Unbelievable Bible God Accept Human Sacrifices!

First, let's get perspective. Some mistakenly believe human sacrifice is forbidden in the Old Testament. Certainly, some of the prophets railed against it. But in at least one book, LORD God accepts human sacrifice. And in another book, LORD God is appeased by human sacrifice.

In the following account from the Book of Judges, the Israelite warrior Jephthah is about to set off to make war on the Ammonites. In payment for victory, Jephthah promises LORD God he will sacrifice the first "whatsoever" that comes from his house to greet him upon his return. Unless Jephthah keeps oxen, sheep, goats, or chickens in his living room, he must expect the promised victim will be a human being. Notice that Jephthah does not promise to sacrifice "an ox" or "a goat," etc. 

And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
 

Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

— Judges 11:30-31 (KJV)

The first to pass through the doors of Jephthah's house upon his return is his only child, his beloved daughter.

And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back.

— Judges 11:34-35 (KJV)

Let us reflect for a moment. We know Jephthah vowed to LORD God to sacrifice "whatsoever" first came out of the door of his house. We suspect Jephthah plans to sacrifice one of his servants. But when the "whatsoever" turned out to be Jephthah's daughter, Jephthah is surprised. Notice his daughter's reaction:

And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

— Judges 11:36 (KJV)

She expresses no surprise that LORD God would accept a human sacrifice, nor does she protest; she does not say, "Father, let's use some common sense. You know LORD God is dead set against human sacrifice. He must have thought an ox would meet you on your return, or perhaps a goat, or one of the chickens. There must be a misunderstanding." Instead, she urges her father to keep his promise. She says:

And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

—

Jephthah agrees:

And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

— Judges 11:38-40 (KJV)

None but perfect animals are permitted to be ritually sacrificed in Judaism. Notice that Jephthah's daughter, too, is a perfect sacrifice — she is a virgin. Notice that LORD God does not stop this human sacrifice, as he stopped the sacrifice of Abraham's son.

The Old Testament does not specify how Jephthah sacrifices his daughter, but following the correct methods for animal sacrifice, he would slit her throat first and drain her blood into a Temple service vessel; cut off her arms, legs, and head; cut the torso in sections, remove her entrails and wash them; pour, sprinkle, and smear her blood at prescribed points around the altar; and burn the flesh. Or of course, a priest might do this for him.

Bible God Accept Human Sacrifice

In 2 Samuel 21, David is king over Judah. A famine oppresses the land; King David learns that LORD God is punishing Israel for King Saul's sin (Saul attacked the Gibeonites in violation of Joshua's treaty Joshua 9:15). Therefore, in order to relieve the famine, David must appease the Gibeonites. On negotiation, the Gibeonites demand to be given seven descendants of Saul to be hanged "unto the LORD." David picks two of Saul's sons and five of Saul's grandsons. Coincidentally, the five grandsons are the children of Michal, the woman David had wanted to marry (see 1 Samuel 18:25). David gives these Israelites to the Gibeonites so the Gibeonites can hang them.

1. Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
2. And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)
3. Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?
4. And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.
5. And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,
6. Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.
7. But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
8. But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:
9. And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.(2Samuel 21:1-11)

http://www.biblehub.com

http://www.come-and-hear.com/editor/br_3.html

http://www.jos.com

Why I become an agnostic

I went through studies and questioning of beliefs since beginning of 100level till now that I have begun working. I have dedicated my life to question whatever comes my way be it religion, food and everything. I enjoy what I am doing now because this has helped to send me into the realm of reality. It makes me see some bunch of unproven ideas. And till now, I am a student of ‘knowledge’. The more I ask questions and study the more it seems to me I don’t know and I want to know more. If you are new born baby and you could prove your facts to me I would gladly accept them. I made up my mind that I won’t accept any knowledge or belief systems without critical questioning and proofs/reasons. The person of me now is by this description; “I am not committed to believing in either the existence or the non existence of God or god” based on my little knowledge on god. This maybe temporary or permanent depending on the facts or proof I have at hand today or tomorrow. It would be wise and best to be at a safer side because nobody knows what might happened about knowledge now or later even after death. I have been active members both in debating and evangelizing while representing these groups. Even with my little knowledge now, I doubt if any of these three groups could win me in a debate not for intelligence superiority reasons but for they lack of genuine proofs.   I would share my experience during some of my questioning time with three of these groups. Questioning them was seen as a system of getting information from them. I want to know why they behaved the way they do. I couldn't accept their explanation while asking them questions from the way I reason and studies. The following are few of the questions.

QUESTIONS I ASKED CHRISTIANS AND OTHER ORGANIZED RELIGION

Q1: Why does the only ‘one god’ gives Christian the book (Bible) that contradicts itself (in words) and other book of other religion? Is He not the same god with different names?  If all these words in these scriptures are strictly obeyed without using our human reasons, don’t you think we would all be killed now?

Q2: If Satan is the originator of all evil in the world, why did God still keep him? Why did he not end his life or make Satan life cease to exist if he is the all knowing, all powerful and justifying God? Why did he need to suffer us in hell for the sin that originated from his creation (Satan)?

Q3: By what you said that God is the past, present and the future, why didn’t he know Satan would later be evil before and after he created him? If he knows, is it not wicked to do so?

OBSERVATION: I realized most Christians don’t like talking about the above questions. You would see them use their own human reasoning to help their ‘god given words’ explaining why this or that is not a contradiction. They don’t allow the scriptures to speak for themselves but help it. How can you help God? I do react when they use this method. They can’t explain reasons for the above questions. I said to myself, why should god send over different 500 contradicting scriptures? If He must send scriptures to us, why can’t he send the same message with different language at the same time?  I still questioned that is Satan more powerful than god?  Why would I believe in a system whose doctrine and styles is built on these faulty or man made scriptures. We know that human is not perfect and that same imperfection of man is found in the scripture that was assumed to come from a perfect being. The writing styles, history, and other evil things present create my unbelief for this group.

QUESTIONS I ASKED ATHEISTS

Q1: Why do you say there is no creator that creates nature? What physical or theoretical proof or evidence do you have to conclude there is no god or the creator never exits at any time?( To active atheists)

Q2: Since most atheists disagree that the nature is not a creation rather they agreed that it is either eternal or accidental within nature, what evidence of proof do you have about your either agreements or chosen choice?

Q3: Why do atheists shift ‘burden of proof’ on their debaters since we know that the word; ‘God does not exist’ is an affirmative statement that can be proven in logic? Why can’t they say with all honesty that ‘I cannot prove god does not exist’?

OBSERVATION: Honestly speaking I see atheism like a kind of religion without rituals and uniform beliefs systems. They seem to act the same way organized religion do. They are not honest when it comes to the area where their belief systems is challenged or needed proofs. They would quickly dodge using some sort of fallacy like “the burden of proof lies on you since I cannot proof there is no god just like I can’t prove the spaghetti monsters “or any related and dishonest form of fallacy. It is only a negative statement that cannot be proven. Some doesn't know that statements maybe negative but are still refers as affirmative logic statements that needed proofs. One of such statement is ‘God does not exist’, this is an affirmative statements even if it in negative form. How could my belief rely only on a system that has no proven facts? One of the reasons I left organized religion is because of their dogma, why should I still accept another dogmatic belief without any proof or reasons?

QUESTIONS I ASKED DEISTS

Q1: Why should I believe that the creator creates the earth and left the earth or universe alone since human can’t just leave his child to suffer? When did he leave? Who is the human that saw him while leaving? At least human should be able to identify his maker before God finished his creation or what?

Q2: If the creator left the universe, where could he have gone to and for what reason did he do such?

Q3: Why do some deists give thanks to the creator that doesn’t care about prayers?

OBSERVATION:  I find out that this group said they believed god because of a reason. And that such reason is nature. And that this is not man made, so this nature is a creation. They also argue that since there is a creation then there must be a creator. I agreed with their honesty for saying they believed god by the reason of the creation we can see. I found that this is still not a belief system I should rely on. I reasoned, why should a reasonable creator leave nature? If He can create an intelligent been who can’t afford to leave a day old or even more, why would a creator do otherwise? Why should I accept this assertion? It is not reasonable for a mother to drop her child to suffer while she has the capacity to care and make the child fulfilled its ambition. Does reason alone proof anything?

Which of the following is the real ten commandment?

The First Tablets (Exodus 20)		The Second Tablets (Exodus 34)
1. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.		1. [Y]ou shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
2. You shall not make for yourself a graven image. [Y]ou shall not bow down to them or serve them.		2. You shall make for yourself no molten gods.
3. You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.		3. The feast of unleavened bread you shall keep.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.		4. All that opens the womb is mine. [Sacrifice firstborn male animals to Yahweh.]
5. Honor your father and your mother.		5. Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest..
6. You shall not kill.		6. [Y]ou shall observe the feast of weeks, the first fruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering.
7. You shall not commit adultery.		7. You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven.
8. You shall not steal.		8. [N]either shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left until the morning.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.		9. The first of the first fruits of your ground you shall bring to the house of the LORD your God.
10. You shall not covet.		10. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.

See how to cure Erectile Dysfunction with Moringa

Let us start by the definition

WHAT IS ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION?

"How to use m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds for erectile dysfunction" This is the phrase I saw a good percentage of readers search as I went through the blog stats. This got me thinking...
So what is Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and how can just eating m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds, m.o.r.i.n.g.a. leaves or drinking m.o.r.i.n.g.a. oil help with it? According to Michael West definition, Erectile Dysfunction is the dysfunction of Attention. Lol! 


Actually Erectile dysfunction is a Latin term impotentia coeundi meaning simple inability to insert the joystick into the vagina. On a more serious note, Wikipedia, explains Erectile dysfunction (ED) or impotence to be a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an Attention of the joystick during sexual activity in humans. 

To explain what an Attention means, Wikipedia says ...A penile Attention is the hydraulic effect of blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the joystick. The process is most often initiated as a result of sexual arousal, when signals are transmitted from the brain to nerves in the joystick.

Sexual function is a highly complex process that usually involve a good number of the body parts including the brain(the mind), hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, oxytocin, and vasopressin; emotions, nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. You know sometimes mere seeing a woman(your wife), you feel somehow down there right? That is the power of your mind. You sometimes need not see physically but only imagine it and you are there. So the mind is very powerful when it comes to your sexual life. Now it also plays a role somewhat negatively when you are anxious. For instance when you are afraid of not being able to satisfy your spouse even before you engage her intimately. This could lead to a temporary erectile dysfunction. My story will help you.

HOW I OVERCAME ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

I remember when I newly got married, the first night of the honeymoon was funny! Now I had always looked at sex as sinful. So the thought of it alone had already sent signals to my manhood that it should not work even though here I was with my wife. I am sure you are surprised right? But truly, it became a challenge. It just wouldn't work no matter how hard I tried! Infact it was complicated with premature expulsion. This became so frustrating and devastating that I felt I needed some form of therapy.


But God delivered me eventually after few years of marriage. My mind started accepting sex as a normal and right thing since it was with my wife. Gradually, I would last longer and stay harder until now the situation has so changed that my wife gets surprised. Now my case involved a mental shift. Yours may also require same or a combination of other solutions discussed below. 

I would also like to advise you against stress. Stress is one BIG factor responsible for this condition. Maybe your job is stressful, but thanks to m.o.r.i.n.g.a. and other herbal teas. Just take it last thing before going to bed. This will go a long way to help. Thankfully m.o.r.i.n.g.a. particularly is loaded with lots of anti-stress properties that have helped a lot of people globally, including myself, yours truly.

Additionally, I adopted certain lifestyles. I stopped eating refined sugar and started eating lots of fruits and vegetables(more of fruits), bitter kola became my companion at some point. I eat ginger root, lots of nuts ranging from peanuts to bambara nuts. I drink lots of water, eat m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds; drink m.o.r.i.n.g.a. oil, take m.o.r.i.n.g.a. Tea, etc. 

Recently, my wife has been making assorted juices and blended fruits and vegetables that have added to my sexual life enhancement. For instance, one day, she blended MANGO, TIGERNUTS and WATERMELON for me. I drank one full litre (1L) at night. Honestly, before daybreak, I drove straight home for intimacy immediately after the vigil I attended that night. Try to include vegetables like carrots, cucumber in your diet and you will definitely see huge improvements. You can juice, blend or eat them like that. For me, juicing has worked perfectly of late.

So this lifestyle changes have proven to really help out. I have shared the story of a Bishop who took m.o.r.i.n.g.a. oil in combination with quail eggs and got his bedroom life fixed to the glory of God. I trust God to help you and give you a testimonial very soon. Did my story help you in any way at all? Kindly comment below.
HOW AN Attention IS ACHIEVED

Usually, there are two mechanisms that control the Attention of the joystick.
1. Reflex Attention
2. Psychogenic Attention


Reflex Attention is achieved by touching the shaft of the joystick while psychogenic Attention is achieved by an Intimate or emotional stimuli without necessarily touching the joystick. That is why just looking at a pornographic picture, your brain sends signals to the part of the central nervous system in charge of Attention and sharp sharp, it stands up like the picture to the right. Lol!

Now stimulation of the shaft of the joystick by the nervous system leads to the production of NITRIC OXIDE which makes the smooth muscles of the joystick to relax to enable enough blood flow into the spongy tissue leading to strong Attention. Also, the testosterone (sex hormone) produced by the testes and the pituitary gland are required for a healthy erectile process. That is why if anything goes wrong with any of the three, it affects your Attention. Is this making sense?

SYMPTOMS OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

How do you know that you have erectile dysfunction? It is very simple. You will know when it starts. Sometimes it is more or less a temporary condition. It however becomes a serious challenge when it lingers longer than normal. Research has it that generally, 40% of males suffer from erectile dysfunction and 50 % of men between 40 and 70 years of age experience some ED at one point or the other in their sex life. Actually the risk of impotence increases as you get older. That means if you are in your late twenties of early to mid or even late thirties, it should not naturally be a challenge right? Or if you came back from work stressed and suddenly saw that the joystick refused raise its head when you wanted to play, you wouldn't conclude that you already have ED.

The following are some of the symptoms of ED.

Inability to maintain Attention for more than one minute.
Attention stops while you are still in her.
Attention does not start even when aroused.

CAUSES OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Broadly, there are two causes of erectile dysfunction:
1. PSYCHOLOGICAL and
2. PHYSICAL

Other causes of ED include:
Metabolic syndrome — a condition involving increased blood pressure, high insulin levels and body fat around the waist.
High blood pressure(HBP). Those on HBP drugs almost always have ED challenges in the long run. 
Atherosclerosis i.e. Clogged blood vessels
High cholesterol in the body.
Diabetes - usually neuropathy from diabetes mellitus (i.e. type 2 diabetes). This is because it brings about issues with blood flow and the nervous system.
Obesity.
Heart disease.
Parkinson's disease.
Smoking. Smoking causes ED because it promotes the narrowing of the arteries.
Pornography. Pornography is watching of Unclad pictures, videos, etc as you know. It is interesting to know that studies have been carried out linking pornography to ED.
Poor circulation
Lack of exercise
Drugs


HOW M.O.R.I.N.G.A. SEEDS, LEAVES HELP WITH ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds, leaves and their derivatives contain 90 nutrients, 46 antioxidants, 36 anti inflammatories and lots of vitamins and minerals that will enhance sexual function. According to Noel Harriott, a Blogger at Keshaneinfo, m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds have been shown to help men in treating erectile dysfunction in Eastern medicines. The seeds are actually used as a sexual virility drug. Women can benefit from m.o.r.i.n.g.a. with Enhanced sexual stimulation. 


The seeds can help with increasing the hardness of an Attention and increase your sexual health. Vitamins and coenzymes in seeds increase blood flow to erectile tissue increasing cellular expansion and therefore increasing the size and hardness of Attention. 



The m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds are an excellent source of Calcium and vitamin D. Just one small serving of the seeds provides more calcium and vitamin D than Drinking 3 cups of whole milk without consuming all the extra fat and calories. 

M.o.r.i.n.g.a.is an aphrodisiac. Now does this mean m.o.r.i.n.g.a. is a sexual plant? Absolutely yes! You could call it that I mean let’s be honest who doesn’t want to maximize their sexual pleasure? I’ve got my hands up. An aphrodisiac is a drug, food or food that stimulates sexual pleasure. 

So if you’re looking for a natural way to satisfy your wife or spouse go ahead and try it rock her world. M.o.r.i.n.g.a.is an aphrodisiac; it stimulates sexual desires and helps to boost sperm count when taken daily. Additionally intake of the “M.o.r.i.n.g.a.leaf powder” can help you see better results if you consider it a part of your daily diet. It helps to boost your energy level and sexual arousal.

Sometimes when you are on hypertension drugs you may eventually come down with ED. M.o.r.i.n.g.a. leaves/tea help normalize high blood pressure thereby correcting the ED that usually accompanies the use of drugs in the management of the condition. If your case is as a result of such drugs I advise that you keep taking especially the m.o.r.i.n.g.a. leaves in addition to the m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds. You will observe that as the high blood pressure is going, your Attention will be returning to normal.

Research has shown that vitamin E can soften the red blood cells, which increases circulation by improving blood flow. M.o.r.i.n.g.a. contains lots of vitamin E which helps with circulation challenges thereby ultimately enhancing blood flow to the joystick. This in turn helps with the ED.

If you have taken m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds and they purged you, it means they detoxified you actually. That cleansing effect by m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds is known to help a lot for cases of ED too. 

I wrote an article on how to take m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds for best results. When you read the article, it will help you to know best ways to take m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds for effective results. Also, you will learn that m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds help with weight loss which is also directly or indirectly connected to ED. So I encourage you to take the seeds with this understanding.
M.o.r.i.n.g.a.seeds contain lots of zinc which is a powerful sex micronutrient.

According to HEALTHLINE A 1996 study showed a very clear relationship between zinc and testosterone levels. Young men were fed a diet including very little zinc so that they developed a zinc deficiency. Testosterone levels were measured and there was a significant decrease (almost 75 percent) after 20 weeks of a low-zinc diet.

The study also examined zinc supplementation in elderly men. Researchers showed that with increased zinc intake, testosterone levels in the elderly population almost doubled. This is pretty powerful evidence that zinc has an impact on testosterone production.

In 2009, animal research was conducted to again test the correlation between zinc and sexual function. Rats that were treated with 5 milligrams per day of a zinc supplement were shown to have better sexual function. This particular study concluded that in males, zinc has a positive effect on arousal and maintaining an Attention.

A 2013 study shows that sense of smell may actually be important to libido, especially in younger men. That means that zinc deficiency, which can reduce sense of smell, may also reduce libido. Zinc not only impacts the level of testosterone, but may cause a loss of the ability to detect subtle chemicals that induce arousal.

M.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds have lots of zinc so consuming them will greatly help your sexual function and improve the erectile dysfunction. M.o.r.i.n.g.a.also contains arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide that enhances the flow of blood to the joystick.

One day, my cousin visited us. Before going to bed, I gave him some m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds to chew. The following day I gave him lectures on m.o.r.i.n.g.a. When I mentioned how it helps men with their manhood, he laughed. At night while he slept, he noticed that his 'jojo' was 'charging' uncontrollably. It was during the lecture that he connected the erections at night with the m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds that he ate before going to bed. 

Somehow, low sperm count is linked to about 6% of ED cases. Taking m.o.r.i.n.g.a. seeds will also increase your sperm volume or sperm count and this will enhance your libido. The other nuts I mentioned will do same. Many food items that contain zinc are very good for men's health. So eat lots of them. Eating a variety of 'sex-foods' is good for your health, o man. See the list below.

Other equally wonderful natural products useful for erectile dysfunction include: 


RED GINSENG. 
BANANAS. 
WATERMELON which is the source of CITRULLINE and LYCOPENE
L-ARGININE
POMEGRANATE
PINE NUTS
DARK CHOCOLATE
SESAME SEEDS which contain ARGININE the precursor of Nitric oxide that enhances blood flow to the Manhood. Buy Sesame seeds.
WALNUTS
ALMONDS
CASHEW NUTS
GINGER ROOT
WATERMELON
CUCUMBER
CARROTS

OYSTERS
GINKO BILOBA
CAYENNE PEPPER

As I researched for this article, I personally got help and as I prayed for you reading this, I believed it will empower you and liberate you from the ignorance about erectile dysfunction and God will deliver from you this Men's challenge. If you have been blessed by this article, kindly comment below and share with others too.
Do you need to talk to us for personal counselling? Kindly contact us...
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Wayne Rooney has announced when he will retire from international football

Rooney says he'll quit international football after 2018 World Cup

England captain Wayne Rooney said Tuesday that he'll retire from international football after the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The 30-year-old was retained as captain by new manager Sam Allardyce on Monday.

"Come Russia I feel that will be the time to say goodbye to international football," England's record scorer with 53 goals told a news conference. “My mind is made up.

"I started playing international football at 17, so at 32, in two years time, I will have been playing at that level for 15 years and I think that is a good time to finish."

England start World Cup qualifying on Sunday in Slovakia and Rooney would pass David Beckham as England's most capped outfield player with 116 should he feature.He said he hasn't spoken with Allardyce about which position he would play.

Previosu manager Roy Hodgson used him in midfield at Euro 2016 but he's played behind the striker at Manchester United this season.

"Obviously it's the manager's decision," Rooney said.

“We haven't really spoken about it - we will in the next couple of days.

“I'm ready to play whether it's midfield, number 10 or striker." 

https://aboutcroatia.net/news/sport/rooney-says-hell-quit-international-football-after-2018-world-cup-35083?

Lagos: Story Of Oil In The Nation’s Economic Hub

In this report, George Okojie observes that with the recent discovery and consequent commencement of crude oil production in Lagos, the state is set to consolidate its economic dominance among its peers in Nigeria.

When Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited, a wholly-owned indigenous firm embarked on the complicated process of looking for crude oil in Lagos State some 25 years ago many thought it was another grandstanding, a wild goose chase  that will fizzle out without achieving the desired results.

However, the oil firm proved cynics and critics wrong when it, in partnership with Panoro Energy ASA and First Hydrocarbon Nigeria (FHN) Limited, among others, on May 3, 2016 achieved first oil on Aje field in western axis of the ancient town of Badagry. Indeed, the discovery catapulted Lagos State into the league of oil and gas producing states in the country. Again, it is historical because the feat made Lagos the first basin out of the Niger Delta to become an oil producing state.

Shortly after the discovery, the Indices and Disbursement Committee of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) proclaimed the state as an oil producing state, in line with the constitutional provision.

According to the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed the development was significant for the Nigeria economy that Lagos state has emerged as the first oil producing state outside the Niger Delta basin.

Mohammed affirmed that Committee had visited the state to verify crude oil and gas production from Aje Oil Wells for the purpose of disbursement of the 13 per cent Derivation Fund.

He said the Commission had set-up an Inter-Agency technical Committee comprising of the RMAFC, DPR, Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation and the National Boundary Commission to determine the location of the Aje Oil Wells.

Mohammed explained that the Technical Committee recommended that for the purpose of the Derivation Fund as spelt out under Section 162 (2) of the 1999 constitution as well as the provision of the Allocation of Revenue Act 2004, number 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the Aje Oil Wells fall within 200m isobaths and therefore should be attributed to Lagos State.

“It is also important to state that the commencement of oil production from Aje oil field by Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company Limited is the first time oil is being produced outside the Niger Delta basin and therefore of a significance in diversifying the source of crude and gas production in the country,” Mohammed said.

LEADESHIP Sunday checks revealed that oil produced from the Aje field will be stored in the Front Puffin which has a production capacity of 40,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) and storage capacity of 750,000 barrels.

The oil field is currently located in the extreme western part offshore Nigeria, adjacent to the Benin border in the Dahomey Basin and it is situated in water depths ranging from 100 to 1,500 metres, about 24 kilometres from the coast.

Crucially, experts and stakeholders say with the discovery and exploration of the two wells in Aje oil field located in Oil Mining Lease (OML) 113, offshore Lagos which has tested in excess of 10,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, the Lagos economy is expected to achieve further robust growth.

Aside the oil wells, several key factors in the same sector expected to stimulate explosive economic growth in the state include the largest single line refinery in the world being developed at the Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) by Africa’s richest man and business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Indeed, with the discovery of oil and the subsequent commencement of drilling activities, Lagos state which unarguably has one of the most vibrant economy among the 36 states of the nation, is on the way to further consolidating its economic dominance.

Basking in the euphoria of the success of their doggedness, the Group Managing Director, Tunde Folawiyo, said the discovery of crude oil in Lagos, which had taken over 25 years to achieve, has gone a long way to show it is possible to achieve any feat if government continues to lend support to indigenous investors and companies.

“At so many points along the way, we could have given up because it was a very rough road, but the point is that only a Nigerian company would have continued to do what we did” Folawiyo said adding that “the main crux is that we need government and government needs us and where government supports assiduously, it can only be success”.

He said the company spent about $400million dollars to achieve the feat, adding that the current status of the oil well has the capacity to produce at least 12,000 barrels per day, with a possibility to increase to 25,000 to 50,000 barrels per day in the nearest future.

Corroborating Folawiyo his development partner, Panoro’s Chief Executive Officer, John Hamilton, said exploration of oil in Lagos “is a transformational milestone for Panoro and represents a great achievement by the Aje project teams”

Continuing, Hamilton said “the commencement of production at Aje is also significant for Nigeria as it is the first commercial production for the country in the emerging Dahomey Basin.”

But for the Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, nothing can be more plausible than the doggedness of the indigenous firm to achieve the feat after 25 years of hard work.

Ambode was however, elated that by the provision of Section 162 Sub-Section 2 of the Nigeria Constitution, his state has become an oil producing State.

“Because I know that based on section 162 Sub-Section 2 of the Nigeria Constitution, Lagos becomes an oil producing state and by virtue of this, the 13 percent derivation that is due to oil producing states, Lagos will start to partake from it by your very good gesture”

Ambode pointed out that the feat has not only placed Lagos in the history books as the first state outside the Niger Delta to become an oil producing state, but has also opened up a new page for revenue generation in the state.

“It also means that by the additional revenue that is coming from this action, we would have more resources to provide infrastructure for Lagosians”

“And this is what we want other investors and businessmen to emulate, so that beyond the issue of profit, you are actually creating impact on people without them necessarily knowing that it is actually coming from a venture like this that you have embarked on,” he added.

According to him, the resilience of Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Company, an indigenous firm, has shown the possibilities and opportunities for investors and businessmen willing to commit their resources to boost local production.

“The Federal Government has always said that we all need to look back inwards and start to do things for ourselves. Spending 25 years to be able to get to this stage and get something productive shows a lot about your belief, tenacity and doggedness and I want to recommend you to every other Nigerian investor that there is still greater hope for Nigeria with the likes of you around”.

“I don’t see any reason why any Nigerian needs to be afraid because you have just shown by this indigenous discovery that anything is possible in Nigeria,” he said.

Ambode said the historic discovery means that the three senatorial districts, Lagos West, Lagos East and Lagos Central have all combined to open up the economic and investment potentials of the state.

“From the Lagos West axis, we have crude oil coming out of it, from the Lagos East axis, we have the petrochemical refinery coming from the Lagos Free Trade Zone by the Dangote Group which will come on board by 2018 and from the Lagos Central axis, it’s the financial district of Nigeria,” he said.

But experts has warned that it may not be smiles all the way and hence urged both the government and relevant stakeholders to put in place measures that will mitigate impact of oil exploration so as to avoid a repeat of the Niger delta debacle.

Specifically harping on the downside of the crude oil exploration, Mr. Gabriel Akinwale, an environmentalist, said though it is a very good development that should be celebrated by Lagosians, oil exploration has over the years posed several environmental economic and social problems in the country.

The fear he said is the nation’s has intense environmental degradation issues as it relates discharges of petroleum effluent, degrading land, water bodies and the atmosphere at large. According to him, exploration activities such as drilling, pipe laying and sea transportation within the marine environment are bound to create an impact which will inevitably have some negative consequences if not properly handled.

“We are witnesses to the fact that one of the major environmental problems in the Niger Delta Region of the country since the inception of oil exploration, exploitation, has been that of oil spillage. And it goes without saying that the problem has caused hardship and poverty among the host communities”.

“If the government and oil companies maintain the posture of not caring about the plight of the host communities, it could cause youths restiveness in Lagos. Youths in Apa and other communities in Badagry will turn to monsters, militants and rise up against constituted authorities”.

 http://leadership.ng/news/548160/lagos-story-of-oil-in-the-nations-economic-hub?

You’re Not Supposed to Be Happy All the Time

One of the more annoying quirks of human psychology has a name: hedonic adaptation. It’s a term psychologists use to describe the way you get used to the things that once made you happy. Getting a long-sought-after promotion at work, for example, initially makes you feel more satisfied with your life — but after a year or so, the feeling fades. You’re about as happy as you were before you got the new job. 

This phenomenon is well-studied, and a classic of the genre is one particular study published in 1978, which found that, after some time had passed, lottery winners were not that much happier than they were before they’d won. Even more telling, they were not that much happier than another group included in that study: people who had recently suffered some terrible accident, and as a result had become paraplegic or quadriplegic. “Eventually, the thrill of winning the lottery will itself wear off,” the authors of that paper wrote. “If all things are judged by the extent to which they depart from a baseline of past experience, gradually even the most positive events will cease to have impact as they themselves are absorbed into the new baseline against which further events are judged.”

So if this is truly a central part of human nature, psychologist Frank T. McAndrew recently argued at the Conversation — wouldn’t it make sense to stop fighting it? After all, you get used to things because you are supposed to get used to things. It’s for your own good. “These delusions about the past and the future could be an adaptive part of the human psyche, with innocent self-deceptions actually enabling us to keep striving,” McAndrew said. “If our past is great and our future can be even better, then we can work our way out of the unpleasant — or at least, mundane — present.”

It’s a feature, not a bug, as they say. Happiness isn’t meant to last, a statement that sounds incredibly sad, but doesn’t have to be. As McAndrew phrases it, “Recognizing that happiness exists — and that it’s a delightful visitor that never overstays its welcome — may help us appreciate it more when it arrives.”

http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/08/how-to-be-happier-stop-trying-to-be-so-happy-all-the-time.html