10 tips for braving long distance love

Have 'the talk'
You should probably have a bit of a chat about this giant elephant of a commitment before you decide to do it. First and foremost, figure out if this person is actually worth it, if you aren't sure...probably not.

And once you do, establish how the whole operation is going to go down.  How often will you visit each other?  Where is this relationship going?  Is the long distance permanent or temporary?  What level of commitment will you have?  It's different for every couple, but you can't build a house without some foundation, dammit! 

Trust that you aren’t crazy:
Ok, you are a little crazy, but not any more than usual.  They’ll be some crying and moments of weakness where you think that this whole deal totally sucks and you'll find yourself with ice cream, in bed, weeping.  The missing is the worst part, ugh.  You’ll survive & you're totally normal.

Hang out in your hood:
Wallowing in self pity while watching Love Actually can be cathartic but  it's probably not a great everyday occurrence.  The more active you are, the quicker the time goes.  So let your friends be your friends and pack away those sweatpants.

Be a confident queen bee:
Do you think the queen of all bees has time worry about the men in her hive messaging her back while they’re making honey?  No, she’s secure enough to know they are hard at work providing and protecting her sweet ass.  Sometimes someone doesn't communicate because they actually do forget, have lost connection, or are honestly busy.  Give your partner some leeway.  And remember how fucking awesome you are!

Don't be a cheater:
Look, people make mistakes, that's not what this is about.  But, if you or your partner continue to make 'mistakes' then you should question why you are in this relationship in the first place.  Long distance is for the committed. 

Little achievements:
Halfway, 3 more sleeps, going for a weekend away. Count that shit down!

Download as many tools for communication as possible:
We live in a world where we can talk every day, we're like the Jetsons!  Try - Whatsapp, Skype, Tango, sms, Facebook chat, Mixt, and the actual telephone.  So send messages and chat often, none of this nonsense about talking too much.  You find what works for you and do it. 

Make dates to hang out online:
Schedule times where you can virtually be together.  Make the same meal and eat it together with a video chat. Or watch a movie at the same time while smsing. Knowing the other person is there to talk to makes it feel like you are still doing the little things together too.

Sexting:
Sexting, phone sex, or any type of sexual communication is what’s separating your relationship from just being friends.  Plus, pushing your comfort zone in a safe space can bring your 'in person' sexy time to another level of trust and awareness.  

P.S. Double check who you send that naughty photo to, no matter how classy that open leg shot is, your mother is not going to appreciate the surprise.

Reminding yourself everyday of the greatest, most amazingly fantastic moment when you are reunited:
Ain’t love the best!


 

- Woman24

Fasehun affirms Buhari cannot rule again

2015-01-02 17:30 
 
Lagos - The National Chairman of the Unity Party of Nigeria, Dr Fredrick Fasehun while addressing the media in Lagos stated that the All Progressive Party Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari should not rule again, DailyIndependent reported.

Also read: Dear Buhari! 
Faseun further added that many of the times Buhari has been painted as the "Messiah of Nigeria" which is untrue, the country needs someone who will be able to tackle insurgency and terrorism, Buhari is simply not the answer he said.

The next two months will be quite crucial for the country as it will state whether the country is going to progress or not.

He has urged Nigerians to review the messages political leaders are bringing out and need to weigh their options as a country needs to progress and not turn back.

For more on this story visit DailyIndependent

Gunmen kill three Sunni clerics in south Iraq

2015-01-02 17:30 
 
Basra - Gunmen shot dead three Sunni clerics in the Shiite-majority southern province of Basra, Iraqi officials said on Friday.

Raikan Mahdi, the head of the security committee for the province's Al-Zubair district, said the shooting by "unknown gunmen" also wounded two more clerics.
Mahdi said the attack took place as the clerics headed from provincial capital Basra to Al-Zubair after attending a meeting on preparations for celebrating the Prophet Mohammed's birthday.

Also read: Iraq official: ISIS siege of Mount Sinjar broken 
Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban ordered an investigation into the attack, the ministry said in a statement.

It blamed the violence on "forces serving the (Islamic State group) project," a reference to a Sunni jihadist organisation that spearheaded a sweeping offensive that overran large parts of the country.

But the Iraqi Islamic Party, one of the main Sunni political parties, said the attack was carried out by "criminal militias," an apparent reference to Shiite fighters Baghdad has turned to for support in its battle against IS.
Shiite militiamen have played key roles in operations against the jihadists, but have also carried out kidnappings and extrajudicial killings

While pro-government forces have regained some ground from IS, large areas are still outside Baghdad's control.

- AFP

Mourning and fury over China stampede deaths

2015-01-02 17:30 
 
Shangai - The bitter pain of bereavement turned to tears of anger Friday for relatives of the 36 killed in a New Year's Eve crush in Shanghai, as they accused authorities of failing to control the crowds.

Li Juan was only a few metres away from her younger sister Li Na on the Bund when the accident happened on a wide stairway leading to a waterfront promenade.

"It all feels like a dream and I still cannot believe that she is gone," she said, weeping uncontrollably and struggling to get her words out.

The 23-year-old victim worked as an assistant teacher in an early learning centre.

Also read: 34 killed in stampede at Guinea beach concert

"The government is responsible for the accident," Li said, adding she only saw six to eight police on the staircase. "I couldn't see any other police on the plaza" below, she added, before collapsing in grief on the floor.

The stampede took place as vast numbers of people crammed into a square named for Chen Yi, Shanghai's first Communist mayor.

Most of the fatalities were young women, authorities said, and Li was from one of three families who spoke to AFP Friday about their lost loved ones.

Qi Xiaoyan, a 21-year-old migrant worker, came to Shanghai from nearby Anhui province just four months ago to earn money to support her family back home, her cousin said.

"I cannot imagine something like this would ever happen in a city like Shanghai," said Cai Jinjin, who has lived in Shanghai for 10 years.

"Besides the sadness, I'm more bitterly disappointed in this city."
All but four of the dead on a list of 32 identified victims released by the city government were aged 25 or under, and 21 were female. The youngest was a 12-year-old boy, Mao Yongjie.

He became separated from his mother in the overwhelming flow of revellers, news magazine Caixin reported, and efforts by hospital staff to save his life failed. His mother spent New Year's day crying until she passed out from exhaustion, Caixin added.

The crush is Shanghai's worst accident since a fire in a high-rise residential building killed 58 people in 2010, and a black mark for the commercial hub's international reputation.

The official news agency Xinhua said municipal authorities had been caught in a wave of criticism for "not making effective preparative measures to cope with the crowds that flock the Bund".

Oldest victimThe oldest fatality was Du Shuanghua, 37, whose wife told AFP he was the family's only breadwinner and she had not told their eight-year-old son that his father was dead.

Fan Ping showed AFP pictures of the family together on her phone, but struggled to find the one she wanted her husband to be remembered by, before refusing to look at it herself.

Friends who were with Du on the Bund told Fan that her husband was still conscious when he arrived at the Shanghai Number One People's Hospital, where most of the injured were taken. But she never saw him alive again.

Police and security guards prevented relatives from entering the hospital before eventually allowing only two members of each family into a waiting area.

"We waited desperately from midnight the first day to 9:00 pm the next day. The hospital did not give me any updates on my husband until we were told to go to the funeral home to see his dead body," Fan said.
Relatives wailed uncontrollably at a funeral home where some of the bodies were taken, with one woman crumpling with despair almost immediately after coming out with other family members holding her up.
One man said: "My son is in there, I can't believe this happened."

City authorities on Friday raised the number of injured by two to 49, according to a statement. Four were in critical condition, Xinhua said citing hospital sources, and another nine were severely hurt.
People continued to gather at the accident scene, some laying flowers in a government-approved show of mourning.

University student Chen Xiaohang placed white chrysanthemums at the memorial site in memory of the sister of a high-school classmate who died.
"I feel very sad about this and I hope the government will offer better safety controls for events like this," she said.
Shanghai residents also questioned why authorities did not control the crowds, although police said a "more than normal" 700-strong force was present.

"The Shanghai government should take responsibility for the incident. Most of the young victims must be the only child of their families," said taxi driver Xu Jianzhong.

Under China's strict birth control regulations most couples are restricted to a single child.

- AFP

7 killed in al Shabaab attack at Somali military base

2015-01-03 09:17 
 
Mogadishu - Somalian al Shabaab militants attacked a military base in the outskirts of the town of Baidoa on Friday morning, killing at least seven soldiers, a Somali military official said.

The attack came two days after the United States said it had killed the chief of al Shabaab's intelligence and security wing, Tahliil Abdishakur, in a drone strike. Al Shabaab seeks to topple the Western-backed Mogadishu government and impose its own strict version of Islamic law.

"Al Shabaab attacked our base unexpectedly, early in the morning today. We lost seven soldiers," Captain Ahmed Idow, a Somali military officer, told Reuters by telephone from Baidoa.

Also read: Al Shabaab leader killed in U.S. air strike in Mogadishu
Idow said Somali soldiers killed three al Shabaab insurgents during the attack.

A spokesman for al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab said the group had briefly seized the base and killed more than 10 soldiers. Al Shabaab often cites a higher death toll than the number given by officials.

"We fiercely attacked the military base near Baidoa," Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operation spokesman, told Reuters.

In a separate incident in central Somalia on Friday, al Shabaab ambushed a government convoy carrying food aid, killing one soldier, according to Somali officials.

A spokesman for al Shabaab confirmed the group was behind the attack.

- Reuters

Lantern causes Bangkok Airways flight cancellation

2015-01-03 09:17 
 
Bangkok - Bangkok Airways was forced to cancel a flight over the new year period after a traditional fire lantern was found stuck to the plane's engine, the airline said Friday.

The Airbus A320 had flown into Chiang Mai airport in the country's north on Thursday night from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and was due to return to the capital.

As the plane taxied to its stand, lanterns were spotted floating over the airport and one was apparently sucked into the engine.

"After the aircraft parked at the gate, technicians found a lantern stuck to engine number two and the airline decided to cancel" Flight PG906, an airline statement said.

The incident comes at a time of heightened concern over fire lanterns, small paper balloons usually powered by a candle which are traditionally released by Thais during festivals and celebrations.

Also read: 14 suspects nabbed at Lagos airport for drug possession
Scores of flights from Chiang Mai had to be cancelled in October during a festival because lanterns drifted into the airport's airspace and aviation chiefs have previously warned that lamps could be hazardous to aircraft.

New Year celebrations have seen no let up in stray lanterns despite the warnings.
"We have collected 200 lanterns inside Chiang Mai airport over New Year's Eve," Visutr Chantana, the airport's director, told AFP.

In the latest incident no damage was caused to the aircraft which was later flown without passengers back to Bangkok for further testing.

"Today our technicians checked the aircraft and found that the engine was fine and safe," Bangkok Airways said.

The incident comes after an AirAsia jet flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore crashed into the sea on Sunday during a storm with 162 people aboard.

On Tuesday another AirAsia jet, this time in the Philippines, skidded off the runway on arrival at a popular resort island, causing no injuries but shutting the small airport.

- AFP

INEC displays list of 15 governorship candidates in Lagos

2015-01-03 09:17 
 
Lagos - The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has displayed the names and particulars of 15 governorship candidates in Lagos State as presented to it by their political parties.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who visited INEC office in Lagos on Friday, reports that the commission also displayed the names of the candidates’ running mates and candidates for House of Assembly.

According to the list, Mr Ayodele Akele is govenorship candidate for the National Conscience Party (NCP), while his running mate is Dr Akinlade Babafemi.

Also in the list, Mrs Pauline Adegbe and Mr Olamide Oguntoyinbo appeared as the governorship candidate for the Progressives Peoples’ Alliance (PPA) and running mate respectively.

The Action Alliance (AC) also has Mr Aregbesola Ishola and Mrs Omolola Olorunnishola as its governorship candidate and running mate respectively in the list.

Also read: Redeployment in INEC will improve administration efficiency - AD
The list as well featured Mr Godwin Mayor as the governorship candidate for Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) and Mr Ugochukwu Ekwebelem as his running mate.

Mr Akinwunmi Ambode is presented in the list as governorship candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC) with Mrs Aderanti Adebule as his running mate.

The list displayed Mr Olujimi Agbaje as the governorship candidate for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Mrs Safirat Abdukareem as his running mate.

According to it, Mr Victor Adeniji is running as governorship candidate on the platform of Kowa Party (KP) with Mrs Funmilayo Davidson as his running mate.

It also featured Mr Olatunde Olusesan as the governorship candidate for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Mrs Abiodun Shuaib as his running mate.

In the list, Mr Ademola Razaq appeared as the flag-bearer of the Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) with Mr Folawiyo Adebayo as his running mate.

It also indicated Mr Kayode Jacobs as the governorship candiadte on the platform of Mega Progressive Peoples Party (MPPP) with Mr Akeem Suberu as his running mate.

Mr Festus Igbinoba is representing United Progressive Party (UPP) with Mr Kanu Urji as his running mate in the list.

However, it was observed that the list did not reflect the governorship candidate for Independent Democrat (ID) but reflected Mrs Omoshola Lawal as a running mate candidate.

Similarly, the People Democratic Movement (PDM) has only the name of its governorship candidate, Mr Akin Badmus on the list.

The list as well reflected the name of the running mate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr Edwin Izuchukwu and Mr Olurotimi Olulana as the governorship candidate for the Labour Party (LP).
The display is in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act as amended.

Section 31 Subsection 3 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) provides for publication of personal particulars of all candidates contesting in 2015 general elections within seven days of the receipt of form CF 001.(NAN)

- NAN

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