int helpLevel = callingIntent.getIntExtra("com.androidbook.chippy.LEVEL", 1);

This little piece of information could be used to give special Help hints, based on the level.

Contd 1: How to build an Android application, step by step

Implementing application functionality

We've talked about how each activity has its own user interface, defined within a separate layout resource file. You might be wondering about implementation hurdles such as the following:

• How do I control application state?
• How do I save settings?
• How do I launch a specific activity?

With our theoretical game application in mind, it is time to dive into the implementation details of developing an Android application. A good place to start is the application context.

Using the application context

The application context is the central location for all top-level application functionality. You use the application context to access settings and resources shared across multiple activity instances.

You can retrieve the application context for the current process by using the getApplicationContext() method, like this:

Context context = getApplicationContext();

Because the Activity class is derived from the Context class, you can use this instead of retrieving the application context explicitly.

You might be tempted to just use your Activity context in all cases. Doing so can lead to memory leaks, though. The subtleties of why this happens are beyond the scope of this article, but there is a great official Android blog post on this topic.

Once you have retrieved a valid application context, you can use it to access application-wide features and services.

Retrieving Application Resources

You can retrieve application resources by using the getResources()method of the application context. The most straightforward way to retrieve a resource is by using its unique resource identifier, as defined in the automatically generated R.java class. The following example retrieves a String instance from the application resources by its resource ID:

String greeting = getResources().getString(R.string.hello);

Accessing Application Preferences

You can retrieve shared application preferences by using thegetSharedPreferences() method of the application context. You can use the SharedPreferences class to save simple application data, such as configuration settings. Each SharedPreferences object can be given a name, allowing you to organize preferences into categories or store preferences all together in one large set.

For example, you might want to keep track of each user's name and some simple game state information, such as whether the user has credits left to play. The following code creates a set of shared preferences called GamePrefs and saves a few such preferences:

SharedPreferences settings = getSharedPreferences("GamePrefs", MODE_PRIVATE);

SharedPreferences.Editor prefEditor = settings.edit();

prefEditor.putString("UserName", "Spunky");

prefEditor.putBoolean("HasCredits", true);

prefEditor.commit();

To retrieve preference settings, you simply retrieve SharedPreferences and read the values back out:

SharedPreferences settings = getSharedPreferences("GamePrefs", MODE_PRIVATE);

String userName = settings.getString("UserName", "Chippy Jr. (Default)");

Accessing other application functionality using contexts

The application context provides access to a number of top-level application features. Here are a few more things you can do with the application context:

• Launch Activity instances
• Retrieve assets packaged with the application
• Request a system-level service provider (for example, location service)
• Manage private application files, directories and databases
• Inspect and enforce application permissions

The first item on this list - launching Activity instances - is perhaps the most common reason you will use the application context.

Working with Activities

The Activity class is central to every Android application. Much of the time, you'll define and implement an activity for each screen in your application.

In the Chippy's Revenge game application, you have to implement five different Activity classes. In the course of playing the game, the user transitions from one activity to the next, interacting with the layout controls of each activity.

Launching Activities

There are a number of ways to launch an activity, including the following:

• Designating a launch activity in the manifest file
• Launching an activity using the application context
• Launching a child activity from a parent activity for a result

Designating a launch activity in the manifest file

Each Android application must designate a default activity within the Android manifest file. In the manifest file of a Droid1 project, DroidActivity might be designated as the default activity.

Other Activity classes might be designated to launch under specific circumstances. You manage these secondary entry points by configuring the Android manifest file with custom filters.

In Chippy's Revenge, SplashActivity would be the most logical activity to launch by default.

Launching activities using the application context

The most common way to launch an activity is to use the startActivity() method of the application context. This method takes one parameter, called an intent. We will talk more about the intent in a moment, but for now, let's look at a simple startActivity() call.

The following code calls the startActivity() method with an explicit intent:

startActivity(new Intent(getApplicationContext(), MenuActivity.class));

This intent requests the launch of the target activity, named MenuActivity, by its class. This class must be implemented elsewhere within the package.

Because the MenuActivity class is defined within this application's package, it must be registered as an activity within the Android manifest file. In fact, you could use this method to launch every activity in your theoretical game application; however, this is just one way to launch an activity.

Launching an Activity for a Result

Sometimes an activity wants to launch a related activity and get the result, instead of launching an entirely independent activity. In this case, you can use the Activity.startActivityForResult() method. The result will be returned in the Intent parameter of the calling activity'sonActivityResult() method. We will talk more about how to pass data using an Intent parameter in a moment. Next: Managing activity state